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

From the distant past, there's Mashu, one of the founders of the Grand Prix; from the more recent world champion Cynthia; and then there's her childhood sweetheart with whom she has a deep bond.

It seems like there's no chance for either of my two little girls. The three of us have known each other for so long; if there were any signs of anything going on, they should have appeared by now.

Stopping his thoughts, Longye didn't dwell on it any further.

Besides Xia Chen benefiting greatly from Long Ye, Nian Nian Bao also learned a lot from Nian Mei Long.

[Peerless]'s talent is no joke. In just a few days, Noodle Treasure learned most of the moves that Noodle Dragon could learn at her current level.

It even includes Meteor Shower, the most powerful and most difficult Dragon-type move to learn!

Thus, another champion-level Pokémon's praise was added to Goohoo's honor book.

…………

February 22nd was the start of the new semester at Kyoto University.

Because there were no hassles like leadership transitions or welcoming new students, the start of the new semester after the winter break was much quieter than during the summer break.

After giving a brief report, Xia Chen immediately went to the principal's office to complete the procedures for requesting a long leave.

Yu Chaohua rubbed his temples helplessly, "You just finished reporting for duty and you're already asking for leave? What kind of student are you? And an indefinite leave at that!"

Xia Chen glanced at the "71st Donghuang Youth Trainer Competition Champion" trophy displayed in the most conspicuous position in the honor cabinet behind the principal, and his confidence grew.

He stated confidently, "I feel that I gain more from traveling than from school."

Yu Chaohua said irritably, "Then you might as well just drop out of school. You don't need to ask me for leave to travel wherever you want."

Xia Chen said with a forced smile, "Isn't this to win honor for our alma mater?"

Xia Chen chuckled to himself. If he didn't take credit now, when would he?

Yu Chaohua was slightly taken aback, his expression suddenly becoming a little strange. He hadn't even spoken yet, but Xia Chen had already barged in on him.

Since that's the case, don't blame me for being impolite.

Clearing his throat, Yu Chaohua tapped the table and said, "Since you're so kind, I can't very well refuse. There is indeed a competition here that would be suitable for you to participate in."

Xia Chen: "."

I just mentioned it casually, wanting to remind myself of the great contributions I've made to the school. Is there really a competition?

Didn't we already win the highest-level Donghuang Youth Tournament? What other competitions could we possibly have?

Yu Chaohua paused slightly and then introduced, "You should have heard of this competition, the World Youth Championship. As the champion of this Donghuang Youth Championship, you have the priority to represent the Donghuang region in the competition."

Xia Chen suddenly realized.

That's right, beyond the regional level, there's the global level, where competitions pit different regions against each other.

If I remember correctly, this competition also appeared in the Best Wish anime, and Ash naturally participated.

Then, unsurprisingly, he won second place again, becoming the runner-up once more.

The champion of that tournament seems to be Ash's formidable rival in the Unova region, Shuu.

However, the competition in the anime was not very prestigious, at least Shinji didn't participate. In terms of strength, Shinji was definitely the best in his age group.

The World Youth Championships in the real world are so prestigious that only the current age group champions from each region can participate.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Xia Chen thought for a moment and asked, "Is the competition format the same as the Eight Masters Tournament, with each region sending one champion player to participate?"

Yu Chaohua nodded. "That's right. Just like the Eight Masters Tournament, the Kanto region and the Johto region are considered as one region and will participate together."

Due to historical reasons, many regional competitions in these two regions are held together, and sometimes the champion is the same person.

……

Compete against the best peers from all regions?

Not bad.

However, Xia Chen was more concerned about whether he would encounter those familiar figures from his memories.

What would it be like if Shinji, Iris, Alain, Gladion—these trainers whom I admired so much in my past life, with their vibrant personalities and powerful abilities—came together?

Just thinking about it made Xia Chen feel excited.

He thought for a moment and replied, "Okay, I will participate. When will the competition be held?"

Yu Chaohua smiled slightly, "No rush, it'll be in July or August. You can focus on your trip first."

Recommend books

The book title is "Is It Wrong to Make Food Your Pet?"

A brief introduction follows.

……

This is a world of magical and extraordinary powers.

Spirits born from dishes, a competition of deliciousness and power, a journey under the shining stars, challenges maintained by bonds...

A young man came to this world full of courage and dreams with the memory of being a top-notch chef in his previous life.

"O delicious food that holds magical powers, show me your true strength! In the name of your Imperial Spirit Chef, Qin Lang, I command you—the Food Spirit is born!"

“…Huh? Why aren’t you responding?!”

[Stable daily sales of 6,000 books, 5,000 of which are completed older works; trustworthy.]

Chapter 241 The Legend of the Little Golden Men of Padia

Xia Chen was tricked into participating in a competition after asking for leave. Although it was voluntary upon closer examination, he was still a little annoyed.

Yu Chaohua, being a seasoned veteran, naturally understood the principle of giving a reward after a beating. After helping Xia Chen register for the World Youth Championship, he smiled and presented the school's reward for Xia Chen's victory in the Donghuang Youth Competition.

The school's rewards were nothing more than bonuses and points, things that could be bought with money, so they weren't particularly important to Xia Chen.

But something is better than nothing.

In particular, the large amount of reward points is enough to redeem the most expensive quasi-god cub in the points shop.

However, Xia Chen still had Little Dragon and the newly hatched Sticky Baby, and had no intention of cultivating a new pseudo-god for the time being, so he gave up on the idea for the time being.

Anyway, the points are there and won't disappear. I'll wait until I get back from Padiya to see if there are any new items on the shelves, or rare and valuable items.

He received a prize from the competition organizers and another from the school, winning the championship twice, which somewhat soothed Xia Chen's frustration.

"By the way, if you're going to Orange Academy, you can go find Principal Claver. He's an old friend of mine, and he'll take care of you."

Gengar tilted its head to ask Xia Chen what he was there for, its chubby body completely blocking the half-open door, firmly guarding the trainer's safety.

Fortunately, the Ghost-type Pokémon here all belong to the teachers, so they won't go too far with their students.

As a result, Ghost Eevee became Ghost Zoroark, which means that a lot of her research over a long period of time was in vain.

This is a difficult task.

Well, it'll be a long time before Goomy evolves into Goodra, so I'll use this lull to try catching a Moneypick and doing some research.

Mo Lan explained, "This book was compiled by people sent by King Nevenmore III to various parts of Padonia a thousand years ago, when the Padian Empire was at its most powerful. Regardless of its credibility, the compilers faithfully recorded the local history and legends of the places they were responsible for. Unfortunately, the Treasure of Disaster later caused great calamities in various parts of Padonia, and this local history was destroyed by fire before it could be circulated. What I have in my hand may be the only copy left."

She looked up at the uninvited guest with a sleepy and bewildered expression, and it took her a while to realize who it was.

The Eastern Huang region is extremely far from the Padiya region, and a single journey takes a full eight hours.

…………

The half-open door opened, and Gengar stepped aside, indicating that Xia Chen could go in directly.

…………

Teacher Mo Lan's eyes shone, but her mouth remained stubborn.

Teacher Mo Lan smiled slightly, "So, what are your thoughts on the secret of this golden figurine?"

If she were truly angry and didn't want the doll, her answer would definitely be "throw it away." However, Teacher Mo Lan delivered a standard display of tsundere behavior.

"Gengar!"

With sincere apologies, Xia Chen followed Gengar into Teacher Mo Lan's office.

As the saying goes, you can wear everything you wear, but you can never wear flattery.

With the matter settled, Xia Chen relaxed and looked around at Mo Lan's "office environment," with rows of neatly arranged bookshelves reaching the ceiling.

The administrative building of Kyoto University has eighteen floors, each representing a different attribute.

"Teacher, I was wrong!"

Xia Chen looked over curiously and saw a very eye-catching passage on it.

This is understandable; it's both handsome and capable of fighting, and it's especially convenient in the wild. Not only can it hide in the trainer's shadow to act as a close bodyguard, but it can also stuff things in its belly to reduce the trainer's burden.

No preparation is needed; this is the perfect location for shooting horror movies.

Inside the room, faint sounds like a baby crying could be heard, making it seem like the setting of those urban campus legends.

Mo Lan didn't stop her groping hands on the furry Zoroark, and replied, "Yes, the mysteries of Ghost-type Pokémon are endless. My grandmother spent her whole life trying to figure them out, and that's my hobby and the pursuit I've worked on all my life."

It has evolved a bit but still only has around 300 base stats, and it can't evolve any further. You probably can't find another one like it in the Pokédex.

…………

"Xia Chen?"

When talking about Ghost-type Pokémon, Teacher Mo Lan seemed to transform into a completely different person, immediately becoming the most knowledgeable scholar of Ghost-type Pokémon, speaking eloquently.

The Money-Gathering Spirit is already rare and difficult to catch, and now we have to study its elusive evolutionary path, which we don't even know if it exists?

And there it was again, the adorable Gengar, opening the door.

Xia Chen breathed a sigh of relief. Since the apology gift had been accepted, half of the purpose of his visit had been achieved.

Xia Chen discovered that this Pokémon is a favorite among many Ghost-type specializing trainers, and almost every team includes one.

If Xia Chen hadn't never met a suitable one, he would have wanted to raise one himself.

In the dim light, all you could see were books.

"The origins of most Ghost-type Pokémon remain a mystery. For example, Treant is said to have been born from the spirit of a lost and deceased child, but no one has ever witnessed it. Another example is Froslass."

Xia Chen guessed, "An evolved form of the Money-Stealing Spirit?"