The journey out of the cavern was uneventful—Garchomp's lingering aura kept hostile Pokémon at bay. Su Feng snapped photos of curious wild creatures along the way, mentally cataloging them for future Pokédex entries.
When sunlight finally pierced the cave's exit, Garchomp halted and grunted, signaling the end of its escort.
Su Feng hesitated. "Want to join us? Travel the world?"
The dragon snorted. Join you? Where's your mountain of gems? Your Carbink harem?
"...Fair enough," Su Feng sighed. "See you around, then."
"Kraa!"
"Grr."
"Gho~"
After farewells, Garchomp vanished into the shadows, likely paranoid about its hoard.
By evening, Su Feng reached the foot of the muddy mountain. Haunter floated beside him, subtly stabilizing his slips with psychic nudges.
"Thanks, Haunter."
"Gho~" Finally, someone who appreciates me!
At his parked car, Su Feng addressed the livestream: "Signing off for now. Next stream TBD—DM suggestions!"
[NOOOO STAY FOREVER!!]
[Just drive and chat! We'll watch asphalt!]
[Dude's been live for 48 hours. Let the man sleep!]
"Wait, two days?!" Su Feng blanched. "Yikes. Fatigue driving avoided."
Ignoring pleas to continue, he ended the stream and collapsed into bed at a nearby inn.
The next morning, refreshed by his unnaturally efficient "corporate drone stamina" (courtesy of Arceus), Su Feng drove home.
"Arceus is totally exploiting me," he muttered, side-eyeing Combusken and Haunter. "But… worth it."
"Kraa!"
"Gho!"
In the Hall of Origin, Arceus watched approvingly.
"Flawless employee. Should I… give him a raise?" It pinged Su Feng's system. "Discount his store. Throw in a freebie."
"Understood," replied System-007.
Arceus' gaze lingered. "Too soon to show him the truth… Let him grow stronger first."
Home at last, Su Feng scrubbed off two days of grime, haunted by an eerie sensation of being watched.
"Haunter?!"
"Gho?" Nope, not me!
Post-shower, he reviewed Combusken's stats:
Combusken
Level: 18
Type: Fire/Fighting
Ability: Speed Boost
Moves: Quick Attack, Scratch, Double Kick, Flame Charge, Detect, Sand Attack…
Note: Fire sac underdeveloped. Full potential unlocked at final evolution.
"You're holding back this much?!" Su Feng gaped. The bird shrugged innocently.
"Time to expand your movepool…" He opened the system shop, eyeing TMs. "What'll make you unstoppable?"