I'm live-streaming Pokémon science popularization on New World.

Chapter 114 Zhao Yan's Changes

The woman wearing a mask walked over and first gently patted the shoulder of one of the boys who was staring blankly at the intelligent transportation modules shuttling through the air. Then she spoke to the young woman in the lead, her voice muffled through the mask but with a smile.

"Sister Ziyue, please take good care of these little ones these next few days."

The boy who was patted on the shoulder was startled, and the others also looked over at the sound.

The leading young woman, Zhou Ziyue, carefully examined the other person's exposed eyebrows and eyes before exclaiming in surprise.

"Yanzi? It's you! Oh my, why are you dressed like that? I almost didn't recognize you!"

Zhao Yan pulled down her mask slightly, revealing a smile, then quickly put it back on.

"Too many people, to avoid trouble."

The spindle grass on her head waved its little hands cheerfully, as if to say hello.

The other four teenagers, Zhao Qiang, Zhao Qian, Zhao Feng, and Zhao Si, quickly averted their wandering gazes, stood properly, and greeted each other with a mixture of restraint and admiration, "Hello, Sister Yan!"

These four people all come from Zhao Yan's hometown. Their families have provided Zhao Yan and her grandmother with sincere help, both materially and spiritually, during her childhood when she relied on each other and during the difficult years after her grandmother passed away.

Later, Zhao Yan decided to apply to become a trainer and leave home to try her luck in Chengdu. These families pooled their money to give her travel expenses and temporary living expenses, and told her to take good care of herself.

Upon arriving in Chengdu, Zhao Yan met Zhou Ziyue, who was also working in a foreign land but had already established herself.

After working hard for several years, Zhou Ziyue became a junior manager. Seeing Zhao Yan's down-to-earth and hardworking nature, coupled with her tenacious spirit, she saw a reflection of herself in her younger self and took extra care of her.

She taught Zhao Yan step by step at work and often took care of her in life. Even when Zhao Yan later resolutely resigned to focus on catching Pokémon and pursuing the path of a trainer, Zhou Ziyue told her, "I'll keep the job for you. If you don't succeed, you can come back anytime."

Zhao Yan has never forgotten these sentiments.

She works in the Ecology Department of New Edge City, where room and board are provided free of charge. Apart from basic expenses and cultivating mushrooms (which have now evolved into lizard mushrooms), she saves most of her salary.

As a local seed player from Xinyuan City, ranked 180th in the points competition (a total of 25 people from Xinyuan City qualified for the main competition), she was awarded five companion slots.

Without hesitation, she gave four to the families who had helped her in her hometown and one to Zhou Ziyue.

After discussing it, the adults decided to let the children see the world, and Zhou Ziyue volunteered to take on the responsibility of leading the group as their "guardian." "Don't say it's troublesome," she said. "If you hadn't given me this spot, I wouldn't have had the good fortune to come in and see this."

Zhou Ziyue held Zhao Yan's hand and sighed.

"You've really made something of yourself, girl! A trainer! Working in a place like this!"

Zhao Yan smiled sheepishly and turned to her four younger siblings.

"Was the journey smooth? Was it particularly crowded in Chengdu?"

"More than just crowded!" Zhao Qiang, with his lively personality, blurted out, "The train station was practically bursting at the seams! Luckily, Sister Ziyue was experienced and led us on a slightly different route, otherwise we'd probably still be queuing!"

Zhao Qian stared intently at the key plant on Zhao Yan's head.

"Sister Yan, is this your new friend? So cute!"

"It," Zhao Yan said, raising her hand to gently touch the leaves on the top of the shuttlecock grass.

"It came with me on its own when I was working in the ecological zone. It's called shuttlecock grass. I didn't tame it, it just really likes to stick to me."

The shuttlecock grass squinted its eyes comfortably.

"Alright, alright, stop blocking the road here."

Zhao Yan smiled and interrupted the children's excited chatter.

"Come on, let me take you to your accommodation to drop off your luggage first. Then, where would you like to go for a look?"

She noticed that the five people's gazes kept drifting towards the towering battle tower in the distance, so she added.

"The Battle Tower is not open to the public yet; it will be open on the day of the match."

"However, the lower floors of the tower, along with the surrounding shopping mall, Pokémon-themed library, and huge holographic exhibition hall, are already open. There's a lot to see and do; you can check them out. If you want to buy any souvenirs, but your spending limit isn't enough—"

She paused for a moment, then added, "I still have some savings."

"That's enough!" Zhou Ziyue quickly said, "Yanzi, don't spend money. Their families brought money, and so did I. You've already done us a huge favor by giving us this opportunity."

Zhao Qiang and the others quickly nodded, indicating that their families were well-prepared.

Before they came, their parents had repeatedly told them to be sensible, not to cause trouble for Zhao Yan, and not to spend money recklessly.

Zhao Yan didn't say anything more and led the five people toward a traffic junction in the city.

Along the way, the five first-time visitors were constantly amazed by the perfect blend of New Edge City's futuristic architecture and lush greenery, which even housed a few gentle wild Pokémon.

However, they soon discovered that there were many tourists around them who were also walking and praising the scenery, so it didn't seem out of place anymore.

With Zhao Yan, a "local expert," leading the way, they didn't need to apply for those readily available guide-type smart modules, saving them a lot of time figuring things out on their own.

Zhao Yan expertly introduced the unique facilities she saw along the way, the design concepts of certain buildings, and even the types of aircraft carrying supplies or personnel that occasionally flew overhead.

The familiarity and composure in her words gave Zhou Ziyue and her four children a more concrete understanding of her life in Xinyuan City.

Riding a smooth and silent "ground elevator," they quickly arrived at the city center.

Soon, they arrived at a hotel with a highly streamlined design, located in the heart of the city and only a few kilometers from the Battle Tower.

The hotel lobby is spacious, bright, and technologically advanced, but the live plants scattered throughout and the occasional small Pokémon (such as Pichu and Foam Squirrel) that appear in specific areas, acting as both decorations and pets, soften the coldness of the metal and glass.

The check-in process is fully automated. Simply swipe your temporary pass, and the smart front desk will assign you a room, dispense your room key, and provide information on the location and use of all facilities.

Zhou Ziyue and the four teenagers were initially intimidated by the grandeur of the high-end hotel, but seeing Zhao Yan's skillful operation and calm expression, they gradually relaxed and curiously looked around.

After settling their luggage, Zhao Yan took them to explore the busiest commercial area outside the Battle Tower.

This place is full of diverse goods, including shops selling all kinds of Pokémon merchandise, souvenirs, and specialty snacks, as well as experience stores showcasing the latest Pokémon-related technological products.

The children were dazzled by the sights, but they all remembered their parents' instructions: to simply look and carefully select meaningful souvenirs that weren't too expensive.

Zhou Ziyue was very interested in several brand stores that sold new materials and simple cultivation tools.

In the evening, Zhao Yan treated everyone to an authentic "Xinyuan Fusion Cuisine" (using tree fruit for flavor and local new ingredients) at a nice restaurant.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was relaxed. The children talked about what they had seen and heard on the road and the changes in their hometown, while Zhou Ziyue asked Zhao Yan about her work and life here.

After the meal, Zhao Yan checked the time and said to everyone.

"I work at the Ministry of Ecology and Environment and usually live in the dormitory assigned by my unit. I took a day off today to spend time with you."

"Starting tomorrow, you can arrange your own activities. If there's anywhere you want to go or anything you don't understand, just ask the smart modules on the street. They're all very intelligent, they can answer almost any question, and they can even help you plan your routes."

She paused, then carefully emphasized the most important information regarding watching the game.

"By the way, about the spectator seating. The main stadium in the Battle Tower can hold around 200,000 people. You're using my player slots, which grants you 'reserved seating rights,' meaning that for every official match, there will be reserved seats for you to watch if you want to."

"The one million regular spectator slots obtained through the lottery are subject to a rotation system. The event lasts for five days, with 200,000 admission slots released each day. The system randomly selects and allocates these slots from among the one million participants, ensuring that everyone has at least one opportunity to enter the main venue to watch the game within the five days."

"Those who didn't get a ticket to enter on the day can watch the live stream at the city's public holographic projection plaza or at their own accommodation; it's just as atmospheric."

After explaining everything, Zhao Yan took them to a public training ground in the city.

She brought her companion, the hooded mushroom, out from there.

After the points competition and recent special training, Mushroom has become more capable and composed, and its response to Zhao Yan's instructions is extremely sharp.

It nodded kindly to Zhou Ziyue and the children, and quietly followed Zhao Yan.

Seeing the unspoken understanding between Zhao Yan and the mushroom, the children's eyes were filled with admiration.

Zhou Ziyue also exclaimed, "Yanzi, you really are different now. You're even more dazzling than before."

Zhao Yan smiled but didn't say anything.

At the entrance of the training ground, she said goodbye to Zhou Ziyue and the other four.

"Alright, I'll leave you here. Remember the way back to the hotel? Just ask the smart module. Get some rest tonight, and start enjoying your new romance tomorrow!"

Goodbye, Sister Yan!

"Swallow, good luck in the competition! We'll definitely come and cheer you on!"

As Zhou Ziyue and the children said their goodbyes, Zhao Yan waved and turned to walk down another quiet street leading to the dormitory area of ​​the ecological department.

The straw mushroom followed beside her, while the shuttlecock plant swayed gently above her head, making a soft, pleasant sound.