I caught a Pokémon

Although the battle seemed simple, he was still very excited because it was his first time catching a wild Pokémon.

In the distance, several Bulbasaur, attracted by the sounds of fighting, were looking in this direction.

Before they arrived, Xia You picked up the Poké Ball and quickly retreated back to her previous position.

Instead of leaving immediately, he took out his phone, took a few photos of the Mysterious Garden, and then left satisfied.

Return along the same route.

The same road, but his mood was completely different from when he came!

Even the steps beneath my feet seemed to become lighter!

Several hours later, when he emerged from the forest, the moon was high in the sky, and the stars were twinkling.

It turns out that this whole back-and-forth process has taken so long…

The moonlight shone on the earth, and with the help of its faint light, Xia You spread out her sleeping bag. Ralts also gathered some branches. When the campfire was lit, the blazing flames not only dispelled the surrounding chill but also brought a touch of brightness to the night.

Xia You took out a cooking set from her backpack, set up the pot stand, and then took out canned instant food to make a hot and simple meal for herself and her two Pokémon.

The fragrance filled the air, drifting gently away on the breeze.

Although he wasn't particularly skilled in cooking, heating up canned food wasn't a difficult task for him.

Once everything was ready, Xia You opened the Poké Ball and released Bulbasaur.

After a few hours of rest, Bulbasaur had recovered most of its strength, but upon seeing Xia You, it still quickly took a step back, its eyes still full of vigilance.

"Is it a little unfamiliar with the current environment?" Looking at it, Xia You smiled slightly, then said softly, "Bulbasaur, I'm really sorry about earlier, but I still want to welcome you to my little family. So, from now on, please take good care of me."

As he spoke, he placed a plate of food in front of Bulbasaur.

An enticing aroma wafted past Bulbasaur.

Bulbasaur sniffed the air and immediately started drooling.

That's understandable. When have wild Pokémon ever smelled the aroma of human food?

It was almost impossible for Bulbasaur to resist. It was the first time it had ever seen such food, and it was deeply attracted by the steaming hot vegetable soup in front of it!

Xia You smiled silently at this.

Anyone who has tried this canned food knows that, regardless of whether it tastes good or not, at least it smells delicious!

Perhaps unable to resist the hunger in his stomach, or perhaps seeing Ralts eating so elegantly, after hesitating for a long time, Bulbasaur finally lowered his guard, approached the food, and began to eat heartily.

……

The next morning, after breakfast, Xia You followed the same route she had come from and returned to Kuye City and Sakuragi Research Institute.

Upon seeing the Bulbasaur beside Xia You, the group, including Sakuragi Haru, were all greatly surprised.

Renji, in particular, couldn't wait to ask, "Bulbasaur? You really caught it? Was it in that Mysterious Garden?"

Xia You took out her phone and sent all the photos of the Mysterious Garden to Professor Sakuragi.

Dr. Sakuragi opened the photo on his computer, and several heads immediately crowded together to examine it closely, all clicking their tongues in amazement.

"This valley is absolutely beautiful!"

"So many Bulbasaur and its evolved forms, is this the Garden of the Unknown?"

"Look at that big tree, it must have been there for thousands of years, right?"

After carefully reviewing the document, Dr. Sakuragi adjusted his glasses and turned to look at Xia You.

"It seems another person has discovered the Garden of Wonders. This also confirms our deduction that the Garden of Wonders is indeed located in that forest. And judging from the photos you took, it still maintains its pristine state, which is undoubtedly the best environment for Bulbasaur to live and reproduce."

As soon as he finished speaking, he laughed again: "But I think that we should not only not reveal this secret, but also keep it a secret forever."

“That’s what I think too.” Xia You nodded in agreement. “Although I’m a trainer and I caught a Pokémon there, from a Pokémon’s perspective, this secluded habitat should indeed remain quiet and undisturbed by more people.”

For Dr. Sakuragi to say something like that, he must have been quite impressed with Xia You!

Since everyone shared the same idea, they tacitly stopped discussing the Mysterious Garden.

Renji then looked down at Bulbasaur.

"Judging from this Bulbasaur's sturdy body, it must be quite strong, right?"

Despite being just a researcher, he has a Magnemite named Franswati and enjoys watching Pokémon battles. Within the research institute, he is the one who pays the most attention to the strength of Pokémon.

“Yes.” Xia You squatted down and touched Bulbasaur’s forehead. “This Bulbasaur is indeed very powerful. It took me a lot of effort to catch it. Moreover, on our way back to Vermilion City this morning, we encountered a challenge from a boy in shorts. It fought two against one and defeated Diglett and Marowak in succession. Thanks to them, my relationship with Bulbasaur has become even closer!”

"Oh?"

Upon hearing his words, Renji was momentarily at a loss for who to praise.

Having just tamed it, you used it to defeat a challenger?

Should we praise this Bulbasaur for being truly powerful, or should we praise its trainer for their excellent command?

At that moment, Dr. Sakuragi also came to Xia You.

He looked at Xia You and said solemnly, "Mr. Xia You, there is something I would like to ask you to do."

Seeing Professor Sakuragi's serious expression, Xia You was very puzzled.

"Doctor, please don't be so polite. Just let me know if you need anything. I'll help as long as it's within my power."

"It's not that serious," Professor Sakuragi said with a smile. "Through what just happened, I've discovered that you are indeed extraordinary. Not only can you discover secrets that ordinary people cannot, but you are also calm and collected, and you know how to consider the Pokémon's interests. Perhaps there is a very powerful talent hidden within you. Therefore, could you serve as a special research fellow at our institute?"

"Special Investigator?"

Thinking that Xia You was unaware of this position, Dr. Sakuragi began to explain.

"On your journey, you'll encounter, interact with, and communicate with all sorts of Pokémon from around the planet, deepening your understanding of Pokémon and uncovering secrets hidden throughout the world! How about that? Isn't that interesting?"

Well this...

Xia You was taken aback, but didn't feel there was anything wrong with it.

only…

He clearly remembered that in the anime, Ash and Goh had also served as special investigators at Sakuragi Lab. Now, had he taken the lead and done it first?

Chapter 5 One Ball Superman

It was lunchtime, during the school's lunch break.

In a seaside ice cream shop in Vermilion City, Xia You, Xiao Chun, and his two Pokémon sat on either side of a table, each with a super sundae of a different flavor and color in front of them.

As the store's signature drink, this Super Sundae is not only incredibly delicious, but also refreshingly cold. One sip, and as soon as it touches your taste buds, you feel a chill rush straight to the back of your head!

Despite feeling a bit chilly and rubbing her forehead, Xiaochun couldn't help but exclaim, "No matter how many times I've tried it, the super sundae here is always so delicious!"

Perhaps because of the sugar she had consumed, she seemed a bit lighter than before.

The reason why the two of them are sitting here dates back to about ten minutes ago.

After having lunch at the research institute, Xia You took her two Pokémon for a stroll in the city during her free time, intending to enjoy the scenery of this coastal city.

When he passed by the school, he happened to meet Xiaochun, who was taking a lunch break, and invited her to rest there for a while.

That's why we see this scene before us.

It must be said that after two days of contact, although it was very short, the two had become quite familiar with each other, and sitting together now, there was no awkward silence.

Especially after Xia You shared some interesting stories from her trip, they grew even closer.

After a few bites, the conversation turned to Pokémon again, and Xiaochun couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Xiayou, what are your plans for the future?"

"Plans?" Listening to the soft music playing in her ears, Xia You stretched and turned to look out the window. She said casually, "Although I became a special research investigator, it's just a nominal position. Professor Sakuragi didn't give me any specific tasks, so besides collecting the starter Pokémon, I want to challenge the gyms and get badges to prepare for challenging the Indigo League in the future."

"Challenge the gym?" Xiaochun didn't know much about Pokémon battles, so she asked curiously, "Does it mean challenge the Vermilion City Gym?"

"The Vermilion City Gym is still a bit too early for me right now." Xia You shook her head and patiently explained, "The gym leader there, Lt. Surge, is an expert in Electric-type Pokémon. Although Electric-types don't have an advantage against Grass-types, I still want to go to Cerulean City and Pewter City to challenge the Cerulean Gym and Pewter Gym first to hone my skills. However, before heading to those two gyms, I need to catch another Pokémon."

Xiaochun nodded as if she understood but not quite: "Is this what they call expanding the lineup?"

“That’s right, it’s just like playing a game with levels.” Xia You laughed. “The process of overcoming challenges is to first accumulate strength, and then gradually increase the difficulty. That’s what makes it interesting to overcome each level!”

At this moment, students wearing the same style of school uniforms occasionally pass by on the street outside the window.

Just as the two were talking, a boy about the same age as Xiaochun, with slightly dark skin, accidentally saw Xiaochun through the open window, raised his eyebrows, and then curiously came closer.

It was this glance that led him to Xia You, causing him to frown.

"Xiaochun, who is this person?"

The boy suddenly spoke, and at the same time his gaze darted back and forth between Xiaochun and Xiayou's faces, as if trying to discern something from their atmosphere and expressions.

"Xiao Hao? What are you doing here?"

Xiaochun was clearly taken aback when she saw the boy, but she didn't think much of it and introduced him to him.

"This is Mr. Xia You, who is now a special research investigator at my father's research institute. Mr. Xia You, this is Xiao Hao, who is my classmate at school and my childhood sweetheart."

In fact, Xia You recognized Xiao Hao the moment she saw him.

There's no way around it, he's just too famous!

His appearance and demeanor are exactly the same as those in the animation!

"Hello." Xia You nodded to him in a friendly manner.

When Xia You greeted him, Xiao Hao quickly nodded in response.

"Hello, I'm Xiaohao."

However, looking at Xia You's handsome appearance and seeing Xiao Chun sitting face to face with him, Xiao Hao suddenly felt a little uncomfortable.

Although he couldn't quite put his finger on it, this feeling was making him somewhat irritable!

Just then, he suddenly saw Ralts standing to the side, which completely drew his attention.

"What kind of Pokémon is this?" he asked in surprise.

“This is my Ralts,” Xia You said casually. Seeing that Xiao Hao seemed to want to get closer to take a look, he added, “Don’t be fooled by its appearance. It’s a Psychic-type and Fairy-type Pokémon. It doesn’t like strangers getting close, so you… you’d better keep your distance from it.”

However, Xiao Hao clearly didn't listen to Xia You's words. He looked at Ralts's obedient appearance and liked it more and more.

"They're so cute! I want to catch a Ralts someday!"

Hearing his words, Xia You's heart stirred, and she couldn't help but ask, "In the future? What, do you also want to become a Pokémon Trainer?"

"I don't want to be a Pokémon Trainer," Goh shook his head. "My dream is to collect all the Pokémon in the world, including Mew!"

Sure enough!

Xia You was not surprised by his answer.

"But if that's the case, as the number of Pokémon keeps increasing, won't they just become your collection? What use are they other than increasing the number?"

"This..." Xiao Hao hesitated for a moment, as if he hadn't thought about this question before, but after thinking about it, he said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter, my goal is to collect everything, as for other things, we can talk about them later!"

“Well, we are quite different.” Xia You shook her head helplessly. “Although we trainers also catch Pokémon, our goal is to become stronger so that we can stand on higher peaks and travel around with our Pokémon. In this respect, your catching seems a bit too self-centered.”

Hearing Xia You's words, Xiao Chun stared blankly at her sundae.

Want to travel with Pokémon?

This was something she had never even imagined, but this dream seemed pretty good.

……

Leaving Kuye City, Xia You headed north along the wide road.

Beside him, Ralts and Bulbasaur, two Pokémon, walked alongside him, one on his left and one on his right.

The reason I didn't put them in Poké Balls was actually inspired by Ash.

Hiking with Pokémon not only helps train their abilities but also strengthens the bond between you. Plus, having them by your side makes the journey less lonely.

As for their purpose…

Of course, he headed towards the first gym he wanted to challenge—the Cerulean Gym!

Looking at the map, reaching Cerulean City isn't exactly easy either.

Between Kurenai City and Kurenai City lies Saffron City, the largest and most prosperous metropolis in the Kanto region.

Golden City is filled with skyscrapers and is well-known even in other regions. In addition, it covers a huge area, so trying to get through it would undoubtedly waste more time.

In fact, there are also two gyms in Saffron City.