Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

...Duowu, may you rest in peace.

"Brother Duowu is still very strong."

Xiao Zhi said seriously.

"And before he left, he specifically told me, 'Ah Hong, you're very strong, and if I ever meet you, I must have a good fight.'"

"..."

Ah Hong's hand, holding the water glass, stiffened slightly.

"...A good fight? What do you mean, a good fight?"

"It's all about fighting!"

Xiao Zhi looked at A Hong as a matter of course.

"So, how about we go for a competition after lunch? I don't have any other plans for the afternoon anyway—"

Ahong: "..."

He retracted his previous statement.

Duo Wu shouldn't have left! Why did he have to drag himself down with him after being eliminated?

If you can't beat them yourself, you're dragging me down with you?

My gaze lingered for a moment on the hand that Ash had held the water glass, and the image of Nidoking reappeared in my mind.

A thin layer of sweat immediately appeared on Ah Hong's forehead. He quickly tried to cover it up.

"Although...although I am from the Kanto region, that's true."

"But... but I never fight with anyone!"

"It's true! I've been weak since I was a child! I wouldn't even dare to touch a caterpillar outside my house!"

After those words were spoken, the air at the dining table fell silent for a moment.

Lillie looked at Hiro's tense expression and then at Ash's confused face.

Suddenly, it was as if I understood something.

"Um... Mr. Hiroshi, you don't actually think that the guy in the video who knocked Nidoking down with one punch is Ash, do you?"

Ah Hong did not answer.

But the expression on his face had already said it all.

That's not it!

"That thing in the video is actually Ditto..."

Lillie patiently explained

"Ditto?"

Ah Hong was stunned.

"Yes," Xiaoxia chimed in, "that video you watched was just clickbait; I've already reported it to the event organizers."

"Besides, how could a serious competition like the Indigo League possibly allow trainers to participate...?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhi retorted.

"So it works!"

Xiaoxia: "......."

"That was a rule from decades ago! This is modern times! Modern times!"

Xiaoxia rummaged through her bag, pulled out a group photo, and pushed it in front of Ahong, who seemed somewhat surprised and uncertain.

"Look, this was taken during our trip."

"That Ditto really likes to transform, and now I don't know why it insists on turning into Ash's appearance."

The photo shows a group of people, with two Xiaozhi standing in the middle, smiling brightly.

Ah Hong brought the photo closer to look at it, and then looked at Xiao Zhi himself.

Only then did I feel a little relieved.

"...Is that so?"

"I thought... I thought there really was a monster in Kanto who could defeat Nidoking with his bare hands..."

Xiao Gang: "......."

Xiaoxia: "......."

Lillie: "......."

"Huh? Why are you all staring at me like that?"

.........

So, you see—

After explaining the origins of Ditto, Ash leaned forward slightly.

His gaze was fixed intently on Ah Hong, like a positively charged patter that had seen a negatively charged patter.

"Do you want to fight me?"

"Of course, it's a proper Pokémon battle! Not a proper one..."

"That's fine too!"

Ah Hong was so forced by his stunt that he leaned back repeatedly, his head almost embedded in the top of the booth's backrest.

He raised his hand and waved it repeatedly.

"Um, actually I have a match this afternoon—"

"it is true!"

"I need to adjust my form before the match, so I'll pass."

"I see..." "Pikachu..."

Ash visibly slumped, his shoulders collapsing, and even Pikachu, who was trying to command Ash in battle, drooped its ears.

"Oh well."

But the young man from Northeast China adjusted his emotions incredibly quickly; almost the next second, he straightened up again and clasped his hands together.

Are there any guidelines or precautions for the conference?

"I just got eight badges this year, and I'm still not quite clear on many of the rules!"

Ah Hong was stunned for a moment, then secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

call--

Fortunately, they didn't continue to pester me and try to fight.

This is a good topic, and this is a safe topic.

This topic is in his comfort zone.

"Oh, this..."

Having found a field where he could perform freely, Ah Hong sat up straight and cleared his throat.

He picked up his water glass, took a sip, and adopted the air of someone who had been through it all, even his eyes shifting from the panic he had just displayed to the composed mode of a "senior instructing a junior."

He explained in detail, from the rules of the game to the limitations of the playing field.

The discussion covered everything from skill assessment to rotation rules, and even went over the subtle differences in referee gestures between different regions.

He had the air of a seasoned veteran.

"Wow! Hiro, you know so much!" Xiaozhi nodded repeatedly, "You even know the differences between different regions!"

Upon hearing this, Ah Hong smiled.

"well enough."

"Mainly because I've traveled to many regions over the years."

"I've challenged most of the tournaments in Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova... basically."

"I have quite a few insights into familiarity with the rules of various conferences and the accumulation of on-site experience."

Xiaoxia's hand holding the teacup suddenly paused, and she glanced over with a subtle look.

That sounds so familiar!

And it looks so familiar!

I was just about to say something.

"Wow, that's amazing!"

Lillie, standing to the side, exclaimed in surprise.

She hasn't been in Kanto for long and is still curious about the differences between the various regional conferences.

Listening to Ahong recount the story with such familiarity, one can only feel that the boy in front of him, who looks exactly like Xiaozhi, is like a walking encyclopedia.

"Then, Mr. Hiroshi's record must be quite good too, right?"

"Having traveled to so many places and possessing such rich experience, you must have won many good awards!"

As the team's weak point exploiter, Lillie once again revealed her innocent fangs.

Ah Hong's expression immediately fell apart.

His gaze drifted out the window, then back again.

"It's... alright."

He gave a mumbled reply, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the rim of the cup.

"...In previous Quartz conventions, we barely made it into the top 32."

"That's amazing! Reaching the top 32 in your first Kanto tournament!"