Ash, with his invincible physical body, wants to become a Pokémon Master

But as soon as the battle ended, the Firestorm Beast's flames went out immediately, and it began to yawn sleepily again.

"Seriously." Ash sighed and put it back into its Poké Ball. After all, it had tried its best in the battle.

Just then, Ami walked over and said, "That was a great battle. Here, Ash, this is your Steel Badge."

She handed a plain, octagonal, iron-gray badge to Ash.

[Ding! Congratulations on completing the new main quest "Steel Badge!": Defeat Asagi Gym Leader Ami]

【获得奖励：联盟币+5000；体力属性+2；攻击+2；自由属性点+3；技能铁头+1】

[Steel Badge: When you possess this badge, the power of Steel-type moves increases by 5%]

Now, Ash has finally officially obtained his sixth badge in the Johto League.

"There are only two gyms left!"

As Ash's journey through the Johto League draws to a close, he's already looking forward to the final two gyms.

Ash and his friends dragged Brock, who was trying to bother Ami again, out of the Gym and left the Asagi Gym.

"Goodbye, Miss Ami~" Xiao Gang said sadly, tears streaming down his face.

"Let's go! If we stay any longer, Ami's feelings for you will turn negative. Men who are persistent and clingy are the least attractive." Xiaozhi grabbed his hair and pulled him outside.

Xiao Gang only needs to make good use of his strengths: gentleness, domestic skills, and extensive knowledge of Pokémon.

Some girls have opportunities, but they always seem to have a relapse.

When Xiaogang confessed his feelings to her again, Ami could barely contain her emotions.

But unexpectedly, Xiao Gang suddenly stood up and put his hand on Xiao Zhi's shoulder with a serious expression.

"Ash, as someone who's been there all along, I have to tell you, even a mature woman's disgusted face can be a rare delicacy!"

Do you even know how to appreciate things?

"I really want to see Miss Ami's disgusted face too!!!" Brock shook Ash's shoulder, heartbroken for what he had missed.

"This person is beyond saving."

"Pikachu~"

————High-speed movement————

"Speaking of which, Xiaogang, where are you headed next?"

After leaving Asahi City, Brock and Ash's group happened to be heading in the same direction, so they decided to continue traveling together for a while.

After taking out the map, Xiao Gang gestured on it for a while.

"It's probably about walking a bit further in the direction of Kaji Town, where the next gym is located."

Xiao Gang is now quite well-known in the breeding industry.

He unexpectedly received an invitation from a very important person, asking Xiao Gang to go to his mansion to take care of his beloved Nine-Tailed Fox.

This was a rare opportunity, and Xiao Gang certainly couldn't miss it; he had to go and take a look no matter what.

"For a client to live in such a luxury home is definitely a rare and huge order!"

Although Brock was previously the Gym Leader of Pewter City, he shouldn't be short of money.

But who can blame him when he has more than a dozen younger siblings to support? Even the largest fortune can't withstand such a division.

Moreover, when Xiaogang took over the family business, his terrible parents had already squandered all the family's money and left him nothing.

They usually lived a very frugal life, and it was even more difficult for Xiaogang, as the eldest brother, who took the initiative to leave home and work hard on his own.

Therefore, he treats every order with utmost care.

Upon receiving the address photo from the invitation, Xiao Zhi was surprised to discover that the mansion was actually a rare example of a classical Chinese palace.

Most of the classic mansions in the Pokémon world are Japanese in style.

"This is truly a rare find."

At this moment, Xiaoxia also came over to join in the spectating.

"That looks amazing! Xiaogang, you've finally succeeded!"

"No, not really, I'm just a little famous." Xiao Gang scratched his head sheepishly.

He may not be that famous yet, but being invited by such an important figure might just be the beginning of his legend.

"According to the address on the letter, we just need to pass through Thunder Town and walk a little further to reach this mansion."

"Thunder Town?" Ash realized then that the town's name was actually from a fast-paced video streaming platform.

"I wonder if there's a Kuaibo Town nearby?"

"Excuse me, can I pass?"

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps sounded behind Ash and his friends.

A Growlithe with a leash around its neck sped past, pulling a trainer wearing a blue long-sleeved shirt on a skateboard.

With his powerful dynamic vision, Ash immediately recognized the person's identity.

"Xiao Mao?"

"That familiar voice, Ash, it's you."

Quickly urge the Growlithe to stop, and Gary nimbly jumps off the scooter.

"It's really rare to meet you all here."

Ash hasn't seen Gary in a long time since their last meeting in the Enchanted Forest.

At this moment, Xiao Mao looked more mature and composed, and for some reason, he had a long, hideous wound on his face.

"Xiao Mao, what happened to your face?" Xiao Zhi asked quickly.

Xiao Mao was originally considered handsome, but now this scar has given him a more rugged look.

"Don't worry, I've already asked the doctor."

"It will heal quickly and won't leave any scars. My handsome face will still be preserved!"

Handsome and showing his teeth, Xiao Mao smiles confidently.

"Who cares about that, you smug brat!"

"I'm asking how you got injured?"

As childhood friends, Xiaozhi should at least show some basic care.

"Well... Ash, I watched your matches in the Whirlpool Tournament too."

"Congratulations on winning the championship, you're still as strong as ever."

Unexpectedly, Xiao Mao suddenly changed the subject and steered the conversation elsewhere.

But Ash wasn't about to let him off so easily.

"Oh, thank you, but is this related to your injury?"

Helpless, Xiao Mao could only continue speaking.

"Seeing such a strong rival puts a lot of pressure on me."

Since his disastrous defeat at the Quartz Conference, Shigeru has completely changed his spoiled brat nature and become much more composed.

At the same time, he is also seriously thinking about his future.

This time, the City Alliance will be his final journey to make a decision for himself, so he attaches great importance to it.

Although Ash, his formidable rival, is far stronger than him, Gary is not one to give up easily.

Especially at this crucial juncture in his life, which he had set for himself, Xiao Mao worked even harder and more diligently than before.

Every day, I train my Pokémon and try to find stronger partners.

"This injury of mine was just something I got accidentally during an adventure in the ruins; it's nothing serious."

Although the process was somewhat dangerous, Shigeru eventually succeeded in gaining two powerful new companions.

However, he doesn't plan to reveal this completely to Ash yet.

After all, he still wanted to save them as a surprise for Ash in the upcoming League Tournament.

Chapter 291 The Powerful Pikachu, and the Newly Acquired Pokémon Egg

Since Gary had said so, Ash stopped asking questions, since nothing had happened to him.

"If you don't want to talk about it, that's fine. But since we've met, let's have a match."

"Your Arcanine is very well trained. My Garchomp is just lacking experience right now!"

Xiao Zhi's addiction to socializing has flared up again. Things that benefit everyone should be welcomed.

But to my surprise, Xiao Mao... refused!

"Sorry, Ash, not now."

"I have a competition tomorrow, and it would be troublesome if Arcanine got injured at this time."

"Contest?"

By this time, Gary had already dashed off, and Ash and the others could only follow him into the town.

As soon as Ash entered the town, he found that there were people practicing everywhere.

Just like Gary from before, the trainers stood on a skateboard, pulled forward by Pokémon.

"Xiao Zhi, look!" Xiao Xia picked up a brochure from a basket by the intersection, and Xiao Zhi and Xiao Gang quickly went over.

"This is probably the competition that Xiao Mao is going to participate in."

"Pokémon rally racing is a very simple sport."

"Trainers must participate in the competition with their Pokémon. The first trainer to complete the entire course using the reins and skateboard as required will win."

"The final prize is this year's trophy and a Pokémon egg."

So it turns out that Thunder Town is hosting a Pokémon racing tournament tomorrow; no wonder so many people are practicing here.

"Pokémon eggs..." Ash thought it was quite interesting and decided to sign up for the competition.

[Ding! Congratulations on triggering a new side quest, "Egg Protection Contest": Win the egg protection race!]

【奖励：联盟币+3000；速度+1；体力+1；自由属性点+2；特性骑乘等级+1；宝可梦孵蛋加速器（人造火焰之躯）+1】

"But Ash, do you have any equipment?"

The skateboards and reins for the competition are to be prepared by the participants themselves. Xiaoxia also wanted to participate, so she specifically asked Xiaozhi about it.

"Don't worry about that."

When you're missing something, quickly check out the system's amazing toolbox!

However, to Xiao Zhi's surprise, when he looked in the system store, he found that this niche item was actually not available.

"Uh, they should sell them in town, right?"

Just as Xiaozhi and Xiaoxia were having a problem, an uncle passing by overheard their conversation.

"A boy or girl wants to participate in the racing competition?"

This uncle named Dazhao turned out to be the organizer of the race, and he found Xiaozhi to be very kind.

He kindly invited Ash and his friends to his breeding house and lent them his old racing equipment.

Xiao Zhi naturally agreed; saving money was the best thing ever.

"This kind of race is different from the race on the back of a Pokémon. Because of the influence of the reins on directional control, it is an extreme test of the tacit understanding between the Pokémon and the trainer."

"Furthermore, the runners must carry a substitute similar to a Pokémon egg, and then run the entire course as fast as possible while ensuring the safety of the egg."

"This is because the tournament originated from the inconvenient transportation in the past. When a Pokémon got sick, it had to travel overnight to a distant town to get treatment. The habit left over from the journey led to the formation of this large-scale tournament."

That's what Uncle Dazhao said.

Because of its beautiful environment and stunning natural scenery, Thunder City is a natural breeding ground for Pokémon, and the town is famous for its breeding shops.

This is the right place for Xiaogang!