I caught a Pokémon

As the Poké Ball opened, a Grimer appeared in the center of the arena.

And when they saw yet another such obscure Pokémon, the audience was once again stunned.

However, they never expected that this equally unexpected Grimer would produce such an unexpected effect when faced with Bellsprout!

Bellsprout's strength, which Kaoru was so proud of, seemed to have no effect at all in front of Muk. No matter whether she punched or kicked, it had no effect on Muk!

Muk's soft, squishy body, like a sponge, absorbed all the impact!

After attacking dozens more times, Trumpet Sprout was sweating profusely, but still couldn't shake the terrifying object in front of her that emitted a pungent smell!

"What!?"

Xunzi frowned, as if she had never encountered this situation before in all her years of cultivating trumpet buds.

Ultimately, perhaps Muk grew tired of the itching, and on Ash's command, it used Body Slam, enveloping Bellsprout from above and suffocating it, ending the battle.

"That was close!"

Seeing this, Xia You couldn't help but feel worried for Xiao Zhi.

In the final battle, it can't be said that Muk was stronger than Bellsprout, but rather that its body was far too much of a counter to Bellsprout's punches and kicks!

If Ash hadn't had that rare flash of inspiration and traded Muk ahead of time, he might not have won this battle.

but……

He touched his chin.

Kaoru's training method is indeed worth learning from. If she used other Fighting-type Pokémon, wouldn't they be even more powerful?

It seems we really need to save the video of this battle so we can use it as study material for future research!

When Ash returned from the arena, he was overjoyed because he had just won the battle, and he couldn't stop smiling as he saw his mother and Professor Oak whom he hadn't seen for a long time.

To reward him, Hanako suggested borrowing the restaurant's kitchen utensils to cook a hearty lunch for Satoshi herself, so he could taste the flavors of home.

However, since Xia You wasn't very familiar with Hanako and Professor Oak, and since there was a match to be held later, she didn't want to disturb their cozy moment, so she declined their kind invitation to stay and said goodbye to Koharu before leaving.

After all, he's going to battle Gary next, and being with Professor Oak now is bound to make him feel a little uncomfortable!

Chapter 150 The Handsome Guy's Second Request

With some time still left in the competition, Xia You and Xiao Chun went to the gift shops on the pedestrian street and strolled around.

After all, it's rare for Xiaochun to go out, and she's coming to such a lively place, so she definitely needs to buy some gifts for her parents and younger brother.

Prior to this, after watching Xia You and You Teng Shengdai's match on TV, Xiaochun's younger brother, Cangtai, specifically asked Xiaochun to get more than a dozen autographs from Xia You.

Even in class, after hearing that Cangtai not only knew Xia You, but that his sister was traveling with him, Cangtai's popularity soared. Every day during breaks, many people would come to him, regardless of whether they were boys, girls, or students from other classes, to listen to the story of the Girl's Gorge that had been told many times before.

These signatures are the 'debts' he incurred after boasting!

Xiaochun was a little embarrassed when she told Xia You about it, but Xia You agreed very generously.

"After all, he's your younger brother, and this is Sota's moment to shine, so of course I have to lend him a hand!"

Even last night, when Xia You said those words, they were already imprinted in her heart. Even now, every time she thinks of them, she feels warm all over.

Amidst the crowded throng, Xia You wore a baseball cap and large sunglasses, and none of the passing tourists would associate him with the recently popular contestant.

Even after the interview with Pansy ended, Xia You had the biker gangs release the news that they had already done an exclusive interview and would not accept any further interviews from other media.

Upon hearing this news, the reporters, realizing they had lost their firsthand information, naturally lost interest and stopped pursuing him.

However, this is only temporary. If Xia You achieves even better results in the future, then inevitably, he will be targeted by these people again!

Standing in front of the glass display case, Xiaochun looked up and asked with a smile, "Xiayou-ge, what do you think of this Squirtle plushie? Would it be suitable to give to Cangtai?"

Xia You glanced at it and shook her head: "Cang Tai is a very cool little boy, I don't think he would like this kind of cute doll. Why don't you take a look at the fire-breathing dragon next to him!"

As he was talking, his phone suddenly rang.

When Xia You picked it up, she was surprised to see that it was a call from a handsome guy!

As Xia You walked to the side, she answered the phone, and the handsome man's slightly cheerful voice came through the phone.

"I saw it on TV. They said you made it all the way to the top 32. That's amazing! But I know your true strength, so your goal must be the championship, right?"

"Isn't it obvious? If I didn't have a dream, why would I even come to this kind of conference?" Xia You quickly said, pushed back a step by the crowd and realizing she was already some distance from Xiao Chun, "Alright, this isn't the place to talk. I called specifically for this, so just say what's on your mind!"

The handsome guy didn't speak immediately, but listened for a while, then asked in surprise, "It's so noisy over there? Are you in some lively place, shopping with a girl?"

Xia You glanced around. Had the handsome guy guessed so accurately? Was he watching him from somewhere in the distance?

"Since you know, then hurry up and get to the point!"

"You rascal..." The handsome guy on the other end of the phone shook his head with a wry smile, "Not only are your relationships with Naz and Lika unusual, but now even when you participate in a competition, you have girls accompanying you. It's really enviable!"

At this point, he changed the subject and finally got back to the main point.

"Alright, enough of this nonsense. The reason I called is to tell you that after our pursuit over this period of time, we have basically captured all the Team Rocket members in the Kanto region. Now there are only a few who have escaped and are still causing trouble everywhere, but we are doing our best to capture them. I believe that after a while, we will be able to basically eliminate them!"

Can it really be eradicated?

Given the meticulousness of the team and the Rockets' deep-rooted legacy, there are undoubtedly many secrets yet to be uncovered. Unless they deliberately reveal these secrets, they will remain untraceable for the time being.

Even during the Sun & Moon arc of the anime, Giovanni was still unharmed and had the leisure to assign Team Rocket to expand their business to other regions!

However, Xia You did not discourage the handsome guy's confidence. After all, whether it was stealing other people's Pokémon or other criminal activities, Team Rocket was ultimately an evil organization. Even if it took a long time, someone had to stop them!

"Let me guess, since you're calling me at this time, it's obviously not just to tell me this good news, right?"

"See? I love chatting with smart people like you!" the handsome guy flattered, then continued, "Of course not for that reason. Actually, after the assassination attempt a while ago, all the Team Rocket executives have fled to the Johto region! And I just wanted to ask, after the Indigo League, are you still going to Johto to challenge the League there?"

Xia You wasn't surprised that Team Rocket fled to the Johto region. After all, their strength there was equally formidable. Even if the facilities and bases in the Kanto region were utterly destroyed, Team Rocket could still make a comeback there.

"Yeah, I'm going to the Johto region. What? You want me to continue helping you fight Team Rocket there?"

Hearing this, the handsome guy laughed and said, "Of course, after all, we need your help to wipe out Team Rocket!"

"Hey, even the biggest milk tanks on a farm don't milk cows like this!" Xia You joked with a laugh. "And you international police, even if you're going to milk a cow, don't just milk my one cow!"

"Don't say that!" The handsome guy chuckled sheepishly. "You're my most trusted friend! And I believe in your luck, and I believe you'll definitely help us destroy a few more Team Rocket bases!"

Thinking that he was already being hunted by Team Rocket anyway, and that this trouble had to be dealt with sooner or later, Xia You simply agreed.

"Alright then, but let me make this clear first: the Quartz Alliance will be over in a few days, and I also need to make a trip to the Orange Islands. I'm afraid I won't be able to reach the Johto region anytime soon."

"It's alright," the handsome man said happily. "Our cleanup mission here will take some time to complete, and we also need to mobilize manpower to the capital, which will take a long time. Let's contact each other again in the capital after you finish what you're doing! Now, I won't disturb your leisure time any longer. And lastly, I wish you success in winning the championship!"

Chapter 151 I thought he was on the second floor

In the afternoon, in the athletes' lounge at the Ice Arena.

Xiaochun sat leisurely in the chair, occasionally swinging her fair legs. Her reddish-brown ponytail swayed back and forth, making her, who was originally calm and composed, look more lively and cute.

On the table in front of her lay her phone horizontally, and in the center of the screen, videos of Xiao Mao's matches from the past few rounds were playing!

On screen, two Pokémon are battling each other. In the background, Xiaochun listens to the host's passionate explanation in the video. She occasionally scribbles something on a piece of paper, only glancing up at her phone once in a while.

She didn't pick up the paper until her phone was burning hot, and then she got up and went to Xia You.

"I have to say, compared to you, this guy named Shigeru has a lot more Pokémon!" Xiaochun exclaimed, then handed the paper to Xia You. "Look, in the previous three rounds of the competition, he used different Pokémon in each match, with absolutely no pattern. I really don't know what Pokémon he'll send out next!"

At this moment, Xia You was squatting on the ground grooming Rayquaza's fur. Hearing her words, he glanced at the contents of the document, smiled, and shook his head.

At school, Xiaochun was an excellent student. With her father being a PhD, she was also influenced by him and liked to summarize and organize this information.

However, she doesn't know much about Pokémon. Aside from the simple things, she can't see the deeper things like characteristics and weaknesses.

"If we can't guess, then we shouldn't guess," Xia You said indifferently. "No matter what he sends out, we just need to defeat them all. Besides, quantity isn't everything. After all, if there are too many Pokémon, we won't have time to care for and communicate with them, nor will we have the energy to train them effectively!"

Xiaochun thought about it and realized that it made sense.

"That makes sense. So, are you confident you can beat him?"

“Maybe…” Xia You shrugged. “But who can guarantee they will win? However, I do know a bit about Xiao Shi. Don’t let his arrogant demeanor fool you; he’s quite calm on the field and has a good fighting mind. He’s especially good with Ground and Power-type Pokémon, so he shouldn’t be underestimated!”

At that moment, the announcer's voice came through the loudspeaker.

"Xia You, your match is about to begin. Please proceed to the player entrance immediately. Xia You, your match is about to begin..."

After glancing at the time, Xia You stood up, put Jolteon into its Poké Ball, and left Xiao Chun with only a dashing back view.

"Alright, it's my turn to go on stage now. So please cheer me on!"

Xiaochun smiled gently, placed her hands on her chest, watched him walk further and further away, and nodded emphatically: "Of course I'll cheer you on!"

……

"Dear viewers, welcome to the final match of today's Ice Arena game. This is also the last match of all the fourth round matches. After this match, the winner will join the winners of other matches to become the top 16 players and advance to the next round of the official competition!"

The host's loud voice echoed throughout the venue, and the audience, who had been waiting for a long time, gave him the warmest applause!

"First, let's welcome Xia You from the red team! As the most popular player in this tournament, he just eliminated a favorite to win in the last round and has made it here undefeated, without losing a single Pokémon in any battle!!"

Xia You walked out of the passage at a leisurely pace, smiling and waving to the people around her.

His handsome face, magnified on the big screen, was clearly presented to every viewer.

A huge cheer erupted from the crowd. Given Xia You's image and strength, his popularity among the remaining contestants was almost unmatched!

The biker gang shouted their hearts out, but as the competition progressed, Xia You's supporters had increased dozens of times over, and their voices were completely drowned out by the massive wave of noise.

"Next, let's welcome Blue from the green team! His extensive Pokémon collection is impressive, and as one of the favorites to win this tournament, he has defeated many strong opponents along the way, demonstrating his exceptional strength!"

Xiao Mao walked out of the passage, one hand in his pocket, his face still showing that cool expression.

However, what bothered him was that even without looking at the audience, he could clearly feel that the applause for him was nowhere near as enthusiastic as Xia You's.

Hmph, wait until this match is over, then you'll see who's better!

On the other side, Xia You walked to the high platform of the trainer command area, first glanced at Xiao Shi, and then looked down to examine the area.

The ice arena is rectangular in shape and appears to have been converted from a swimming pool. It is covered with a thick layer of solid ice, and dozens of ice blocks of varying sizes are piled up on both sides. Even standing on the high platform in the command area, you can feel a slight chill.

Seeing that both players were ready, the referee said, "Please send out your Pokémon at the same time!"

Upon hearing the referee's words, Shigeru took out the Poké Ball he had already chosen, and looked at Xia You with complete confidence in his eyes.

He had made a lot of preparations for this battle, and through his understanding, he also knew that Xia You liked to use the elemental advantage of restraint to suppress others.

Since Xia You doesn't have any Ice-type Pokémon, Xiao Mao boldly guesses that Xia You might send out Water-type or Fire-type Pokémon to counter Xia You's use of Ice-type Pokémon, thus preventing Xia You from gaining an advantage on the field!

Therefore, after much deliberation, he sent out a Pokémon that was not weak to either of these two types to deal with the situation.

"Come out, my Pokémon!"

When Gary released his Pokémon, the host exclaimed in surprise, "Oh? Gary actually sent out Finch?! I never expected that a Flying-type Pokémon like that could appear in an Ice Terrain! That's really unexpected!"

At the same time, Xiao Mao's gaze was fixed on the hand holding the Poké Ball in Xia You's hand.

However, when Xia You opened the Poké Ball and a blue light flashed, her fluffy fur and slender figure caused Xiao Mao's expression to change drastically!

What?! It's Jolteon?!

Why that? Electric types have absolutely no type advantage over Ice types!

This is bad!

Although Finch is not weak to Fire and Water types, as a Flying-type Pokémon, it is weak to Electric types!

Damn it, I guessed wrong after all!

Thinking of this, Xiao Mao clenched his fist. He thought Xia You was on the second level and he was on the third level, but he didn't expect that Xia You had predicted his prediction!

I really don't understand. With an Ice-type terrain, what was he thinking when he chose an Electric-type Pokémon as his first Pokémon?!

Chapter 152 He has already mastered the art of attribute counterplay.

Supporters on both sides continued to cheer for their respective players.

Coincidentally, the biker gang members and Shigeru's beautiful cheerleaders sat in adjacent seats, forming two completely different teams!

Unfortunately, many biker gang members were lecherous and couldn't take their eyes off these beautiful and well-built women, completely losing their previous swagger.

In the arena, Xia You was actually quite surprised to see the Big-beaked Sparrow.

As the saying goes, even a fallen phoenix is ​​no match for a big-billed magpie!

As a medium-sized bird Pokémon, putting aside the jokes about its resemblance to Ho-Oh, in terms of appearance, Finch has a long neck, rough and messy feathers all over its body, and its red crest and pink sharp beak are its signature features.