Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game.

Only by defeating this Goomy can you say that your Pokémon has reached the amateur level.

It took Ralts nearly two months to reach this level of strength, while Goohoo only took less than a month.

Sticky Baby's battle growth rate, like her physical talent, can only be described as terrifying.

Having witnessed all of this, Xia Chen had roughly figured out what Sticky Baby's "special skill" was.

It must be this extraordinary talent, the pinnacle of talent, a talent that is flawless in every aspect.

As it turns out, when talent reaches a certain level, it can be a very powerful advantage.

Sticky Baby's rapid progress has not only made it famous, but has also put a lot of pressure on the five senior members.

No elf wants to be surpassed by a teammate who joined later than them.

Although Noodle Baby has only been born for a short time, with her terrifying speed of obtaining one attribute gem every ten days, it won't take her more than three to five years to catch up.

The one under the most pressure is Dorgonmesia.

Little Dragon was already far behind his four older brothers and sisters, but because of the long growth period of a pseudo-god, it didn't matter.

But Sticky Baby is just like him.

Both are quasi-god cubs, but they are much smaller than me.

If she manages to overtake me, will I still be able to stay in this house?

As a result, stirred up by Sticky Treasure, Xia Chen's family, and even Ming Yi's Pokémon, trained even harder.

This phenomenon lasted for half a month, until the start of the school year in mid-February.

…………

Due to climate differences, the start dates for the semester at Beijing University and Orange Academy are different, and Xia Chen's return to school will be a little earlier.

So this time, it was Mingyi's turn to see Xia Chen off at the airport.

But barring any unforeseen circumstances, their separation will only be temporary.

Xia Chen's plan is to return to school to handle some matters briefly, and then set off for Tabletop before March to begin his trip in the Padia region.

Actually, even though it was called handling matters, there wasn't much for Xia Chen to do.

I'll collect the prize money from my school for winning the Youth Tournament, and then head to the Qianlong Dojo to catch up with the Long sisters.

Oh, and I also need to take Zoroark to meet with Professor Moran, who teaches the Ghost-type course.

In order to uncover the secrets of Ghost Zorua, I lied to her and said I was researching something called Ghost Eevee.

Although it was for the purpose of protecting himself and Zoroa, Xia Chen still felt somewhat embarrassed for deceiving someone who had a pure and innocent love for Ghost-type Pokémon.

Now that "Ghost Eevee" has evolved, I definitely need to go and apologize to that person.

Compared to cross-regional flights, the flight from Zhijiang to Beijing was not long. In the time it took Xia Chen to meditate deeply, the plane landed smoothly on the airport runway.

A dry, cold wind swept over him, and Xia Chen tightened his trench coat before hailing a taxi and heading straight for the Qianlong Martial Arts Academy.

With several days left before school starts, Xianbu was eager to return to school.

After a half-hour drive, Xia Chen arrived at the Qianlong Dojo, a place he hadn't visited in a long time.

Although the Lunar New Year has just passed, the Qianlong Martial Arts Academy is already bustling with activity.

The reason it was so lively wasn't because of the large number of people coming to challenge the dojo, but because of the large number of people signing up for dojo training.

Xia Chen marveled as he watched a long line of young men and women with their parents waiting in the dojo lobby to pay their fees.

No matter the world, parents' desire for their children to succeed remains unchanged; education and training are still profitable.

Moreover, as the most famous dojo in Donghuang, Qianlong Dojo's fees are definitely not low.

With just a few hundred people, it's possible to generate tens of millions in revenue.

However, none of this mattered to Xia Chen. He bypassed the crowd and walked into the inner hall with practiced ease.

As core members of the dojo, Longye and the Longyue and Longli sisters would certainly not stand outside and do any fee-charging work.

When Xia Chen entered, the three of them were receiving a special guest he hadn't expected: Yu Longdu.

…………

"Mr. Dodo?"

The impolite word "dodo bird" almost slipped out, but thankfully Xia Chen quickly stopped himself.

Although in Xia Chen's mind, Du has always been a strong champion and a reliable senior, so he shouldn't be bothered by a nickname.

But Xia Chen would never do something that would offend people for no reason.

A young man with short red hair suddenly turned around, his eyes filled with a mixture of curiosity and barely concealed sharpness.

Xia Chen was quite familiar with that look. When he was taken to the police station a while ago, the police officers there had looked at him with that same gaze, only not with the same intensity.

Wataru possesses at least the strength of a Heavenly King, and as a high-ranking investigator for the Kanto Alliance, he naturally exudes an imposing aura.

"You are Xia Chen?"

Du raised an eyebrow and asked.

Although it was said to be a question, the tone was actually quite certain.

The owner of the place, Longye, was even more surprised. He looked at the two of them with astonishment and asked, "Do you know each other?"

Xia Chen and Du shook their heads simultaneously, then replied in unison, "We've long admired your name."

The astonishing synchronization of their voices was comparable to that of Chihouba and Mililong. The two looked at each other in surprise again, then smiled knowingly.

Longye smiled and shook his head. "Xiao Chen, you came without saying a word. Please sit down. Xiao Yue, bring some tea."

Long Yue smiled slightly, poured tea for Xia Chen, and congratulated him, "Congratulations, Champion Xia."

His tone was somewhat sarcastic, perhaps reflecting his own frustration at only reaching the semi-finals in this competition while Xia Chen had won the championship.

The little girl, Long Li, greeted them sweetly, then sat quietly to the side, completely unlike her usual lively self.

It seems that Yu Longdu, as the elder of the maternal family, has considerable authority.

After exchanging pleasantries, the group started chatting.

"Does Adu have any official business in Donghuang this time? He couldn't have come just to see this old man, could he?"

It seems Wataru hasn't been at the dojo for very long, otherwise Ryuno wouldn't have asked that question.

Du laughed heartily, "What? Can't I come and see my brother-in-law and two adorable nieces?"

Xia Chen was watching the drama unfold like crazy. Brother-in-law?

So, is Tatsuno's wife Watari's older sister?

That's something new, but come to think of it, I don't recall ever meeting Long Yue's mother before.

In the anime, it seems that only Tsubaki from the Inkstone Dojo is related to Wataru by blood.

However, in reality, it's normal for such a large family as the Yulong Clan to have many people they don't know.

While Xia Chen was eating melon seeds and pondering, Du and Longye had already continued their conversation.

…………

Du said seriously, "However, I really do have official business to attend to this time."

Upon hearing this, everyone present became much more serious.

Everyone present knew what Wataru's official duties were. A senior investigator from the Kanto Alliance had come to the Eastern Empire from another region, and his purpose was certainly not just some trivial matter like capturing Pokémon hunters.

Long Ye glanced at Xia Chen and the others without changing his expression, then frowned and asked, "Would you like to talk alone?"

He had a premonition that the purpose of crossing over was not simple, and it was best for Long Yue and Xia Chen to know as little as possible about this.

Wataru understood what Longye meant, but shook his head and said, "It's better to let them know, at least they'll be on guard."

Facing the curious yet nervous gazes of the crowd, Lance continued, "You should know Team Rocket, right? They're the largest dark organization based in the Kanto and Johto regions. They're incredibly powerful and complex, and it's said that many of their executives are high-ranking members of the League."

It wasn't the first time anyone had heard of the Rockets, and they all nodded in understanding.

After a pause, Du continued, "According to reliable sources, since last month, Team Rocket has been frequently active in the Donghuang region, especially in a city called Zhijiang. We suspect that Team Rocket is planning something big."

Zhijiang?

Upon hearing this keyword, Long Ye and Long Yue instinctively looked at Xia Chen.

Isn't Xia Chen's family from Zhijiang? In fact, he himself just came from Zhijiang.

"The Rockets were active in Zhijiang last month?" Xia Chen frowned slightly.

Last month, wasn't it when the meteorite fell in the river and Sticky Baby found the crystal core?

Du keenly noticed Xia Chen's sudden change in mood and asked, "Do you know something?"

Should we tell Watari the truth?

After a quick thought, Xia Chen made a decision instantly.

He slowly shook his head and replied, "I don't know. I'm from Zhijiang, so I'm surprised they would be there. I've never even seen them in Zhijiang."

This statement was seven parts truth and three parts falsehood, and Xia Chen's control over his tone and expression was extraordinary, so Du didn't notice anything unusual at all.

He nodded and said, "Alright, we don't know what the Rockets are up to right now. If you know anything, you can tell me."

After saying that, they started talking about other things, leaving Xia Chen alone, lost in thought.

……

Whether or not to tell Watari about the meteorite, or even about Deoxys, has its pros and cons.

In that instant, Xia Chen subconsciously chose no.

First, he cannot explain his source of information, raising questions about the credibility of the information.

Unless he reveals that he also possesses a crystal core, he needs to fabricate a plausible story.

He can't do it in a short time.

Besides that, the most important reason is that he cannot be sure of his own safety.

Sabrina and Lt. Surge, who are close allies of the Alliance and are both under Boss Giovanni's control, can anyone guarantee that they aren't in the search system?

If Giovanni learns through this connection that he knows about Deoxys, he'll be in danger.