I caught a Pokémon

This change is hard to explain.

The most obvious thing is that whenever their eyes meet, she always looks down and turns her gaze away, not daring to look him in the eye at all!

Chapter 429 Whirlpool Islands Cup Tournament

Asagi City and Azure City are both coastal cities and not too far apart, so many ships travel between the two cities every day.

Xia You and Li Jia easily found a medium-sized passenger ship bound for Azure City at the dock.

However, the passenger ship does not go directly there; it must first pass through Whirlpool Island and make a brief stop there before continuing its journey to Azure City.

According to the route, this will undoubtedly waste a lot of time, but it is the best option at present.

The two bought tickets, boarded the ship, and found a seat on the deck.

The damp, salty sea breeze caressed the two of them. Not long after, a tremor came from the ship and the passenger ship slowly sailed out of the harbor.

Xia You took out a Poké Ball and released the Eevee that she had obtained from Xiao Mei in Enju City.

Eevee was clearly on a boat for the first time and was very excited. Everything looked new and exciting to it. It would run to the railing to look out at the sea from time to time, and then run around the deck. It was very lively. However, perhaps it was a little seasick. After running around for a short while, it curled up and huddled at Xia You's feet, refusing to move any further.

This guy is obviously seasick!

With amusement, Xia You shook her head and stopped looking at it, turning her gaze to the sea instead.

Sailing at sea is indeed very pleasant. After being used to a fast pace of travel, it is really nice to relax occasionally. It makes people feel refreshed and makes time seem to slow down.

He went to the deck bar and ordered two cocktails, enjoying them with Rika as they drank and talked, savoring this rare trip.

The passenger ship broke through the sea, creating two regular waves. However, after seeing the same scenery so many times, the two men's interest quickly cooled down.

After sailing on the sea for more than half an hour, Xia You was comfortably leaning back in her deck chair, almost falling asleep from boredom, when an old man suddenly sat down beside them.

At first, he just sat there quietly, but as the voyage became tedious, he seemed too lonely, so he started chatting with Xia You and the others.

The old man was quite eloquent and had unique insights into many things. As a local of Whirlpool Island, he knew a thing or two about every place and every matter here.

For example, he told Xia You and the other person that a group of giant Bobo lived on Vortex Island. Their size was more than three times that of ordinary Bobo, and they were quite huge compared to their kind. However, because of their excessive size, they had lost the ability to fly.

A Bobo that can't fly?

Is it because of degeneration?

Hearing such a novel story surprised the two of them, and they became even more interested in chatting with the old man.

Through the old man's explanation, Xia You learned that Whirlpool Island was not actually a single island, but rather the Whirlpool Islands.

It is an archipelago consisting of four large islands—Qingyan Island, Chiyan Island, Huangyan Island, and Yinyan Island—and a group of smaller islands. Together, these islands form a spiral shape. Whirlpool Island is surrounded by a powerful whirlpool, and the danger of the sea made it difficult for people to approach the area in the past. It was not until the advent of steamships in modern times that the island was freed from the constraints of the ocean currents, allowing it to flourish.

It is said that Whirlpool Island was originally a huge island in ancient times, but it was split into four large islands due to tectonic shifts.

Therefore, beneath the sea surface, a series of dark, labyrinthine caves are interconnected, making exploration quite difficult no matter which island you descend from. Furthermore, there are rumors that you can even encounter Lugia at the bottom of these complex caves!

Upon hearing the old man mention Lugia, Xia You couldn't help but think of the sea god she had encountered in the Orange Islands.

However, it is clear that the Lugia in the Johto region is not the same one as the one there. If I remember correctly, the Lugia here should be a mother with her two children.

At this moment, the old man glanced at the Eevee at Xia You's feet and chuckled, "You're also going to challenge the Water-type Pokémon competition, right?"

"Water-type Pokémon competition?"

Xia You and Li Jia exchanged a glance, then shook their heads blankly at the old man. They had never thought of staying on Whirlpool Island, so they were not well prepared for their studies there.

"This is the first time I've heard of this competition. What kind of competition is it?"

"You've come at the perfect time!" the old man exclaimed. "It's held in Kuga City on Blue Rock Island. It's a competition held every three years specifically for Water-type Pokémon trainers. The winner not only receives a generous prize but also becomes famous overnight! As trainers, you absolutely can't miss such a grand event!"

Xia You didn't care about becoming famous at all; what mattered to her was the generous prize money the old man had mentioned...

Xia You still felt that her family's wealth was far too small. If there was an opportunity to make money, this competition would undoubtedly be much more attractive to her!

Thinking of this, he couldn't help but glance at Lijia.

And Rika saw the eagerness in his eyes.

"Then let's participate." She chuckled. "A competition like this will definitely expose us to many strong competitors, and it will be a great training opportunity for our Pokémon!"

Xia You nodded and asked, "Do you want to participate?"

"I'm a Grass-type Trainer!" Rika shook her head slightly. "I don't have any Water-type Pokémon to participate in this kind of competition!"

At 3 p.m., the passenger ship passed the port of Kuga City on Qingyan Island, the most prosperous city in the Whirlpool Islands and its capital.

Originally, the two were supposed to continue their journey by boat to Azure City, but Xia You had now set her sights on the Water-type Pokémon Trainer Tournament, so she disembarked here.

Once we left the dock and entered the city, we discovered that the city was truly bustling!

Because of the event, a large number of trainers and spectators from afar appeared in the city. While it was lively, it also brought a lot of trouble to the two of them.

Xia You first went to the Pokémon Center here to sign up for the competition's preliminary rounds. Just as she was about to take the opportunity to stay here, she was told by Nurse Joy that all the rooms were already full of trainers.

With no other option, the two left the Pokémon Center and went to several nearby hotels and inns, but all of them were fully booked.

It's foreseeable that the entire city will be like this due to the influx of people.

In the end, Xia You simply booked a high-end suite at the hotel closest to the venue!

Perhaps because the room is too expensive, there is still one room available. However, this means that the two of them will inevitably be alone in the room tonight!

A unique atmosphere was created between the two.

Since we started traveling together, we've never even stayed in a tent in the wild. If we had that experience, it would be fine, but now that we're going straight to this, it feels like a couple booking a hotel room together!

Chapter 430 Preliminary Rounds

Since it was still early, the two did not rest at the hotel, but planned to go to the venue first to check it out and get a feel for the situation.

This tournament is divided into two parts: the preliminary rounds and the main tournament. The participants will first participate in the preliminary rounds tomorrow. Through three rounds of competition, 64 players will be selected for the main tournament. After several rounds of elimination, the final winner will be determined.

Well, this rule sounds no different from the Quartz convention.

However, because there are no badge restrictions, the number of participants was surprisingly high, even though it was a local event held solely on Whirlpool Island!

When Xia You was queuing up, there were already fifty or sixty contestants ahead of him. Not only were local trainers from Whirlpool Island eager to participate, but people from even farther away had come after hearing the news, which shows how popular the event was.

However, precisely because there are no badge restrictions and anyone can participate simply by registering, the skill levels of the trainers in this tournament are quite diverse. In terms of age, there are trainers ranging from uncles and grandfathers in their sixties and seventies to children as young as seven or eight!

For these people, what kind of results they achieve is not important; what matters is participation!

And what if we win?

Wouldn't that make you famous instantly?!

The two walked along the street toward the venue.

The preliminary rounds will be held simultaneously in sixteen venues. Xia You was informed that she was assigned to venue F immediately after registering.

He also received a map, which was used to prevent trainers from getting lost. It clearly marked the locations of each venue, which was very thoughtful.

Upon arriving at the venue, before Xia You could even find her own arena, she suddenly heard someone call their names.

"Xia You-ge! Miss Lijia!!"

Turning around, I saw Ash and his friends again at the entrance of the arena!

At that moment, Ash, Misty, and Brock were eating popsicles while waving to him and Rika.

These guys have really sharp eyes; they spot me almost every time we meet!

As Xia You approached, she laughed heartily at the group, "I knew you wouldn't miss a competition like this! You would definitely come!"

Speaking of this, Xia You actually felt a bit emotional.

When we parted ways last time, we all had a premonition that we would meet again in the near future, but we didn’t expect it to be so soon!

Like the chosen one of this world, perhaps it was destined that wherever there is excitement, Ash will be there.

After exchanging greetings, Xia You turned to look at Xiaoxia.

Did you sign up too?

"Of course!" Misty puffed out her small chest. "I'm a Water-type Pokémon Trainer! How could I miss something like this?"

Suddenly, Xiaoxia remembered something and quickly asked, "By the way, Brother Xiayou, which arena were you assigned to?"

"F Arena".

"Great! You dodged it!" Xiaoxia patted her chest, looking very happy.

Although she is a gym leader and her goal is to become an excellent Water-type Pokémon trainer, she is very self-aware and knows that she can't beat Xia You.

Before seeing Xia You, Xiaoxia still wanted to compete with Xiaozhi to see who could win the championship, but now that she saw Xia You, she almost immediately changed her mind.

Hmm... runner-up is actually pretty good too!

Seeing her relieved expression, Xia You chuckled: "Don't worry, there are too many people signing up for this tournament, so it's only a small probability that we'll run into each other in the qualifiers."

Just as Xia You said, if three matches are needed to determine 64 contestants, it means that the number of applicants has obviously exceeded 500!

Keep in mind that this is already a lot, almost the same size as the Quartz Conference!

To meet in the qualifiers with so many people is definitely a low-probability event.

However, Ash had a different opinion on this matter. He glanced at Misty with disdain and said, "Misty, you're so spineless! How can you give up so easily?"

After saying that, he turned to look at Xia You, clenched his fist, and seemed to be burning with fighting spirit.

"Xia You-ge! No matter where we meet, whether it's the qualifiers or the main tournament, my goal is to defeat you and win the championship!!"

"Oh? Quite impressive!" Xia You laughed at Xiao Zhi's expression. "Then I'll wait and see!"

……

In the afternoon, Xia You treated everyone to a delicious seafood feast at a nearby restaurant.

It has to be said that Ash and Misty were very lucky to snag a bed at the Pokémon Center. Although it was crowded and chaotic there, they could receive all sorts of information, stay informed about the latest developments, and adjust their team accordingly.

Compared to them, Xia You was living more comfortably, but she didn't feel much of a sense of participation.

After a satisfying meal, Xia You and Li Jia said goodbye to Xiao Zhi and the others, and returned to the hotel that night, where the atmosphere became strange once again.

This suite has two bedrooms and a living room, and it is decorated very luxuriously. There is no need to worry about privacy. However, since there is only one bathroom, the two people can only take a shower in turn. This hazy feeling is just like living with someone of the opposite sex!

Xia You very graciously gave the master bedroom to Li Jia. After Li Jia declined several times without success, she had no choice but to move in.

Perhaps realizing the atmosphere was too ambiguous, she blushed slightly and didn't say a word throughout. After taking the first shower, she returned to her room early.

The used bathroom was filled with steam, and when Xia You entered the bathroom, she could still seem to detect Li Jia's presence.

He also sensed a change in their relationship, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.

After taking a bath, it lay on the bed, its mind filled with thoughts of tomorrow's competition, and before it knew it, it drifted off to sleep.

Nothing was said that night, and there was no night raid.

At eight o'clock in the morning, after having breakfast, Xia You and Li Jia arrived at the preliminary competition venue early to meet up with Xiao Zhi and the others.

The audience had already taken their seats, and the stands were packed with people. Although it was only a preliminary round, it was still a lively event because it was only held once every three years.

Rika and Brock sat in the audience. One was proficient in Grass-type and the other in Rock-type. They had nothing to do with the match and could only serve as cheerleaders.

The cannons kept exploding in the sky, creating a lively yet chaotic atmosphere.

Xia You and her two companions entered the lounge through the players' passage and waited. Through the television screen, they could see the opening ceremony of the tournament.

As time passed and it approached nine o'clock, it meant that the preliminary rounds were about to officially begin.

Inside the lounge, when the notification light wave reached the contestants, Xia You, Xiao Zhi, and Xiao Xia put their hands together and raised them high.

"come on!"

As they lowered their arms, the three chuckled and then walked toward their respective arenas.

Chapter 431 Easy Advancement

After exiting the player tunnel, Xia You went directly to the F arena.

The preliminary rounds will be held on a stretch of water in the Whirlpool Sports Center. The organizers have divided the water into sixteen small squares, where the participants will compete to determine the 64 finalists.

However, since they share the same pool and are connected underwater, if a battle becomes too intense in one area, the water surface will churn and rise, which could easily affect other players nearby.

Fortunately, Xia You and the others had already scouted the area yesterday, so they were quite familiar with the water's condition and were somewhat prepared.