I caught a Pokémon

We absolutely cannot let her find out!

Makomo jumped up and strode to the window, opening it.

Instantly, the crisp, cool air after the rain blew in, causing Xiao Guang to shiver involuntarily.

“Look, I forgot to ventilate.” Makomo turned to Hikaru and smiled apologetically. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be doing this here, but as you know, it’s not as convenient as a lab. The conditions don’t allow it, and besides… these samples are quite old and seem to have started to spoil.”

Xiao Guang's attention was indeed diverted.

"Oh, I see. It's alright. I'll go outside and play with the Pokémon for a bit, like a post-meal workout. You stay here and do your research."

After leaving those words, Hikaru took Pogaman and left the room.

Seeing her leave, Makomo breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, we managed to get away with it.

However, it must be said that the smell is indeed somewhat... different, but what she smelled was not a pungent fishy smell, but rather more like... a very pleasant floral fragrance?

How is this going?

She clearly smelled that scent at first, so why does it seem to change the longer she smells it now?

Shaking her head, Makomo stopped worrying about it. After all, she hadn't smelled any other samples before and just considered it a normal phenomenon.

Moreover, for her, continuing in-depth research and discovering more secrets from the sample is the most urgent task at hand!

Chapter 1383 A Slight Form of Crushing Defeat

After resting overnight at the Pokémon Center, Xia You, along with Yami and Xiao Guang, set off early the next morning for the Twin Dragons Gym after breakfast.

As for the mushroom...

For some reason, she seemed to be working on some kind of research these past few days, and she seemed very engrossed in it. Xiao Guang said that she didn't sleep much last night, and after breakfast today, she went straight back to her room, preoccupied with some research. Xia You left her at the Pokémon Center and left with only the two girls.

After all, he's a Pokémon professor, so it's understandable that he might occasionally get so engrossed in his work that he forgets to eat and sleep.

I can come back to pick her up after I finish the gym challenge.

On the streets, all signs of yesterday's rain have vanished.

Except that the air quality seems to have improved a bit.

Following the same route, they arrived at Shuanglong Dojo before 8:30.

This is much earlier than the agreed time, which can be seen as Xia You's respect for the soon-to-retire strongest gym leader of Unova.

The two stone dragons at the entrance of the dojo looked particularly majestic in the morning light. After the rain, the ancient carvings were even clearer, as if telling the story of the past.

Passing by them again, the group entered the dojo.

The staff member was already waiting there yesterday.

"Good morning." He greeted Xia You with a smile. "You've all arrived very early, even earlier than the agreed time."

Xia You nodded: "A little earlier, so as not to be late and delay Mr. Xia Ka's time."

"Master Shaka hasn't arrived yet." The staff member checked the time. "He usually arrives around 8:50. You can wait in the lounge for a moment."

"It's troublesome."

The staff led the three through the lobby to an elegantly furnished lounge.

The lounge is large, but equally simple, with only a few wooden chairs and a fireplace, which is indeed a bit simple compared to other dojos.

This also shows that Shaka doesn't like running these kinds of things.

"Please have a seat. I will inform you when the curator arrives."

"Thanks for your hard work."

After the staff left, Xiao Guang looked around curiously, but there was really nothing to see. There wasn't even a window; it was just armor and a few stone sculptures of dragon-type Pokémon.

“These stone carvings are quite lifelike.” Xiao Guang approached one of the stone carvings and examined it carefully. “Putting the stone aside, the movements and expressions are really the same.”

Yami smiled gently and didn't say anything.

Xia You also walked around the lounge and finally found a magazine on a coffee table. But when he picked it up and casually flipped through a few pages, he saw that it was about the history of Twin Dragons City, the ancient legends, the unearthed artifacts, and the intricate connections between the city and Dragon-type Pokémon!

Not interesting.

Xia You tossed the magazine to Ya Mi, then walked on with her hands behind her back.

Time passed second by second.

When the clock on the wall struck 8:50, there was a knock on the door of the lounge.

"We've kept you waiting." The staff member pushed open the door and said with a smile, "Chief Shaka has arrived. Please follow me."

He said fifty, and he meant fifty. Shaka is indeed very disciplined.

The three of them got up and followed the staff through the corridor toward the battlefield.

When you push open the last door, a bright and spacious view suddenly appears before you.

What appeared before Xia You was a stone hall that wasn't too tall. In the center of the hall was a standard battle arena, while on the outer edge of the arena, there were no spectator seats, only large marble paving stones, dim wall lamps, and those equally majestic dragon-type Pokémon statues.

Standing here, a sense of solemnity washes over you.

For ordinary trainers, especially novice trainers, the atmosphere of the battlefield alone, even before the battle begins, is enough to make them feel tense and fearful.

Not to mention the stern-faced, dignified old man standing on the other side of the battlefield.

This person is Shaka.

The Gym Leader of the Twin Dragons Gym, the Mayor of Twin Dragons City, and a man hailed as the strongest Gym Leader in the Unova region!

Shaka was over sixty years old, with short white hair and a white beard that completely covered the lower half of his face. He was tall, well-dressed, and had a commanding presence. His eyes, in particular, were very bright and piercing, making him look like a very difficult person to deal with.

It gives people a sense of calm and stability, like a great mountain.

Before they even got close, Xia You's gaze met his, and they could both feel the sharpness of each other as strong individuals.

A staff member stepped forward to introduce Xia Ka: "Mr. Xia Ka, this is Xia You, today's challenger."

Shaka nodded and said calmly, "My name is Shaka. I've heard of your name and achievements. I didn't expect you to be so young, but you're pretty much as I imagined. You're energetic and confident, and you've already achieved such remarkable results. Your future is truly promising."

His voice was deep and powerful, echoing in the empty battlefield, sounding full of energy.

Xia You stepped forward and stood in the challenger's command area, facing him from afar.

There was no tension, no confrontation, they simply observed each other calmly, yet the aura emanating from them already filled the entire stone hall.

"I am very honored to receive such praise from Mr. Shaka." Xia You smiled gently, his youthful voice echoing in the stone hall. "I have heard some things about you. You are known as the strongest gym leader in Unova. It is said that many excellent trainers were your students. To be able to remain active on the front line of battles at your age and with such status is truly admirable from any perspective."

For Xia You, this was essentially a case of mutual flattery.

Xia Ka's praise of Xia You was likely genuine, reflecting his amazement that such a talented young person could so easily surpass the glory of his predecessors.

But Xia You's attitude towards Xia Ka was more of a polite formality.

No matter how strong this person is, he will be crushed by me today!

That's the confidence I have!

Upon hearing Xia You's words, Xia Ka smiled gently, a hint of emotion in his smile, seemingly quite satisfied with Xia You's humble and composed attitude.

"You've won tournaments in Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh. Now you've come to Unova, fighting your way through many Gym Leaders, and every single one of them was an overwhelming victory." He paused, his eyes becoming more serious. "Young man, your record is truly dazzling, and it has ignited my competitive spirit. So... I will fight with all my might in today's battle, and please be prepared!"

Yami and Hikari stood aside, listening quietly. Even though it wasn't them challenging the gym, they could still feel Shaka's determination and seriousness.

It seems that, just as he himself said, Xia Ka really does regard Xia You as an opponent of equal caliber, or even one who requires his full strength!

This made them feel honored.

After all, as Xia You's women and sisters, the stronger Xia You is, the more proud they feel.

Sensing Xia Ka's fighting spirit as well, Xia You remained calm, showing little emotional fluctuation.

Although he also wanted to fight the strongest gym leader in Unova, to be honest, with his current strength, he could only field some second-tier lineups at most.

That's enough.

After all, no matter how strong Shaka is, he might be comparable to the Four Heavenly Kings, but he's not at the level of a champion. And if he were to fight a champion now, he would basically crush him.

Especially bamboo orchids.

A double entendre.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, it was finally time to get down to business.

After all, Shaka is not Xia You. Xia You can do nothing and stay all day, but Shaka can't. As the mayor of Twin Dragons City, he has a very busy job and can't waste his time on gyms and battles.

It was only because he encountered Xia You that he was allowed to say a few more words; otherwise, the battle would have already begun if it were anyone else.

The staff member walked to the referee's area and coughed lightly.

"The Twin Dragons Gym Leader Challenge, challenger Xia You versus Gym Leader Shaka, is about to begin. This gym battle allows the use of three Pokémon. The match ends when all of one side's Pokémon are unable to battle! Only the challenger can freely switch Pokémon! Now—Gym Leader, please release your Pokémon first!"

Chapter 1384 Makomo: We can't possibly...

As the referee read out the rules of the game, Yami and Xiaoguang were already standing outside the field. However, since there were no chairs, they could only stand there and quietly watch the upcoming game.

Xia Ka was the first to take out a Poké Ball, and as he gently pressed the switch, his Pokémon appeared in front of Xia You amidst a flash of blue light.

It is a double-axe dragon.

Haxorus is arguably Shaka's signature Pokémon.

As a single Dragon-type Pokémon, Haxorus is covered in hard armor and has strong teeth that can cut through steel without damaging its blade. Most of its body is olive green with some black stripes. There are segments of spikes on its neck, as if protecting its weak points. The most eye-catching feature is the horn on its head that looks like a double-edged axe.

This Pokémon is about 1.8 meters tall. In terms of size, it is only considered average among Dragon-type Pokémon. However, it has a strong presence. Although its personality is relatively gentle among Dragon-type Pokémon, it is also very fierce when it fights.

Although this was Xia You's first time encountering this kind of Pokémon, he had heard that wild Haxorus could only be found in caves or abandoned mines, and that it would show no mercy to invaders, using its proud, sharp teeth to challenge and attack enemies, revealing its brutal side.

Faced with such a Pokémon, Xia You also took out the Poké Balls she had prepared in advance and released her team.

With a flash of blue light, his Dragonite reappeared.

As soon as it appeared, Dragonite shook its chubby body, its little wings flapped gently, and its round eyes looked at the Haxorus opposite it with its usual憨厚 (honest and simple) expression.

Off the field, Hikaru couldn't help but whisper, "Dragonite always looks like it hasn't woken up properly when it comes out..."

Yami smiled gently: "But it wins every time."

It's not hard to see that Xia You's strategy is simple: since he has come to the Dragon-type gym and is facing a strong opponent, he will naturally fight with a Dragon-type opponent.

As for why they didn't send out the newly captured Pokémon to train them, it can be seen as a sign of respect for Shaka, the soon-to-retire gym leader, and also as an acknowledgment of his strength.

Seeing Xia You's Dragonite, Shaka took a closer look.

Unlike Langre, who judged Dragonite's strength as weak based solely on its appearance, this is different.

As a Dragon-type master, he naturally has his own standards and methods for 'testing' Dragon-type Pokémon. No matter how you look at it, this Dragonite in front of him is indeed an outstanding one, even among the Dragon-type Pokémon he knows, judging from its aura, condition, and physique alone.

This made him nod in approval.

No wonder he achieved such results; he's truly an extraordinary young man.

Like him, his Haxorus was also staring intently at Dragonite, and Dragonite returned the gaze. It was as if invisible electricity was shooting out from the eyes of the two Pokémon, and they collided in mid-air.

The fighting spirit reached its peak in an instant!

Seeing that both sides were ready, the referee decisively gave the order, signaling the official start of the match.

“Double-Haxed Dragon,” Shaka said, his voice deep and powerful, “show him our strength.”

As soon as he finished speaking, before either trainer could give any commands, the two Pokémon charged at each other.

As a non-flying earth dragon, Haxorus possesses exceptional physical attributes, which give it great speed and explosive power.

But Dragonite has better base stats, not to mention it can fly.

Flapping its small wings, Dragonite flew low and, in the blink of an eye, had crossed the center line and collided with Haxorus in Shaka's half of the field.

Just as it flew close to Haxorus, Dragonite suddenly turned its body, revealing its tail, and used its tail to lash out at Haxorus.

But just before it could strike the double-axe war dragon, the dragon blocked the attack with its two arms, then ducked down and retaliated with the double axes on either side of its head.

It's clear that Haxorus demonstrated exceptional adaptability and capability, but such an attack was easily neutralized by Dragonite.

The two Pokémon took turns attacking and defending, going back and forth, and in the blink of an eye, they had already fought several rounds.

Seeing the two Pokémon still locked in a stalemate, Yami and Hikari, watching from the sidelines, were both surprised and felt a sense of novelty.