Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

"And my Poké Ball..."

Xiao Gang looked at the picture book in his arms, sighed helplessly, and continued to add.

"Oh right! My brother's Poké Ball is still in his room!"

"Poké Ball! Important!"

"Yes! Yes!"

Another round of rummaging through drawers and cabinets ensued.

Immediately afterwards, several familiar Poké Balls were thrown out one after another.

Before Mennei could urge him again, Xiaogang was already filled with helplessness, and he sighed deeply while holding his forehead.

"And... my luggage... change of clothes, daily necessities, cooking utensils and seasonings, etc..."

"Those are important too!"

Upon hearing the next thing, Ash immediately chimed in, his face serious.

"Pikachu! Pikachu!"

Pikachu nodded vigorously.

The conversation in the courtyard paused.

"Splash—"

The door was suddenly pulled open, and Xiao Gang reached out to take something.

But what was revealed was Wu Neng's dark, reddish old face.

"Um...we don't know exactly what you need to bring, and packing haphazardly will only waste time...why don't you come in and pack yourself?"

......

A moment later, Brock, having finally packed all his belongings, stood in the yard under the satisfied gazes of Ash and Pikachu, giving his younger siblings his final words of advice before their departure.

He bent down, his gaze sweeping over the faces of each of his younger siblings.

"Jiro, you're the older brother now, so you have to take good care of everyone."

"Sanlang, remember to water the fruit trees in the yard on time."

……

"Shizi, don't kick off the covers when you sleep at night..."

He carefully explained the names of each child and the things that needed to be noted, showing the care of an elder brother.

Finally, his gaze fell on Wu Neng, and after a moment of silence, he slowly spoke.

"I......"

"You don't need to say anything!"

Wu Neng immediately retorted, patting his chest forcefully, trying to demonstrate the reliability of a father.

"I will take good care of myself and them! You can rest assured! I swear on my martial prowess!"

Xiao Gang's mouth twitched.

"What I'm trying to say is that if you want to temporarily take over as gym leader and look after the gym, we need to go to the league office to formally register the change of gym leader."

After all, gym leaders bear the important responsibility of guiding and evaluating trainers and need to follow the league's rules and regulations; it's not a position anyone can simply take.

Wu coughed twice, somewhat awkwardly.

"...Okay! I'll go with you to take care of it!"

……

The process at the Alliance office was not complicated. After confirming Wu Neng's identity and a series of impressive achievements, demonstrating his ability to serve as the head of the gym, the change of ownership was completed smoothly.

Xiao Gang carefully gave his father instructions.

"The League may send someone to assess your qualifications as a temporary gym leader later. Be prepared and don't embarrass Pewter Gym."

Wu Neng nodded solemnly, his face regaining some of the radiance of his former trainer self.

"Don't worry, I'm very strong."

With the formalities completed, it was truly time to part ways.

Standing at the exit of Nibi City, Wu Neng looked at his son who was about to leave, opened his mouth as if he had a thousand words to say, but in the end, it all turned into the simplest and most sincere advice:

"Be careful on the road."

Xiao Gang looked at his father and nodded.

"Okay. I'll leave the house... in your care."

......

After bidding farewell to Pewter City and their families who came to see them off, Ash, Misty, and Brock officially embarked on their journey to Cerulean City.

"Ash, your original plan was to go directly to Cerulean City, right?"

As a local, Xiao Gang naturally took on the role of guide, leading the way while turning back to confirm.

"That's right!"

Ash pumped his fist with great enthusiasm, his eyes burning with fighting spirit.

"I've inquired! The Cerulean Gym specializes in Water-type Pokémon, especially fish and shrimp!"

"Pikachu!" Ash exclaimed, looking at the Pikachu on his shoulder. "I'm fired up!"

"Pickup!"

虾？

Upon hearing this, Xiaoxia's expression immediately turned somewhat strange.

The fish is correct... but where did this rumor about the shrimp come from?

She tried to recall the pool in her gym, but couldn't remember ever keeping shrimp-type Pokémon.

Could it be that my older sisters suddenly had a change of heart and brought in a new member?

“In that case, I do know a shortcut.”

Unaware of Xiaoxia's confusion, Xiaogang and Xiaozhi discussed the route.

Xiao Gang pointed to the rolling hills of Mount Tsukimi in the distance.

"There's a relatively hidden tunnel at Mount Tsukimi. If we go through the tunnel, we can bypass the most difficult part of the winding mountain road. All things considered, we can save at least half a day of travel time."

"Great! Then please lead the way!"

Xiao Zhi readily agreed.

Xiao Gang led the way, and the three of them chatted and laughed all the way, which added a lot of fun to the journey.

It was nearly noon, and the sun was blazing overhead.

Xiao Gang stopped by a crystal-clear stream.

"Let's rest here for a bit and rehydrate."

He raised his hand to wipe the fine sweat from his forehead, looked up at the high-hanging sun, and offered his suggestion.

"Next, we'll start climbing the mountain. Mount Tsukimi has sparse vegetation and little shade, so we'd better avoid the midday hours when the sun is at its strongest."

Xiaoxia quickly nodded.

Sunlight is the enemy of beautiful girls!

Seeing the two of them like this, Xiao Zhi had no objection and immediately found a place to sit down.

Looking at the stream, Xiaoxia remembered Brock's advice that Water-type Pokémon need to be soaked in water frequently.

He immediately took out a Poké Ball and released all three of his Pokémon by the stream.

Seeing this, Ash also summoned Caterpie.

Brock didn't release his Pokémon.

After all, Rock-type Pokémon love to pretend to be a rock and remain motionless to accumulate power, and it is actually more convenient for them to be inside a Poké Ball.

Looking at the complete variety of Pokémon around her, Misty nodded in satisfaction.

He then raised his right hand and pointed to the sky with one finger.

"It's decided! I'll cook lunch today! I'm bursting with inspiration right now, and I have so many novel ideas I want to try out!"

The three Water-type Pokémon that were playing in the water froze in surprise.

Only family members know their own affairs.

They exchanged a knowing glance, immediately indicating that they had enough water, and simultaneously transformed into three streaks of red light, returning to their Poké Balls with astonishing speed.

The green caterpillar lay there with its eyes closed, pretending to be asleep and not hearing anything.

Ash and Pikachu froze simultaneously, exchanging a quick glance.

I think...

Just as Xiao Zhi was about to politely decline the lunch, a calm voice spoke first.

"Then trouble you."

"Pikachu?!"

"Xiao Gang, you...!"

Pikachu and Ash stared intently at Brock, who had just spoken, their eyes flashing like lightning!

His eyes were filled with shock, as if to say, "Do you even know what you're saying?!"

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

Xiao Gang looked bewildered by the stares of the man and the rat, completely clueless.

Last night, Xia's skillful plating technique while helping to clear the table, coupled with her confident remarks this morning, filled him with anticipation for Xia's culinary skills.

As an ambitious breeder, he naturally wouldn't miss any opportunity to learn and exchange ideas.