Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

early morning.

Before the sunlight had fully penetrated, three suitcases were already laid out in the lobby of the Clarion Dojo.

Xiaoxia stood at the doorway, giving her Poké Ball belt a final check. The six Poké Balls hung neatly on it, and she flicked them one by one with her finger, making a crisp clicking sound.

"Starfish, Goldeen, Omanyte, Psyduck, Dewpie... we've got them all."

She patted her belt and nodded in satisfaction.

Hanako was already waiting outside the door, holding the bottle of chilled lemonade that Kasumi had given her, and looking down at the navigation on her phone.

"From Cerulean City to Viridian City, take Route 6 and then Route 1. It'll take about three days." She glanced up at Jiang Chuan, then looked back at the screen. "We'll stop in Vermilion City for one night. I've already booked the accommodation."

Jiang Chuan leaned against the door frame with his ever-filled travel bag on his back and nodded.

At that moment, Sakura came out from the inner room.

She was wearing a light blue loungewear dress today, her hair casually tied in a low ponytail, looking relaxed and carefree. But she was carrying two paper bags, and her expression was anything but relaxed.

She stuffed the paper bag into Xiaoxia's hand and began to explain things one by one.

"This bag contains fruit and rice balls for the journey. The rice balls were made fresh this morning and need to be eaten before noon, otherwise the tuna will spoil."

"The other bag contains sunscreen spray, bandages, and some common medications. I also put some other emergency medications in there; it's the blue box, don't get them mixed up."

"Send a message to let us know you're safe as soon as you arrive in Tokiwa City. Don't keep us waiting too long."

She paused after speaking, then added, "Don't be reckless if anything happens on the road. Let Jiang Chuan fight if he can; don't rush to the front."

Xiaoxia took the bag and, while stuffing it into her purse, said with a smile, "Okay, okay, Sakura-jie, you're even more nagging than my old mom!"

Sakura ignored her teasing and glanced down, her gaze settling on Xia's waist.

She reached out and pinched the flesh on Xiaoxia's side.

Xiaoxia recoiled as she was pinched: "What are you doing!"

Sakura withdrew her hand, her expression as serious as if she were reading a diagnostic report.

"Don't you know how many sweets you've eaten these past few days at home?"

Xiaoxia guiltily looked away: "It wasn't much..."

"Not much yet? Who ate that box of pudding in the fridge last night? I was saving it for afternoon tea today." Sakura crossed her arms, her tone carrying the confidence typical of an older sister.

Xiaoxia opened her mouth, but couldn't find a suitable excuse, so she just chuckled.

Sakura sighed, extended a finger and tapped Xia's forehead, her tone changing from serious to earnest.

"Stay in shape."

She paused, lowered her voice slightly, but her tone became more forceful.

"If you lose your figure and Jiang Chuan doesn't want you anymore, let's see where you go to cry then."

Xiaoxia tilted her head back slightly when she was tapped, but she quickly regained her balance and rubbed her forehead with a grin.

Then she turned her head and looked at Jiang Chuan, who was leaning against the door frame.

The sunlight shone from behind her, making the smile on her face shine brightly.

"Does he dare to reject me?"

Her voice carried a sense of self-assurance and confidence.

"Even if I turn into Snorlax, he'll still want mine."

After she finished speaking, she gestured with her chin toward Jiang Chuan, as if waiting for his confirmation.

Jiang Chuan leaned against the door frame, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He didn't speak, but his eyes conveyed the message, "Whatever you say goes."

Sakura stared at Xiaoxia's matter-of-fact expression for a second, then shook her head.

She extended another finger, this time tapping Xiaoxia's head, her tone full of helpless indulgence.

"You."

It was just two words, but the volume was drawn out.

Xiaoxia stuck out her tongue.

Sakura withdrew her hand, her gaze passing over Xiaoxia's shoulder and landing on Jiang Chuan standing by the door frame.

Her expression changed subtly; the helpless smile she had given Xiaoxia earlier still lingered on her lips, but her eyes had changed.

Xiaoxia didn't notice that look in her eyes, nor did Mudan and Changpu.

But if Hanako noticed, she would find that look familiar, because she sometimes looked at Egawa in the same way.

Sakura walked up to Jiang Chuan and stopped a step away.

This distance is slightly closer than normal conversation distance, but not so close as to feel like it's overstepping boundaries.

She looked up at him.

Jiang Chuan was more than half a head taller than her, and she had to tilt her chin slightly to see his eyes.

"Be careful on the road."

She said those four words, then her gaze shifted down a little, landing on his collar.

She reached out her hand.

She raised both hands at the same time, pinched the two sides of Jiang Chuan's shirt collar with her fingers, and gently turned it over. One side of the collar was folded in, so she used her fingertips to turn that corner out, smoothed it out, and then used her fingertips to smooth it along the curve of the collar.

Her movements were slow, so slow that it didn't seem like she was adjusting her collar, but rather like she was doing something that required concentration.

After straightening her collar, she didn't immediately withdraw her hand.

Her fingers moved down two inches from her collarbone, stopping at her collarbone, and gently brushed it. There were no wrinkles or dust in that spot, but she just brushed it.

Then she finally withdrew her hand.

After pulling her hands back, she put them behind her back, her fingers intertwined. Jiang Chuan couldn't see how tightly her fingers were clenched behind her back.

"Remember to send a message when you arrive in Tokiwa City."

Her tone was flat, but she spoke a little faster than usual.

"I packed you a serving of oxtail soup, it's sealed up. You can just heat it up somewhere when you get there and drink it."

"Also, I put motion sickness medicine in the inside pocket of your coat. I know you don't get motion sickness, but it's always good to have some on hand. Just in case Hanako-nee or Kasumi gets motion sickness."

"By the way, stop eating those energy cubes and compressed dry rations on the road. At least eat something proper. I've already talked to Hanako-nee and asked her to keep an eye on you."

She paused here, pursed her lips, as if hesitating whether to continue.

Then she continued.

"Also, don't overtrain your Pokémon. No matter how strong your Charizard is, don't train it for more than six hours a day. I've checked the information, and overtraining can affect the development of the fire glands in Fire-type Pokémon."

"in addition………"

"Sakura-neechan".

Jiang Chuan called her name.

The cherry blossoms stopped blooming.

Jiang Chuan looked at her, smiled, and spoke softly.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Cherry blossoms opened their mouths, then closed them again.

Then she took a step back and nodded.

He just nodded.

Xiaoxia stood to the side and watched the whole thing unfold.

Her head was tilted slightly, and she blinked her eyes repeatedly.

She watched Sakura straighten Jiang Chuan's collar, watched Sakura give him instructions, and watched Sakura take a step back at the end, looking like she wanted to say something but didn't.

Xiaoxia's eyebrows furrowed slightly, then relaxed.

She muttered something under her breath.

"Why is my sister being so gentle?"

The sound was so soft that only she could hear it.

What kind of person is Sakura-san in her memory?

strict.

The eldest sister of the Cerulean Dojo, she manages the money, accounts, training, and performances. She's the only one of the four sisters who can meticulously schedule everyone's schedule down to the fifteen-minute mark with a stern face. When she and Ayame were caught sneaking ice cream by Sakura as children, Sakura could lecture them for a whole hour without repeating herself.

Lively.

Although Sakura is the leader, she can be crazier than anyone else when she gets going. She's always in the center during the dojo's water show, and she transforms into a completely different person the moment the music starts. At the last dojo gathering, she got drunk and dragged Botan onto the table to dance. Ayame filmed the whole thing, and it's still being brought up in the dojo's group chat from time to time.

enthusiasm.

She's enthusiastic towards trainers, tourists, and every staff member at the Cerulean Dojo. You can always hear her smiling and greeting people in the lobby of the Cerulean Dojo; it's not a professional, fake smile, but a genuine smile that makes you feel, "This person is happy to see you."

She was familiar with all of these.

But the way Sakura looked at Jiang Chuan just now, the way she straightened his collar, and the meticulous, almost trivial tone she used when giving him instructions—these don't really fit the description of "strict," "lively," or "enthusiastic."

That's a kind of...

Xiaoxia thought for a moment and found a metaphor.

She looks a bit like my mom from before, but that's not quite right.

Xiaoxia thought about it again, and a more accurate metaphor popped into her mind.

Like a pampered young wife.

Like in TV dramas, when the husband is about to go on a long trip, the newlywed wife stands at the door and tells him to be careful on the road, remember to eat, and not to forget to call and let him know she is safe. Then she helps her husband straighten his collar again and again, always feeling that something is not right, but in fact she has already straightened it, she just doesn't want to take her hand away.

Xiaoxia was startled by her own analogy.

She quickly shook her head, making her hair fly wildly from side to side.

Probably not, it can't be that fast...

Besides, I've been here these past few days, there's no way I wouldn't have noticed!

Xia glanced at the cherry blossoms again with unwavering certainty.

Sakura had stepped aside and was talking to Hanako. Her expression had returned to that of a normal older sister, her speech was normal, her demeanor was normal, and her gestures were normal.

It seems that what happened just now was just Xiaoxia's imagination.

Xiaoxia scratched her head and decided to stop thinking about it.

"Anyway, if the older sister is gentle and doesn't talk about herself, everyone will be happy."

With that thought in mind, she temporarily put this question into the "I'll think about it later" folder in her mind.

"Alright, alright, let's go!"

Xiaoxia clapped her hands, drawing everyone's attention.

Hanako put her phone in her pocket, stood up, and slung her backpack over her shoulder. Jiangchuan also straightened up from the door frame and adjusted the shoulder strap of his travel bag.

The three sisters stood in the doorway, lined up in a row.

Cherry blossoms stood at the very front, with peonies and irises on either side of them.

"Be careful on the road."

The three sisters said it almost at the same time.

Xiaoxia turned around, waved to them, and smiled so hard her eyes curved into two crescent moons.

"Don't worry! I'll bring back a championship from the Quartz Convention!"

Sakura smiled but didn't say anything. Her gaze passed over Xiaoxia and landed on Jiangchuan, lingering for about two seconds. Then she looked away and waved to Xiaoxia as well.

Jiang Chuan walked in front, with Hua Zi beside him, and Xiao Xia skipped and hopped at the very back, waving back at her sisters as she walked.

The shadows of the three people were stretched long and thin in the morning sunlight.

As Xiaoxia reached the corner, she turned back one last time and saw Sister Sakura still standing at the door, her light blue dress swaying gently in the wind.

She raised her hand and waved towards the corner.

Xiaoxia waved vigorously, then turned and ran a few steps to catch up with Jiang Chuan and Hua Zi.

The gate of the Cerulean Dojo gradually shrank as the three sisters watched it go, until it was finally blocked by the trees by the roadside.

Hanako walked on Jiangchuan's right, and Kasumi walked on Jiangchuan's left.

………………

Road 6 is in excellent condition, with a smooth surface and the trees on both sides providing just the right amount of shade from the sun overhead. Occasionally, a trainer on a bicycle will pass by, their bicycle bells jingling.

Hanako is chatting with Kasumi about some skincare tips.

Halfway through the conversation, Xiaoxia looked back and realized they were already quite far from the Cerulean Gym. She leaned close to Hanako and whispered something to her.

Hanako nodded, slowed her pace, and put some distance between herself and Jiangchuan.

Xiaoxia turned around, walked to Jiang Chuan's side, and took his arm.

Jiang Chuan turned his head and glanced at her.

Xiaoxia held Jiang Chuan's arm tightly, her weight half-draped over his arm, and her steps synchronized with his.

"Hey, Jiang Chuan."

Her tone was different from usual; it was less playful and more serious.

I have a few questions for you.

Jiang Chuan looked at her.

Her expression was serious, her lips were pursed, her eyes were earnest, and her brows were slightly furrowed, as if she was preparing to say something very important.

Jiang Chuan's heart skipped a beat when he saw that expression.

This expression looks so familiar.

Two days ago, Sakura stood in front of him with the same expression, seriously asking him questions, and then things took a wild ride in an indescribable direction.

"Why is Xiaoxia doing this too?"

He muttered to himself.

"etc."

He suddenly realized a key difference.

Didn't Xiaoxia understand him completely?

What is she trying to confirm this time?

What else needs to be interrogated about?

Jiang Chuan's mind raced, but his expression remained largely unchanged. He looked at Xiaoxia's serious face and a slight smile played on his lips.

"Okay, go ahead and ask."

He used the exact same tone he used when responding to the cherry blossoms that day.

"I'll answer you with whatever I know."

Xiaoxia nodded, took a deep breath as if she was choosing her words, and then looked straight into his eyes.

What do you think of Sakura-nee?

Jiang Chuan was stunned for a moment.

This question sounds all too familiar.

That's how the cherry blossoms started blooming that night too.

What do you think of Xia?

Jiang Chuan smiled to himself.

These two sisters are definitely born of the same mother; they speak in exactly the same way.

He decided to play by the rules.

"Gentle, energetic, um...quite humorous, these are all good qualities."

He spoke flawlessly, his tone as natural as if he were just having a casual conversation.

Xia frowned slightly after hearing this.

Then she clicked her tongue.

The "tsk" was drawn out, carrying an impatient tone that seemed to say, "What are you pretending for?"

She rolled her eyes at Jiang Chuan.

"Big scoundrel."

She first gave him three words.

Then she tightened her grip on his arm a little, leaned closer to him, and said in a low voice.

"Why are you pretending to be a lamb with me?"

"Do I need you to explain these things? What's the point of me asking these questions?"

"I'm talking about your figure, your curves, and those things."

"The outfit that Sakura-san wore on the day of the performance was so beautiful."

"I noticed you've been admiring it for quite a while."

The last syllable of the sentence rose slightly, carrying a hint of teasing, a touch of probing, and a subtle, inexplicable sense of smugness.

It was as if she had caught something interesting.

Jiang Chuan looked at her expression, his mind racing.

So that's what Xiaoxia was asking.

But wasn't he directing the baby sea lions in front that day? How come he saw everything in the back?

What kind of superpower did she gain?