I caught a Pokémon

……

When Xia You returned to the Pokémon Center, it was already dawn. Despite her forced cheerfulness, her eyelids instantly felt heavy as she stepped into the warm room.

Xiao Zhi was sleeping soundly, while Xiao Gang, who had slept too much during the day, opened his eyes when he heard the noise.

His complexion was much better than before, thanks to a good rest.

Why are you so late coming back?

Yawning, Xia You said, "Let's take advantage of the night to finish up the ghost matter."

"Oh, right." Xia You suddenly remembered something and said to Xiao Gang, "Gastow has offended you a lot before, why don't you let it apologize to you?"

Xiao Gang asked in surprise, "You tamed it?"

Xia You remained silent, but from within his shadow, a black sphere shrouded in purple aura suddenly floated out.

"Wow~"

Xiao Gang was startled and couldn't help but cry out. Hearing the sound, Pikachu rubbed its eyes, poked its head out, and curiously looked over. Only Xiao Zhi rolled over and continued to sleep soundly.

"You small-eyed man, besides being a lecher, you're not exactly brave either," Gastly chuckled. "What happened before was just a joke, so don't take it to heart."

Xiao Gang has always had a very good temper. He didn't care much about that matter to begin with, and now that Gastly has apologized, all his worries have vanished.

Xia You took out her phone and glanced at the time.

"I don't know how long I'll sleep. You should leave after Xiaozhi wakes up. I'll stay here for another day or two. If there's another chance in the future, we'll meet again."

"Isn't it all over? Why are you still here?" Xiao Gang was taken aback, but seeing that Xia You didn't explain further, he nodded. "Alright then, we'll leave first."

After a quick wash, Xia You fell asleep immediately, and when he opened his eyes again, it was already afternoon.

Overwork these past two days, working day and night, has disrupted his biological clock, so much so that he is still not in good spirits.

Xiao Zhi and his two friends had been gone for quite some time. Xiao Xia had heard that Xia You wanted to stay a few more days and wanted to stay with him, but since Xia You didn't say anything, she had no choice but to give up. She turned back every step of the way and set off again with Xiao Zhi and the others.

Xia You wanted to stay here because she hoped this beautiful legend would be passed down to future generations.

His personal involvement in the event convinced him that a kind of love that lasts until death truly exists in the world.

However, the method Gastly used before is not advisable, as it is not only inefficient but also fails to achieve effective propagation.

Now that Gastly has become his Pokémon, Xia You believes that he can do his best to help complete this task.

He wrote down what happened after arriving at Maiden Gorge, and then went to Maiden Shrine. From the old priest, he learned about the love and hatred that had taken place here for two thousand years. He then combined all of these stories, edited and slightly polished them, and wrote a short story of more than six thousand words, which was both poignant and heartwarming.

He recalled that during a conversation with Xiaochun, he had heard about her mother, Yoshino, who not only taught herself to draw but also dreamed of becoming an illustrator. So he sent this story to Xiaochun's email and asked her to convey his request that Yoshino add some illustrations to the story.

Xiaochun replied with an OK emoji.

Soon, an unfamiliar number called.

Upon answering the phone, a woman's cheerful voice came from the other end: "Hello, this is Sakuragi Yoshino. Is this Mr. Natsuyu?" (Yoshino is not a common surname, but her first name, derived from Somei Yoshino cherry blossom, a type of cherry blossom.)

Knowing that this was Xiaochun's mother, Xia You quickly said politely, "Hello, Auntie, I am Xia You."

Sakuragi Yoshino said, "I just heard about your story from Koharu. It's a very well-written story. I'd heard the legend of Maiden Rock before, but I never imagined it was true!"

Xia You smiled and said, "Although it's hard to believe, I did see the ghost of that woman with my own eyes. However, please keep this a secret, Auntie, otherwise that Maiden Rock might attract the attention of some people with ill intentions."

Sakuragi Yoshino: "I know that. Just like some of my husband's research, it needs to be kept secret. From what Koharu said, do you need me to help with some illustrations?"

“Yes.” Xia You hesitated for a moment. “It’s really a lot of trouble for you, Auntie. After learning more about this matter, I also think it’s necessary to pass on this legend.”

Sakuragi Yoshino laughed and said, "It's nothing, you don't need to be so polite. After all, you're also a member of the Sakuragi Research Institute. But I think it would be better to make it into a manga rather than an illustration."

Chapter 38 Heading to the Goldenrod Gym

"comics?"

Xia You raised his eyebrows; he had never considered this direction before.

Sakuragi Yoshino said, "That's right. Compared to text and illustrations, comics can more directly express the excitement of the story, and they are also more popular with young people."

"Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"

Sakuragi Yoshino's tone was full of anticipation as he smiled and said, "It is a bit troublesome, but the structure and framework of the story are already complete. Now all I have to do is bring them to life. Besides, I have nothing to do at home. If I can draw a manga like this, it will fulfill one of my dreams."

Since the other party had said so, Xia You had no reason to refuse. He then discussed some details with Sakuragi Yoshino and hung up the phone.

Because of the change in plans, he sent a message to Xiaoxia, telling them that they didn't need to wait for him anymore and that they could continue forward after challenging the Saffron City Gym.

Over the next two days, Xia You gathered materials locally in Maiden Gorge, keeping in touch with Sakuragi Yoshino from time to time to provide her with relevant supplementary information.

It wasn't until the third day, when she received a call from her informing her that she had completed a first draft of over twenty pages, that Xia You finally set off and returned to Kuye City.

Dr. Sakuragi's house is a typical Japanese detached house, not far from the research institute. Because he knew in advance that Xia You would be coming, Dr. Sakuragi did not go to the research institute, but waited for him at home.

Moreover, since it was Saturday, the entire family of four, including Xiaochun and her younger brother Cangtai, came out to greet him.

Upon seeing Xia You, Lai Dian Wang circled around him, wagging its tail and running back and forth.

Looking at this neat and tidy family, Xia You couldn't help but break out in a sweat.

Strange, why does it feel like I'm visiting my future mother-in-law empty-handed for the first time?

As the host, Professor Sakuragi spoke first, saying, "Welcome, welcome, please come in."

Xia You nodded politely, her gaze sweeping over Cang Tai before finally settling on the hostess: "Nice to meet you. I am Xia You. I apologize for disturbing you."

Sakuragi Yoshino wore a pair of round glasses with red frames. She looked somewhat similar to Koharu, but her face was rounder and she was more mature. She had long cherry-colored hair, which she styled into a side braid that hung down from her left shoulder.

As for Sakuragi Souta, he's more like Professor Sakuragi. This little boy is a bit cool, a typical cute boy. Although he's a few years younger than Koharu, he looks mature beyond his years and seems more reliable than Koharu.

Slightly reserved, I changed into slippers, entered the room, and came to the living room.

Sakuragi Yoshino took out a transparent bag and pulled out about twenty pages of manga from it.

"I've only drawn these for now. I expect it will take another 195 pages to present the rest of the story. However, since there are no complicated compositions, it may be faster."

The calculations are so precise; it seems they put a lot of effort into it.

Xia You carefully examined the drawings and exclaimed in admiration, "What excellent drawing skills! It's such a pity that Auntie didn't become a professional cartoonist."

As a full-time housewife, it is naturally a very happy thing to have my abilities recognized by others.

"Your story is also very well written." Sakuragi Yoshino covered his mouth and chuckled, his first impression of Xia You was excellent. "Only a wonderful story, coupled with excellent drawing skills, can be very popular."

“That’s right,” Xiaochun agreed. “I was the first reader of this story, and after reading it carefully, I found it to be very captivating.”

“I’m the second one, and Dad is the third one.” Sakuragi Souta put his hands behind his neck, looking relaxed.

However, whether it was his imagination or not, Cang Tai suddenly felt that there seemed to be a round head in Xia You's shadow making a big face at him!

He rubbed his eyes, leaned closer to take a closer look, and the next second, a black ball-like object suddenly appeared, startling him!

"Wow!!!"

Sota jumped so high that he fell behind the sofa.

"Hehehe!" Gastly emerged, grinning wickedly. "What a coward!"

"Is this the Gastly mentioned in the story?" Professor Sakuragi helped his son up, his eyes filled with astonishment as he looked at Gastly.

“That’s right.” Xia You stopped Gastly, then nodded. “In a sense, it is actually the protagonist of the story.”

Sota got up from the ground. Although he had fallen, he was not afraid. Instead, he surrounded Gastly and looked at it curiously, clearly very interested in why it was in the shadows.

At noon, Xia You stayed at Dr. Sakuragi's house because of their warm invitation. The group chatted and laughed, and the atmosphere at the table was relaxed and joyful.

When Xia You took out the photos he had taken underwater on the St. Anne, the four of them gasped in surprise.

Dr. Sakuragi's eyes widened in disbelief: "The news of the sinking of the St. Anne a few days ago caused quite a stir in Kanto. I never imagined that you were not only a witness to the event, but also went down to the bottom of the sea with the ship, and actually managed to escape!"

Xiao Chun also looked Xia You up and down, as if she were getting to know her all over again.

Cang Tai's eyes sparkled with admiration for him: "Brother Xia You, you're so cool!"

……

After agreeing on a completion date with Yoshino Sakuragi, Natsumi set off again for Golden City.

Golden yellow refers to the color of gold, which shines brilliantly.

This time, besides Kirlia, only Gastly was hiding in his shadow among the Pokémon accompanying him. As for the other Pokémon, he had put them all into Poké Balls.

Nothing else happened along the way.

When he arrived at this megacity in the Kanto region, Ash and his friends had already left for other Gym cities.

However, according to Xiaoxia, they went through a lot of trouble when they challenged the Goldenrod Gym. After failing the first time, they suffered a lot and had to go to the Ghost Tower in Lavender Town. Only after catching a Gastly was they able to obtain the badge with its help.

As a result, they wasted two days, so they are not very far from Xia You now.

Goldenrod City is filled with skyscrapers. It is not only the central business district of the Kanto region, but also has the largest infrastructure in the region. There is even a suspended train station connecting the Johto region. Every day, countless trains shuttle between Goldenrod City and Goldenrod City at a maximum speed of 550 kilometers per hour, bringing economy and vitality to these two cities of equal size.

After passing through the bustling streets, Xia You went straight to the Golden Gym.

Look up.

Its shape resembles many white umbrellas clustered together, with a strong sense of design, but it is too monotonous. In Xia You's opinion, it is slightly inferior to other dojos.

As the current official gym of Saffron City, its gym leader is Sabrina, whose specialty is Psychic-type, making her quite formidable. However, after defeating her, you can obtain the Gold Badge.

After entering the dojo through the electric gate, Xia You looked around.

The hall was empty, and no one came to greet him. After walking a few steps forward, he saw through the doors and windows that in a room next door, a group of people wearing white coats were sitting at a table, holding a spoon in their hands, staring intently at it, as if they were practicing some kind of superpower!

Chapter 39 Superpower Showdown

Just then, footsteps sounded, and a middle-aged man wearing a baseball cap, with a full beard, and dressed in casual clothes walked over.

"Is there something you need?"

"Hello," Xia You said in a friendly manner. "I'm here to challenge the gym leader, Sabrina. Is she in?"

The man nodded, his gaze falling on Kirlia.

"You also like Psychic-type Pokémon? But you yourself don't seem to have any potential to unleash Psychic powers."

"Huh?" Xia You asked, puzzled. "I don't need to perform magic tricks, so what would I need superpowers for?"

"What?! Magic trick?!" The man felt a lump in his throat. After coughing a few times, he turned and walked deeper into the gym. "Come with me, but don't blame me for not warning you, people without psychic powers can't unleash the full potential of Psychic-type Pokémon!"

Unable to unleash their full potential?

Xia You patted Kirullian's head, without immediately refuting her.

It's basically saying that trainers without superpowers can't connect with Pokémon on a deeper level.

For other trainers and their Psychic-type Pokémon, this would indeed affect their Pokémon's strength, but for Xia You and Kirlia, it's not a problem at all!

After navigating a long corridor, Xia You arrived at the battlefield.

The ground here is paved with marble tiles, there are two rows of stone pillars that reach the ceiling, and torches are lit on the sidelines. It doesn't look like a dojo, but rather more like a temple.

On the other side of the venue, a beautiful woman with long, straight black hair, a tall figure, fair skin, wearing a tight red leather top and skirt, and long black stockings, was sitting on a chair, calmly watching him.

This is Sabrina, the leader of the Goldenrod Gym.

"Naza, someone else wants to challenge you." The middle-aged man said, then walked to the center of the field and acted as the referee.

Sabrina's body slowly floated up and flew to the Trainer Command Area.

The fact that she could do this with just her superpowers made Xia You both envious and amazed.

“I foresaw your arrival.” Sabrina’s voice was calm and indifferent, as if she had no great emotional fluctuations. “And besides your superpowers, you also carry an annoying aura of mischief.”

As expected of a woman with powerful superpowers, she can even see Gastly hiding in the shadows!

Because of the deep impression she left on her, Xia You still remembers things about her fairly clearly even now.

When Naz was young, she had already awakened her innate superpowers. Unfortunately, because she was too obsessed with practicing her superpowers, Naz gradually closed herself off. She not only refused to make friends, but also destroyed her home. She even used her superpowers to drive away her father, who wanted to stop her, and turned her mother into a doll.

It was from that time that Sabrina split into two personalities: one was a powerful Sabrina who was second to none, and the other was a Sabrina who loved pranks, longed for friends, and was lonely inside.

However, Xia You's arrival was very timely. A few days ago, Xiao Zhi used a Haunter he brought from Ghost Tower to successfully turn Sabrina back into a normal person. At this moment, although she still looks cold and lacks emotion, at least she is no longer closed off, has reconciled with her family, and occasionally has a smile on her face.

Thinking of this, Xia You quickly glanced at the middle-aged man.

He must be Naz's father, right?

"Excuse me..." Xia You pulled herself together and asked, "What are the rules of the battle?"