I caught a Pokémon

Although we are destined to meet again, Green River is quite old, and given our respective travel routes, it's unlikely we'll ever meet again.

Thinking of this, Xiao Jian said sincerely, "Mr. Green River, please take good care of yourself!"

Green River paused, but did not turn around. He simply waved to them with his back turned and then went into the tent.

When the curtain was drawn, the campsite fell completely silent.

Xia You and the others, each carrying their luggage, returned along the river and arrived at the seaside.

By this time, the Gyarados and Magikarp had already disappeared.

Having gone through so much together, it is now time for them to part ways.

Compared to previous separations, Xiaoxia was even more reluctant to part this time.

However, there was nothing she could do. After all, she still had to continue traveling with Ash, and given their friendship, she couldn't just abandon him.

Looking tenderly at Xia You, Xiaoxia opened her mouth, about to say something, when Xiaozhi suddenly pushed her aside and stood in front of Xia You.

"Brother Xia You, I'm going to challenge the Durian Gym right now. Just wait for me, I'll catch up with you as soon as possible!"

Before Xia You could speak, Xiao Xia, who had almost strained her back, gritted her teeth and smacked him hard on the head!

boom!

"Ouch! Xia, why did you hit me?!"

Ash looked completely bewildered; being slow-witted, he naturally couldn't understand what he had destroyed.

Seeing Xiaozhi's innocent and clueless expression, Xiaoxia was at a loss for what to do with him. She could only curse him under her breath as a blockhead, grit her teeth, and say fiercely, "It's nothing! I just had a little itching to hit you!"

This barbaric and unreasonable attitude naturally provoked Xiaozhi's protest.

"Xiaoxia! You're so awful!!"

Watching them playfully frolic, Xia You could feel the warmth around him. He chuckled and said, "Xiao Zhi, there's no need to rush. Since we're on a trip, we should take it one step at a time, steadily and gradually grow. We mustn't be too hasty."

"That's true..." Xiao Zhi clenched his fist and said with longing, "But Xia You, you are the champion after all, so of course I want to take you as my goal!"

"You!?" As Xia You's most loyal supporter, Xiaoxia mocked, "You'll never catch up to Brother Xia You, so just give up on that idea."

"The champion..." Xia You patted Xiaoxia's head, then looked up at the distant sea and said in a low voice, "The Indigo League is not very strong. I just didn't encounter any decent opponents, so I was lucky enough to win the championship. Actually, if you ask me, I should be aiming for you."

"oh!?"

Hearing Xia You say this, everyone present looked at him with great surprise.

"Take me as your target?" Ash pointed to himself, looking completely bewildered.

“That’s right.” Xia You nodded solemnly. “I forgot if I told you before, although I will encounter countless powerful enemies in the future, I always believe that if anyone can defeat me, that person will definitely be you!”

As soon as the words left his mouth, not only Xiaozhi, but also Sabrina, Xiaoxia and Xiaojian looked at Xia You with surprise.

This is such a high compliment!

Ash's best record so far is only the top 16 in the Indigo League, while Xia You is the undefeated champion who crushed the Indigo League!

Whether it was Sabrina, Misty, or Jian, they were all somewhat puzzled, not understanding why Xia You was so optimistic about Xiao Zhi.

After knowing each other for so long, anyone could see that there was still a clear gap in their abilities.

Xiao Zhi trembled with excitement at Xia You's affirmation.

"Brother Xia You! Don't worry! I will definitely work harder! I will never let you down. One day, I will definitely grow into the person you expect me to be!"

"Yes, I believe in you, but to achieve this goal, you must take every step carefully!"

After saying that, Xia You patted his shoulder, then waved to the sky. A few seconds later, Charizard landed beside him.

He and Sabrina boarded Charizard, looked at Ash and the others, and finally smiled and said, "Alright, it's time for us to go. Have a safe trip, and see you next time!"

After saying that, without waiting for Ash and the others to speak, he lightly tapped his heel, and Charizard flapped its wings, flying away from Citrus Island like an arrow.

On the beach, watching Charizard drift further and further away until it became a black dot, Ash and Misty still gazed at it with lingering eyes.

In their hearts, though their emotions differ, there is a burning flame burning just as brightly!

……

Citrus Island is located northwest of the Orange Islands.

Its geographical location is somewhat northerly, and because the island is small and the population is not large, it is at best a major town.

Despite this, its status in the hearts of the people of the Orange Islands is truly remarkable, no less than that of the Orange Islands metropolitan area!

Whether it's the headquarters of the Orange League or the venue for the Winners' Cup, this place has become the focus of attention!

After several hours of flight, Charizard landed in a forest on Citrus Island.

Xia You put away the Charizard and walked with Sabrina into the small town on the island, which was full of sports meet style.

Instead of reporting directly to the Orange Alliance, they first found a guesthouse with hot springs, ate and drank their fill, soaked in the hot springs for several hours, rested for a night, and slept well, washing away the dust and fatigue.

The next day, feeling refreshed, Xia You went to the Orange Alliance headquarters to handle the matters related to the challenge.

It's worth mentioning that the Orange League tournament isn't actually held at a specific time of year. Due to the Orange League's unique nature, after a challenger obtains four badges, they need to come here to apply. Only after confirming that the Chief Trainer is available to accept the challenge will the Orange League prepare overnight and hold the Winners' Cup the following day!

Because challengers come every now and then, there are even more than a dozen winners' cups held in a single year!

Chapter 260 The Vice President of the Orange Alliance

As they entered the lobby of the Orange Alliance headquarters, a male staff member who looked to be in his sixties, with short silver-gray hair and a small mustache, came up to them.

"Good morning. May I ask what brings you here? Are you here for sightseeing or to buy souvenirs?"

Xia You stepped forward and said politely, "Hello, I'm here to challenge the Orange Alliance. Please register me."

Upon hearing that Xia You was there to challenge for the Winners' Cup, the staff immediately became much more enthusiastic.

"Welcome, welcome. It's been almost a month since we last held a competition. It's great to have a new challenger today. But before that, according to the rules, please show your credentials."

prove?

It probably refers to the four Southern Cross badges of the Orange Gym.

However, the fact that no one has challenged for the Winners' Cup for so long shows that the level of the Orange League has almost stagnated, which is not a good thing for its development.

While thinking, Xia You took out the badge collection box from her backpack, opened it, and presented four different seashell badges to the staff.

The staff took a small scanner and ran it over the four badges one by one. The next second, Xia You's personal information was displayed on the computer screen next to them.

That's really meticulous; they even have anti-counterfeiting certification!

Xia You sighed, then glanced at the computer screen. Besides her own handsome photo, the screen also displayed that she was from the Carlos region and had won the Quartz Tournament.

"Huh? You're the trainer who just won the Indigo League championship? No wonder you looked familiar when I first saw you!"

Upon learning Xia You's identity, the staff member couldn't help but show a look of joy.

In fact, professionals like them usually pay more attention to news in this area than others. They have heard about who won the championship in which region, who is the favorite seed, who is more famous, and who is the most popular.

Although each of these major regions produces a champion every year, and the cumulative number has been quite large, no champion has ever challenged the Orange Alliance!

"What champion or not, that's all in the past." Xia You waved her hand, not caring at all. "I'm just an ordinary challenger now, no different from anyone else. We're all on the same starting line, so don't try to give me any kind of halo."

Despite Xia You's words, the staff didn't take them seriously at all, given their politeness.

He's not stupid; how could he possibly treat someone like Xia You as just an ordinary challenger?

After all, the Orange League is just a small league. Not only is it geographically remote, but its population is also relatively small. Compared with other leagues, its influence and viewership have always been far inferior.

Now that we finally have a Quartz Conference champion coming to challenge us, it's definitely a big event that deserves to be publicized!

If they win, they will certainly live up to the reputation of the Quartz League, and Xia You will be the undisputed champion. But if Xia You accidentally loses, wouldn't that mean that the Orange League has the strength to challenge the Major League?

So whether we win or lose, it will boost the popularity of the Orange Alliance!

No matter how you look at it, it's a sure thing to make a profit!

Thinking of this, his smile widened.

"How rude of me, I forgot to introduce myself. My name is Carl, and I am the vice president of the Orange Alliance."

Vice President!?

Xia You was stunned, not expecting that the man in front of her was actually a big shot!

To be honest, when he first walked in and saw this staff member, he felt a little strange.

After all, other places use young and beautiful women as reception staff, but the fact that the Orange Alliance used an elderly woman who was over fifty years old was really beyond his expectations.

But now that I know his identity, I feel somewhat relieved.

"It's truly an honor to be received by the vice president personally!" Xia You extended her hand.

"Not at all!" Carl shook his hand firmly and laughed, "Because we Orange League challengers are very few, I can handle everything on my own, so we don't need so many people here to maintain things."

At this point, he added, "It must have been a long and tiring journey, but the Orange Islands are sunny and beautiful. If you have the time, Mr. Xia You, you must experience it for yourself."

Xia You nodded: "I've already experienced it. I've indeed seen many rare sights here, and I've also caught a few powerful Pokémon. I have to say, the Orange Islands are a really relaxing place."

Hearing this, Karl was pleased and smiled, then turned his gaze to Sabrina: "By the way, may I ask who this lady beside you is...?"

"Oh, she's my colleague, not a challenger."

Xia You introduced Sabrina, but when she turned her head, she saw Sabrina staring intently at a Dragonite-shaped statue next to her!

This Dragonite statue appears to be cast from iron, with a metallic, dark green color all over its body. The overall workmanship is quite exquisite. Looking at the design, Dragonite has its wings spread, its two claws stretched to the left and right, and its eyes are staring intently straight ahead, as if it is guarding something.

Seeing that the two were interested in the statue, Karl laughed and said, "Dragonite, as the guardian of this island, has always been revered by the people here. Speaking of which, our current head trainer of the Orange League has a powerful Dragonite! And since he became the head trainer, no one has ever defeated him in the Winners' Cup!"

Whether it was Dragonite or the chief trainer, Xia You could sense the pride in their tone.

but……

Has it never been defeated?

What a coincidence, me too.

Carl then typed a few keys into the computer and said to Xia You, "Alright, the registration is complete. According to the rules, the competition will be held at 10:00 AM tomorrow. Before that, please let me take you to familiarize yourself with the venue."

"Then I'll have to trouble you."

Xia You had no objections, but seeing Karl walk out from behind the reception desk and head straight for the door, he couldn't help but ask in surprise, "But is it really okay for us to just walk like this? What if someone else comes to challenge us now? Won't there be no one to receive us?"

"Don't worry." Karl chuckled softly, his tone confident yet tinged with a hint of helplessness. "Like I just said, no one has challenged us for a long time. Even if we leave for a few hours, nothing will happen!"

Chapter 261 Citrus Sports Field and the Victor's Palace

After leaving the Orange Alliance headquarters, Xia You and Nazja, led by Karl, climbed a small hill along the stone steps beside them.

The hill is not very high and has sparse vegetation, making it look somewhat bare. But precisely because of this, even before people land on the island, and while they are still far out at sea off Citrus Island, they can see a magnificent building standing atop the hill.

This building is the exclusive battlefield for the Orange League Winners' Cup – the Orange Stadium!

The Citrus Stadium's exterior resembles the ancient Roman Colosseum, with two-story tall walls covered in columnar decorations, giving it a mysterious, majestic, and ceremonial feel.

When Xia You walked up the steps to the top of the mountain and looked down, she could see the entire town of Citrus below.

In fact, when Xia You arrived here yesterday, she noticed that most of the buildings in Citrus Town, whether shops or residences, had white walls and red tiles, a European-style villa style, and looked very uniform.

It's easy to see from this that both the Orange Islands and the Orange League are trying their best to build this place into a sports town with a strong atmosphere.

"This way, please."

Carl introduced Xia You to the Citrus Sports Field.

Entering the arena from the narrow spectator passage, Xia You was suddenly greeted by a huge battlefield.

At the same time, a standard, ordinary battlefield appeared before him.

However, apart from them, the sports field was empty and looked deserted. Looking to the side, just like the Orange League headquarters hall just now, there were also many Dragonite statues here!

It seems that what Carl just said was true; they really do regard Dragonite as the guardian deity of this place!

"Mr. Xia You, please take a look." Karl pointed forward and introduced, "This is where you will fight tomorrow. Don't be fooled by its antique appearance. It has a large screen, lights, sound system and other facilities. It can accommodate 20,000 spectators at the same time. It can be said to be the largest, best and largest venue in our Orange Alliance!"

If it were any other challenger, Karl wouldn't bother with all that talking, but with a contestant like Xia You, he naturally had to provide a more detailed explanation.

Xia You nodded and casually echoed her sentiments.

He could hear the genuine pride in Karl's tone.

To be honest, a stadium that can only hold 20,000 people is a bit small compared to the Quartz Convention, which can hold 50,000 people, not to mention other regions.