Bottom-tier trainers in the Pokémon world

Moreover, the organizers' intentions can be seen from the match arrangement.

One player from the Kanto League and one player from the Hoenn League will be guaranteed a spot in the semifinals!

As for why Xia Yan and Cynthia, who are both from the Sinnoh League, didn't meet each other.

Sorry.

The Sinnoh League is absolutely confident that Cynthia can advance, and Xia Yan is simply trying to give him a shot at luck.

It would be best if we could get in, but it wouldn't have a big impact if we couldn't.

Just so capricious.

Chapter 140 My ass!

Should we abstain?

This was the first thought that came to Xia Yan's mind after he saw the match list.

It's not that he has absolutely no chance against Karuno; he still has a few trump cards up his sleeve.

He knew almost as much about Karuno as he did about Daiya.

He just felt that it was possible, but perhaps unnecessary.

The intensity and quality of this competition are evident to all. His purpose in participating in this competition is simply to attract the attention of the Sinnoh League and then find a way to become a gym leader.

But now.

His "cheap" teacher, Kikuko, will help him take care of the gym leader issue, and having defeated Daiki, he has already made a good impression on the Sinnoh leadership.

Further up...

He felt that he might not only attract the attention of the Sinnoh League, but also that of some other forces.

Know when to stop.

This was what Xia Yan was thinking.

Let's take a look at who the top eight are now: Lance, Goku, Michael, Cynthia, and Caruncho, five future champions, and Lorelei and Cattleya, two powerful Elite Four members.

Although they are all still young, people will realize the true value of this competition in the future.

And the longer it lasts, the higher the "value" of this competition becomes.

Of course, Xia Yan hasn't made a decision yet.

However, he must make up his mind before tonight, otherwise some preparations will be too late.

...

...

By the time we left the Pokémon Center, it was already quite dark.

As their ranking improves, the stronger their opponents become, the more severe the injuries the Pokémon sustain, and the longer they need to recover.

This is not only a test of the Pokémon and the trainer's strength, but also a comprehensive assessment of the Pokémon's recovery and adaptability.

As the group prepared to return to Daigo's villa to rest and recharge for tomorrow's match.

Xia Yan was stopped by a Pokémon at the entrance of Daigo's villa.

"Ghost?"

An old friend.

Xia Yan still remembered Kiku's Gastly, and Gastly obviously remembered Xia Yan as well, immediately making a face at him.

The tactics that Xia Yan devised for it worked very well for it, so it had a good impression of Xia Yan.

This is how it greets people.

Upon seeing Gastly, Natsuhiko realized that Kikuko was looking for him.

After a moment's hesitation, he said to the group, "I have something to attend to..."

Then he subtly gave Du a wink.

Du understood what Xia Yan meant.

Come back soon.

Looking at Xia Yan and the Gastly beside him, who was chatting and laughing happily, the group showed some confusion.

"Why does Senior Xia Yan always have something to do?" Kona voiced the question that puzzled the others.

Yesterday was the same, and today is the same.

She wanted to consult Xia Yan that night to see what method she could use to avoid suffering a huge loss the next day.

"That Haunter... a near-Champion level?" Cynthia asked hesitantly.

"Alright, Xia Yan probably really has something on his mind. Let's go inside first, and hopefully he can make it in time for dinner." Daigo smiled and invited everyone inside.

I didn't take it too seriously, since everyone had their own things to do.

Follow Gastly.

Xia Yan arrived at Kikuko's villa.

This time, the inside was brightly lit, unlike the dark and gloomy place it had been before.

Seeing Gastly dive into the door without opening it for him, Xia Yan pursed his lips.

He obediently pushed open the door and went inside.

In the living room.

Kikuko was sitting on the sofa watching TV, looking quite relaxed and in a good mood.

"Teacher," Xia Yan greeted him respectfully.

Even now, Xia Yan still feels a bit unreal about becoming Kikuko's disciple, and he can't understand what Kikuko valued in him.

If he knew, he would definitely change!

"Sit down." Kikuko casually pointed to the individual sofa next to her.

Xia Yan obediently sat down.

Half an buttock.

"Jie Jie—"

Gengar suddenly appeared from behind him, asking him with a strange laugh.

"Coffee, please," Xia Yan said casually.

"Heh~~"

Then Gengar happily went to make coffee.

I never expected that Akiko's Gengar would have this skill.

"Here."

Suddenly.

Kikuko, who was watching TV intently, tossed a dark, unremarkable object at Natsuhiko.

Xia Yan held the coffee that Gengar had just handed him in one hand, and in the other hand he hurriedly caught the thing that Kikuko threw to him.

It feels very cold to the touch, with a slight chill, and has a smooth texture, like a gemstone.

Xia Yan looked at his hand in confusion.

His pupils contracted.

"Top-tier?"

The thing that Kikuko threw over like trash was actually a top-quality Dark Stone!

This was something Xia Yan would never have expected.

Hearing Xia Yan's subconscious words, Ju Zi looked at him with slight surprise and said with a half-smile, "You have good taste."

Xia Yan chuckled twice, placed the coffee on the coffee table, and examined it carefully again to make sure he hadn't made a mistake.

He asked tentatively, "For me?"

"Hmm." Kikuko made a slight nasal sound, then explained, "I won it from an old guy. I forgot about it last time, so consider this a gift from your teacher after you became my apprentice."

Xia Yan gently squeezed the Dark Stone in his hand.

He retracted his previous thought.

Please bring in a dozen more teachers like Kikuko!

"Thank you, teacher." This was a heartfelt thank you.

Regardless of whether Kikuko took him on as a disciple to complete certain tasks, at least based on his current performance, Kikuko truly considers him a disciple.

"What are you going to do next?" Kikuko suddenly asked.

Xia Yan was stunned for a moment before realizing that Kikuko was asking about the competition.

His opponent tomorrow is Karuno.

After a moment's hesitation, Xia Yan spoke tentatively, "I might..."

"Give up?" Kikuko seemed to have already guessed Natsuhiko's thoughts.

Upon hearing this, Xia Yan smiled somewhat awkwardly, which was taken as an admission.

Kikuko stopped watching TV, turned her head, stared at him, and said in a deep voice, "What's the reason?"

Xia Yan organized his thoughts briefly, "As the saying goes, 'The tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind...'"

"Bullshit!"

I didn't expect Kikuko to react so strongly.

"Who dares to destroy my disciple, Kikuko?!" Her cloudy eyes glared, revealing a hint of her former domineering nature.

"Uh......"