I caught a Pokémon

At least after leaving Natsumi, Xia You will be easier to deal with.

As darkness fell, the sky was filled with twinkling stars.

After nightfall, Xia You and Na Zi finally arrived in Kikyo City, but they did not enter the city center. Instead, they found a random hotel on the outskirts of the city and stayed there.

After dinner and a shower, the two lay down on the bed.

Well, perhaps because of the impending separation, Nazi was exceptionally gentle, proactive, and passionate that night. With her tacit consent, Xia You even tried many new positions...

After falling asleep exhausted, they held each other tightly.

……

After resting for a night, the two set off again from Kikyo City the next morning.

Riding on the fire-breathing dragons, they flew eastward. Because they were high in the sky and not afraid of being discovered, Xia You even released the three legendary birds.

These three Pokémon haven't left their Poké Balls in a long time, so this time, let them fly as much as they want!

Several Pokémon soared through the sky. Compared to the Charizard carrying Xia You and Sabrina, which was flying steadily, the three legendary birds seemed to have inexhaustible energy after breathing fresh air for a long time. They would sometimes dive into the clouds and sometimes suddenly fly under the Charizard, emitting clear bird calls, clearly enjoying their rare freedom.

However, after flying for a while, the three legendary birds began to show their restless nature. Perhaps because they still didn't like the other two Pokémon, they started attacking each other playfully!

In an instant, lightning, frost, and flames filled the sky, turning the once beautiful clouds into a smoky mess.

As expected, he's restless...

Xia You shook her head and ignored them.

Let them go crazy like this. They'll calm down completely when they're tired of playing.

The white clouds drifted by quickly, as if you could reach out and touch them.

It's unclear how far they flew, but around noon, the Charizard seemed a bit tired, so Xia You patted its neck and landed it on a beach.

A cool sea breeze blows, softening the slightly scorching sunlight. As far as the eye can see, the azure sea meets the sky, creating a breathtaking scene.

"The environment here is very nice, and there's no one to bother us. Let's have lunch here."

Nazi naturally had no objection to Xia You's suggestion, and knowing that their separation was imminent, her gaze towards Xia You was always full of love.

Xia You spread out a tablecloth, took out the bento box she had bought in advance, and then let all her Pokémon out to get some fresh air.

Gyarados and Steelix lay lazily to one side, basking in the sun, while all the other Pokémon, except for Gardevoir sitting demurely next to Xia You, had run to the beach and were playing and frolicking with each other.

After circling a few times, the three sacred birds landed on either side of Xia You.

Perhaps they were tired from playing, as they preened their feathers and enjoyed this pleasant time.

For lunch, Xia You bought sandwiches and rice balls from a convenience store. Although they were delicious, they didn't make him feel full compared to hot meals.

Having only taken a few bites, Rayquaza seemed to have noticed something and suddenly ran back, pointing with its paw at the beach not far away.

Looking in the direction it indicated, there was a building on the sea far away that looked very similar to a water sports stadium!

He asked in surprise, "How can there be a sports field in such a remote place?"

Nazi was clearly intrigued as well. She glanced at Xia You and asked, "Want to go take a look?"

"Sure, consider it exercise after dinner."

After finishing their lunch and cleaning up, Xia You recalled her Pokémon and then walked hand in hand with Sabrina toward the building.

Although it looked close, it was still quite a long walk.

The two left their footprints on the beach, but they were quickly washed away by the waves.

As we approached the sports field, before we even got close, we saw an advertising billboard.

The billboard displays a poster for a synchronized water ballet performance, featuring a thousand-needle fish soaring high above the water, surrounded by six pairs of beautiful legs extending from the surface!

At the very bottom, it is written in huge font: Water Ballet Synchronized with Little Elves!

synchronized swimming?

When it comes to synchronized swimming, Xia You immediately thinks of the three sisters of Cerulean City, who are Xia's three older sisters. She never imagined that there would be synchronized swimming performances in such a remote place.

only……

Xia You looked around, but apart from them, there wasn't a soul in sight.

Will anyone actually come to watch a ballet performance if the stage is built on such a remote beach?

Is it some kind of shady shop?

Chapter 342 Ryuji's Ballet Show

After passing the billboard, the two arrived at the entrance to the sports field.

It's called a sports field, but it's actually just a square grandstand built on the sea that can hold four or five hundred people. In the center of the grandstand, there is an extremely deep swimming pool.

Apart from the stone steps and a few large spotlights, the entire grandstand was empty. However, judging from the height of the stadium and the location of the gate, there should be underwater structures as well.

A boy who looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, wearing a red and white T-shirt and a straw hat, was sitting idly behind a table.

Seeing Xia You and Na Zi approach, he quickly changed his expression, abandoning his drowsy look and giving the two a slight smile.

"Judging from your attire, you must be trainers, right? Did you come here to watch a synchronized swimming performance, or to challenge the gym?"

Xia You raised an eyebrow and carefully examined him and the so-called 'gym' behind him: "We were just passing by and saw a building here. We were curious and decided to take a look, but... this is actually a Pokémon gym?"

“Of course!” The boy nodded. “This is both a ballet stage and a battle gym, and I am the gym leader of this Ryugu Gym—Ryuji!”

Ryuji? Ryugu Dojo?

Xia You and Na Zi exchanged a glance, both seeing a hint of confusion in each other's eyes. Clearly, neither of them had ever heard of such a dojo in the Johto region!

Seeing their expressions, Ryuji already guessed what they were thinking and quickly explained, "It's normal that you haven't heard of it. This is just my private dojo!"

Xia You gave a soft "oh".

The so-called private dojo is just a nice-sounding name. In reality, it's just like the private dojo that Xia You met in the Kanto region, set up by the beastman Xiaoming. It's completely unknown and unrecognized by the League.

Before Xia You could say anything more, Long Si had already stood up and gestured for her to come in.

"You've come at just the right time! The ballet performance will begin soon. Please take your seats!"

After saying that, he hurriedly walked into the building before Xia You could speak, leaving Xia You and Na Zi standing there looking completely bewildered.

There was no entrance fee, so it seems to be free to watch.

only…

They left in such a hurry that they didn't give anyone a chance to refuse, as if they were afraid that Xia You would turn around and leave!

Could it really be some kind of shady business?

Xia You scratched her head.

Who knows, after the performance, this big boy named Ryuji might immediately change his tune, and seven or eight burly men might jump out and demand tens of thousands of dollars for tickets.

Well, never mind...

Since they had nothing better to do anyway, they decided to treat it as an after-dinner entertainment. Moreover, given their abilities, they weren't afraid of encountering any danger, nor did they need to worry about it being a scam or a staged accident.

If that's true, then his Pokémon will show the other side the beautiful side of this world!

As they entered the stadium, Xia You and Na Zi walked hand in hand into the stands and sat down on a stone step.

A gentle breeze stirred Na Zi's hair, and a few strands brushed against Xia You's face, tickling her slightly.

Not long after, upbeat music suddenly filled the air above the sports field. At the same time, the calm swimming pool began to churn. The next second, three Johto region Pokémon—Spiritfin, Manta Ray, and Lantern—jumped out of the sea, followed by a pair of slightly muscular legs that emerged from the pool!

This is a very standard opening move.

However, compared to the slender, fair, and long legs of those female dancers, these thick legs were clearly a bit off.

Sure enough, after a few leg movements were completed, the ballet dancer turned her body in the water, and as a head wearing diving goggles surfaced, it was Ryuji!

Xia You: ...

So it was a men's underwater ballet show...

Well, Xia You's experience was limited, and he hadn't seen many synchronized ballet performances. Although he knew that there were men who worked in synchronized ballet, he still preferred to watch women perform this kind of sport. After all, beautiful faces, graceful figures, and elegant dance moves were all pleasing to the eye.

But now that a boy is performing, he feels something is off.

Meanwhile, the performance continued, with Ryuji's graceful dance moving between the surface and underwater, frequently interacting with his three Pokémon.

It must be said that his performance was very vivid, his expression was very engaged, and his coordination with the Pokémon was quite excellent. It was clear that he had rehearsed carefully and put in a lot of effort!

Both Ryuji and his Pokémon work very hard, and this attitude is commendable.

Even so, Xia You still preferred watching the water ballet performed by the Hua Lan sisters.

If Xia You ever encounters a male ballet performance again, she will definitely stay far away from it and will never watch it again!

It wasn't that he disrespected male water ballet dancers; it was simply that he couldn't appreciate a man writhing in the water!

A dozen minutes later, when the performance ended, Ryuji floated on the water with three Pokémon and bowed to Natsumi and Sabrina, and Natsumi responded with a light clap of applause.

Ryuji battled Pokémon in the water, then sank back underwater. After a while, he reappeared in the audience, drying his wet hair with a towel as he approached Xia You.

He asked with a hint of expectation, "How was the performance just now?"

"It's fantastic; you can tell a lot of effort went into it."

Hearing the audience's approval, a genuine smile appeared on Ryuji's face, which showed that he truly loved aquatic ballet.

Xia You looked around again, somewhat surprised, and asked, "Is this huge venue just for you? Isn't there anyone else helping you with all this?"

"We don't need those people." Ryuji laughed. "Me and my Pokémon are enough!"

“I feel like you could totally move to the city to perform. There are more audiences there, and you would definitely be very popular.”

"I don't have that plan yet." Ryuji shook his head. "Let's gain some stage experience here first, and then go to a big city to perform. By the way, now that the performance is over, would you like to challenge my dojo next?"

Xia You naturally had no reason to refuse: "Sure, since it's a dojo, I can't just miss it."

Following Ryuji, Xia You and Naz entered the sports field, went down the stairs, and arrived at the underwater section of the sports field.

Compared to the simple above, this place is covered with soft red carpets, brightly lit under the ceiling, and decorated with many green plants in the corners. It is magnificent and luxurious. Through the huge glass, you can see the underwater world, just like an aquarium!

This shows that Ryuji's family must be very wealthy. After all, facilities like this, which don't charge admission, are not something a big boy like him could afford!

Chapter 343 Underwater Battlefield

After walking a few steps, Xia You saw several more photos posted in a prominent position on the wall next to her.

He glanced at it and discovered that it was a group photo of Ryuji and Kasumi's three older sisters, Sakura, Ayame, and Botan!

In the photo, Ryuji, dressed in a synchronized swimming outfit, stands with Sakura and two others in similar attire, soaking wet, by a swimming pool. They have clearly just finished their performance and climbed out of the water.

Perhaps because they were getting along so well, each of them had a faint smile on their face.

Judging from their ages in the photos, their appearances are almost identical to how they look now, suggesting that the events occurred recently.

"You know Sakura and the others too?"

“Of course.” Turning his head to look at the photo as well, Ryuji’s face showed a nostalgic expression. “I greatly admire Sakura, Ayame, and Peony. In fact, it was because of their influence that I aspired to become a water ballet dancer. This photo is a picture I took after I became a ballet dancer and went to Cerulean City to practice with them!”

At this point, Ryuji suddenly realized something: "Huh? Speaking of which, you just said 'also,' does that mean you also know about the Cerulean Dojo sisters?"

Xia You glanced at Sabrina and said vaguely, "Well, I guess you could say we know each other. The first gym I challenged when I traveled as a trainer was the Cerulean Gym where they were."

It's quite a strange coincidence that both sides knew Sakura and the others.

But in fact, Xia You's relationship with Sakura and the other two goes beyond that; it's not just a simple nodding acquaintance.

Of course, to avoid upsetting Natsume, he didn't dare reveal that he had participated in the Cerulean Dojo's synchronized swimming performance, helped them complete the program, and kissed Ayame at the end of the show.

Even on his phone, there were several photos of him with Sakura and the others. These were photos taken by Sakura and the others to thank Xia You for her help. However, compared to Ryuji's photos, the content of his photos was undoubtedly more exciting and...enviable!

"Your first gym is the Cerulean Gym? So, you're from Kanto?"

“No, that’s not it.” Xia You shook her head. “It just so happens that the first region we traveled to was Kanto.”

"So that's how it is. No wonder you don't have a Guandu accent when you speak."

As they spoke, the group continued walking forward, passing through a long corridor and hall, until they arrived at a wall made of huge glass.

The underwater scenery was clearly displayed before their eyes through the transparent glass!

As you can see, sunlight shines through the seawater, casting a faint glow on the seabed, while many wild water-type Pokémon move freely among the corals and seaweed.