Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

Jiang Chuan frowned slightly.

He really didn't expect it.

Miss Joey has been working on Crimson Island for so long, yet she has never even seen Blaine.

This is interesting.

A gym leader whose existence is unknown even to Nurse Joy of the Pokémon Center in his own territory.

Then there's only one possibility.

This Chapman deliberately hid himself.

Jiang Chuan had previously researched the information about the Crimson Lotus Dojo.

Blaine, a veteran Fire-type Trainer in the Kanto region, is considered one of the top Gym Leaders.

However, there is very little information available about what happened after he arrived at Crimson Lotus Island.

They only said he opened a dojo here, and then nothing more happened.

There wasn't even any publicity for the dojo.

Other dojo owners would love to hang their dojo signs high in the sky, and hold all sorts of events, take on apprentices, and put on exhibition matches.

But Uncle Xia is alright.

Few people even know where the dojo is located.

Even when it collapsed, nobody cared.

This is not called opening a dojo.

This is called living in seclusion.

Jiang Chuan found the old man increasingly interesting.

Honglian Island has seen such a booming tourism development in the past two years, with hot spring hotels and commercial streets being built everywhere.

The number of visitors has increased several times compared to before.

For someone like Chapel who longed for peace and quiet, this was a disaster.

Cinnabar Island used to be a quiet little place where he could focus on his research and occasionally host a few trainers who came to challenge him. He lived a comfortable life.

Now?

The streets were full of tourists.

The hot spring street was brightly lit and bustling with people.

The Pokémon Center was packed like a refugee camp.

That old man, Xia Bo, is probably hiding even deeper now.

They might have even hidden the entrance to the dojo.

Thinking about this, Jiang Chuan actually felt that this was for the best.

It's challenging.

You can just stand at the entrance of a regular gym and go in to fight. You win, get a badge, and leave. It's not very interesting.

Finding this hidden dojo is a challenge in itself.

Moreover, the more a veteran trainer like Blaine is reluctant to fight, the more it proves that he has real skills.

Those gym owners who constantly claim they're looking for challengers are mostly unreliable.

Those who are truly capable are often too lazy to fight.

Jiang Chuan made up his mind.

As Miss Joey just mentioned, she has connections with a research institute on Crimson Island.

This could be a breakthrough.

Although Chaper hid himself, it was impossible for someone like him to completely cut off contact with people.

He enjoys research, so he'll definitely wander around the research institute area.

Moreover, the information mentioned that Blaine had a strange hobby.

They like to hold guessing games in public places.

He's clearly a Fire-type Gym Leader, but he likes to play word games.

It's all riddles, codes, and traps, making it seem like a treasure hunt.

Even if such a person lives in seclusion, they can't hold back their emotions.

They'll definitely pop up from time to time, leaving some traces near the research institute or the hot spring town.

If you wander around those places a lot, you're bound to run into this strange old man.

A slight smile appeared on Jiang Chuan's face.

Hanako noticed the change in his expression.

"Jiang Chuan, what are you thinking about?"

Hanako's voice was soft.

She carried Pokobi, walked beside Jiang Chuan, and tilted her head to look at him.

The moonlight shone on her profile, softening her features.

Jiang Chuan waved his hand.

"It's nothing."

"I was thinking about the gym leader."

Xiaoxia came up from behind.

"Hey, Jiangchuan."

"Is the leader of that Crimson Lotus Gym really that strong?"

Even Miss Joey doesn't know what he looks like.

"Could it be some old geezer?"

Jiang Chuan glanced at Xiaoxia.

"That old geezer wouldn't be that bad."

"But he really is an old man."

Xiaoxia pouted.

"Oh? It really is an old man?"

"What's the point of fighting then?"

"I still prefer watching Jiang Chuan fight against younger players."

"Young people are passionate and play fiercely."

"The old man is so indecisive."

Jiang Chuan smiled but didn't say anything.

Miss Joey, who was listening nearby, couldn't help but chime in.

"Xiaoxia, although I've never met the headmaster of the Crimson Lotus Dojo."

"But if he really is the head of a high-level dojo, his strength must be extraordinary."

"Older trainers actually have more experience."

Xiaoxia tilted her head and thought for a moment.

"That's true."

"Anyway, Jiang Chuan is definitely going to win."

As she spoke, she laughed heartily again.

Jiang Chuan turned his head and looked at Miss Joey.

"Miss Joey."

"You just said you're researching everyone you know?"

Miss Joey nodded.

"Uh-huh."

"There's a Pokémon Research Lab on Cinnabar Island."

"Although it's not a particularly large-scale study, we do do some regional research."

"Our family has always collaborated with the research institute."

"So I'm quite familiar with all the researchers there."

She blinked as she spoke.

"What's wrong? Do you need me to contact the research institute for you?"

Jiang Chuan nodded.

"That's troublesome. I'd like to go find the gym leader."

"Since he opened a gym on Cinnabar Island, he must have studied the local Pokémon ecology and geological environment."

"The research institute might have some information about him."

Miss Joey smiled upon hearing this.

"no problem."

"I'll ask for you when I get to work tomorrow."

"But I have to work another day tomorrow."

"I'll be on vacation the day after tomorrow, and I can personally help you look for it."

"After all, I'm familiar with Crimson Lotus Island."

Jiang Chuan looked at her.

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Miss Joey."

Miss Joey blushed slightly as he looked at her.

She quickly turned her head and continued walking forward.

"No trouble at all."

"You've helped me so much today, what's this little thing?"

Her voice became a little lighter.

Their steps became lighter.

Under the moonlight, four people walked along the stone path.

The lanterns along the roadside cast long shadows of them.

The sea breeze carries a salty smell.

The sounds of bustling activity from the distant hot spring town drifted over, like the sounds of another world.

It took about ten minutes to walk.

Miss Joey stopped in front of a house.

The house is not big, and its exterior walls are painted light pink.

There is a small courtyard at the entrance, with a few short trees planted there.

This was the accommodation assigned to public officials. Miss Joey led the three of them to the third floor, took out her key, and opened the door.

"Please come in, please come in."

"The room is a bit small, please don't mind."

She went in first and turned on the light.

The warm orange light instantly filled the entire room.

Jiang Chuan walked in and glanced around.

The living room wasn't large, but it was very clean.

The sofa is a beige fabric sofa, and it looks quite soft.

On the coffee table were several magazines and a small vase with a few dried flowers in it.

There's a bookshelf in the corner, filled with books and some small ornaments.

The whole room felt warm and comfortable.

It's the kind of place that looks like it belongs to a girl.

As soon as Xiaoxia entered the door, she looked around.

"Wow, Miss Joey, your house is so cute!"

"This sofa is so soft!"

As she spoke, she plopped down on the sofa and bounced twice.

Pokopi jumped around next to her.

Hanako walked in and gently closed the door.

She looked around and nodded.

"It's very clean."

"Miss Joey is so busy with work, yet she still manages to keep her home so tidy."

Miss Joey smiled sheepishly.

"Actually, it's not very clean."

"I'm tired from work, so I just tidy up a bit when I get home."

As she spoke, she quickly walked towards the kitchen.

"You can sit down and rest for a bit."

"I'll make you some tea and pastries."

"A colleague gave me some wagashi (Japanese sweets) that are a specialty of Guren Island a few days ago, and they were especially delicious."

As she spoke, she busied herself in the kitchen.

Footsteps thumped as they ran back and forth.

First came the sound of boiling water, then the sound of taking a teacup, and then the sound of opening the refrigerator.

Miss Joey moved very quickly.

After all, I work at the Pokémon Center and am used to handling several things at the same time.

A short while later, she came out carrying a tray.

On the tray were four teacups and a plate of exquisite wagashi (Japanese sweets).

"Come on, have a taste."

"These are hot spring steamed buns and sweets unique to Crimson Lotus Island."

"It's made with hot spring water, so it's especially soft."

She placed the teacups in front of the three of them one by one.

Then he sat down and took a bite of a wagashi (Japanese sweet).

"Mmm...delicious."

She squinted her eyes contentedly.

Xiaoxia didn't stand on ceremony and grabbed a piece, stuffing it into her mouth.

"Wow! It's so sweet!"

"Delicious! Delicious!"

Hanako picked up a piece and ate it in small bites.

Pokopf reached out his little hand from her arms, wanting to grab it too.

Hanako smiled and broke off a small piece for it.

Jiang Chuan leaned back on the sofa, feeling completely relaxed.

Helping out today was really tiring.

Although it wasn't a big deal for him, it was still nice to be able to sit down and rest.

Miss Joey saw him leaning back on the sofa, hesitated for a moment, and then spoke.

"Oh, right."

"About the accommodation."

"I just said that at the Pokémon Center."

"My house only has two bedrooms."

She pointed to a door in the living room.

"That's the bedroom over there."

"The bed board inside is empty, and the blankets and other things haven't been made up yet."

"I'll come and lay out the mats for you in a bit."

As she spoke, she glanced at Jiang Chuan, then at Hua Zi and Xiao Xia.

"but……"

"The three of you."

"Should we sleep together, or separately?"

"For example, someone might sleep on the living room sofa, or sleep on a makeshift bed on the living room floor."

Miss Joey spoke as naturally as possible.

But her face still flushed slightly.

She saw Misty jump onto Jiang Chuan's back and suck on his neck at the Pokémon Center.

The level of intimacy they shared was definitely beyond that of ordinary friends.

Later, she noticed the way Hanako looked at Egawa.

That tender, affectionate look in their eyes was not something an ordinary travel companion would have.

She was actually quite shocked when she saw these things.

Hanako is so gentle and beautiful.

Xiaoxia is so lively and adorable.

Both girls actually have this kind of ambiguous relationship with Jiang Chuan.

This struck her as incredible.

But then she thought about it again.

This world is inherently one where the strong have multiple wives.

Many powerful trainers have more than one partner.

Although the Pikachu that was with Jiang Chuan didn't seem very strong.

But who knows, he might have extraordinary abilities in other areas.

She didn't dare to think about those things in detail and quickly turned her attention back to arranging accommodations.

She had already made up her mind on the way back.

There is only one bedroom that can be lived in.

Let the three of them discuss how to allocate the funds.

As an outsider, she shouldn't say too much.

Upon hearing Miss Joey's words, Jiang Chuan sat up straight.

He glanced at the sofa.

The beige fabric sofa does look very soft.

It's long enough; it should fit him perfectly when he lies down.

"It's alright, Miss Joey."

Jiang Chuan's voice was casual.

"This sofa looks quite comfortable."

"I'll sleep on the sofa."

"Let them sleep in the bed."

He pointed to Hanako and Kasumi.

Xiaoxia's eyes lit up when she heard that.

"hey-hey."

"Long live Jiangchuan!"

"Long live Miss Joey!"

She held up the half-eaten wagashi in her hand and shook it like a trophy.

Then he took another big bite.

Hanako looked at Jiang Chuan with a hint of heartache in her eyes.

"Jiangchuan."

"Isn't the sofa too soft?"

"Your back might feel uncomfortable after sleeping here all night."

Jiang Chuan waved his hand.

"fine."

"I've slept on the sand in the desert before and it was fine."

"This sofa is much more comfortable than sand."

Hanako didn't say anything more after hearing what he said.

She understood Jiang Chuan's personality.

Moreover, he can fall asleep anywhere in the wild, so a sofa is really nothing to him.

Hanako stood up and tugged at Kasumi's sleeve.

"Walk."

"Let's make the bed."

"Miss Joy is already exhausted from her time at the Pokémon Center today."

"Making the bed is a small thing, we can do it ourselves."

Xiaoxia stuffed the last piece of wagashi into her mouth and gave a muffled reply.

"Okay, sure."

"Wait until I finish eating this."

She jumped up from the sofa and brushed the crumbs off her hands.

Hanako looked at Miss Joey.

"Miss Joey, where are the blankets and stuff?"

Miss Joey, who was boiling water, wanted to offer to lay the water herself, but seeing that Hanako had already stood up, she didn't insist.

"In the closet in that bedroom."

"You can see it when you open the wardrobe."

"There are duvet covers and sheets, all washed and stored away."

Hanako nodded and pulled Kasumi towards the bedroom.

Pokopf followed along with his short legs.

Only Jiang Chuan and Miss Joey remained in the living room.

The air fell silent for a moment.

Miss Joey sat at the other end of the sofa, holding a teacup in her hand.

She secretly glanced at Jiang Chuan.

Jiang Chuan was leaning back on the sofa when he shifted his body slightly.

Then he plopped down on the sofa.

This time I sat down quite comfortably.

The sofa bounced.

As soon as Jiang Chuan sat down, he felt something under his buttocks.

He frowned.

What is that?

He shifted his position slightly and reached into the gap of the seat cushion.

My finger touched something.

The texture was very thin, with a rough, refined feel characteristic of old-fashioned lace.

But at the same time, it's as smooth as silk.

He pinched the thing with two fingers and gently pulled it out.

A strip of off-white lace fabric was brought out.

The fabric was so thin it was almost transparent. Under the dim indoor lighting, it shimmered with a warm, pearly sheen.

Exquisite lace trim is layered and draped over the surface, demonstrating extremely fine craftsmanship.

A small bow hangs in the very center.

It looks both precious and delicate.

The thing looked particularly small in Jiang Chuan's large hand.

It was so small it was almost like a thin piece of gauze.

He unconsciously pinched it.

The fabric feels very soft and smooth.

There seemed to be a faint trace of something still lingering on it.

Jiang Chuan slowly unfolded the small piece of cloth.

Now the shape is clear.

A pair of white lace-trimmed panties.