I caught a Pokémon

After he greeted Kikuko, the oldest of the Four Heavenly Kings, although he felt that Xia You's voice was somewhat familiar, did not recognize his identity.

It wasn't until Gastly appeared that she realized the young man in front of her was the masked man codenamed 'Player' who had fought alongside her before!

"So it was you!" Kikuko exclaimed in realization, seemingly surprised yet also quite reasonable. "I thought your real identity was some kind of undercover agent, but I never expected you to be just a League Trainer who challenges gyms everywhere!"

Xia You scratched his head: "Being a trainer is my main job. As for the last operation, it was just a duty I was fulfilling as a good citizen who did what I was supposed to do!"

“An interesting young man.” Kikuko got back to the point. “I have a good understanding of your abilities, so there’s no need for a 3v3 match. Let’s just settle this in one game!”

"Huh?" Xia You was taken aback. "You're one of the Elite Four, after all. This format is so unfair to me, isn't it? If my Pokémon loses, I won't even have a chance to turn things around. It'll just be considered a failed gym challenge, right?"

“You’re right.” Akiko smiled slyly and said matter-of-factly, “That’s why you should show more courage and skill. But don’t worry, this is just an ordinary gym battle. I won’t send out my ace Pokémon.”

Since she had said so, Xia You had no choice but to comply.

The two arrived at the battle arena and stood in the Trainer Command Area.

The arena for the Evergreen Dojo is set up in a hall that resembles a Western classical style. Murals, reliefs, pillars, and ceiling paintings are almost everywhere. Under the dim lighting, the entire hall appears mysterious and terrifying.

Since it used to be a ground-type gym, Kikuko had no intention of changing the facilities here. Under Xia You's feet, there was still an ordinary field made of flat soil.

Akiko was the first to send out her Pokémon: "Come out, Misdreavus!"

As the Poké Ball opened, a Pokémon with a deep, eerie color, eyes radiating an evil red light, a rosary around its neck, and hair swaying like ghost fire appeared in mid-air.

Pokémon Pokédex entry: "Drip, Misdreavus, Night Cry Pokémon, Ghost type. These mischievous creatures often make cries like humans at night to frighten people. They also use red orbs to absorb the fear of their victims and use it as nourishment."

Aside from his Gardevoir, Xia You's other Pokémon were not greatly affected by pure Ghost-type Pokémon.

After a moment's thought, Xia You traced her finger across the Poké Ball, having already chosen her opponent.

"This battle is up to you, go for it, Bulbasaur!"

As the blue light flashed, Bulbasaur also appeared on the field. The two Pokémon, one tall and one short, faced each other, their eyes filled with intense fighting spirit.

“Bulbasaur?” Agatha raised an eyebrow. “I thought you were going to send out your Haunter.”

"A clash of titans, right? Since you've hidden your trump card, why should I send out my Gastly?" Xia You laughed. "And don't underestimate my Bulbasaur, it's quite strong too!"

Kikuko snorted: "I hope you won't regret it after you fail!"

Once the two Pokémon were ready, Xia You and Aki gave the command at the referee's shout of "Start!"

"Bulbasaur, use Rapid Leaf!"

"Dream Demon, use Shadow Ball!"

From beside the bud of the Bulbasaur, countless leaves formed and swept towards the Misdreavus, colliding with the Shadow Ball.

Despite the greater power of Shadow Ball, it was still neutralized by the continuous barrage of Rapid Leaf.

Seeing that her first attack missed, Kikuko shouted with full force, "Dream Demon, use Illusion Beam!"

Is the plan to confuse Bulbasaur first, and then attack calmly?

Xia You's mind raced as she shouted, "Bulbasaur, release Leech Seed!"

The flower bud trembled, and a seed shot towards Misdreavus at an extremely fast speed. At the same time, Misdreavus's illusion beam also hit Bulbasaur.

Both Pokémon were injured, but fortunately, Misdreavus's attack did not cause Bulbasaur to become confused.

On the other hand, the parasitic seed sprouted and grew rapidly on the dream demon, binding its body, restricting its movement, and gradually draining its energy.

"Very good!" Xia You continued, "Vine Whip Attack!"

Two vines flew out from the flower bud and lashed out at the Dream Demon. The Dream Demon had no choice but to take the attack head-on.

Seeing this, Kikuko frowned and hurriedly said, "Dream Demon! Quickly break free from your restraints!"

At her command, the Dream Demon used Shadow Ball again, striking the vines. With an explosion, although she was a bit disheveled, she finally regained her freedom!

Chapter 108 Evolution in Battle

Puff puff puff!

Just then, Bulbasaur's second Razor Leaf attack came hurtling towards Misdreavus.

The dream demon cried out in pain, and its once cute face suddenly became somewhat ferocious.

Kikuko shouted, "Dream Demon, use Song of Destruction!"

A song of destruction!?

Upon hearing the name of the move, Xia You immediately tensed up.

Don't underestimate the power of the Song of Destruction. Although it's just a normal-type move, it's extremely powerful. Once successfully used, it will place a mark on Bulbasaur. In just a few rounds, the mark will explode, and regardless of how much HP is left, both the enemy and the player will be brought to the brink of death, directly losing their ability to fight!

This feeling is like having a time bomb installed inside you; once the time comes, you will surely be shattered to pieces!

It can be said that, like other skills such as Destiny Bond, it is an excellent way to perish together with the enemy when your side is at a disadvantage!

"Bulbasaur, stop it quickly!!"

Bulbasaur continued to use its Vine Whip to lash at Misdreavus, but it was too late. Misdreavus opened its mouth, and a series of black notes mixed with energy fluctuations floated out of its mouth, like a song of death, echoing throughout the entire arena.

The next second, energy markers appeared on the bodies of both Pokémon!

Even though Xia You was standing far away, hearing that voice still made her heart flutter.

It was as if an invisible giant hand was gripping his heart!

"Don't be so nervous." Akiko glanced at him and said slowly, "This move is only effective against Pokémon and poses no threat to us humans."

"I know!"

Xia You nodded. Actually, he wasn't worried about himself, but rather about Bulbasaur.

He had some understanding of this move.

Although the solution is quite simple—just return the Bulbasaur to its Poké Ball to sever the connection and remove the mark—in this 1v1 match, returning the Pokémon would mean conceding defeat!

It seems the only way now is to defeat this Dream Demon before Death Song erupts!

"Bulbasaur, give it your all! Use Seed Bomb!!"

As the Bulbasaur's flower bud trembled again, hard seeds shot out in arcs, hurtling towards Misdreavus.

The dream demon flew into the sky, about to dodge, but was suddenly caught in mid-air by two vine whips and pulled down!

At that moment, the seed bomb hit its body, causing a series of explosions that burst into green sparks!

Despite appearing to be teetering on the brink of collapse, the Misdreavus did not fall.

"Oh no!" With little time left, Xia You frowned and shouted, "Quick! Give it your all!"

Perhaps it was his anxious and worried feelings that infected Bulbasaur, causing it to empathize. At this moment, Bulbasaur's potential erupted, and a white light suddenly appeared from its body. It actually evolved during the battle!

In a fleeting moment, as the light faded, Bulbasaur had evolved into a new form—Venusaur—with a gigantic body and a fully blooming flower bud on its back!

Before anyone could even exclaim in surprise, Venusaur used Razor Leaf once again!

This time, due to the enhancement of his abilities, the power of the Leaf Blade was greatly increased, instantly killing the Dream Demon!

thump!

When Misdreavus fell to the ground, and the mark was about to erupt, Xia You immediately put Venusaur into its Poké Ball before the referee could announce the result.

Off the field, the referee glanced at Kikuko, and seeing that she nodded, he didn't dwell on these trivial matters. He then raised his right hand and announced the result of the match.

"The Misdreavus is unable to battle; the challenger has won the match!"

Xia You breathed a sigh of relief and released Venusaur again.

As expected, Venusaur lost contact with Misdreavus as soon as it entered the Poké Ball, and the mark of the Extinction Song was also removed!

Looking at Venusaur now, it has to be said that although it has become stronger, its appearance has lost its cuteness and has indeed become much uglier...

But no matter what, it was still her own Pokémon, and Xia You didn't dislike it at all; on the contrary, she was genuinely happy for it.

Xia You patted the large Pokémon, which was at least two meters tall including its flower crown, and was very pleased.

"Venusaur, I can't believe you were able to evolve at such a crucial moment! You're amazing!"

Venusaur rubbed its large face against his palm and happily croaked twice.

However, its sudden increase in size made it difficult for it to adapt, and it accidentally used too much force, almost knocking Xia You down.

At this moment, Kikuko walked up to Natsuyu, took out a badge shaped like an asparagus, and handed it to him.

"Congratulations on getting the green badge, but I must say, although I lost this match, you won it with great difficulty."

"What can we do?" Xia You rolled her eyes at her and said helplessly, "I could have won much more easily, but you changed the rules at the last minute and insisted on using that suicidal skill!"

"Hahaha..." Kikuko laughed loudly, "So this is life, there's no such thing as everything going smoothly. Young man, you are indeed very good. If you participate in the League Tournament, you might really be able to win the championship. If you want a fair match then, you are welcome to come find me anytime!"

"Challenge the Four Heavenly Kings?" Xia You nodded. "That sounds really good, but before that, I'll take it one step at a time and try to get into the finals first!"

"Yes, well said!" Kikuko praised. "For someone your age to be so humble and composed is a rare quality!"

……

Since the Pokémon League Conference was still a long way off, Xia You planned to return to Vermilion City after leaving Viridian City and rest for a few days.

However, when passing through Cerulean City, they unexpectedly encountered Misty and her two companions again.

They were traveling and were about to enter the city of Hualan when they were surprised to see Xia You.

After greeting them, Xia You looked at Xiao Zhi and asked, "Why are you only coming back now? How did it go? Did you get the Crimson Badge from Mr. Xia?"

"Of course!" Ash rubbed his nose, lifted his shirt to show Xia You his seventh badge, "My Charizard unleashed its full power and, after a hard-fought battle, finally defeated Blaine's Magmar!"

"You've only got seven badges, what's there to be proud of?" Xiaoxia mocked mercilessly from the side, then turned to Xia You, her attitude changing completely, "I bet you've already gotten your eighth badge, Xia You, right?"

“That’s right.” Xia You opened the badge collection box and showed them her badges. “I just came back from the Evergreen Gym. Next, I need to prepare for the League Conference. But speaking of which, why aren’t you challenging the gyms? What are you doing back in Cerulean City?”

Chapter 109 The Mermaid Princess's Water Ballet

Xiaoxia said, "When I was on Cinnabar Island, I received a call from my sisters. They told me that I must go back to Cerulean City Gym. Also, my Pokémon has been acting strangely lately, always looking listless. So I thought I'd come back here and let it live in a bigger pool for a while to see if it can recover its spirits."

As she spoke, Xiaoxia's gaze swept back and forth over Xia You.

Now, Xia You has changed into a new outfit, making him look even more handsome, which makes the girl who is already infatuated with him feel her heart race.

Especially when standing next to Xiao Zhi and Xiao Gang, two people who don't care about their appearance at all, Xia You stands out even more in comparison!

How can I describe this feeling?

Xiaoxia thought to herself: Maybe it's the difference between Finch and Ho-Oh. Although they are both bird Pokémon and look very similar, Ho-Oh is still different at a glance.

The group chatted casually for a few more minutes.

Since they had met here, and at Xiaoxia's enthusiastic invitation, Xia You, having nothing else to do, decided to join them and enter Hualan City.

Amidst laughter and conversation, the group arrived at the Cerulean Dojo.

Looking at the dojo where she grew up and lived, a place she was once very familiar with, Xiaoxia was overwhelmed with emotion.

"I miss it so much! It's been so long since I've been back here after I left on this trip!"

Just as they were about to enter the dojo, Xia You suddenly noticed an advertising board on the side.

On the billboard, there was a huge poster with many water-type Pokémon on it, but the most eye-catching one was a beautiful girl dressed like a mermaid in a swimsuit made of seashells!

Although the girl only showed half of her delicate profile, making it impossible to see her face clearly, her beautiful figure was enough to make people's imaginations run wild.

Looking at the words above, Xia You asked curiously, "Luxurious and dazzling, an underwater ballet show? It seems they've launched a new performance!"

"programme?"

The others also approached, and when Xiao Gang saw the mermaid girl, he was instantly captivated, muttering to himself, "Wow, she's so beautiful! Looks like we came back just in time; we can feast our eyes..."

At this moment, Xia You noticed the next line of small print and read it aloud softly.

"This performance is presented by a renowned aquatic ballet artist who has returned triumphantly to Hualan City. Wait, is this triumphant ballet artist referring to you, Xia?"

After hearing what he said, everyone realized that the girl in the poster did indeed look extremely similar to Xiaoxia. Upon closer inspection, it was clearly her appearance when her hair was down!

"How could that be?" Xiaoxia quickly shook her head. "I don't know any water ballet. My sister must have invited a guest performer from there."

The group entered the dojo hall through the electric gate.

The dojo was deserted at the time, looking quiet and deserted. It seemed to be a day off, not open to the public, and there were no performances.

"I'm back!" Xiaoxia called out happily, and upon hearing her voice, Sakura, Iris, and Peony rushed out to greet her.