I caught a Pokémon

It can be said that Xiaoyao was at a disadvantage as soon as they started fighting.

This was something she had never encountered before during this year's celebration!

Upon seeing this, Xiao Sheng in the lounge immediately sensed something was wrong.

"I didn't think much of it before, but when I actually encountered them in battle, I suddenly realized how amazing Saori's Pokémon are, especially that Slowbro that spins like a top..."

Hearing his words, Xia You couldn't help but ponder for a moment.

Is it great?

I didn't feel anything at all.

Recalling the scene of his battle with Saori that night, he remembered that the Slowbro had also used this move, but... that was the end of it.

Charizard didn't tolerate its bad habits at all. Although the Pokémon it was facing had the Water and Psychic type, which seemed very difficult to deal with, it relied on its strength, which was completely superior to Slowbro's, to reverse the type and use its fierce flames to burn the shell red-hot. This forced the usually carefree Slowbro to suffer unbearable pain and give up the move.

Then, it easily and effortlessly dodged Slowbro's water gun and psychic attacks, and severely injured Slowbro with a slash. Finally, in Slowbro's desperate counterattack, it used heat to counter its destructive beam and finally defeated it completely.

Throughout the entire battle, he never felt any difficulty whatsoever.

Even Slowbro couldn't inflict any damage on Charizard.

This gave him the illusion that Saori's strength was nothing special.

But looking at it now...

Charizard is just too overpowered!

If you replaced Charizard with another Pokémon, or replaced yourself with another person, the battle wouldn't be so one-sided, and you would clearly feel that Saori is indeed very powerful!

Beside him, upon hearing Xiaosheng's words, Xiaozhi nodded solemnly.

"This Slowbro is really tough to deal with, especially since it's a good counter to May's Blaziken. It seems like this battle will be very difficult."

"Is my sister going to lose?" Xiao Sheng swallowed hard.

"It's too early to talk about the result now." Xiao Gang frowned as well. "But just like Xiao Zhi said, this match will definitely be very difficult."

From their conversation, it was clear that although they didn't think highly of Xiaoyao, they at least believed that she wasn't entirely without hope.

Upon hearing this, Xiao Sheng turned his gaze to Xia You again, seemingly hoping to gain a more reassuring opinion from the man he trusted most.

Xia You smiled slightly at his hopeful gaze.

"No need to think about it, Xiaoyao is destined to lose."

"Huh?" Xiao Sheng was stunned for a second before exclaiming in surprise, "Huh!? We're doomed to lose!?"

Even Xiao Zhi and Xiao Gang looked over in surprise when they heard Xia You's words.

After all, the battle has only just begun, and Xiaoyao is their friend. Even though they are at a slight disadvantage at the start, it's not fair to be so decisive, is it?

Taking in the expressions of the others, Xia You leaned back, her lazy voice reaching their ears.

"Although Xiaoyao has worked very hard during this period, there is nothing she can do. She debuted too late, not to mention that her opponent was very strong. The two were not on the same level, so losing was an inevitable result and there is nothing unacceptable about it."

Seeing that Xiaozhi and the other two were looking at each other, seemingly hesitant to speak, he added another sentence.

"But don't worry, Xiaoyao has been with me for a long time. Even if she loses, she won't lose so quickly. Now, let's see what surprises she can bring us in this final battle!"

Chapter 902 The Grand Celebration Comes to an End

Being at a disadvantage from the start made this battle look exceptionally difficult for Xiaoyao.

It can only be said that those involved are often blinded while bystanders see clearly. It's obvious that Haruka has unknowingly fallen into Saori's trap.

After taking the lead, Saori capitalized on May's strong desire to turn the tide, deliberately inducing May to launch fierce attacks while she herself directed her two Pokémon to dodge calmly, using this method to frequently reduce May's flashiness value.

By using stillness to control movement and skill to overcome force, one can also showcase one's own charm.

This is a battle style that perfectly aligns with the theme of this tournament. Clearly, Saori's understanding of flashy battles far surpasses that of Haruka.

With Xiaoyao's current knowledge and experience, she is not yet able to grasp this point, even with guidance from outsiders.

In short, this is a state of mind that comes from long-term practice and unique insight. Xiaoyao has not participated in enough conferences and has not yet seen through this point.

Even though her style is gradually shifting towards Xia You's, she still suffers from the disadvantages of age and experience.

This made it very difficult for Xiaoyao to advance.

Faced with a competitor who is equally calm, has a rigorous and risk-free fighting style, and surpasses her in every aspect, including Pokémon strength, she simply cannot escape her predicament.

Of course, Xiaoyao's practice during this period was not in vain.

Realizing her situation was precarious, she did try to showcase her achievements in Eden City. With the two Pokémon working together, they actually managed to launch a small counterattack and achieved some success!

Especially when Blaziken and Munchlax unleash their combined move, it can truly be described as awe-inspiring!

Even her Blaziken unleashed its full potential, delivering an extraordinary performance!

Unfortunately, no matter how hard May and her two Pokémon tried, they were just a little bit short.

This meant that when the final five-minute countdown ended, she and Saori maintained a slight difference in glamour value. Although the difference in glamour value seemed small, it was impossible to reverse!

"We lost..."

Seeing this, the atmosphere in the lounge inevitably became somewhat somber, and Xiao Zhi sighed helplessly.

“We’ve already broken into this place, but… but…” Xiao Sheng clenched his fists and lowered his head. “Sigh, I feel so unwilling…”

"It's understandable that we're unwilling, but there's nothing we can do. Xiaoyao still has room to grow." Xia You stood up and said to the others, "Let's go, Xiaoyao will be coming out of the contestant passage soon, let's go pick her up!"

The group left the lounge and walked along the players' passage towards the competition area.

On the way, they heard huge cheers and applause from the audience, and even Lillian seemed to be saying something.

Although the cheers made it impossible to hear clearly, it was obviously a celebration for Saori's victory and entry into the ranks of top Coordinators.

Saori did just as she did in the anime.

Actually, when it comes to anime, compared to the four finalists being eliminated in the anime, Haruka's current results are already quite good.

At least in her battle with Saori, she persevered to the end, and her Pokémon was not defeated by Saori.

It wasn't due to luck; it was achieved through genuine ability.

This is enough to show that she has indeed grown a lot.

Most importantly, she has already secured second place. Based on this, when she reaches the next region, continues her journey, and challenges the Sinnoh Festival, May will definitely have the potential to become a top Coordinator!

This is a huge leap forward for a rookie Coordinator who has just debuted in the previous region!

The group waited at the entrance for quite a while until the trophy was moved for Saori in the arena. Only then did Haruka come down from the stage and walk to the entrance of the contestants' passage.

As soon as she stepped out of the brightly lit contestant passage and into the relatively dimly lit contestant corridor, she spotted Xia You and the others.

"Xia You-ge, you guys..."

She had expected to see these people in the lounge, but she never expected them to come here to greet her!

It was indeed somewhat unexpected for her.

Xia You smiled, took out a confetti canister from behind her back, and sprayed the confetti all over Xiao Yao.

Congratulations on getting second place!

Xiao Gang clapped and congratulated her, saying, "That's right, Miss Runner-up!"

Although Haruka lost her battle against Saori, she was the runner-up who stood out from 270 contestants and defeated strong opponents like Harry and Shun!

Compared to those who were eliminated early on, her achievement is already remarkable.

Many trainers never even reach the semifinals, let alone the runner-up position, in their entire lives.

Of course, although the runner-up of the Grand Celebration doesn't bring much honor and is rarely mentioned, seemingly overshadowed by the champion, it's better than nothing nonetheless.

"Congratulations, sister!" Xiao Sheng sincerely congratulated her.

"Wonderful, Xiaoyao!" Xiaozhi also gave her a thumbs up.

Looking at the people around her, Xiaoyao felt moved. The self-blame and doubt she had felt because of her defeat vanished at that moment.

"Everyone... thank you..."

Seeing that her eyes were a little red, Xia You gently flicked her forehead, freeing her from the emotion of wanting to be moved.

"Alright, let's keep up the good work in the next region. Now that the celebration is over and we've achieved such great results, we should celebrate too!"

"Yes," Ash nodded, "and we should get ready to continue our journey!"

Since the runner-up didn't receive any cheers, Xia You and the others cheered for Xiao Yao instead.

That evening, the group had a big meal at the restaurant, which served as a final conclusion to the event and to Haruka's grand celebration in Kanto.

Just as we were halfway through our meal, Saori arrived.

She came here not to show off, but specifically to ask Xia You for their location via text message before saying goodbye to Xiao Yao.

"Miss Saori..."

Upon seeing her, Xiaoyao also stood up from her chair, but the words in her heart seemed stuck in her throat, and she didn't know how to speak.

"Well done, Haruka," Saori laughed. "That was a really great battle! It's been so long since anyone has pushed me to that point. It was a really enjoyable fight!"

"But in the end, I still lost..."

"That's already very good," Saori said with a smile. "At your age, I can't even afford to go on a trip, and you've already gotten second place! Your future is limitless!"

Indeed, just as Saori said, although Haruka lost the match, she is too young. If this trend continues, given time, she will definitely become an extremely young top-level Coordinator before she reaches my age!

It can only be said that the comfort of relatives and friends is sometimes no match for a single word from the opponent.

Hearing Saori say that, Haruka felt much better.

"Yes, I will continue to work hard!"

Speaking of this, she couldn't help but ask curiously, "Miss Saori, now that you've won and become a top-tier Coordinator, what will you do next? Will you continue to challenge grand tournaments around the world?"

“No, I plan to take a break for a while.” Saori shook her head and said, “I am already very satisfied with winning this tournament. It’s a perfect result for such a long journey. Next, I will find a place to rest and recuperate.”

At this point, she turned to look at Xia You and smiled, "Moreover, after that battle with Mr. Xia You that day, I realized that there are always people better than me, and there is a huge gap between me and the top Pokémon trainers. So even though I'm taking a break for now, I will continue to hone my skills, and when I've grown, I'll challenge you again!"

Upon hearing this, Xiaozhi and the others exchanged bewildered glances.

It's fine that a trainer would target a Pokémon trainer, even though their styles are different. There's nothing wrong with that.

only……

Did Ms. Saori choose the wrong target...?

You have to understand that Xia You is different from ordinary champions; he is just too strong!

However, seeing that Saori had made up her mind, they felt that the goal was somewhat unrealistic, but they didn't say anything.

After all, Saori has become a top-tier Coordinator, so in terms of achievements and honors, she is basically on par with Xia You.

Anything is possible; what if she succeeds?

……

After spending one last night resting in the tournament town, Xia You, Xiao Yao, Xiao Zhi, Xiao Gang, and Xiao Sheng, having packed their luggage, headed towards the location of the Battle Pyramid.

After the grand celebration ended, this was the last thing they had left in Kanto.

After dragging this out for so long, it's time to settle things with Kamishiro!

Traveling with five people is naturally more lively than traveling with just two people. Amidst laughter and joy, they set off towards the place they had agreed upon with Kamishiro—Fennel Valley.

It was at this moment that Xia You suddenly realized that Xiao Zhi had quietly, just like in the anime, captured his ungrateful monkey!

Ash, lacking the ability to foresee the future, had no idea what would become of Aipom. However, having just caught this Pokémon, he soon experienced the mischievousness and trouble it caused.

Perhaps in an attempt to connect with it, Ash didn't put Aipom into its Poké Ball, which left him in an unprecedented state of chaos.

Seeing it jumping around and causing trouble everywhere, Xiao Zhi had endless worries.

Later, having no other choice, Ash had to put it back into its Poké Ball, and only then did the journey become smooth.

Fennel Valley is just an unknown little valley in the Kanto region.

When you ask people from Kanto, most of them probably haven't even heard of the name.

Geographically speaking, it's not too far from the Quartz Plateau, situated between the Quartz Plateau and the Dark Grey City mountains. Xia You might have passed by it during his travels, but since he had never heard of it before, the valley never caught his attention.

But now, because the pyramids of the Age of Gods are there, the group set their sights on that valley.