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

He wasn't oblivious; Ash quickly noticed the girl's furtive glances.

Moreover, Xiaochun was clearly acting strangely. She was frequently stealing glances at Xiaozhi, and she would often blush and lower her head, looking like she was feeling guilty and shy.

Seeing their 'interaction', Hanako would occasionally reveal a meaningful smile, and even Professor Oak would have a kind face.

Clearly, they've all entered a "the more the merrier" mode.

Something's up...

The fact that the mother and the doctor acted this way suggests that they had seen Xiaochun in this state on their way here, and may have even confirmed some of her tendencies.

The problem is, is it really possible that just two packets of dragon tooth broth could have such a good effect?

After thinking it over, Xiao Zhi sensed something was wrong and went to find one of the parties involved... or rather, the culprit, before going to bed.

When the door opened, the girl inside had a smug expression on her face.

"How about it, aren't you surprised?" Xiaolan teased as she welcomed Xiaozhi into the house. She already knew that Xiaochun had stayed at the athletes' village during the day... and she also knew that Xiaozhi would definitely come to see her at night.

"That's quite unexpected... Did you call Xiaochun here?" Xiaozhi asked, somewhat helplessly.

"Of course, you've made it to the knockout stage, how can you not have a support group? Everyone is busy with their own things now, so of course I'll call whoever is available first."

She spoke eloquently to Xiaozhi, and what she said made sense.

Rika and Natsume need to stay at the dojo for the time being and prepare for a certain operation. They won't be able to come over until the semifinals at the earliest.

Nanami has been helping Ash run Kalos's branch office, so she must be overwhelmed with other tasks.

Even Serena recently went to a specialized trainer academy... She had previously complained to Ash for a long time on the phone because she couldn't participate in the competition due to the difficulty of getting leave from school.

However, all of the above are merely objective conditions, not the reasons that Xiaozhi wanted to hear.

"Blue...besides giving Xiaochun two packets of Dragon Tooth Broth, what else did you say to her?" Xiaozhi asked directly.

"This..." Xiao Lan was slightly taken aback, realizing that something seemed a little wrong.

"I told her about your encounter with Haruhi, and I even sent her a video... that was re-dubbed later." Xiao Lan told Xiao Zhi everything, and even showed him the video she re-recorded using a voice changer.

Hearing his own voice in the video, along with the lines that clearly showed affection for the person in question, Xiao Zhi couldn't help but twitch his lips in a conflicted manner.

That girl Xiao Lan, she can't stand not finding something to do.

"Uh...did I cause a problem?" Xiao Lan asked with some concern.

She was really just doing this for fun, and didn't think about it in detail at the time. She just felt that with Xiaoxia as a successful example, and Xiaochun already having a certain liking for Xiaozhi, it wouldn't hurt to continue to catalyze things.

In her opinion, it's good that another girl likes Ash, and it can also bring the entire Sakuragi Lab to Ash's side.

Besides, Xiaochun isn't an outsider. Didn't she already serve as Ash's support team during the Indigo League?

However, seeing Ash's expression now, Blue couldn't help but feel uneasy.

“This isn’t your problem, it’s mine.” Xiao Zhi shook his head. “After spending so much time with this little guy, I’ve gradually stopped telling lies… This kind of vague affection makes me feel a bit pressured, and I don’t know whether I should respond.”

Ash has absolutely nothing to hide from Blue; they are each other's most important partners... Sometimes Ash even feels that Blue is like another version of himself, or even more like the main character player than himself.

Xiao Zhi and she can talk about anything.

Recently, he has been traveling with Unown G and, with the help of Unown's abilities, has entered the inner world of different Pokémon several times, thus realizing the profound truth that 'sincerity is the most powerful weapon'.

As they continued to empathize with each other, Xiaozhi was also constantly reflecting.

The principle of treating others as you would like to be treated should not only apply to Pokémon, but also to people.

However, human minds are more complex than those of ordinary Pokémon.

For example, sincerity sometimes means directness; if one is unwilling to lie, it is difficult to be tactful.

Just like in the previous battle, after Ash won with overwhelming force, he couldn't bring himself to praise his opponent's Pokémon for being well-trained.

He also cannot act like a victor, pointing fingers at his opponent and listing all his strengths and weaknesses; no one would want to listen to that.

So, he gradually stopped talking.

After the selection committee and the preliminary league, Xiao Zhi would try not to say anything, at most remarking that the other party was unlucky.

It was only at this moment that he vaguely understood why Master Chi had such a taciturn and expressionless image... because perhaps there really was nothing to say.

Returning to Xiaochun's question, the girl has developed feelings for Xiaozhi, and many people have noticed this. Xiaozhi now knows the reason.

But Xiao Zhi couldn't solve the problem directly. At this stage, whether he agreed or refused, it would probably scare the naive girl... or even seriously hurt her heart.

Perhaps she herself isn't even sure about this idea...

"I see..." Xiao Lan pondered for a moment, then asked curiously, "Xiao Zhi, you don't dislike her, do you?"

"Of course I don't dislike her, and I consider her our friend." Xiao Zhi nodded matter-of-factly.

To be honest, Xiaochun is a really nice girl. She has an honest and simple personality, is cute and adorable, and is both likable and well-behaved.

Moreover, given her past experiences, Xiaozhi sometimes feels sorry for her, as she has wasted so much effort on a scumbag.

But they still had too little contact. To Ash, she was at most a friend, definitely not more than that.

"If you ask me, there's nothing to worry about." After a moment's thought, Xiao Lan suddenly smiled nonchalantly. "It's just a crush anyway, so let it develop... Since you said you consider her a friend, just treat her as a friend."

"But... we can't just drag this out like this, can we?" Ash asked, frowning.

He didn't like this kind of delay and was worried that if it dragged on for too long, he wouldn't be able to give a reply and would only be wasting the other person's time.

Moreover, he has always believed that the guy should take the initiative to clarify the relationship... If he really had feelings for Xiaochun that went beyond friendship, he would definitely have taken the initiative to suggest trying to date her.

"Oh, just trust me~" Xiao Lan patted her chest and assured him, "I caused this mess, so I'll definitely sort it out for you cleanly and I promise I won't hurt her."

"You?" Ash looked at Blue hesitantly, pondering the credibility of her words...

"Alright, you can check things out for me first." In the end, Xiaozhi decided to trust Xiaolan this time.

"Don't worry~" Xiao Lan said with a sweet smile.

She admitted that dragging Xiaochun into the mess was a bit inappropriate... but she has now sorted things out.

Xiaochun has developed feelings for Xiaozhi. Whether these feelings will turn into love needs to be confirmed by Xiaolan.

Even if her feelings for him turn into love, she and Xiaozhi won't be able to reach the level of friends for the time being... because Xiaozhi isn't the type to accept anyone; he has his own set of principles when it comes to flirting with girls.

Simply put, he must be the one to actively pursue the girl, and the girl cannot be completely devoid of any distinguishing features other than being naive and innocent.

This kind of thing is actually quite simple to solve...

"I'm going back now, you should get some rest." With everything finished, Xiaozhi also planned to leave.

But he had only taken two steps toward the door when he heard someone's teasing voice behind him.

"It's so late, can't you perhaps have some... other ideas?" Xiao Lan bit her lip lightly and gave him a flirtatious wink.

Looking back, Xiao Lan was leaning against the edge of the bed, looking at him lazily.

"Okay, I'm going to take a shower." Ash turned around decisively and stepped into the bathroom.

You want to provoke me? Then none of us will get a break!

"Wait...aren't you going to be a little more reserved?" This action startled Xiao Lan. "I was just joking. You have a competition tomorrow, don't let it interfere with your performance..."

"My competition isn't in the morning." A muffled voice came from behind the glass door... accompanied by a rustling sound.

"Ah this..."

Little Blue blinked blankly, realizing she seemed to have gotten herself involved.

Chapter 587 Top 16, Hu Land, Under Control!

The day after the break, the round of 16 officially began.

To ensure the efficiency of the conference, four all-player battles will be held at the main venue every day, so that the top eight spots can be determined in just two days.

Ash and Silver were placed in Group D, and their match was the second one in the afternoon.

So, after a wonderful blue nap, Ash was the first to see Kenta's battle in the afternoon.

I forgot to mention before that Kenta was placed in Group C... which means that if he wins this match, he will face Ash in the quarterfinals.

Considering the level of this tournament, Kenta's strength is quite good...

The evaluation is complete.

Ash would feel a little regretful, because Silver is definitely much stronger than Kenta now. If Silver hadn't drawn him, he might have gone much further.

He also realized that if Kenta was temporarily considered as Hibiki and Marina as Chris, then the gold, silver and crystal of the Johto region would essentially be eliminated by him alone.

...

"Huff...huff~" Before the start of the second match in the afternoon, Xiao Yin kept taking deep breaths in the player tunnel.

It took him a long time to fully regain his composure until the host announced the contestants' entrance.

"No matter what... we can't back down!" He clenched his fist and strode onto the field!

Ash was already waiting on the other side. He had pulled his hat brim down low, so Silver couldn't see his expression, only his cold and expressionless lips.

Today, Xiao Zhi was silent and solemn, like the ocean quietly lying dormant before a storm, ready to unleash a monstrous wave at any moment!

"Now we begin the Group D match of the Round of 16. Ash from Pallet Town (red team) will face Silver from Azalea Town (green team). Both players can use six Pokémon, and Silver will go first!"

"Mavila, go!" The first weapon Little Silver sent out was the once-renowned Dragon Slayer Blade.