I caught a Pokémon

Zhu Lan snorted coldly, her golden hair swaying slightly with her movements.

"The more meticulous she is in keeping things under wraps, the more guilty she must be. Deliberately avoiding the topic and changing the subject... If there's nothing really going on, why bother with all this concealment?"

She bit her lower lip, and the suspicion that had been lingering in her heart resurfaced.

"It must be just like those reports, full of unsubstantiated speculations, that they really are asleep..."

She originally wanted to say, "The two of them really slept together," but when the words reached her lips, she felt that it would be undignified to say such a thing in front of Cattleya, and it would also make her seem too concerned. So she vaguely glossed over it, but her expression darkened a bit.

But as a girl with superpowers, how keen is Cattleya's perception of thoughts?

Naturally, he understood her unfinished words.

A knowing glint flashed in her azure eyes, but she considerately refrained from pointing it out, instead asking, "So what should we do now? It seems we won't get anything out of Karuno."

Zhu Lan stopped and turned her gaze to the faintly visible mountain ranges to the north of Liyong City, her eyes sharpening once more.

"Since we can't get the answer from here, let's find someone who can! Xia You can't have gone far. Based on his travel habits and the information we got before, he's probably on his way to Fanba City or a nearby town. Let's follow that road!"

Her tone carried an undeniable determination, as if she wanted to transfer all the "anger" she had suffered from Karuno to finding Xia You and getting to the bottom of this matter.

Looking for Xia You?

Cattleya's eyes lit up instantly, as if she had fallen into starlight.

Isn't this one of the main reasons she came out with Zhu Lan?

Being able to "bump into" Xia You is much more interesting than watching the two champions play a game of riddles.

"Great idea! What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

Chapter 1327 Fanba Market

Zhu Lan and Jia Deliya reached an agreement and were preparing to set off immediately for the other side of the city to catch up with Xia You.

But they had only taken a few steps when a middle-aged man in a well-tailored suit with a conspicuous badge on his chest, accompanied by two assistants, hurriedly jogged over from the direction of the Hollywood administration building and blocked their way.

"Please wait a moment! Please wait a moment, both of you!"

The middle-aged man took a breath, his face beaming with a warm and respectful smile: "Excuse me, are you Cynthia, the champion of the Sinnoh League, and Gatria, the Elite Four member of the Unova League?"

Although the man was asking a question, his tone was very confident, clearly indicating that he had already recognized them.

Zhu Lan and Jia Deliya exchanged a glance, both somewhat surprised.

Zhu Lan maintained basic etiquette and nodded slightly: "It is us. May I ask who you are?"

"Great! We've finally found you two!"

The man breathed a sigh of relief and quickly took the two exquisitely made invitations from his assistant, handing them over with both hands.

"Let me introduce myself. I am the managing director of the organizing committee for the 'Pokémon World Championships Junior Cup'. My surname is Ishihara. We just learned from internal league channels that you two are coming to Liyong City. This is truly a golden opportunity!"

He spoke quickly but clearly: "Our committee is working hard to prepare for the upcoming Youth Cup tournament in Kagome Town, Unova. This is an important stage for young trainers in the Unova region and even the surrounding areas, aiming to discover and cultivate future battle stars. In order to enhance the influence and entertainment value of the tournament, we have specially set up the 'highlight' of the event - a high-level open demonstration match."

At this point, Shi Yuanyuan's tone became even more enthusiastic, his gaze shifting back and forth between Zhu Lan and Jia Deliya: "We have been looking for the most suitable guests for this demonstration match. Just imagine, what could inspire the younger generation or better showcase the style of the event than two top champions and kings from different regions joining forces to present a wonderful battle? This is absolutely a dream combination!"

Zhu Lan frowned slightly. At this moment, all she wanted to do was find Xia You, and she had no interest in any demonstration match.

But Cattleya was, after all, a member of the community, and she knew to some extent the weight of this youth cup.

"Please allow us to consider it." Before Zhu Lan could speak, Jia Deliya agreed first. "We have important matters to attend to right now. Once we've dealt with them, we can give you a definite answer."

Hearing this answer, Mr. Shi was somewhat disappointed, but he also expressed his understanding.

“We fully understand that your schedules are precious, but right now there are really no more suitable candidates than the two of you for the demonstration match. It will only take up very little of your time, and this is not only an invitation to the event, but also a sincere request from the United Alliance.”

Having come this far, and seeing that the other party represented the league's official competition committee, Zhu Lan knew she would have no choice but to agree after a moment's hesitation.

Although this is Unova, and as the Sinnoh Champion, she could have completely ignored what was happening here, given her personality, since she had encountered this situation, there was no reason for her to refuse.

"...When exactly is the demonstration match scheduled?"

Shi Yuan, the director, was overjoyed and quickly replied, "We are still in the midst of intensive preparations, but the framework has been finalized. Here are the detailed dates, locations, and itinerary for your review!"

As he spoke, he took the documents handed to him by his assistant and passed them to Zhu Lan and Jia Deliya.

Zhu Lan took the document and quickly glanced at it.

Kagome Town in the Eastern Alliance...

Well, there's still some time, so it won't affect their search for Xia You now.

“Alright,” Zhu Lan said calmly as she accepted the invitation and documents. “We accept the invitation. As for the specific details, we will discuss them with you after we finish our business.”

"Thank you so much! Thank you both so much for your support! This is definitely the biggest highlight of this year's Youth Cup!" Director Shi bowed repeatedly, his joy overflowing.

After seeing off the grateful committee members, Zhu Lan looked at Jia Deliya and waved the invitation in her hand: "It seems that our 'vacation' itinerary will have to be expanded to include a work item."

Cattleya smiled nonchalantly: "Isn't this just a microcosm of our daily lives?"

-

After crossing the snow-capped mountains, Xia You and her group arrived in Fanba City on the afternoon of the second day.

Fanba City is known as the gateway to the Unova region.

Although both are important port cities in Unova, Flying Cloud City is different because it mainly focuses on passenger transport. Strong winds are always present here, so sailing is very popular. The port is also used for berthing cargo ships and fishing boats.

Moreover, the city is clean and tidy. Although it is not far from Liyong City, separated only by a mountain, it is a completely different feeling.

The air is fresh, the sea is azure, and everywhere you look there are breathtaking views.

As is customary, and following the principle of prioritizing Xia You, since we're already here and it's still early, the first thing we should do is naturally challenge the official gym here.

The Fanba Dojo is located in the northern suburbs of Fanba City, not in the city center. From a distance, it doesn't look like a dojo at all, but rather like a... desert-style museum!

Not only does it look similar, but its color scheme is also the earthy yellow of the desert.

The gym leader of this gym is Kiku, a man who is proficient in Ground-type Pokémon, likes minerals, and has a somewhat Native American look. He is slightly overweight and rugged.

To Xia You's surprise, when they arrived, they were turned away at the door.

Kiku-sama isn't even at the dojo.

The dojo's gates were locked, and not only that, there wasn't even a notice; no one knew where the people had gone.

"What's going on? It's only 10 a.m., which is when the dojo should be opening. Why is there no one here?"

Xiao Guang looked at the tightly closed, heavy stone door, then at the Pokémon Watch, and stomped his foot in frustration.

"The gym leader here is so irresponsible! He should at least leave some information, otherwise how are we supposed to know how long we have to wait? If he never comes, we won't even be able to challenge the gym!"

Indeed, just as Xiaoguang said.

The gyms that Xia You used to visit weren't always empty-handed. For example, Rika would sometimes go to her perfume shop, and Cai Zhong would sometimes go to the Eternal Forest. But no matter what, before leaving the gym, they would leave a message to inform potential challengers when they would return.

After all, the owner is also human, and there will always be times when he has to go out temporarily or deal with urgent matters.

But there wasn't a single piece of information here.

That's really unacceptable.

Therefore, Xia Youcai is not very willing to deal with this kind of 'unique' man.

"Looks like we're not having much luck today." Yami comforted Xiaoguang and smiled. "Since the curator isn't here, there's no point in us staying. Let's go back to the city first."

Xia You shrugged: "That's all we can do."

On the way back, Xiao Guang seemed a little downcast, not for herself, but for Xia You.

The dojo battle, which should have gone smoothly, fell through, making her feel truly sorry for Xia You.

Hmph, what a waste of time taking so many detours!

Fortunately, her temper flares up quickly but subsides just as quickly.

Just after entering the city, she suddenly remembered something, took out a travel guide from her pocket, pointed to it and said to the group, "Wait a minute! I remember the travel guide said that the market here is very famous. Since we can't fight at the gym for the time being, and we're just killing time anyway, why don't we go and take a look?"

“I’ve heard about this market too.” Makomo also became interested, her eyes lighting up. “It seems to be the landmark of Fanba City. It’s said that although it’s not very big, it’s known for gathering all sorts of strange and unusual things and specialties from all over Unova, from ancient fossils to the latest Pokémon items, and even food and handicrafts! Dawn is right, since we can’t fight the gym battle, let’s go there and have a look!”

Makomo knows so much about it.

It seems that even though she is a PhD, Makomo is still a woman at heart, and women are naturally very interested in shopping.

"Fanba Market, huh?" Yami nodded, looking at Xia You. "Shall we go take a look?"

Makomo laughed and said, "Besides, the place is a mixed bag, so we might be able to gather some information about that Plasma Team destroyer!"

With all three women agreeing, what could Xia You say?

Moreover, the idea of ​​gathering information did indeed tempt Xia You.

He shrugged and laughed, "Alright, alright, I got it. Let's go then."

-

The Fanba Market is located in the southeast of the city, near the port. Even before you get close, you can feel the lively and bustling atmosphere.

It was a vast market comprised of countless tents, stalls, and permanent shops of all sizes. Colorful canvases fluttered in the strong winds characteristic of Unova. The sounds of vendors calling out, bargaining, and Pokémon cries mingled together, creating a vibrant symphony of the marketplace.

The air was filled with a complex mix of aromas: spices, grilled fish, fresh fruit, vintage goods, and dust.

"Wow! It's so big! So lively!" As soon as Xiao Guang entered the market, her previous frustration vanished. She excitedly looked around, her eyes almost unable to take it all in.

Bogaman stood on her shoulders, his little belly sticking out, looking around curiously.

The market's internal zoning seems to be quite deliberate. At the entrance, there are mostly stalls selling fresh seafood, local fruits and vegetables, and simple snacks. Further in, areas begin to appear selling various minerals, fossil fragments, strange collectibles, and old items. However, genuine and fake items are mixed together, making it impossible to distinguish between them.

Further inside, there are relatively formal shops selling Pokémon items, TMs, special Poké Balls, and even some ancient mechanical parts with unclear uses from other regions. You can even see some counterfeit or obsolete products from unofficial channels, which is dazzling!

It seems that, just as the travel guide said, this place does indeed bring together different products from the Unova region.

Chapter 1328 The Agile Warrior of Justice

"Don't get separated, stay close together."

Seeing the large number of tourists and the complex environment, Xia You couldn't help but offer a reminder, while sharply scanning her surroundings.

Even without his reminder, seeing so many people and such a dense crowd, Hikari, Yami, and Makomo didn't dare to stray too far from him.

After all, if they really get separated, it won't be easy to reunite them.

Fortunately, once inside the market, the tourists were dispersed, making it less crowded, and the group was finally able to stroll around normally.

Yami was very interested in the stalls selling medicinal herbs and special spices, stopping frequently to ask questions. Makomo stood in front of a stall filled with various gears, wind-up devices and damage detectors, examining them carefully. Hikari, like a happy Togepi, lingered in front of various stalls selling cute accessories, special snacks and "mysterious treasures" of unknown purpose.

Xia You accompanied them, but half of her attention was focused on observing the environment and listening to the conversations around her.

He overheard several sailors complaining about how the recent strong winds were affecting cargo transport, heard a stall owner boasting about his "genuine artifacts unearthed from the Ancient Giant Cave," and heard trainers discussing the nearby legends of the Three Holy Clouds.

But none of this concerned Xia You; on the contrary, no one mentioned anything about the plasma team destroyer.

Of course, this is quite normal.

If someone were to discuss Team Plasma in such a setting, it would actually surprise Xia You.

Just then, a commotion broke out ahead, and before the group could look over, someone suddenly shouted.

"There's a robbery going on!!"

The sound broke the market's hustle and bustle, and people turned to look in that direction with curiosity. Even Xia You and her companions were no exception, following the sound.

Two strange men, one fat and one thin, dressed in white bodysuits with only one opening for their eyes and mouth, were seen carrying two boxes and hurriedly pushing through the crowd towards them.

Behind the two men was a stall owner with a look of surprise, shock, and anxiety on his face; he was clearly the one who had just been robbed.

Xia You's gaze naturally fell on the boxes in the hands of the two robbers.

They were just two ordinary insulated boxes, and judging from the labels on them, they seemed to be frozen products from some kind of seafood company.

Ok……

Are robbers nowadays starting to steal things like this?

Or is it that there are some precious treasures inside?

Just then, the two peculiar robbers ran up to them. Seeing some passengers blocking their way, the two began to curse loudly.

"Get out of my way!"

Faced with such a situation, most people would instinctively dodge, but this certainly doesn't include Xiao Guang.

You stole my things and you think you can just run away?