Elf: Release? Not possible.

"This is the grey badge that proves you defeated the Nibi Gym. You fought brilliantly, and I learned a lot from fighting you."

Xiaogang was naturally very clear about the rules of the Pokémon League, and he also agreed with what Xiaozhi said.

Everyone is equally attentive to Pokémon, and the degree of effort put into taking care of Pokémon cannot be used as a criterion to judge whether a trainer cares about Pokémon.

So what Xiaozhi said made him admire him sincerely in his heart. It was hard to imagine that Xiaozhi was just a rookie trainer. There was no doubt that he was qualified to take the gray badge.

"Thank you!" Xiaozhi took the gray badge without hesitation.

He was the winner, so there was no need to be pretentious. After receiving the badge, he shook hands with Xiaogang.

"Also, I apologize to you on behalf of my brothers and sisters."

"Nothing!" Although there was a little accident, the result was still what he wanted. As for the things that happened, there was no need for him to bother with the naughty kid.

Putting other things aside, he still admires Xiaogang very much. Compared to his parents...

"Well, I'll take my leave first, Pikachu is leaving!" Xiaozhi glanced at Pikachu in the field in front and greeted him.

"Pikapi!!!" Pikachu shook off the rain on his body after hearing the sound, ran out quickly and jumped onto Xiaozhi's shoulder.

Then Xiaozhi took Pikachu and Xiaoxia away, and after watching Xiaozhi and Xiaoxia leave, Xiaogang stood there for a long time without saying a word.

"I'm sorry, brother!" The younger brothers and sisters realized their mistakes and lowered their heads in silence.

"Jiro, take your brothers and sisters back first!" Xiaogang did not seem too angry, but looked very calm. However, the calmer he was, the more uneasy his brothers and sisters became.

Seeing this, Jiro didn't dare to disobey and quickly left with his brothers and sisters, while Xiaogang stayed behind to clean up the place by himself.

At this moment, the figure watching from the high window looked at this scene, tears welled up in his eyes and he felt deep remorse. After a moment, he left cautiously.

. . . .

"I didn't expect something like this to happen, but luckily I got the badge in the end." On the way back to the gym, Xiaoxia was still thinking about what happened before.

"It's nothing, they are just kids after all." Hearing what Xiaoxia said, Xiaozhi smiled and responded lightly.

"Huh? Xiaozhi, your attitude is completely different from just now! You looked like you were very angry just now." Xiaoxia was a little surprised. The way she looked at Xiaozhi just now was completely different from now.

"I am indeed angry! I don't like people who don't respect the rules of the game, but Xiaogang did nothing wrong. He is just a child who doesn't understand. Now that the game is over, let's forget about other things!"

Xiaozhi responded indifferently. Xiaoxia nodded in understanding and quietly wrote down Xiaozhi's words.

"In fact, we can't blame them for all these things!" At this time, a voice sounded.

Chapter 56: Xiaogang's Story

"Huh? Aren't you that uncle?" I turned around after hearing the voice and saw a familiar figure.

"Uh... my name is Wu Neng!" Although he was indeed an uncle, he still felt a little embarrassed that his name was not remembered after he had already introduced himself.

"What does Uncle Wu Neng mean when he says we can't blame them entirely?" Xiao Xia asked confusedly.

"Because they are all a bunch of poor kids!"

After hearing the voice, Wu Neng walked to a bench by the roadside and sat down, looking up at the sky. He looked like an old man. Xiaoxia didn't know why the uncle's temperament suddenly changed.

"Actually, Xiaogang longs for a life outside of Nibi City. He also wants to travel outside like you!" Wu Neng said.

Hearing this, Xiaoxia's face changed. She was originally a little angry, but suddenly she seemed to understand something.

"Is it because of his younger brothers and sisters?" The girl was quite emotional. When she thought that it might be because of his younger brothers and sisters, she immediately began to sympathize with him.

"That's right, because he has nine younger brothers and sisters to take care of at home, he can't leave!" Wu Neng answered truthfully.

"But, don't they have a father and a mother?" Hearing this, Xiaoxia couldn't help but frown and ask.

"His father was a very irresponsible man. He said he wanted to be an excellent Pokémon trainer, but he left Nibi City and has not been heard from since."

"And his mother, probably disheartened by her husband's departure, also left soon after, so all the children in the family were left to be taken care of by the eldest son, Xiaogang."

Wu Neng said this, Xiaoxia might not be able to feel it, but Xiaozhi could hear the deep remorse and shame.

"So that's how it is... These parents are so irresponsible!" Xiaoxia, who didn't know that the Wu Neng in front of her was Xiaogang's father, had a straightforward personality and denounced the couple without hesitation.

But Wu Neng didn't seem angry. Apart from feeling more ashamed, he actually felt less guilty after hearing Xiaoxia's rebuke.

In fact, Xiaozhi didn't hear anything special at first, but when he heard Wu Neng mention his wife, Xiaozhi really wanted to laugh.

He couldn't help but say, Uncle, you don't have to take all the responsibilities yourself, your wife doesn't think so.

Although it is a very distant memory, Xiaozhi still remembers that in the Pokémon extra-story, when Xiaogang finished his journey and returned to the gym, his mother who had been away from home for many years also came back.

And after coming back, he even wanted to change the Nibe Gym into a Water Gym as if nothing had happened, and Wu Neng didn't even have any way to stop it. If Xiaogang hadn't come back at the right time, the Nibe Gym would have really been changed into a very fancy way.

When I watched the anime as a kid, I didn’t think it was a big deal, but when I grew up, I really thought that it was because there was no such thing as a tea master in that era.

She also left Nibe City to train Pokémon, but like Wu Neng, she also returned to Nibe City without achieving success.

From now on, it seems that Xiaogang's mother is really a master of tea art, and his father, besides being irresponsible, is also an out-and-out bootlicker.

But all in all, the tea art master is the tea art master, and the bootlicker is the bootlicker, one is willing to fight and the other is willing to be beaten, but in the final analysis, the most unforgivable thing about the couple is their irresponsibility towards their children.

Even though children in this world mature more precociously and are more independent, Xiaozhi still disagrees. Although Xiaozhi has never seen his father since he was a child, his mother loves him very much, and Hanako never thinks that her husband is irresponsible.

After Xiaogang's mother came back, Wu Neng always thought that his wife ran away from home because he left first, and he felt guilty about it, so he allowed her to transform the Nibe Gym.

Fortunately, these two parents are not beyond help. Perhaps because of Xiaogang's indebtedness, Xiaogang is the only one who can control this couple.

But Xiaogang's trust in this pair of parents is not even as great as his younger brother Jiro. When they go traveling, he would rather let Jiro take care of the gym than let his parents do so.

"On top of taking care of the gym, I also have to train and take care of Pokémon, and I have to take care of my nine younger siblings at the same time."

"And my brothers and sisters also know how hard Gon has worked, so that's why they came out to protect Onix, who was trained with great effort by Gon." Wu Neng seemed to be defending the children, but in fact he hoped that Xiaozhi could understand.

"So that's how it is! Hmm? Uncle Wu Neng, were you there at the time? Otherwise, how would you know?"

Xiaoxia listened and nodded, then she was a little surprised. He knew it so clearly. Did he also see the game just now?

"Ah? Oh! Haha! Yes! I was indeed watching it. I came here because I was very curious about your match with Xiaogang. You guys were too serious and didn't notice me, haha!" Wu Neng scratched his head in embarrassment and changed the subject.

"Uncle Wu Neng, you know a lot about Xiao Gang's affairs! Isn't this also something that everyone in Nibi City knows?"

Xiaozhi smiled faintly after hearing this, and then stared at Wu Neng as if he could see through people's minds, which made Wu Neng feel uncomfortable.

"Uh... this... is... yes! You can find out about these things if you just ask around." After hearing what Xiaozhi said, I realized that he had said a little too much.

"So that's how it is. This is Xiaogang's family affair, but a Pokémon battle is a Pokémon battle. Once the game starts, the outcome cannot be stopped by anyone." Xiaozhi listened to the calm response.

"Gon's experience is certainly worthy of sympathy, but when it comes to the competition field, as a Pokémon trainer, you should respect the battle."

"I won't blame the children, nor will I blame Xiaogang. If this is true, then this couple of parents should really feel ashamed." Xiaozhi said to Wu Neng without any mercy.

"If I were the parents, after knowing what happened, I would go home immediately and apologize to Xiaogang and ask for his forgiveness."

"Ugh!!!!" Xiaogang said lightly, and Wu Neng's pupils under the knitted hat trembled suddenly. He was originally ashamed of what Xiaozhi said before, and now his heart was trembling violently.

Yes! He is such an irresponsible father. After so many years, he came back but he didn't even have the courage to admit his mistakes. He knew that Xiaogang had a hard life and couldn't even pursue his dreams, but he was still here making excuses to others!

"Xiaomi, let's go!" Xiaozhi said to Xiaoxia beside him without saying anything more.

"Ah? Oh! OK!" Xiaoxia didn't know what was going on. She felt that the atmosphere had become strange. She didn't dare to say anything and left with Xiaozhi.

Chapter 57: Xiaogang Joins

"Xiaozhi, that uncle just now seemed strange."

On the way to the Pokémon Center, Xiaoxia naturally noticed that something was wrong with Wu Neng.

"He feels ashamed!" Xiaozhi responded indifferently after hearing the voice.

Xiaoxia was a little confused. Why would that good old man feel ashamed? Now thinking about it, what Xiaozhi said was a little strange.

"Why??"

"Can't you see? This uncle Wu Neng is the irresponsible father." Xiaozhi didn't intend to hide anything. After hearing what Xiaozhi said, Xiaoxia was slightly stunned and a little surprised.

"Ah! You mean, he is... he is Xiaogang and the others' father? But Xiaozhi, how did you know?" She didn't expect that the uncle was actually Xiaogang and the others' father.

"Even though Xiaogang is a gym trainer, his parents left home, so he shouldn't tell everyone about this!"

"If that uncle has nothing to do with Xiaogang, how could he know so much about him?" Xiaozhi responded. He already knew it in his heart, but of course he didn't need to rely on these things to analyze it. He just wanted to explain it to Xiaoxia.

"This doesn't fully explain his relationship with Xiao Gang, right?"

"Although gym trainers are the pride of a city, how can ordinary citizens say those things when they see a trainer who wants to challenge a gym? And he even knows Brock's dream."

Xiaozhi couldn't help but laugh when he heard that. If they were not one of his own, how could ordinary citizens always say that they couldn't beat Xiaogang, who is very strong?

It is one thing that Xiaogang is very strong, but no matter how proud the citizens are, they will not meddle in other people's business whether they challenge him or not.

"That's true!" Xiaoxia nodded slightly after listening to this. That made sense. She herself was from a dojo, so she probably knew the answer.

"Ah!! Didn't he hear everything you said just now, Xiaozhi?" After reacting, Xiaoxia spoke in surprise. Didn't the other party hear everything Xiaozhi said against Xiaogang's parents just now?

"I said that in front of him on purpose. If he still considered himself a father, he would have gone home and apologized to his children by now."

If he said he didn't know, it should be that Wu Neng didn't know that Xiaozhi knew his identity, and Xiaozhi knew his identity, so he deliberately said these words.

"Oh~~~ That's why you said, if you were Xiaogang's parents, you would go home and apologize to your child immediately. So that's what you meant!" Xiaoxia thought that Xiaozhi was just angry at the irresponsible couple and that's why he said that.

Now that I hear it, I understand that Xiaozhi said that on purpose. I didn't expect him to be so serious at the gym, but in fact, he still sympathizes with Xiaogang's experience!

"Yeah!" Xiaozhi just nodded slightly. Although he had little contact with this world, perhaps due to the influence of anime, he naturally felt a sense of familiarity with the companions in these anime.

. . . . .

Not long after, the two returned to the Pokémon Center and entered the center.

"Ms. Joy, I'm leaving it to you!" He came to the front desk, took out Eevee's Poké Ball, and brought Pikachu to the table as well.

Although he wasn't seriously injured, he had consumed a lot of energy, so it would be better to let the Pokémon Center take care of him.

"Okay! Please wait, is the gym challenge over? What is the result?" Miss Joy asked kindly, while also asking about the challenge.

"I'm lucky. I've succeeded in the challenge." Xiaozhi responded humbly after hearing the voice.

"Did you succeed in the challenge? That's amazing, you're worthy of being Satoshi." You know, although Brock is not the strongest gym trainer in the entire Kanto region, because it is very close to Pallet Town, he is the first challenge target for many new trainers.

As a gym trainer, she has taken care of the Pokémon of many trainers who were defeated by Brock. It was quite impressive for her that Ash succeeded in the challenge the first time he came over.

"Thank you! Then I'll leave Pikachu and the others in my care."

"Okay, I'll restore their spirits soon." Miss Joy responded, and then left with Pikachu and Eevee's Poké Balls.

Xiaozhi spent the whole afternoon in the Pokémon Center. After all, he had challenged the gym today, and after Miss Joy helped Pikachu and Eevee to regain their vitality, it was already afternoon, so he had no plans to set out again.

After staying in the Pokémon Center for another night, the next morning, after having breakfast and packing up, Xiaozhi prepared to set off again.

The closest city with a gym to Nibe City is Cerulean City where Misty is. The nearest road through Cerulean City is Mount Moon, but it is not easy to cross Mount Moon.

So Xiaozhi didn't plan to waste time. He packed up early in the morning and set off for the next city with Xiaoxia. However, when Xiaoxia knew that Xiaozhi was going to Cerulean City, her expression looked a little strange.

Outside the city...

"Wait a minute!! Xiaozhi!!!"

At this moment, the two suddenly heard a sound. They turned around and saw a figure running towards them. They both paused.

"Xiaogang? Why are you here?" Xiaoxia looked at Xiaogang in surprise. Xiaogang was carrying a large backpack on his back and looked like he was going on a long journey. He came in front of the two of them, breathing slightly.

"I'm planning to go out for a trip. Xiaozhi, if you don't mind, why don't we go together? How about I take care of you?" Xiaogang looked at Xiaozhi, his expression revealing deep gratitude.

Obviously, Wu Neng has returned home, and he also knows that it was because of Xiaozhi that his father had the courage to return home, so he is very grateful to Xiaozhi in his heart, because it was Xiaozhi who gave him the opportunity to pursue his dream.

"It doesn't matter to me! Having more people is good too." Xiaozhi responded calmly. He didn't expect that the plot would change and Xiaogang would follow him out in the end.

"But Xiaogang is gone, what about the gym and your brothers and sisters?" Xiaoxia asked curiously.

"Thanks to you, my father came home last night. We talked a lot. Now the gym and my family are handed over to my father. I plan to pursue my dream with you. Thank you, Xiaozhi!"

Xiaogang was in a good mood and expressed his gratitude to Xiaozhi.

Chapter 58: Moon Viewing Mountain

"You're welcome. It's just a piece of cake." Xiaozhi waved his hand slightly. These things were just a matter of moving his mouth and saying a few words. It didn't take any effort.