Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

early morning.

Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, drawing a thin white line on the floor.

Sakura lay on her side, her cheek buried in the blanket, her eyes still closed.

My consciousness was still in a state between dreaming and waking, and the scenes from last night kept replaying in my mind.

Sakura buried her head in the pillow, and the corners of her mouth turned up.

Her eyes crinkled with laughter.

Last night was really...

She searched her brain for adjectives and finally found only two words.

crazy!

She licked her lips, which still tasted of red wine, mixed with a little something else.

Then she touched the alarm clock on the bedside table.

I took it and looked at it.

11:03.

Cherry blossoms paused for a second.

Then he suddenly sat up.

"Hiss~"

She moved too fast, and a sharp pain shot through her lower back muscles. She gasped and slumped back onto the pillow.

"How come it's already eleven o'clock? I... I slept until now?"

Her voice was hoarse, as if she had just woken up, and her tone was full of surprise.

Just then, a sound came from the other side of the room.

"Sakura-nee, you're awake?"

Sakura turned her head on the pillow, looking in the direction of the sound.

Then she saw Jiang Chuan doing push-ups on the floor.

He was wearing only a pair of athletic shorts, and the muscles in his back rose and fell with his movements, his shoulder blades opening and closing like two wings.

Sweat trickled down the grooves of the spine, gathering into a drop at the back of the waist before sliding into the waistband of the pants.

Sunlight streamed in through the gaps in the curtains, falling obliquely on him.

The sweat glistened in the light, as if coated with a thin layer of oil.

Sakura's gaze moved down from the muscles of his back, paused at his waist, and then moved down a little further.

She bit her lower lip and laughed.

She watched Jiang Chuan do push-ups, one after another, steadily and rhythmically, without even his breathing getting out of whack.

Sakura quickly shook her head and patted her forehead.

Wake up.

It's daytime now.

Calm down.

She took a deep breath, then slowly sat up, supporting herself on the mattress. This time, her movements were much slower, one hand on her lower back and the other on the bed.

The sheet slipped off her body, and she looked down at herself before quickly pulling it back up to cover her collarbone.

Then she looked at Jiang Chuan, her tone slightly coquettish: "You got up so early, why didn't you wake me?"

Jiang Chuan was still doing push-ups, talking as he did so, without even panting.

"Didn't Sakura-nee say last night that she had no energy at all?"

He turned his head and glanced at her.

"I was thinking of letting you sleep a little longer."

Upon hearing this, Sakura pursed her lips and gently bit the inside of her lower lip.

She gave a shy laugh, then deliberately put on a serious face and said coquettishly, "Well...it's all because of you~"

Jiang Chuan smiled, said nothing, and continued doing push-ups.

As Sakura looked at his smiling face, the slight embarrassment and annoyance in her heart suddenly transformed into something else entirely.

She started getting dressed.

When I was taking it off last night, I didn't have the mind to fold it properly.

Then there was the bodycon skirt, with several creases on the hem. She smoothed it with her hand, but it didn't help.

The straps of her stockings were a little tangled, and she bent down and untied them for a while, talking as she did so.

Her voice carried a hint of laughter, as if she were talking to herself, or perhaps to Jiang Chuan.

"How was I supposed to know you were so talented?"

She straightened the straps of the stockings, and paused for a moment as she lifted her leg to put them on.

Her voice became softer, with a long, drawn-out ending, like she was being coquettish.

She straightened the lace trim on her stockings, letting it peek out slightly from the slit in her skirt.

Then she paused, turned to look at Jiang Chuan who was still doing push-ups, hesitated for a moment, and finally asked.

"Why………"

"Were you and Xiaoxia really behaving yourselves on the way? It doesn't seem like it."

Jiang Chuan turned his head to look at her, a slight smile playing on his lips, but did not answer.

That smile conveyed a lot, but not a single word.

Cherry blossoms waited for two seconds, but received no reply.

She curled her lips slightly.

Forget it.

Anyway, I'm pretty much old by now.

Then Sakura waved her hand, her tone a mix of indifference and sweetness, and said, "Never mind, never mind what you and Xia's business is about. Anyway..."

She turned to look at Jiang Chuan, her gaze sweeping over his sweaty back muscles.

"Anyway, Jiang Chuan and our Hua Lan Dojo are now inextricably linked."

She paused, her tone shifting from sweet to a half-joking threat, and pointed a finger in Jiang Chuan's direction, tapping it in the air.

"What if you abandon our Cerulean Dojo from now on!"

"We, the Cerulean Dojo, will hunt you down for the rest of our lives!"

Jiang Chuan had just finished his last push-up. He pushed himself up, picked up a towel from the chair next to him, wiped the sweat from his face, and then turned to face the cherry blossoms.

He had a smile on his face and spoke in a relaxed tone, but the look in his eyes was serious.

"Don't worry, Sakura. I will definitely lead Cerulean Gym to the top of Kanto."

Sakura looked at Jiang Chuan, and the corners of her mouth slowly turned up, forming a sweet, soft, and satisfied arc.

Then she said softly, "Yes, I believe you."

Her voice was very soft, but her tone was much more serious than her previous whining and complaining.

After she finished speaking, she stood up from the bedside and walked towards the door.

She took two steps and then suddenly stopped.

He turned around.

Looking at Jiang Chuan, she opened her mouth and then closed it again, as if she was considering how to speak.

Finally, she said, "Um, well, Jiang Chuan..."

"Let's keep that a secret from Xiaoxia for now."

As she spoke, she gestured with her hand, indicating "don't say it for now."

"Although the four of us sisters are of one mind, you and Xiaoxia are on your cultivation journey first. I'm the eldest sister, and I'm anxious... that's why I came first..."

"So, when you and Xiaoxia are already... or when the right opportunity arises..."

"Oh well, you figure it out."

She waved her hand, her expression a mix of embarrassment and unspeakable seriousness.

She became more and more incoherent as she spoke, and finally stomped her foot.

"Now that you're the pillar of the family, you need to be in charge. You have to maintain a good relationship between us sisters and prevent any rifts between us."

"I'm now half the burden of this family, and you...you're half the burden too."

Jiang Chuan stood by the window listening, and paused for a moment when he heard the last sentence.

Then he tilted his head, opened his mouth wide, and made a sound: "Huh?"

Sakura couldn't help but laugh when she saw his expression.

Jiang Chuan laughed, draped the towel over his shoulder, and said, "Okay, okay, I'll handle it myself. You can rest assured, Sakura-jie."

Sakura breathed a sigh of relief.

His shoulders slumped slightly, and his expression relaxed.

"Alright, then you continue your training. I'll go and arrange some nourishing food for you to have for lunch."

She said it so naturally, as if she had been doing it for many years.

After saying that, she turned around, opened the door, and walked out.

The sound of high heels gradually faded away in the corridor.

From near to far.

Sakura leaned against the corridor wall with one hand and gently rubbed her stomach with the other.

Their steps were very light and quick.

He was pondering it to himself.

"I don't know if it's possible..."

Thinking of this, her ears turned red again.

"Sigh, but at least we've managed to keep Jiang Chuan here. There will be plenty of opportunities in the future, we'll see!"

She patted her cheeks to chase away those wild thoughts.

Then he took a deep breath, a smile he couldn't hide appearing on his lips.

She walked briskly towards the kitchen.

I've already started planning the lunch menu in my head.

Oxtail soup.

You must make a pot of oxtail soup.

Add some goji berries and angelica root.

Order an oyster omelet too.

Make sure to cook more rice.

By the way, didn't Mudan buy some sea cucumbers a couple of days ago? Find them and soak them.

She counted the menu items on her fingers as she walked.

The smile on his face grew deeper and deeper with each count.

As she walked, she suddenly remembered something and paused.

The suspender stocking set seems to be ruined.

She bit her lip, pondering whether she should buy another set next time she went to the mall.

No, buy two sets.

We changed clothes.

Anyway—

Anyway, there will be plenty of opportunities to wear it in the future.

As she thought this, the blush on her face deepened.

I quickened my pace and headed towards the kitchen.

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

Over the next two days, the Cerulean Dojo, with cherry blossoms, peonies, and irises all involved, managed to come up with a completely new operational plan.

From adjusting the dojo competition format to arranging the water show program, and then to the renovation plan for the training ground, Sakura's notebook was filled with dense writing.

Jiang Chuan was also pulled into two meetings.

It was called a meeting, but in reality, Sakura just laid out the proposal in front of him and asked him, "Will this work?" or "Would that be better?"

Jiang Chuan initially offered his opinions earnestly, but later realized that Sakura didn't actually want his advice—she just wanted to hear him say "Okay, let's do it this way" and bring out his decisiveness as the pillar of the family.

After he spoke, Sakura's eyes immediately lit up, and she drew a big checkmark on the page of the proposal with a highlighter.

Hanako hadn't been idle these past two days either. She and Sakura spent more time together than Jiangchuan and Xiaoxia combined, whispering to each other about who-knows-what. Once, Jiangchuan passed by the kitchen and vaguely heard words like "how long to soak," "heat," and "what he likes," so he quickly hurried away.

On the night before her departure, Xiaoxia went to the Pokémon pool in the backyard of the gym to adjust her team.

Moonlight spilled onto the water's surface, and the water-type Pokémon swam around in the pond, occasionally catching the glint of Goldeen's scales in the moonlight.

Xiaoxia squatted by the pool, counting Poké Balls one by one.

"Kingdra, Staryu, you two stay here and help Sakura and the others at the gym. Be good to them!"

"They're my older sisters. Even though they're pretty unreliable at training Pokémon, they're still my older sisters~"

She placed the two Poké Balls on the stone platform by the pool and spoke to the two Pokémon in the water. Kingdra poked its head out of the water and let out a low growl, while Staryu circled on the surface.

"The dojo needs you," Xiaoxia said, her tone unusually serious. "The older sisters need to rebuild the dojo; performances alone won't do the job!"

She bit her lip and added, "You guys are the best fighters I have, don't embarrass me."

The King Thorn Dragon sprayed a thin jet of water, which hit Xiaoxia's bangs precisely.

"Hello!"

Xiaoxia wiped the water off her face and glared at the Spiny Dragon King. The Spiny Dragon King had already retreated back into the water, leaving only its eyes above the surface, curved into two crescent moons.

Xiaoxia stared at it for a while, then laughed at herself.

Then she stood up and took out Psyduck's Poké Ball.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind her. Xiaoxia turned around and saw that her three older sisters had arrived.

Cherry blossoms walked in front, Peony carried a folder, and Iris held a plate of sliced ​​fruit.

"What, picking out your party?" Sakura walked over and glanced at the Poké Balls on the stone platform. "Are Kingdra and Staryu staying at the gym to help us? If so, that would be fantastic!"

Peony opened Xiaoxia's elf file.

She glanced at them, then looked up: "You currently have Psyduck, Goldeen, Togepi, Omanyte... Hmm, the level difference is quite large."

Ayame used a toothpick to stick a piece of apple into her mouth and mumbled, "Where's Psyduck? Take it out and let me see."

Xiaoxia pressed the Poké Ball.

Psyduck appeared at the edge of the pool, tilting its head, staring blankly, its mouth slightly open, looking as if it didn't know where it was.

The three sisters fell silent.

About five seconds later, Sakura crouched down and waved her hand in front of Psyduck. Psyduck's gaze followed her hand slowly, and then...

Then its gaze drifted away, and it began to stare blankly at the water in the pool.

"Has it gotten fatter again?" Iris asked, puzzled.

"It's not fat," Peony shook her head. "I think it's swollen. Look at its cheeks, they're even more swollen than the last time I saw it."

Xiaoxia picked up Psyduck, held it in her arms, and said a little guiltily, "It...it just ate a little too much."

"He can still be a great help to you sisters if he stays."

Xiaoxia's little scheme was actually to keep Psyduck, that silly guy, at the gym so he could be cute and perform.

Sakura stood up, patted Misty on the shoulder, and said earnestly, "Misty, this Psyduck... it definitely has potential, after all, it's your Pokémon. But..."

"But what?"

"But look," Sakura pointed at Psyduck, "can it perform?"

Psyduck yawned.

"Will you fight?"

Psyduck started scratching its belly.

"Do you...do you know anything else?"

Psyduck finally reacted. It turned its head, looked at the cherry blossoms, and opened its mouth.

Everyone held their breath.

Psyduck made a sound...

"Gah."

Then he turned back and continued to stare blankly.

Ayame laughed so hard she squatted down. Peony covered her face with the folder in her hand, her shoulders shaking. Sakura took a deep breath and pressed her temples.

"So," Sakura put her hands on Misty's shoulders, her expression extremely serious, "Misty, our most promising future Water-type Pokémon Master, this Psyduck... you should train it for a while longer."

Xiaoxia was stunned.

A future Water-type Pokémon Master?

She blinked to make sure she hadn't misheard.

Her three older sisters used to call her things like "silly Xiaoxia," "clumsy," and "never grow up." But now her eldest sister is spouting something like "future Water-type Pokémon Master"?

Xiaoxia's facial expressions instantly crumbled.

The corners of his mouth turned up uncontrollably, and the tips of his ears turned red. He tried to act serious but couldn't.

She lowered her head, pretending to tidy the three feathers on Psyduck's head, and tried to keep her voice calm: "Okay, okay, then let's train it for a while longer."

The three sisters exchanged a glance.

Peony wrote a line on the folder.

Changpu stuffed a piece of apple into Xiaoxia's mouth.

Xiaoxia was finally flattered by this praise and relented, saying, "Okay, I'll bring Psyduck along, but I also want to bring my little sea lion from home!"

"My idol has a very powerful white sea lion, and I've always wanted to train sea lion cubs, but I've never been very confident!"

"Now that I've been traveling with Jiang Chuan for so long, I feel confident that I can train the little sea lion well."

Sakura nodded: "Okay, the little sea lion isn't high-level, but it has great potential. Let it go on a trip with you for a while."

And so, Xiaoxia's lineup was finally finalized.

The gem starfish, at level 43, is undoubtedly the leader of the team.

Goldfish and Omanyte are 23 and 26 respectively, making them the core of the team.

Psyduck is level 13, Dewpie is level 10, and Togepi is level 6.

The six spirits ranged in level from 43 to 6, a ridiculously large difference.

However, Xiaoxia was not flustered.

Anyway, she doesn't have any mandatory tasks to challenge gyms; she just needs a Starmie that's close to gym level to level up.

If you encounter something in the wild that you can't beat, there's Jiang Chuan—he has a bunch of powerful Pokémon, any one of which could be a top-tier player, so you can just follow behind and gain experience.

Xiaoxia arranged the six Poké Balls on her belt, patted them, and satisfied with her starting lineup...