Ash's Pokémon Travel Has Big Problems

Just as Xiaoxia was having wild thoughts...

Xiao Zhi raised his hand and pressed down hard on the brim of his hat to cover the turbulent emotions in his eyes.

He stepped across the messy ground, the puddles splashing tiny water droplets at his feet.

Ash stopped in front of Misty.

Then he slowly raised his head, his gaze under the brim of his hat more serious than ever before, even carrying a burning heat, looking directly into Xiaoxia's eyes, which still held some resentment and complex emotions.

"let?"

Ash's voice was a little deep; now was the time to unleash his persuasive skills.

"How could I possibly do something as insulting as 'giving' to you!"

"You've staked your pride as a gym leader and all your past fears on standing here!"

"If I were to show mercy now, it would be the greatest blasphemy against you, your Gyarados, and this resolve!"

Ash's decisive words cleaved through the lingering hesitation and subtle atmosphere in the air.

"I will crush everything you've shown me!"

"This is the highest praise I can offer to the trainer named Xiaoxia!"

"It's my...sincere treatment of my comrades!"

When it comes to eloquence, Xiaozhi will never admit defeat.

He absolutely did not want to encounter a situation where he could neither win an argument nor a fight!

The moment the words left her lips, Xiaoxia froze in shock.

She looked into Ash's eyes, which were free of any gloom and burned with pure faith, and at the golden behemoth behind him that, despite its scars, still exuded an undeniable aura of dominance.

That vague sense of grievance and complaint vanished without a trace, like morning mist pierced by sunlight.

Instead, a hotter, more turbulent emotion struck her heart.

Her cheeks flushed uncontrollably, and she instinctively wanted to retort. Her lips moved, but in the end, she said nothing.

She merely gave a soft hum and turned her head away again.

Only the blushing ears betrayed the owner's unsettled heart.

Xiaoxia was extremely shy when Xiaozhi spoke so earnestly.

Is this considered a confession?

The girl began to let her thoughts wander.

Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the dome, falling precisely between the two, making the swirling dust appear like shattered gold.

Pikachu jumped onto Ash's shoulder at some point, looked at Ash, then at Misty, and scratched its face with its little paws.

"Pica..."

Pikachu sighed – I really don't understand humans...

"Hmph~" Xiaoxia's ears turned as red as a red-hot iron.

"Since you've put it that way, I'll mercifully accept it."

"Give!"

"This is the blue badge of the Cerulean Gym."

"This is a badge I gave you, so make sure you keep it safe. If you lose it, I won't let you off the hook."

That's what they say... It's so great to have such a reliable companion.

"Hahaha! Don't worry!" Ash took the blue badge and held it up. "Our future will shine as brightly as this badge!"

Under the indoor lights, the jewel-like blue badge shimmered.

[Cerulean Gym - Blue Badge]

[Effect: Slightly increases the trainer's affinity with Water (energy perception/resistance), and slightly enhances basic physical abilities.]

Chapter 44 Let's take a break before setting off again, everyone!

Deep within the Cerulean Gym, in the Pokémon resting area, a unique aroma of herbs and berries permeates the air.

This is a spa pool specifically for Water-type Pokémon.

The massive body of the Golden Gyarados was half-submerged in a specially designed healing pool, with only its back, covered in thick golden scales, visible.

Its massive body floated among them, emitting a comfortable gurgling sound.

Xiaoxia, with her sleeves rolled up, was carefully using a long-handled brush to apply the blue-glowing nutrient solution to the scar on the side of Gyarados's neck, where it had been torn by Ice Fang.

"Hiss..." When the medicine came into contact with the Gyarados, a muffled groan came from its throat.

Its massive body tensed instinctively, stirring the pool water with a splashing sound.

"Don't move!" Xiaoxia took a half step back in fright, but immediately bit her lip and stepped forward, pretending to be calm as she continued her work. "This, this is the dragon scale powder mixture that my sisters have treasured. It's very effective for healing!"

Most importantly, it uses materials from Dragon-type Pokémon.

For Pokémon that are not Dragon-type but have Dragon-type potential, this method is extremely effective in unlocking their potential.

Gyarados glanced at her with its scarlet pupils, then suddenly nudged the wooden bucket filled with orange chunks by the pool with the tip of its nose—something Misty had specially prepared.

"You glutton!" Xiaoxia couldn't help but laugh and scold, scooping up a large spoonful of fruit and pouring it into its wide-open mouth.

Her hand brushed against the cold, sharp teeth, and she jerked it back, her heart still instinctively pounding twice.

But seeing Gyarados happily munching on berries, its tail swaying slowly at the bottom of the pool, the chill that had lingered in my heart for years seemed to be somewhat lessened by its gluttonous appearance.

Ash's Gyarados is actually quite well-behaved when it's not going out of control.

"Roar~ Roar~" Gyarados squinted its eyes and opened its mouth again.

It also wants to eat something delicious.

Thank God, these days at Clarion Dojo are the best I've ever had in my memory.

While there's no shortage of food and drink at Pewter City Gym, the food there is clearly prepared specifically for Rock and Ground-type Pokémon.

It's not really to Gyarados's liking.

Cerulean Gym is different~~

Not only does it taste good, but you can also eat as much as you want.

"Here, this is the last spoonful! Eating too much will cause indigestion!" Xiaoxia tried to remain calm, but the slight trembling of her hands betrayed her nervousness.

The water splash created when Gyarados's golden head approached made her instinctively take a half step back, but she stopped herself abruptly.

"Roar~~" Gyarados glanced at her with its scarlet pupils, and surprisingly lowered its head to swallow its food obediently, its tail gently slapping the water's surface.

"You...you actually said thank you?" Xiaoxia's eyes widened in surprise, then she blushed and muttered, "Idiot...who asked you to thank me!"

"..." Gyarados was speechless, but considering the good treatment it received, it decided not to complain.

-

And on the other side.

Everything at the Hua Lan Dojo remains the same.

Misty's loss to Ash has no impact on the gym.

How do you issue dojo badges if the dojo master doesn't lose?

A dojo master should lose every single day!!

funny.

Due to the unique nature of this world's gym, it's impossible for Team Rocket to launch a random attack here.

This is different from the original Pokémon anime world.

At this moment, cheers erupted from the main performance pool.

"Oh oh oh oh!"

Xiao Gang sat in the best viewing seat, his dark face flushed with a suspicious blush.

He hastily sketched out the formation changes of synchronized swimming in his notebook.

"The angle at which Miss Ayame's goldfish spreads its tail fin when it spins is just right to refract the rainbow light from the top light..."

"Miss Peony's starfish uses its telekinetic power to create a rhythmic water curtain..."

He muttered to himself, his pen suddenly stopping.

"—Of course, the most perfect one was Miss Sakura, the lead dancer! That turn in sync with Dolphin Man was simply a combination of strength and beauty!"

"and many more!"

"so amazing!"

"Miss Ayame's triple somersault followed by a Water Leap is a perfect blend of the grace and power of a Water-type Pokémon!"

"awesome!"

"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!!"

"She will definitely become an excellent coordination trainer!"

The three older sisters took their final bow on the floating platform, and Sakura gave Xiaogang a precise wink.

With a clatter, Xiao Gang's notebook fell to the ground.

Xiao Gang, who had always maintained a serious demeanor and carried an idol image, suddenly began to let loose after leaving Nibi City.

And now... Xiao Gang is being completely manipulated by the three beautiful girls.

Is this what happens when you're too naive?

It's already been fished into a mandarin fish.

"Lucky!" Chansey said helplessly as he pushed the food cart past, which was piled with energy cubes that Xiao Gang had specially made for the actors to replenish their energy.

Unlike Xiaoxia and Xiaogang.

Ash's situation is a different story.

Ash is not currently at the Cerulean Gym.

The river estuary on the outskirts of Hualan City.

The fishing line drew a silver arc in the setting sun.

"Pikachu!"

Pikachu suddenly pricked up its ears and looked warily at the bushes behind it.

Xiao Zhi calmly reeled in his line, finding the hook empty.

“Come out, meow.” He sighed. “I can hear you crunching leaves.”

The bushes rustled a few times, and Miaomiao sheepishly emerged, her fur covered in grass seeds.

"Ahem... I'm here to say goodbye, meow." Its eyes darted around. "Musashi and Kojiro have been rescued... Boss Sakaki told us to go to Goldenrod City to stand by."

Xiao Zhi paused slightly while casting his fishing rod: "Did you come here specifically to tell me this?"

Meowth scratched its ears impatiently: "Um... Lt. Surge of the Vermilion City Gym... you'd better watch out, meow!"

It jumped up as if afraid of revealing more, "In short, he's dangerous! He especially likes to bully newbies! And his methods are... really outrageous, meow!"

Being forced to be an inside man... Meow Meow is also very upset.

—Damn it, why did I do this?

Meow Meow was extremely confused. It hesitated and rubbed its paws together: "Lt. Surge has been really grumpy lately. He's already sent several challengers to the hospital... Meow."

"Pikachu?" Pikachu tilted its head in confusion.

"Why are you telling me all this?" Ash's gaze was as heavy as a physical weight on Meowth.

"I can't tell you the specific reason, meow!" Meow took two steps back, its tail curled nervously into a question mark shape. "Anyway, his Raichu is particularly ruthless... Ah! I should go, meow!"

"It's not because I'm worried about you! It's because if you lose too badly... I won't have a chance to beat you and avenge myself, meow! It's not because I'm worried about you, meow!"

Meow meowed, turned and darted into the bushes, then poked her head out again and quickly added: