I caught a Pokémon

"So this is the magnanimity of a man who has won three regional tournaments!" Seeing that Xia You wasn't angry, the handsome man couldn't help but laugh and was completely relieved. "Then let me tell you something else. The Vajra Pearl in the Baidai Museum was also lost last night."

Xia You: ...

For a moment, he thought he had misheard.

After a long silence, Xia You half-jokingly complained, "Excuse me for asking, but just how useless are you guys? How come you can't keep an eye on people or things?"

"It's not our fault." The handsome man said helplessly. "Actually, the people and the things never even got into our hands. You don't know, Officer Jenny from Hundred City is very tough. She refused to hand over Jupiter to us and insisted on taking it in and interrogating it herself. Even the Orb is still in the museum. This allowed Team Galactic to take advantage of the situation. In just one night, the people and the Orb were all stolen!"

Officer Jenny from Baidai City?

Are there any other Officer Jenny as brave as her?

This is understandable, given the sheer number of Officer Jennys and the diverse personalities of police officers; some are easy to communicate with, while others are not.

Most importantly, despite the fact that Interpol has bases in various regions and operates with impunity, seemingly making it a large and powerful organization, they are merely an internationally co-founded organization, not a local law enforcement agency. They are not in a superior-subordinate relationship with ordinary police officers, and sometimes they even need to repeatedly request the cooperation of local police. Their impressive appearance is just a facade.

If Officer Jenny truly refuses to hand over the prisoners, Interpol really has no way to do anything about it.

“That’s not your fault. With the local police force, they definitely couldn’t keep an eye on these things.” Xia You shook her head. “By the way, did you send anyone to hunt them down?”

"Of course." The handsome man sighed. "It's not just us, even the police in Baidai City have been mobilized to search for those people in the vicinity. I also asked Zhu Lan to help with this matter. However, several hours have passed since then, and those people have probably already run far away. I think our hopes are becoming very slim."

"Zhu Lan went too?"

Xia You's eyes lit up. No wonder she didn't see Zhu Lan chasing after them last night; she had been sent away!

“That’s right, and she seems to have found some clues. This morning she headed towards the Hundred Generations Forest and Flower Garden Town.”

Huayuan Town?

Xia You suddenly remembered something and quickly said to the handsome man, "Since it's there, let's check out the nearby factories. When I passed by there before, I felt that one of the steel mills seemed a bit strange. If we explore it, we might find some unexpected surprises!"

"An unexpected surprise?" The handsome man's voice showed a noticeable change in tone. "You mean...?"

"I can't say for sure," Xia You said, not revealing her true intentions. "You'll know once you go and see for yourself."

Actually, when he passed through Flower Garden Town, he didn't notice anything unusual, not even the steel mill. But just now, during the conversation, he suddenly remembered that the steel mill there was mentioned in the anime and games, and it seemed to have been taken over by Team Galactic. Since Zhu Lan was going to Flower Garden Town anyway, Xia You simply pointed it out himself and let her try her luck.

Unexpectedly, this piqued the handsome guy's interest. He excitedly said on the other end of the phone, "I understand! I'll personally lead the team to check it out in a bit!"

Upon hearing his words, Mr. Xia You was taken aback, then shook his head and chuckled.

Only then did he realize that it must have been his previous behavior that made the handsome man believe him so completely, which is why he decided to go there and see for himself.

But it doesn't matter anyway. If nothing unexpected happens, that place will indeed be occupied by Team Galactic, so it doesn't matter who goes there.

……

When Xia You hung up the phone and returned to the battlefield, the battle between Cai Zhong and Ya Mi was also coming to an end.

The Pokémon on the field had now changed to Ironhide and Yeevee, and both Pokémon were covered in wounds.

Back in the audience, Xia You sat down next to Xiao Yao again.

Seeing that he had finally finished his call, Xiaoyao couldn't help but wonder, "Who was that? Why did it take so long?"

"He's a single, older man who's completely focused on his work." Xia You shrugged. "He kept talking about work with me. Okay, enough about him. How's the score now?"

Xiaoyao had clearly only asked casually, her attention focused entirely on the battlefield. Now, hearing Xia You's question, she swallowed hard and said nervously, "These are the last Pokémon that Miss Caizhong and Miss Yami have. Whoever can defeat the other will win this gym battle!"

Chapter 961 Maria and Gardevoir

The battle between the seed and the sprout rice ended with the sprout rice's iron palm warrior narrowly winning, bringing the battle to a close.

This also means that in this battle where both sides went all out, Yami still won and had the last laugh, and like Xia You, she also obtained the Forest Badge.

Although Xia You didn't watch the entire match, she could sense the intensity of their battle from the first two fights and the commotion they had just caused.

Without a doubt, this was a high-level battle, with both the trainers and their Pokémon being top-notch.

And it almost ended in a tie again...

Fortunately, Yami withstood the pressure in the end.

When Xia You and Xiao Yao arrived at the battlefield, Cai Zhong and Ya Mi had already shaken hands amicably.

"Looks like you've come prepared too." Cai Zhong laughed heartily at Ya Mi. "I thought I'd win today, but I guess I still lost to you!"

As always, Yami blushed inexplicably and said a few polite words.

But she was clearly not good with words, and she only said the same few sentences over and over again.

Fortunately, Caizhong already knew and was familiar with Yami's personality, so he didn't mind.

With that, the trip to the Hundred Generations Dojo finally came to an end. Both Xia You and Ya Mi had gained what they wanted.

Finally, Xia You shook hands with Cai Zhong, and with the latter seeing them off, the three of them left the dojo with light steps.

……

The three of them replenished their daily necessities at a shop near the dojo.

After making thorough preparations, they finally left the city that had given them so many unforgettable memories.

Having lingered here for so long, it's time for them to move on to their next destination.

As for their next destination, they have three directions to choose from.

The first direction is to head north to Snowpeak City, the northernmost city in Sinnoh, to challenge the Snowpeak Gym there.

However, because the journey was too long, requiring them to cross Mount Tianguan and traverse an endless ice field, Xiaoyao and Yami hesitated and rejected the route outright.

Xia You didn't pay any attention, but turned her gaze to the eastern city of Veil City and the Veil Dojo there.

However, to get there, one would have to cross most of Sinnoh, which would be time-consuming and laborious, and would also require a detour back to Bourne City, which was clearly not a wise decision.

Therefore, in the end, Xia You could only set her next destination as Black Gold City, south of Baidai City.

This was the first gym city Ash visited after arriving in Sinnoh, in order to avoid taking the same route as Xia You. Judging from the current time, Ash has most likely already completed the challenge and moved on to another location.

This also allows Xia You to avoid him again, so they won't clash and challenge the same dojo at the same time.

Of course, the most important reason for choosing this place is that Black Gold City is in a great location. Not far from it is the geographical center of Sinnoh, Homestead City, and it is very convenient to go anywhere else from Homestead City.

Therefore, this choice was unanimously approved by all three.

Having set their goal, they didn't delay and headed south.

At first, they were on a long, flat asphalt road, and they could see many trainers riding bicycles by. But as they moved away from Baidai City, the road under their feet gradually turned into a gravel road. After crossing a plain, even the gravel road disappeared and turned into a solid dirt road.

In just over half a day, the outline of the rolling mountain range could be seen at the horizon.

As for the Black Gold City, it is nestled among these mountains!

Standing on a high slope, Xia You took out her water bottle and took a sip.

Looking up, he estimated that it was almost noon. Seeing that his two companions were tired after walking for so long, he didn't rush to continue. Instead, he led the two women to a water source and set up a temporary campsite.

They weren't planning to spend the night there, but rather to solve their lunch problem.

It has to be said that with Ya Mi's addition, Xia You and Xiao Yao only need to help with cooking now, and Xia You has also given up the position of head chef.

With the two of them diligently fetching water and gathering firewood, a sumptuous lunch was ready in just over half an hour!

For the two who had always eaten simple food, this was like a long-awaited rain after a drought!

This also made them realize that the careful thought they had put into inviting Yami to join the team was absolutely the right decision!

At that moment, the two of them finally got to taste Ya Mi's cooking again!

It's still as delicious as before!

As if swept away by a whirlwind, they quickly finished their food and then simultaneously raised their plates.

"Another bowl, please!"

Yami watched them with a smile, naturally very happy to see her cooking skills so popular.

"Eat as much as you want, I made a lot!"

Xia You and Xiao Yao naturally wouldn't stand on ceremony with her.

After they had eaten and drunk their fill, the two leaned back to back, basking in the warm sunshine, feeling the fullness of their stomachs and a sense of boundless satisfaction.

This is the kind of trip they wanted!

……

That evening, before heading into the mountains, they were lucky enough to come across a house with red tiles and white walls while passing by a hillside!

The house is built in a circular sea of ​​pink flowers, with a lush tree planted next to it. From a distance, it looks like a fairy tale world.

This was a truly unexpected delight, as they had already prepared to camp in the wild. They never expected to encounter such human-made structures here, which instantly brightened the eyes of Yami and Xiaoyao.

"What a beautiful place! I wonder what this is for? Is it the management office for the flower field?"

"It should just be a regular house, right?"

"I wonder if we could stay the night?"

As the two people beside her talked, Xia You walked with them through the flower field toward the house and knocked on the door.

The house was lit but quiet. After a knock, the door opened in just two or three seconds, and a Gardevoir stepped out!

They expected someone to come out, but it turned out to be a Pokémon, which surprised Xia You and the other two.

Fortunately, behind Gardevoir, a woman who looked to be about twenty-four or twenty-five years old, with long, light purple hair tied with an orange hair clip, and who was very beautiful, cautiously peeked out.

"Um... is there something you need?"

It was obvious that someone was knocking on the door at this hour, which made the woman feel a little uneasy. However, after seeing the handsome Xia You and the two women, one older and one younger, who were with him, she visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, this combination doesn't seem like a group of bad guys no matter how you look at it!

It can only be said that appearance doesn't determine everything, but it will at least give you some points in the first impression.

Upon seeing that the homeowner was a woman, Xia You felt it inappropriate to step forward, so she stepped aside to let Xiao Yao and Ya Mi out from behind her.

At that moment, Haruka stepped forward, a smile spreading across her face: "Hello, we are traveling trainers. Since it's getting dark soon and there are no towns nearby, we were thinking of asking to stay here for the night. Is that alright?"

Yami blushed at the opportune moment.

Girls naturally make people lower their guard, let alone a pretty girl like Xiaoyao.

Upon hearing this request, the woman carefully examined Xia You and the other two again. After hesitating for a moment, she opened the door.

"Alright, please come in."

Xia You and the other two exchanged glances.

They naturally noticed the woman's wariness and were even mentally prepared to be rejected.

However, since the other party had already said so, and had knocked on the door and spoken, they didn't stand on ceremony with her anymore and all went into the room.

After all, they would rather stay in a warm house than sleep outdoors. Most importantly, they consider themselves good people. On the contrary, they should be the ones to be wary of living in such a desolate place!

This is clearly the residence of a woman living alone.

Just like the outside, the interior of the house is decorated in a dreamy and cozy style, filled with pink, showing that the woman has put a lot of thought and emotion into it.

The campfire burning in the fireplace dispelled the little chill that lingered on the group.

Just then, they suddenly saw another Kirlia, which surprised the three of them. They didn't expect that this woman would have another Pokémon of the same type as Gardevoir!

Seeing that they were all staring at her Kirlia, the woman smiled and said, "This is Kirlia. Like Gardevoir, she's part of my family. Oh, by the way, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is Maria."

As she spoke, she took out a tea canister and teacups and brewed a pot of tea for the three of them.

After thanking them, Xia You, Xiao Yao, and Ya Mi introduced themselves and sat down on the sofa.

"Why would Miss Maria live in such a remote place?"

“Of course, it’s to take care of the flower field outside.” Maria smiled. “Besides, this is where I grew up, it’s my home. Although my parents have been gone for a long time, I will continue to take care of it. Of course, Gardevoir and Kirlia are helping out too.”

"Life away from the city?" Xiaoyao nodded, seemingly understanding. "That sounds really nice. If I ever stop traveling, I'd like to find a place like that and stay there for a while!"

When she mentioned traveling, Maria naturally asked about the interesting things the group had encountered during their trip. Just then, she was quite surprised to hear from Xiaoyao that Xia You also had a Gardevoir.

Do you also own a Gardevoir?

Xia You nodded without saying anything, and then released her Gardevoir.

With a flash of blue light, his Gardevoir appeared in the room. The two Pokémon, which looked extremely similar, stood facing each other, sizing each other up.

Although outsiders might not be able to tell the difference, owners like Xia You and Maria can still see the obvious differences between the two Gardevoirs.