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

Because those two panting, swaying spirits seemed poised to collapse at any moment, setting the stage for a final showdown.

A dazzling, orange-red ball of light rose into the air and bloomed brilliantly, as if drawing a final period to this breathtaking battle.

boom--

Meteors fell continuously onto the water, ice flowers, and Gyarados, making the entire water area hazy with moisture and swirling with icy mist.

The audience could only vaguely see through the mist that one slender figure crashed down, splashing water everywhere, while the other remained standing, motionless.

Has the winner been decided?

Who will be the one that falls down?

…………

A short while later, the clouds dispersed and the mystery was revealed.

A bright blue dragon-shaped spirit lay on its back on the water's surface, belly up, and was no longer moving.

Standing proudly on the water's surface was none other than Milotic!

Xia Chen won!

Milotic, a Gym Leader-level Pokémon, defeated Gyarados, a Champion-level Pokémon!

At this moment, the audience erupted in cheers, as if this were not Mikoli's home stadium, the Ryuga Dojo, but rather the final stage of the Eight Masters Tournament.

Undoubtedly, this was a spectacular match.

With ingenious tactics, a comeback against all odds, and a victory against overwhelming odds, the performance of the six Pokémon on both sides was almost flawless from start to finish.

Wait, it seems like there's a Pokémon that's barely noticeable?

Mikoli, and there's still a Milotic that hasn't lost its ability to battle?

They looked towards the other end of the field, only to see Mikoli smiling and clapping. "Your and Milotic's elegance is enviable. I won't let my Milotic make a fool of himself anymore. I concede."

When one side surrendered, the referee immediately blew the whistle to end the match.

The match thus came to an end, and the entire stadium erupted in applause.

Just as the applause began, the figure standing on the water suddenly collapsed, sending up waves several meters high.

Everyone was stunned.

Only then did they realize that Milotic had already fallen to Gyarados's final Crunch attack.

He refused to fall because he was Xia Chen's last spirit.

Chapter 324 Awakening the Temple, the Emerald Pearl! (7k)

"No matter how many times I look at it, the elegance and beauty of this Milotic will never fade!"

Mikoli gazed at Milotic resting in the Pokémon healing room as if on a pilgrimage, and sighed in slight reverie.

Xia Chen said helplessly from the side, "That's enough, Teacher Mikoli. You've been watching for half an hour. Let the child rest for a while."

More than half an hour has passed since the last battle ended.

If it were just a battle of moderate intensity, even if Milotic lost its fighting ability, it should have recovered by now.

As for that intensity, according to Nurse Joy's diagnosis report from the Glass Dojo, it's best to rest for a whole day, since it was a true depletion of both energy and stamina.

However, according to Milotic himself, who had just regained consciousness, he gained more from this battle than from a hundred ordinary battles, which was a fair reward for his efforts.

Xia Chen left Dragapult and Gardevoir, who had almost fully recovered, in the ward to keep Milotic company. With Nurse Joy and Cheesecake taking care of them, Xia Chen didn't need to worry too much.

He then went with Michael to meet his teacher, Adam, the former Gym Leader of the Glass Dojo, and have lunch together.

Behind the Glass Dojo is the ancestral home of Mikori, a people of the Glass Clan, a manor-style building full of the style of the Hoenn nobles in the medieval period.

The only residents are Adam and his apprentice Michael, but the staff, cooks, and maids number nearly forty, making it a very old-fashioned place.

When Xia Chen met Ya, the latter was fighting Qianli on the battlefield.

The battle between King Thorn Dragon and King Swallow was fierce, and for a time the outcome was uncertain.

However, the two did not dwell on the final outcome. After seeing Xia Chen arrive, they recalled their respective Pokémon and handed them to the waiting medical team to take them for treatment.

The four sat down on the balcony next to the battlefield, enjoying the scenery, sipping tea, and chatting.

…………

"Haha, Mr. Xia Chen is truly a young man of great talent. After watching your match with Mikoli, Qianli and I were itching to have a little spar with each other. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Adam, dressed in a well-fitting light blue suit, greeted Xia Chen with a hearty laugh, then took a sip of tea. His demeanor was elegant yet not effeminate, befitting the charming playboy who was coveted by countless wealthy ladies and young ladies of Fengyuan.

Qianli, who had a buzz cut and a tough-guy vibe, said with some dissatisfaction, "If you're going to fight, you should finish it properly. What kind of nonsense is it to stop halfway through?"

It seems he was quite unhappy about the pause in the match just now.

Adam laughed and said, "We've fought so many times, one more time won't make a difference. Anyway, you're going to stay in Liuli City for a while longer, so let's fight again this afternoon."

Only after making a promise did Qianli agree to let Adam go.

After the two old buddies resolved their minor conflict, Xia Chen smiled and replied, "It's an honor to meet you, Mr. Adam."

Adam said very politely, "I should be the one saying that. I've been holed up in Liuli City for the past two years, and I never expected to meet a young talent like you. It's all thanks to Mikoli for getting Liuli City nominated as the host city for the Grand Festival."

When asked to speak, Mikoli smiled and replied, "Teacher Adam and I are both key figures in the Grand Celebration competition. Since Xia Chen is here, and we invited Miss Ma Xiu over as well, it can be considered a small high-level meeting for the Grand Celebration."

Xia Chen naturally returned the compliment with polite pleasantries, but of the four, only Qianli remained silent and sullen.

As a staunch opponent of ostentatious competitions, he felt extremely uncomfortable barging into this party, like a serpent entering a mongoose's den.

Noticing his old friend's unusual mood, Adam smiled and patted him on the shoulder, comforting him, "Alright, stop looking so grumpy. I've even judged two of Ruby's matches. He's incredibly talented, both as a trainer and a coordinator. Besides, why do you think it's a waste to invest time and energy in Grand Contests? The coordination skills required for Grand Contests are also very beneficial to his trainer career."

Knowing his friend very well, Qianli glanced at Adam with a clear look in his eyes—"Keep fooling around!"

Adam was slightly taken aback, then glanced at Xia Chen with a half-closed look, as if he had found strong evidence.

"Look, isn't Xia Chen the best proof? As the champion of the first Grand Contest, does that affect his achievements in Pokémon battles?"

Qianli was taken aback and was about to retort when Adam said again, "Or is it that you don't have that kind of confidence in your son Ruby?"

Qianli gave a wry smile. How could she possibly respond to that?

Does he admit that Ruby doesn't have Xia Chen's talent?

Although it was true, as a father, he was unwilling to belittle his son in that way.

However, not refuting it is tantamount to indirectly admitting Adam's argument that "participating in the Grand Contest is not a waste of time."

This move is a guaranteed kill with no counter.

…………

"Alright, there's a saying in Donghuang: 'Children and grandchildren have their own blessings.' Stop worrying about Ruby. Enjoy yourself in Glazed City for a while, then go back and focus on being a gym leader and preparing for the Elite Four battle. You have your own dreams too, don't you?"

At Adam's urging, Qianli nodded sullenly.

Although he is a stubborn person, stubbornness does not mean being unreasonable or unwilling to listen to advice.

Although Adam's words were somewhat sophistical, they made a lot of sense in some respects, and Adam's mood eased considerably at that moment.

But he was unwilling to be so easily manipulated by Adam, and couldn't help but retort, "That's right, it's a pity you won't be able to enjoy the blessings of your children and grandchildren."

The playboy, who remains unmarried to this day, has no children or grandchildren.

Qianli had hoped to turn the tables with these words, but Adam smiled mysteriously and said, "You know what? There's actually a second half to that statement."

Qianli had a vague feeling that something was wrong, but he couldn't help asking out of curiosity, "What's the second half of the sentence?"

Xia Chen, a native of Donghuang, reminded him: "Children and grandchildren have their own blessings; if I have no children and grandchildren, I will enjoy my blessings."

Adam laughed and patted his friend on the shoulder. "Sorry, I have an appointment with Miss Elsa this afternoon. Our match will have to wait until tomorrow. Hmm, that won't work either. I'm going to Lilycove City tomorrow to see a musical with Mrs. Fiona. We'll have to reschedule for another time."

Qianli suffered a devastating defeat and became completely withdrawn.

After easing Qianli's worries, life mentor Adam began to work on Xia Chen's mental well-being.

"Young man, what about you? I see a lingering gloom in your heart. Is something troubling you?"

Xia Chen was startled. Did this person have mind-reading abilities? And were they that accurate?

But then he remembered that some old swindlers in his past life would use this kind of anchoring technique to strike up a conversation, starting with, "I've got a feeling you've been having some troubles lately, haven't you?"

That's so true. Is there anyone in this world who doesn't have worries?

However, Adam probably isn't that kind of person; he was probably just looking for a topic of conversation.

Xia Chen was still pondering when Mikoli answered for him.

"Xia Chen is worried about the spectacular battle performance at the grand opening ceremony of that grand celebration. He lacks confidence, but in my opinion, even if I bring out my main Pokémon, he will have a way to deal with it."

Xia Chen: "."

There's no need for that. Fighting a single Gyarados almost wiped out Dragapult and Milotic. How can I possibly compete with such a spectacular 1v1 battle?

However, since Adam brought it up, Xia Chen decided to share some of his doubts with them first.

After all, although the three of them are only gym leaders, they are all genuinely Elite Four level fighters, and can be considered the top fighting force in the Hoenn region.

That way, if something uncontrollable happens, we'll be mentally prepared.

He organized his thoughts and said, "I do have a little concern, probably about the recent weather. I suspect that the unusual weather in the Hoenn region recently might be related to those two legendary ancient Pokémon."

…………

Upon hearing Xia Chen's words, the three of them reacted differently.

Qianli's expression leaned more towards shock at being almost completely unaware, while Adam and his apprentice Mikoli were simply surprised, as if they had some preconceived notions about what Xia Chen had said.

Mikoli asked seriously, "Have you found out some information?"

Xia Chen thought for a moment and shook his head, saying, "There is no concrete information or evidence, but based on what I have seen and heard in Hoenn and my experience with legendary Pokémon, I think it is quite possible."

Adam hesitated for a moment and said, "Explain in detail."

ten minutes later.

"That's about all the information I have."

Xia Chen told the three of most things except for Huoyan and Keystone, including his and Gu Leton's conjectures.

Mikkuri said calmly, "If that's all, it certainly doesn't qualify as evidence, and it's even a bit far-fetched as a conjecture. As a citizen of the Glass People, I'm willing to share your pessimistic view of this matter, but what about the Alliance?"