Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

Her eyes were curved and her tone was soft, but Xiaoxia felt a chill run down her spine.

"Bari".

The Mr. Mime immediately tugged at Xiaoxia.

That's enough.

In this house, the first rule is: never try to defy Hanako!

...Unless you have a physique like Ash Ketchum!

......

Soon, the sounds of chopping vegetables and sizzling oil filled the kitchen.

The aroma also wafted out.

Xiao Gang was helping out in the kitchen, and every now and then a few words could be heard about seasoning and cooking time.

Ash and Pikachu were also waiting in the kitchen to have a bite first.

Hanako's voice, however, remained gentle and composed throughout.

More than half an hour later, the food was served.

Eight dishes and one soup, plus a pot of fragrant rice.

The color and presentation of each dish were absolutely perfect.

Hanako gestured for everyone to sit down, then sat to the side, watching the three men and one rat wolf down their food with a smile.

"Eat more, eat more, Xiao Zhi too, you must not have eaten well outside~"

"That's not the case... mmm?"

Thinking of the head chef, Xiao Zhi had just started talking.

Their mouths were stuffed full of food by the two people on either side, their survival instincts blazing.

On the left is Xiaoxia, and on the right is Xiaogang.

The two moved in perfect unison, their tacit understanding suggesting they had rehearsed together.

"We definitely didn't eat well."

"Yes, yes."

The two nodded quickly.

Pikachu nodded vigorously beside him.

"Pikachu! Pikachu!"

After eating and drinking his fill, Xiao Zhi patted his bulging belly and let out a satisfied sigh.

Pikachu, round and plump from eating, lay on the table and let out a satisfied "Pikachu—".

"Mom, I'm going to Professor Oak's place in a bit. I haven't seen him in a long time."

Hanako was clearing away the dishes when she heard this and nodded.

"Go ahead, go ahead~ By the way, what do you want to eat tonight?"

"So I can prepare in advance~"

Xiao Zhi answered without even thinking.

Pikachu even raised its paws and added a few more dishes.

Xiao Zhi led Xiao Gang and Xiao Xia, who were both relieved, out the door.

The afternoon sun in Zhenxin Town was just right, with a gentle breeze.

The three people walked up the hillside along the path.

You can see the iconic white building of Oak's Laboratory and several huge windmills from afar.

The lawn was neatly trimmed.

Several Taurotus tangs were leisurely sunbathing in the fenced area in the distance.

"Professor Oak's laboratory is huge."

Xiaoxia sighed.

"After all, it is one of the most famous research institutes in the Kanto region."

Xiao Gang looked around.

"And the environment is really nice."

Xiao Zhi walked in the lead, easily bypassing the fence gate and arriving at the main building of the research institute.

He didn't knock, he just pushed the door open.

The door wasn't locked, so it was opened directly.

"Doctor—I'm back!"

Xiao Zhi shouted as he walked.

The first floor of the research institute is a spacious hall, with various instruments and bookshelves placed against the walls, and an open space in the middle.

On the open ground, a round, purple, spherical creature was burping.

"what?"

Xiao Zhi asked a question with some uncertainty.

"Gengar?"

"Gag?"

Gengar was taken aback.

"It really is you! I almost didn't recognize you."

Xiao Zhi sighed.

After all, Gengar's entire body was noticeably fatter and more solid.

Its round, plump figure, coupled with its satisfied expression, made it look just like a purple balloon that had eaten its fill.

"Gag?"

Gengar rubbed its belly.

The main problem is that there's too much resentment here, and it's hard to process.

It's alright, it will return to its normal size in about half an hour.

Just as it was about to float over to say hello—

Suddenly, it seemed to sense something.

His body suddenly became ethereal, and he immediately slipped into the spirit world, disappearing from the spot.

A stealthy attack!

next second.

"boom!"

A dark shadow, accompanied by a wave of intense heat, slammed into the spot where Gengar had just been standing.

Several fine cracks appeared in the tiles on the ground, and sparks flew everywhere.

A hot wind blew in, carrying with it a familiar malice.

Xiaogang and Xiaoxia glanced over instinctively.

All that could be seen in the arena was...

A dark figure surveyed its surroundings and slowly stood up.

It has a long neck, broad wings, and a tail tip that is ablaze with flames.

A pair of vertical pupils were staring intently at the eyes of the Gengar that had already flashed to the other end of the hall... its belly, and two puffs of white smoke were exhaling from its nostrils.

It was the Charizard that was tricked by Gengar in a video when it was still Charizard!

"Roar--!"

The Charizard let out a deep roar, its wings suddenly spreading out and creating a gust of hot air.

Gengar regained its footing in mid-air.

The smile on his face switched from "the surprise of seeing Xiaozhi" to an arrogant laugh of "the old rival who has been reunited with me is here to cause trouble".

It grinned, stuck out its long tongue, licked its lips, and its eyes gleamed with a purple light.

"Gag—!"

Oh, isn't this your defeated opponent?

The dragon and the ghost stared at each other.

Uh... just a one-sided stare.

An indescribable tension permeated the air.

It wasn't hostility, but more like... a tacit understanding?

A tension that only exists between rivals who know each other best.

Then, they moved at the same time.

Charizard flapped its wings violently, creating a gust of wind, and pounced on Gengar.

Gengar nimbly slid down, passing under Charizard's belly, and casually threw a Shadow Ball. Charizard dodged it with a sidestep, and the Shadow Ball hit the wall, leaving a faint black mark.

They fought back and forth, neither side willing to give an inch.

Xiao Gang and Xiao Xia were stunned and instinctively shielded Xiao Zhi with their bodies.

Ash stood there with his arms crossed, watching this scene unfold.

A satisfied smile played on his lips.