I caught a Pokémon

Ashida asked, "So, where are you two headed next for a challenge?"

Xia You and Xiao Zhi exchanged a glance.

Judging from the distance, Ash should naturally challenge the Battle Arena, which is closest to here. Xia You, having already challenged the Battle Arena, should logically challenge other places. However, the Grand Festival in Goldenrod City is about to begin, and considering the time, he must take May back there.

Thinking of this, Xia You said, "We're going to Golden City next."

"Golden City?" Ashida was taken aback and asked in confusion, "Mr. Xia You, wasn't your first battle in the arena? Why are you going there again?"

After Xia You explained that Xiao Yao was going to participate in the Grand Contest, Ashida nodded in understanding.

"I see." He turned to look at Xiaoyao and smiled at her. "In that case, if I have the chance, I'll go to the stadium to cheer you on!"

Knowing he was just being polite, Xiaoyao simply smiled and nodded, "Thank you."

Seeing that it was getting late, Xia You and the others didn't linger any longer and bid farewell before setting off.

Watching their departing figures, Ashida and Dara stood together, feeling a pang of sadness.

"It seems these two are going to dominate the entire Battle Frontier." As the owner of the Battle Frontier, Ashida was naturally filled with emotion upon seeing such strong challengers emerge.

Upon hearing this, Dara glanced at him.

He wasn't surprised that Xia You would keep winning, but he didn't expect that Ashida would be so optimistic about that boy named Xiao Zhi!

Although defeating his Articuno proved that Articuno was indeed very strong, he himself wasn't the strongest in the Battle Frontier...

Is it too early to talk about these things now?

While the two were talking, on the roof of the Battle Factory, the Team Rocket trio were lying there bored, watching Xia You and his group walk further and further away.

"I said..." Kojiro mumbled, chewing on a blade of grass between his teeth, "Is it really okay for us to just lie here like this until now?"

"Yeah, right!" Musashi chimed in, "Articuno has already flown away! That brat and Pikachu left too! We haven't done anything, have we? Doesn't this ruin our plan to give Articuno and Pikachu to the boss?"

"You two idiots!" Meow Meow glared at the two clueless guys and said with exasperation, "With that man there, how could we possibly succeed, meow? We can only make our move when he and that brat are separated, meow!"

“But…” Kojiro hesitated for a moment, then looked up at the sky, “But even so, Articuno has already flown away. Haven’t we completely missed it?”

Meow Meow waved her hand dismissively.

"So what? I'd rather do nothing than meet that man, meow!"

……

After leaving the Battle Factory, as it was getting late, they didn't rush on their way but instead spent the night at the Pokémon Center.

After healing Charizard's injuries, Ash released it back into Charizard Canyon.

After all, Ash had already achieved his goal of summoning Charizard. His immediate priority was to return to Charizard Canyon to continue training and strive to become as powerful as Xia You's Charizard as soon as possible.

Every second wasted outside means another second of time difference with Xia You's Charizard.

Although he didn't say anything on the surface, he was still thinking about this.

Nothing happened that night. The next morning, after breakfast, the group continued their journey towards Golden City.

However, this time, at Xiaozhi's suggestion, they did not follow the route they had taken before, but instead went into the mountains, intending to cross them.

To be honest, this is not the fastest shortcut; it just looks shorter on the map. In terms of time, it is not only not faster or less time-saving, but it is actually not as quick as a flat road.

But after all, they had already traveled those main roads many times before. Repeatedly traveling on such roads would not be of much help to their journey. This was also an important reason why Xiaozhi still chose this road even after knowing that there was such a difficult mountain road to travel!

Traveling is all about doing whatever you want!

Xiao Zhi is a typical person who goes wherever his mind leads him, without any prior planning, just going wherever his mood dictates. While this makes his travels more unpredictable, it also undoubtedly makes them more tiring.

Sure enough, he had only been in the mountains for a short time, and it wasn't even noon yet, but he was already exhausted. He found a bare rock and plopped down on it.

Compared to him, Xia You, Xiao Yao, and Xiao Sheng were not as tired.

It's extremely rare for a truly sincere person to get tired.

Of course, it's also possible that Ash was so happy after getting his first symbol that he was even more excited today and wasted more energy on the journey.

There was no other way; since some people were running out of energy, they had no choice but to rest here for a while.

They were currently in the middle of a mountain range, with no trees or vegetation around them, just bare rocks as far as the eye could see.

Ash and his friends released their Pokémon and then skillfully set up camp. They then divided the tasks clearly, finding firewood, water, and setting out tableware. Everything seemed to be in an orderly manner.

Now, only Xia You was left with some free time.

However, it was also a good thing that he took on the task of looking after Ash and the others' Pokémon.

Ash's Pikachu, Swellow, Grovyle, Corphish, and Elephant; May's Combusken, Squirtle, and Snorlax; Brock's Forretress; and Xia You's own Eevee—these Pokémon gathered together in a noisy, playful, and frolicking manner, creating a lively and joyful scene.

After combing her Eevee's fur with a wooden comb, Xia You leaned against a rock and subconsciously looked at May's Snorlax for a long time.

This scene was witnessed by Xiaoyao, who had just returned from fetching water.

After handing the bucket to Xiao Gang, who was cooking, Xiao Yao sat down next to Xia You and looked at her little Snorlax with him.

"What's wrong, Brother Xia You? Is there something wrong with my little Snorlax?"

"Of course not." Xia You shook her head with a chuckle. "Just looking at it makes me wonder when I'll be able to catch a Snorlax, or a little Snorlax."

"Huh?" Xiaoyao asked in confusion, "Xia You-ge, do you like Snorlax too?"

“That’s natural.” Xia You nodded. “She’s very strong and cute. Apart from being a bit greedy and lazy and having a big appetite, she’s impeccable.”

This was the first time Xiaoyao had ever heard that Xia You actually liked Pokémon like Munchlax. After all, in her mind, Xia You's Pokémon were all very strong, while her own Munchlax didn't seem to fit the word "strong" at all.

"Oh, right." Xia You suddenly remembered something and asked, "Xiaoxia told me before that you learned a recipe for Pokémon Cubes?"

Xiao Yao blushed upon hearing Xia You's words.

The so-called Pokémon cubes, as mentioned before, are colorful square candies, also known as Pokémon food. They are made from a mixture of berries and not only fill the stomach but also provide various trace elements needed by Pokémon, much like vitamins.

While it sounds great, her Poké Blocks...

"Um..." After hesitating for a moment, May said shyly, "Actually, my Pokémon cubes might taste... a little off. Apart from my Munchlax, which doesn't mind, other Pokémon don't really like them..."

Although Xiaoyao put it mildly, Xia You knew that Xiaoyao's Pokémon Cube was undoubtedly a disaster at the moment!

The Pokémon blocks she created were simply appalling!

Its power was comparable to, or even greater than, the disastrous cooking that Misty made for Brock when he was sick during their travels!

Although May calls her "delicious food," the "May's Food" she makes is actually inedible not only for Brock and Max, but also for all the Pokémon they carry. After taking a bite of May's Food, they were so disgusted by the taste that they instantly lost their ability to battle!

Its power is evident!

Only the Snorlax that May caught seemed to be quite happy after eating all of May's food, perhaps because it wasn't picky about food.

In terms of cooking skills, Xiaoyao and Xiaoxia, these two best friends, not only had their bicycles damaged by Pikachu, but also had other similarities.

Of course, neither Misty's terrible cooking nor Haruka's delicious food is without its appreciation. At least Musashi, after trying both Misty's and Haruka's dishes, still found them quite delicious.

Musashi's abilities are also extraordinary.

There's only one explanation: either Jessie has unique tastes, or she's confirmed to be a humanoid Pokémon!

"What does it matter?" Xia You waved her hand, not pointing out the problem, but instead encouragingly smiled, "People always grow, right? How can you succeed without experiencing failure? I believe your Pokémon Cube will definitely become more and more popular with Pokémon!"

One sentence moved Xiaoyao to tears and gave her a sense of being recognized!

This also made Xiaoyao feel closer to Xia You from the bottom of her heart.

After a short rest, the group set off again.

For Ash and his friends, the trip was surprisingly smooth, except for the slightly tiring journey. In just over half a day, they crossed the mountains, emerged from a forest, and arrived at Saffron City.

It was precisely because of Xia You's existence that the Rocket Team trio dared not approach her, much less cause trouble!

With them out of the way, reaching Golden City is only a matter of time.

Upon entering Goldenrod City, the group didn't go anywhere else, but headed straight to the venue for the Grand Contest—the Goldenrod Venue.

Although both are located in Saffron City and both the Saffron Arena and the Saffron Gym have "Saffron" in their names, the two venues are not in the same place.

The Golden Venue is located in a huge indoor park, which not only has spacious lawns, but also lush green trees and clear lake water, making it very pleasant and beautiful. A semi-circular venue building stands in the center of the park, looking very grand!

Upon arriving at the park gate, before even entering, the first thing you see is a huge billboard outside.

The billboard was about this year's Golden Glow Contest. In the picture, several Pokémon with bright colors, smooth fur, and great expressions surrounded a huge ribbon medal, which looked so dazzling with its golden edges!

"A grand event, huh..." Ash watched, then turned to May and smiled, "Well, now it's up to you to see how you perform!"

Xiaoyao smiled confidently and was about to speak when she glanced at a familiar figure out of the corner of her eye!

"Huh?" She pointed in that direction, surprised. "Isn't that Shun?"

Chapter 819 Are they twins?

Following the direction Xiaoyao pointed, Xia You and the others turned their heads and, sure enough, saw Xiaoshun's familiar figure.

"It really is him!"

Upon seeing that it was Shun, whether it was Ash, Max, or Brock, their feelings were undoubtedly very complicated.

For them, Xiaoshun wasn't exactly a friend, nor could she be called an enemy; she was more of a formidable rival with a peculiar relationship.

Therefore, seeing him now, although it was quite unexpected that he would come to challenge the Kanto Tournament, I didn't have any other thoughts.

Of course, for Haruka, having such a powerful opponent who had defeated her before would undoubtedly increase her pressure greatly!

Perhaps Xiao Shun heard Xiao Yao's voice, or perhaps he sensed something, because he turned his body halfway and saw Xia You and his group at that moment.

However, he had no intention of coming up to say hello. He simply scanned the crowd with his eyes, and after failing to find the person he was looking for, he frowned and silently walked away.

Although she said she didn't care, Xiaoshun's arrival still made Xiaoyao's mood much heavier.

The group entered the park through the main gate and headed towards the venue. Before they even got close, they saw a large crowd gathered there, entering the venue one by one.

"Strange..." Xiaoyao said in surprise, "Isn't the conference not until tomorrow? How come some people have already gone in today?"

"It must be a rehearsal," Xia You yawned lazily. "Isn't this a common part of conferences of this scale? So I suggest you go and take a look."

Hearing Xia You's words, Xiao Yao thought it made sense, so she didn't delay any longer and quickly walked towards the group of people, joining them. Xia You and the others, who were a few steps behind, also slowly walked towards the venue.

But just then, Xiao Zhi asked curiously, "Brother Xia You, with such a great opportunity, don't you want to participate in such a conference?"

Sensing that he sounded somewhat excited, Xia You turned to look at Xiao Zhi.

In that one glance, he noticed a glint of something called 'intention' in Ash's eyes, and remembering that Ash had actually participated in the Grand Contest later on, he couldn't help but smile.

"I think it's you who wants to participate, isn't it?" Xia You patted Xiao Zhi on the shoulder and said, "Every profession is like a mountain. The Grand Contest is a completely new stage for me. Maybe I'll participate in the future, but for now, let's forget about it. But speaking of which, I have high hopes for you! If you dress up like you did in women's clothing before, and dress up Pikachu properly, you'll definitely become a sensation! Right, Zhi Zi?"

Even if Xiao Zhi was slow on the uptake, he could tell that Xia You was teasing him.

"Damn it!" He stood there, watching Xia You's laughing and walking away, punching her repeatedly like a fiery monkey. "I would never dress up as a woman!"

In order to successfully enter the Rainbow City Gym to challenge Rika, Ash was tricked by James and Jessie into dressing as a girl. This incident has always been a painful memory for him and one that he doesn't want to recall. Now that Xia You has brought it up, he is naturally extremely embarrassed!

Brock, unaware of the reason, knew it must be Ash's embarrassing past. Then, remembering that Ash had dressed up as a woman at a large ball at Lake Faraway during their trip to Hoenn, he quickly asked Brock about it. After getting the answer, Brock laughed heartily without any regard for Ash.

"Tomoko! Tomoko!!"

"Damn it, stop yelling!"

Amidst the noise and commotion, the group entered the venue.

After entering the venue, Xia You and the others looked around and saw that the final construction was still underway. A group of workers were busy designing the stage and setting up the lighting. Amidst the hustle and bustle, the contestants who had entered the venue were also looking at the stage, seemingly pondering how they would perform on stage at tomorrow's conference.

This place is like a huge stage venue. Although the facilities inside are not very new, the advantage is that the space is huge, providing ample room for performance.

Among the crowd, Xia You and the others found Xiao Yao, who had entered a few steps ahead of them.

At this moment, May was also looking around the venue, seemingly considering which Pokémon would be most suitable to send out in this setting.

Without disturbing her, Xia You and the others also looked at the stage. At this moment, a fashionable woman in the center of the stage, wearing a sun hat, a blue crop top, a mini skirt, white stockings, and dark golden wavy hair, also attracted their attention.

The woman was quite pretty, especially the beauty mark under her eye, which looked strangely familiar.

"Huh?" Xiaosheng asked in confusion, "Doesn't this person look familiar? Isn't she the host of the Hoenn Grand Contest? What's she doing here?"

Xiao Zhi scratched his cheek: "I remember her name was... her name was..."

“Her name is Vivian!” Xiao Gang replied naturally, but after saying the name, he frowned. “But something seems off. Although she looks almost exactly like Miss Vivian, both of them are so beautiful, Miss Vivian’s beauty mark is on her left eye, while this lady’s beauty mark is on her right eye. In addition, their clothing styles are very different, and their temperaments are also different. Could they be twin sisters?”

hiss……!

Xia You gasped.

All I can say is, he truly lives up to his reputation as the old pervert Xiao Gang!