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

Watching it intently release healing energy, Xia Chen's eyes softened.

In fact, three months ago, Xia Chen found another Deoxys that was being held captive during the Rockets' extermination operation, finally fulfilling the promise he made a few years ago to help it find its companion.

Xia Chen thought that Deoxys, having regained its strength and found companions, would bid farewell to Earth and return to their mysterious universe, just like in the anime.

But in the end, it bid farewell to its companions and chose to stay.

Xia Chen asked it why, and its answer was only a few simple words—"This period has been more meaningful."

Come to think of it, a spirit born from a meteorite in the universe, who knows how many years it has drifted in the lonely and desolate starry sky, came to Earth and met Xia Chen and other spirits, so it would definitely be quite a difference if it were put back into that environment.

Their lifespan is measured in tens of thousands of years, so what's wrong with "wasting" a small portion of it by staying on a certain planet?

However, all of this is based on the fact that it has developed some feelings of dependence on Xia Chen. Otherwise, Necrozma, who has a long lifespan, would have returned to the Ultimate World immediately after resolving the Dark Matter issue.

…………

"By the way, isn't Gu Leton home again?"

Coming to his senses, Xia Chen realized that a familiar figure was missing.

This guy has been inexplicably away from home for a while now, but he always comes back on time for dinner every day. I don't know if he's just very homesick or if he's simply craving a bite to eat.

And its presence can often be found in any corner of the world.

As for how Xia Chen found out, it's simply because of its immense fame; every time it's seen, it sparks a heated discussion on social media.

Sometimes someone says they saw it in Carlos in the morning, and by the afternoon the news that "Guleton has appeared in Chimney Mountain in the Hoenn region" can spread all over the internet.

Xia Chen guessed that the leisurely "semi-retired" life he had entered after the great battle more than half a year ago had trapped the naturally lively and active Gu Leton, who couldn't stay still and went out to play every day.

Like those free-range elves, who run off to roam the wild whenever they want, it's hard to say whether they'll come back missing an arm or a leg.

However, Guleton doesn't need to worry about this problem; the only thing that could make it suffer so badly is probably Arceus.

"It said, go to the Crown Plateau and play with the Crowned King."

Deoxys responded to Xia Chen's question while releasing healing energy.

Upon hearing that familiar name, Xia Chen couldn't help but smile. "That arrogant guy? I haven't seen him in a long time."

Since the video of that great battle was made public, all the legendary elves that appeared in it quickly became well-known, which was undoubtedly a huge benefit for Calyrex, an elf that feeds on faith.

Originally only a minor celebrity in the Galar region, it quickly became a household name and a "superstar," and a significant portion of its immense fame was converted into its power of faith.

The newly reborn Crowned King continuously uses these newfound powers to improve the natural environment of the Crown Snowfield, and the more it changes, the more creatures come to believe in and revere it.

Under this virtuous cycle, the once frigid Crown Snowfield has now become a beautiful land with a pleasant climate.

The Galar Alliance also planned to establish several towns there to avoid wasting such abundant natural resources, and the Raicrown Citadel, as the core of the alliance, was naturally extremely busy.

However, now that the League era has fully arrived, its dream of regaining its throne and ruling Galar will never be realized, which made the Lady Crown King quite resentful for a while.

"Who is speaking ill of me behind my back?"

While Xia Chen was chatting with Deochis, he suddenly heard a familiar voice. He turned around and found that it was the Queen of the Lace-Crowned King, whom he hadn't seen for several months.

Its small body leaped gracefully off the Spirithorse, with Guleton not far behind; it seemed the two elves had returned together.

Xia Chen coughed lightly and changed the subject, saying, "You've come at the perfect time. We were just saying we haven't seen you in a long time. Let's have dinner together."

There was no embarrassment at all about the elf overhearing him saying bad things.

Knowing Xia Chen's shamelessness, the Crowned King didn't mind, nodded, and came over to help heal the dragons.

Xia Chen shrugged, then released the other Pokémon from their Poké Balls.

A flash of light, and in an instant, the empty meadow was filled with elves.

Sylveon, Gardevoir, Milotic, Goodra... these are all Pokémon that Xia Chen brought to the competition but didn't get a chance to play.

"Everyone, look who's here as our guest."

The elves were still very enthusiastic about Calyrex, their special companion whom they had traveled with before and hadn't seen for a long time. Before long, they gathered together and started making a ruckus.

Even the usually aloof and cool male god, Lei Guanwang, found it hard to maintain his composure in this atmosphere, and soon the joyful laughter and playful banter became increasingly noisy.

Watching this heartwarming scene, Xia Chen smiled slightly, then quietly went into the house to start preparing dinner.

…………

Dinner was a barbecue feast with a distinct Alola flavor. For Calyrex and Gardevoir, who don't really like meat, Xia Chen also prepared some local specialty grilled mushrooms.

With such unique tastes as Sai Fuhao, he even gets to use the barbecue grill after the elves have finished their meal, making the most of everything.

Summer nights come early in Alora; by the time we finished eating, it was only five or six o'clock, and the sky had already darkened completely.

Because this "rural area" has never been polluted by industry, the starry night sky makes the whole city beautifully lit even without artificial lighting.

The Lady Crown, who came from Galar, a region plagued by industrial pollution, was lying on the private beach behind her house, enjoying the salty sea breeze that was so different from the Crown Highlands.

"What brings you here today? Is there something you need?"

Xia Chen plopped down next to the Calycanthus and handed over a plate of local Alora tropical fruits.

The Crowned King used his superpowers to control the fruit platter, which hovered beside him, and casually replied, "I just happened to run into Guleton, and thought of you, so I came to see you. Has it been a long time?"

Xia Chen shrugged and didn't refute.

He already knew that humans and legendary elves had vastly different concepts of time, and the fact that the Lady Crown King would come to visit him when she thought of him already showed that they had a very deep friendship.

Over the years, he has met many legendary elves, and if it weren't for some unexpected events, he might never have met them a second time in his life.

However, Xia Chen did not feel sad or melancholy because of this. Whether life is long or short, the splendor of life is not affected by the dimension of time.

What I've experienced and gained over the past few years is something many people never experience in their entire lives.

But then again, perhaps at some point in the future, retracing the steps of your past travels would be a wonderful experience.

That night, the Crowned King did not immediately return to the Crown Plateau. Its current role was more that of a "mascot" for worship and faith than a king, and it did not have many things to do.

After hearing that Xia Chen was about to have an important match, he decided to join in the fun before leaving.

Although it has integrated into human society, it has never experienced something as novel as elf battles.

When the Queen of the Lace Crown got excited, she even volunteered to go up and fight herself, but Xia Chen refused on the grounds that "the list of players has already been submitted".

This is not an excuse, but even if he could, Xia Chen would not choose to bring the Queen of the Lace.

Although they had not communicated with Cynthia, the two, who were acquainted before the finals, deliberately avoided each other and did not meet.

But Xia Chen knew that Cynthia had been waiting for this battle from this position for a long time.

Even though most people consider Xia Chen to be the greatest trainer in history, he still falls short of the title of "Masters Tournament Champion".

Moreover, Xia Chen wasn't concerned with any honors or titles; he was simply focused on the battle with Cynthia.

He wouldn't even bring his legendary Pokémon, such as Gullardon and Deoxys, who had been with him for a long time, into the battle, so how could Calyrex possibly participate?

However, the Crested King was only interested for a short while, and soon stopped mentioning it, being led away by Doron and Cypher to play.

Silent all night.

------

three days later.

On June 3, 2027, the League Calendar, the Ten Masters Tournament finally reached its climax amidst much anticipation—

Xi, renowned mythologist, defending champion of the Eight Masters Tournament, youngest champion in history, Rona VS Xia, father of super evolution, friend of legendary Pokémon, founder of the Grand Contest, savior of many regions, Chen!

Even before the match started, it had already generated an unprecedentedly enthusiastic response and discussion online.

Aside from the fact that the final itself was so captivating, there were two other reasons for the competition. First, both are recognized as among the strongest trainers in the world. Second, the ambiguous relationship between the two over the years has been a topic of much discussion among the general public.

To be honest, it wouldn't be accurate to call it particularly ambiguous. It's just that since Cynthia became famous, she has almost never been involved in any scandals with other trainers.

Xia Chen was undoubtedly the only and most special one, especially when the two crossed paths. The difference in their strength and status was ridiculously large.

In just three or four years, the two will soon meet on the stage of the Masters Tournament, which represents the pinnacle of trainer skill.

This factor undoubtedly elevates the watchability of this final to another level.

As a result, an hour before the start of the match, the total number of people waiting to watch the match in various live streaming rooms had already exceeded the terrifying number of 500 million.

This means that more than three out of every ten people in the world are watching this legendary battle.

And this number continued to climb as the start of the match approached.

If it weren't for the technological breakthroughs brought about by Ultimate World, the massive traffic would most likely have crashed the live streaming platform's servers.

At 7:40 PM Arora time, there were still 20 minutes until the official start of the match.

Inside the arena, a "dance troupe" composed of various Alola native Pokémon, such as Floridon, Selene, and Salamence, is putting on a warm-up performance for the upcoming match.

Inside the studio, a star-studded panel of guests was discussing the competition results in a lively atmosphere.

"Is there any need to watch Xia Chen's matches? He'll just wake up and it'll be another victory."

The person spouting exaggerated and absurd remarks is Adek, the "Xia Chen Praise Group Leader" with an explosive hairstyle. Since retiring, this guy has become increasingly unrestrained in the field of competition commentators.

His professional and insightful commentary, coupled with his humorous and exaggerated style, makes his commentary very popular.

This former world champion can be seen in almost every major event, and this highly anticipated match is no exception.

"Watching Xia Chen's matches is a real treat. If Arceus wanted to participate in Pokémon battles, it would definitely choose Xia Chen as its trainer!"

It's hard to imagine such mindless, exaggerated praise coming from a champion, but it happens to Aldridge quite often.

So the others in the studio weren't surprised and offered their opinions without much astonishment.

"I think the outcome of this match is still uncertain. Judging from Cynthia's performance as she progresses, she is just as adept as Xia Chen. Compared to her four years ago, Cynthia is even stronger now. Besides, don't forget that she still has a Heatran that hasn't been used yet."

Another heavyweight is slightly siding with Cynthia: Dante, the Galar region champion who was recently eliminated by Xia Chen.

As a trainer who has fought against both of them separately, his analysis is quite convincing.

"Cynthia is actually much stronger than she has shown so far, but I can't even fully fathom the depth of that other guy. This match could very well become the greatest swan song in the history of Pokémon battles."

Gadriya, who was very familiar with both Cynthia and Xia Chen, commented on the match in this way, but a certain meaning in her words caught Du's attention.

He shook his head and laughed, "The word 'swan song' is not accurate. They are still young and far from reaching their limit. I believe that the next time we meet on the field will only be more exciting."

Caldelia replied calmly, "Perhaps there won't be another battle like this."

Watari's keen insight as a prosecutor allowed him to immediately grasp the key point, and he asked with considerable surprise, "What do you mean? Does that mean one of them is going to retire?"

Cattleya nodded and said bluntly, "Cynthia did mention to me a few days ago that she wanted to retire this year. As for Xia Chen... he was probably waiting for this day when he first became the gym owner."