Aspiring to become a Pokémon trainer

After a brief silence, a roaring, surging excitement erupted.

Nemo stood there, stunned, rain streaming down her dazed face. Guleton, the Bone-Patterned Giant Crocodile, the Magical Masked Cat—her trump cards, into which she had poured all her passion and tactics, fell one after another under Nan Yin's precise, machine-like command, their figures obeying her orders like limbs.

Only the last Greatsmith remained, standing alone in the mud, holding a huge metal hammer, facing Milton, who was suspended in the air and crackling with lightning, and the wounded but still full of fighting spirit, Evil Phantom.

The defeat is inevitable.

He quietly watched the distraught brown-skinned girl across from him, water droplets trickling down her silver hair.

She slowly spread her knuckles, catching the coolness of her palm, and then opened her throat, her voice clear and calm, piercing through the rain:

"Nemo, your fighting spirit and passion deserve everyone's respect. But the road to the semifinals..."

Her gaze swept over the only remaining master blacksmith in the arena.

"I will go in your stead."

P.S.: Sorry for the late update, everyone.

Chapter 290 Reunion with Zhu Lan

As the battle came to a close, the audience, unable to contain their enthusiasm, cheered loudly.

Even though the outcome is decided, the debate between the ancient and the future still stirs the heart and leaves a lasting impression.

"Nemo lost."

A girl with red and blue hair is holding Eevee in her arms, sitting quietly with her knees drawn up, whispering in the stands.

"Buyi?"

The tiny sprite stretched out its claws, but failed to stir its master's thoughts.

"This is inevitable. Every battle has winners and losers. Besides, she is facing Nan Yin, the teacher and... friend who once guided and led us."

"An agreement is an agreement precisely because it is only for fulfilling, not for winning or losing."

The brown-haired boy accompanying him rubbed his stray hairs and explained in this way.

“Nimono won’t back down just because of this. Defeat will only fuel her determination to become stronger. Besides, losing to Nan Yin is nothing to be ashamed of.”

Gazing at that familiar figure standing tall in the distance, slender yet exuding an imposing aura, he clenched his fist and made up his mind again—

I won't fall behind for too long either.

Many spectators came from Padia, a land that celebrates adventure and treasure hunting, but the trend of battles is still prevalent. Both Peony and Papa followed their hearts and came to Palace Gate City to watch their friends' battles.

Turning her gaze back to the center of the arena, Nemo silently stared at the extinguished avatar on the screen. Rain dripped from her dark green hair, landing on her soaked shoulders, bringing a touch of coolness, but it couldn't extinguish the flame in her eyes.

"Hoo..." She took a deep breath, inhaling all the emotions swirling in her lungs. The vibrant and fighting spirit in her smile, like sunlight piercing through the clouds, bloomed again on her face, without any sense of loss, even brighter and more dazzling than before.

"That's awesome!" Nemo shouted at the top of her lungs as she slowly raised her head and looked at the leaden rain clouds.

Her clear voice pierced through the rain, briefly drowning out the clamor of the audience. She stopped looking at the scoreboard and strode across the muddy swamp towards the silver-haired figure standing quietly on the opposite side.

"Nanyin was definitely one of the best and most enjoyable battles I've ever fought!"

Stopping a few steps ahead of the person in front, the girl's words were pure and unadulterated, filled only with excitement and satisfaction.

Seeing this, Nan Yin handed her a towel and held up an umbrella, without saying a word, gently shielding her head from the pouring rain.

"Your tactics are more skillful and flexible than when we first met, so Leighton's appearance really surprised me."

It's a subtle form of flattery sandwiched between praise.

"Right, right? That guy's been really restless. It took me a lot of effort to get him to listen to me. Of course, this defeat was still due to my lack of preparation and flawed strategy. Next time, let's have a good match!"

Like a child who has received praise, Nemo's smile became even brighter.

"I'm looking forward to it, and your companions are looking forward to it too."

Similarly, Nan Yin stretched out her hand and pointed to the two people in the distance who were casting their gazes at her.

"Let's go, we'll wait for next time."

In conclusion, the two hands touched briefly, one bearing the calluses left by the trainer's years of holding the ball, the other slender yet gentle and kind, making one feel its delicate beauty. Neither of them possessed the dejection of a loser, but only the challenger's inextinguishable fighting spirit and unwavering commitment to the future.

A long time, or perhaps in the blink of an eye.

Nemo let go of his hand, turned, and ran to the edge of the arena, where her companions were waiting. She crouched down, ignoring the mud, and gave the somewhat dejected Guleton a hug. She then carefully checked on Magic Masked Cat and Bone-Patterned Giant Crocodile, her face showing undisguised heartache and encouragement.

"Thanks for your hard work, everyone! You all played incredibly well! We'll go back and train hard, and come back again next time."

On the other side, Nan Yin also turned and walked towards her elf. As she got closer, Milerton lowered his head and gently rubbed her palm, emitting a low electronic hum.

Ergui Peng also removed its well mask, its small face showing fatigue from the battle, but even more so, the joy of victory. It trotted over, reaching out its little paws, and the girl knelt down just in time, gently stroking its fur, which had been singed by flames and healed by the water.

"well-done."

It is encouragement, imbued with trust and pride.

"Two amazing trainers!"

The commentator continued with his感慨 (feelings of deep emotion): "Nemo may have lost, but she deserves our respect. Her fighting spirit and love for Pokémon shine like a lamp in the rain. As for Nanyin, she once again proved her absolute strength as one of the top four of the eight masters with her unfathomable tactical skills and unparalleled bond with her Pokémon! Let's give them the warmest applause for this unparalleled battle!"

Upon hearing this, Pipa, standing in the stands, looked down at Nemo, who was full of energy and already calling for the elves to leave the arena. She finally breathed a sigh of relief, relaxed her tense shoulders, and revealed an expression that said, "See? I told you so."

Peony remained silent, only watching her friend's gleaming figure in the rain, then glancing at Nanyin carefully tending to Egui Peng in the arena, and sighed softly and sincerely—

"Both of them...are so dazzling."

As the conversation subsided, thunderous applause once again swept across the entire palace arena, lasting for a long time. This applause was dedicated to the victor's strength, and even more so to the challenger's indomitable spirit.

......

The group stage in the upper bracket was decided by the quarterfinals. Needless to say, Dante defeated Chibana with his usual dominance and advanced to the semifinals to compete with Bluegreen. In the second half, the victorious Nanon faced off against his former friend and current opponent, Sinnoh champion Cyndaquil.

This result was not unexpected for most people. If there was anything, it was that Nan Yin, a newcomer who was making her debut on stage, entered the top four with an undefeated record.

With his gaze shifting, after the battle, Cibana naturally felt resentful, but as usual, he waved goodbye and left, only registering the details of the battle on social media, saying that he would definitely defeat his opponent next time. However, the situation outside the arena was completely different.

A commotion reached my ears, but then I saw a pretty female reporter holding a microphone, speaking indignantly:

"We can see that the match between Dante Champion and Chibana has ended."

"Although it is regrettable that we were unable to achieve a result that satisfied everyone, there are still a large number of loyal spectators from Hammerlocke City outside the Palace Arena."

"I know that supporters of player Cibana must have a lot to say. Let's give the microphone to this masked fan."

However, before the microphone could be brought close and his breathing calmed down, a series of harsh words came from the newcomer's mouth.

"Do you think this is fair? We came all the way from Hammerlocke City, and this is the result we get..."

With a fierce brow and a face flushed red, he stared at the camera and spoke again, his words straightforward, unrestrained, and dashing.

"It's clear that the fans at the scene are extremely excited, and the feelings in each of us are complex and hard to express in words. So, what's next—"

"It's over, it's already over. How many more two-year periods can we wait!"

With eyes wide and teeth clenched, the rest of the live stream was disrupted by a jumble of voices, making it difficult to discern the truth.

Chapter 291 Semifinals

The rain has ceased in the valleys, and autumn's beauty is fading.

After a night of tenderness, the forests are ablaze with color, and the maple leaves turn red.

Admittedly, they now live in different places and sometimes step into the hustle and bustle, but the warmth of life still surrounds them, bringing peace to their hearts.

As the morning light quietly climbed up the window frame, casting shadows on the wooden floor, the hustle and bustle of Gongmen City seemed to be shut out by the windows of this street-facing apartment, leaving only the tranquility of the autumn sun and the fragrance of flowers and plants.

Pour in the beaten eggs, add the bacon from the best brand, and yesterday's champion is wearing an apron, letting her long, silvery-white hair loosely tucked behind her ears, revealing her slender neck.

It's relaxing at home, and it looks great.

With her eyes lowered, she listened intently to the soft sizzling sound. The young woman had perfect control over the heat; the edges of the egg white were adorned with beautiful lace, and the yolk in the center was round and full, like a gentle sun.

"Gurgle..."

A soft rumbling sound came from behind, breaking the almost painterly tranquility.

Nan Yin's lips curved slightly, but she didn't turn around. She simply used a wooden spatula to carefully slide the fried egg into the clean white plate.

"woke up?"

"Mmm..." came a heavy nasal sound and a hoarse response, followed by the thud of bare feet on the wooden planks.

Like a golden retriever drawn by a scent, Kerni snuggled up to Nan Yin from behind. Her fluffy golden head rested against Nan Yin's shoulder, warm and cozy.

With her eyes closed, she wrapped her arms around her lover's waist, nuzzled him, and mumbled indistinctly, "Smells so good, Nan Yin, I'm hungry..."

"Silly boy, do you still want to compete with Eevee and the others for food?"

"Go wash up first, or else—" Nan Yin turned her head, her tone gentle but not open to discussion, and casually pushed the plate of crispy bacon in front of her nose and waved it, "This is confiscated."

The aroma of food was so close, and Korne's throat bobbed as she reluctantly let out an "oh." Even as she slowly made her way to the bathroom, she kept turning back, her gaze lingering on him.

Nan Yin couldn't help but smile. She laid a light-colored tablecloth on the plate, then placed perfectly toasted bread and two cups of warm black tea on it. A vase on the corner of the table held a few golden ginkgo leaves and a fiery red maple branch, which she had picked up during her walk yesterday, adding a touch of brightness to the autumn table.

As soon as she sat down, the furry, damp weight landed precisely on the chair next to her.

"I'm ready." Her eyes were bright and eager, showing no trace of her previous confusion.

She picked up her knife and fork, aiming precisely at the bright yellow soft-boiled egg on the plate—

Snapped.

Her lover's knife gently pressed down on the tip of her fork.

"Hmm?" Korni blinked in confusion.

Nan Yin didn't speak, but instead deftly sliced ​​open the perfectly cooked soft-boiled egg on her plate with the tip of her knife. The golden, semi-solid egg yolk instantly flowed out, soaking the white egg white and the crispy edges of the bacon. Only then did she slowly push the plate over, replacing the whole egg in front of Korni.

"You should be more used to this texture."

"Huh?"

The girl was stunned. Looking at the breakfast with egg yolk dripping from her eyes, and then at her lover's concerned face, a corner of her heart felt as if it had been scalded by the warm egg yolk, and she felt a warm swelling.

"Then, Nan Yin, what about you?"

"I prefer it fully cooked."

His tone was flat and even, without any inflection, as if he were stating an objective fact.

Kerni stared at Nan Yin for a few seconds before stopping her resistance. She chewed and mumbled indistinctly, "...liar."

There was no more verbal communication, only occasional eye contact that brought a blush of shyness to their faces.

The clinking of knives and forks and the soft clatter of cups and saucers flowed quietly, devoid of the tension of a major competition or the pressure of being the center of attention. It was simply the comforting food and the warmth of the sun that soothed the body and mind, bringing a touch of everyday life.

Finally, the silver-haired girl got up to clear the tableware. Her profile was both upright and gentle, and she was also focused on whispering to a few small animals. The thin sunlight outlined her smooth jawline.

Every stroke of the pen creates an unforgettable scene.

"very nice."

It was Korne's soft whisper.

"what happened?"

Touched by her lover's words, Nan Yin turned around following the sound, her feelings welling up on her lips.

"It's alright, Nan Yin. Your next opponent is Zhu Lan, so don't underestimate her!"

"Of course, even if it were her, I wouldn't—"

"Back off half a minute."

......

The following afternoon, under the bright sunshine, the arena at the palace gate was bustling with noise and the constant hawking of vendors.

Long queues had formed in front of the vendors' stalls, and tourists could be seen everywhere holding snacks and chatting happily.

As the tournament progresses into the semifinals, the World Championships have garnered even more attention and interest.

Stepping inside, you'll find the stands packed with people and the sounds of pleasant and engaging music.

In the front row of the stands sat a group of Carlos's gym leaders, who had all dressed casually and blended into the crowd.

"The popularity of this match is almost rivaling that of the previous finals."

With a slight lift of her sleeve, partially obscuring her lip gloss, Ma Xiu sighed, feeling proud of the familiar young woman.