Even Sinnoh champions have to work hard.

I couldn't do it myself!

If I had confessed my feelings while drunk, if I had seized the opportunity to ruin the wedding, if I had been a little worse, if I had been a little more decisive—would things be different now?

Alika shook her head, no longer thinking about these useless things. She had expressed her blessings to him in front of all the guests, and there was no going back. It was all her own choice. Although she regretted it, there was no reason for her to resent him.

"Tell me about your apprentice in detail first." Ai Lijia forced a smile, trying her best not to think about such things.

Kazama Shiromo let out a long sigh of relief. For some reason, Erika had put a lot of psychological pressure on him just now, and he had a feeling that he would never be able to leave the Rainbow Gym today.

"As for Linran, I'd like to add a Grass-type Pokémon to her team composition." Kazama Shiromo coughed twice. "Rinran's current team composition is probably lacking a core Grass-type Pokémon. As you know, I don't have much expertise in Grass-type Pokémon; I only have a basic understanding of them. That's why I came to you."

"Besides this Pokémon that hasn't been decided yet, what other Pokémon does she want to build in the system she wants to create?" After stopping talking about personal matters, Erika finally became more normal, showing the composure and wisdom she should have.

"Charizard, Politoed, Magnemite, Beautifly, and a Bellatrix."

As Kazama Shiramo slowly finished reciting the righteous and awe-inspiring main force, Erika narrowed her eyes slightly: "Do you have such high expectations for her?"

Kazama Shiromoto revealed a confident smile: "After all, this child is my first disciple, and she will definitely become very strong in the future!"

"But don't you think your expectations are a bit too high?" Erika took a sip of tea. "After advancing to the Gym Leader level, most trainers choose a single-core system for training, even the former Hoenn Champion Daigo or the current Hoenn Champion Wallace. Even the dual-core system, like Lorelei's Water and Ice types, is relatively rare."

"Don't they understand the advantages of a hybrid system? This path is far too difficult!" Erika's gaze was scrutinizing: "You know, a trainer's fighting style can often only adapt to one to three types of Pokémon. After reaching the Gym level, you have to seriously consider the Pokémon you use. Not everyone in this world is Kazama Shiramo, and not everyone is Cynthia! Perhaps you have the talent to adapt to the hybrid system, but don't you have any idea how many people can actually do that?"

“But I think Rinran is very talented.” Kazama Shiromo argued somewhat reluctantly, “That child has quite a good understanding of Pokémon of all types, whether it’s Fire, Water, Bug, or Flying.”

"This isn't a matter of talent, it's a matter of personality!" Erika's words carried a hint of criticism: "Is Daigo not talented enough? Even you wouldn't dare to say for sure that you could beat him. This isn't a matter of talent, it's simply a matter of compatibility!"

"Are you absolutely certain that this child can continue down this difficult path?" Alica asked, her tone serious and deliberate. This was a very inappropriate question, not something a normal friend should ask, but she still had to say it!

Kazama Shiromo pondered for a moment. He recalled the look in his disciple's eyes when he was in dire straits, never giving up. He also recalled the child's confident look when he told him that he would become stronger than anyone else. Trust!

It wasn't gambling, nor was it blind confidence. It was more like the tacit understanding between the master and apprentice. Kazama Shiromo felt that this seemingly respectful, polite, and well-behaved child actually had a unique stubbornness.

That kind of stubbornness makes you feel from the bottom of your heart that if it were this child, he might be able to do it!

“I believe in her!” Kazama Shiramo smiled confidently at Erika, an expression he rarely showed in front of her. “I think that child is capable of doing it.”

Looking at Kazama Shiromo's trusting figure, Erika understood a little better the heartache that jealousy was causing her to feel like her body was being torn apart. She was just a little girl, so what was she being so jealous about? Erika smiled self-deprecatingly. Even if she was jealous, it wasn't her place to be.

“I roughly understand your idea.” Erica dismissed the various lewd thoughts in her mind and revealed the familiar yet frighteningly smiling expression of Kazama Shiramo: “I can help you, but you have to pay me first.”

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P.S. Maybe I should pretend to be drunk and act crazy, borrow your monthly pass to leave a touch of lipstick, and then slowly recite the recommendation, letting the blades disturb the peace.

Chapter 61 Have you heard of 4399?

"So it's just for playing games?" Kazama Shiromo awkwardly took out his wallet and exchanged game tokens with the cashier. He hadn't been here for a year, and the cashier had even changed.

"You promised to stay up all night with me, right?" Erika covered her mouth with her small hand, a teasing expression on her face. "You, the mighty Sinnoh champion, wouldn't go back on your word like this, would you?"

"How is that possible?" Kazama Shiro wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. He still clearly remembered what Rie had told him on their wedding night—she hated men who stayed out all night playing games, and that he was forbidden from going to arcades to "cultivate immortality"!

However, with the mindset that it's not a crime if you don't get caught, Kazama Shiromo's body still honestly showed a strong interest in those game machines that were sticking up and making a crackling sound. He hadn't played them in so long that seeing them made his hands itch.

"It has indeed been a long time," Kazama Shiromo thought, glancing at the time. Not long ago, Erika had taken him to eat a unique dish called Mala Tang, which was very cheap but also incredibly delicious.

But we just finished dinner, and it's almost seven o'clock now. If we start playing now and leave at seven o'clock the next morning, it will be a full twelve hours of non-stop fighting, which is a very tough battle.

Are you going to spend the night with another woman?

Are you going to spend time with... other women...?

Kazama Shiramo broke out in a cold sweat. In an instant, he realized something was wrong. His strong will to survive drove his brain to work frantically, as if he had used up all his emotional intelligence in this life.

Is Phoenix King... jealous?

A sudden realization struck Kazama Shiramo: his strange and twisted relationship with Ho-Oh was far beyond what a trainer and Pokémon should be; it was more like a relationship between lovers.

Wait a minute, thinking about it this way, isn't my current situation a classic example of cheating while on a business trip? And the most crucial thing is... the person I'm cheating with isn't even human!

Kazama Shiramo's soul seemed to tremble for a moment. In that instant, he pondered many things, from the origin of the world to the fall of stars, from the evolution of human history to the evolution of peace and war.

Everything led him to think in one direction and arrive at the answer, because he had a strong will to survive at that moment!

'The only Pokémon I want to be with is you!'

Ho-Oh fell silent, inside the Poké Ball, Ho-Oh was so happy it seemed about to explode.

Did you hear me?! Did you hear me?! What Lugia?! What Rayquaza?! I'm the only female protagonist of the new world, you bunch of weaklings!

Sensing that Ho-Oh had calmed down and stopped acting up, Kazama Shiro felt much more at peace, as if he had made a rare correct decision in his life.

"What's wrong with you?" Erika didn't know that for Kazama Shiro, who communicated through telepathy, those few seconds felt like an eternity. She just thought that Kazama Shiro, who was standing there stiffly and motionless, looked a little silly.

"It's nothing." Kazama Shiromo smiled, instinctively avoiding Erika's outstretched hand that tried to grab his sleeve, and pointed to the game console next to him with a smile: "Let's play this first."

Erica, who was unintentionally avoided, looked a little downcast, but she quickly concealed it well, and walked towards the game console with a beautiful yet empty smile, like that of a Yamato Nadeshiko.

That was a fighting game that the two of us used to play together. Death Demon VS Water Shadow was a very fun fighting game. Although the graphics of this game looked a bit old compared to many of the exquisite fighting games now, its exquisite combos, the points of attack between combos, and the smoothness of the combos were all perfect. The only game that could rival it was another long-established fighting game - Foot King!

Kazama Shiramo chose one of his most frequently used characters, Akino Sakura, a very charming short-haired girl who was hailed as an arcade goddess when she first came out. Erika, on the other hand, brought out her most effective character, the whirlpool mute. The two began their duel with great enthusiasm.

Sakura Akino's whirlwind combo kicks fly up and down, and her underwear under her skirt is sometimes visible and sometimes hidden under the skirt due to the rapid surging combo. Although it may seem like just a pink pixel or even arousing at all now, many years ago this wonderful scene was an important reason why many players practiced Sakura Akino!

Erika was manipulating the mute man's Rasengan and shuriken, firing wildly. Strangely enough, Kazama Shiramo, who hadn't played games for a year, thought he would be easily defeated by Erika. However, despite not playing for so long, Kazama Shiramo didn't feel any pressure when facing Erika, as if he hadn't lost his touch at all.

Kazama Shiromo, who had let his guard down, was caught off guard by Erika's WJAKSADAJLIAKKDJAI combo, which triggered the ultimate skill Summoning Jutsu, which summoned a giant toad that swallowed him whole, instantly taking away half of his health.

When the word "KO" appeared on the screen, Kazama Shiro smacked his lips, still feeling a bit unsatisfied. He picked up the soda that Rie usually disliked and took a big gulp. This is life, indeed!

"Again!" Kazama Shiromo casually tossed in another coin, ready to start the next round with Erika, but at that moment a sudden voice rang out, interrupting their duel.

"Isn't this Miss Erica?" A deep male voice rang out. It belonged to a man with a thick beard and a scar on his face.

"Store manager?" Ai Lijia snapped out of her daze and glanced at the person, which was a way of acquaintances.

"The manager?" Kazama Shiramo, who had just tightened the bottle cap, turned around and looked over. Sure enough, he was the arcade uncle who looked fierce but was actually a nice person. "Long time no see. It's so nice to see you still looking so healthy."

"You little rascal!" The shopkeeper slapped Kazama Shiromo hard on the shoulder, his tone slightly teasing. "You and Erika haven't been here for almost a year. What have you been up to?"

"Erika, you haven't been here for a year?" Kazama Shiramo looked at Erika with some surprise. This girl who was addicted to games hadn't been to the arcade for a whole year. Was this the end of the world?

Feeling the scrutinizing gaze of Kazama Shiromo, Erika began to feel a little uneasy: "Manager, you must be mistaken. I come here often, but I've been quite busy with work since taking over the dojo, so I haven't had much time to come and haven't run into you."

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P.S. I've lost even more recommendation votes, *crying*. Dear readers, please give me a free recommendation!

Chapter 62 It's not the wine that intoxicates, it's the person who gets drunk.

"Is that so?" The burly shop manager scratched his head, feeling somewhat confused, but still believed what Ai Lijia said: "But this kid hasn't been coming much lately, he doesn't even come to patronize my business anymore."

Kazama Shiromo was somewhat amused and exasperated: "Manager, I don't think your arcade business needs my help at all, and besides, I really can't be the same as before."

"You little rascal..." Only then did the shopkeeper notice the ring on Kazama Shiromo's ring finger. He then turned to look at Erika's empty hands and, with his rough and rugged appearance, suddenly understood: "You're married, kid?"

“Yes.” Kazama Shiramo said with a smile that was both happy and troubled. “That’s why things can’t be the same as before.”

Looking at Ailijia's somewhat gloomy face, the shop manager, who was often forced by his wife to watch prime-time soap operas with her, suddenly imagined a melodramatic romance story with a 30,000-word outline in his mind. Then, he suddenly remembered that this seemingly gentle and lovely girl was actually a genuine gym leader...

"You guys have fun, I'm leaving now!" With years of experience in the game, the shop manager immediately sensed that something was amiss and decided it was best not to get involved. As for Erica's matter, it was perfectly normal for him not to see her playing in such a big arcade!

"The shop manager seems a bit strange."

"Yeah, it's a bit strange. I've been to the arcade many times, but he said he's never seen me!" Aijia waved her hand, subtly covering her face with her sleeve, and squinted her eyes to make a face.

"Never mind him, let's keep playing!" For Kazama Shiromo, the appearance of the shopkeeper was just an insignificant little episode. His task was to play games all night long with that lazy Grass-type Gym Leader. Of course, having fun was the most important thing.

“Okay.” Erika gently placed her hands on the keyboard, and the two began their usual smooth and focused battle!

……

……

……

It was past midnight, and the two, who had been playing in the arcade for seven or eight hours, encountered the greatest challenge in history—catch the claw machine!

He put the game tokens into the claw machine again, and under the tense yet eager gaze of Kazama Shiramo, his seventy-fourth attempt to win a prize tonight ended in failure once again.

Kazama Shiromo lightly tapped the claw machine with his fist and pouted in dissatisfaction: "As expected, novels are all lies. The protagonist can definitely win pretty plush toys just by taking a girl to the claw machine."

Aijia, who was still standing to the side stuffing instant noodles into her mouth and drinking soda, smiled rather unkindly: "You're not the male protagonist of a novel. If you were, this book should have ended by the time you got married."

Kazama Shiramo pouted slightly, a bit annoyed. He was proficient at most games, but he was utterly terrible at claw machines. Even Erika had some luck, sometimes managing to grab two, while he'd never succeeded. He remembered once when he was shopping with Rie, Rie, like a classic trope, wanted a certain claw machine plushie. They spent the whole afternoon there, ran out of change, and still couldn't win. Finally, the staff couldn't stand it anymore and took the plushie out and gave it to him. Thinking about it now, it was so embarrassing!

"Sigh, Bai Mo."

"What's wrong, Erika?"

"Don't you feel a bit unsatisfied just eating instant noodles?" Erica winked at Kazama Shiramo, giving him a knowing look.

Kazama Shiramo gave a knowing smile. He knew exactly what Erika meant by her look. He raised an eyebrow and asked, "The usual place?"

"Of course!" Erica snapped her fingers, a happy expression on her face, and led Kazama Shiro out of the arcade in a grand procession toward Rainbow City's most mysterious and exciting night—the barbecue stall!

That's where flames and mist intertwine, a battlefield representing heat and spiciness. Indeed, when it comes to all-night gaming sessions, a barbecue stand is indispensable! An all-nighter without barbecue and only instant noodles is incomplete! Only when you're broke will you resort to instant noodles to barely fill your stomach while playing games!

If they have enough money in their pockets, most people will choose to have a big barbecue and beer when they are tired and excited!

"Boss, two skewers of each kind of barbecue, and two bottles of Coca-Cola, oops! Boss, two bottles of baijiu!" With a wave of her hand, Ai Lijia's yellow sleeves were gently rolled up, and her refined lady demeanor was once again worn away by the extravagance brought on by staying up all night.

"Boss, as she said, give me two skewers of each kind of barbecue, one mildly spicy and one spicy, and two bottles of... baijiu? Ai Lijia, you want to drink baijiu?" Kazama Shiromo suddenly felt a little timid.

"What's wrong?" Alika asked, hands on her hips, a little annoyed. "You won't even let me have a bottle of baijiu when we meet up with an old friend after so long?"

"No, it's not like that!" Kazama Shiromo scratched his head in annoyance. "Have you forgotten when you got drunk and went crazy last time? And now you want to drink baijiu..."

"I don't care!" The usually gentle, proper, and intelligent Alica rarely acted like this, but instead showed her little temper: "The last time I got drunk was an accident. It was because... because I was happy to hear that you, you idiot, could finally get married and wouldn't have to live a lonely life, so I drank too much!"

"This time, I definitely won't get drunk!"

Really? I'm skeptical. Of course, Kazama Shiramo only dared to think these things in his mind; there were some things he absolutely couldn't say aloud: "Okay, just be careful not to get drunk."

"I definitely won't get drunk." Erica narrowed her eyes, nodded quickly, and started to make her own plans.

The two of them happily started eating barbecue. Kazama Shiramo's tongue is always quite sensitive and can only tolerate mild spiciness, while Erika is a complete spice lover. She kept stuffing spicy beef and spicy chives into her mouth, and with the spicy liquor, their expressions as if they were hovering between heaven and hell were quite amusing.

then……

"You're already drunk," Kazama Shiramo thought, looking at Erika sitting opposite him, whose expression had become dazed and whose face had turned red. He had a headache and was thinking about what to do, even though he himself was also a little confused after drinking too much.

A glint of light flashed in the eyes of the woman sitting opposite her, unnoticed by anyone, and a slight smile appeared on her lips—this time, I'm not drunk!