Two days later, after wrapping up some loose ends, Su Feng arranged with Brother Jin to set off for X City early the next morning.
When Su Feng asked about their mode of transportation, Jin simply gave him a cryptic look and said, "You'll find out when the time comes."
Su Feng didn't press further. Jin had always been reliable, so he decided to trust him on this.
As the sun set, Su Feng lounged on the sofa, sipping cola from a wine glass while watching Combusken practice martial arts and Haunter hone its Shadow Ball in the yard. A sense of contentment washed over him.
He had already announced the upcoming livestream, and the response online was overwhelmingly positive. Fans from other regions were even urging him to visit their areas for live broadcasts.
Su Feng could only say, "One step at a time." After all, he was just an ordinary guy with a bit of Pokémon knowledge. His energy and resources were limited.
"Combusken, Haunter, let's call it a day. Rest up—we've got a big journey tomorrow."
"Wait, does that sound a bit ominous?"
Su Feng scratched his head but didn't dwell on it. He finished the last of his cola, washed up, and went to bed with Haunter and Combusken.
The night passed uneventfully.
The next morning, Su Feng received a message from Jin and took a taxi to an open field on the outskirts of the city. He had no idea what Jin was planning.
Until he saw the helicopter.
"Holy crap!"
Su Feng's jaw nearly hit the ground as the helicopter roared overhead.
"This mode of transportation is way too hardcore!"
Jin hovered the helicopter mid-air and dropped a rope ladder for Su Feng to climb. Without hesitation, Su Feng scaled the ladder with ease, thanks to his excellent physical condition.
Seated in the pilot's seat, Jin handed Su Feng a headset and gestured for him to put it on.
This was Su Feng's first time in a helicopter, so he followed instructions obediently. Once the headset was on, the deafening noise of the rotors vanished, leaving only Jin's voice.
"Not bad for an outdoor streamer. You climbed that ladder faster than I could."
"You're just out of shape," Su Feng shot back without mercy. He then leaned out the door and waved to Combusken and Haunter, signaling them to come aboard.
Haunter floated up effortlessly, while Combusken eyed the distance between the ground and the helicopter, crouching slightly.
Su Feng's eyes widened. "Wait, no!"
But it was too late. Combusken leaped gracefully, landing perfectly inside the helicopter.
"Cha?"
Combusken tilted its head, confused by Su Feng's horrified expression.
Su Feng: "..."
"Next time, don't jump into a helicopter like that. I know you've got great control, but my heart can't handle it."
"Cha."
Combusken scratched its head, not quite understanding but deciding it was best to agree.
"My heart can't handle it either. Next time, I'll just land properly before you board," Jin muttered from the cockpit.
...
According to Jin, the helicopter ride to X City would take less than six hours, saving them a lot of time.
"So, Jin, why the helicopter?"
"Well, maybe it's because I happen to have a helicopter license and unrestricted access to military choppers," Jin replied casually, flexing a little.
"Still just my chauffeur, though."
Jin: "..."
He opened his mouth to retort but thought better of it. After all, it was true—he was essentially Su Feng's driver.
"Let's hope we don't end up like Kobe..." Su Feng muttered under his breath.
"What?" The noise inside the helicopter made it hard to hear, even with the headsets.
"Nothing, just thinking about a certain Black Mamba," Su Feng said with a smirk.
Jin assumed Su Feng was rambling again. "There's no way a Black Mamba snake would be on this helicopter."
"True. Good thing there isn't one, or we'd be in trouble."
Haunter glanced between Su Feng and Jin, feeling like they were on completely different wavelengths yet somehow managing to communicate.
After a little over five hours, they arrived above X City. However, they didn't stop in the urban area, instead heading straight for a military base on the outskirts near the grasslands.
After all, the helicopter wasn't Jin's personal property and needed to be returned safely.
It seemed they had been expected. Jin spotted ground crew in the distance and followed their instructions to land smoothly on the helipad.
Oddly, once the helicopter touched down, the ground crew and other personnel seemed to vanish.
"Huh, this military base seems pretty empty," Su Feng remarked as he stepped off the helicopter and looked around.
Jin sighed, realizing Su Feng was still unaware of his own importance.
"After I reported your plans to Old Xu, he classified your itinerary as top secret to ensure your safety."
"Right now, aside from you, me, and Old Xu, no one else knows your whereabouts. Even the ground crew didn't know who was on the helicopter."
"That's insane," Su Feng said, impressed.
Ignoring Su Feng's awe, Jin hopped into a pre-prepared off-road vehicle. With a sharp drift, he pulled up beside Su Feng and pointed to the back seat.
"Get in!"
Su Feng glanced at Jin, shook his head, and muttered as he climbed in, "The days of having a chauffeur who opened the door for me are long gone..."
Jin: "..."
...
According to Jin, it would take about ten minutes to drive from the military base to the grasslands teeming with Pokémon. Su Feng took this opportunity to pull out his live-streaming drone from his backpack.
Jin noticed this in the rearview mirror and asked curiously, "I've been meaning to ask—where did you get this multifunctional streaming drone?"
"The system gave it to me," Su Feng replied casually as he adjusted the settings.
Jin: "..."
Couldn't he at least come up with a better excuse?
Once the stream was ready, Su Feng looked up and asked, "Jin, is it okay if you appear on the livestream?"
Jin waved it off. "Don't worry about it. Just go ahead and stream."
With that, Su Feng didn't hesitate and started the broadcast.
Instantly, viewers flooded in like a tidal wave. Notifications of users entering the stream filled the screen, causing the app to lag slightly.
[OMG, he's finally live! I've been smashing the refresh button for hours!]
[Do you know how long I've waited? Three days! Do you know how I survived these three days!?]
[Combusken, my baby! Mommy missed you so much!]
[Grandma, your favorite streamer is live again!]
[The preview said you're in X City? Is that true!?]
[Streamer, my home is near the grasslands in X City. Can I come find you!?]
[Where's the adorable Haunter? I want to see Haunter!]
Seeing the enthusiastic comments, Su Feng couldn't help but smile.
"Welcome to the Pokémon educational livestream! I'm your good buddy, good friend, and good teacher—Su Feng!"
"It's been a few days, and I've missed you all so much!"