Bottom-tier trainers in the Pokémon world

"Thank you," Xia Yan said sincerely.

"Don't be so polite. Your understanding of the two kings' exhibition match today was very thorough, which shows that your tactical skills are definitely above your current level. If we encounter any problems in the future, we might need to trouble you." Daigo said with a smile.

Xia Yan's prediction of the outcome of the match between Liu Bo and Ju Zi today was truly beyond his expectations.

No one would refuse to meet a researcher who is quite capable, reliable, has extensive knowledge of Pokémon, and possesses tactical skills that surpass his abilities.

“I might have some questions for you about Eevee and Togepi in the future…” Cynthia added.

Xia Yan smacked his lips.

Listening to what they say, someone who doesn't know the situation might think they're some kind of important person.

"Alright, that's enough, I should go too." Daigo patted Natsuhiko's arm.

"Me too."

Cynthia is leaving too.

"I'll see you off."

"No need, remember to come to Hoenn next time..."

Daigo was the first to leave the private room.

Before leaving, Cynthia handed Xia Yan a small card.

"It should be useful to you."

After saying that, he left gracefully.

Watching Cynthia's departing figure and touching the card in his hand, Xia Yan had some rather illogical thoughts flash through his mind.

I looked down.

It's a business card.

It says "Dr. Yamanashi" on it.

He gave a self-deprecating twitch of his lips. "Cough, how naive."

...

...

The top floor of the only tallest building in Goldenrod City's Battle Tower.

The huge floor-to-ceiling window faces the battlefield below. Uncle Liu, leaning on his cane, stands in front of the window, watching the rookie performance match that is about to end.

His eyes held a complex expression.

As a veteran king who has been stationed in the Kanto region for decades, in these final moments before relinquishing his kingly duties, he hopes to bring a little bit of vitality to the entire Kanto region.

On the curved sofa behind him, Kikuko leaned back, her expression not very relaxed.

"What's wrong? Are you reluctant? Actually, if you don't agree, no one can force you," Kikuko said slowly, her voice slightly hoarse and sharp.

Uncle Liu continued watching the contestants and spectators preparing to leave, without immediately responding.

After a long while, he slowly turned around.

"I'm tired of it."

These two simple words seem to contain so much more.

Walk to the sofa.

"That's troublesome. If you go down there, the people behind you will probably fight tooth and nail." Kikuko's tone was tinged with schadenfreude.

Uncle Liu glanced at her.

"Staying too long only makes you more annoying."

But then Kikuko revealed a sinister smile, "Who dares?"

Although Kikuko is old, her strength is by no means weak; in fact, she seems to be getting more and more powerful with age.

She and Liu Bo were playing an exhibition match, and an exhibition match obviously couldn't fully showcase her abilities.

Comparatively speaking, Liu Bo's strength is more evident in relatively orthodox battles, while Ju Zi is the opposite; field battles, skirmishes, and all-out battles are her forte.

Perhaps, in a full-scale battle between Kikuko and Ryu-bo, Ryu-bo would have a higher chance of winning, but in a wild encounter, it's hard to say.

“That’s true.” Uncle Liu didn’t object and nodded in agreement. “Among the batch of kids we’re waiting for now, only Shiba is barely qualified. I didn’t expect that the Kanto Alliance, the origin of the alliance, would also be experiencing a shortage of talent.”

It carried a sense of helplessness and regret.

If those prospective Ultrons in the Kanto Alliance had been even slightly more capable, he wouldn't have had to wait until now to retire.

Kikuko's smile slowly faded. "Isn't that his fault?"

Although he didn't say his name, Uncle Liu knew who Ju Zi was referring to.

After a brief silence, he let out a sigh.

"Fortunately, the siblings from the Yulong family, the little girl from the Orange Islands who plays with ice, the little ninja from Fuchsia City who plays with poison, and the famous super-powered little girl from Golden City all have good potential."

Kikuko immediately listed quite a few young people who are currently somewhat famous.

"Then I'll just have to trouble you to hold on for a few more years," Uncle Liu said calmly.

Kikuko couldn't help but roll her eyes. "You make it sound so easy. Why don't you try to hold on for a few more years?"

"hehe--"

Suddenly.

Uncle Liu and Ju Zi's expressions changed simultaneously.

The two looked at each other, and finally Kikuko spoke to the person outside the door, saying, "Come in."

The door was pushed open.

The woman who entered was about twenty-two or twenty-three years old, with delicate features, a curvaceous figure, and wearing a black work uniform.

She's both cute and sophisticated; that's probably the best description of someone like her.

"King Kikuko, King Ryubo," the woman called out respectfully to the two.

"President Carmela." Kikuko nodded slightly.

The woman in front of you, who isn't very old, is the current president of the Goldenrod City Trainer Guild.

Two other people walked in behind him: Vice President Azir and another Vice President Nairofi.

"What's wrong?" Uncle Liu asked, noticing the serious expressions on the three faces.

Carmela's expression was complicated. After taking a deep breath, she said, "Things are starting to get out of control. The wild Pokémon around Goldenrod City... have rioted."

"riot?"

Upon hearing this, both Uncle Liu and Ju Zi frowned.

"Didn't they say that according to the calculations, there's at least another week left?"

Carmela pursed her lips. "It seems something unexpected has happened."

"How far has it gotten?"

"Golden City's connection with the outside world... has been completely severed."

Uncle Liu and Juzi remained silent for a long time.

"Is it already like this?"

Golden City, such a large city, has somehow lost contact with the outside world...

"Has there been any result from the investigation into the previous matter?" Uncle Liu asked again.

Carmela looked embarrassed and hadn't spoken yet, but Kikuko spoke up: "Those rats are hiding very well. I tried to dig them out, but I couldn't find a way in."

“They… seem to have channels we don’t know about,” Carmela said hesitantly.

"So, will the trainers who came from all over the country also be unable to go back?" Uncle Liu suddenly thought of this.

"Apart from the first group who left before the riots, I'm afraid the rest..."

Chapter Sixty: Teapot

"Can't leave?"

Xia Yan frowned as he looked at the ticket seller in front of him, his heart sinking instantly.

"I'm sorry, sir, but apparently the highway leading out of town was damaged by some Pokémon and is currently under repair. So, it seems that buses to Vermilion City won't be able to run today..."

The ticket seller at the station said apologetically.

"What about Cerulean City?"

"I'm sorry, sir, but due to the sudden torrential rains that hit Hualan City recently, a large area of ​​the highways has been flooded..." The ticket seller's expression became even more awkward.

Xia Yan's expression shifted several times before he took a deep breath and calmly said, "I understand, thank you."

"On behalf of Golden City Giant Rock Snake Transportation Company, I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused."

Without insisting further, Xia Yan walked through the increasingly crowded people and exited the station.

"Can't we leave Golden City? Has the situation gotten that serious?"

This was indeed something he hadn't considered.

Originally, I planned to leave Golden City, this place of trouble, after the King of Kings exhibition match ended and I received a small prize.

But now it seems there's no way out.

He only asked about Vermilion City and Cerulean City; there was no need to ask about other cities like Fuchsia City and Lavender Town.

Just look at the crowded train stations and the cacophony of voices to know.

Golden City has been completely cut off from the outside world.

Those so-called reasons are just a pretext. The real reason is probably the problem of wild Pokémon being overly active around Goldenrod City for more than a month.

He wasn't the only one who made this connection.

"If you can't get through on the ground, then it's the same in the sky."