I caught a Pokémon

Actually, looking at the entire Quartz Tournament, it's not that Xia You is particularly powerful, but rather that none of the other participants are particularly strong!

That's why he's had such a smooth journey so far!

Chapter 156 Fishing and Publication

Xiao Ming looked around at the other opponents present and said to Xia You, "Now that we've come this far, as the man who once defeated me, I actually hope that we won't meet too soon!"

"Oh?" Xia You raised an eyebrow. "Why is that?"

Xiao Ming laughed loudly, "I watched your match before. You've become even stronger than when we first met, and you even seem to be holding back. I was thinking from your perspective then, if I were facing such a strong opponent, could I really win the match? But the more I think about it, the more it fuels my fighting spirit! Therefore, I hope that I can definitely settle things with you on the final stage!"

"I see." Xia You nodded. "Then it seems we all need to work hard and make sure we don't get eliminated halfway through!"

At this point, the contestants in the venue began to take the fishing rods one after another, select their positions, and cast their hooks into the pool.

Xia You didn't delay any longer. She took the fishing rod from Xiao Chun and, imitating the others, threw the hook into the water.

A group of silly Magikarp are swimming aimlessly in the pond, looking completely lifeless.

According to staff, the fishing rods provided by the league conference are equipped with special bait, which allows them to quickly attract Magikarp.

However, Xia You had never fished before, so she was quite flustered when she tried to do it.

Fortunately, there's a free Water-type Pokémon expert here.

Under Xiaoxia's guidance, Xia You quickly got the hang of it and learned some precautions.

Surprisingly, underwater, Magikarp swam past Xia You's fishing hook several times, but seemed completely unmoved by the food in front of it. After waiting for a long time, no Magikarp took the bait.

On the other hand, the others succeeded frequently and quickly determined their groups.

Ash, in particular, was incredibly lucky. He had barely cast his line into the water when a Magikarp took the bait!

He excitedly hugged the Magikarp and laughed heartily, but when the staff announced the number, his smile instantly froze on his face.

The staff pointed to the big screen and said softly, "Xiao Zhi, your number is A3, and your next opponent is A Hong, who is also A3!"

"What!?"

Upon hearing this, both Ash and Hiro looked at each other in shock, their hearts skipping a beat at the same time.

Why would they fight each other over a spot in the next round when they've just become close friends?

The two remained silent, the atmosphere extremely heavy!

Xia You shook her head.

What a cruel twist of fate!

However, he had no time to worry about others. As more and more Magikarp took the bait, almost all the other fish were caught, while his own hook remained empty.

"That's really strange." Xiaochun squatted down next to Xia You, propping her cheeks up with her hands and looking into the pond. "The bait is fine, my arm is steady, and the fishing rod isn't shaking much, so why won't these carp bite your hook?!"

"Who knows?" Xia You pouted. "Everyone else has already been matched with opponents, and now I wish I could go into the water myself and catch a Magikarp with my bare hands!"

Xiaoxia laughed, then bent down and looked for a while, seemingly discovering something.

"I think it must be because you, Xia You, have Gyarados's aura on you. Don't let Magikarp's dull appearance fool you; Gyarados is its evolved form, but it's still quite afraid of their power!"

"Oh? Is that so?" Seeing that Xiaoxia's analysis seemed quite plausible, Xia You first raised her eyebrows in surprise, then scratched her head and said, "Then what should we do? Are we really going to wait until everyone else has finished choosing before it's my turn last?"

Upon hearing this, Gastly peeked half its head out of the shadows, gave Xia You a helpless glare, and then stretched out its finger and gently shook it.

An invisible force entered the water, and Magikarp was dragged as if by a pair of merciless hands, its mouth was forcibly pried open, and it was pulled and yanked onto the fishing hook!

Having done all this, it silently slipped into the shadows, unnoticed by anyone.

Wow! It took the bait!

Even Xia You didn't notice the abnormality under her feet. When she saw the carp take the bait, she quickly pulled hard and fished it out of the pond.

The staff member glanced at the mark on Magikarp, entered the number into the computer, and then smiled and said, "Xia You, your number is A4, and your next opponent is Yoshiki, who is also A4!"

Yoshiki?

Xia You turned to look at the big screen, where a young man with green curly hair appeared.

However, Xia You was completely unfamiliar with his appearance, and even his name was completely unfamiliar to her.

But since they've made it to the top 16, they must be no ordinary team!

At this point, all the group assignments had been finalized. After returning the fishing rod, Xia You glanced at the competition schedule once more.

Among the acquaintances, Xiaoming and Yusheng were both assigned to Group B, so it seems they won't meet before the finals.

The real problem is that he and Xiaozhi were both assigned to Group A!

Even if Ash wins the battle against Hiro, according to the schedule, he will next battle against Xia You!

For Ash, battling his friends repeatedly in this kind of group was undoubtedly extremely emotionally torturous.

Even after the draw was over, he didn't say goodbye to Ah Hong and left alone, deep in thought.

Seeing this, Xiaxia and Xiaogang, who were traveling together, greeted Xiayou and then chased after her with worried expressions.

Xia You shook her head at this and turned to look at Xiao Chun.

"Alright, now that the results are in, let's go."

Regarding the schedule, the third and fourth matches in Group A, Xia You and Xiao Zhi's match, has been scheduled for tomorrow afternoon.

This also gave him ample time to study Jimu's relevant information and see if he could find any weaknesses.

After lunch, Xia You and Xiao Chun returned to their dormitory.

Inside the room, his Dratini was playing with Jolteon and Haru's Yggdrasil.

Upon seeing Xia You return, the mini dragon flew to his side and let out a light cry.

After a long period of guidance, Dratini's personality issues have been largely corrected. Although it is still a little shy when facing strangers, it will be perfectly fine to take it on a trip and battle after the Indigo League ends!

Before she could even take a sip of water, Xia You received a message from the girl in Carlos.

He also learned from the conversation that the interview with Pansy was finally published in Carlos yesterday!

Trainer Kalos travels across the ocean to challenge the Indigo League!

When this news was exposed, it immediately sparked a small-scale discussion. However, because people there had limited interest in the Quartz Conference, it did not cause a great stir. It only circulated briefly among relevant circles or among people who were extremely interested in the matter.

It was this news, along with that clear and handsome photo, that made the girl who had been following him overjoyed!

Chapter 157 Ash and Hiro

Wednesday was a clear, sunny day.

Bright sunlight streamed down from the sky, illuminating the entire quartz sports field.

Amid cheers, after a morning of competition, Group A had already determined two winners. As the lunch break ended, the audience's focus shifted back to the two matches in the afternoon!

At this moment, the main field of the Quartz Stadium, which can accommodate 50,000 people, is packed to capacity and bustling with noise!

Compared to the small venue of the qualifiers, this place is much more magnificent, with a much larger number of spectators. Countless figures are moving around, and no matter where you look, it is a very lively scene!

Confetti, horns, balloons, and cheering sticks were everywhere, creating a festive atmosphere.

People were drinking cola and eating popcorn, immersed in the biggest annual event!

Xiao Zhi's match will be held at 1 p.m.

As a group of friends and family, Xia You, Xiao Chun, Xiao Xia, Xiao Gang, Hanako, Professor Oak, and others were already seated in the audience, waiting for the match to begin.

In my ears, the host, in a passionate voice, first warmed up the audience by introducing the two contestants' records, and then, amidst huge cheers, Ah Hong took the lead and entered the arena.

However, just as the host was introducing Xiao Zhi, after he finished speaking, Xiao Zhi did not appear for a long time!

The host was surprised at first, and then called out again and again, but Xiao Zhi still did not appear!

This situation caught not only the audience off guard, but also the Pokémon League organizers!

The staff rushed to the lounge to look for Xiaozhi, but they couldn't find him anywhere.

"What's going on?" People looked at each other in confusion, and one spectator asked in surprise, "Where did that contestant named Xiaozhi go!?"

"Who knows?" someone else said. "They haven't shown up for so long, could they have forfeited?"

Despite the widespread discussion, according to the rules of the tournament, Ash's participation could not be disqualified unless the competition was about to begin. Therefore, no matter how much the audience had objections or how dissatisfied they were with Ash, they could only patiently wait.

Seeing the commotion around her, Hanako looked worried.

"Is Ash overslept again, like he does every other time?"

“That’s impossible.” Xiaoxia shook her head. “He had breakfast with us this morning, but after that, he seemed to receive a phone call and then hurriedly left with Pikachu.”

"Hasn't she come back yet?" Professor Oak frowned upon hearing this. "Could she have encountered some danger?"

Seeing that Xiaoxia and Xiaogang were about to get up to look for Xiaozhi, Xia You shook her head at them.

"Let's wait a little longer. I think he must be tied up with something, but I believe that no matter what, Ash will definitely arrive in time at the last moment!"

There's really no need to speculate too much about Ash's whereabouts; he must have been in trouble with Team Rocket!

However, Xia You did not want to get involved in this matter. After all, everyone's growth path is different, and this is exactly the kind of setback that Xiao Zhi needs to go through. Only by passing these tests can he become stronger and more mature!

As time went by, the audience grew increasingly impatient, and even Xiaoxia, Xiaogang, and the others became more and more anxious.

Just as the referee found Ah Hong and was about to declare him a winner without a fight, Ah Hong stopped him.

He pleaded with the referee to further delay the start of the match, and seeing his earnest expression, the referee, after discussing with the organizers, agreed to his request.

Ultimately, based on the principles of maximizing benefits and creating excitement, neither the Pokémon League nor the audience inside or outside the arena wants any contestant to advance easily without any interesting moments simply because their opponent is late.

Finally, the referee agreed to delay the match for another 10 minutes. After a long wait, just as the deadline was approaching again, Ash finally arrived late!

"Please wait a moment!!"

Upon hearing Ash's voice, everyone in the arena simultaneously looked up at the distant sky.

A Pidgey was seen pulling a hot air balloon shaped like a meow as it flew quickly from outside the arena.

Below the hot air balloon, a broken bicycle was tied, and Ash was holding onto the rope with one hand, standing on the bicycle with Pikachu, looking anxious.

As the balloon came to a steady stop, Ash leaped down and landed on the field.

Such a flashy entrance piqued the audience's interest somewhat, and their dissatisfaction with Ash seemed to have lessened a bit.

"It's finally here!"

Xiaoxia and the others breathed a sigh of relief, but Xia You noticed that, just as shown in the anime, Ash's Pidgeotto was panting heavily from rushing with the hot air balloon, and it seemed that it would be unable to participate in the next battle.

This is clearly bad news for Ash.

However, due to the delay, there was no extra time for Ash to rest. Once the two players were ready, the referee immediately announced the start of the match.

In the arena, Hiro and Ash simultaneously activated their Poké Balls.

When the blue light flashed, Hiro sent out a Butterfree, while Ash sent out his Squirtle.

According to the tournament rules, starting from the fifth round, although it was still a 3V3 battle, the venue used by the players had changed to a regular dirt ground.

Such a venue, though seemingly unremarkable and lacking in surprises and unexpected moments, is better able to showcase a trainer's on-the-spot abilities and ensure the fairness of the competition.

At this moment, under the command of the two trainers, the two Pokémon began to fight. As their moves clashed, they both suffered damage, and for a time, neither gained the upper hand.

Xia You stroked her chin, glancing at Xiao Zhi for a moment, then at A Hong.

It now appears that, although the two have become friends, they don't seem to have any intention of showing any mercy.

Thinking about it, it's understandable. After all, judging from Xiaozhi's emotional intelligence, the more he values ​​someone, the more it can inspire his fighting spirit and strength.

At this moment, the battle on the field was still ongoing.

The two Pokémon continued to wrestle and pull at each other...

Compared to the intense battles in the preliminary rounds, the fight between these two Pokémon was far too petty and lacked any real intensity, causing the audience to shake their heads frequently and express their dissatisfaction with the performance.

Occasionally, there were jeers, but they did not affect the focused concentration of Xiaozhi and Ahong at all.

After a back-and-forth battle, at Hiro's command, Butterfree used a hypnotic powder, catching Squirtle completely off guard and spraying it all over its face.

Squirtle wobbled from side to side for only a few seconds before collapsing to the ground and falling fast asleep!

Chapter 158 Ash's Elimination