Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

He turned to look at Xiaogang and Xiaoxia.

"Gym Leader Sakaki... went after the culprit who destroyed the gym?"

Ash scratched his head, took out his Pokédex, and scribbled on it a couple of times.

A moment later.

"My brother isn't replying to my messages either, he must be busy, right?"

“Then he probably won’t be back anytime soon.” Xiao Gang crossed his arms and calmly analyzed, “The kind of thing that involves catching a culprit takes anywhere from three to five days to ten days to half a month.”

Ash sighed; he had wanted to challenge Giovanni.

It seems that a proper, enjoyable gym battle will have to be postponed for now.

I sent a message to my mom.

"Sigh~ It seems I'm not meant to be with Sakaki-nii! Let's head back to Pallet Town first."

Xiao Zhi put away his phone and sighed.

Pikachu perched on his shoulder and gently patted the back of his head with its tail, as if to comfort him.

At noon, the three finally returned to Pallet Town.

The town remained the same as always, quiet and peaceful, with the air filled with the smells of grass and cooking smoke.

In the distance, several houses with red roofs and white walls are scattered in an orderly fashion, and a small river meanders past the edge of the town, its waters gurgling.

"Finally home..."

Ash stretched and yawned, and Pikachu jumped off his shoulder.

Hiding behind Ash.

As I opened the door, a familiar aroma of food wafted towards me.

It tastes like curry, with a rich aroma of onions and spices that instantly whets everyone's appetite.

Hanako poked her head out of the kitchen, her apron still covered in flour, a bright smile on her face.

"Oh my gosh~ You're back? You must be tired from your journey~"

"well enough."

Xiao Zhi thought for a moment and then casually said something.

After all, it only took a little effort to cross the evergreen forest.

"It's not hard work, it's not hard work."

"Auntie, you've really worked hard!"

"Pickup!"

Without Ash's physical resistance, the two humans and one mouse, with their strong will to survive, quickly became polite, with Misty even giving a slight bow.

Hanako drew an arc in the air with the spoon in her hand, and smiled even more happily.

"Then hurry up and wash your hands and eat! I specially made curry!"

Upon hearing this, the two men and the mouse felt as if they had been granted a pardon and ran off to wash their hands.

Xiao Zhi followed them slowly, but suddenly stopped when he passed the kitchen door.

"what?"

He noticed an extra set of used bowls and chopsticks on the dining table next to the stove.

I smelled the air.

"Is that Dad coming back?"

Ash turned his head and looked at Hanako.

Hanako was stirring the curry in the pot when she heard this and gave a soft "hmm" without looking up.

"Yeah~"

His voice carried a hint of lightness that was hard to describe.

Needless to say, the two tacitly avoided discussing where others were at that moment.

But Xia, who had heard Xiaozhi talk about his family situation, had already guessed it!

I even guessed why Aunt Hanako was so calm!

Uncle, it wasn't Xiao Zhi who harmed you.

It's this chaotic world that's to blame!

......

At the dining table, Hanako casually remarked as she served Ash rice.

"Oh, right, Ash~ Professor Oak came to see you yesterday~"

"The professor wanted to see me?" Ash mumbled, his mouth full of curry rice. "What's up?"

"Um......"

Hanako tilted her head and recalled for a moment.

At the time, he was holding Ash's dad by the ear when Professor Oak opened the door and saw the scene. He was so frightened that he said "Sorry to bother you" and ran away without saying anything specific.

"It seems like something's happened."

"Then I'll go over there after I finish eating."

"Okay~ By the way, please say hello to Professor Oak for Mom~"

Hanako's cooking skills were as good as ever. The curry was rich and flavorful, the rice was perfectly cooked, and even the salad was mixed just right.

The three of them ate until their bellies were round and full. Xiao Zhi even added three more large bowls, and only when the plates were big enough to be used as mirrors did he finally put down his chopsticks with satisfaction.

After the meal.

Ash, along with Pikachu and the other two, headed straight for Professor Oak's lab.

Push open the door of the research institute.

At first glance, I spotted the boy standing in the center of the hall.

He was wearing a black stand-up collar jacket, and his hair was sticking up in the air.

It was Xiao Mao, whom we hadn't seen in a long time!

When Xiao Mao heard the door open, he turned around and saw that it was Xiao Zhi. He raised an eyebrow.

Strangely, he neither lost his temper nor made any sarcastic remarks.

Instead, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly, revealing a... well, a satisfied smile.

Xiao Zhi paused for a moment, feeling that something was not quite right.

"Xiao Mao, you're here too! Good afternoon."

"Yeah, Ash, hello too."

Xiao Mao smiled and nodded, his tone so gentle it gave you goosebumps.

Xiao Zhi felt something was even more wrong. Why was Xiao Shi so... listless today?

Shouldn't he usually be posing, chin up to the ceiling, and talking through his nose?

Xiaoxia and Xiaogang looked at each other in bewilderment.

They usually see Xiao Zhi as a loud and boisterous person, so why is he acting like a well-mannered young master now?

Looking at the three bewildered people, Xiao Mao felt that even Xiao Zhi, whom he usually disliked, had become pleasing to the eye.

As for why?

That's because when he came back today, he found that his grandfather had actually brought back a mega bracelet!

Without even thinking about it, it's definitely for him!

After all, as the grandson of his grandfather, he had been given high hopes by his grandfather since childhood. He led Squirtle to his debut and became a legend in the Kanto region—compared to Ash... he had won by a lot!

Xiao Mao became happier the more he thought about it, and the corners of his mouth curved upwards even further.

What are you laughing at?

Xiao Zhi finally couldn't help but ask.

Standing in the lobby, grinning at the air, it looked incredibly eerie.

"I was just thinking about something happy."

"What's making you happy?"

"I will attend the Quartz Conference in two months."

"Oh, we're the same then." Ash nodded and said honestly, "I just collected all eight badges too."

Speaking of the Indigo League, it can be said to be the stage that all trainers in the Kanto region dream of.

The Indigo League is the oldest and largest Pokémon League tournament in the Kanto region, held annually in the autumn at the Indigo Plateau Stadium.

Trainers typically need to collect eight badges from officially recognized gyms to qualify for the competition.

Of course, there are also special pathways such as graduating from the Pokémon Research Academy or passing the Pokémon League certification exam.

But in any case, only those who have obtained an admission ticket are qualified to stand on that stage.

Only the champion of the tournament truly has the qualifications to challenge the Four Heavenly Kings and the regional champion!

"Eight?" Shigeru raised his chin. "Don't try to fool me with your measly eighth-level Emblem Power. I'm a tenth-level Emblem Power expert who has broken through the limits!"

Xiao Mao won again!

I won twice today! I'm absolutely ecstatic!

Upon hearing this, Ash and Pikachu both widened their eyes.

Ten dan?!

Xiao Mao is now such a powerful person!