Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

"Pikachu?"

Ash looked at Pikachu.

Pikachu racked its brains for a while, but ultimately couldn't find the corresponding person.

It shook its little head.

“Pikachu…”

Even the mouse doesn't recognize it.

"That's about enough for today, and the Pokédex is out of power, so let's go back and check it out."

Ash put all the Pokémon away, leaving only Pikachu on his shoulder.

He tightened his backpack strap and patted Pikachu's head.

"set off!"

"Pikachu! Pikachu!"

Pikachu patted its own vehicle.

The Mr. Mime led the way, walking at a much faster pace than usual, his legs almost leaving afterimages.

After all, it was an order from the Great Demon King Hanako, so it dared not neglect it in the slightest.

It takes about twenty minutes to walk from the training area where Ash trains to his home in Pallet Town.

As Xiaozhi pushed open the door, a fragrant aroma of tea wafted into the entryway, mixed with the sweet scent of Hanako's freshly baked cookies.

"I'm back--"

As Xiao Zhi changed his shoes, he called out into the house.

"Ash, you're back~" Hanako's voice came from the living room, her tone cheerful. "Come on in~ A guest is looking for you~"

Ash led Pikachu into the living room.

Pikachu nimbly jumped off his shoulder, its four little paws making a crisp, rapid "tap tap tap" sound on the shiny wooden floor, and in a flash it ran to Hanako's feet.

It tilted its nose up and sniffed hard at the sweet aroma of butter and flour mixed in the air.

The cookies baked by Ash's mom weren't as chewy as the ones they ate in Lavender Town, but in terms of taste... they were definitely worth a try!

Xiao Zhi looked around and saw a person sitting very crampedly on the sofa in the living room.

It was a girl.

It looks about the same age as Ash.

She was wearing a white dress that reached her knees, revealing a pair of white ankle socks and a pair of clean, light brown leather shoes.

Her hair was an extremely light silver-white.

No, it's less of a silvery white and more of a near-transparent gold, shimmering softly in the sunlight streaming through the living room.

Her hair was neatly cut, with bangs just covering her eyebrows, and strands of hair on both sides tucked behind her ears, revealing her delicate earlobes.

Her features were delicate, with a straight nose, thin and small lips, and a soft jawline.

But what's most striking is her eyes, like two pieces of fine jade set in their sockets.

At that moment, his eyes were filled with tension, and his eyelashes trembled slightly.

At this moment.

She was holding a box tightly in her hands.

He sat on the sofa with his back straight, legs together, and toes lightly touching the ground, like a little Rattata ready to escape at any moment.

As for why it resembles a little Rattata ready to run away at any moment....

Believe me, if Hanako sits next to you and stares at you, you'll feel like a little Rattata.

The moment Xiaozhi walked in, the girl's gaze was drawn to him as if by a magnet.

Her body visibly tensed up for a moment.

His shoulders shrugged slightly, his hands tightened around the box, and his neck unconsciously shrank back.

Xiao Zhi glanced at her.

My gaze swept over her body almost instinctively, taking in her shoulder width, waistline, and limb proportions.

This is a habit he developed every day while training various Pokémon and his own body in Evergreen Forest.

You have to look at the background first when evaluating anything.

After taking a closer look, Xiao Zhi couldn't help but sigh.

That figure!

That bone!

What a promising martial arts talent!

Although the shoulders are not broad, you can see that the skeletal structure is compact and flexible.

She has a slender waist, but not in a sickly way; rather, she possesses a restrained yet resilient quality.

The proportions of his arms and legs are also excellent, especially his arms, which have well-proportioned lines and look like he has a lot of strength!

If someone like that were to train in combat, they would definitely be outstanding!

"How was it~"

As if she could read Ash's mind, Hanako asked.

"Not bad!"

Xiao Zhi directly acknowledged this person's potential.

"Right? Right?"

Under the intense scrutiny of Hanako and Ash, the newcomer lowered his head even further.

She had heard that people from the Kanto region tend to have a rather straightforward way of thinking, and that they would fight as soon as their eyes met.

But that look in his eyes is just too terrifying!

Remembering Mr. Mime's words, Ash was the first to speak up and ask.

"I'm Xiaozhi. I heard you were looking for me?"

The girl's lips moved slightly.

She first took a deep breath, her chest rising and falling slightly, and then leaned forward from the sofa.

She carefully placed the box on her lap, then freed one hand.

The hand hesitated in the air for a moment, unsure whether to reach out and shake hands or where to put it, before finally pulling back and clutching the hem of the skirt.

"Th-that..."

Her voice was much weaker than Xiaozhi had imagined, with a noticeable tremor.

“I am… my name is Lillie.”

When she said her name, her voice was a little more steady, but it still trailed off with a trembling tone.

"Lillie?"

Xiao Zhi tilted his head and repeated it to make sure he hadn't misheard.

The girl—Lillie—nodded, the nod quick and small.

"Never heard of it?" Ash asked, seeing Pikachu eating a cookie. "Do you know it?"

Pikachu, its mouth stuffed with cookies, shook its head.

Even the mouse doesn't recognize it.

"I...I'm Dr. Kukui's assistant!"

Seeing this, Lillie immediately became nervous again.

She spoke faster, afraid that if she stopped, she wouldn't be able to continue.

"It's the Doctor! The Doctor knows you're going to the Quartz Conference, so he asked me to bring you the Z-Crystals I collected!"

As she spoke, she pushed the box on her lap forward, as if she were completing an important handover ceremony.

"They're all here!"

"Oh!"

"You're Kukui's assistant!"

Xiao Zhi immediately perked up.

"Oh! We're all on the same side!"

"By the way, didn't you say last time that you hadn't finished collecting all the Z-Crystals yet?"

"Yes, yes!"

Although she didn't understand how they had become one of their own, Lillie breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed that Hanako's gaze wasn't as intimidating anymore.

"The doctor is still collecting the rest. So far, he has only collected these parts. The missing parts have not yet been found. He said he will send them over once they are all collected."

Ash scratched his head, a confused look on his face.

"Why didn't Brother Kukui mention this to me?"

Lillie's expression stiffened slightly.

She blinked twice, as if organizing her thoughts or hesitating whether she should speak.

"Um...this..." Her voice trailed off again, "It's because...because of Dr. Blatano..."

"Dr. Blatano?"

Ash paused for a moment, then remembered what Professor Oak had mentioned at the research lab.

"You mean that... doctor from the Carlos region?"

"Yes!"