darknovel Chapter 372 Vladali's Past
Chapter 372 Vladali's Past
An Xin'er immediately perked up, rolled up her sleeves, stood on tiptoe and looked at the tree fruits on the cutting board, her little face full of seriousness.
"Mmm...this one's sweet, this one's sour, this one..."
She muttered to herself as she picked out tree fruits, looking every bit like a little chef.
Li Luochen didn't disturb An Xin'er either.
After all, her focused expression made it hard to interrupt her.
He quietly stepped back a few paces and winked at the three Hoopas and Huayi floating beside him.
"You guys help out and keep an eye on her," Li Luochen instructed in a low voice.
"Paji!" Number three, Huba, was the first to nod.
"Benpa will keep an eye on her!" Huba assured, patting his chest.
"Uh-huh!"
Little Huba nodded in agreement, and the three little creatures floated to An Xin'er's side, ready to help hand her something or crack an egg at any time.
Hua Yi rolled up her sleeves and walked to the kitchen counter.
Although she doesn't usually cook, she should be able to help out a young girl—well, probably.
After making the arrangements, Li Luochen turned and left the kitchen, then pushed open the door and returned to the bar counter of the coffee shop.
Vladali was standing there, slowly wiping a coffee cup.
Seeing Li Luochen come out, he looked up and smiled.
"Are you done with your work?"
"I'm not needed for now." Li Luochen sat down on the bar stool in front of the bar and casually tapped the counter. "Seventh Uncle, want to chat for a bit?"
"Can."
Vladali stopped wiping the coffee cup and gently placed it back on the shelf.
He raised his head, his eyes looking at Li Luochen with a certain expectation in them.
After a few seconds of silence, Vladali finally spoke: "Nephew, what do you think of the world now? Is it perfect?"
This problem came somewhat unexpectedly.
Li Luochen raised an eyebrow but did not answer immediately. He simply looked at Vladali quietly.
Uncle Qi's expression was calm, but what was hidden in his eyes was far more complex than it appeared on the surface.
"To be honest, it's not perfect."
Li Luochen shook his head and told the truth.
This world has too many problems.
The conflict between Pokémon and humans, the unequal distribution of resources, the helplessness of the weak, and the arrogance of the strong...
Don't be fooled by the seemingly peaceful surface; beneath the surface, undercurrents are already surging.
Vladali's smile widened.
That smile contained three parts relief, three parts agreement, and four parts—fervor!
That's right!
This world is imperfect!
He put down the towel in his hand, placed his hands on the bar counter, leaned forward slightly, and stared intently at Li Luochen.
The Human-Pokémon Instruments Project is needed!
Activate the ultimate weapon!
Only then can we create a perfect world!
These words surged within Vladali's mind, almost escaping his lips.
but!
Vladali held back.
Now is not the time!
He needed to first determine just how much his nephew could understand!
"So, what do you think is the perfect way for the relationship between humans and Pokémon to reach its peak?"
"Vladali asked, his eyes filled with undisguised fervor.
Li Luochen did not avoid his gaze.
"Reach a consensus and mutual recognition."
"Both humans and Pokémon make mistakes. If you go to extremes, you'll only go further down the wrong path."
After he finished speaking, the coffee shop fell into a brief silence.
Li Luochen answered very well.
To be fair, Vladali felt that Li Luochen's words were perfectly reasonable in any situation.
Reaching consensus, mutual recognition, acknowledging that both sides can make mistakes, and guarding against going to extremes...
How right, how gentle, how much he meets people's expectations of a "kind trainer"!
But this was not the answer Vladali wanted!
His eyes darkened, and the smile on his face gradually faded, replaced by a complex silence.
The so-called "consensus" and "recognition" are nothing but illusions in peacetime.
Once a crisis strikes, all the beautiful appearances will shatter.
Vladali's thoughts drifted back decades.
Back then, he was a fledgling trainer, full of hope for the future and also confused about the world.
The Carlos region was far from being as prosperous as it is today.
The wounds of war have not yet healed, many villages are in ruins, and the relationship between humans and Pokémon is tense and fragile.
On the recommendation of an old friend, he established an organization.
An organization called Team Flare.
Back then, Team Flare wasn't the commercial conglomerate it is today, elevated to god-like status by holographic projection technology.
It was just a group of young people who got together and wanted to do something for this land.
"Phew... Brother Fan, I've distributed the supplies to those villagers."
The scenes in my memory gradually became clearer.
Young Vladali wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face still bearing the naivety of youth.
He turned to a seemingly frail scholar beside him and spoke with a hint of self-satisfaction in his tone.
The scholar called "Brother Fan" looked up and smiled gently at him: "You've worked hard, Xiao Fu."
"Hehe, it's not hard work!"
Young Vladali grinned, the fatigue on his face lessened considerably by the sense of accomplishment.
"Brother Fan, do you think these villagers will soon be living a better life?"
"Hmm," Fan Ge responded softly, his gaze falling on the castles not far away. "If everything can get back on track, then we'll definitely be able to live a good life."
After hearing this, Vladali followed Vango's gaze and looked over.
Towering towers, wide city walls, and vast estates.
It's clearly a house where a nobleman lives.
He recalled the people living in the castle, dressed in fine clothes and with haughty expressions, as if they lived in two different worlds from these ragged villagers.
"well......"
After comparing the options in his mind, Vladali sighed, a complex look flashing in his eyes.
I wonder when these villagers will be able to live in houses like this.
"Brother Fan! Chief! I...we seem to be running low on food!"
Just then, a female officer dressed in a Flame Team uniform rushed over, her face showing anxiety.
Vladali looked at her and asked, "Not much food? Let's go buy some. How much money do we have left?"
The female cadre swallowed hard, her anxiety growing even stronger.
"Not many left..."
She bit her lip and began to count:
"We've been distributing too much food lately, almost every day. The elderly and children in the village, the injured Pokémon, and the families who have fled... all need to eat and drink. We're running out of working capital."
She paused, then lowered her voice:
"The rest will be used to develop holographic projection..."
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Readers unfamiliar with Vladali's past can read the author's comments for a more intuitive understanding of the man.