Who needs a girlfriend when you have Pokémon?

However, just as he was talking nonsense, the Poké Ball that Xiaoyao was holding opened by itself. With a flash of light, Newleafy pounced out of the Poké Ball and slammed into Rowe's body.

"what?"

Rowe saw the little guy raise his tiny, chubby hands and pat him repeatedly, as if scolding him for something, but the movements and force were very gentle, and it seemed that he was just venting his temper.

In that instant, Luo Wei understood what the other person meant.

I'm so tired, so alone

It was truly an incredible feeling. Rowe knew that Pokémon could have a telepathic connection with their trainers, and even though Pokémon couldn't speak, trainers could understand what they wanted to express.

Luo Wei had never understood what this state was like, because he had never felt this way when playing with his father's Pokémon.

It's just that you can roughly glean some ideas from the various small actions of these Pokémon, such as wagging their tails and shaking their paws.

It wasn't until this moment, when Xin Ye Miao angrily patted him, that Luo Wei suddenly felt as if there was an invisible bond connecting him with Xin Ye Miao, and he clearly understood the meaning from the other's actions.

Is this a reproach for my last-minute, risky decision, or a sign of concern for me?

After understanding what he meant, Luo Wei burst out laughing and exaggeratedly extended his hand in a salute.

"Haha, yes, yes, I'm sorry to have worried you~"

No more nagging, meow! This is dangerous stuff, you're not allowed to do it anymore, meow!

At that moment, Luo Wei seemed to really hear an angry voice echoing in his heart, even though he hadn't actually heard anything at all, but that cute face vividly conveyed such an expression.

All of this was definitely not a hallucination caused by Luo Wei's injury; he really heard what Xin Ye Miao was trying to convey.

"Hehe, this level of danger is nothing compared to protecting my beloved Pokémon~"

Upon hearing this, Xin Ye Miao paused, then quickly turned her face away with an expression that said, "I don't care about you anymore," and jumped off Luo Wei. However, after taking only two steps, she turned back and rubbed her hand against Luo Wei's.

Don't overthink it, this is just to thank you for saving me so carefully, it doesn't mean I've already accepted you, meow!

"Haha, then... I'll keep working even harder~ I'll definitely get your approval sooner~"

Look, look at your performance, meow!

Watching the interaction between Lo Wei and Shin-chan, Haruka looked blankly at the Slave King standing to the side...

"...I have a feeling that I might have missed some very important plot points?"

What's going on with me being fed dog food out of nowhere?

Soon, Rowe's father and Professor Birch arrived...

"So... we thought we had sneaked out, but we were exposed all along?"

From Senri and Professor Birch, Rowe learned the whole story. It turned out that Rowe and Haruka thought they had slipped away from the adults and sneaked into the back mountain, but in fact their actions had already been discovered.

"Otherwise what? You brat... who do you think you can fool with your little tricks? You're far from being able to fool me with this!"

This explains why Wang, who requested leave, arrived at that time...

Senri and Professor Oda initially thought there wouldn't be any danger in the back mountain, so even when they discovered Luo Wei and Xiaoyao's actions, they turned a blind eye.

However, he still couldn't completely trust him, so he sent a man named Wang Jia to secretly follow and protect him.

To be honest, given King's physique and characteristics, it was indeed difficult for it to follow secretly without being discovered. Fortunately, it completed the task of traveling a thousand miles very well and stepped in at the crucial moment to protect Rowe and Haruka.

"That Salamence is abnormal!"

Seeing that the situation was under control, Luo Wei immediately thought of the Salamence, while Qianli nodded calmly.

“Indeed, this is not Salamence's habitat at all, and there are no Salamence populations nearby. Moreover, the situation of that Salamence is indeed unusual, but you don't need to worry about this matter…”

Rowe opened his mouth, but immediately shut it up. After all, he understood that this matter was clearly not something a rookie trainer like him could get involved in.

Since there are elite trainers like Senri and Professor Birch present, it's only natural that they would be in charge of the follow-up investigation.

As for Luo Wei and Xiao Yao, they naturally returned home under the escort of the Slave King.

"Ok?"

Just as Luo Wei had quickly bandaged his wound and was about to head home, he noticed something on the ground.

That seemed to be the spot where Salamence had been. Lowe went to investigate and found a bead shimmering with neon light. He couldn't tell if it was glass or a gemstone, but it looked incredibly beautiful…

"this is……"

This is what happened six years ago, and it's the whole story of how Xiaoyao "first saved her".

Originally, Luo Wei was very worried that such an experience might leave Xiao Yao with some psychological trauma, but unexpectedly, the situation was exactly the opposite.

After experiencing such a thrilling adventure, the adventurous spirit within Xiaoyao was activated!

Far from finding it scary, she actually found the thrill of the experience amazing and fell in love with the feeling of adventure.

This can only be described as some people being born with the blood of adventurers. For most people, the unknown represents danger, but for these people, the unknown represents an irresistible attraction!

Of course, this may also be due to the influence of his father, Professor Birch. As a practical Pokémon professor, he also has a natural personality that loves to explore and pursue the unknown.

It was this curiosity about the unknown that led him to become a Pokémon Professor, and now, his daughter has also developed a dream of becoming a Pokémon Trainer.

No, it should be said that May has dreamed of becoming a trainer since she was a child, and now this dream has just become stronger.

Three years ago, Professor Birch received a job transfer from the League to conduct a special research project at the Pokémon Research Institute in Littleroot Town, and May naturally went with her father.

On the day they parted, Xiaoyao found Luo Wei and made a solemn promise with him...

At this moment, at the Pokémon Research Lab in Whitey Town, May, who had returned to the lab with Rowe, excitedly raised the Poké Ball in her hand.

"That promise, do you still remember it?"

"Haha, of course, I've always remembered that when we meet again, we'll both be official Pokémon Trainers, so..."

"...Come on, Pokémon battle!!!"

Chapter Eleven: When eyes meet, the duel is about to begin!

When their eyes meet, the duel is about to begin!

This is the rule of the Pokémon world: when you encounter any Pokémon Trainer in the wild, you can invite them to a Pokémon battle anytime, anywhere.

Of course, you can choose to decline, but unless there is a major situation, most Pokémon trainers will not refuse another trainer's challenge invitation.

This is the most direct way to become stronger. To become an excellent trainer, one must be a person who has been through countless battles and exhausted all martial arts training in order to reach the level of "master".

This is the first duel between the new trainers, and it's also the one that May and Rowe made a promise to each other...

...Their first and most memorable Pokémon battle must be handed over to each other, a commemorative gift to each other as they become trainers.

It's also to demonstrate the growth and gains we've made in each other over these three years!

Three years ago, Rowe was already a trainer, while May had not yet obtained her first partner Pokémon.

Three years later, May had become a trainer capable of independently completing wilderness exploration tasks for her father. Undoubtedly, such rapid growth proved that May possessed outstanding talent.

Of course, it also depends on the goal she has always kept in mind, and at this moment, that goal is standing right in front of her.

and so……

"Leaf/Stored Flame Strike!"

Both sides issued their first commands almost simultaneously, with no difference between them. On Lowe's side, it was the same as always: New Leafy Cat was surrounded by countless flying leaves and flew directly towards Torchic.

Naturally, given the elemental advantage, Rowe didn't expect this 40-power leaf attack to deal much damage. Its purpose from beginning to end was to confuse the enemy and disrupt the battlefield.

Whether it was dealing with the Coyote Dogs before or dealing with Nihilego Ido later, this tactic worked very well and became the starting point of Rowe's tactics.

The fluttering leaves momentarily blocked the view on both sides, but since the attack was launched by Leafeon, she was naturally unaffected. However, it was a different story for Torchic.

However, the turkey puffed out its chest, and with a sharp snap of its beak, the sparks from the collision turned into a string of golden-red flames that enveloped its entire body. With a burst of strength from its two small claws on the ground, it propelled its body forward like an arrow released from a bow!

The leaves that fluttered down and touched its body were instantly incinerated by the raging golden-red flames...

"..."

Luo Wei's previously tried-and-tested opening move was completely countered from the start.

No matter what, if the Grass-type Newleaf Meowth were to take the hit head-on from this STAB Flare Attack, it would most likely be over on the spot. So, without saying a word, Rowe raised his finger and waved it. Newleaf Meowth understood immediately, and its body swerved in a Z-shape, gracefully passing by Torchic.

At the same time, New Leaf Cat's sharp claws sprang out from its paws, creating a shower of sparks as it moved at high speed and scraped against the ground.

The Torchic missed its attack, but as it stopped, flames scattered from its body, and two golden rays immediately shone from its entire form…

With the combination of Charged Flame Strike and Acceleration, May's tactic of continuously stacking speed boosts to further increase her dominance is precisely what she uses.

Meanwhile, Newleafy used a flash of lightning to dodge the attack, and along the way used Sharp Claws to enhance its attack. At this moment, it took a step on the ground, and its sharp claws shot out, bringing a flash of bright cold light, and attacked directly from behind Torchic!

At this moment, that soft, fluffy ball that was once Rowe's favorite was now sharp and ruthless, its cute kitten appearance gone, replaced by... a cold-blooded hunter who would show no mercy...

New Leafy is fast, but Torchic's second-stage acceleration is even faster...

If possible, launch a charged flame attack to gain the upper hand. If you win the gamble, there's a high probability you can end the battle immediately.

However, if she loses the bet, she'll have to take a heavy hit. Xiaoyao believes that the new Leafy Cat trained by Luo Wei is definitely capable of overwhelming her Torchic with a combo attack in an instant.

After all, Torchic's initial speed isn't as high as Leafeon's...

Therefore, she decided to adopt a more conservative tactic here to further consolidate her advantage.

Her advantage is, of course, speed!

and so……

"see through!"

A glint of light flashed in the corner of Torchic's eye, as if it had eyes in the back of its head. The sharp claws of Newleaf Cat missed its body by a hair's breadth, but the sharp, cold light didn't even touch a single feather of Torchic.

Just as New Leafy's attack missed, she once again used her high-speed maneuvering to create distance between herself and Torchic, while at the same time, her sharp claws once again produced even more dazzling sparks.

Torchic managed to delay the battle for one turn by using its protection ability, and gained another speed buff.

With three accelerations, Torchic now has an absolute speed advantage. May remained calm... certain that this move would allow her to beat Rowe to the first strike.

So, the key to victory lies here!