I caught a Pokémon

In the forest, Xia You and the others continued their journey along the river towards the mountaintop. After walking for another ten minutes or so, they finally reached the summit of Sweet Orange Island.

The terrain here is no longer steep, but relatively flat and gentle, surrounded by dense forests, and in the center of the mountaintop, a vast and clear lake is constantly flowing down the mountain.

"Alright, this is the Lake of Birth and Evolution!"

Green River put down his backpack and saw that he hadn't missed the mass evolution of Magikarp; there were only a few Magikarp swimming around in the lake. He finally felt relieved.

Seeing that they had finally reached their destination, Xiaoxia plopped down on a boulder without any regard for her image, letting out a long sigh of relief. Climbing for so long, carrying such a heavy box, had exhausted her. Now that she was at the top of the mountain, she could finally rest for a bit.

At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on the lake, and as Green River had said before, the lake looked ordinary and there was nothing special about it.

If they came on their own, they would never have discovered its amazing effects.

Sabrina looked around and whispered to Xia You, "Strange, besides these Magikarp, why can't we see any other Pokémon?"

Hearing her say that, Xia You realized that the surroundings were indeed too quiet.

Logically speaking, such a large forest should not be without wild Pokémon, and even this lake, as a source of life, should have other water-type Pokémon living and inhabiting it.

But now, the entire mountaintop is completely silent, which is really too eerie!

After thinking for a moment, he whispered, "I guess... such a large-scale return movement may have disturbed those wild Pokémon, so they left this place and are hiding for the time being to avoid their attacks."

Naza nodded noncommittally, but with too little information at the moment, this was the only explanation she could offer.

At this point, Green River had already taken out various equipment from those boxes and started setting them up by the lake.

Some looked like cameras, others like laptops, and still others like satellite signal receivers…

These devices looked all sorts of different things, and Xia You and the others curiously gathered around them. But as laymen, they could only guess at the specific uses of these devices based on their appearance.

"Mr. Green River," Xiao Jian asked humbly, "what are all these devices for?"

Green River was clearly pleased with Jian's attitude. Seeing that Magikarp showed no signs of evolving, he chuckled and said, "These devices can automatically analyze all kinds of data about Magikarp, such as weight, growth trend, bone density, and muscle fatigue. They can all be observed through them. They are quite powerful."

These words left 10-year-old Xiaozhi completely bewildered. He scratched his head and said with a wry smile, "That's really amazing. I don't understand what you're saying, but it sounds really impressive!"

Green River grinned widely.

It is said that children speak without restraint, and it is no wonder that he felt happy to be praised by such a child.

"Thump thump!"

At this moment, as the water splashed, several red figures broke through the water, and several more carp swam from the river into the lake.

These sounds temporarily attracted Xia You and the others' attention. After the water returned to calm, Xia You turned back and looked at Green River's skillful control of the equipment. He couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Green River, how many years have you been working as a Pokémon observer?"

Green River looked up and thought for a moment, then said after a moment's thought, "I've forgotten the exact time, but it must have been 50 years ago."

"50!?"

Upon hearing this exaggerated number, Xiaoxia stuck out her tongue.

A 50-year veteran Pokémon observer, his perseverance is truly admirable!

He's been in this industry for so many years. Even if he became a Pokémon observer at fifteen or sixteen like Xiao Jian, Green River would still be at least sixty or seventy years old, right?

But... at such an advanced age, having to be out in the wind and sun, it must be really tough!

Are we really not going to die on some deserted island halfway through the journey?

bah bah bah!

Oh no!

Xiaoxia knew she shouldn't think that way, so she quickly shook her head to dispel the disrespectful thought.

Green River, who was busy fiddling with the equipment, naturally didn't notice Xia's unusual behavior. However, even if he did, given his personality, he would choose to ignore it.

Xiao Jian was also amazed by this seasoned veteran, and exclaimed, "That's truly remarkable! May I ask how long you've been observing the Magikarp?"

"It hasn't been long, only three years," Green River said nonchalantly, as if time was nothing more than a string of numbers in his eyes.

Seeing his nonchalant demeanor, Xia You began to look at him with new respect.

Green River's attitude can be described as extremely carefree.

At his age, he already knows his destiny. Most elderly people would choose to spend their later years at home, cherishing every moment and enjoying family life with their children and grandchildren. It is truly rare to see someone like him who comes out to do Pokémon research.

Life is but a fleeting few decades, and how many three-year periods can one afford to squander? To spend all of one's precious time on these Magikarp shows just how much Green River loves Pokémon.

At least Xiaoxia, being a Water-type Pokémon Trainer, didn't think she could love Magikarp as much as Green River did. However, while admiring it, she couldn't help but wonder, "Magikarp is just an ordinary Pokémon, is it really necessary to observe it for so long?"

Xiao Jian then remembered the collar he had just seen.

"By the way, Mr. Green River, we just saw that those carp kings in the river all seemed to have collars on their tails. What's that about?"

“Yes, I put those on them,” Green River said. “Those are marks used to identify individuals, indicating the year each Magikarp left this island. Red means it left a year ago, blue means two years ago, and yellow means it left three years ago!”

"Huh? Were all these Magikarp born on this island!?"

“That’s right.” Green River nodded. “The Magikarp born on this island will swim to the sea after they grow up, but no matter how far they go, they will return every year at this time. In other words, this Citrus Island is the hometown island of Magikarp!”

This was the first time Xia You had learned that Magikarp also had its own homeland. However, since this creature is found all over the world, the one with the ability to migrate should only refer to the Magikarp from the Orange Islands.

The last rays of the setting sun enveloped everyone.

More and more carp are gathering in the lake, but there is still no sign of them evolving.

"This is bad." Green River glanced at the time again and sighed. "There are fewer Magikarp than we expected. It looks like we'll have to camp here tonight!"

Chapter 250 Lakeside Camping

Hearing this, Xiao Jian asked in surprise, "Mr. Green River, does Magikarp's evolution also depend on their numbers?"

Green River nodded: "It does have a lot to do with it. This lake has magical power, and the more Magikarp gather, the more this power is triggered, causing them to evolve collectively. Conversely, if there are fewer Magikarp, it may take a long time, or even until tomorrow, for the evolution to be triggered."

"So that's how it is."

At this time, the sun was setting in the west, and it was about to disappear into the distance.

Since it was decided to camp outdoors, everyone split up before it got dark.

Green River continued operating the equipment and observing the Magikarp. Xiaoxia and Xiaozhi gathered some firewood and lit a campfire, while Xiaojian took out the cooking utensils and took charge of making dinner. As for Xiayou and Naz, they set up the tents they had brought with Green River.

Tonight's dinner is curry rice with fruit salad. Apart from the fruit, which the Pokémon gathered from the nearby forest, everything else, including the curry, potatoes, rice, and other ingredients, was brought by Ash and his friends.

Compared to Xia You, who often stays in hotels or eats out, Xiao Zhi and his friends are more prepared for their trips because they often eat raw food and drink fresh air. They have to bring all kinds of food with them in case of emergencies.

"Hmm, this tastes pretty good!" When the fragrant curry rice was placed on a plate in front of everyone, Green River took a bite. The slightly spicy flavor made his eyes light up, and he couldn't help but praise, "This is so lucky! I had prepared instant noodles to just grab a quick bite, but I didn't expect to be able to eat such delicious food on this deserted island!"

Hearing him say that, Xia You, who was sitting on the other side of the simple folding table, also scooped up a large spoonful of rice covered in curry sauce and put it in her mouth.

good to eat!

It has to be said that the curry rice tasted really good, it was a feast for the eyes, nose and palate, but... compared to Ash's number one babysitter Brock, Tracey's cooking skills were still a little inferior.

The group ate and chatted, creating a relaxed atmosphere. The simple meal took more than an hour to finish, and by the time dinner was over, the moon was already high in the sky.

Xiaoxia took out tea leaves and brewed a pot of steaming hot tea for everyone.

Everyone sat around the campfire. Green River, holding a slightly warm teacup, looked at Xiao Jian and asked with a smile, "Young man, are you also a Pokémon observer?"

"Huh?" Xiao Jian was taken aback and asked in surprise, "How did you know?"

"Hmph, never underestimate the eyes of an experienced observer." Green River blew on the tea leaves floating on the water in his cup, not without pride. "I already saw your sketchbook and binoculars by the river, and your perspective on things is exactly the same as ours as an observer!"

"Oh, so that's it!" Xiao Jian suddenly realized, but he never thought of hiding his identity as a Pokémon observer, and he didn't care even if he was found out.

After spending time with everyone, the old man's attitude towards them had changed. No matter who he looked at, he always had a kind and gentle expression.

He then reached out his hand to Xiao Jian: "Could I take a look at your observation notes?"

“Of course, no problem.” Xiao Jian nodded and handed Green River his sketchbook and notes.

"Hmm..." Green River carefully flipped through it, and after a while, nodded approvingly. "Not bad, not bad. All kinds of Pokémon are included, and the observations are very detailed. You are a very outstanding young man. Keep up the good work. I believe that one day you will become a very excellent Pokémon observer!"

The two exchanged their knowledge and experience, and Xiao Jian benefited greatly from the guidance of this senior mentor.

Of course, Green River didn't leave Xia You and the others aside. After taking a sip of tea, he told them some of the strange events he had encountered over the years as stories.

His experiences were incredibly rich; he had traveled to virtually every region of the world, and his incredible journeys left Ash and his friends in awe.

During this period, more than a hundred Magikarp swam into the lake, but still, they were not able to reach the number needed for a collective evolution.

It was already past ten o'clock at night. After eating and drinking their fill, Xiao Zhi and the others were drowsy. Xia You and Xiao Jian discussed the matter of keeping watch, but as soon as she opened her mouth, Green River directly refused.

"I'll keep watch by myself tonight," Green River said seriously. "To be honest, I'm a little worried about having you guys test the Magikarp."

Although Green River put it bluntly, it is an indisputable fact.

He had been observing these Magikarp for three years, and he had finally waited for this day. The Magikarp could evolve at any moment tonight, so he needed to keep a close watch on them. How could he entrust such an important matter to someone else?

Xiao Jian initially tried to persuade Luhe to rest, citing her health, but Luhe remained adamant and no one could convince her otherwise.

Seeing his insistence, Xia You and the others couldn't say anything more and could only let the old man sit quietly by the campfire until dawn.

However, if we put ourselves in Xia You's shoes, we would also need to do things personally to feel truly at ease in such a critical moment.

Xia You and Na Zi washed up by the river and then moved into their tent.

On the other side, Ash and Brock spread their sleeping bags in a comfortable spot near the campfire and then crawled inside.

Only Xiaoxia remained standing in the same spot, not sleeping with Xiaozhi and the others as usual.

She glanced at Xia You and Na Zi's tent, her eyes flickering slightly, as if she were plotting something.

what's the situation?

Why are these two sleeping in the same tent?

Xiaoxia had a bad feeling.

She didn't know what their relationship was, but since they could live in the same tent without any hesitation, they were obviously quite close.

Does this mean that Xia You and Na Zi are already in a romantic relationship?

Thinking of this, she no longer hesitated, lifted the tent flap, bent down and crawled into Xia You's tent.

Inside the tent, Xia You was spreading a blanket on the floor.

Camping outdoors is quite different from indoors. If you don't keep warm in the middle of the night, you might wake up freezing.

However, Xia You was slightly taken aback when she saw Xiaoxia come in, while Nazi frowned but didn't say anything.

"Brother Xia You..." Xiaoxia looked at Xia You with a bright smile.

"What's wrong?" Xia You asked.

"This..." Xiaoxia was a little hesitant at first, but seeing that Nazi was only wearing pajamas, she immediately mustered up her courage and tentatively asked, "Brother Xiayou, it's a bit windy outside, can I sleep in your tent tonight?"

Xia You smiled bitterly to herself.

Now that you're in, what can I say? Am I supposed to kick you out?

Besides, he really couldn't bear to leave such a lovely girl like Xiaoxia out there.

Ignoring Naz's meaningful gaze, Xia You smiled and said, "Of course! My tent is big enough to sleep four people!"

Chapter 251 Night Talk Inside the Tent

Great!!!

Hearing that Xia You agreed to let her sleep here, Xiaoxia almost laughed out loud. However, she did not want to sit next to Nazi. Instead, she disregarded the difference between men and women and sat directly on the other side of Xia You, sandwiching Xia You between Nazi on the left and right.

In fact, since they parted ways at the Indigo League, Misty and Xia You hadn't spent much time alone together. Now that they finally had the chance, and Ash wasn't there to bother her, she had so much to say. She didn't care that Sabrina was still there and chattered away like a happy little bird.

For a moment, the tent was filled with Xiaoxia's cheerful laughter.

Nearby, Naz glanced at Xia, but didn't want to interfere too much with Xia You.

Besides, she was just a teenage girl, posing no threat to their relationship. But she didn't want to see Xia You and Xiao Xia laughing and talking, so she took out a pair of headphones from her backpack, put them on, and decided to ignore them and lie down to close her eyes and pretend to sleep.

Xiaoxia saw this and became even more unrestrained. Her words no longer concealed her feelings, revealing her longing for him everywhere!

"Xia You, guess who I dreamed about last night?"

"Who did you dream about?" Xia You asked knowingly.

"Hehe, of course it's you, Brother Xia You!" Xiaoxia blushed slightly, extremely shy, but still looked directly into Xia You's eyes. "I dreamed about us soaking in the hot springs on Red Lotus Island together. But it's such a coincidence that we met again just a few hours later. This is truly a dream come true!"

The hot springs of Crimson Lotus Island…

Recalling that scene in the hot spring, Xia You's nose couldn't help but itch.