Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

Although Xiaoxia and Jiang Chuan were already very close, her proud and arrogant nature resurfaced upon hearing these words.

What a joke.

This is her home turf.

Hua Lan Dojo.

The place where she grew up.

Now that she has Gym Leader and Elite Pokémon, why does she need to bother Jiang Chuan with everything?

Thinking of this, Xiaoxia stood directly in front of Jiang Chuan with her hands on her hips.

She straightened her chest, raised her chin slightly, and spoke in a haughty tone.

"Sister, your perspective is a bit limited!"

Her voice echoed in the hall, full of confidence.

"Your sister is a completely different person now."

"I admit, Jiang Chuan is very strong."

She glanced back at Jiang Chuan, a hint of intimacy in her eyes that only the two of them could understand, but she quickly turned back to face the cherry blossoms.

"But Misty, the youngest girl at the Cerulean City Gym, the mermaid girl, the future Water-type Pokémon Master, isn't bad either!"

"If you have any problems, you can tell me!"

Her words were powerful and resounding.

He put one hand on his hip and patted his chest with the other.

He exudes an aura of "leave it to me."

As Sakura listened to Xia's self-introduction, her expression became somewhat subtle.

She glanced at Xiaoxia.

Then she glanced at Jiang Chuan behind Xiaoxia.

Then I looked at Xiaoxia.

His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something but then stopped.

Finally, she gave an awkward laugh, waved her hand, and said, "You can't solve this. I'll talk to Jiang Chuan instead."

"So you won't feel awkward later."

Xiaoxia was even more displeased upon hearing this.

What do you mean she can't solve it?

What do you mean by "avoiding her embarrassment"?

Isn't this looking down on people?

She waved her hand, her tone even more resolute: "What do you mean I can't solve it? No, you have to tell me, tell me first!"

"Sister, I am now..."

She was halfway through her sentence when Sakura spoke up, her tone equally calm.

"The problem lies in that pond."

Xia's words stuck in her throat.

It was as if the whole person had been put on pause.

Her expression changed from confident to blank, and then from blank to an indescribable sense of guilt.

"what?"

Her voice suddenly became softer.

"Is it...is it that guy at the bottom of that pool?"

Xiaoxia shrank her neck.

That "leave it to me" attitude vanished completely in an instant.

Instead, there was a clear sense of unease.

Her eyes started to wander, looking left and right.

I just won't look into the eyes of the cherry blossoms.

Then she began to move slowly.

They slowly moved behind Jiang Chuan.

She hid her entire body in Jiang Chuan's back.

Then she reached out her finger and poked Jiang Chuan's waist.

The movement was so light, it was as if he were touching something fragile.

"Then you should handle this."

Her voice came from behind Jiang Chuan, muffled and carrying a hint of admitting defeat.

"Next time there's a problem, I'll do it."

Jiang Chuan felt two pokes in his waist.

Hearing her say that again, I couldn't help but smile.

He was just now confidently declaring that he was a completely different person now.

She hid behind him right now.

He turned his head and glanced at Xiaoxia.

Xiaoxia peeked half her face out from beside his shoulder, met his gaze, and immediately pulled her face back.

But Jiang Chuan still saw it.

Her face was flushed.

The redness spread from the base of my ears all the way down to my neck.

Jiang Chuan understood.

The thing that could frighten Xiaoxia so much is related to the pond.

He could roughly guess what it was.

He turned to look at Sakura and asked, "Sakura-nee, what exactly is the problem?"

Sakura glanced at Xiaoxia, who was hiding behind Jiangchuan, and a helpless expression appeared on her face.

Then she sighed and began to slowly recount her story.

"There's a Pokémon in that pond."

As she said this, she glanced at Xiaoxia again.

Xiaoxia mumbled something behind Jiang Chuan's back, but it was hard to hear clearly.

Sakura continued, "When we were renovating the dojo, some of the work required modifying the underwater water pipes."

"The construction team was working near that underground water area."

"As a result, I accidentally startled the Gyarados that was kept inside."

Upon hearing the words "Gyarados," Jiang Chuan felt Xiaoxia behind him visibly tremble.

Just as he guessed.

Xiaoxia's family's Gyarados.

As Sakura spoke, she pointed to the glass wall in the southeast that had several large holes.

"After being disturbed, it directly crashed into the steps and supporting structure of the underground water area."

"Then it went completely berserk and started spraying water cannons like crazy."

"That wall over there was blasted out by it."

"And right now, it's still very angry down there."

A hint of helplessness appeared on Sakura's face.

"No one dares to approach our renovation project area."

"The construction crew said they would never go down unless the Gyarados problem was solved."

I wouldn't do it no matter how much money you offered.

"So we can only repair the upper part first, and all the work on the lower parts has come to a standstill."

As she said this, she looked up at Jiang Chuan.

That look appeared again.

It was that look in her eyes when she threw herself into Jiang Chuan's arms just now.

It's something I admire, something I look forward to, and something else entirely.

"So all we can do is think that Jiang Chuan, you've already got seven badges."

"This level of skill is already quite impressive among trainers."

"Could you help us calm down that Gyarados?"

After saying this, Sakura put her hands together and made a requesting gesture.

Her eyes blinked.

Although there were still gray marks on her face and sawdust stuck to her hair.

But the expectation and pleading in her eyes made her look rather pitiful.

At this moment, Xiaoxia peeked out from behind Jiang Chuan.

She was still holding onto Jiang Chuan's clothes with one hand, while the fingers of her other hand were intertwined and twisting.

She looked up at Jiang Chuan and blinked.

There was a hint of fear, a hint of coquetry, and a hint of expectation in her eyes.

"right."

"That Gyarados is really fierce."

Her voice was soft and gentle, completely different from the Xia who had just stood with her hands on her hips saying "I'm not the same person I used to be."

"Jiang Chuan, I'm afraid only you can help us."

She paused, then added a sentence.

"The only man in the family."

This was said very softly.

But there was a sense of dependence in his tone.

A kind of trust.

A sense of entitlement that "as long as you're here, everything will be fine."

Jiang Chuan glanced at Xiaoxia, who was hiding behind him.

The arrogant and domineering aura he had just displayed has completely vanished.

Now she huddled beside him, like a frightened kitten.

Then I looked at the cherry blossoms in front of me with their hands clasped together.

Then look at Acorus and Peony standing behind him; they are also looking at him with expectant eyes.

The entire Cerulean Dojo.

Four sisters.

The two were staring at him.

One was hiding behind him.

There was another person watching silently from afar.

This scene was quite interesting and also very fulfilling.

Jiang Chuan was about to reply.

A voice suddenly rang in my ears.

[The "Beauty Quest" has been triggered, revealing Xiaoxia's bond with Gyarados: Help Xiaoxia overcome her fear of Gyarados and assist her in capturing it!]

[Mission Rewards: Magikarp Perfect Evolution Powder, Gyarados Mega Evolution Stone!]

Jiang Chuan raised an eyebrow slightly as he looked at the triggered task.

Gyarados, Misty's key main force.

He remembers it very clearly.

In the original script, Misty always had a deep-seated fear of Gyarados.

I was swallowed by Gyarados when I was a child.

That memory has stayed with her ever since, becoming the biggest shadow in her heart.

But interestingly...

This girl, who was most afraid of Gyarados, eventually became an extremely outstanding Gyarados trainer.

The Gyarados she raised not only overcame its inherent ferocity but also mastered fire-based skills.

It can handle both water and fire.

That's an extremely rare achievement even within the entire water-type trainer community.

This Gyarados was the turning point for Misty, transforming her from a girl into a true powerhouse.

Jiang Chuan mentally reviewed the background of the mission.

Then I glanced at the mission rewards.

Magikarp Perfect Evolution Powder.

He knew all too well the value of this thing.

Magikarp has a nickname among trainers: "the most useless fish".

All it can do all day is sit in the water with its mouth open, making little noises.

Swimming slowly.

It has almost no offensive power.

There are very few skills that can be learned.

In the wild, they're destined to be bullied by other Water-type Pokémon.

Moreover, even if you reach the evolutionary level, you may not be able to evolve successfully.

Many trainers painstakingly raise Magikarp to level 20, only to find it still hasn't changed.

With his mouth open.

blah blah blah.

It does not evolve.

This is a problem that has plagued countless researchers in academia—how to smoothly guide Magikarp to evolve into Gyarados.

Some people have studied water quality.

Some people have studied air pressure.

Some people have studied emotional stimuli.

Various theories have been published in numerous papers.

However, a truly stable and effective method has yet to emerge.

If we had this Perfect Evolution Powder, things would be different.

Use the most direct method to ensure that Magikarp can evolve.

Moreover, the quality of its evolution is probably incomparable to that of a regular Gyarados.

If this thing were to hit the market, countless trainers would be willing to go bankrupt to acquire it.

As for Gyarados's Mega Evolution Stone.

Needless to say.

Mega Evolution.

That's a method to unleash the full potential of a Pokémon and evolve it into a higher form in a short period of time.

Gyarados is already strong enough.

And then there's Mega Evolution.

That combat power.

Thinking of this, Jiang Chuan remembered something interesting.

Actually, even without this Perfect Evolution Powder, he wasn't entirely without options.

There is another interesting alternative.

Kojiro's Evolutionary Leg.

That comedic relief on the Rockets, though he usually seems unreliable, has a kick that makes everyone he kicks evolve throughout the entire story.

I don't know how many Pokémon he kicked into evolution.

Magikarp was kicked and turned into Gyarados.

The poisonous rose was kicked into Roseredo.

He can be considered the Rockets' hidden top asset.

of course.

That's just a thought.

It was meant as a joke.

Now that we have Perfect Evolution Powder, there's no need to bother Kojiro anymore.

And who knows if those three have ever drifted back from the sea near Crimson Lotus Island.

Jiang Chuan snapped out of his thoughts; now that the mission had begun...

The rewards are so generous.

In addition, this matter itself is related to Xiaoxia.

He had no reason not to accept it.

Jiang Chuan looked at the cherry blossoms and nodded.

"Can."

"I'll help you resolve this."

Sakura relaxed completely when she heard him agree.

"That's great! That's great!"

She walked over quickly and gave Jiang Chuan another hug.

This time, the hug was even tighter than before.

"I knew Jiang Chuan would help!"

"He truly deserves the man we chose!"

Jiang Chuan patted her on the back.

"Don't be too happy yet."

"Let me sort this out first."

Sakura loosened her grip on him and nodded vigorously.

"Let's tidy up here first."

"Then let's go eat together!"

"I've already made a reservation at that seafood restaurant!"

"Consider this a welcome dinner for you!"

Sweet flag and peony also came over.

The two bowed deeply to Jiang Chuan.

"Jiang Chuan, thank you so much."

Jiang Chuan waved his hand.

"Don't be so polite."

"Let's get ready first."

Next, Jiangchuan, Hanako, and Xiaoxia helped the Sakura sisters tidy up the gym.

Gather the tools that were scattered on the ground.

Reorganize the building materials that were piled up in the corner.

Sweep the broken glass shards together and put them in a garbage bag.

Xiaoxia kept talking incessantly while she was working.

"That Gyarados is really something."

"He was always fierce."

"Now it's even worse."

"They actually dismantled their own dojo like this."

Sakura, who was listening nearby, chuckled.

"Didn't you used to avoid it whenever you saw it?"

"Now you're talking about it?"

Xiaoxia blushed.

"That's different."

"I'm a great trainer now!"

"Although...although I'm still a little scared."

"But I'm already qualified to comment on it!"

Acorus calamus chimed in from the side.

"When Jiang Chuan goes to the pond tomorrow, would you like to go with him?"

Xiaoxia immediately shrank behind Jiang Chuan.

"I'll just watch from the shore."

"Leave the swimming to Jiang Chuan."

The four of them laughed at her reaction.

It took about half an hour to tidy up.

Although the dojo was still a mess, at least it didn't look like a crime scene anymore.

Sakura stretched and took off her work jacket, hanging it on her arm.

"Alright, alright, that's good enough."

"Let's go eat first!"

"I'm starving to death."

...............

The group of six walked out of the dojo.

It was already getting dark.

The streetlights in Hualan City came on, casting a warm yellow glow on the streets.

Sakura led the way, guiding everyone through two streets to the newly opened seafood restaurant.

The restaurant's decor is exquisite.

Warm lighting, natural wood tables and chairs, and decorations of various seashells and starfish hanging on the walls.

A faint smell of sea salt mingled with the aroma of grilled seafood wafted over.

Sakura booked a large private room.

After the six people sat down, the dishes were served quickly.

Grilled oysters, garlic scallops, steamed king crab, salt-grilled prawns, and a whole seafood platter.

The table was piled high with food.

Now that she was free from the Gyarados problem, Misty regained her liveliness.

During the meal, she peeled shrimp shells while recounting interesting stories from her journey.

"You have no idea how wild that wilderness area is!"

"It's teeming with wild Pokémon, in huge groups!"

"When we went in, Jiang Chuan led the way all by himself, carving a path through the enemy lines!"

"That scene was absolutely spectacular!"

She spoke with great enthusiasm, peeling shrimp shells off her hands.

"And the volcano on Crimson Lotus Island!"

"There's a dragon with a duckbill that can actually swim in lava!"

"That volcanic hot spring is so relaxing!"

"My skin felt so smooth after soaking!"

Sakura rested her chin on her hand, listening to Xia's story with a smile.

Calamus and peony are listening too.

However, the three of them were clearly not entirely focused on Xiaoxia's travel story.

Or rather, they are more interested in a particular part of the story.

Xiaoxia put down the shrimp she was holding halfway through her sentence, picked up her drink, and took a sip.

Taking advantage of the moment, Sakura leaned forward.

Her gaze swept between Xiaoxia and Jiangchuan.

Then she smiled.

That smile was very gentle.

But what's hidden inside is definitely not simple.

"Xiaoxia."

The sound of cherry blossoms is drawn out.

"You've traveled to so many places along the way."

"Inside and outside, and Jiang Chuan..."

She paused, her eyes curving into crescents.

"What happened?"

She asked the question in a very subtle way, but her tone and expression revealed the truth.

Everyone could tell what she was asking.

The calamus and peony also moved forward at the same time.

The three older sisters, with six eyes, all stared at Xiaoxia.

Xiaoxia almost spat out the drink she had just taken a sip of.

She slammed down the cup, her face instantly turning red.

It was even redder than the cooked king crab on her plate.

"W-what happened? What happened?"

Her voice seemed to float away.

Hanako sat beside her, her expression remaining largely unchanged.

She gracefully picked up a scallop, ate it slowly and deliberately, and a slight smile appeared on her lips.