Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

The water show was held as scheduled.

The water area of ​​the training ground was set up as a temporary stage. Colorful buoys and inflatable toys floated on the water, and lights shone up from underwater, making the entire surface shimmer. The stands on the shore were full of people, including local residents and trainers who were passing by.

The four cherry blossom sisters, dressed in different performance costumes, stood in the preparation area by the water.

Sakura was wearing a dark blue one-piece swimsuit with several thin straps crisscrossing at the back, outlining her beautiful back lines. She had her hair up, revealing her slender neck.

Changpu wore a light purple two-piece outfit, Mudan wore a pink ruffled outfit, and Xiaoxia wore a vibrant yellow outfit.

The four of them standing together make a beautiful sight.

However, upon seeing Sakura, Jiangchuan immediately showed a puzzled expression. The very sexy outfits that Sakura had shown him behind that curtain that day were not worn by Sakura at all.

Although this outfit looks great and shows off my figure, it's relatively conservative, covering everything up completely.

At this moment, Jiang Chuan seemed to understand something. The costume show at the Cherry Blossom Festival was so sexy, it seemed like it was just for him to see.

Jiangchuan, gazing at the cherry blossoms, also wore a meaningful smile.

………………

The performance began, and it was very rich in content.

The performance featured a Pokémon-themed water ballet, interactive hosting by the four sisters, and games for the audience. This year's show included Misty's Pokémon, making it even more spectacular than in previous years.

Psyduck floated leisurely on the water's surface, occasionally being tossed around by the current, eliciting laughter from the audience. Starfish spun rapidly underwater, creating plumes of water. A gem starfish spun in the center of the stage, its body reflecting iridescent light.

The Kingdra and the Goldfish darted back and forth in the water, creating streaks of flowing light.

The audience erupted in enthusiastic applause and cheers.

The children screamed with excitement, and the adults all took out their phones to take pictures.

The performance was a success beyond expectations.

On that very day, dozens of trainers boarded their Water-type Pokémon at the Cerulean Gym, and the boarding fees added up to a considerable income. Combined with ticket sales for the performance and merchandise sales, the gym finally had a substantial sum in its accounts.

Sakura stood at the entrance of the dojo, and after seeing off the last group of spectators, she let out a long sigh of relief.

"I've finally recovered."

She turned to look at Jiang Chuan and gave him a bright smile.

"Thanks to you."

"And Xiaoxia too."

She then looked at Xiaoxia.

"Your Pokémon performance was absolutely fantastic."

Xiaoxia smiled shyly.

"I didn't do anything; they did everything on their own."

Changpu and Mudan had already gone to count the income. After a while, Changpu came over with an account book, a rare smile on her face.

"Today's revenue is 30% higher than expected."

She handed the ledger to Sakura.

"The Pokémon that were fostered have all been settled, and the water area of ​​the training ground is just the right size to accommodate them."

Sakura took the ledger, flipped through a few pages, and nodded in satisfaction.

"With that, we don't need to worry about the review for now. Once we improve the dojo's strength and resume training courses, we should be able to fully recover."

She closed the ledger and glanced at everyone present.

"Let's have a celebration party tonight."

She announced.

"Within the family, there are only six of us."

Changpu nodded.

"I'll go order food."

Peony raises her hand.

"I'm going to buy drinks."

Xiaoxia also raised her hand.

"I'll take care of eating."

Everyone laughed.

………………

evening.

Sakura led Jiang Chuan and the other two back to the villa.

She and Changpu had ordered a large amount of cooked food in advance, including roast chicken, roast goose, braised beef, braised meat platter, and several boxes of exquisite sushi.

Peony bought a large case of soft drinks and juice.

There was also plenty of raw food prepared, including fresh vegetable salads, sashimi, and plates of chopped ingredients for hot pot.

The family of six squeezed into the kitchen, each busy with their own tasks.

Ayame was in charge of plating the cooked food. She worked quickly and arranged each plate neatly, just like she did when she was organizing equipment in the dojo.

Peony was mixing salad dressing on the side, tasting it with her finger as she mixed it, and then adding a spoonful of honey.

Xiaoxia was in charge of washing the vegetables. The tap was turned on a bit too high, and a few drops of water splashed onto her clothes, but she didn't care. She just shook her hands and continued washing.

Jiang Chuan was assigned the task of slicing sashimi.

He stood in front of the kitchen counter, holding a slender willow-blade knife, its blade gleaming coldly under the light. A plate of fresh salmon sat before him, the orange-red flesh clearly defined by its marbling.

He made very steady cuts.

Each slice was cut thin and evenly, with clean, crisp edges. The knife made almost no sound as it sliced ​​through the fish, only a soft, rustling sound as the flesh was cut.

Hanako was adjusting the broth in the hot pot.

The soup base was boiling, bubbling away.

The kitchen was filled with the aroma of various foods.

After more than an hour of work, all the dishes were ready. The cooked food was plated and filled half the table, with the hot pot in the center, surrounded by a ring of raw food and dipping sauces. The sushi platter was arranged in the shape of flower petals, the sashimi was neatly arranged, and the sauce dishes were lined up in a row, each a different color.

After it got dark, the restaurant lights were turned to a warm yellow.

The six people sat around the dining table, making a lively scene.

Peony and Calamus are arguing about which braised dish is better, Xiaoxia is fighting with Psyduck for a piece of roasted chicken wing, and Jiangchuan sits beside them watching, occasionally picking up a piece of food with his chopsticks.

Sakura sat in the main seat, watching the lively scene before her, her eyes filled with a smile.

Halfway through the meal, Sakura stood up.

"Wait a moment."

She turned and walked to the kitchen door, pushing a small cart out.

When Sakura pushed the trolley to the table, the whole table was quiet for about three seconds.

The roasted chicken wing that Xiaoxia had just grabbed was suspended in mid-air, her mouth slightly open.

Peony's chopsticks, which were picking up braised beef, hovered motionless above the plate.

Changpu paused, her hand holding the teacup still, her gaze falling on the rows of wine bottles on the trolley, her expression filled with disbelief.

Only Hanako and Egawa remained relatively calm, but they exchanged a surprised glance.

The trolley has a wide variety of drinks.

Two bottles of red wine, with French labels, looked expensive. Three bottles of sake, in antique-style ceramic bottles. Four bottles of sparkling wine, their slender bottles still bubbling with fine bubbles. Several fruit wines, including plum, peach, and grapefruit flavors. At the very edge sat a bottle of whiskey, its amber liquid gleaming warmly under the light.

In addition, there was a row of small wine glasses and several stemmed glasses, stacked neatly.

This lineup is truly unprecedented when placed on the dining table at Cerulean Dojo.

Because Sakura usually has very strict control over snacks and drinks, and even stricter control over alcohol consumption.

After all, she might not be good at training Pokémon Sakura, but she's very strict about maintaining her figure and beauty.

So at home, she usually takes care of the three sisters' diet and drinks, and they can't eat or drink whatever they want.

As for drinking, I only have a little bit on special occasions.

Today, she actually pushed a small cart full of drinks!

…………

Peony was the first to react.

She put down her chopsticks, her eyes wide open, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the trolley and Sakura's face several times.

"Sister, is there alcohol at the dinner party tonight?"

Her voice carried a sense of shock, as if she had just witnessed the sun rising in the west.

"My God, sister, what kind of kind personality have possessed you?"

Sakura had just parked the stroller when she heard this and raised an eyebrow.

She turned to look at Peony, hands on her hips, a half-smile on her face.

"What are you saying? You're even using your kind personality. Am I usually that mean to you?"

Peony chuckled, offering no direct answer, but her smile said it all.

Changpu put down her teacup and, unusually, spoke up as well.

"Sis, are you sure?"

Her tone was calm, but her eyes betrayed her surprise.

"Last time it was Peony's birthday, you didn't even offer her a can of beer."

Peony nodded vigorously beside her.

"Yes! Yes! It's my birthday! A can of beer! What do you say, sis?!"

Sakura took a deep breath, then smiled and shook her head.

"Alright, alright, stop bringing up the past."

She reached out and patted the handle of the trolley, her gaze sweeping over the faces of everyone at the table.

"Tonight is indeed a good night, probably due to a combination of factors."

"First of all, our performance was a success, exceeding expectations. We also passed the league's review, and the revenue from foster care fees, ticket sales, and merchandise was good, so the dojo's financial situation has finally improved. That's good news."

She broke off the second one with her fingers.

"Then we celebrate Jiang Chuan, Xiao Xia, and Sister Hua Zi's safe return. They've been out there for so long and must have had a tough journey. They deserve a proper welcome home. This is the second joy."

The third finger.

"Of course, it's also to celebrate Xiaoxia's progress. She has made rapid progress in Pokémon training and development. Starmie, Staryu, Psyduck, Kingdra—you saw how enthusiastic the audience was at the performance today. This is a triple celebration."

She lowered her hand and spread it out.

"With three joyous occasions, it wouldn't be right not to celebrate with wine."

She paused, and the corners of her mouth curved slightly.

"Besides, as the older sister, I can't always be so rigid, right?"

These reasons are presented in a clear, logical, and well-founded manner.

Peony and calamus exchanged a glance, then nodded simultaneously.

That makes sense.

Peony was the first to express its opinion.

"My sister's right, we definitely should celebrate!"

Her eyes were glued to the bottles of fruit wine, sparkling.

Even the calamus showed a rare hint of a smile.

"Since you've brought it up yourself, we won't stand on ceremony."

Xiaoxia had already put the roasted chicken wings on a plate and held them up high.

"Yay! Long live the sister! It's been so long since I've had such fine wine."

Her cheers echoed through the restaurant, her ponytail swaying back and forth.

Then Jiang Chuan's puzzled voice rang out from the side.

"Has it been a long time? I remember you had a big drinking session just a week before you came back, didn't you?"

Xiaoxia's arm froze in mid-air.

Jiang Chuan spoke casually, as if stating an objective fact.

"And those fancy hotels you stayed at before, you always ordered their rare and exquisite wines. The hotel's homemade wine last time..."

He hadn't finished speaking.

Xiaoxia sprang up from the chair like a spring, pounced on Jiang Chuan, and covered his mouth tightly with both hands.

"Oh dear, Jiang Chuan, don't tell anyone!"

Her voice was low, but sharp, like a cat whose tail had been stepped on.

Her face was already red to the roots of her ears.

The others at the table all turned their attention to Xiaoxia.

Sakura raised an eyebrow and slowly crossed her arms over her chest.

Hanako held her teacup, a slight smile playing on her lips, looking on with an air of anticipation.

Before returning, Xiaoxia gave Jiangchuan many instructions on what to pay attention to upon his return.

But she forgot about the drinks.

Because she hadn't even thought about that question.

In her mind, after returning to the dojo, under Sakura-nee's strict control, there would be no drinking involved, so there would naturally be no drinking scene after returning, and therefore no special instructions were needed.

Unexpectedly, her sister brought the whole stroller up today.

Jiang Chuan's mouth was covered, and he made "mmm" sounds, his eyes filled with innocence.

Xiaoxia released her grip, took a step back, clasped her hands together, and mouthed "Please stop talking" to Jiang Chuan.

Then she turned around and faced the cherry blossoms.

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, her right toes lightly touching the ground.

Jiang Chuan recognized that posture.

It is the preparatory posture before interrogation.

"Xiaoxia".

The sound of cherry blossoms is very calm.

"Is this what you called a perfect recuperation trip where you only drank water and juice and didn't touch a drop of alcohol?"

The pauses for each word are very clear.

Xiaoxia touched the back of her head and let out her signature laugh.

"Haha, haha... um, that..."

Her eyes darted around, unable to meet the cherry blossoms' gaze directly.

"It's all to celebrate Jiang Chuan! Jiang Chuan has achieved so much on his journey, he defeated so many Gym Leaders and earned so many badges! And I am..."

Her voice grew softer and softer.

"Just a tiny bit, really! Just a tiny bit!"

She gestured with her finger to indicate a very small gap.

Sakura's gaze lingered on Xia's face for about five seconds.

But Xiaoxia felt that about five years had passed.

Then Sakura sighed and shook her head.

"never mind."

Her tone was tinged with helplessness, but the smile at the corner of her mouth betrayed her.

"I'm happy today, so I won't talk about you anymore."

She looked away and turned to pick up a bottle of sake from the trolley.

"Let's eat, everyone."

Her voice rose a little.

"Don't spoil this beautiful atmosphere."

Xiaoxia breathed a long sigh of relief, feeling as if she had been granted a pardon. The sound of her exhale was so loud that even Hanako couldn't help but laugh.

"Yay!"

Xiaoxia cheered again, this time even louder than before, as if trying to cover up her earlier embarrassment with her volume.

"Let's eat! I want to try this plum wine!"

She was the first to rush to the cart and reach for the bottle of pink fruit wine.

Not to be outdone, the peony squeezed its way in.

"I want the peach flavor! Xia, don't try to take it from me!"

"Who's taking it from you? The peach flavor is right there, where are your eyes?"

"Oh, I see it, I see it."

Ayame stood up, walked slowly to the cart, picked up the bottle of whiskey, looked at the label, put it down, and replaced it with sake.

"Hanako-nee, what would you like to drink?"

Hanako put down her teacup and smiled.

"A sparkling bar, something light."

Jiang Chuan remained seated, watching the scene suddenly become lively before him.

Xiaoxia, Mudan, and Changpu stood around the cart, each choosing their own wine. Xiaoxia held onto the plum wine tightly, Mudan had already opened the peach-flavored wine and was smelling it, while Changpu hesitated between sake and sparkling wine.

Sakura stood to the side, holding the bottle of sake in her hand, looking at her three younger sisters with a smile in her eyes.

Hanako gently savors the sparkling wine.

This joyful scene gave Jiang Chuan a unique sense of accomplishment...