Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

Xiaogang and Xiaoxia looked up almost at the same time.

His gaze turned toward the direction from which the sound came, lingering for a moment on Xiao Zhi's face, the confusion in his eyes not yet completely gone.

Then, they saw the blonde girl with a ponytail and a backpack next to Ash.

Both of them were taken aback.

They exchanged a quick glance, their eyes conveying a swift message, and then... sat back down, resuming their previous contemplative posture.

"...?"

Lillie stood half a step behind Ash.

The expression on his face slowly changed from tense to confused.

She tilted her head, looked at Xiaozhi, then at Xiaogang and Xiaoxia, her green eyes filled with confusion.

This... seems different from what Ash said?

Wasn't he supposed to be a very good person?

Judging from their appearance, it seems like... they're not very welcoming.

Although Ash was a little confused, he was, after all, a man of action.

Without hesitation, he strode forward and walked directly toward the two of them.

After hesitating for a moment, Lillie followed.

"Oi!"

Ash walked up to the two of them and waved his hand in front of their downcast eyes.

"What's wrong with you two? Didn't you see me just now?"

Xiaogang and Xiaoxia were both taken aback.

Then they suddenly raised their heads, and the two of them... their eyes were fixed on Xiaozhi's face, their pupils contracting sharply.

"?!" ×2

His expression was as if he had seen something that shouldn't have been there.

"You..." Xiaoxia opened her mouth, "...Are you really Xiaozhi?"

Xiao Zhi was stunned, his face full of confusion.

"if not?"

He paused, then added a sentence.

"You guys don't even recognize me? It's only been a short time since we parted ways?"

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Xiao Gang's expression turned serious.

“It’s not that we can’t recognize him,” he said in a deep voice, “it’s just that we mistook someone for someone else.”

"Mistaken identity?"

Xiao Zhi blinked.

“There was someone who looks a lot like you who was just around here.”

Xiao Gang nodded.

"It's not just that they look alike, but their clothes, hairstyles, and even hats are very similar."

What's even more awkward is that the two people who mistook each other for each other went up and chatted intimately for quite a while.

The other party looked at them blankly, and the scene was very quiet for a while.

Finally, Xiao Gang slapped the man on the shoulder, making him tremble three times, and only then did the two realize that something was wrong.

While I was still reeling from the shock of discovering that "there are people in the world who look so alike," the real person arrived.

That's why the two of them reacted the way they did just now.

After all, it's reasonable for Ash to be accompanied by Pokémon or strong Pokémon, but why is he also accompanied by a girl?

This definitely isn't Ash!

"Pikachu, Pikachu!"

Upon hearing this, Pikachu on Ash's head put its two little paws on its hips and proudly raised its tail.

You two are just lame!

When it comes to anti-counterfeiting measures for Little Smart Beasts, it's definitely the mouse!

Remember this: only a little smart beast with a mouse is a truly smart beast!

Xiao Gang and Xiao Zhi have been traveling together for so long that Xiao Gang can understand some of what Pikachu says.

He looked at Pikachu's "I'm the only one who can do this" expression and remained silent for two seconds.

"...Yeah, that person also has a Pikachu."

Seeing that Pikachu was about to speak, he added another sentence.

"The exact same kind."

"Pikachu?!"

The mouse was shocked.

It was a simple tactical lean back.

what? !

So, it turns out the mouse has the same taste as me?!

"What a coincidence!" Ash exclaimed, his eyes lighting up. "I wonder how strong the other person is..."

Ash is already starting to think about whether he'll have a chance to spar with his opponent.

Let's not talk about that now.

Xiaoxia's voice suddenly interrupted, decisively cutting off Xiaozhi's continued divergent thoughts.

Her gaze remained fixed on the silent blonde girl behind Ash, scrutinizing her from head to toe with a subtle wariness in her eyes.

"This is……?"

Her voice took on a different tone.

"Oh, right! I forgot to introduce you!"

Ash then realized what was happening and stepped aside, allowing Lillie to be fully exposed to Brock and Misty's view.

"This is Lillie!"

"After you left, she trained with me in Pallet Town. She just happened to be here at the tournament!"

"Lillie, this is Xiaogang, and this is Xiaoxia. They are my good brothers from my previous trip!"

"H-Hello, I-I am Lillie..."

Lillie nervously took half a step forward, then immediately bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

Please take care of me!

Xiao Gang glanced at her, then nodded politely.

"Hello."

That was all, and there was no further reaction.

After all, he is someone with aspirations.

Lillie, regardless of age, size, temperament, or clothing style, is not within the scope of his aesthetic radar.

That "hello" was only because of Xiao Zhi.

But Xiaoxia is different.

She noticed a lot of things.

She had fair and clean skin, long golden ponytail hair, and a well-tailored, high-quality beige short-sleeved jacket.

And the backpack she was carrying—the stitching, the leather—Xiaoxia couldn't name the brand, but her intuition told her.

This is expensive.

Looking at Lillie, who exuded an aura of wealth from head to toe.

Xiaoxia glanced down at herself again, and alarm bells immediately went off in her head.

crisis.

A massive crisis!

After all—a ponytail, a pretty girl, and she looks quite wealthy.

Isn't this the same as her public persona?

The person with squinty eyes only stole one entry for the cook; is this person trying to steal all of their own entries?

Just as Xiaoxia was still deciding whether or not to breathe on herself, her gaze drifted downwards.

It landed on Lillie's chest.

The off-white short-sleeved shirt clung to the body, outlining clear and simple lines.

It was a flat, empty line without any undulations.

Xia's gaze froze.

The wariness in his eyes gradually changed, eventually turning into gentleness.

Time seemed to stand still at that moment.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

Xiaoxia slowly raised her head.