Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

Seeing that Jiang Chuan didn't speak, Shan Dou assumed he was considering it, his eyes brightening as he took another step forward: "Young man, think it over carefully. Fighting isn't something you can master just by sparring..."

"no."

Before Jiang Chuan could even speak, Xiaoxia on his back exploded.

She jumped off Jiang Chuan's back, landed steadily on both feet, and then rushed to Shan Dou, looking up at him.

"Uncle, how can you be so shameless?"

Xiaoxia's voice was crisp and loud, exploding across the field like firecrackers.

She put her hands on her hips, leaned slightly forward, and looked like a cat with its fur standing on end.

"Our Jiangchuan-trained Inferno Monkey defeated you, and you come here wanting his Inferno Monkey, claiming you can train an even better one?"

She got angrier and angrier as she spoke, and her face turned red.

"You were defeated by Jiang Chuan, what right do you have to say that?"

The Pikachu at Xiaoxia's feet nodded in agreement, its little paws folded in front of its chest, giving her a "yes, yes" look.

Eevee flicked its tail and rubbed its little head against Misty's leg in agreement.

Although the white-haired monkey was crazy when it was boxing, it was actually very good to the two little guys in general.

When traveling in the wild, the fiery monkeys often climb trees and pick wild fruits to throw to the animals.

Sometimes the fruit is too high to reach, so Primarin just punches the tree trunk until it shakes, and the fruit falls down. Then it grins and picks them up one by one and hands them to Pikachu and Eevee.

So the two little ones didn't want Intense Monkey to leave either.

Pikachu took another step forward, called out "Pika Pika" a few times at the fan, and waved its little paws as if to say: Go away, don't you dare mess with my monkey brother!

Shan Dou frowned, turned to look at Xiao Xia, and his expression was somewhat impatient.

He raised his hand and waved it like he was shooing away a fly: "Oh dear, you women just don't understand fighting."

"You wouldn't understand..."

He paused for a moment, looked Xiaoxia up and down, and spoke with a sense of self-righteous contempt.

"You...you shouldn't speak."

After saying that, he turned his face directly to Jiang Chuan, completely ignoring Xiao Xia's presence.

That kind of disregard wasn't intentional; it was a deep-seated disregard stemming from the belief that women had no right to speak on matters of combat.

Xiaoxia was taken aback by these words; she opened her mouth, but didn't react for a moment.

By the time she realized what was happening and tried to argue back, Shan Dou had already ignored her.

She stomped her feet in anger, her little fists clenched tightly, her cheeks puffed out like a pufferfish.

"How was it, Jiang Chuan?"

Shan Dou rubbed his hands together, a smile spreading across his face, his eyes fixed intently on Jiang Chuan.

"Give me your Infernape."

Jiang Chuan looked at him, his smile still on his face, but his eyes had turned cold.

He spoke slowly and deliberately, his voice not loud, but every word was clear.

"Excuse me, Mr. Fandou."

He paused, then glanced at Xiaoxia, who was stomping her feet in anger beside him.

"I don't know much about fighting either."

These words were spoken lightly, but everyone could tell they were sarcastic.

Before Shan Dou could reply, Jiang Chuan continued speaking, defending Xiao Xia.

"However, what my girlfriend said is exactly what I mean."

Xiaoxia was stunned when she heard this.

Then, a surge of heat rose from my chest, burning down my neck to my ears.

Her face flushed red instantly. Hearing Jiang Chuan defend her so directly gave her a unique sense of satisfaction, different from the satisfaction of playing against Jiang Chuan.

Xiaoxia's cheeks, which had been puffed out in anger, softened instantly.

She pursed her lips, trying to suppress the upward curve of her lips, but she simply couldn't help it.

His lips were hooked up by something, constantly curving upwards.

She stole a glance at Jiang Chuan, then quickly looked away, her heart pounding as if it were about to jump out of her throat.

Comfortable.

so comfy.

Being protected by the boy you like in front of everyone feels sweeter than eating ten candies.

Xiaoxia couldn't help but puff out her chest, raise her chin slightly, and give a heavy "humph" to the fan.

That "humph" carried three parts smugness, three parts sweetness, and four parts "Did you hear that? My boyfriend said that what I say means what he means."

Pikachu and Eevee joined in the fun, one calling "Pika Pika" and the other humming "Eevee Eevee." The three little ones stood together, making disdainful noises towards the fan.

The fan was caught off guard by this barrage of retorts, and the smile on his face froze for a moment.

But he quickly reverted to his "I've been there" expression and waved his hand.

"Hey, Jiang Chuan, what do women know about fighting?"

He leaned closer, lowered his voice, and appeared to be speaking from the heart.

"You need to have your own opinions and not let women lead you by the nose. Fighting is a man's business; they don't understand it..."

"That's enough, Dad!"

A loud shout, like a lightning bolt splitting the fan, rang out.

Aimei stood a few steps away, her body trembling slightly.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, her nose was red, and her lips were tightly pressed together, as if she was using all her strength to hold back her tears.

But she didn't cry.

She took a deep breath, her chest heaving, and then stepped forward.

"Dad, please stop being so obsessed with fighting."

Ai Mei's voice trembled, but she spoke each word with great effort.

She stood in front of the fan, looking up at her father, who was a head taller than her.

"I thought that once Jiang Chuan defeated you, you would finally realize the truth."

As she spoke, her voice choked with emotion.

"I can't believe you'd do something so shameful as to directly ask someone for their Pokémon."

When the word "embarrassing" came out, Ai Mei herself blushed first.

That was a shameful red.

She felt ashamed of her father.

"Please come back soon, Dad."

Aimei's voice lowered, carrying a pleading tone.

"Mom is sick, and the dojo is going to have its license revoked..."

Her voice grew softer and softer until it was almost as if it were being squeezed out of her throat.

"Please, come back."

After saying this, Ai Mei finally couldn't hold back her tears, which slid down her cheeks.

But she didn't wipe it; she just stared straight at the fan.

Shan Dou twisted his head, his expression changing several times.

He was silent for a while, his mouth opened and closed, then opened again.

Finally, he spoke, his voice a few decibels lower than before, but his tone still held that stubbornness and unwillingness to admit defeat.

"I...I didn't ask you to tell me what to do."

When he said this, his eyes darted around, and he dared not look into Ai Mei's eyes.

"You're the one running the dojo; if it fails, you should reflect on your own actions."

Upon hearing this, Ai Mei's face turned even paler.

Shan Dou was completely unaware of his daughter's expression, or rather, he noticed it but chose to ignore it.

His tone became increasingly excited as he spoke, as if he had found some excuse.

"Let me tell you, Aimi, I've been winning a lot lately, and I'm about to find the secret to Pokémon battles."

He held up one index finger and waved it in front of Ai Mei, his eyes gleaming with an almost fanatical light.

"We lost today, mainly because that Infernape was too strong."

He paused, glanced at Jiang Chuan, and then at Fiery Monkey.

"The fighting techniques you taught Jiang Chuan are no match for me..."

Before he could finish speaking, Ai Mei suddenly erupted.

"dad!"

Her voice was so shrill it almost cracked, and the entire venue fell silent.

Ai Mei's body trembled violently, her hands clenched at her sides, her nails almost digging into her palms.

She gritted her teeth, tears streaming down her face, but her gaze was more resolute than ever before.

"You're completely unsuitable for Pokémon battles!"

These words were like a knife, stabbing straight in.

"You don't know how to train Pokémon either!"

Second knife.

"Those street fighters you beat when you were young were only after you paid them!"

The third cut.

"They deliberately lost to you because Grandpa is the dojo master!"

Ai Mei's voice trembled, but every word was spoken clearly.

"You're not a very capable person at all..."

Her voice suddenly softened, carrying an indescribable sorrow.

"You're nowhere near as good as Grandpa."

When Aimei said that last sentence, she was stunned for a moment.

She never imagined that one day she would say such a thing to her father.

From childhood to adulthood, she has always admired her father.

Although my father rarely came home, although he was indifferent to the dojo, and although my mother shouldered everything alone.

But she always believed that her father was out there pursuing the ultimate in combat, striving to become stronger.

She kept deceiving herself, telling herself that her father was capable and talented, and that he just hadn't found the opportunity to prove himself yet.

But now, she doesn't want to lie to herself anymore.

Shan Dou froze on the spot.

His expression looked as if he had been slapped hard across the face, or as if he had been doused with a bucket of ice water from head to toe.

His mouth was slightly open, his eyes were wide open, and he seemed frozen in place.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

"Heh...hehe..."

Shan Dou suddenly laughed.

The laughter was soft and strange, as if it were squeezed out of the throat, carrying an indescribable eeriness.

"You...you're talking nonsense..."

His voice was broken and intermittent, and the smile on his face became increasingly distorted.

"Hehehe...you don't understand...you don't understand!"

He suddenly raised his voice, as if he had been set on fire by something.

"What do you, a woman, know about fighting!"

He pointed at Aimei, his finger trembling.

"I'm almost there! I'm almost there!"

After he finished speaking, he hurriedly pulled a Poké Ball from his waist, and with a flash of red light, he recalled Hitmonlee, who was still lying on the ground convulsing.

Then he turned and left.

Their steps were quick, as if they were running away from something.

He kept muttering to himself as he walked.

"I will definitely become the P1 fighting tournament champion... I will... I will..."

His figure receded into the distance, and his voice grew fainter and fainter.

Finally, they disappeared around the corner of the venue's exit.

Aimei stood still, staring in the direction her father had disappeared.

Tears were still flowing, but she didn't make a sound.

They just stood there quietly, as if saying goodbye to something.

Or rather, it's like saying goodbye to something.

A breeze blew in from the other side of the field, ruffling her hair.

She sighed softly.

That breath was light and faint, but what it contained was incredibly heavy.

resignedly.

disappointment.

There's still a sliver of... relief.

Jiang Chuan stepped forward and stood next to Ai Mei.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but for a moment he didn't know where to begin.

After a few seconds of silence, he spoke, his voice very soft.

"I'm sorry I couldn't persuade your father to come back."

Even after saying this, Jiang Chuan himself felt somewhat powerless.

He wanted to help Ai Mei; he genuinely wanted to help.

But that old man from Shandou was as stubborn as a rock in a latrine, both smelly and hard.

One punch won't wake him up, and he can't be made to speak.

This kind of person, unless they hit a brick wall themselves, no one can pull them back.

Aimei turned her head and looked at Jiang Chuan.

Her eyes were red, and tears still clung to her eyelashes, but the corners of her mouth were slightly upturned.

She shook her head.

"No need to apologize, Jiang Chuan."

Her voice was a little hoarse, but very gentle.

"You've done your best to help me."

She paused, took a deep breath, as if suppressing some emotion.

"My dad is too persistent."

"It's okay, I've done what I was supposed to do."

After she finished speaking, she reached up and wiped away the tears on her face with great force, as if she were wiping away some weakness that shouldn't exist.

"After this, I won't worry about my dad's mess anymore."

Her tone calmed down, carrying an unprecedented firmness.

"I will do my best to take good care of my mother."

"I will persevere and work hard to walk my own path."

She paused abruptly at this point.

"Now, you are my only thought, Jiang Chuan."

These words were spoken softly, but very seriously. Xiaoxia, who was standing next to her, was stunned for a moment: What's going on? Why did it fast-forward to confessing to my Jiang Chuan?

"I want to see you win the championship."

She looked into Jiang Chuan's eyes, her gaze clear and firm.

Xiaoxia breathed a sigh of relief: Oh, it's winning the championship! I thought it was something else entirely~

"This way I can have the confidence to learn my grandfather's fighting skills well in the future and revitalize the Fighting Spirit Dojo."

Jiang Chuan looked at her, a slight stirring in his heart.

It's really not easy for this girl who loves beauty.

Her father was unreliable and her mother was in poor health, so the burden of running the dojo fell entirely on her shoulders.

If it were anyone else, it would have collapsed long ago.

But she didn't.

She kept holding on and kept trying.

Even when her father pushed her away, even when she was humiliated in public, she did not give up.

Now, she has finally let go.

It's not giving up, it's letting go.

She let go of her obsession with her father, and she let go of those burdens that she shouldn't have had to bear.

Then, I chose to go my own way.

Hanako walked over from the side, said nothing, but gently opened her arms and pulled Aimi into her embrace.

Her embrace was warm and carried a faint fragrance.

Aimi stiffened for a moment when she was hugged.

Then, she went limp and leaned against Hanako's chest, her shoulders trembling slightly.

She didn't cry out loud, but tears still streamed down her face.

This time, it wasn't tears of grievance, nor tears of anger.

It's the kind of tear that comes from being understood and accepted.

Xiaoxia also came up close, hugging Aimei from the side and gently patting her back with one hand.

"It's okay, Sister Aimei." Xiaoxia's voice was soft, like she was coaxing a child.

"We'll be there for you. If you encounter any difficulties in the future, just tell us, and we'll do our best to help you."

Pikachu and Eevee also came over, one on each side rubbing against Aimei's legs.

Surrounded by this group of people, Ai Mei finally revealed a genuine smile.

Even though there were still tears in the corners of her eyes, her smile was beautiful.

Jiang Chuan stood to the side, watching this scene, and felt a slight warmth in his heart.

He nodded without saying anything more.

It's good that Ai Mei can cheer up again.

On his side, he also successfully completed the task of "educating the fan fighter and refusing to send out the fiery monkey".

Next...

Jiang Chuan turned his gaze to the P1 Fighting Tournament venue in the distance.

The area was bustling with noise; the cheers, shouts, and whistles of the audience mingled together like a pot of boiling water.

Next, only one final task remains.

He won the P1 Fighting Championship.