I caught a Pokémon

He played with her, helped her learn how to ride a rhinoceros, went shopping with her, ate with her, watched movies with her, comforted her when she was down, and encouraged her when she was discouraged.

It can be said that Xia You has given her a lot of help and affection, both in her studies and in her daily life, and has entered her life in every aspect.

Later, after earning some money through part-time jobs, Xia You gradually accumulated some savings, and then moved away from there, renting a house not far away.

Even after moving out, their relationship did not become distant. Perhaps because their mother was no longer in their way, it actually became better than before!

On his way to school, Serena would always use her key to open Xia You's bedroom door, affectionately wake him up, and bring him breakfast prepared by his mother.

Even after school, she wouldn't go home immediately, but would come to Xia You's residence again and stay until late at night.

If you think about it carefully, she spends most of her time following Xia You around, almost inseparable.

Even when Xia You goes to work at the theater, people can always see a cute little tail following behind her.

Some crew members often joked about it.

Whenever Xia You encounters such a situation, he always replies: This is the wife I've raised since she was a child!

Hearing this, Serena never refuted it, but her face turned slightly red as she continued to follow behind Xia You.

In the days that followed, she became more cheerful and lively in front of Xia You. Sometimes, when she was thirsty, she would drink water directly from Xia You's cup without any hesitation!

However, what started as a joke unexpectedly took a turn for the worse!

Perhaps it was the meticulous care he gave her, like a gentle spring rain that nourishes everything silently, that made Xia You realize, when she came to her senses, that she had unknowingly entered the girl's heart, filling it completely without leaving a single gap!

On ordinary days, when he inadvertently turned around, he would always find the girl tilting her head and looking at him affectionately, her bright and clear eyes full of tenderness!

This startled Xia You awake.

Actually, how could Xia You not like such a beautiful girl? How could he not be moved?

But Serena is still a minor, so how could he possibly lay a hand on her!

The reason why she was so cared for was naturally because Xia You was grateful that she had taken her in back then.

Secondly, because she is an important female protagonist in the animation, Xia You wanted to learn about and integrate into this world through her.

Of course, Serena's beauty was also the main reason why Xia You became friends with her.

But he always treated her like a younger sister!

Since then, Xia You has begun to intentionally distance himself from her.

However, perhaps due to her keen perception, the girl quickly sensed something. When she went to see Xia You as usual, Xia You always avoided her.

This threw Serena into a panic. She was at a loss and looked haggard for several days. Finally, she couldn't hold back any longer and, in order to win back Xia You, she mustered up the courage to confess to him one night!

Xia You still remembers that the moonlight that day seemed to be just as bright and clear as it is now.

However, when Serena said "I like you," all she received in return was Xia You's heartless reply: "I only see you as a little sister."

In that instant, Serena's emotions collapsed!

She cried her heart out, returned home dejected, and stayed indoors for several days, her eyes dull and lifeless.

To be honest, Xia You regretted it back then, but it was too late to change anything.

After tormenting himself for a long time, he decided to leave and take the Ralts he got from Diantha with him to Kanto to try his luck, hoping that time would heal all his wounds!

Just as Xia You was recalling this, the phone screen next to her suddenly lit up.

Its faint light shone so brightly in the dark room, just like Serena's eyes once were. It's a pity he hasn't seen them for a long time.

Picking up her phone, she saw that Serena had replied, "I just went to take a shower. Didn't you get any rest either?"

At the end of her message, she added a cute smiley face, seemingly to explain that she really did go to take a shower and that she didn't intentionally delay replying to the message immediately.

Ugh…

Why has this girl, who was once so happy, become so humble now?

Xia You paused in mid-air for a long time before changing the subject: "I've arrived in Johto and seen many Pokémon that are completely different from those in Kalos."

Pink Dream: Johto, huh? I only learned about it from my geography textbook, but I didn't pay attention in class, so I don't know much about it. Is there anything fun to do there? (laughs)

It's all just bubbles: there's really no difference, just mountains, rivers, and lakes, much like Guandu or even Carlos.

After thinking for a moment, Xia You opened the image and sent a few recently taken photos.

Pink Dream: Wow, it's so beautiful! I really want to go see it. By the way, congratulations on winning the Orange League! (playful)

Xia You was taken aback. He hadn't told Serena about this, so how did she know?

Perhaps knowing what Xia You was thinking, Serena sent a second message shortly after.

Pink Dream: I specifically looked up your information and found out you've already won your second trophy! I watched every single match—a perfect champion! You're amazing!

Ugh…

Xia You had lost count of how many times she had sighed.

After that failed confession, I thought she would hold a grudge against me and distance herself from me, but now, looking at her words, I can still feel her affection for me.

never mind…

Girls' thoughts are the hardest to fathom. I thought that with time, the feelings would fade, but now, looking back, I realize that I was indeed too cruel to her.

Even if you refuse, you shouldn't be so heartless!

Moreover, after traveling and experiencing so much, and spending time with Xiaoxia and Xiaochun, he has come to see things in a more positive light.

Instead of running away, it's better to face the problem head-on, guide Serena positively, help her get out of the pain, or get along with her in another way.

or…

After the Silver Tournament is over, I'll go back to the Carlos region to see her.

Chapter 314 A-Du's Approval

The next morning, after a quick wash and a hearty breakfast, Xia You and Na Zi, led by Xiao Chun, headed to the first floor of the dojo.

On the way, seeing Xia You still looking a little sleepy, Na Zi asked in a low voice, "Why do you look so listless? Didn't you sleep well last night?"

No, why do you ask?

"Your dark circles are showing."

Dark circles under the eyes?

Xia You remained silent for a long time without explaining anything. She subconsciously rubbed her eyes a few times and shook her head with a wry smile.

I chatted with Serena for a long time last night, and we didn't say goodnight until after 1 a.m. I didn't get enough sleep, so my complexion wasn't very good.

But this is something that absolutely cannot be told to Naz.

After walking through a long corridor and down marble steps, they finally arrived at a spacious hall, which was the arena for the Yanmo Dojo's battles.

Looking ahead, what appeared before him was an amphibious complex.

Xia You first looked at the outer edge of the arena, where it was just an ordinary, bare ground with nothing special about it. But in the center, there was a square swimming pool with a depth of four or five meters. The water was crystal clear and could meet the battle needs of most water-type Pokémon.

It's likely because most of the Dragon-type Pokémon that Tsubaki has are Dragon/Water type, and they excel at fighting in water, which is why this design was chosen.

Xia You and Xiao Chun walked towards the trainer command areas on both sides. At the same time, A Du also appeared in the audience seats on the second floor. However, he did not find a place to sit down, but just leaned lazily against a railing.

It seems he's also quite interested in the match between Xia You and Xiao Chun!

Seeing that Xia You and Xiao Chun had noticed him, he nodded to them. But just as he finished greeting them, he suddenly heard footsteps behind him.

Looking back, I saw a middle-aged man climbing the stairs to the second floor, slowly walking towards me.

The man had a calm demeanor and exuded the authority of a superior. He also had the same hair color as A-Du, and their appearances were somewhat similar.

"Uncle?" Looking at him, A-Du asked in surprise, "I heard from Chun that you went to the Pokémon League, didn't you? How come you're back so soon?"

The man in front of Adu is the former head of the Yanmo Dojo, the current head of the Dragon Master family, and Adu's uncle!

"I've finished dealing with things there, so I naturally came back. But as soon as I entered, I heard someone challenging a gym, so I came over to check it out. I didn't expect to see you there."

As he spoke, the middle-aged man walked up to Adu and looked him up and down: "Speaking of which, I haven't seen you in a long time. You look the same as before, without any changes."

Adu laughed heartily: "After all, I've reached this age, and it's unlikely that my appearance will change much; I'll only get older!"

The man smiled slightly. After a brief exchange of pleasantries between the uncle and nephew, he changed the subject and asked, "I heard that someone broke into the Holy Domain yesterday?"

“It’s Team Rocket. I came back specifically for this!” Lance nodded. “The leader was a top executive named Bishas, ​​but the matter has been resolved. Apart from Bishas escaping, everyone else has been handed over to the police. Moreover, the Grand Elder has ordered the Dragon Trainers still in the Johto region to hunt down Bishas!”

"Well done," the man praised, then his expression hardened, and he said solemnly, "Those audacious guys from Team Rocket dared to trespass into the Dragon Sanctuary. We must make them pay the price!"

After saying that, he turned his head to look at the arena and said in surprise, "But... I didn't expect you to be interested in gym battles and to have time to come here to watch the competition. Aren't you Pokémon investigators always very busy?"

“You’re right, we are indeed very busy,” Adu said with a smile. “Originally, after resolving the matter in the Sanctuary, we had to rush back to Kanto immediately. However, the challenger in front of me is a friend of mine, and it was thanks to him yesterday that the Sanctuary was safe and sound. So I thought I’d watch this match before leaving!”

"Oh?" The middle-aged man glanced at Xia You. "Your friend? And he helped us a lot? So, he's very strong?"

“That’s right,” A-Du said seriously. “He is indeed very strong. Tsubaki is definitely no match for him. She will lose this match without a doubt!”

Is Xiaochun no match for him?

The middle-aged man was greatly surprised to hear this.

He knew Xiaochun's strength better than anyone else; otherwise, he wouldn't have relinquished his important responsibilities and handed over the position of gym leader to her.

I never imagined that this young person would be even stronger than Xiaochun!

"Given your personality, I've never seen you praise someone so highly before. This is unlike you."

"There's nothing I can do about it." A-Du shrugged. "He is indeed very strong, and what's most surprising is his growth rate! To be honest, when I last saw him, I already felt that he was very powerful, and now, I don't know just how far he has grown!"

The man looked Xia You up and down. Although he was seeing her face for the first time, it felt somewhat familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.

"Having said all that, between you and him, who is actually stronger?"

"We haven't fought yet, so it's hard to say..." A'du shook his head, turned to look at the handsome man in the arena, and muttered to himself, "But I think we'll know soon enough after the Silver Tournament ends!"

Xia You, who was in the middle of the room, was naturally unaware that people were talking about him.

At this moment, his attention was entirely focused on Kabu, who was walking over from the side.

Kabu, acting as the referee, arrived at the arena with red and green flags in hand and loudly announced the rules of the game.

"Now, let's begin the Gym Challenge! Mr. Xia You, the Indigo League champion from the green team, will face off against Ms. Xiao Chun, the Gym Leader of the Yanmo Gym from the red team! The match will be a three-Pokémon elimination tournament. The match will end when all of a team's Pokémon are unable to battle!"

He paused for a moment, then continued, "During the competition, only the challenger can change their Pokémon. So now, Miss Tsubaki, please send out your Pokémon first!"

Unexpectedly, Xia You objected to this rule.

"Please wait a moment."

"what happened?"

Seeing that Xiaochun and Kabu were both looking at her, Xia You smiled and said, "Miss Xiaochun, I would like to make a slight change to the rules of the competition."

"Oh?" Xiaochun raised an eyebrow, surprised. "How do you want to change it?"

"If possible, I don't want to battle those ordinary gym-guarding Pokémon, so please use your ace Pokémon, and it would be fairer if both of us sent out our Pokémon at the same time!"

After thinking for a moment, Xiaochun recalled Xia You's Pokémon, the strength they displayed in the Dragon Sanctuary, and their past victory in the Indigo League. It was indeed inappropriate to use ordinary Pokémon to battle against them.

"Okay, I agree. After all, I also want to confirm whether your Pokémon or my Pokémon is stronger!"

Upon hearing from the audience that Xia You was actually the champion of this year's Quartz Tournament, the man suddenly realized what was going on.

It turned out to be him!

No wonder it looked familiar!

You know, not long ago, this young man was extremely popular, and you could often see news about him. Even though he has stepped down as the gym leader and rarely pays attention to the Pokémon League, you can still hear Xia You's name all the time!

Chapter 315 Seems Like a Prophet

In the arena, after the two finished their discussion, Kabu stretched out his hands and held up the red and green flags.

"Both sides, please send out your Pokémon simultaneously!"

Xiaochun seemed to have already decided who to send out. Without much hesitation, she took out the first Poké Ball, stood still, held the Poké Ball, and looked at Xia You with eager eyes, waiting for him to make a choice.

Xia You smiled gently.

She looked radiant, and it seemed... she was quite eager to get started!

Although Xiaochun was full of confidence for the upcoming battle, it wasn't hard for Xia You to guess which Pokémon she would use.