Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

Ash got up, tore the silk threads, and lifted the Pidgey, which had been pretending to be dead with its eyes closed, down.

After thinking for a moment, he tore the sandwich in his hand in half, placed it next to the sandwich with a clean leaf as a base.

Pikachu and Staryu followed suit.

Each of them took a small portion from their breakfast and solemnly placed it in front of Pidgey.

In a short time.

The peaceful-looking Pidgey was surrounded by offerings.

If it weren't for the occasional rumbling sound from its stomach, an unsuspecting person might have thought that this Pidgey had passed away peacefully.

Pikachu even put its paws together and solemnly bowed to Pidgey.

Immediately, all three of them turned their gazes to Xiaoxia, who had not made any statement.

Xiaoxia: "?"

She choked while eating her sandwich, then hurriedly stuffed the rest of the sandwich into her mouth, puffing out her cheeks and mumbling an explanation.

"I'm completely broke!"

The little incident passed quickly.

The two packed their belongings and prepared to set off again.

As the sound faded into the distance, Pidgey, which had been peacefully closing its eyes, opened one eye. After confirming that the two had left, it flipped over and was fully revived.

It devoured the sandwich, then watched Ash's departing figure.

The bird's eyes were filled with tears.

After being bombarded with recipes all night, and losing its bird to this extent, it can't survive here anymore!

......

We bid farewell to the lush greenery of the forest.

When the city of Nibi, with its rugged lines and dark gray rock formations, came into clear view.

Xiaozhi and Xiaoxia were both invigorated and quickened their pace.

Upon entering Nibi City, a completely different atmosphere from Evergreen City immediately greets you.

This city, known as the "City of Stone," seems to have been carved out of the majestic mountains. Most of the buildings are constructed from locally quarried rocks, giving them a solid and robust appearance.

But what caught their eye the most were the dazzling array of stone stalls on both sides of the street.

Living near the mountains, Nibi City is surrounded by extremely rich mineral resources.

From the most common granite and marble to rare minerals, fossils, and even special rocks needed for Pokémon evolution, it has everything.

The people who have lived here for generations have made a good living by mining and processing these gifts of nature, even without having to go out to work.

Over time, this has even given rise to a unique local entertainment activity – jade gambling.

"Take a look! Look at this! Top-quality Tsukimi Mt. raw stone! One cut, and you'll have a villa by the sea!"

"Young man, come and see this batch of goods of mine. It was just dug up yesterday. Look at it! It exudes a powerful dragon aura! Maybe there's a fossilized pterosaur hidden inside!"

"Beautiful lady, this stone has a unique pattern and a faint blue glow. I think it's very likely to contain an immutable stone!"

As the vendors called out their wares, unremarkable rough stones covered with thick layers of rock were placed on the ground.

The buyer selects the item, which is then handed over to a professional craftsman to cut it in one stroke using a special cutting machine.

Whether you lose everything or become rich overnight depends entirely on your insight and luck.

Someone once cut out a complete fossil aerodinosaur skeleton from a rock, someone else opened a Pokémon egg, and someone even cut out a tentacle lily encased in amber, still retaining a trace of life!

Of course, the chances of this are extremely slim, probably only slightly higher than finding a Masterball on the street.

Ash and Misty had never seen anything like this before, and their faces were immediately filled with curiosity.

Several sharp-eyed vendors, seeing their appearance and the Pokémon accompanying them, knew they were big fish from out of town and swarmed around to promote their wares.

After a fierce competition, a middle-aged black man ultimately won the first sales opportunity.

"Hey bro, is this your Pikachu? You've raised it so well!"

The middle-aged man bent down and looked at Pikachu at Ash's feet, grinning to reveal his white teeth that contrasted sharply with his skin color.

Upon hearing this, Pikachu proudly put its hands on its hips and wagged its little tail smugly.

This person may be a bit dark-skinned, but he has a really good eye!

I'm so happy!

"You're talking about this! What a coincidence!"

The uncle struck while the iron was hot, pulling out a rhomboid stone from his pocket.

"I happen to have a Thunder Stone that was just unearthed today! It's practically brand new. Using it will definitely evolve it into Raichu, making it even stronger!"

He enthusiastically shoved the Thunder Stone with its lightning bolt pattern in front of Pikachu.

"Pickup!"

Upon seeing this thing, Pikachu, who had been so smug just moments before, was instantly terrified.

In a flash, it leaped onto Ash's shoulder, hugged Ash's face tightly, its little paws gripping his hair, its face full of resistance.

It doesn't want to evolve into Raichu!

It doesn't want to evolve into that chubby, short Raichu!

While the electricity will indeed be stronger after evolution, it still looks...

Whether it's strong or not is a matter of one version, but whether it's cool or not is a matter for life! This Pikachu is going to be an idol!

Unlike other Pokémon that evolve once they reach a certain level of strength.

Some Pokémon, like Pikachu, require specific items to evolve further, and some even have strict requirements regarding weather, time, and location.

Remove the facehugger that was still clinging to the ground with its short legs.

Seeing its resistant attitude, Ash felt a little sorry, but he respected his partner's wishes.

I don't understand, but I respect it.

"Sorry, sir, it seems Pikachu doesn't like it."

The starfish beside him was staring at the evolution stone in the man's hand, its core gleaming.

Upon realizing this, the stall owner immediately changed his target customers.

After all, it doesn't matter who you sell to.

"Hey buddy, is this your Pokémon too? Look at this starfish, it's been raised really well! What a coincidence!"

As if by magic, the Thunder Stone instantly transformed into the Water Stone.

"I happen to have a Water Stone that just came out of the ground today! It's practically brand new. Using it will definitely evolve it into Starmie, making it even stronger!"

Misty was left bewildered after losing custody of one of her Pokémon in just a few words.

No, which eye of yours saw that was his Pokémon?!

Even if you have squinty eyes.

The moment they stood there, anyone with eyes could tell that these were their Pokémon!

"Excuse me," Xiaoxia cut in front of the stall owner, glaring at him angrily, and emphasized through gritted teeth, "This is...my...Pokémon!"

The stall owner was stunned, a look of confusion appearing on his dark face.

real or fake?

If it's your Pokémon, why is it always following this boy around?

This...this isn't right, is it?

Having wandered the Pokémon world for so many years, he believes he has a certain perspective on Pokémon.

"Ahem, I see. Well, I'm really sorry."

Looking at Xiaoxia, the stall owner could only cough awkwardly.

Xiaoxia gently pulled the starfish back from near Ash's side with a kind look in her eyes.

"fine."

She spoke casually, but her eyes held a hidden murderous intent.

Sensing that something was wrong, Hai Xingxing tensed up and cautiously looked at Xiaoxia.

Is something wrong with Xing?

Having learned a little about Ash's communication skills and understood the general meaning of Staryu's words, Misty smiled and nodded.

Yes.

"Well then! How about I give you a 20% discount on this Water Stone?"

The stall owner was still trying his best to promote his goods, attempting to break the awkward atmosphere.

I'll deal with you when we get back!

Xiaoxia glared fiercely at Haixing, then turned her gaze to the water stone that shimmered with a faint blue light.

seriously.

She was tempted, but then she thought about her empty wallet and her current situation of running away from home.

All I can do is feel a flutter in my heart.

Ash glanced down at the dejected Staryu, and without saying a word, pulled out his Pokédex.

"Boss, I'll take this water stone."

"Alright! Thank you for your patronage!"

The stall owner immediately beamed with joy.

Who cares whose Pokémon it is, as long as it can be sold!

Pay in one hand and deliver in one hand.