**Chapter 8: Coupling Gym and the Suggestion to Attend School**
"There are so many trees and grass outside, why don't you eat those? Instead, you come here to steal food! You've got some nerve!" Bai Feng said angrily.
"Pu... Pu~"
"Pu pu..."
The two Scatterbug twisted their bodies non-stop, trying to break free from Bai Feng's hand, and even trying to spit silk at him.
Unfortunately, Bai Feng was holding them by the back of their necks, so the silk they spat could only land on the ground in front of them, unable to reach him at all.
Their strength was also small, so they could only let him do as he pleased.
"Honestly, you just cause trouble for people!" Bai Feng carried the Scatterbug out of his Small Orchard and took them to the grassland far away before throwing them down. "Don't come back again, or don't blame me for being impolite!"
After returning to the Small Orchard, Bai Feng took out a pair of scissors and began pruning the excess branches from the saplings.
"Hello, little friend."
Just then, a voice came from outside the orchard. Bai Feng looked back and saw an old man riding a Gogoat had appeared outside.
Who is this? Bai Feng walked over and asked curiously, "Hello, Grandpa, do you need something?"
After this period of unremitting effort, Bai Feng could now communicate with others very smoothly, no longer stuttering like before.
He still had a bit of a talent for languages in him.
The old man pointed at the saplings in the Small Orchard and asked in surprise, "Did you plant all these?"
"Yes, is there a problem?" Bai Feng felt a sense of vigilance. Could this be a bad person? He looked kind-faced, though.
The old man laughed heartily, "No problem, no problem. I just think you're amazing, little friend, to be able to take care of these fruit trees so well."
"Hehe~" Bai Feng scratched the back of his head, pretending to be simple-minded. "I just planted them for fun, it's nothing special."
The old man waved his hand and said, "No need to be modest, this old man still has some discerning eyes. Little friend, do you really like planting fruit trees?"
Bai Feng usually tried his best to imitate a child's behavior to ensure he didn't seem too out of place. So, he put his hands on his hips and said proudly, "Of course! I'm going to be a Berry Tycoon!"
"Hahaha~ Good, good!" The old man was amused again and laughed heartily. "Excellent, young in age but not in ambition! Little friend, how old are you and what's your name?"
"My name is Bai Feng, and I'm eight years old," Bai Feng said seriously. Coupled with his handsome and cute face, it didn't seem out of place.
"Only eight years old? So young?" The old man was clearly startled, then said with admiration, "Incredible, truly incredible!"
"Grandpa, I told you who I am, but you haven't told me who you are yet," Bai Feng asked curiously.
The old man replied, "You can call me Grandpa Fu. Alright, I must be going. If you have time, you can come to the Coupling Gym to find me and play."
Coupling Gym? Bai Feng exclaimed inwardly. Could this be the Gym Leader of the Coupling Gym, Grandpa Fu? But he seems much younger than I remember.
The Grandpa Fu in his memory should be sixty or seventy years old, while this one looked to be at most in his fifties.
After leaving his message, the old man rode away on his Gogoat.
Bai Feng quickly ran out of the orchard and rushed all the way to Director Meili.
"Director Meili, do you know about the Coupling Gym?" Bai Feng asked urgently.
Director Meili was washing Limo's clothes. Hearing this, she stopped what she was doing and replied, "Yes, I do. The Coupling Gym isn't far from here. Look, it's over there..." As she spoke, she pointed in a direction, but only a mountain could be seen in that direction, nothing else was visible.
"Then do you know who the Gym Leader of the Coupling Gym is?" Bai Feng asked again.
"Of course, it's Mr. Fu Ade. He's a very famous person in our Biyi City, and sometimes he passes by here when he's out for a walk," Director Meili said with admiration in her tone when talking about Mr. Fu Ade.
"I met someone in the orchard today. He said I could go to the Coupling Gym to find him and play, and he said his name was Grandpa Fu."
"That's Mr. Fu Ade!" Director Meili said in surprise. "He likes children to call him Grandpa Fu or Grandpa Fu."
Director Meili was a little surprised that Bai Feng could gain Mr. Fu Ade's favor. However, thinking of the saplings behind the house that Bai Feng had taken such good care of, Director Meili instantly understood. Mr. Fu Ade was also someone who loved planting.
When Mr. Fu Ade was young, he was the idol of many young girls in Biyi City!
So, Grandpa Fu's full name is Fu Ade! Bai Feng suddenly realized.
"Since Mr. Fu Ade said so, then you should go. He's a very good person and can definitely teach you a lot of things," Director Meili said emotionally.
Children from the Orphanage were at a disadvantage compared to most people from birth. To succeed, they had to put in more effort. If Bai Feng could gain Mr. Fu Ade's favor and guidance, the path he would take in the future would definitely be much easier.
Director Meili was genuinely happy for Bai Feng.
When Bai Feng first started planting trees behind the house, she just thought he was being childish and playful. She didn't expect Bai Feng to be so good at planting. Even she, an adult, might not be able to take care of those trees as well as this child did.
"When you go to the Coupling Gym, be well-behaved, listen to Mr. Fu Ade more, learn more knowledge from Mr. Fu Ade, and don't just play around..." Director Meili earnestly instructed Bai Feng.
"Got it, thank you, Director Meili!" After Director Meili finished speaking, Bai Feng excitedly ran off.
Grandpa Fu and the Coupling Gym... This might be an opportunity for him. He was currently severely lacking knowledge related to the world and Trainers, whether it was about planting or about Pokémon.
Learning this knowledge required channels, which the Orphanage clearly didn't have.
The Coupling Gym was different!
Having made up his mind, Bai Feng decided he must build a good bond with Grandpa Fu.
The next day, Bai Feng, in his most energetic state, was sent to the Coupling Gym by Director Meili.
As Director Meili said, the Coupling Gym was very close to the Blue Bird Orphanage, but there was a mountain peak in between. To reach it, they had to pass through a mountain cave, which was why Bai Feng had never noticed this place before.
The Blue Bird Orphanage was located on a gentle, open hillside area, while the Coupling Gym was hidden among the steep mountain peaks.
Fortunately, the modern facilities here were very complete. Bai Feng and the others didn't need to climb the mountain walls themselves; they could just take the elevator.
When Bai Feng stood at the entrance of the Coupling Gym, his first impression was shock, because the Coupling Gym was actually built on an incredibly tall, giant tree.
Wooden stairs were built on the trunk of the giant tree, and the shadows of buildings could be vaguely seen within the tree's canopy.
After Director Meili told the gym apprentice about Bai Feng's appointment with Grandpa Fu, the apprentice led Bai Feng to see Grandpa Fu, while she herself returned to the Orphanage alone.
"Hello, my name is A Sheng, I'm a gym apprentice here. Your name is Bai Feng, right? Are you also here to be an apprentice?" A Sheng chatted with Bai Feng while leading the way.
Bai Feng shook his head and said, "No, Grandpa Fu just asked me to come and play."
"Oh, I see..." A Sheng was a little surprised. He thought Bai Feng was a new apprentice that Grandpa Fu had taken a liking to. "Since Grandpa Fu asked you to come and play, he must really like you."
Bai Feng smiled and didn't say anything more. Soon, he was led to the center of the giant tree's trunk, where a Garden was built. As soon as he entered, he was captivated by the vibrant colors inside.
The Garden was not only filled with beautiful flowers of various colors, but there were also about ten Hoppip and Skiploom flying in the air, and Bellsprout dancing and Weepinbell hopping on the ground. It was very lively.
As expected of a Grass-type Gym.
Hearing the sound, Grandpa Fu stood up from among the flowers, holding a pair of scissors in his hand. He smiled and greeted Bai Feng, "Little friend, you're here!"
A Sheng left after bringing Bai Feng. Bai Feng walked up to Grandpa Fu and said, "Grandpa Fu, this place is so beautiful. Can I ask you how to plant flowers?"
Grandpa Fu looked at him with a half-smile and said, "Didn't you aspire to become a Berry Tycoon? Do you really only want to learn how to plant flowers?"
Bai Feng scratched his head sheepishly and said with a chuckle, "If you're willing to teach me other things, I'm definitely willing to learn."
"You cunning little fellow," Grandpa Fu chuckled and patted his head, then said, "I'm this old, I don't have the energy to teach you."
Hearing this, Bai Feng's mood visibly dropped.
"Don't worry, come with me," Grandpa Fu said next.
Hearing this, Bai Feng followed behind Grandpa Fu, puzzled.
Led by Grandpa Fu, Bai Feng arrived at his Study. Looking at the room full of books, Bai Feng's eyes widened in surprise.
This was probably comparable to a large library!
"How is it?" Grandpa Fu said with a hint of pride. "These are all books about planting and Pokémon. There's no place in the entire Biyi City with a richer collection of books than here!"
Seeing Bai Feng's slightly agape mouth, Grandpa Fu was very satisfied.
"From now on, when you come here, you can come here to read books."
...
Bai Feng, who had been disappointed because Grandpa Fu said he wouldn't teach him, was naturally extremely excited when he heard this. But soon he became conflicted again, and then said sheepishly:
"Um... um... I can't read..."
Grandpa Fu: ...
"You're eight years old, aren't you? Haven't you been to school?" Grandpa Fu asked in shock.
So Bai Feng told Grandpa Fu about how he had just returned to the Human World. It was already very difficult for him to learn a new language in just a few months; asking him to also be able to read would really be too much to ask.
Speaking of this, Bai Feng couldn't help but feel a bit mentally collapsing inside. In his previous life, he was considered a bit of a top student and even got a master's degree. Who would have thought that after transmigrating, he would become illiterate?
My twenty years of hard study!
"Alright, I understand. Come with me."
After saying that, Grandpa Fu led Bai Feng to a computer in the Study.
Grandpa Fu's Study was very modern. Not only did it have paper books, but it also had electronic versions. Of course, Bai Feng, being illiterate, couldn't read the electronic books either.
But it didn't matter, there were always more solutions than problems. If he couldn't read the words, he could watch videos, right? There were also various instructional videos stored on the computer.
"You can watch videos to learn first. When you can read in the future, you can read any book here."
Grandpa Fu really liked this young boy who seemed simple-minded on the surface but revealed a bit of cunning inside, so he wanted to give him an opportunity to grow.
As for whether Bai Feng could seize this opportunity, that was up to him.
"Thank you, Grandpa Fu. I will definitely repay you in the future," Bai Feng said from the bottom of his heart. The opportunity Grandpa Fu gave him was truly too important.
"Alright, then you can't make me wait too long, okay? I'll be waiting for your repayment," Grandpa Fu said with a chuckle, joking. "You can look around yourself first. If you need anything, you can find me in the Garden. Do you remember the way?"
"Yes, I know, I remember."
After Grandpa Fu left, Bai Feng couldn't wait to browse the knowledge on the computer.
Grandpa Fu's collection was indeed rich. Bai Feng got so absorbed in looking that he forgot the time until Grandpa Fu came to call him.
"Little fellow, isn't it time for you to go home?"
Hearing this, Bai Feng quickly checked the time and found that it was already noon.
"Your Director is already waiting for you outside," Grandpa Fu added.
Bai Feng said sheepishly, "I'm sorry, Grandpa Fu, I forgot the time."
Grandpa Fu waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. Being eager to learn is a good thing, but you should also pay attention to balancing work and rest. That way, your learning efficiency will be higher."
"I'll pay attention next time," Bai Feng nodded obediently.
"Alright, I'll see you to the entrance."
When Bai Feng arrived at the entrance of the Coupling Gym, Director Meili was indeed waiting there. He said to the Director with an apologetic tone:
"Director Meili, you don't have to come pick me up anymore. I can go back by myself."
Director Meili disagreed, "How can that be? I won't feel at ease with you alone! What if you encounter danger?"
Just then, Grandpa Fu said, "From now on, I'll have Tropius send this boy back. Director Meili, you don't need to worry."
After saying that, Grandpa Fu lightly blew a whistle. A sturdy Tropius flew out from the canopy of the giant tree and slowly landed beside Bai Feng and Director Meili.
"Today, you two can ride Tropius back."
After thanking Grandpa Fu, the two climbed onto Tropius's back. Tropius carried them and flew up. This was a novel experience for both of them.
Tropius had a gentle nature and flew very steadily, giving them a strong sense of security.
On the way back, Director Meili asked, "How did you get along with Mr. Fu Ade today? Did you gain anything?"
Bai Feng said excitedly, "Grandpa Fu is very kind and approachable. He was especially nice to me and even said I could read any book in his Study."
"That's good, that's good. This opportunity is very rare, you must cherish it," Director Meili was very happy for Bai Feng after hearing this.
Just then, Bai Feng suddenly said to Director Meili, "Director Meili, thank you."
Thank you for taking care of me, thank you for allowing me to plant fruit trees, thank you for being willing to support me in coming here to learn from Grandpa Fu...
Hearing Bai Feng suddenly say this, Director Meili was a little slow to react and asked in confusion.
"What's wrong?"
Bai Feng shook his head and said, "Nothing, I just think you're really good."
Since coming from the Island, he had met kind people all the way. He was grateful to these people from the bottom of his heart.
"You child, why are you saying such things?"
Director Meili found Bai Feng's serious tone a bit funny, and suddenly felt warm inside.
After returning home, the children gathered around, asking Bai Feng about his experience at the Coupling Gym in a flurry of questions. Bai Feng answered them one by one.
During lunch, Director Meili suddenly said to Bai Feng, "Bai Feng, you can communicate normally now. Do you want to go to school with Dongyu?"
Bai Feng was just worrying about learning to read. Hearing Director Meili say this, he immediately agreed.
"Okay."
Director Meili nodded, "Since that's the case, I'll take you to the school another day to inquire about the situation."
When Yangtai heard this, he immediately grumbled unhappily, "Oh! Brother Bai Feng is going to school too? Then will only a few of us be left at home again?"
Director Meili immediately scolded him, "You're almost old enough too, you'll have to go then. Don't just make noise all day."
"Oh..." Yangtai quickly lowered his head and shoveled rice into his mouth.
After lunch, Bunnelby suddenly found Bai Feng and said that the two bugs from yesterday had come again.
Bai Feng rushed to the orchard. Sure enough, he found the two Scatterbug from yesterday on a sapling. They were biting into the tender leaves of the sapling, which made Bai Feng furious.
"It's you again!" He walked over angrily and reached out towards the two Scatterbug.
As soon as the two Scatterbug saw Bai Feng, they immediately tried to run away, but they were too slow and were once again grabbed by the back of their necks.
"I warned you not to come back, didn't I? You still didn't listen! Do you think I can't deal with you?"
Bai Feng walked out of the orchard angrily. After returning home, he found two sturdy thin ropes, tied one end to each of the bugs, and hung them from the eaves, letting them swing and sway in the wind.
"Pu~ Pu pu..."
"Pu pu pu~"
The crying sounds of the two bugs attracted the children, who all ran below to watch.
"Brother Bai Feng, are these Pokémon?" Yihui asked in a clear voice, his eyes wide with curiosity.
Bai Feng nodded and said, "That's right, they're called Scatterbug. Vivillon evolve from them."
Although the children hadn't seen many Scatterbug, they had seen Vivillon flying around in the grass many times, so they weren't unfamiliar with them.
"They're quite cute," Caicaizi said. "Brother Bai Feng, why are you hanging them up?"
Bai Feng explained, "They snuck into the orchard to steal and eat the fruit saplings. I let them go once yesterday, but they dared to come back today."
Caicaizi immediately said coldly and heartlessly, "Then they deserve a good punishment! Just hanging them is too lenient!"
The Scatterbug, who had been expecting Caicaizi to plead for them, immediately became teary-eyed.
"Hehehe~"
Little Limo was even amused by the Scatterbug's funny appearance.
Bai Feng instructed the children, "You guys help me keep an eye on these two. Don't let them run away. If they don't suffer a little, they won't know what fear is."
Yangtai and Xiao You said in unison, "We guarantee to complete the mission!"
After dealing with the Scatterbug, Bai Feng said to Bunnelby, "You did well today, I need to give you a good reward."
Bunnelby's eyes lit up when it heard this. Are you going to let me go?
Bunnelby, who had been working for Bai Feng for free, had long been looking forward to this exploitative boss setting it free.
"Let's give you a Rejuvenation!"
Bunnelby was immediately disappointed when it heard this, but after thinking about it, it felt acceptable. It had long wanted to experience what Bai Ye called Rejuvenation. Was it really that comfortable?
No creature could escape the "it smells so good" rule, and Bunnelby was no exception.
When Bai Feng gave Bunnelby a Rejuvenation, its reaction was like this:
This... Is this Rejuvenation? It's too comfortable!
In the afternoon, Bai Feng continued to learn knowledge at Grandpa Fu's place and was sent back by Tropius when the sun was about to set.
As soon as he got home, he saw the two Scatterbug hanging from the eaves, looking utterly lifeless. Caicaizi and the others had indeed done a good job and hadn't let them escape.
Bai Feng untied them from the ropes, took them to the grassland outside, and released them into the grass. He sternly warned them again:
"Don't come back again. There's plenty of grass to eat here, don't ruin my fruit trees!" After saying that, he went home.
Before going to bed that night, Bai Feng tossed and turned, unable to sleep. So he simply got out of bed, sat beside Bai Ye, and shared his joy with it, telling it what he had learned at Grandpa Fu's place during the day, how important this opportunity Grandpa Fu gave him was, and planning his and Bai Ye's future.
Bai Feng talked for a long time, and eventually, he didn't even know when he fell asleep.
Bai Ye gently picked Bai Feng up, walked to his bed, put him down, and covered him with the blanket.
Looking at Bai Feng's young face, Bai Ye suddenly felt a little dazed: This is the child I raised from a young age. Unknowingly, he has become so reliable...
Listening to Bai Feng's words tonight, it seemed to suddenly understand. Was its son lost when he first came to the Human World? Was he worried? At the same time, he was full of longing. And he had always maintained that determination and effort to plan for their future.
Their living conditions were not wealthy now, and its son had been working hard to change that.
And while its son was working hard for this family, it was still complaining that its son always forced it to train.
The simple environment it grew up in had given Bai Ye a simple personality. It rarely liked to use its brain for anything. After its son became smart, it simply threw its brain away and listened to its son about everything.
Now that it understood its son's plans for the future, its heart was deeply touched.
Perhaps it should also proactively create a haven for its son.
Early the next morning, Bai Ye went out, saying it was going to train with Fletchinder and the others. Bai Feng, who didn't know that Bai Ye was already trying to change its determination, was completely confused by his mother's behavior.
Did the sun rise from the west today? Why did it suddenly become so active?
Although he was puzzled, Bai Feng didn't delve deeper. He had something very important to do today—to inquire about attending school.
After eating breakfast early, Bai Feng, Director Meili, and Dongyu set off together.
(End of this chapter)