I caught a Pokémon

A response rang out from the crowd.

Xia You glanced at his opponents at that moment.

First, in terms of age, these people include men and women of all ages. The youngest is a few years younger than Xiaoyao, while the oldest looks about the same age as Yujin.

This also made Xia You doubt whether they could really complete the entire course.

At this point, the contestants each released their partner Pokémon.

As blue light flashed repeatedly, Xiaoyao and Xiayou simultaneously activated their Poké Balls.

Unlike in the anime, since the egg obtained from the farm has not yet hatched and there is no Eevee, May's partner naturally becomes Squirtle.

Xia You then took out his Eevee.

Looking at the other players, there are all kinds of Pokémon, such as Oddish, Machop, Growlithe, and Bellsprout. However, at a glance, you can see that most of them are low-level Pokémon, and there are very few even evolved forms.

In this light, the sport is indeed quite casual and has a very low barrier to entry, making it a non-professional event that everyone can participate in!

With everything ready, the players gathered at the starting line.

Spectators on both sides of the track cheered for the athletes, and even one or two TV reporters were there, taking pictures everywhere.

Not long after, with a sharp whistle, the competition officially began!

The contestants and their Pokémon began to surge forward together.

However, because they were in the middle of a crowd, they couldn't overtake them. Xia You and Xiao Yao couldn't run at full speed and could only move forward at a steady pace with the crowd.

Fortunately, the race route is not fixed.

After leaving the starting line for more than 100 meters, several forks in the road appeared ahead, meaning that the contestants could choose different routes based on their own judgment.

Sure enough, the crowded people split into several directions, and in no time, most of the contestants blocking Xia You and Xiao Yao's way disappeared!

As for the two of them, Xia You had already quickly analyzed a relatively better route when she received the map. At this moment, she did not hesitate at all and stepped onto the rightmost road. Xiao Yao followed behind Xia You as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Seeing Xia You looking at her, Xiao Yao laughed and said, "What's wrong? Is it strange? I said yesterday that I was going to beat you, so of course I'd be competing with you on the same path!"

Knowing that she was actually too lazy to choose, Xia You didn't try to figure her out. Instead, she smiled slightly and started to slowly speed up with Eevee.

It is at this time that the advantages of long-distance travel become apparent.

In addition, Xia You was young and strong, and he overtook the runners in front one after another, quickly joining the first group on this track.

However, just like him, Xiaoyao was not left behind. Instead, she and Jenny stayed half a step behind Xia You and followed him closely!

Chapter 834 Preserving All the Beautiful Memories

However, it was obvious that since they had never participated in such a competition before, Xia You and Xiao Yao soon realized that maintaining this speed was undoubtedly extremely unwise.

This isn't about how much physical exertion was required, but rather that the road beneath our feet had become more difficult to traverse.

Apart from the initial section, the stone path underfoot is gone, replaced by a forest trail overgrown with weeds, where you might trip over a pebble if you're not careful.

With no other option, the two could only gradually slow down, turning their fast run into a slow jog.

Compared to them, the two Pokémon were quite at ease, and even had the mood to run and play around!

Of course, most of the time it was just the hyperactive Eevee constantly bothering Squirtle.

Apart from these, the journey was relatively smooth.

Their first destination was Moon Rock, located on the right side of the island. According to the map, it was situated on a relatively high rocky mountain with a rooftop overlooking the entire island. On the rooftop stood a huge stone statue of moonstone, and that was their destination.

When Xia You and Xiao Yao reached the foot of the mountain, as the slope became steeper, they truly distanced themselves from the other contestants behind them.

At this point, the advantages of a long journey became fully apparent. With the Pokémon by their side, the two nimbly made their way up the mountain, quickly leaving the others far behind.

Upon reaching the summit, we indeed saw a giant moonstone statue several meters tall. The statue had been there for countless years, its surface covered with traces of wind and sun, and from a distance, it truly resembled the surface of the moon!

Right next to the statue was a platform with stamps. Knowing that time was of the essence, the two did not linger. After only glancing briefly at the scenery below the mountain, they quickly went to the platform and stamped a stamp with a moonstone pattern on their map.

This also means that they have successfully completed the first location!

After the two descended the mountain via another path, Xiaoyao turned to look at Xia You and smiled, "It seems we've reached a draw for now."

Indeed, although Xia You had long legs, which gave him an advantage when running, Xiao Yao was faster. Both of them had their own strengths, and she actually managed to keep up with her!

"Don't rush, this is only the first location, and the competition has just begun. It's far from time to determine the winner!"

“That makes sense.” Xiaoyao nodded. “I just don’t know how the other racers are doing. If they overtake us in the end, that would be bad.”

Compared to the anime, although Ash and his friends, as well as Team Rocket, are no longer among the participants this time, it seems like there are fewer strong opponents and no one to cause trouble. However, they are still from outside the island, and compared to the local contestants, they lack knowledge of the various shortcuts and road conditions here, so they should not be taken lightly.

In short, just give it your all!

After descending the mountain, the two hurried along, their steps never faltering, heading directly to their next destination—Rainbow Waterfall.

Rainbow Falls is arguably the furthest point from the Pokémon Center, but it's just the right distance from Moon Rock.

A waterfall cascades down from the mountain and plunges into a pond below. A beautiful, undying rainbow is reflected in the middle of the waterfall, like a dreamlike rainbow bridge.

After the two ran past the water-spraying arch created by the gunfish's water gun, they arrived at a platform under the waterfall, obtained the Rainbow Falls stamp, and successfully added their second mark to the map.

It's worth mentioning that Xia You and Xiao Yao also met several other contestants here. They didn't know which route these people came from, but they all seemed to be in a hurry, and their destinations were quite different.

Fortunately, every contestant followed the rules and had no intention of hiding their stamps.

Of course, this could also be because those cameras, whose locations are unknown, served as a warning.

The scenery that usually required them to stop and admire for a long time held no appeal for Xia You and Xiao Yao at this moment. After leaving the platform, the two continued on their way to the next location.

Next, there is a cape overlooking the sea.

To get here, you must walk along the riverbank. In front of the cape, there is a rooftop with a view of the sea and two upright rock pillars. On one side of the rooftop is a platform. Once you reach the platform, you can get a stamp designed based on the giant crab.

This was undoubtedly another extremely beautiful scenic spot, but just like the previous two locations, Xia You and Xiao Yao had no interest in sightseeing and continued on to the next location without stopping.

However, by this time, Xiaoyao was still young and hadn't traveled as long as Xiayou, so after running for so long, her strength was running out and her speed had obviously slowed down.

Xia You glanced around and saw that Xiao Yao was no longer beside her. She turned around and saw Xiao Yao with her head down, silently following behind her. Sweat was already visible on her temples and forehead, so she knew that Xiao Yao was about to give up.

Without any hesitation, Xia You slowed down and waited for Xiao Yao to get closer before continuing to walk alongside her.

Xiaoyao looked up at him in surprise, bit her lip, and then said, "Why have you slowed down too? Now is the perfect time to overtake me."

"How could I possibly leave you behind alone?" Xia You smiled unexpectedly. "Winning the cross-country race and the fruit are nothing compared to having a partner."

In short, Xia You demonstrated what it means to prioritize friendship over competition.

Xiaoyao was so moved that tears streamed down her face, and her cheeks turned bright red.

It was at this moment that Xiaoyao stopped thinking about competing with Xia You for first place. Instead, she changed her mindset and happily and easily followed Xia You.

In the rest of the race, whenever they encountered a single-plank bridge, Xia You would help Xiao Yao cross it. When they waded through water, the two of them would slowly wade across. When they got hungry, they would stop briefly to eat some energy bars. With Xia You's help, although Xiao Yao's stamina decreased, her speed did not fall behind.

It's often said that working together as a team makes the work easier.

Although Xiaoyao didn't know such a proverb, she felt the same way. With Xia You by her side, she no longer felt that this was a competition, but more like an outdoor outing. It was as if her fatigue had faded away and she was full of boundless energy!

In this atmosphere, the two arrived at their next destination.

This is a giant tree in the forest that is 300 years old!

It is also the tallest tree in the nearby forest, with lush foliage, full of the breath of nature and life.

Directly beneath the giant tree, Xia You and Xiao Yao also found the seal and stamped their fourth mark on the map.

The competition has reached a point where it seems to be nearing its end, and everything is going very smoothly.

Although the two did not know the situation of the other racers, they had not been overtaken by any of the racers on the same track. Judging from this, even if they were not the fastest, they should be among the top few.

But at that very moment, the two of them unexpectedly spotted Miss Joey in the forest!

I never expected her to participate!

All I can say is that she was both the referee and the player, and her sense of participation was off the charts!

Without saying hello, Xia You and Xiao Yuan passed by and headed to their last destination—the rope suspension bridge.

The rope suspension bridge is located between very deep rivers. You need to first slide down a long rope to the ground below, then cross a suspension bridge to reach a towering stone pillar in the river and get the stamp.

Such height and length would undoubtedly be a huge challenge for some athletes who are afraid of heights or timid.

But for Xia You and Xiao Yao, this was not a problem.

The two slid down the rope, landed nimbly, and then ran across the creaking, slightly swaying suspension bridge to stamp the last stamp on the map.

Mission accomplished!

At this point, Xiaoyao couldn't help but jump up and cheer.

"Alright." After she had finished jumping, Xia You smiled indulgently, "It's too early to be happy now, let's hurry back to the finish line."

Reminded by Xia You, Xiao Yao stuck out her tongue a little embarrassedly, knowing that she couldn't relax as the final moment approached. So she quieted down and followed Xia You back to the Pokémon Center.

From a distance, the two could see a red rope tied at the starting line, and at both venues, countless spectators gathered together, seemingly cheering for their return.

"Looks like we're the first one, how lucky!"

Xia You was also very happy to see the red rope. Although she only participated in the competition with a playful attitude, winning the competition made her even more satisfied.

Only Xiaoyao, after hearing Xia You's words, silently slowed down and fell half a step behind him.

Before the competition, she had to compete with Xia You, but now she was willing to give up the victory.

However, just as she was about to give way, Xia You pulled her back to his side.

"What are you doing?" He turned to look at the girl and laughed, "It's come to this point, why are you suddenly backing down?"

Xiao Yao naturally understood Xia You's meaning, knowing that he wanted to cross the finish line with her, which moved Xiao Yao even more.

If she had some feelings for Xia You before because of his handsome appearance and powerful strength, which created a vague admiration, then now, like Xiaoxia, she has been completely melted by Xia You's gentle personality and thoughtfulness.

Although she had only been traveling for a short time, she had already completely followed in Xiaoxia's footsteps and was utterly unable to control herself.

Now that Xia You has said so, Xiao Yao no longer hesitates and lets Xia You pull her along. Accompanied by Eevee and Squirtle, she and Xia You break through the finish line together.

"A new record has been set!" Miss Joey, who seemed to appear out of nowhere, exclaimed excitedly from the sidelines. "A time of three hours and twenty-four minutes! This is the first time since the Vanilla Island Cross Country Race began that someone has run under three and a half hours, and two runners crossed the finish line at the same time! Congratulations to these two athletes!!"

The audience erupted in cheers, perhaps seeing two people complete the task at the same time for the first time, and couldn't help but keep glancing at Xia You and Xiao Yao.

Xiaoyao's face beamed with joy.

I originally thought they would only be in the top few places, but they actually broke a record!

That's really surprising.

This also proves that the combination of him and Xia You is unmatched!

As for trophies and such, it would be best if she could get them, as they would prove that she had gained new honors in addition to the Grand Assembly, but she didn't care that much about them.

What captivated her most were undoubtedly the plump fruits that exuded a sweet aroma!

babble...

Xiaoyao secretly cried out in alarm.

That was close! I almost drooled!

At the same time, a staff member came up to check the two's maps, and after confirming that everything was correct, nodded to Miss Joey.

Miss Joey's smile widened. After arranging for Xia You and Xiao Yao to rest aside, she returned to the finish line to wait for the other contestants to return.

For Xia You and Xiao Yao, this cross-country race was over, serving as a welcome break from their otherwise monotonous journey and adding a few memorable moments. But for the other competitors, their race was far from over.

The two waited for another two hours, during which time the other contestants returned one after another. Around noon, the last older contestant, with the help of the staff, returned to the Pokémon Center.

With this, the Vanilla Island Pokémon Orienteering Competition has officially come to a close.

Under the applause and gaze of Miss Joey, the audience, and the contestants, Xia You and Xiao Yao stood on the podium together.

Thanks to the occasional off-road competition held here, although we have never encountered a situation where two winners were produced at the same time, the warehouse has enough medals to award medals to two people at the same time.

The premium fruits that were offered as an add-on were not enough to be divided into two portions for two people.

Fortunately, the two looked like travel companions, which saved Miss Joey the trouble of 'unequal distribution of spoils'.

First, the medals were placed around their necks, and then Miss Joey had all the fruit brought over.

After all that was done, the much-anticipated group photo was finally taken.

Eevee and Squirtle stood on either side, while Xia You and Xiao Yao, wearing their gleaming 'Pokémon Friendship King' gold medals, leaned against each other, facing the camera. With a 'click,' the moment was captured forever.

The photos were printed almost immediately.