I caught a Pokémon

Unaware of her Pokémon's unusual behavior, the female trainer had already given the order to attack.

"Little bear, use your claw attack!"

The bear cub ran shakily toward the flying mantis, its two not-too-large claws raised high, gleaming with a sharp light.

Just as it was about to reach the Scyther, the Scyther suddenly leaped forward, raising its arm and instantly crossing over with the bear cub. Everyone present heard a 'sizzle' sound, followed by a flash of cold light, and the bear cub stood frozen in place as if it had been struck by a spell!

"Bear cub! Are you alright!?" The female trainer was in a daze, having no idea what had happened.

In the arena, Scyther slowly lowered its arm, looking like a swordsman sheathing his sword.

Just as its arm was about to fall completely, the bear cub's body seemed to be delayed by something, and it crashed down onto the ground, kicking up clouds of dust!

Looking back at its opponent, Scyther shook its head in a remarkably human manner.

That's it?

I didn't even exert much effort, how could you fall down so easily!?

Weak, so incredibly weak!

"Cub Bear!!"

The female trainer cried out in surprise and rushed to her Pokémon, hugging it tightly in her arms.

She simply couldn't believe that her Pokémon had been defeated so easily in one move!

Is this man really that strong?

That shouldn't have resulted in an instant kill, right?

After thinking for a long time, she could only attribute the defeat to the fact that the battle with Ootachi had lasted too long and had exhausted her energy.

Xia You sighed helplessly. To be honest, she didn't find the battle particularly difficult. It was just that the difference in strength between the two Pokémon was too great.

This can be seen from the reactions of the audience.

If it were an evenly matched battle, the winner would naturally receive applause and cheers from the audience, just like the female trainer did before. However, because Scyther won too easily, the audience looked at each other in confusion, completely unaware of what had happened!

Now that things had suddenly quieted down, Xia You coughed lightly and looked at the onlookers: "Does anyone want to fight me?"

With so many people present, there were naturally trainers who wanted to continue fighting.

After all, they hadn't realized how powerful Xia You was, and like the female trainer, they attributed Scyther's victory to Cubs' stamina issues.

The audience became lively again. First, a male trainer came out and was defeated cleanly by Xia You. Immediately afterward, another female trainer stepped forward.

In both battles, Xia You defeated his opponents with overwhelming force. After winning five consecutive matches, he realized that this level of intensity wouldn't provide any real training. He shook his head, put away his Scyther, and left the scene with little interest, much to the astonishment of the audience.

Chapter 403 Versatile

Back in the main house, Xia You found Li Jia in the flower arrangement room. They had just finished their flower arrangement class, and a group of women walked past him, whispering to each other.

Because the narrow corridor couldn't accommodate so many people at once, Xia You had to stand aside and make way for them.

The white socks creaked underfoot on the floor, and the scents of several different perfumes wafted into Xia You's nose.

Well, it does smell very good, but it's a little pungent.

As these women passed by him, they all glanced at Xia You curiously.

While some people are more reserved, most are passionate and bold, their gazes seemingly uninhibited, and inwardly they can't help but admire this handsome man.

Hmm... it's just that her clothes and attire seem out of place here. She doesn't look like she's here to attend a tea party; she looks more like a tourist!

After they disappeared at the end of the corridor, Xia You looked back at the flower arrangement room, where only Rika, Komei, and another woman in a kimono remained.

This person bears a resemblance to Xiaomei and Xiaotao in their features; she must be the Xiaojuan sister that Xiaomei mentioned.

Upon seeing Xia You enter the room, Xiao Mei quickly stood up and introduced her to the others.

"Mr. Xia You, this is Sister Xiao Juan, the eldest of our five sisters. Sister, this is Xia You, whom I just mentioned, and also Miss Li Jia's travel companion."

It really was her—the eldest of the five Eevee sisters!

Xia You and Xiao Juan greeted each other, their extremely formal demeanor resembling a first meeting on a blind date.

"Hello, Mr. Xia You."

"Hello, Miss Xiaojuan."

Upon closer inspection, Xiao Juan was two years older than Xiao Tao, whom she had just met at the door. She was also very beautiful and had an extremely gentle demeanor.

Xia You also noticed that whether it was Xiao Mei, Xiao Tao, or Xiao Juan in front of her, they all liked to use a Poké Ball as an accessory, hanging it in their hair.

Strange, is this some kind of family's unique taste?

At this moment, in front of Xiaojuan, there was an exquisite vase with several bouquets of fresh flowers, which looked very beautiful.

Xia You doesn't understand the art of flower arrangement, but he has the ability to distinguish beauty. He can still feel that these flowers are significantly different from ordinary fresh flowers, and are more vibrant and beautiful.

Looking at Xia You, Li Jia asked softly, "What were you doing just now?"

Xia You sat down next to her and casually pointed behind her with her thumb: "I went to the back and played a few matches to kill some time."

Did we win?

"Needless to say," Xia You chuckled. "I've played five or six matches, and won them all very easily."

Hearing him say that, Xiaomei, who was standing to the side, couldn't help but ask curiously, "Huh? Is Mr. Xia You very good at combat?"

Before Xia You could answer, Xiao Juan glanced at her younger sister with amusement: "Xiao Mei, don't you know Xia You's identity?"

"His identity?"

Xiao Mei was taken aback, then shook her head blankly. She had only met Xia You yesterday and hadn't had any in-depth conversations, so how could she know his identity?

Isn't he just an ordinary viewer?

Seeing her like this, Xiao Juan knew that she was still in the dark, and explained, "This Mr. Xia You is the champion of the Quartz Tournament."

"Quartz Championship winner!?"

Upon hearing this title, Xiaomei gasped in surprise, looking at Xia You in disbelief. Realizing her lapse in composure, she covered her mouth, slightly embarrassed.

"So that's how it is! No wonder your name sounded so familiar when I heard it yesterday!"

She hadn't watched Xia You's matches, but she still remembered hearing Xia You's name repeatedly in various news reports and on television for a period of time.

Xia You could only smile and nod at Xiao Mei's surprise.

Unlike those vain people who boast about themselves to everyone they meet, he doesn't want the whole world to know that he is a champion.

Moreover, although winning the championship is a big deal, it is not a big deal. After all, one is born every year, and if you add up all the regions in the world, you don’t know how many will be born in a year!

His goal is the Grand Slam, so why would he be complacent about winning a championship in a certain region?

He coughed lightly, naturally changing the subject: "What are you doing?"

Xiao Juan smiled gently and said, "Miss Li Jia and I are exchanging experiences about flower arranging. Although we are from different regions, we didn't expect that our flower arranging techniques and skills would be the same!"

Lijia nodded in agreement: "Miss Xiaojuan is an excellent florist. Her flower arrangement skills were superb. I really benefited a lot from watching her!"

"Not at all," Xiao Juan quickly waved her hand. "After talking with Miss Lijia, I learned a lot, and I felt that Miss Lijia was quite gentle and generous, and her temperament was very similar to mine!"

This mutual flattery was so annoying that not only Xia You couldn't stand it, but even Xiao Mei couldn't help but complain: "Alright, alright, I know you're both excellent, but please stop praising each other!"

A few people chuckled softly, creating a relaxed and harmonious atmosphere in the room.

After chatting for a while, Xia You and Li Jia said goodbye to Xiao Juan, and Xiao Mei led them to continue their visit to other places.

After leaving the main house and arriving at the pool, melodious piano music drifted from somewhere.

Following the sound, I saw a girl in a pink kimono and a Poké Ball on her head playing the koto on a red carpet!

The girl was a little younger than Xiaomei and was completely focused on playing her instrument, unaware of the arrival of the group.

Seemingly afraid of disturbing the person playing the zither, Xiaomei said softly, "This is Sakura, my younger sister, and the youngest of our five sisters."

Cherry blossoms?

The name reminded Xia You of Xiaoxia's older sister, who shared the same name as this girl.

The group stopped to listen for a while. Xia You didn't understand this kind of classical music, but Rika nodded approvingly from time to time. Seeing Xia You looking at her, she smiled and said, "This is 'Twilight by the Yamato Magata,' a very classic piece that is also very popular in the Kanto region."

At this point, she turned to Xiaomei and said, "You five sisters are really talented! Acting, flower arranging, playing musical instruments—each of you is outstanding!"

Hearing Lijia's praise, Xiaomei smiled shyly.

"After all, this is how we make a living, and we spend a lot of time practicing every day."

The music hadn't ended yet, but the group had already left and continued walking towards the other side of the courtyard.

After passing the pond, they arrived at an open space surrounded by screens. Xiaomei pointed to the space and introduced it to the two of them: "Alright, this is where the tea party will be held. Let's go in quickly while there aren't many people around."

Chapter 404 Tea Party

Behind the screen was a ten-meter square tatami mat. The group took off their shoes and stepped onto the tatami mat from the entrance. The first thing they saw was a cold and beautiful woman in a black kimono, kneeling there.

The woman was about the same age as Xia You and also wore a Poké Ball on her head. Even without introduction, you could tell from her peculiar attire that she must be one of the Eevee sisters!

By this point, Xia You had met all five sisters.

Upon seeing Xia You and the others enter, the woman bowed deeply according to standard etiquette.

Xia You had learned about this from a casual conversation with Li Jia before. She knew that this was the Zhenli, the etiquette used by the host and guests. It was the most solemn form of bowing, requiring a 90-degree bow, and was generally used when attending tea parties or other important occasions.

"Welcome to my tea room, both of you."

Lijia returned the greeting with the same etiquette, but Xia You was not used to such etiquette and simply nodded emphatically to Xiaoyu.

Xiaomei introduced the two women: "This is Sister Xiaoyu, my third sister."

After she finished speaking, she introduced Xia You and Li Jia's identities to Xiao Yu.

"Big sister, this is Mr. Xia You, and this is Ms. Li Jia. One of them is the Indigo League champion, and the other is the Gym Leader of the Kanto region!"

After learning about Xia You's identity as champion, Xiao Mei also learned from Xia You that Li Jia was actually a dojo master!

This made her extremely happy. Who would have thought that the two audience members she met at the dance floor were not ordinary people, but would become her friends!

It's important to know that Pokémon has permeated every aspect of this world, and Pokémon battles are the most popular sport. Therefore, Gym Leaders and Champions hold extremely high status, and it would be wonderful to be friends with such people!

Of course, this doesn't mean she's materialistic or vain.

Given the five sisters' status and position in Enju City, and the popularity of their performances, they have met many celebrities since their debut, including Matsuba, the head of the Enju Dojo, who often comes to watch their shows.

But those were all her sister's connections, or people who came because of the name of the five Zhu sisters.

As the fourth of the five sisters, she is still young, only 17 years old, and has not yet truly entered society. She usually just rehearses and performs with her older sisters. Therefore, Xia You and Li Jia can be said to be the first friends she has truly made herself!

"Miss Xiaoyu, I apologize for disturbing you."

The two greeted Xiaoyu.

Xiaoyu's gaze lingered on Lijia for a moment before finally shifting to Xia You.

Just like Xiaomei, she was clearly surprised to see the two of them there.

"What brings you two to the city?"

"We're here on a trip, and also to prepare for the challenge against the Silver League."

"I see."

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xiaoyu got down to business.

"Now I will prepare tea for you both."

There were many tea sets around her, as well as a water jug ​​kept warm by a small fire. She took out a tea towel and began to wipe the tea box, tea scoop, and other utensils.

Seeing Xia You's curious gaze, Li Jia knew it was his first time attending a tea ceremony, so she said softly, "This is the thin tea technique. The entire tea ceremony begins with etiquette and wiping. Next, you use a ladle to scoop some hot water into the teacups for cleaning. Then comes the process of passing the teacup through the tube, adding the tea, preparing and serving the tea, tasting the tea, and finally appreciating the teacups, clearing away the utensils, tidying up the tea set, and thanking everyone for their tea."

"This is so troublesome..."

Back on Earth, many meticulous people have many complicated steps when brewing tea, but for him, drinking tea is simply about putting in the tea leaves, pouring hot water into the cup, and waiting for the tea to cool down before drinking it in big gulps.

Any tea that quenches thirst is good tea!

However, tea gatherings sound different from ordinary tea drinking. After all, they have been passed down for hundreds or thousands of years. As a kind of etiquette tea, it is only natural that they are a bit more complicated.

Seeing how familiar Lijia was with the steps, Xia You couldn't help but ask, "Do you also know how to brew tea like this?"

“Of course.” Rika nodded. “When I was at the dojo, I would sometimes hold tea parties. If you’re interested, I can brew a pot for you when we get back to Kanto.”