I caught a Pokémon

This is not good news...

Xia You and Xiao Xia exchanged a glance, both seeing a deep sense of helplessness in each other's eyes.

At this moment, Ryukia and Mikuri had already walked down the marble staircase covered with a red carpet and arrived in front of Xia You.

Unlike yesterday, Ryukia looked at Xia You with great curiosity for a long time, and when she saw the troubled look on his face, she couldn't help but smile slightly.

"However... you don't need to worry. You just happened to run into me today, so you could say it's your lucky day! As long as I make one phone call, no matter where my master is, he'll rush back immediately!"

Xia You was taken aback: "This... isn't that a bit inappropriate? After all, you said he's been very busy lately. It's such a big celebration; not only has the entire city been preparing for several days in advance, but I've also seen every resident on the street taking it very seriously. If he were to arbitrarily change the schedule..."

"Don't worry." Before Xia You could finish speaking, Liu Qiya waved her hand dismissively. "Actually, this kind of festival is held every year. My master is very familiar with it and has long been adept at it. There's no need for so much rehearsal, and besides..."

At this point, Ryukia chuckled and added, "...Besides, my master's current busyness is just a facade. Actually, he's avoiding those overly enthusiastic ladies, which is why he doesn't dare to return to the dojo!"

It turned out to be like this...

This was truly gossip, and Xia You finally understood what those middle-aged women lingering outside the dojo were doing.

It just goes to show that being too popular isn't always a good thing.

……

After Ryukia kindly contacted Adam, and with Misty and Michael accompanying them, Xia You and Xiaoxia strolled around the gym.

This is not a privilege that ordinary people can experience; only someone like Xia You, who is of equal status to them, would receive such treatment.

During the conversation, Xia You also gained a deeper understanding of the two of them.

First, there's Mikoli, a very busy man. Although he didn't reveal much to Xia You, Xia You could tell that he was probably investigating something important recently, and his return to Liuli City was just a temporary rest and research.

He might leave again this afternoon or tomorrow, so it's already quite a coincidence that I was able to meet him at this time.

As for Rukia, her situation is similar to Mikuri's.

She is currently searching for performance opportunities around the world, and her main focus is not on Hoenn but on other regions. This time she returned just in time for the festival held in Sootopolis City. As an idol who came from Sootopolis City, she was invited back to film a short video, which also gave her a chance to go home for a short rest, which led to yesterday's events.

All I can say is, these two are really busy...

However, this is the price of fame. While enjoying people's respect and love, one must also be much busier than the average person.

Even Xia You couldn't help but wonder in her mind whether, after her trip, she should choose to retire early in a remote and leisurely place, or like them, keep herself busy and experience another kind of life.

Well, forget it, why think so much? This is a choice I won't face for a very long time to come. For now, let's focus on the present!

After taking a stroll around, Michael had other matters to attend to and couldn't stay any longer, so he had to leave the gym first.

He originally wanted to see how this two-region champion would perform when facing his master, but there was no way around it; time was limited, and even if he wanted to slow down the pace, he simply couldn't.

After Michael left, Rukia became even more unrestrained.

She was clearly very interested in Xia You, asking him all sorts of questions, from how he debuted to what rare Pokémon he owned and what adventures he had experienced.

Xia You didn't know where she got so much interest from.

Perhaps it's because she's been an idol for so long that her daily life has been planned out so thoroughly, that she seems to really yearn for this kind of travel topic. Whenever she hears Xia You's answer, her eyes practically sparkle with excitement!

This infuriated Xia, who was standing nearby.

She already harbored some hostility towards this girl who was the same age as her, and now, seeing her, she felt even more that the girl had ulterior motives.

Finally, she was so annoyed by Ryukia that she stopped caring whether she was a glamorous idol or not and couldn't help but make sarcastic remarks.

This is what made Ryukia truly focus her attention on the very beautiful girl next to Xia You.

As the saying goes, opposites attract, and likes repel.

For some reason, just like Xiaoxia disliked her, Rukia also disliked Xiaoxia from the first moment she saw her.

Perhaps it's due to their personalities; after all, they're both very extroverted, one a bit willful and the other a bit playful!

"That's really strange," Misty said casually. "For you, a Pokémon Coordinator, to be interested in a Trainer's travels is a bit overstepping your bounds!"

As for what she meant by "crossing the line," only she herself probably knows best.

"Aren't Coordinators and Trainers both people who accompany Pokémon? How can you say that's 'crossing the line'?" Rukia glanced at her. "But speaking of 'crossing the line,' I think what's even more unacceptable is 'distance.' Being able to see something but not touch it, that kind of insurmountable 'distance' makes people feel like they can only stay in the same place no matter how hard they try. That's what's most frustrating!"

Despite their young age, their words are full of hidden metaphors!

Watching the two people beside her talking back and forth, Xia You suddenly felt a headache coming on, not knowing why things had suddenly turned out this way!

Fortunately, the sound of footsteps approaching rapidly from afar interrupted the confrontation in time!

Before Xia You could even see what the person looked like, a strong, slightly magnetic voice echoed through the dojo.

"Little Ryukia, Master's here! What's the matter that you were in such a hurry to see me about?"

When the owner of the voice got closer, Xia You turned her head and saw a middle-aged man who looked to be around forty years old. He was wearing a gorgeous blue suit, a white bow tie, a small mustache, and white feather ornaments on his head. He was walking quickly toward her!

This person is none other than Adam, the current Gym Leader of the Sootopolis Gym, as well as the mentor of Ryukia and Wallace, a Pokémon Trainer, a Pokémon Coordinator, and known by many ladies as the 'beautiful and charming Gym Leader'!

No wonder Adam is so popular; even Xia You, a man, finds him quite charming just by looking at his face.

This has nothing to do with being handsome; it's purely a natural quality that emanates from within!

Moreover, like his apprentice Michael, Adam had a considerable number of titles and honors, which shows that the two of them were indeed very popular.

It's even conceivable that when Ryukia grows up to be the same age as Michael, she will inevitably end up like that.

only……

Why is Adam speaking in such an extremely doting tone at this moment?

As they spoke, Adam had already reached Rukia, kneeling on one knee in an exaggerated manner, like an actor in a Shakespearean play, and exclaimed, "As soon as I got your call, I dropped everything and rushed over! Little Rukia, it's been so long since I've seen you, you've become more and more beautiful and adorable~"

Hearing this, Xia You completely understood.

So he's a lolicon, or more accurately, a 'daughter' fetishist...

I really wonder what the ladies who like him will think if they see him like this now.

Looking at Rukia, she seemed to be used to Adam's appearance. She smiled sweetly and said, "This time it wasn't me who came to find you, but this guy next to me. He's here to challenge the gym. Since you weren't here, Master, I took the liberty of contacting you."

Upon hearing Rukia's words, Adam seemed to only then realize that there were outsiders present.

Turning to look at Xia You, and seeing that he was a handsome man standing so close to Liu Qiya, his expression immediately changed.

"Who are you? How do you know Ryukia!?"

A scrutinizing gaze was fixed on Xia You, giving him the feeling that his beloved daughter, whom he had raised for a long time, had suddenly been snatched away by a boy with dyed yellow hair and a cigarette dangling from his mouth!

"I apologize for bothering you." Xia You smiled slightly. Sensing Adam's hostility, he became playful and deliberately said, "I did come here today to challenge the gym. Just like Ryukia said, she contacted you because she saw you were busy. As for how we met, you might as well ask her directly."

You've got guts, kid!

Upon hearing Xia You's reply, Adam was immediately consumed by rage.

He had only felt it before, it was just his imagination, but now he was completely certain that this kid had seduced his precious disciple!

"So that's how it is." He gritted his teeth and said, "Very well, challenging the dojo, huh? Perfect, I haven't stretched my muscles in ages, I'm itching terribly. Since you've delivered yourself to my doorstep, let me properly experience your strength!!"

Without giving Xia You a chance to refuse, he snorted and turned to walk into the dojo.

It's clear that Xia You had already enraged him with just a joke!

In such a situation, even if Xia You doesn't actively ask him to use his main lineup, he would probably bring out his strongest Pokémon to deal with Xia You!

Chapter 690 Unexpected Competition Rules

After learning more about Adam, Xia You also wanted to have a good fight with the museum owner.

After all, being able to train two extremely outstanding disciples, even those who surpassed him, proves that he is an excellent trainer. This gym battle is a rare experience, and if you don't seize this opportunity, you will definitely regret it when you look back on today.

Seeing Adam leave first, Ryukia looked at Xia You, stuck out her tongue, and whispered, "I'm sorry, my master is usually very elegant and composed, and only in front of me does she occasionally act so childish. Did I cause you any trouble?"

"I should be the one apologizing." Xia You looked at her with a smile. "As a challenger, it seems a bit offensive to provoke a gym leader like this, but actually I just wanted to have a full-fledged battle with him when he was serious, not just a second-tier matchup!"

"I see," Rukia said, suddenly understanding. "No wonder your attitude changed just now. But be careful, my master is very strong! Be careful not to mess things up!"

As they spoke, Xia You and the others followed Adam to the arena of the Glass Dojo.

As a water-attribute gym, the battle arena in the Sootopolis Gym is rather unremarkable compared to the luxury of the other rooms. It seems to be just like an ordinary swimming pool, a simple rectangular area with a dozen or so large and small round platforms floating on it for standing on. The rest of the area is filled with cold, deep pool water.

Xiaoxia and Rukia went directly to the audience seats next to them, but for the sake of appearances, even though the two didn't get along, they had to sit together.

Even so, the two of them moved to the other side to avoid any physical contact!

Xia You and Adam stood on opposite sides, each occupying their respective half of the trainer command area.

The command area here is quite interesting; it consists of two staircases that resemble diving platforms, about two meters above the water surface. Standing here provides a clearer view.

An elderly man with silver hair, dressed in a well-tailored black suit, resembling a butler, suddenly appeared and stood to one side of the field.

Judging from his appearance, he must be the manager here, and he also acts as the gym referee when challengers come to the gym.

Looking at Xia You, the butler referee said, "Now, let me explain the rules of the competition. The number of Pokémon used in the competition is 5. During the battle, the Gym Leader cannot change Pokémon at will. When all Pokémon on either side are unable to battle, the battle is considered over!"

"Three?"

Having been to so many places, this was the first time Xia You had encountered a gym with so many Pokémon available for battle!

The butler, clearly used to Xia You's surprised expression, explained calmly, "That's right. In the first round, you must choose two Pokémon for a double battle. When both Pokémon on one side are unable to battle, the first round ends. Then, the Pokémon that won the first round will be used for the second round. After the second round, it's time for the final one-on-one battles until all of one side's Pokémon are defeated!"

It turned out to be like this...

Although it sounded a bit complicated, Xia You nodded, indicating that she understood the rules.

Actually, after playing for so long, apart from some gym leaders changing the conditions according to their own needs, most of the rules are pretty much the same. You just need to pay attention to whether there are two or three Pokémon participating in the battle.

This glass dojo is clearly one of those rare, special rules!

After the butler finished explaining, Adam stared at Xia You, gritting his teeth, and said, "According to the procedure, let me first introduce myself. I am Adam, the gym leader here. Now, let's begin the official gym battle. Are you ready?"

Honestly, if it weren't for the strict rules that the league had to follow, Adam wouldn't want to say another word to this man who had 'kidnapped' his precious apprentice!

I just want to use my ace Pokémon to teach him a lesson right now, and beat him so badly that he'll run away in a panic, and make Rukia realize his true strength!

Hmph, not just anyone can easily deceive my apprentice!

"Don't worry." Xia You patted her fanny pack. "Although the rules here were a bit unexpected, I was well prepared!"

Adam: ...

This kid not only didn't even give his name, but after coming to my Glass Dojo and encountering these rules, he still had the audacity to say that he was fully prepared. He's really arrogant!

Adam's chest heaved violently a few times. He couldn't remember the last time he had wanted to defeat someone so much, but clearly, after so many years, the man in front of him had successfully aroused his competitive spirit!

Seeing that her master didn't seem to recognize Xia You's identity and didn't take him seriously at all, and worried that he might be too confident in his strength and suffer a crushing defeat, Ryukia in the audience shifted her body, intending to offer a word of advice.

But just as she made a move, the orange-haired girl beside her said with a teasing tone, "What? You don't trust Mr. Adam that much? It's just a battle, no need to remind him of anything, right?"

Hearing this, Ryukia leaned back in her chair.

"What are you talking about?" she said without even lifting her eyelids. "I was just adjusting my posture, I didn't mean to remind you of anything."

"Really? Then I was overthinking it." Xiaoxia looked at her with a half-smile. "But don't worry, no matter which gym Xiayou challenges, he never uses his main team. He only uses Pokémon that are currently training. Even if he loses, it will only be a narrow defeat. There's no need to worry about your master."

"What?" Instead of arguing with her, Rukia asked curiously, "Are they all Pokémon that are still training? But if that's the case, it's fine if they encounter weaker opponents, but if they encounter strong enemies, won't the chance of failure increase significantly?"

“So that’s why…” Xiaoxia puffed out her chest proudly, “It places strict demands on the trainers’ command. Every order they give, every flash of inspiration they have, can help their Pokémon turn danger into safety and gain an advantage. And Xia You is that kind of person!”

"I see." Ryukia nodded in realization, but then changed her tone and laughed, "In that case, I'm actually more worried about Xia You."

This time, it was Xiaoxia's turn to look at Rukia in surprise, not understanding what she meant.

"what do you mean?"

"Don't you understand?" Ryukia raised her chin, gesturing for Misty to look at the arena. "Didn't you hear what Sebastian... oh... that referee said? The rules of this Sootopolis Gym are quite different from the ordinary gyms you've encountered before. Because it requires more Pokémon to participate in the battle, and even requires two to be on the field at the same time, it places higher demands on the trainer's skills. You must be able to command two Pokémon simultaneously."

At this point, Lucia paused, and seeing Xiaoxia's thoughtful expression, seemingly realizing that this battle wasn't as easy as she had imagined, Lucia added, "I admit that, as you just said, Xia You is indeed an excellent trainer, possibly even one of the top ones. However, this battle demands a higher level of teamwork and strength from the Pokémon. If we only send out some Pokémon that haven't been fully trained, it's very easy to lose!"

"This……"

This was truly a reversal of fortunes. After listening to Ryukia explain the situation clearly, Xiaoxia couldn't help but worry and became less optimistic than before.

Regardless, she still chose to believe Xia You.

Xia You, keep it up!

……

In the arena, Adam, as the gym leader, was the first to bring out a Pokémon.

As he threw out two Poké Balls, two blue lights flashed, and a Delicious and a Kingdra appeared on a platform and in a pool on the battlefield, respectively.

After releasing his Pokémon, Adam crossed his arms and looked at Xia You calmly, saying, "A trainer aiming to participate in the Rainbow Tournament must be as flexible as water, able to change shape no matter what kind of vessel they encounter and make the right choice. Come on, let me see what kind of Pokémon you will use to challenge my gym!"