Elf: Rewriting the script, starting with Black Stocking Hanako

"You must be the legendary Master Shiba?"

When Jiang Chuan said this, Shiba was clearly taken aback.

He raised his eyebrows slightly, let out an "oh" sound, and then looked at Jiang Chuan again, his gaze becoming more serious than before.

"Young man, do you know me?"

Jiang Chuan nodded, his tone very natural.

"I've heard a lot about your deeds and seen your picture on some posters."

He spoke casually, as if recognizing one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Kanto was no big deal.

But the other person present didn't think so.

Xiaoxia was standing behind Jiang Chuan, secretly rubbing her stomach from eating too much, when she heard the word "Shiba" and felt like she'd been electrocuted.

She suddenly raised her head, her eyes wide open, and her gaze moved from the back of Jiang Chuan's head to the face of the burly man opposite her, scanning him back and forth several times.

It really is Shiba.

Shiba, one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Kanto and a master of martial arts.

The Shiba who appeared on TV and was printed on posters.

Her mind went blank, and all her previous self-righteousness shattered completely.

It's over. It's over.

Everyone heard her shouting all that just now, including things like "We're here to catch Onix," "Our Jiangchuan is amazing," and "What's wrong with Pikachu?"

Moreover, Jiang Chuan had previously mentioned that Shiba also wanted to subdue that giant rock snake.

Didn't her shout just now expose Jiang Chuan's entire secret to his competitors?

Xiaoxia shrank back, her whole body like a punctured balloon, and quietly moved half a step behind Jiang Chuan.

Unconsciously, her small hands gripped the hem of Jiang Chuan's clothes tightly, her knuckles turning slightly white.

My head is still buzzing.

Oh no... this is terrible...

Jiang Chuan is going to directly compete with Shiba, one of the Four Heavenly Kings...

She was the one who brought this matter into the open...

She bit her lower lip, peeked out from behind Jiang Chuan's shoulder with one eye, glanced timidly at Shiba, and then quickly withdrew it.

A small hand gently tugged at Jiang Chuan's clothes from below.

The movement was very light, but Jiang Chuan felt it.

He tilted his head slightly, and out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Xiaoxia's face, which seemed to say "I was wrong." Her lips were slightly pouting, and her brows were furrowed, like a cat that had spilled water and dared not make a sound.

Jiang Chuan didn't say anything, but gently patted the back of her hand twice with his side.

One, two, very light, with a soothing tone.

Xiaoxia loosened her grip on the hem of her clothes slightly, but still didn't let go.

Jiang Chuan knew very well that Shiba was an unavoidable obstacle in subduing this giant rock snake.

The fact that Shiba is practicing here indicates that he has been eyeing that giant rock serpent for some time.

Even if Xiaoxia hadn't shouted that, the commotion when they actually started subduing her would still have alerted Shiba. Rather than hiding it, it's better to put it on the table now.

Therefore, Jiang Chuan didn't care.

He even felt that Xiaoxia's shout saved him the trouble of speaking up.

Jiang Chuan withdrew his gaze and looked back at Shiba, his tone still unhurried.

"I am a trainer from Pallet Town. I just started my journey this year and am currently registered as a trainer at Professor Oak's lab."

He said it very cleverly, introducing himself while subtly mentioning Professor Oak's name.

Shiba's gaze did indeed change.

"So he's a trainer from Professor Oak's place in Pallet Town."

His tone was softer than before, and he nodded, his eyes showing a hint of relief.

"No wonder he had the courage to come here to subdue the giant rock snake."

All of Shiba's doubts were now resolved.

Professor Oak's status in the Kanto region needs no introduction. Not only in the field of research, but even the Elite Four have to treat him with great respect.

Trainers who come out of his research institute naturally have some potential; they are not the kind of hotheads who act impulsively.

In addition, Pallet Town is not far from Miacha Mountain, so it's normal that the people of Pallet Town knew about the rumors in this area early on.

The fact that this young man was able to climb all the way here with his girlfriend shows that he has good intelligence and physical strength.

Thinking of this, Shiba became even more affectionate towards Jiang Chuan.

The score I gave Jiang Chuan in my mind was a little higher than before, but my overall assessment remained the same.

New trainers who just started this year.

Even the most powerful abilities have their limitations.

A newcomer, with a Pikachu, tries to steal the Onix from Shiba.

Absolutely impossible!

With this thought in mind, Shiba let down his guard.

He smiled at Jiang Chuan, his tone becoming more cheerful.

"While I have no doubt about Professor Oak's judgment, you are also a man of great talent."

Shiba took a step forward, lowering his voice as if he were talking about something very serious.

"But I must also say that the giant onyx you're about to find is also my target."

He paused for a moment, giving Jiang Chuan some time to process the information.

"So if you want to subdue it, you might have to compete with me."

After saying that, Shiba stared at Jiang Chuan, trying to see any hesitation or retreat on his face.

There was no result.

Jiang Chuan's expression barely changed after hearing this, except for a slight smirk at the corner of his mouth, as if he had been waiting for these words.

"That's natural."

Jiang Chuan took a small half step forward, and Xiaoxia's hand slid down from the hem of his clothes, but he caught it and gently squeezed it.

"When trainers set their sights on the same Pokémon, they should naturally compete fairly."

He raised his eyes, met Shiba's gaze, and spoke in a calm tone that didn't sound like he was talking to one of the Four Heavenly Kings of Kanto.

"Whoever wins gets to keep this Pokémon."

That's a very definitive statement.

Shiba was stunned.

His original intention was to use his status as an Elite Four member to scare away this rookie trainer.

Without resorting to violence or damaging the relationship, the other party will back down, and you can continue doing what you were doing.

Whoever wins will take over.

A rookie trainer who has been training for less than a year actually said such a thing to one of the Kanto Elite Four.

Either they have real confidence, or they've lost their mind.

Shiba stared at Jiang Chuan for several seconds.

The other person's gaze was steady, neither dodging nor flinching, and their breathing was even. They exuded an indescribable sense of relaxation from head to toe.

This doesn't seem like a bluff.

Shiba nodded to himself.

interesting.

However, it is interesting as it may be.

If it really came down to a Pokémon battle, Shiba was 100% certain that he couldn't possibly lose to a rookie who had just started out.

Even if the other party comes from Professor Oak's lab, and even if the Pokémon in his hands are very talented.

Combat experience and the number of Pokémon they have are things that cannot be bridged by talent alone.

But here is the problem.

Besides targeting the giant rock serpent, another important purpose of his trip to Miacha Mountain was to cultivate his own physical body.

So he didn't bring any Pokémon with him this time.

He originally intended to use his physical strength to "communicate" with the giant onyx head-on, persuading it in the most primal way a fighter can do.

He has always been very confident in this plan.

But the current situation is somewhat delicate.

If we leave now to go home and get our Pokémon, Jiang Chuan will definitely take advantage of this opportunity to go find that Onix.

By the time Shiba rushed back, the opportunity had passed.

But if he doesn't leave now, he has no spirits left to use.

What do we have to compete with?

You can't expect them to wait for you to come home and get the ball, can you?

Shiba frowned, crossed his thick arms over his chest, tapped his biceps with his knuckles, and thought rapidly.

This situation is rather tricky.

He was pondering how to bring it up when Jiang Chuan spoke first.

"I wonder what method Master Shiba intends to use to determine the winner and thus the right to subdue this giant onyx?"

Jiang Chuan spoke politely and with a proper attitude, leaving the decision entirely to Shiba.

Shiba's eyes lit up.

This kid... is quite sensible.

They knew to give the decision-making power to their seniors and did not take advantage of their vulnerability.

Shiba's opinion of Jiang Chuan rose even higher.

He was initially worried that the other party would suggest a Pokémon battle, which would put him in an awkward position.

Now that Jiang Chuan is letting him choose, things are much more comfortable.

With his mood improving, Shiba was already starting to plan what would happen after he won.

Hmm, this kid is so sensible. After I beat him later, I'll take him on as my apprentice.

I'll give him more guidance on Pokémon training in the future to help him avoid some detours.

With his experience and insight as a fighting game master, a few pointers from him would be enough to propel this kid up a notch on the path to becoming a professional trainer.

This can be considered as some compensation for him.

With this thought, Shiba's guilt about "bullying the weak" lessened considerably.

He cleared his throat and decided to finalize the matter.

"Jiang Chuan."

Shiba softened his voice, trying to appear as amiable as possible.

"You're a rookie trainer, while I can barely be considered one of the Elite Four now."

He spoke politely, but the weight of the words "Four Heavenly Kings" was undeniable; an ordinary person would have already trembled in fear.

"It would be unfair to use Pokémon duels on a rookie trainer like you."

As Shiba spoke, he observed Jiang Chuan's reaction.

Jiang Chuan was neither disappointed nor did he argue. He simply listened quietly, his eyes revealing nothing of what he was thinking.

Shiba was even more satisfied.

"Well then, you seem to be quite robust."

He stretched out a thick, rough hand and pinched Jiang Chuan's shoulder, as if testing his muscles and bones.

"Let's have a fight, a boxing match, and decide who captures this giant Onix by sheer masculine strength."

After he finished speaking, he withdrew his hand, his gaze pressing heavily on Jiang Chuan.

"What do you think?"

Shiba meant that this method was the most advantageous for Jiangchuan.

After all, he is a fighting king, but with his fame, his willingness to bring the competition to the level of physical combat is seen by outsiders as a senior taking care of a junior.

Jiang Chuan hadn't spoken yet.

Xia, who was behind him, was stunned.

She had been hiding behind Jiang Chuan, her face filled with fear that she had messed up.

But when Shiba uttered the word "fighting," her expression brightened instantly, as if the clouds had been blown away by the wind.

Huh? Fighting?

Not a Pokémon battle?

Well, there's definitely a chance!

Xiaoxia's eyes widened, and the corners of her mouth turned up uncontrollably, as if she had been injected with a stimulant.

She knew better than anyone that Jiang Chuan possessed superpowers.

Moreover, he had previously fought with Ami, and in close combat, he was far superior to ordinary trainers.

Xiaoxia was really unsure if Shiba would use an elf to decide the outcome.

But if it's melee combat... the win rate is much higher than in elf battles!

Xiaoxia became happier and happier as she thought about it, and she couldn't hide the smile on her face. With her hands behind her back and her toes tiptoeing unconsciously, she looked like a cat looking at a fish tank, with bubbles of joy emanating from her whole body.

Shiba was waiting for Jiang Chuan's response when he casually glanced to the side and saw Xiaoxia's expression.

His heart skipped a beat.

Why did that little girl suddenly start laughing?

He was looking so listless just now, how come he's so excited about fighting?

Shiba took another closer look.

Xiaoxia was laughing so happily, her eyes curved into two crescent moons, and her mouth stretched almost to her ears.

This isn't right.

Judging from how they walked over hand in hand, they must be a couple.

Why does she get excited when she sees her man about to be beaten?

Shiba has been a dominant force in the fighting world for so many years, he's seen it all.

He really couldn't understand the young couple's reaction.

These young people's emotional ways are really hard to fathom.

Shiba glanced at Xiaoxia again, and seeing her smile even brighter, he was even more puzzled.

Does this girl not know what the words "Four Heavenly Kings" mean?

He's the kind of person who can split rocks with his bare hands.

Or is it that young girls these days just enjoy watching their boyfriends get beaten up?

Shiba shook his head, too lazy to think about these irrelevant things anymore.

He withdrew his gaze and looked back at Jiang Chuan.

"How is it? Is this method okay?"

Jiang Chuan did not answer immediately.

He lowered his head slightly, as if he was thinking seriously, his brows furrowing slightly before quickly relaxing.

After two or three seconds, he looked up, a faint smile on his lips.

"Okay, sure."

He nodded, his tone very sincere.

"Since Master Shiba has taken such good care of me, a junior, I am naturally very happy to accept it."

Jiang Chuan spoke flawlessly, and the slight hesitation on his face was just right, neither making him seem too easy to talk to nor embarrassing Shiba.

Xiaoxia was so excited when she heard Jiang Chuan agree that she almost jumped for joy.

She quickly bit her lower lip, trying to suppress her excitement, but her eyes still shone with an unreasonable intensity.

Jiang Chuan subtly squeezed her hand, signaling her to tone it down.

Xiaoxia managed to control her expression, pursing her lips into a thin line, but the corners of her mouth still couldn't help but twitch upwards.

When Shiba saw that Jiang Chuan had agreed, a smile appeared on his face.

He stretched out his large, fan-like hand and patted Jiang Chuan on the shoulder.

"Great, that's awesome."

The slap carried a hint of affection, but the force was unmistakable; Jiang Chuan felt as if he had been gently bumped into a stone wall.

He didn't move his feet or slump his shoulders; he just took the hit head-on.

Shiba nodded inwardly.

The lower body is very stable.

Not bad.

That way, I won't get beaten too badly later.

He withdrew his hand, turned around and took a few steps to the other side of the rock platform, then began to move his wrists and neck, his joints making cracking sounds.

Jiang Chuan also let go of Xiaoxia's hand and took a few steps to the side.

Xiaoxia stood still, her gaze sweeping back and forth between the two, finally settling on Jiang Chuan's back.

She clenched her fist and whispered something.

"Go for it, Jiang Chuan!"

Jiang Chuan turned around, smiled at her, and gestured to Xiaoxia to calm down and not get too excited.

Xiaoxia pursed her lips, nodded obediently, and then led Pikachu and Jiang Chuan away from Shiba.