Pokémon, Ash is going to become a perfect man from now on.

Since he was herding two sheep anyway, Ash didn't mind helping the other one out.

"Huh... Ash is going to teach Cynthia's Pokémon?" Jian, who had been standing by for a while, was almost speechless with surprise.

It wasn't just him; everyone present had a different expression.

A trainer who has only been away from home for a little over a year proposes to teach a future champion Pokémon—it sounds like a fantasy!

But if it happened to Ash, it wouldn't feel out of place at all, since he really did completely crush his opponent!

“Luca!” Cynthia turned to look at her partner, who immediately nodded eagerly.

For Lucario, receiving instruction from a Waveformer was an immense opportunity.

“Since Lucario has agreed, I certainly have no objections,” Cynthia nodded. “While I’m away from Sinnoh, I’ll stay with you. I’ll also entrust Lucario’s training to you… Ash, my mentor~”

She squinted her eyes and revealed a sweet smile, her mature charm instantly overshadowing everything around her.

"No problem, I'll do my best," Xiao Zhi replied with a smile.

So, as they were talking, Miss Cabbage was about to join the trip, leaving Ash's travel companions completely bewildered!

However, Lorelei had a big smile on her face and secretly gave Ash a thumbs up.

Isn't that a huge boost to my image?

That's the future champion of Sinnoh! And he's going to have to accept Ash's guidance!

Moreover, with Cynthia by her side, Lorelei doesn't need to worry too much about the future of the Orange Islands, no matter how chaotic things become.

"Then it's settled." Ash tapped Cynthia's Lucario on both shoulders with his arm, performing a simple apprenticeship ceremony.

"From today onwards, you are my apprentice. Let's work hard together in our training."

“Luka!!”

Chapter 280 My friend, Xiaoxia is mine~

With the addition of Cynthia to the travel group, Ash's team is growing larger and larger.

Xiaoxia and Xiaojian were initially quite nervous, after all, the other party was the future champion of Sinnoh, but they soon discovered that Sister Cabbage was actually quite approachable in private.

She not only takes the initiative to communicate with everyone, but also cracks jokes from time to time. There's no generation gap at all, let alone a huge one!

However, although Ash said he would teach Lucario how to use Aura, he didn't start right away, since he still had to send Nidorino back to Higanbana Island first.

Along the way, he also planned to take the Yuzu Gym.

Therefore, Ash specifically sought Nidorino's opinion.

The little guy had no objections, of course; in fact, it really wanted to spend more time with Ash.

Wild Pokémon mostly admire the strong, and Ash's command skills and personal strength are undoubtedly worthy of admiration.

Furthermore, there was another little dragon in the team who was in a similar situation. After chatting for a while, they became friends.

There's also Baby Dragon...

Nidorino, with his inherently competitive nature, was genuinely bothered by the fact that a certain baby dragon, less than a month old, was already stronger than him.

In short, the group set off again, crossing the strait to Yuzu Island.

Cynthia seemed to approve of Ash's approach of traveling the islands using only his Pokémon, rather than taking transportation, so she also sent out her own Water-type Pokémon... a stunningly beautiful Milotic!

Seeing such a beautiful Pokémon, Misty couldn't take her eyes off it.

For trainers who specialize in Water-type moves, Milotic is definitely one of the ultimate dreams!

Ash also had to admit that Cynthia's Milotic was absolutely both magnificent and powerful, a creature that could shine throughout the entire ocean!

Most importantly, it's also a top-tier (or king-level)!

"Ash, what you need most is time, but time is also the thing you have the least to lack." Noticing Ash's serious expression, Cynthia gently stroked Milotic's forehead and comforted him with a smile, "You've taken on responsibilities that don't belong to your age too early, and you see trainers like Lorelei and me every day, so it's inevitable that you'll feel too much pressure. You should learn to relax."

“Yes, Ms. Cynthia is right.” Ash nodded gratefully.

The pressure of achieving fame at a young age is indeed extraordinary, and Xiao Zhi sometimes gets caught up in it, unconsciously comparing himself to those veteran powerhouses.

Because that's what other people are saying about him.

People are keen to discuss when Ash, the rising star heavily promoted by Kanto, will be able to break through to the Elite Four and even challenge for the championship.

However, many people have overlooked the fact that Ash is only eleven years old!

Cynthia's suggestion was a small one; Ash didn't need to pay attention to the gossip and pressure, and just needed to get stronger step by step.

Believe in your talent, work hard with your teammates, and given enough time, becoming a superstar or even a champion won't be a problem!

...

The group sailed quickly and soon arrived near Yuzu Island.

However, just before landing on the island, Ash suddenly pouted, looking exhausted.

"Sigh, more boring things are about to happen."

"Xiao Zhi, what's wrong?" Xiao Xia asked, puzzled.

"I just saw the guys stalking us on the shore. They were probably from the Yuzu Gym." Ash shrugged helplessly. "I bet they're after you."

"Me?" Xiaoxia was taken aback, but then quickly thought of the brother and sister from last time.

The show-off brother and the scheming sister seem to have some ulterior motives towards me...

Thinking of this, Xiaoxia glanced at Xiaozhi, but found that he didn't have any special reaction at all, and she couldn't help but start to feel anxious.

Ash, surely he doesn't care about this kind of thing at all...?

The group chose a flat beach near the pier to dock. Before Xiao Zhi could even stand properly, many colorful ribbons burst open around them, followed by a group of people holding flowers and speakers who swarmed around him.

"Sister Xia!" The fastest runner among them was the museum owner's younger sister, Mary. Taking advantage of the fact that she was a child and no one would stop her, she easily dragged Xia away from the group!

Immediately afterwards, a cry of an eagle suddenly came from the sky, and a Pied eagle flew by swiftly, dropping a package on Xiaoxia's head.

The package was opened by several silk threads, and only then did everyone realize that it contained a pure white wedding dress!

It was floating gently, about to land on Xiaoxia, while the people who rushed over were all preparing to help Xiaoxia put on her clothes!

"What are you doing?!" The sudden commotion startled Xiaoxia. She tried to break free, but Mary held her hand tightly, preventing her from making any significant movements…

Just then, an invisible ripple of superpowers suddenly spread outwards, freezing the wedding dress that had fallen from the sky, as well as all the guys who were baring their teeth and claws, in place!

"Don't be afraid, I'm here~" In a scene where time seemed to stand still, Ash walked up to Misty and, in front of everyone, took her hand and brought her back to his side.

slap~

After a crisp snap of the fingers, the bound people regained their mobility, but the heroine was nowhere to be seen in the crowd, leaving only a wedding dress lying on the ground.

"Hey, what do you mean by this? Why are you ruining my carefully prepared ceremony?!"

Yuzu Gym Leader Ayi rushed out in a hurry, dressed in a very formal suit and tuxedo, looking...

Like an emcee~

The guy looked furious, clearly unhappy that Ash had ruined his planned ritual.

"I think I'm the one who should be asking this question," Xiao Zhi retorted coldly. "Do you even know what a wedding dress represents? You just throw it on any girl like that?!"

"Of course I know!" A-Yi said matter-of-factly. "This is a ceremony I specially prepared. I will be getting married to Miss Xiaoxia here. You are very lucky to have been invited as guests~"

"Sister Xia, please stay!" Mary leaned closer to Xia again, grabbing her hand and shaking it repeatedly. "Marry my brother, then I'll have a sister."

This little girl... well, how should I put it?

If Xiaogang had a sister like that, he'd either find a girlfriend instantly or end up in jail in a flash…

"Hey, since you want a sister so badly, how about I give you an idea?" Lila, unable to stand it any longer, suddenly interjected, "I'll have my brother reluctantly marry you, and then I guarantee you'll have a whole bunch of sisters in no time!"

"Are you kidding me?!" Seeing his sister at a loss, A-Yi's face immediately darkened.

"You started this joke!" Lila retorted without holding back. "I've noticed that the owners of Orange Island are all so self-important. We've only met once, why would Xiaoxia marry you? Besides... she's my brother's girlfriend!"

"What did you say?!" Ah Yi and his sister were both dumbfounded.

"Xiaoxia is Xiaozhi's...girlfriend?" Xiaojian was also stunned at this moment, he had no idea about this at all.

"Oh my, something fun has happened~" Cynthia had an expression that suggested she was enjoying the show.

Traveling was something that happened many years ago for her, so it's quite nice to relive those fun experiences now.

But Xiaoxia was the most shocked.

Lila's statement is completely fabricated. While she and Ash may have a flirtatious relationship, they haven't actually decided whether to take it further...

Moreover, given the situation around Ash, it would be very difficult for Misty to take the initiative.

But if Ash takes the initiative, she might consider it...

She glanced at Ash again, but this time her gaze was caught by him.

Seeing the faint smile on Xiaozhi's lips, Xiaoxia suddenly felt no longer worried about anything.

That's right, he won't let himself down!

"Hey, are you even a man? Don't you have anything to say?!" Seemingly annoyed by Xiaozhi and Xiaoxia's 'flirting', Ayi urged them impatiently.

"Nothing... I was just thinking, how could you do something like this in broad daylight? Is your IQ really high enough to be a gym leader?" Ash suddenly showed a disdainful expression and mocked, "How about I give you a test... Use Misty, friend, I, is, to make a sentence and see."