I caught a Pokémon

Xiao Guang couldn't help but stop and listen for a while.

"It sounds so beautiful," she said softly, as if afraid of disturbing the performance.

Yami nodded: "Now everyone plays pop music, which is very fast-paced. It's getting harder and harder to hear classical music, and... hardly anyone takes the time to appreciate it."

“That’s true,” Makomo added with a smile, “just like the restless hearts of people today.”

The performance lasted for more than ten minutes, ending with a long, drawn-out note. The audience applauded, and the performers smiled and bowed in gratitude.

Xia You left some money, and then the group continued walking.

After walking a few steps, Xiao Guang suddenly remembered something and turned to ask Zhengu.

"By the way, Makomo-neechan, why is this place called Twin Dragon City? Is it because there are two dragons here?"

Makomo paused for a moment, then opened her notebook and quickly flipped through a few pages.

She paused for a moment.

“This…” She pushed up her glasses, her tone carrying a rare hint of hesitation, “It’s not clearly recorded in the documents.”

"Huh?" Hikaru blinked. "You don't even know Makomo-neechan?"

Makomo shook her head and closed her notebook.

"There are many theories about the origin of the name Shuanglong City. Some say it is because there were two dragons guarding the place in ancient times, some say it is because the city's terrain resembles two coiled dragons, and some say it is because two dragon masters once came from here... but none of these theories have conclusive evidence to support them."

She paused, looking at the ancient buildings in the distance that seemed out of place in the bustling city.

"Perhaps it's because it's too ancient; its true origin is impossible to verify."

Xiao Guang nodded as if he understood, then looked at the ancient towers and modern high-rises.

"The past and the future are intertwined... I don't even know why it's called that, it feels so mysterious."

“That’s the charm of history,” Yami said gently. “Some things are even more fascinating because we don’t know them.”

As Xia You listened to their conversation, the image of that blonde woman resurfaced in her mind.

If Cynthia were here, she would definitely know these ancient legends by heart. Well, no, she is, after all, a Sinnoh native, and wouldn't know much about Twin Dragons City. But one thing is certain: she would be interested in this place.

Hmm... I'm interested in the history and mythology related to Shuanglong City.

With a smile, Xia You stopped thinking about her and continued walking forward with the others.

Once you enter the city center, the streets become even more lively.

Since it was still early, and in order not to waste time, they discussed it and decided to go directly to the Twin Dragons Dojo.

Like most dojos, the Twin Dragons Dojo is not located in the city center, but in the suburbs. This means that Xia You and his friends have to travel through the entire Twin Dragons City to get there.

Upon hearing that they would have to cross the city again, Hikaru sighed helplessly: "We're going to have to walk even more. Why isn't the Twin Dragons Dojo located in the suburbs on our side, but on the other side of the city? This is really unlucky."

“We have to look at things from both sides,” Makomo said with a smile. “If we come here from the west, the gym will indeed be closer to us, but similarly, if we want to continue west to Snowflake City, we will also have to pass through Twin Dragons City. In the end, it’s all the same.”

Xiao Guang thought about it and realized that it made sense, so he stopped paying attention to that and instead asked, "Who is the owner of that place?"

“It’s Shaka.” This time, it wasn’t Makomo who answered Hikari, but Xia You. Xia You said softly, “Just like the name of this city, Shaka is proficient in Dragon-type Pokémon and is a Dragon-type Pokémon Master. Also… although he is from Twin Dragons City, he also comes from Dragon Country and is a Master in Dragon Country.”

Upon hearing the name "Dragon's Village," the group reacted in various ways, all simultaneously recalling the girl named Langley.

No wonder she was catching Pokémon nearby!

So Dragon Village is located in SsangYong City!

Xiao Guang asked curiously, "Is Dragon Village near Shuanglong City?"

Xia You nodded: "I know of two Dragon Villages. One is Blacksmith City in the Johto region, and the other is Twin Dragon City. They are both called Dragon Villages and are famous for producing Dragon-type trainers. Of course, there are also some Meteorites who are also good at Dragon-type Pokémon."

"Then he must be very strong?"

“Of course.” Xia You nodded. “The Twin Dragons Gym is a long-established gym, and Xia Ka is also a long-established gym leader. His strength is beyond doubt. I think that among all the gym leaders in the Unova region, he has the most experience and the strongest strength.”

"So that's how it is."

Talking about Dragon Village and Langley, the group crossed the city and, following the navigation, finally arrived at the Twin Dragons Gym on the other side of the city in a slightly secluded area.

From a distance, Shuanglong Dojo looks like a spire made of piled stones.

The building is over ten meters high, looks quite sturdy and solid, and is simple in style.

Apart from a huge Pokémon League structure outside the gate, there are two enormous dragon bodies decorating the left and right sides of the gate, which look very majestic and impressive.

At least when the group arrived at the door, they were all drawn to the two stone dragons.

"So that's what the Twin Dragons Dojo means, two dragons."

After passing through the stone path, the group entered the dark building. The interior was just as rugged as the exterior, making it feel as if they had stepped back into the Middle Ages.

Fortunately, once they stepped into the front, they finally saw some modern things.

A staff member was sitting behind the bar. When he saw the group of people walk in, he quickly stood up and gave them a professional smile.

"Welcome to the Twin Dragons Gym! Are you here for a challenge?"

Xia You nodded: "Yes, I want to challenge Mr. Xia Ka."

The staff member immediately looked apologetic.

"We're very sorry, but you need to make a reservation in advance to challenge this gym."

"Reservation?" Hikari blinked. "Another reservation? What about the Unova Gym..."

Seeing that she seemed somewhat 'dissatisfied', the staff patiently explained: "The situation at the Shuanglong Gym is rather special. Our Gym Leader, Mr. Shaka, is not only the Gym Leader but also the Mayor of Shuanglong City. He has a lot of official business to handle, so challenges need to be scheduled and handled in a concentrated manner."

Xiaoguang, Yami, and Zhengu looked at each other in bewilderment.

mayor?

Is the museum owner also a mayor?

It has to be said that these dojo owners have a really wide variety of side jobs.

There are teachers, scholars, surfing enthusiasts, fashion designers, models, and now a mayor...

Compared to the others, Xia You was quite calm.

After all, he already knew about Shaka's other identity before he came. He was just here to see if he could have a chance to challenge Shaka directly.

But now it seems...

"Okay, then I'll make the appointment first."

The staff entered Xia You's information into the computer and said with a smile, "Mr. Xia Ka will be at the dojo at nine o'clock tomorrow morning to handle the battle matters. If it is convenient for you, you can come here at that time."

Xia You nodded: "Okay."

The staff member operated the computer for a while and then nodded to Xia You in confirmation.

"Your reservation has been successfully made. Please arrive at the dojo before 9:00 AM tomorrow. If you are late, you will have to wait until the next day. Please be sure to arrive on time."

Chapter 1381 Makomo: I Have a Bold Idea

As he walked out of the gym, Xiao Guang glanced back at the increasingly distant Stone Dragons and couldn't help but sigh, "I never imagined that the gym leader here is also the mayor! Isn't the mayor's job very busy? Does he still have time to be the gym leader?"

"Perhaps it's precisely because he's so capable that he can handle two jobs at the same time," Yami smiled gently.

“But I heard that this dojo is going to close temporarily,” Makomo suddenly said.

All eyes turned to her.

Makomo pushed up her glasses, recalling the information she had found earlier: "It seems that his energy is limited, and he is also getting old. He wants to leave the opportunity to the younger generation. It is said that the Twin Dragons Gym will be closed soon and will not reopen until a new gym leader takes office."

"Aren't we incredibly lucky?!" Xiao Guang's eyes lit up, completely forgetting the unpleasantness she had just experienced due to the reservation. "Didn't Xia You just say that Shaka is the strongest Gym Leader in the Unova region? Being able to fight him is definitely much better than those newly appointed Gym Leaders!"

“That makes sense.” Xia You smiled as well. “It’s lucky we came at this time. We only had an appointment. Who knows, this dojo might close next month or even next week. If we waited then, we would have really missed it.”

Since we can't fight at the dojo today, we'll just have to stay here for the night.

The group chatted and laughed as they walked back the way they came towards the Pokémon Center.

However, they had only gone halfway when the sky suddenly became visibly dark.

Xiao Guang looked up at the sky: "Huh? It was sunny just now, how come suddenly—"

Before he could finish speaking, large raindrops began to pelt down on him.

Everything happened too suddenly.

"Run!" Xia You grabbed Ya Mi's hand and rushed forward first.

Hikaru also grabbed Pogaman, who was about to jump, while Makomo protected the backpack. The group ran through the splashing water in the sudden downpour.

No one noticed them, and no one cared about them, because the pedestrians on the street were just like them, scrambling to find shelter from the rain.

In such a torrential downpour, everyone is equal.

By the time they finally managed to rush into the Pokémon Center, they were already soaked to the bone.

Xiao Guang looked like a drowning Bogarman, her hair plastered to her face and her clothes dripping wet. The Bogarman in her arms, however, seemed quite happy, flailing its arms and barking joyfully, clearly enjoying the weather.

Clearly, in her panic, Xiao Guang had forgotten that it was a Water-type Pokémon.

Looking at each other, the group suddenly burst into laughter.

They laughed at their comical appearance.

They also laughed at how they could still enjoy their youth in such rain.

Hmm... I also laughed at them for still being able to run, running so far in one go.

As Yami gently wrung out the water from Xia You's sleeves, she looked at the others with concern and said, "Go take a hot shower, or you'll catch a cold."

Makomo's glasses were fogged up, her clothes were soaked, revealing her beautiful figure underneath, and her hair was a mess, sticking to her face. She looked extremely disheveled. She took off her glasses and wiped them, as if only then could she see the situation clearly.

Obviously... she was just running around aimlessly.

Xia You was fine; her physical condition was such that getting a little rained on was no big deal for her. But after checking in, she urged the others to hurry back to their rooms.

As usual, Xia You and Ya Mi lived together, while Makomo and Xiao Guang lived in the same room.

As soon as she entered the room, Hikaru took off her wet clothes and rushed into the bathroom with Pogaman in her arms. Her cheerful voice came through the door: "Makomo-neechan, I'm going to shower first!"

"it is good."

Makomo responded and began to tidy up her wet luggage. After all, her bag contained many sophisticated instruments, and it would be terrible if they got wet in the rain.

Fortunately, she had been protecting her luggage the whole time, and the backpack had some waterproof and moisture-proof capabilities, so the equipment inside didn't get wet and could still be used normally.

After a thorough examination, Makomo breathed a sigh of relief.

Fortunately.

She took out a towel to dry her hair, but her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the wall.

For some reason, she suddenly thought of Xia You and Ya Mi.

They should be taking a shower by now, right? After all, they've been soaked in the rain for so long.

But they are...

Should we wash them separately? Or... wash them together?

Makomo's cheeks flushed slightly, as if she were thinking of some inappropriate images for children. She quickly shook her head, banishing the thought.

What am I thinking?!

She took a deep breath and started looking for things to do.

After Xiaoguang finishes washing, it's her turn to wash.

The hot water washing over her body carried away the chill and temporarily calmed her chaotic thoughts.

After they had both finished getting ready, the rain outside still showed no signs of stopping.

Looks like I won't be able to go shopping today.

Xiao Guang leaned against the window, looking at the torrential rain outside, and sighed with some disappointment. After all, it was a rare opportunity to come to Shuanglong City, and they would probably leave directly after challenging the gym tomorrow, thus missing the chance to properly explore the area.

I probably won't come here again.

Makomo nodded, sat down on the edge of her bed, and took out her notebook and some research equipment from her backpack.

"Then get some rest. No need for training or taking care of Pokémon. Take advantage of this rare relaxation and get a good night's sleep. After all, you're still growing, so make up for what you missed these past few days."

After speaking, Makomo waited a long time for Hikari's response, and was a little surprised. She looked at the bed and found that Hikari was already asleep, with even breathing coming from her.