I caught a Pokémon

Because of the huge coal production, the entire Black Gold City's livelihood, whether it's electricity, fire, energy, or related industries and factories, basically depends on this coal pit for survival.

It can be said that this black coal pit single-handedly fed the entire city!

Such a famous place naturally attracted more than just Xia You and her two companions.

Almost everyone who comes to Blackgold City for tourism will take a look here. In order to attract these tourists and develop the tourism industry, a viewing platform and guides have been set up. They have even launched a paid fossil digging activity. In short, people can not only see it, but also fully experience this coal mine.

In this environment, Xia You and his two companions walked around the charcoal pit.

As you can see, there are busy workers everywhere, and Armwagons and Iron Palm Warriors working together to help them. By listening to the tour guides of the tourists nearby, Xia You and his friends also learned that when this coal pit is being mined, efforts are made to avoid damaging the habitat of wild Pokémon. The coal that is mined is also transported by a fully automated system. They also heard that Piao Tai allows trainers from the city to train their Pokémon in this coal pit.

I have to say, they really put this to the extreme...

The three of them wandered around for a while, but did not see Hyota. This was normal, since the entire coal mine was too big. As far as the eye could see, there were people and Pokémon everywhere, all wearing the same helmets. It would be very difficult to find Hyota here.

Fortunately, Xia You's goal was not Piao Tai.

They first took a short walk, and then Xia You paid for the three of them to experience fossil digging. It was quite a novel experience to keep searching for stones and tapping them one by one with a small hammer.

After spending the rest of their time there, they returned to the Pokémon Center before nightfall.

Now, almost nothing can stop tomorrow's gym battle.

It was late at night when Xia You finished washing up and had just lain down in bed when his phone rang again.

This surprised Xia You somewhat.

After all, he sets different ringtones for each of his women, so he can easily tell who is calling him just by their voice.

But this time, it was just a regular ringtone.

To be honest, he has been contacted by a lot of people these days, and each time it's a different person. I wonder who it will be today.

The mystery was soon solved.

When Xia You picked up the phone, she discovered it was a video call from Dr. Sakuragi!

The moment Xia You saw his profile picture, she knew what was going on.

Clearing her throat, Xia You answered the call, and the next second, Professor Sakuragi's familiar face appeared on the screen.

"Hello, Doctor." Xia You greeted him first.

"I knew you weren't asleep yet," Professor Sakuragi chuckled. "You look great. How's your trip going?"

Xia You chatted with him for a few minutes with a smile, and also told him about some interesting things that had happened recently. After the pleasantries were over, he took the initiative to steer the conversation to business.

"Is the doctor contacting me now because those items have arrived?"

The things Xia You mentioned were naturally the research materials he obtained from the Forest Mansion. These materials were of no use to him, but they would certainly prove their value to those scholars.

So after leaving the mansion, he found an international courier company in Baidai City and sent it by express mail.

After several days of transit, it was finally delivered to Konoha City today and handed over to Professor Sakuragi.

“That’s right.” Dr. Sakuragi nodded. “It’s clear that this is the culmination of many years of painstaking research by a researcher. Unfortunately, I’m not a researcher in this field, so I passed it on to a more knowledgeable senior.”

senior?

Xia You didn't care that Dr. Sakuragi sent those materials to someone else again.

After all, it wasn't his own stuff to begin with, and Dr. Sakuragi would definitely handle those materials properly.

He was just wondering who could be called a 'learned and talented senior' by Dr. Sakuragi?

After all, it is common knowledge that his teacher is Professor Oak. It is really strange that he did not give these materials to Professor Oak when he had such an advantage.

"I wonder who this senior you are referring to is?"

“You probably don’t know her,” Dr. Sakuragi said with a smile. “She is Dr. Magnolia from the Galar region. She is very famous in the academic world. She is very knowledgeable and has a wide range of expertise. This information should be helpful to her.”

Dr. Mulan?

Xia You nodded; Dr. Sakuragi was right.

I may not know Dr. Mulan personally, but that doesn’t mean I don’t know her.

He was the first person to research Dynamax!

He is also one of the main developers of the Dynamax Band!

In terms of academic standing alone, he could even be compared to Dr. Oki!

Of course, there's also her age.

Moreover, unlike Professor Oak's easygoing nature, Professor Mulan is a very strict person, even towards her own granddaughter!

However, none of this had anything to do with Xia You. In any case, the gifts had already been given out, and it was Professor Sakuragi's business who received them.

At this moment, even Dr. Sakuragi couldn't help but wonder, "Speaking of which, how did you obtain something so important?"

Regarding this matter, Xia You concealed how he injected energy into the ghost girl, but told Dr. Sakuragi everything else, including how he turned the ghost girl's family into ghosts so that they could reunite, and how he finally repaired the manor.

After hearing the whole story, Dr. Sakuragi remained silent for a long time.

"We're both researchers, but I never imagined someone would go to such lengths for research results. Hades... just from the name, you can tell he's not a very upright person..."

“Yes…” Xia You also sighed, “This kind of research is clearly for the benefit of all mankind, but some people choose such an extreme method for their own selfish desires and fame. It’s really… utterly immoral.”

It's not that the two of them are standing on a moral high ground to arbitrarily criticize others; it's just that Hades is indeed not a good person, otherwise he wouldn't have done such a thing.

“Xia You, you did the right thing in this matter. I knew I hadn’t misjudged you…” Dr. Sakuragi hesitated for a moment, “but… turning souls into ghosts, doesn’t that go against something? After all, the consequences of toying with souls are…”

"I just did what I could from my perspective. As for other things, I didn't think that far ahead." Xia You shrugged, then suddenly laughed. "Besides, it wasn't me who turned them into ghosts, it was my Gengar. What does it have to do with me? I'm just a human. Besides talking, what abilities do I have? So... even if there really is some cause and effect, it shouldn't be me, it should be my Gengar!"

In the shadows, Gengar, upon hearing this, nearly popped its eyes out, but it didn't show itself. Instead, it extended its right hand through the shadow and gave Xia You the middle finger.

I despise you!

Hmph, the day you die, I'll turn you into a ghost too!

……

After resting overnight at the Pokémon Center, Xia You and his two friends got up very early the next morning. After having breakfast, they headed straight to the Black Gold Gym.

This is their third time here.

Fortunately, just as the man had said, they did indeed see the owner, Piao Tai, at that moment!

Chapter 970 Riolu: I'm super brave!

Piao Tai was around twenty-four or twenty-five years old. He had stylish red shoulder-length hair and wore black-rimmed glasses. He looked quiet and gentle, but what was most impressive was that he wore a safety helmet and gray overalls most of the day, looking like an ordinary coal miner. Whether it was from the wind and sun or from spending so much time in the coal mine, his skin was slightly darker than that of the average person.

At that moment, Hyota was at the front desk in the lobby, talking to the man they had seen earlier. When they heard the door open, they both looked over at the same time.

Upon seeing Xia You again, the man couldn't help but laugh: "You finally came to the right place. See, just like I said, you can only see Hyota here in the morning. Oh, I forgot to introduce you. This man next to me is Hyota, the leader of the Black Gold Dojo. I am Iwao, Hyota's assistant and referee here."

At this moment, Piao Tai looked Xia You up and down: "So you're the trainer who came twice? I'm sorry, I'm sorry, because of the nature of my work, I can't stay at the gym indefinitely. It's really a waste of your time."

To be honest, Piao Tai's tone was sincere, and you could tell that she was a really nice person.

Xia You nodded: "It's okay, I have other things to take care of these next few days, so it won't be a delay."

Xia You also announced her name at this time.

The brief exchange ended there, and led by Hyota and Iwao, Xia You and the other two arrived at the arena of this dojo.

Compared to other places or other dojos, the battlefield of this Black Gold Dojo is quite ordinary.

In the very center of a huge room, there was a simple rocky arena with a dozen or so rocks scattered about. Around the arena, apart from a very simple spectator stand, there was nothing else.

It's so simple and unpretentious...

This also shows that the owner of the Piao Tai restaurant is not really focused on this place. It is likely that the black coal mine has already consumed most of his energy, leaving him with no more time to manage this place.

Without any unnecessary formalities, Xia You and Piao Tai stood in their respective trainer command areas, while the assistant named Yan Sheng, with his hands in his pockets, walked to the referee's platform on one side.

Seeing Xia You stand still, Yan Sheng pressed a switch in his hand, and the next second, the steel dome above them opened, revealing the sky outside.

A cool morning breeze blew in from the open ceiling, bringing a touch of coolness to the room.

Just then, Iwao announced loudly, "The following is the Black Gold Gym Challenge between challenger Xia You and Piao Tai. Three Pokémon will be used. The match ends when neither side has three Pokémon that can battle! During the match, challengers are only allowed to change their Pokémon!"

Just like the Hundred Generations Dojo, the battle rules are the most ordinary and there's nothing particularly noteworthy.

Just as Iwao finished speaking, Hyota also sent out his Pokémon.

With a flash of blue light, a small Geodude appeared in the arena.

Looking at this Pokémon, Yami, who had just sat down on the bleachers, couldn't help but chuckle to May beside her: "It seems that this gym leader completely regards Mr. Xia You as a novice, actually sending such a Pokémon to deal with him."

“Yeah…” Xiaoyao nodded as well. “But it doesn’t matter. When dealing with powerful Pokémon, Xia You will naturally use powerful Pokémon as well. And when dealing with these weak Pokémon, he has his own new lineup to train with. It doesn’t have any impact.”

At this point, she couldn't help but ask, "Miss Yami, aren't you planning to participate in this gym battle?"

“That’s right.” Yami smiled calmly. “Although I travel around, I’m not really interested in this kind of battle. I had a great time fighting the vegetable seed last time, so I won’t be challenging it again anytime soon.”

"You really are something else..."

Xiaoyao couldn't help but feel a little emotional. After all, it was clear from the previous battle with Caizhong that Yami was also very strong, but she wasn't keen on fighting, which was a real waste of her talent.

She shook her head and refocused her attention on the battlefield.

At this moment, looking at the little Geodude, Xia You didn't feel that she was being looked down upon. After all, Piao Tai didn't know her and it was perfectly normal for him to use an ordinary Pokémon that guarded the gym to deal with her.

Without any hesitation, he took out the outermost Poké Ball from his right waist pouch and pressed the switch.

With a flash of blue light, his Riolu appeared on the field.

This is Riolu's first time participating in a gym battle.

However, although it may lack experience in such situations due to its short time of capture, its attribute advantages make up for this.

That's right, the Fighting-type Riolu is doubly super effective against Ground and Rock-type Geodude.

Therefore, this stage is also perfect for Riolu's debut, to find its form and show its power.

Piao Tai naturally didn't know what Xia You was thinking, but when he saw that Xia You sent out a Pokémon that was super effective against Geodude, he understood that Xia You wanted to win by using type advantage. But he didn't say anything. After all, at least half of the trainers who came to challenge this gym would use Pokémon that were super effective against him. He had been fighting them for a long time and was already used to it.

In his view, Xia You was just one of those countless challengers.

Riolu and Geodude stood facing each other, their eyes fixed on one another. Both Pokémon were ready, and with Rockfish's shout of "Start!", the gym battle officially began.

To be honest, because he had been traveling for a long time and had seen many more kinds of Pokémon, Xia You had actually had very little contact with Geodude anymore. Seeing it now, he couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia.

But despite his feelings, he showed no mercy when he took action.

Under his command, Riolu ran quickly toward Geodude. It was clear to everyone that Xia You wanted to decide the outcome through close combat. However, Geodude did not sit idly by despite its type disadvantage. Instead, under Piao Tai's command, it also swung its two huge fists and took the initiative to meet the opponent.

This surprised Xia You somewhat.

He originally thought Geodude would use methods like sandstorms and digging to fight Riolu through indirect contact, but he didn't expect that Hyota would be so tough and choose to fight head-on!

As expected of the Rock-type Gym Leader...

As expected, none of those who like stones are cowards.

But this is good, it simplifies things the most. If Hyota really attacked by means of sandstorms or digging tunnels, it would be much more troublesome!

At this moment, the two Pokémon were getting closer and closer. It was clear that because they did not know how powerful Xia You was, they regarded him as just an ordinary challenger. As a result, Piao Tai was fighting in the same way he usually guarded the gym. He gave the order the moment Geodude got close to Riolu.

"Groundhog, use Roll!"

Geodude, which had been hovering near Riolu, curled up as usual after hearing its trainer's command. It rolled towards its target like a rapidly spinning wheel. And it was quite impressive, with the distance perfectly controlled, giving its opponent enough space to roll without giving it too much time to react.

This move is only effective against other people...

Having traveled for so long, Xia You had seen too many people use such tricks, and given the setting, he knew exactly how to deal with it even with his eyes closed.

He pointed to the tallest, largest, and most durable rock in the arena and shouted, "Riolus, jump up there!"

After so many days of training, Riolu had gained confidence. Originally, it wanted to tough it out, but after hearing Xia You's command, it hesitated for a moment, but still jumped to a rock next to it. Then, it locked its eyes on the largest rock in the arena and jumped all the way to it.

Pyoma couldn't let Riolu escape, and under his command, Geodude gave chase.

However, once at a higher altitude, the Geodude's rolling attack must increase in power and speed as it ascends; otherwise, its power will inevitably weaken with increasing height, making its attacks extremely inaccurate and unstable.

Even so, the smaller stones were still smashed to pieces by the rolling, until Riolu jumped onto the largest stone and couldn't budge it with the strength of Geodude, and had to stop.

Riolu easily dodged Geodude's fierce attack, but it also exhausted Geodude's stamina. Riolu then launched a counterattack from its superior position.

It unleashed a vacuum wave, striking the small fist stone, which was still not completely out of its rolling state, at extremely close range.

The little geomancy stone was hit squarely and blasted several distances away in the explosion.

This was incredibly effective. Due to the elemental advantage, it dealt significant damage to Geodude, causing Hyota's eyebrows to involuntarily furrow.