Pokémon: I picked up a reborn Eevee at the start of the game

Chapter 130 Let Splendor Become the New Calling Card of This City!

The next morning.

Xia Chen was awakened again by the noise outside the window.

Is the Sacred Tree Festival still going strong?

He was a little disoriented after waking up, and in a daze, he thought he had traveled back to three days ago.

That day, I was also awakened by the noise of people participating in the Shenmu Festival.

But he quickly ruled out that possibility from the sunlight streaming into the room; a few days ago, before the sacred tree became bald, the dojo didn't get such good sunlight.

Hmm... no!

Xia Chen suddenly realized something: the three-day Sacred Tree Festival had completely ended yesterday, and all the leaves had fallen.

The old has been swept away, and the new is about to arrive.

Today should be the day when the sacred tree grows new leaves. According to Ma Xiu, the sacred tree can grow new leaves overnight, but where is the sunlight now?

The various unusual occurrences before the start of the Sacred Tree Festival were suddenly unearthed from Xia Chen's memory. What he thought was just needless worry now... seems to have been confirmed?

Xia Chen quickly got out of bed and ran to the balcony. The scene in front of him made him frown.

Just like on the first day of the Sacred Tree Festival, countless people and spirits gathered under the sacred tree, looking up at it.

Unlike that day, at this moment, there were no lush leaves above people's heads, only bare branches and an endless blue sky.

The sacred tree... has not grown any new leaves!

Not only that, he could clearly sense that the strange aura he had been able to feel ever since he arrived in Aroma City had also disappeared!

Xia Chen remained silent. For a tourist like him, the sacred tree was merely a symbol of the city of Xiangxun, and the matter would only become a topic of conversation during his leisure time.

But for the local residents who have lived here for ten or twenty years, or even longer, this event will undoubtedly have a huge impact; it would not be an exaggeration to say that the sky has fallen.

Xia Chen suddenly wondered what Miss Ma Xiu was doing at that moment.

…………

Since Xia Chen moved into the aromatherapy center, he has noticed that Miss Ma Xiu's mood is different every morning.

From the initial polite and courteous interactions, to the more natural interactions between friends after getting to know each other a bit better, to the strange looks she gave me during the Sacred Tree Festival...

A person's state at breakfast often reflects their mood for the day.

But this was the first time Xia Chen had ever seen Miss Ma Xiu so worried.

Normally, she would eat breakfast quickly and gracefully before throwing herself into a busy day at work.

But today, her eyes were unfocused as she stared at the dishes on the table, her chopsticks unconsciously poking at the rice in front of her, which seemed to have a grudge against her.

Xia Chen had almost finished eating, but she hadn't touched a single bite.

He felt he needed to say something, but having only been in Aroma City for a few days, it felt a bit like he was talking without any real experience to offer any comfort.

Helpless, he could only resort to the all-purpose phrase used in the Donghuang region under such circumstances: "Let's eat first, we need to be full to have the strength... I'm so sad."

Regardless of how comforting it was, these words finally broke the silence. Ma Xiu looked up at Xia Chen and said softly, "I should have believed you that day."

Xia Chen was speechless at Ma Xiu's self-blame. "Believe what? I don't even know what will happen. Besides, even if we know about the abnormality of the divine tree, what can we, insignificant humans, do?"

Although Xia Chen's words made a lot of sense, Ma Xiu was still not convinced. She just silently picked up a mouthful of rice and put it in her mouth to chew.

Xia Chen breathed a sigh of relief, like a mother hen.

Well... anyway, at least we ate.

…………

After the meal, Ma Xiu did not go to her studio or training ground, but instead took Xia Chen for a stroll in the courtyard of the dojo, as if she wanted to pay her last respects to the ancient tree that had existed for more than a thousand years.

Ma Xiu looked up at the towering tree that was destined to die, and suddenly sighed, "You don't know what this tree means to Fragrant City and its residents."

Xia Chen knew that this was when Ma Xiu was most eager to confide, so he did not interrupt her, but listened silently.

"The City of Aroma exists because of this tree. No matter how the outside world changes, whether it is ruled by a king or governed by an alliance, it doesn't matter to the City of Aroma. What they have always believed in, and what they have always relied on, is this tree."

"People are born, marry, and are buried under the witness of this tree. Before every major event in their lives, they pray here for blessings, but now..."

Xia Chen wanted to say something comforting, but with his straight-male mindset, what he would say would probably be something inappropriate like, "How about we put some leaves back on and pretend nothing happened?" After thinking about it, he decided to keep quiet.

Ma Xiu continued, "I'm alright, just like you, merely a passerby in this city. It's just that I've stayed here for a longer time. But those old people who have long been accustomed to the divine tree's annual cycle of rebirth may never be able to let go of it, right?"

Xia Chen finally found an opportunity to speak, "The changing of the guard is inevitable. Perhaps in ten years, the young people of Xiangxun City will gradually get used to this withered sacred tree?"

Ma Xiu nodded. "Perhaps, but compared to that, I'm more worried about something else... Without the Divine Tree, Aroma City may decline."

……

"You can feel it too. Starting this morning, that wondrous aura that permeated Aroma City for the past thousand years... has vanished. Aroma City's main industry is tourism. It has a permanent population of just over three million, but nearly ten million people travel there every year. And starting today, perhaps this prosperity will never exist again..."

Xia Chen remained silent. He understood what Ma Xiu meant. No matter how magnificent the sacred tree was, or how significant it was to the local residents, it was just a tourist attraction that could only be viewed from afar.

What truly attracts tourists is the city's unique and wonderful atmosphere, which is the soul of Aroma City.

Ma Xiu suddenly smiled, "But this is good too. I'll have a lot more free time in the future, and I can do many things that I want to do."

Even so, Xia Chen could still hear the loneliness in Ma Xiu's tone.

The decline of the city inevitably leads to the decline of the dojo. As the owner of the aromatherapy dojo, Ma Xiu must be feeling very sad right now.

Xia Chen suddenly thought of Mari, who was far away in the Galar region. She had also decided to debut as an idol to save the declining Spike Town... no, to become a champion.

The goal is to become a new calling card for Jianding Town, or, in layman's terms, to attract more visitors.

Thinking of this, Xia Chen suddenly had a flash of inspiration, "Since the previous business card has disappeared, why not create a new one for Aroma City?"

Ma Xiu paused for a moment, then realized, "You mean... the Grand Contest?"

Xia Chen affirmed, "That's right, this is the best opportunity. The demise of the Divine Tree will definitely attract the attention of the Carlos Alliance. The Alliance's higher-ups will not sit idly by and watch a city decline. If our idea for a new calling card is reasonable, it will most likely be adopted by the Alliance's higher-ups. The recent phenomenal performance is the best calling card!"

Ma Xiu's eyes shone with excitement as she nodded repeatedly, looking at Xia Chen expectantly, "So what should we do now?"

Ma Xiu didn't realize that she had unknowingly made this boy, who was several years younger than her, her pillar of support.

…………

Xia Chen replied immediately: "Hold the first Grand Contest! Make sure the Alliance cooperates in the publicity, and it's best to attract the attention of the whole world. It should be large-scale, high-standard, and attractive. If possible, it's best to come up with some gimmicks, such as adding a certain percentage of the city's fiscal revenue from last year to the contest prize pool, or bringing Lijia, Xiaoxia, and Mikoli over."

Ma Xiu's eyes sparkled with admiration. "Yes, with them as judges, it's both authoritative and attractive!"

Xia Chen smiled slightly, "Let's broaden our perspective. What I mean is, let's bring them over to participate in the competition."

"Participate in the competition?" Ma Xiu was taken aback by Xia Chen's suggestion. She subconsciously questioned, "But if they come to participate, who is qualified to be a judge?"

Xia Chen smiled without saying a word, simply watching Ma Xiu silently.

She understood Xia Chen's meaning and asked somewhat uncertainly, "You mean...me?"

As dojo owners in their respective regions, Ma Xiu did not feel qualified to judge their matches.

Xia Chen smiled confidently, "See? We've got the publicity now."

Nobody knows marketing better than me!

Seeing Ma Xiu's expression, Xia Chen hesitated for a moment before saying, "If you're not willing, then let them play an exhibition match and then act as referees. The effect will be about the same."

This plan put much less pressure on Ma Xiu, who breathed a sigh of relief and then asked, "Shall I contact the Alliance now?"

Xia Chen glanced silently at the sacred tree above his head, "At least... let's wait until the sacred tree's seven-day mourning period is over."

Xia Chen was a little worried that the public might have some objections to the aromatherapy being used before the funeral was even over...

Chapter 131 Elf Bullying in an Abandoned Hotel

Xia Chen discovered that Yi Bu was particularly fond of the little toy she had picked up, to the point that they were practically inseparable.

I take it out to play with whenever I have a spare moment, whether I'm eating, sleeping, training, or just having some free time.

It made him feel a little jealous of that broken toy, even though he was the trainer.

However, he was busy planning the first Grand Prix with Ma Xiu these past few days, so he didn't interfere much.

After all, although Eevee liked it, it didn't show any signs of obsession, so that thing probably wasn't one of those evil contraptions from fantasy works that could control the user's mind.

Strictly speaking, the Corner of Xerneas doesn't actually have any strange or unusual effects, but its function is far more exaggerated than Xia Chen imagined.

These past few days, Ibrahimovic has been exploring everything around Xerneas Horn, as if he were digging for treasure.

Eevee first discovered its most important function: it is an almost inexhaustible "power bank" specifically for Fairy-type characters.

As for why Eevee judged its energy to be nearly limitless, it's because when she secretly absorbed energy, the stingy antlers didn't react at all.

While it might not be entirely accurate to say it's endless, at least before I reach the Heavenly King level, the energy I can absorb from it is just a drop in the ocean.

This is similar to the effect of a fairy gem containing abundant energy, both of which can enhance the energy within one's body.

However, as part of the legendary spirits, the purity of the fairy-type energy contained in Xerneas Horn is something that fairy gems cannot match.

Even top-tier fairy gems worth hundreds of thousands of dollars wouldn't work.

…………

This discovery caused Eevee to interrupt her evolutionary process, which she had originally sensed would have been completed within a week.

But now, she has decided to use the purest fairy energy in the Horn of Xerneas to thoroughly "wash" her body inside and out.

The method is simple: keep using Fairy-type moves to empty your body of energy, then absorb energy from Xerneas Horn to replenish it.

This cycle repeats continuously, constantly increasing the purity of energy within the body, while also using energy to temper the body.

The purpose of doing this is simply to fully utilize his potential during his Ibrahimovic phase, so that he can have more room for growth in the future.

In the final period of his previous life, Eevee found that his progress was becoming increasingly slow after entering the Elite Four level.

At that time, she realized that with her original qualifications, the highest she could achieve was only the champion level.

Clearly, there are differences between champions, and Ibrahimovic doesn't want to be the one at the bottom of the pack.

Moreover, having been given a second chance at life, her goals and ambitions go far beyond that.

Now that a natural talent development tool is right in front of me, how could I possibly miss it?

The only regret is that I'm too close to the point of evolution...