Elf: Starting as the Fighting Gym Master, and being entangled by Nancy.

Chapter 432 Sabrina returns, the Kanto and Johto gym battle is about to begin!
Kanto region, Saffron City, Fighting Dojo.

Let's turn our attention back to Li Xuan.

The live stream has not yet ended.

It still looks like it's on air.

The live stream was interrupted for a short while, and resumed as soon as Li Xuan finished his call.

[Master Li Xuan, what are your thoughts on the Quartz Conference in a few days?]

Some viewers in the live chat have already asked about the upcoming Quartz Conference.

Three weeks have passed, and there is only one week left.

Excluding the time spent on the opening ceremony and travel, Li Xuan actually only needed one more day to get there.

After all, the gym battles that truly determine the rankings are the warm-up matches held before the Indigo League officially begins.

"Personally, I'm quite looking forward to it. After all, there must be some good trainees among the coaches who are going to challenge the Quartz Conference this time, and I also want to see who will be the champion of this competition."

Even so.

There are many promising talents, but the gap in ability between them is still too large.

As far as Li Xuan knew, most of the contestants were still at the "baby" level, with an average skill level of just over 40.

Based on the usual practice, the Quartz convention is a back-and-forth battle.

It's quite visually appealing.

But here's the thing.

This year's contestants include a new "Royal Masked Man" who is guaranteed to be at least a King-level fighter, and whose strength is very likely to be at the level of the champion gatekeeper.

The strength of the Royal Masked Man is something those who know, understand.

It is already a force that strikes fear into the hearts of many dojo masters.

Currently, in the Kanto region, only Li Xuan and Giovanni are probably the only gym leaders who can rival the Royal Masks.

[Just a casual observer, but I heard that Xiao Lan, an apprentice at the fighting dojo, will also be participating in the Quartz Tournament. Do you think she'll do well?]

[I'm just a complete bystander, but how strong is that guy named Xiao Lan? I only remember he seemed to have a lot of Fairy-type Pokémon, and he got a beating from Li Xuan, right?]

[Little Blue: 6]

[You couldn't hold it in, so this is all you remember?]

"Little Blue? Um... If it's Little Blue, I think not being eliminated in the first round is a victory."

Li Xuan glanced at Xiao Lan, who was standing not far away, and said these words to the brothers in the live broadcast room.

Xiao Lan: ?
Li Xuan said this without any attempt to hide his true feelings.

Xiao Lan was completely confused.

What does it mean to win by not being eliminated in the first round?!
This poet?

Does anyone really want to be an apprentice like that?!
Li Xuan, you completely lack self-confidence!

Xiao Lan really wanted to explode with Li Xuan in the live stream.

She might not be the strongest, but she's definitely at the level of a typical gym leader.

In this situation, to still say that you were eliminated in the first round is just a complete disrespect to yourself!
"The gap between the contestants in this year's competition is still too large."

Li Xuan pondered for a moment, glanced at Xiao Lan, and gave off a feeling of disappointment and frustration.

"If you encounter a trainer like Royal Mask, I think it's better to fight with all your might before surrendering."

Li Xuan did not suggest surrendering upon meeting.

Instead, they wanted people to know the difference between them and the Royal Masks before deciding whether to surrender.

Who exactly is this Royal Masked Man? Why haven't we seen such a powerful fighter in the Kanto region before?

[Yeah, this royal masked man suddenly appeared, hiding his face and acting suspiciously. Could someone be a plant?]

[It's possible, or perhaps a powerful trainer from some region came to "smash" some other trainer. Do you think it's possible that Royal Mask is actually a regional champion who specifically came to participate in this Baby Cup to "smash" other trainers?]

[Huh? Surely no champion is really that morbidly funny, coming to participate in the Baby Cup fish-frying competition?]

[@Daigo @Ran @Leon @Mickey, what do you four say? Could it be one of you coming?]

【? 】

Two question marks appeared in the comments.

Daigo and Ran, who were underwater, surfaced and expressed their confusion at being suddenly confronted.

Okay, misunderstanding cleared up. Given their current situation, it seems unlikely they'll go to other areas to fish with explosives.

Daigo and Ran, one loves mining, the other loves archaeology.

It seems like I really won't have much time to come to the Kanto region to fish.

Moreover.

Would a champion-level trainer really enjoy frying fish?
Everyone was puzzled by this.

With such strength, why not challenge the Elite Four from various regions instead of participating in the Indigo League, a baby tournament?

If people found out, they would definitely laugh at me, right?

[Haha, I didn't expect everyone to be so curious about my identity. Actually, I'm a trainer from the Alola region. Of course, it's normal that many people don't know about the Alola region, since there's no league there.]

I'm only here to find some inspiration. I apologize in advance if this causes any inconvenience to the local trainers.

A netizen with the ID "Royal Masked Man" peeked out.

This drew gasps from the crowd.

[You're the Royal Masked Man? Tell us what Pokémon you have!]

[Yeah, yeah, you're a participant in the Indigo League now, so you need to register your Pokémon. Why don't you tell us about it?]

[Haha, what Pokémon do I have? Hmm, I'll keep that a secret for now. You'll find out when the Indigo League starts!]

The Royal Masked Man immediately went underwater.

Li Xuan thought the Royal Masked Man would give him a captain or something.

I never expected that after just casually sending a few comments, I would disappear without a trace.

[Hey, they're leaving so soon? Never mind, how about Gym Leader Li Xuan tells us which Pokémon he's going to send into this Gym battle?]

"Me? I can't say for sure. Oh well, you'll find out when the time comes."

Li Xuan also concealed the Pokémon he was going to send out.

Of course, anyone with a discerning eye knows which Pokémon he's going to send out.

It remains unknown when it will appear.

[Damn it, Li Xuan, you've forgotten your roots! Don't forget your roots, okay?]

[You used to tell us what you wanted to do, so why don't you tell us now that we're asking you?]

"Dude, that's all the Pokémon I have. If I don't send them out, who else can I send out?"

Li Xuan was at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

He lists all his Pokémon directly on the official website, and the Pokémon he sends out will definitely be selected from those registered on the website, so there's virtually no chance of any unexpected situations.

While thinking about this, Li Xuan focused on eating and drinking to the side, but didn't forget to turn his head and glance at his little Riolu.

"Mio~" (I already helped you out once last time, so if you want me to help you out again next time, the price will have to be doubled~ Hehe~)
Little Riolu beamed with joy.

It waved the leftover peach pit in its hand, telling Li Xuan about the fees.

Li Xuan: “…”

Well, with Reshiram and Kyurem on our side, we shouldn't need to send Riolu out to fight.

"Mio~" (Hehe~)
Little Riolu remained silent, only giggling incessantly.

"Alright guys, I'm off to pick up Sabrina! She'll be participating in the gym battle this time too~ Oh, and one more thing. Sabrina's latest movie, the Magic Kingdom series, is about to be released!"

"Those who are interested are welcome to support us. We will be holding an offline autograph session at the cinema in Golden City!"

Li Xuan didn't forget to tell everyone about Nazi's movie project.

Well, a small boost to the box office is a way of showing support.

[Frog Fun! I was wondering why that female villain in that movie looked so much like Miss Sabrina; turns out it was her!]

[Is Miss Nazi going to enter the film and television industry? I will definitely support her!] After chatting with everyone for a while, Li Xuan turned off the live stream and prepared to pick up the girl at the airport.

……

……

Golden City Airport.

Li Xuan had lost count of how many times he had picked up other people at the airport.

They're already quite familiar with the process.

Standing in a familiar spot, Li Xuan idly scrolled through his phone.

Soon, I came across a news article.

[Shocking! Quartz Conference participant registration open; top ten finalists revealed!]

Li Xuan didn't even look at it and just swiped it away.

This kind of news is basically nonsense. Even the previous list of eight major amusement parks was copied verbatim, which just makes people feel a bit ridiculous.

Huhuhu~
The sound of the plane landing reverberated in my ears.

Just as Li Xuan was about to walk over to pick up the person, he felt a surge of superpowers vibrating around him.

"haven't seen you for a long time."

Warm breath gently brushed past her ear, and Nazi had already leaned on Li Xuan's shoulder without him noticing.

Cool fingers slid naturally into Li Xuan's palm, and the faint fragrance unique to superpowered individuals lingered in the air.

Nazi's hair brushed against Li Xuan's neck, carrying a familiar touch that made his heart flutter.

"Long time no see! I was thinking of picking you up, but I didn't expect you to teleport here in an instant."

Li Xuan touched the back of his head with his free hand. He had been thinking about waiting for Naz and had forgotten that she was a superpowered person.

"You really do have a bad memory. So, what are your plans for today?"

Naz glanced at the time; she would basically be heading to Quartz Plateau tomorrow.

After the gym battles conclude, the Indigo League will officially begin.

At that time, the gym leaders from both regions will gather at Indigo Plateau as special guests to witness this fierce battle between top trainers.

Ultimately, the winner of the gym competition will face off against the winner of the Indigo League in a fierce, all-out battle.

The winner of this match will earn the right to challenge one of the Four Heavenly Kings of the Kanto Alliance.

If a challenger can defeat any one of the Four Heavenly Kings in a six-on-six all-out battle, they can directly inherit the title of Heavenly King and become the new Four Heavenly Kings of the Alliance.

It’s exciting just thinking about it!
Of course, Li Xuan might not necessarily choose a six-on-six battle.

It's still too much trouble and effort.

If possible, Li Xuan actually wanted to have a three-on-three match.

but.

The second half of the dojo competition, starting from the semi-finals, becomes a six-on-six all-out battle.

At that time, I will be facing a true champion.

Banmu, Liubo.

It's a foregone conclusion that we'll face them. As long as we don't meet them earlier, they will definitely be our opponents in the semifinals and finals.

"Let's not talk about the gym battle today. Let's go back to the gym first. I'll treat you to a welcome-back dinner."

Sabrina has come all the way back from the Unova region, so she shouldn't stay at the airport too long.

After we get back, we'll head to Quartz Plateau tomorrow and explore it after the competition.

"Okay. There's something I need to tell you when we get back."

When Naz said this, there was something strange about her eyes.

Li Xuan raised an eyebrow, naturally knowing what that look meant.

"Is that guy in the Unova region up to something?"

Li Xuan used his wave-guiding power to transmit his words into Nazi's mind.

"That's right, that superpower is too special. Even if I don't consciously try to sense it, there will be a subtle residual force that tells me something."

Sabrina was naturally trying to tell the story of Mewtwo.

That guy is either causing trouble or on his way to causing trouble, but there's something to be sure of.

After Mewtwo left the Unova region, the situation there improved considerably.

At least we don't have to worry about being suddenly bombed.

Team Plasma is no longer around, allowing the Unova region to fully dedicate itself to the reconstruction of Twin Dragons City.

"Mewtwo... that guy's situation is indeed a bit difficult to handle."

Li Xuan was somewhat confused about the current situation.

After all, Mewtwo's attitude is really hard to fathom now.

It sometimes lends a helping hand like an ally, and at other times stirs up trouble like an enemy.

This ambiguous stance, seemingly both hostile and friendly, is difficult to grasp.

"Ugh."

Naz sighed softly.

"Even my superpowers can't fathom its true thoughts."

As she spoke, a faint blue halo appeared in Naz's eyes, then quickly dimmed.

"Mewtwo's situation is like a hidden reef in a storm; you can clearly sense the surging emotions, but you can never reach the core."

If we were to give an example to describe Mewtwo's current state...

It's like a newborn baby curled up in swaddling clothes.

In its pure spiritual perception, good and evil, right and wrong, have not yet formed concrete concepts.

Just like before the first snow falls, the boundaries between mountains and ravines are indistinguishable.

Mewtwo's every move is as casual as a child playing with building blocks.

One moment a trainer might gently lift a fallen Pidgey with its psychic powers, and the next moment it might destroy the entire city because it senses the trainer's malice.

Those behaviors that humans perceive as contradictory are, for the infant, simply the most authentic response to external stimuli, just as an infant uses crying and laughter to explore the spectrum of emotions.

"To truly understand Mewtwo's situation, we probably need to have more contact with it."

Thinking back to when Mewtwo rejected him, Li Xuan knew that Mewtwo still lacked a sense of the big picture.

It doesn't know what it's supposed to do; it only knows that everything revolves around itself.

in other words.

Mewtwo felt that it was the protagonist of this world.

Everyone has to revolve around it.

Little do people know that everyone is the protagonist of their own world.

In cases like Mewtwo, it's still necessary to have more conversations.

Okay, let's talk about it again sometime.

……

……

A certain public sea area.

"Mr. Mewtwo, what's wrong?"

When Akroma saw Mewtwo suddenly stop, it couldn't help but ask.

"fine."

Mewtwo raised its eyes and slowly shook its head.

"I just feel that the wind is about to change."

(End of this chapter)