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

Most of the people of Lapis Lazuli did indeed return to Lapis Lazuli City, but after some consideration, Rukia's mother decided to settle down in Kanaz City.

Xiao Zhi neither pointed out the lady's thoughts nor intended to correct them.

For now, he can only let things take their natural course.

Serena has clearly been corrupted by Blue, and with Higanbana always stirring up trouble... with those two around, it's going to be hard for Haruka and Rukia to stay out of trouble.

After all, they could even shout out those kinds of slogans, so to outsiders, their relationship with Xiaozhi was definitely established.

So, just like in Alola, if the girl minds, Ash will go and clarify things.

Conversely, he doesn't need to use a megaphone to deny it.

With the itinerary roughly finalized, Ash gave some instructions to his subordinates in the Champion's office. Coincidentally, Nakia also came to Celadon City to report on her work, and Ash had a private chat with her before leaving.

When I saw Naki again, she looked noticeably more haggard. She seemed to have lost weight, and her eyes always carried a deep weariness...

There are other things as well.

It's like the state of being after extreme grief, with a heart that has died.

"Miss Naki, do you need to take a break for a while?" Ash asked with concern.

“There’s absolutely no need for that!” Naki immediately shook her head in denial. “You can rest assured, Champion, I won’t let my personal matters affect the league’s work!”

“But in reality, you can’t do it.” Xiao Zhi sighed understandingly. “No one is made of iron. No one can withstand all the blows, not even me.”

“Um…” Naki choked up for a moment. To be honest, she had really endured too much since the day Ash was crowned.

First it was Wallace, then Ash; all sorts of rumors were rampant.

And then some guy said something like that on the road to the championship…

Previously in Lilycove City, Nakia did try to use Ash as a shield to push Wallace away... but now things have escalated to the point where they are clearly beyond her control.

"I won't comment on the actions and words of certain people... nor on your relationship issues." Ash first bowed his head to apologize, indicating that he had not offended anyone. "I just want to tell Miss Naki that as the champion, I have high hopes for you! And this expectation has nothing to do with the rumors flying around outside, it's simply because I trust your abilities."

“Champion…” Nagi stared blankly at Ash, once again feeling the importance he placed on her.

Naki rose to fame at a young age, and she once thought that the council members of the league valued her highly, otherwise they wouldn't have appointed her as the leader of the gym.

But later they discovered that it was only because Mikkelsen had taken a liking to her; the board members only truly valued Mikkelsen.

She had thought that Mikoli valued her highly. During that time, he was almost always by her side, giving her guidance and advice on various matters, afraid that she would make any mistakes.

However, gradually, that kind of 'care' made Naki feel suffocated, which was also the direct cause of their breakup.

As for the female trainers at the Crystal Gym, they are just incidental.

Ultimately, in the past, no one in Hoenn really cared about Nakia's abilities.

All they valued was beauty, and whether that beauty could seduce Mikoli!

But Xiaozhi is different.

Even though he was notorious in that area and had complicated relationships, his gaze toward me was always clear, filled with approval and appreciation... and now there was also a hint of anger at my lack of ambition.

Moreover, he allows himself to make mistakes.

Ash is an extremely powerful champion, so powerful that ordinary people can't keep up with his pace, yet he ends up becoming the secretary-general in Ash's office.

Many of the things he assigns are prone to errors if one is not careful, but he never criticizes anyone for them... unless it's a particularly basic mistake.

Generally, he would first conduct a self-examination, then carefully point out the specific mistakes and omissions, and ensure that neither party would repeat the same mistakes next time.

During this process, Naki also discovered that her abilities were actually insufficient.

Not to mention Nanami and Rika, even Miss Biko from the Ether Foundation is far inferior to her.

Other people can complete 120% of the tasks Xiaozhi assigns, but I can only barely complete 80%...

Even so, Xiaozhi wasn't in a hurry, and he always encouraged himself, saying that he would be fine after adapting for a while.

This kind of inclusiveness and affirmation is unprecedented...

Naki suddenly realized that if she continued to be so dejected, she would be letting down the people who had trusted her.

"Miss Naki, I hope you can cheer up." Ash earnestly hoped for you. "Right now, you are like this League. You have great potential, but you are trapped by the pain of the past and can't move forward."

"These are just small suggestions... I believe you can be beautiful on your own and become even better. Admittedly, you will still face criticism along the way, but once you reach a higher position and possess the corresponding abilities... you will find that they can no longer hurt you!"

"Alone... is it beautiful?" Naki was shocked; Ash's words were like a wake-up call.

Yes, her biggest problem all along wasn't Mikoli, but her inability to prove herself!

Now that the opportunity is right in front of her, why should she waste her time being heartbroken over someone who is no longer worth cherishing?

"Champion, I understand!" Naki perked up, regaining her shrewd and capable demeanor. "I won't be stuck in this situation anymore. From now on, I will do my job well, so please don't worry!"

“I’ve always been very trusting.” Ash smiled and nodded, then flipped his hand and pulled out two more Poké Balls. “Take my Talonflame and Swellow back to Lilycove City.”

“This is…” Naki took it blankly, somewhat puzzled.

“Work is work, but a trainer’s training can’t be neglected either,” Ash explained. “Talisman is good at aerial combat and can help you improve… As for the other one, just think of it as someone who’s been stubbornly sticking to follow you.”

“This…” Naki blushed.

That day, Ash's bird was being a scoundrel, but she didn't turn out any better later...

However, I should be able to say that I have shed the shackles of the past and can now soar to higher skies.

"Thank you, Champion!" With that thought, Nagi composed herself and solemnly thanked Ash.

"It was nothing." Ash shook his head, finally revealing a satisfied smile.

In this way, he doesn't have to worry about things on the league side for the time being.

Chapter 962 Kaina City, the movements of the Water and Fire Organization

For Ash, it is essential to help Nakie resolve her inner conflict.

As Nakia's direct secretary, her work ability directly affects whether or not Xiaozhi can leave Hoenn to roam freely...

Of course, he also genuinely hoped that she could overcome her difficulties and become an even better woman in the future.

Xiao Zhi generally holds this view about women: the more outstanding and independent a woman is, the more unique her charm becomes, making her all the more admirable.

Although given his actions, he really has no right to say such things... Xiaozhi still feels that a woman's ultimate destiny is not necessarily with a man.

It's good to be an independent woman; at least you won't get hurt by a jerk.

The move from Seirei City to Petalburg City went smoothly for the Senri family. Everything had been packed in advance and was ready to be loaded onto the truck by the Mighty Moving Company.

Few people came to offer their greetings, and there was no chance of any farewell lining the streets. Even the die-hard fans from North Orange City only appeared sporadically, clearly demonstrating the coldness of human nature.

What was that saying again? The peak witnesses the hypocrisy of those who blindly support them…

Unfortunately, they didn't realize that Qianli's rise was a demotion in name only; he would soon return to his peak and reach an even higher level!

Leaving the city where they had lived for many years by car, it was inevitable that the family would feel a little sad, but soon they began to look forward to their new life.

Incidentally, the Senri family's residence in Kanaz City is rented; it's just a temporary place for them.

Once Qianli officially takes over as the Heavenly King, the Alliance will allocate a house to his family, so he won't need to buy one separately.

The houses were sponsored by Devon Corporation, and were at least villas.

This is considered a talent benefit of the Hoenn League. As long as a Champion or even a prospective Champion is willing to work in Hoenn, the League will provide them with housing and help them settle down, regardless of what industry they want to work in.

Ash does this in Alola and Ogawa, and he's not afraid that other leagues will follow suit. If they disagree, he'll just challenge them.

Moreover, this isn't just about retaining trainers from outside the region; it's more about motivating locals to strive for excellence. Even if it's not about saving face, it's about securing land... The Pokémon world also has its share of people burdened with mortgages.

...

"Phew...finally done."

After finishing the final arrangements, Xiaoyao looked at her bright and clean new house and breathed a sigh of relief.

But soon, she began to feel lost again.

I want to keep following Ash, but what should I do?

This problem not only troubled Haruka, but also Rukia.

She took some time to go home, and her mother gave her a lot of advice... Some of it she didn't like to hear, feeling that her mother was overthinking things.

However, Rukia is willing to listen to her mother's suggestion that she continue to stay by Ash's side... but she just doesn't know what she can do.

Even if she and May were tied together, she wouldn't be able to match half of Nachi's ability to handle League affairs for Ash.

Serena is as capable as three of them in taking care of Ash's daily life.

Moreover, unlike Higana, she doesn't constantly train hard to become stronger even without any goals.

Having lived this long, this was the first time Rukia felt that she was truly useless at everything except being a trainer.

And so, in this confused and bewildered way, they reunited, and Rukia discovered that Ash had already planned his next trip.

He always possesses unparalleled drive and always knows what needs to be done…

"Do you want to come with me to Slateport City?" Ash asked, seemingly noticing Rukia and May's hesitation. "I'm going there to meet up with Blue and Gary. After we resolve the Mauville issue together, I'll need to consider leaving Hoenn."

"I want to go!" *2

Haruka and Rukia spoke in unison.