Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

Early the next morning.

As dawn broke, the volcanic ash on Red Lotus Island was blown everywhere by the morning breeze, and the air carried a faint smell of sulfur.

Miss Joey changed into casual clothes in her room.

She wasn't wearing her nurse's uniform today; instead, she wore a light blue short-sleeved shirt and white capri pants. Her hair wasn't styled in its usual professional updo; she simply tied it into a low ponytail and let it fall over her shoulder.

She looked at herself in the mirror and then reached out to fasten one of the buttons on her collar.

Then take a deep breath.

He pushed open the door and left the room.

The living room was quiet.

The curtains weren't fully drawn, and a ray of morning light slanted in through the gap, landing right on the sofa.

Miss Joey paused for a moment.

Her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the sofa.

Jiang Chuan was still asleep.

The blanket was pulled up tightly, covering him from his shoulders to his ankles, without a single gap. He lay on his side, his face turned towards the back of the sofa, his breathing even and completely still.

Miss Joey stood at her bedroom door and stared at the blanket for two seconds.

The blanket is covering me...very well.

I can't see anything.

She pursed her lips, looked away, and turned to walk towards the kitchen.

As she reached the kitchen doorway, she paused again.

My head involuntarily tilted towards the sofa again.

It's still the same quilt.

It was still covered up completely.

I can't see anything.

Miss Joey looked away, went into the kitchen, and reached for an apron to tie around her waist.

She opened the refrigerator, took out eggs, bacon, and a few slices of toast with practiced ease. She heated the pan, poured in oil, cracked the eggs in, and with a sizzle, the egg whites quickly solidified into white in the hot oil.

She flipped the fried eggs with a spatula, her movements swift and efficient.

But a thought inexplicably popped into my head.

Yesterday morning.

The moment Jiang Chuan threw off the covers and stood up.

That image flashed through my mind again.

Miss Joey paused, her spatula hovering in her hand.

She squeezed her eyes shut, took a deep breath, and tried to banish the image from her mind.

What's going on?

What am I disappointed about? Isn't it normal not to see it?

She lowered her head and continued flipping the fried eggs, her movements a few seconds faster than before.

When the bacon hits the pan, oil splatters everywhere.

The sizzling sound filled the entire kitchen.

When I was halfway through preparing breakfast, I heard footsteps behind me.

"Miss Joey? Up so early."

Jiang Chuan's voice was hoarse from just waking up.

Miss Joey turned her head and saw Jiang Chuan already dressed, standing at the kitchen door, rubbing the back of his neck.

He wore a dark gray short-sleeved shirt today, his hair was a bit messy, and there were pillow marks on his face.

"Good morning," Miss Joey smiled at him, her hands still busy. "Breakfast will be ready soon, please have a seat for a while."

Jiang Chuan leaned against the kitchen door frame and yawned.

"Miss Joey, you could actually rest more today," he said, scratching his head. "If you want to help me find Uncle Xia, you can go this afternoon. You don't need to get up so early."

Miss Joey took the fried bacon out of the pan and put it on a plate, then shook her head.

"I'm used to waking up early, and I can't sleep anyway," she said while busying herself. "Besides, I promised you yesterday, so I can't just sleep in at home. I said I'd go with you to find the curator, so I have to go."

Jiang Chuan smiled and didn't refuse again.

"Okay, I'll go wash my face first."

He turned and walked towards the restroom.

Miss Joey glanced at his retreating figure, then quickly looked away and vigorously flipped the fried eggs in the pan.

The fried egg was a little overcooked.

She quickly turned off the heat and took the eggs out.

Another ten minutes or so passed.

Hanako came out of the room.

She was wearing a loose cotton-linen top, her hair was casually draped over her shoulders, and her face still had the flush of just waking up.

"Good morning, Hanako," Jiang Chuan said, already seated at the table and eating. "Where's that lazybones, Kasumi? Why isn't she up yet?"

Hanako walked to the dining table, sat down, and took a sip of the coffee that Miss Joey handed her.

"She's still asleep," she said with a slightly helpless smile. "She was so excited after soaking in the hot springs last night that she tossed and turned in bed and talked to me for a long time."

"What are you going to talk about?"

"Let's talk about which attractions we haven't visited yet," Hanako shook her head. "She said there's a famous cliff diving spot on Crimson Island, a viewing platform at some volcano crater, and an old street selling handicrafts... she went on and on about it, and I fell asleep while she kept talking."

Jiang Chuan took a bite of toast and smiled.

"Let her sleep; she was quite tired last night."

Hanako nodded, picked up her coffee, and took another sip.

Jiang Chuan finished his toast and patted the bread crumbs off his hands.

"Hanako, today Miss Joey, a local, will be taking me to find Chapman."

"You and Xia can relax today. You two can visit those places we talked about yesterday. I'll let you know when we find Xia Bo and have the gym battle."

Hanako put down her coffee cup and nodded gently.

"Okay, you guys go ahead," she thought for a moment, then added, "Oh, right, I also need to take care of something. I've accumulated some laundry that needs washing these past few days, so I'll tidy it up while the weather's nice today."

Jiang Chuan stood up and stretched his shoulders.

"Then it's settled."

He turned to look at Miss Joey.

"Miss Joey, shall we set off?"

Miss Joey finished her last bite of breakfast, wiped her mouth, stood up, and nodded.

"Let's go."

The two went out the door.

It gets very hot on Crimson Lotus Island in the morning.

The sun beat down on the road, casting a sweltering heat, and volcanic ash was blown everywhere by the wind. The shops on both sides of the street had just opened, and some shop owners were sweeping the ground in front of their doors.

Miss Joey led the way, walking quickly.

"There are several places on Cinnabar Island related to Pokémon," she said to Jiang Chuan as they walked. "I'll take you to see them one by one today. If Blaine really is a Gym Leader, these are the places he's most likely to visit."

Jiang Chuan stood beside her and nodded.

"Where to go first?"

"Let's go to the Pokémon Research Center first," Nurse Joy said after a moment's thought. "I go there often. It houses some special Pokémon, as well as some Pokémon abandoned by their trainers."

She paused, then added, "If Blaine were the Gym Leader, he would probably visit there often. After all, it's the place on the island most closely associated with Pokémon."

The two crossed two streets and made several turns.

The Pokémon Research Center is right in front of us.

This is a two-story building with an off-white exterior. A sign hangs at the entrance that reads "Cinnabar Island Pokémon Research Center" in large characters. The building is surrounded by a ring of low, neatly trimmed shrubs.

There were quite a few people coming and going at the entrance.

There were parents with children, tourists with backpacks, and some young people who looked like trainers, holding Poké Balls and exchanging ideas at the entrance of the research center.

Miss Joey pushed open the glass door and went inside.

Jiang Chuan followed behind.

The research facility is spacious and brightly lit. Rows of display cases line both sides of the main hall, showcasing pictures and information about various Pokémon. Further in is a corridor with individual rooms on either side, each housing a different Pokémon.

"These rooms house Pokémon with special circumstances," Nurse Joy explained as they walked. "Some are recovering from injuries, some were temporarily housed after being abandoned by their trainers, and some have congenital defects."

She stopped in front of a room and pointed inside through the glass.

There was a small pony in the room, its hind legs wrapped in bandages, resting on a pile of hay.

"This little pony was injured in the wild and was brought here by a kind person. We've been taking care of it for almost a month now, and it will be able to be released back into the wild in a few days."

Jiang Chuan glanced at the little fire horse and nodded.

He looked around again.

The research museum was bustling with people, filled with the sounds of tourists talking, children laughing, and guides using loudspeakers.

He frowned.

"Miss Joey, Blair doesn't like crowds. There are too many people here. Even if he has a duty to look after things here, he probably won't come when it's crowded."

Miss Joey paused for a moment, then nodded.

"You're right, there are indeed a lot of people coming here, after all, it's considered a tourist attraction on Crimson Lotus Island. When I come here to help out, I haven't really paid attention to whether people like the ones you described have appeared."

The two walked around the research center, examined several Pokémon with special circumstances, and asked the staff if they had seen a bald old man with a white beard.

The staff member shook his head.

"I don't remember."

Jiang Chuan and Miss Joey exchanged a glance and walked out of the research building.

"Next, I'll take you to the beach. There's an area there that's a habitat for Krabby, and trainers often have wild battles there. Blade might go there if he wants to train his Pokémon."

The two left the research institute and walked along the main road of Crimson Lotus Island toward the sea.

The closer you get to the sea, the stronger the wind becomes.

A salty sea breeze blew by, causing Miss Joey's low ponytail to flutter backward.

We've arrived at the beach.

This beach isn't the kind of sandy beach where tourists swim; it's a pristine coastline covered with reefs and pebbles. Low shrubs grow among the reefs, and waves crash against them, splashing up white foam.

There were indeed people on the beach.

Several young people stood on the rocks, directing their Pokémon in battle. A Geodude was knocked away by a Sandshrew's Rolling Attack and rolled several times on the beach.

Several other people were watching the game from the sidelines, occasionally cheering and applauding.

Jiang Chuan stood on the beach and glanced at everyone present.

They're all young people.

The oldest one looks to be only in his early twenties.

There is no baldness.

He has no white beard.

No sunglasses.

He shook his head.

"Not here."

Miss Joey sighed.

"Then let's go up the mountain and take a look," she said, pointing to a hill behind the beach. "There are a lot of sand rats and ground squirrels there, and some trainers also go there to train."

The two then walked towards the hill.

The hill was covered with low shrubs and wild grass, and the ground was covered with small holes dug by pangolins. Several pangolins were squatting at the entrance of the hole. When they saw someone coming, they quickly darted inside.

There were also several trainers active on the hill.

But the situation is similar to that on the beach.

They were all young people.

There was no sign of Chaper.

Jiang Chuan stood atop the hill, hands on his hips, and exhaled.

"They're not here either."

Miss Joey wiped the sweat from her forehead and frowned.

"That's troublesome. These two are the most important places on the island related to Pokémon. The rest are just some small, scattered spots."

Suddenly, she thought of something, and her eyes lit up.

"Wait, there's one more place."

"where?"

"Over at the dock," Miss Joy turned and pointed towards the sea, "there are a few scattered islands around Cinnabar Island. There are quite a few wild Pokémon on those islands, but hardly anyone goes there."

Jiang Chuan raised an eyebrow.

"Not many people went?"

“Yes,” Miss Joy nodded, “those islands are too small, and there are no regular ferries going there. If you want to go, you have to rent a speedboat yourself. Tourists generally don’t go, and trainers find it too much trouble. You said Blaine doesn’t like crowds, so maybe he often goes to those islands to train Pokémon or handle some basic tasks.”

Jiang Chuan's eyes lit up after hearing this.

"That's very likely. With more and more tourists on the main island, going to a smaller island would be a good option if he wanted to find a quiet place to train."

The two of them left without hesitation.

Miss Joey led Jiang Chuan back to the dock and found a place to rent a speedboat.

The speedboat was a small, white motorboat, just big enough for two people. Miss Joey paid the rental fee and then asked the owner how to get to the nearest island.

The boss was a middle-aged man with a tanned complexion, smoking a cigarette, who drew them a simple directional map.

"Drive southeast, it'll be there in about fifteen minutes. There's not much on that island, just a beach and a forest, but there are a lot of wild giant crabs. If you're going to catch Pokémon, that's a good place."

Miss Joey thanked her and jumped onto the speedboat.

Jiang Chuan followed.

Miss Joey started the engine, and a white spray of water shot out from the stern of the speedboat. The boat suddenly lurched forward, leaving a long white trail on the sea.

The sea breeze on my face carried a salty taste.

The sunlight shone on the sea, making it sparkle and somewhat dazzling.

The speedboat was moving very fast, its hull rising and falling on the waves, splashing water with each descent.

Miss Joey gripped the steering wheel with both hands, her body swaying slightly with the rise and fall of the boat. Her low ponytail billowed straight back in the sea breeze, and her shirt clung tightly to her body.

Jiang Chuan sat next to her, one hand gripping the handrail of the boat.

"Miss Joey, you're quite skilled at driving the boat."

Miss Joey smiled.

"I grew up on Honglian Island and often went out to sea. I know the waters around here very well."

As she spoke, she accelerated a little more.

The speedboat went even faster.

The outline of the small island has appeared on the horizon and is becoming increasingly clear.

Just then.

A dull thud suddenly came from under the ship.

"Thump!"

The sound was loud, like something had hit the bottom of the boat hard.

The speedboat jolted violently.

Miss Joey's body was jolted to the side, and she almost dropped the steering wheel. She quickly steadied herself, her expression changing.

"What is it?"

Jiang Chuan also became alert, gripped the handrail tightly, and looked down at the boat below.

The seawater was very murky, and you couldn't see anything.

Before he could even speak.

one more time.

"Thump!"

This impact was even more violent than the previous one.

The speedboat began to rock violently, tilting to one side at least thirty degrees. Miss Joey screamed and clung tightly to the steering wheel to avoid falling.

Immediately afterwards, a huge wave suddenly surged up on the sea surface.

It wasn't wind or waves; something was rising rapidly from underwater, pushing the water surface up.

The wave was three or four meters high, and it crashed down on the speedboat like a blue wall.

"pay close attention!"

Jiang Chuan shouted.

But it was too late.

The waves crashed violently against the side of the speedboat, flipping it into an extremely exaggerated angle. The boat almost capsized, emitting a piercing metallic creak.

Miss Joey was standing by the boat when suddenly her feet slipped off the ground.

Her body was thrown out by inertia.

Her scream was only half-finished before she fell into the sea…