I caught a Pokémon

Chapter 929 Xiaoguang

"Ahem, well... after all, Team Galactic is such a large organization that even our International Police would find it a bit difficult to deal with, and we would need some support from high-end combat forces. So before you came to Sinnoh, headquarters contacted a few people."

At this point, the handsome man subtly glanced at Xia You's expression. Seeing that he was indeed just curious and not harboring any other emotions such as 'dissatisfaction', he felt relieved and continued, "However, because we don't know if Team Galactic has infiltrated, or to what extent, we haven't notified the Pokémon League or those Gym Leaders. We've only contacted two trustworthy Elite Four members and one even more powerful Trainer."

It's hard to guess which two superstars can be completely trusted.

But if we're talking about a trainer more skilled than the Elite Four member, there's probably only one person in the entire Sinnoh region...

At this point, the handsome man added, "Actually, neither Lila nor I knew about this beforehand. It was all the work of those people at headquarters. After all, in our eyes, no matter how capable someone is, they can't be as capable as you!"

The handsome guy was undoubtedly flattering Xia You, and the meaning behind his words was all too obvious!

It was simply to tell Xia You not to mind, and to distance himself from the matter between him and Lila.

This is understandable, since inviting more people after already having others help can be seen as a lack of trust in those who were previously invited. Unless someone is incredibly oblivious, anyone would inevitably have some other thoughts.

Although Xia You was the last person invited, he was an outsider, which made the local big shots feel neglected, thus increasing the conflict between the two sides.

The Elite Four must be thinking: What? Do they think our Sinnoh trainers aren't strong enough, so they've called in people from other regions to help? Is this a case of a powerful dragon suppressing a local snake?

Even Xia You wondered: They've already called such a powerful person, why call me too? Is it superfluous? Or is it just adding to the already impressive situation?

It is fair to say that such misunderstandings can easily arise when the two parties are strangers and lack sufficient understanding of each other.

Only those people at the International Police Headquarters would act so recklessly, disregarding the impact and consequences, and only caring about their own vested interests.

Fortunately, Xia You wasn't one to hold grudges. Besides, he had previously served as a supporting character in Kanto and Jodo, working alongside the Heavenly Kings and Masters there. So, hearing the handsome man say this, he naturally didn't mind.

"You're overestimating me." Xia You shook her head. "How can my achievements compare to the Four Heavenly Kings? I think this collaboration will mainly focus on cooperating with them!"

"Brother Xia You, you're mistaken about that." The handsome man's expression turned serious upon hearing this. "Headquarters is headquarters. No matter what they say, in Lila's and my hearts, you are the most powerful trainer and the friend we are most willing to cooperate with!"

"Hey, hey, hey..." Xia You quickly waved her hand, "If you say that to other people, it will cause a lot of misunderstandings!"

The handsome guy shrugged nonchalantly: "I was just stating the facts."

The two stopped discussing the topic and the handsome man explained the deployment and plans of the international police in Sinnoh, which was a way of informing Xia You in advance. However, this was only a preliminary plan, and the specific actions would only be carried out after there was solid and sufficient intelligence.

In short, this meeting was merely a reunion for the two of them and a briefing on some matters; there was nothing substantial to discuss.

But this also laid a foundation for future cooperation.

Seeing that it was getting late and they had already drunk several cups of coffee, the handsome man suggested leaving.

However, before he left, Xia You couldn't help but ask a question.

"Speaking of which, we've known each other for so long, but we still don't know your real name. We can't keep calling you by your nickname, can we?"

The handsome man smiled slightly: "Actually, whether it's a name or a code name, it's just a title. And I've been called by my code name for so long that I'm already used to it. So much so that when someone calls me by my name now, I feel a little uncomfortable. But since you want to know, I might as well tell you."

As he spoke, he leaned closer and whispered a name in Xia You's ear.

A hint of surprise flashed in Xia You's eyes. Just then, the handsome man stood up, smiled slightly at her, and turned to leave the coffee shop.

Watching his retreating figure, Xia You shook her head with amusement.

"Oh, so you have such a common name..."

Just as she was reflecting on this, the waiter came over. Xia You snapped out of her reverie, glanced at the two cups of coffee on the table, and suddenly realized what was happening.

Didn't this handsome guy say he was going to buy me coffee?

Why did you leave without paying?!

……

Returning to the Pokémon Center alone, Xia You first retrieved her Froakie and Riolu, which she had left for treatment, at the counter before heading to the restaurant to meet up with Xiao Yao.

Unexpectedly, besides Xiaoyao, he also saw three other people sitting next to her, chatting with her.

And these three need no further explanation; they are naturally Xiaozhi, Xiaogang, and Xiaoguang, whom they had just met a few days ago!

I didn't expect them to get together so quickly and arrive in Zhuqing City. They're moving pretty fast!

The four people were unaware of his presence and continued chatting.

As Xia You approached, Xiao Yao chuckled, "...Back then, Brother Xia You even talked to me about bicycles. I didn't believe it at first, but it turned out that it really did break down in Pikachu's hands!"

Her words silenced Ash and Pikachu, both of them wearing awkward expressions, neither daring to look May and Dawn in the eye.

In this awkward moment, Xiao Zhi noticed Xia You's arrival and quickly waved to him.

"Xia You-ge! Here! Here!!"

Upon hearing his words, Xiaoyao, Xiaogang, and Xiaoguang, who were standing nearby, all looked over.

Walking over to them, Xia You sat down in an empty seat and smiled and nodded at them: "When did you arrive?"

Xiao Zhi grinned and said, "I just arrived a short while ago, and I'm waiting for you to have lunch together!"

At this point, he became even more excited, talking animatedly, "Brother Xia You! I haven't told you how I defeated the God Era yet, have I? Let me tell you! I am..."

Seeing that Ash was about to launch into another long-winded explanation of the 'wonderful battle' he had just recounted to her, and was about to tell Xia You about it again, Xiao Yao immediately stopped him!

"Stop, stop, stop! We'll have time to hear about your story later. Let's not talk about it now. Xia You, look, this is Xiao Guang next to you. She's the girl we met a few days ago. You were right! Pikachu really did break her bicycle! And what's even more coincidental is that she's now traveling with Xiao Zhi!"

Xia You turned her gaze to Xiao Guang, and Xiao Guang looked over at that moment as well.

Xiao Guang was still dressed the same as she had been a few days ago, but up close she looked even more beautiful and confident. Indeed, just like her name, she gave off a radiant feeling from the inside out.

Moreover, sitting with Xiaoyao, although their styles are different, both of them are very beautiful and pleasing to the eye. Before long, Xia You noticed that many trainers were secretly glancing at them from time to time.

"Hello, I'm Xia You, it's nice to see you again."

"I'm Xiaoguang." Xiaoguang's bright eyes curiously looked Xia You up and down, and he said with a smile, "Yes, we've met before. I didn't expect you to be Xiaozhi's friends too. What a coincidence! I've already heard about you from Xiaozhi. I didn't expect you to be so amazing!"

It's quite rare to hear Xiao Zhi praise someone.

As we all know, although Ash may seem silly and clumsy at times, he is actually very competitive and unwilling to admit defeat. If someone is not someone he truly admires, how could you expect to hear praise from him?

Although Xiao Guang has only known Xiao Zhi for a short time and doesn't know much about these things, since the two have been traveling together, the person Xiao Zhi has talked about the most is Xia You. You could say that she's heard so much about him that she's almost tired of hearing it!

He always aimed to surpass Xia You, yet he also regarded Xia You as the person he trusted most.

You can sense that Xiaozhi has very complicated feelings towards this man.

This allowed Xiao Guang to learn a lot about Xia You, even though they hadn't officially met yet. Among the most important things was the powerful Pokémon Xia You possessed and the achievements that ordinary people could never attain.

At first, she didn't know who Xia You was, but after arriving at the Pokémon Center and meeting May, she realized that it was the same couple she had met in the wild a couple of days ago!

Looking at it this way, I realize I have quite a connection with these two people!

"Really?" Xia You glanced at Xiao Zhi in surprise. "He actually talked about me with you? He must be saying that he'll definitely defeat me in the future, right?"

Before Xiao Guang could speak, Xia You's gaze had already fallen on a Piplup peeking out from beside her, and she asked knowingly, "Is this your Pokémon? Are you a trainer too?"

Hearing him mention this, Xiaoyao clearly got excited: "No, Xiayou-ge! Xiaoguang is a Coordinator just like me! And he's also signed up for tomorrow's celebration tournament!"

"It's not just them!" Ash puffed out his chest, "I signed up too!"

"You went to join in the fun too?" Seeing Xiao Zhi's confident look, Xia You shook her head with a smile. "It seems that tomorrow's competition will be very exciting."

……

The celebration tournament was held in an open-air park not far from the Pokémon Center.

The overall design of the arena resembles a UFO spaceship from Star Wars, or a Poké Ball that has been cut open and peeled off. With its white and pink color scheme and large, ornate tournament logo, it looks very modern.

Before the competition, in order to appear more serious, Hikari changed into a pink dress, which made her look even cuter. Compared to Haruka and Ash, who were dressed in their everyday clothes, Hikari undoubtedly looked more professional.

However, while changing clothes, Xiaoguang carelessly lost the accessories of her dress. Fortunately, a girl with a charming cat found the accessories and returned them to Xiaoguang, otherwise it would have been a bit of a disappointment.

But no matter what, Xiao Guang's first grand event has finally begun.

Upon entering the venue, Xia You and Xiao Gang found their seats and sat down.

Because three of their companions were going to participate in today's match, only the two of them remained in the group of family and friends watching the game.

At this point, Xia You missed Xiao Sheng terribly, because only with him could she control Xiao Gang's eyes that were always glancing at pretty older women.

Moreover, he and Xiaogang really had nothing to talk about. They had been sitting for almost five or six minutes and hadn't said a single word.

There's nothing we can do; that's just their personality.

Fortunately, as time passed, at exactly nine o'clock, as the lights in the hall dimmed, a female host with orange curly hair, wearing a yellow robe, appeared on stage under the spotlight, ending the awkward atmosphere.

The female host looked remarkably similar to Vivian and Lillian from Kanto and Hoenn, and appeared on stage holding a microphone.

"Pokémon shine brightly, dancing gracefully with ribbons in their sights! Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for waiting! The Pokémon Celebration is about to begin!" The female host announced loudly, "I am Bai'an, the host of this event. As you can see, this event will be held in this city of happiness. So, who will be the winner of this event and take home the Ribbon Medal? Let's wait and see!!"

After a round of applause, Bai An introduced the judges of this year's conference.

And unsurprisingly, it was still those three familiar faces.

These are Conkenstein, the secretary-general of the Pokémon Contests; Sugizo, the president of the Pokémon Fan Club; and Nurse Joy from the Pokémon Center in Jubilo City.

All I can say is that Conkenstein and Sukizo are truly strong.

Wherever a grand event is held, they will be there. They work year-round without rest and are present at every event. They are truly dedicated. In terms of the breadth of their activities, no one can compare to these two. It's hard not to admire them.

After a brief introduction, the conference officially began.

The first event was a single Pokémon showcase, which was no different from other regional tournaments. This allowed trainers like May from Sinnoh to participate without any discomfort.

Amidst the intense anticipation of the crowd, as the stage curtain was drawn back, a girl with androgynous attire, short orange hair, and a tomboyish appearance stepped onto the stage and began her performance.

Chapter 930 Xiaoyao is your biggest rival

Through the introduction by the female host Bai An, people learned the contestant's name—Xiao Wang.

And this female contestant, who was the one who helped Xiaoguang find his accessory before the competition started, also met Xiaoguang under that opportunity.

Although Hikari doesn't know much about this person yet, nor does she know that she will be her biggest rival in the Sinnoh region, Xia You has a fairly deep impression of her because she has appeared in the anime so many times.

Don't underestimate this tomboy.

It's important to know that she was not only Dawn's biggest rival in Sinnoh, but she also defeated Dawn in the final grand celebration, thus winning the championship of this tournament and becoming a top Coordinator!

In terms of personality, she is a very enthusiastic person, but at the same time, she also dislikes those trainers who participate in both the Pokémon Contest and the Coordination Contest. She thinks they are half-hearted and just having fun, which is disrespectful to the Coordination Contest. So when she met Ash and learned that he was a Pokémon trainer but came to participate in the Grand Contest, she had a very bad impression of him.

Later, after learning from Dawn that Ash participated in the Contest because of his Aipom, Dawn seemed to understand and shook hands with Ash peacefully.

However, although she was somewhat resistant to Ash at first, she was very kind to Dawn.

She values ​​her friendship with Hikari very much and often gives Hikari advice on the Grand Contest. When Hikari is provoked by Musashi and Urara, she will stand up for Hikari. Even when Hikari fails in the Grand Contest, she will comfort Hikari and reflect on the reasons for the failure together.

In short, this is a serious and capable coordination trainer.

It remains to be seen whether, with May also present, she will be able to achieve victory in the grand finale celebration, just like in the anime, and become a top-tier Coordinator.

Xiao Wang's performance had already begun.

Her stage partner this time is a Misdreavus. Since I've dealt with this kind of Pokémon many times, there's no need for much introduction.

Unlike the previous regions, there is a special little change on the magnificent stage of Sinnoh when the competition begins.

Each contestant's Poké Ball will have a capsule and a unique sticker attached. When the Poké Ball is opened, the capsule and sticker will explode together, creating different effects such as 'smoke,' 'sparks,' and 'paper scraps' around the Poké Ball, adding a special atmosphere to the Pokémon's appearance.

This is also the most obvious difference between the Sinnoh Grand Festival and the Grand Festivals in other regions.

Amidst a thick purple smoke, the Dream Demon used Shadow Clone, appearing and disappearing within the smoke with an eerie charm. Then, it used Strange Light, sending the Shadow Clone flying out with the light, breaking through the smoke and creating a dazzling effect, while also revealing its true form.

That wasn't all. As the Dream Demon used its electric shockwave, the entire stage was bathed in golden light. Finally, when the electric shockwave disappeared, countless points of light fell like stars in the sky, and Nozomi's stage performance came to an end.

The Dream Demon's performance naturally drew cheers from the audience and also earned Xiao Wang a high score.

Xia You also clapped softly in the audience.

It's clear that Xiao Wang has a solid foundation in acting, and acting also requires inspiration.

You can get a higher score if you can come up with a more ingenious idea than others and successfully present it on stage.

Just like Xiao Wang, who delivered a stunning performance and achieved a remarkable start despite being the first to perform.

Conversely, if your mind is blank and you have no idea what you're supposed to perform, even if your Pokémon are very capable, you still won't be able to get a high score.

This also explains why these familiar faces frequently advance in these conferences.

While Pokémon's abilities are certainly one aspect, the most important reason is precisely because these Coordinators are quick-witted and can come up with more eye-catching and spectacular stage performances!

After Xiaowang left the stage, several other contestants took the stage, and soon it was Musashi's turn to enter the arena disguised as 'Musashi Rina'.

Xia You was not surprised at all by her appearance.