Elf: Re-employment of retired champion of Padiya

Chapter 767 Nemo Joins the Pokémon World Championships!

Upon hearing these two sentences, Luo Mu abruptly stopped, his face revealing an undisguised shock, astonishment, and terror.

Wait a minute, what incredibly lewd and inappropriate words!

Is this really something that a children's channel should broadcast?
at the same time.

The sound of Luo Mu pushing open the door also caught the attention of the two women in the lounge.

Nemo turned her head and saw who it was. Her eyes lit up instantly, and she excitedly waved and went forward to greet them: "Teacher, you actually came!"

"You've even sent me the invitation, it wouldn't be right for me not to come."

Luo Mu chuckled and ruffled Nemo's hair, his gaze passing over her and landing on the second person waiting in the lounge.

He wanted to see just how bold the woman who uttered those raunchy words was, but it seemed to be somewhat different from his imagination, even quite different.

Luo Mu's gaze met the curious look in mid-air.

She was a woman with a gentle and serene temperament, like a "Yamato Nadeshiko" (a Japanese ideal woman).

She wore a soft green traditional furisode kimono with pale purple vine patterns embroidered on the collar and sleeve edges, and a delicate obi embroidered with lily of the valley and Poké Balls around her waist.

Her jet-black hair was styled into a high bun, with an ebony hairpin inlaid with pink crystal petals inserted diagonally. A few strands of hair fell beside her ears, highlighting the fair skin of her neck.

Her meticulous attire shows how much she values ​​today's event.

Luo Mu knew that the person in front of him was probably Nemo's opponent today.

Based on her characteristics, her identity is already quite obvious.

However, by this time, the other party has already taken the initiative to greet you and introduce themselves.

"Greetings, so you are Miss Nemo's teacher? How rude of me."

"Please allow me to introduce myself."

With her slight bow, the white socks and wooden clogs hidden beneath her conservative skirt were faintly visible.

"My name is Rika, and I come from Tamaho City in the Kanto region."

"Currently, she works as a flower arrangement instructor at Celadon University, runs her own perfume brand, and is also the Gym Leader of Celadon City's Celadon Gym. She was assigned by the League to battle Nemo in the Pokémon World Championships."

Lijia's every move and smile exuded the elegance of a "lady from a prominent family".

This contrasts sharply with Nemo, who is dressed in a school uniform and acts very casually.

Ignoring the initial "opening shock," Luo Mu was somewhat amazed, wondering how long it had been since he had encountered a "normal person" with such proper manners and attitude.

Seeing that the other party was introducing himself so earnestly, Luo Mu had to respond accordingly.

He extended his hand and said:
"Hello, Miss Rika."

"I am Luo Mu. I currently run a farm and am also this child's teacher. I was invited here to watch the game today."

"Oh my, a farm, there must be lots of lovely flowers and crops."

Lijia covered her mouth and chuckled softly. She lightly shook hands with Luo Mu and then parted, calmly maintaining social distance and etiquette.

Just as Luo Mu was about to answer her question, Li Jia's words had already slipped out.

"Although it may seem a bit presumptuous to ask this, I would like to ask Mr. Luo Mu and Miss Nemo a question."

Upon hearing these words, Luo Mu instinctively sensed something was wrong and was about to change the subject.

But his movements were ultimately a step too slow.

Lijia smiled politely, and her voice, as clear as a stream tapping on a stone, rang out.

"Excuse me, do you like Grass-type Pokémon?"

Luo Mu: "."

Unlike the silent Luo Mu, Nemo didn't feel anything was wrong at all. Instead, she excitedly raised her hand, eager to answer the question that had just been interrupted by Luo Mu's arrival.

"I love not only Grass-type Pokémon, but all Pokémon!"

"I've also trained a sniper tree owl myself!"

"Oh my!" Rika clasped her hands together, a perfectly timed look of surprise on her face. "I remember that was a Pokémon from the Alola region. It was very cute before evolving, and cool and reliable after evolving."

"Hehe, you're right, no wonder you're an expert on Grass-type Pokémon."

Even though Rika was praising the sniper tree owl, Nemo acted as if she were the one being praised.

However, her response relieved Luo Mu.

In short, as long as you keep going along with what they're saying, everything will be fine now.

Let's end this dangerous topic as soon as possible.

Following Nemo's words, Luo Mu said, "In order to cultivate crops, there are quite a few Grass-type Pokémon living on my farm."

"Oh, I see. That's something to look forward to."

"If you have the opportunity, please allow me to visit."

Lijia smiled, clearly satisfied with both of their answers.

Her behavior reminded Luo Mu of some memories buried deep in his mind.

He recalled that Rika in the original animation was very concerned about the things she loved.

When Ash and his friends were traveling in the Kanto region, they arrived at the Rainbow City Gym and perfume shop. Ash said something wrong and belittled Rika's favorite perfume, which angered her and she kicked him out.

The fact that she specifically asked this question probably shows that she cares about her rival Nemo's views on Grass-type Pokémon.

However, judging from her expression, she seemed quite satisfied with her and Nemo's answers.

as predicted.

After exchanging pleasantries with the two of them for a while, Lijia stood up and said, "Then I'll take my leave now."

"To be honest, the reason I made this special request to visit you is to get to know my opponent in advance."

"It looks like we're in for a really exciting match."

Lijia bowed slightly.

When she raised her head again, as the ebony hairpin with pink crystal petals, which was inserted diagonally into her dark hair bun, swayed slightly, a completely different aura emanated from Lijia's eyes.

Outside of battles, she is a gentle and warm "Yamato Nadeshiko" (ideal Japanese woman), and occasionally reveals her adorable side of habitually dozing off.

But just before the battle, Rika displayed the aura of one of the eight Kanto Gym Leaders.

—In other words, the "heroic spirit" that belongs unique to women.

Not long after Rika left.

Luo Mu didn't intend to stay in the lounge with Nemo the whole time.

After all, this girl is a legitimate champion-level trainer, and she has accumulated countless battle experiences since becoming a trainer.

Furthermore, he passed the highest-level championship test on his own and participated in the battle between land and sea.

This Nemo was no longer the nervous little girl she was during her first battle. Luo Mu trusted her completely, and after offering a few words of encouragement, he left the lounge and, led by a staff member, went to a more private spectator room with a better view.

The only problem is that he's not the only one in the room.

Luo Mu looked expressionlessly at the four people who were all looking at him, and asked, "What are you all doing here?"

The room, furnished with chairs and sofas, was filled with the most renowned high-level combatants from the Parthian region.

Ye Ci smiled, Hachisaku nodded seriously, everything was a pale green, and Xin Li crossed her legs and gave herself a cool "Yo".

Besides the senior figures, all the top stars and champions were present.

Are these people usually very free?

You still have time to watch the game?
Soon, Ye Ci, with a smile on her face, invited Luo Mu to take a seat and gave her an answer.

"This is, after all, the first official Pokémon World Championship that our Padilla region, together with the Kanto region, has jointly organized after communicating with the organizing committee."

"This level of attention is only natural."

"Oh, so you mean you have to fire a loud enough first shot, right?"

Luo Mu didn't stand on ceremony and plopped down on the soft sofa, looking out over the entire arena through the huge glass window in front of him, taking in the best view.

The arena, which appeared to be modeled after the arena in the Galar region, was very spacious, and the stands surrounding the arena were already full.

To be honest, Luo Mu didn't expect it to produce such an exaggerated effect.

They must be making a fortune selling tickets, snacks, and drinks, right?
It can only be said that having an alliance to promote your business has its advantages, unlike a farm that operates independently, which has not yet expanded to cover most of the surrounding towns and cities.

However, this also shows how much importance the Padiya League, or rather, its president, Ye Ci, attaches to this open tournament.

Once a reputation is established, the promotion of the "Pokémon World Championships" will receive an extraordinary boost in the Padilla region, saving a great deal of effort.

But there was one thing that Luo Mu didn't quite understand.

He frowned and turned to look at Ye Ci, the planner.

"I just ran into Nemo's rival in the lounge."

"I don't understand what the Kanto League was thinking, sending their Gym Leader to fight Nemo?"

Yes, this was the question that had been lingering in Luo Mu's mind.

In fact, as a gym leader who uses Grass-type Pokémon, Rika is definitely not weak in terms of raw strength; on the contrary, she is very strong.

But no matter what, she is just a gym leader.

Nemo, on the other hand, is a genuine champion-level trainer who has successfully battled the Elite Four with all her might, and even with the obstruction of Yaji, she is a powerful trainer who can be called a champion-level trainer.

Even though when he was a guest at Quartz Plateau, Damaranchi bluntly stated that Rika had the potential to challenge for the position of one of the Four Heavenly Kings, it was still not enough.

Is Damaranchi really getting senile?

She raised her hand and gently pressed down as if to comfort him, her tone calm.

"Don't worry, we've considered this on both sides."

“You’ve been to the Kanto and Johto regions and know the strong people there, so you should know this better than I do.”

Yeci glanced at the three people beside him, Hachisaku, who were staring straight ahead, and lowered his voice.

"As the league president and the top champion, I shouldn't be saying such discouraging things."

"But facts are facts."

"It is undeniable that as a long-established region with a rich history, their trainers are very strong, and the Elite Four are exceptionally powerful."

"Therefore, don't underestimate the carefully selected curator."

"At least Rika, who is seeking a breakthrough, definitely has the ability to fight Nemo."

"Let's wait and see."

Listening to Ye Ci's low voice as she spoke to him alone, a thoughtful expression appeared in Luo Mu's eyes.

It turned out to be the case.

Although she is "below the Four Heavenly Kings of Kanto", does that mean Rika has the strength to fight Nemo?
After all, Luo Mu's memories also contain things that seem to have appeared out of nowhere, and it's unclear whether they're part of the official setting.

It looks like something—

The four elite kings of the Kanto region all possess strength comparable to that of other regional league champions.
Regardless of whether this is true or not, at least according to Ye Ci, Rika, who is seeking a breakthrough, is definitely not as simple as she seems on the surface.

In that case, this match has quite a few interesting aspects.

Luo Mu raised an eyebrow and calmly awaited the start of the battle.

Soon, the host began to stir the emotions of the audience with passionate words.

The players from both sides began to enter the arena.

"Welcome everyone to the Pokémon World Championships regular exhibition match!"

"First, let's welcome the Gym Leader, Ms. Rika, who has come all the way from Celadon City in the Kanto region!!!"

Lijia appeared on one side of the passage.

She walked slowly onto the field, the sleeves of her kimono swaying gently with her steps.

As the camera zoomed in, her delicate features, unique to the Kanto region, and her attire immediately drew enthusiastic cheers from the audience.

He was receiving cheers from the audience.

Upon arriving at the designated location, Lijia gave a slight bow and smiled gently, saying, "Oh dear, thank you all for your hospitality."

Her voice was as soft as cherry blossoms falling in spring, yet it miraculously carried throughout the entire venue.

Of course, that was only thanks to the headset she wore in her ear.

Raising a hand to lightly cover her mouth, seemingly having waited too long in the lounge, Rika sleepily glanced around at the boisterous audience: "It seems the fragrance of Rainbow City has wafted here too. I hope everyone enjoys this match today~"

After finishing her entrance lines, Rika turned her gaze to the person opposite her.

There, a vibrant high ponytail swayed slightly as its owner ran.

Wearing the Orange Academy uniform, Nemo, radiating youthful energy, jogged out of the passageway.

The host immediately introduced enthusiastically: "As you can see! Gym Leader Rika's opponent is Nemo, a young genius who has risen like a shooting star in the Padilla region recently, defeating our Padilla Elite Four and Champion in consecutive battles and earning the title of Champion Trainer!"

In an instant, the incredibly enthusiastic cheers formed a tsunami of sound waves in the circular arena, one wave stronger than the next.

Unlike Rika, who came from out of town, Nemo's fame in the Padiya region became unparalleled after that live broadcast.

After the enthusiastic cheers from the audience finally subsided, the host announced with a smile, "Now, please release your Pokémon at the same time!"

Upon hearing this, Rika and Nemo exchanged a smile and together threw their Poké Balls.

"Show the world your uniqueness, Queen of the Night!"

"I'm counting on you for this too, Tauros!"

(End of this chapter)