Chapter 648: Come Out and Fight Me One-on-One!

Chapter 648: Come Out and Fight Me One-on-One! (Combined, Requesting Monthly Votes!)

The sun dipped toward the west, casting the sea in a charming rosy hue that reflected on people's faces, making it hard to distinguish whether the color was from the twilight or the people themselves.

"The scenery here is really nice."

On the hill behind Windy City, a variety of colorful flowers swayed in the breeze, blooming under the twilight, accompanied by the refreshing fragrance of the flowers.

Hiruna, riding on a Hydreigon, finally arrived at Windy City just before nightfall.

"Yeah, it's really nice."

Jinghe, Male was engrossed in reading Hiruna's palm, examining her life line, love line, and career line.

"Gegegege~~"

Gengue, Male wrapped his arms around the Hydreigon's neck, steering it in another direction.

"Come on, I'll show you a cat that can do backflips."

"Really?"

Forger held a hammer in front of Lucario.

"Can you tell if my hammer has changed?"

"It's evening now, even the Houndoom bats are out." Hiruna raised her head slightly.

"Seriously, these should be the most beautiful bats, right?"

Earlier, the career line was longer than the love line, but now it seems the love line has surpassed it.

Jinghe, Male muttered to himself.

Suddenly, a hand gently tapped his forehead.

Jinghe, Male looked up.

Hiruna's gaze was calm: "It's our first date, and you can't even properly accompany me?"

"Cough, cough."

Jinghe, Male averted his eyes but still held onto the softness in his hand.

"I'll accompany you, I'll accompany you. You really are the most beautiful."

A faint blush spread from her neck to her cheeks, but it was not very noticeable in the twilight.

The sea breeze blew through, passing through the trees and turning into a gentle wind. The various flowers on the ground competed to release their scents, swaying with the wind, and the rustling of the leaves and petals created a soothing sound.

The two of them sat down in the flower field, their knees submerged in the sea of flowers.

"If we're talking about the most beautiful flower fields, it has to be the Nibel Highlands in the Castelia region. The flower fields there are unique in the entire Pokémon world."

"Have you been there?" Hiruna turned her head, her sharp features reflecting in her eyes.

"No." Jinghe, Male shrugged slightly, "There's a guardian there, and it's not easy to deal with."

The Nibel Highlands, a location from the movie "Palkia and the Ingenious Mijumaru", is home to Pokémon that have been abandoned or deserted by humans, and its leader is the Phantom Beast Palkia.

It's not very friendly to humans.

"You make it sound like you've been there." Hiruna wrinkled her nose, looking a bit cute.

"Maybe I'll take you there someday." Jinghe, Male didn't argue, but his voice was gentle and calm.

"Okay."

For a moment, the two were silent.

Until Jinghe, Male patted his shoulder.

Hiruna looked at him for a while, then slowly leaned her head against his not-so-broad shoulder. Jinghe, Male couldn't help but smile, his hand slowly moving around Hiruna's back and gently holding her shoulder.

[You've never seen this before, have you?]

Giratina Core, having lost its "territory", looked at Beartic, who had also lost its "territory", trying to find a sense of kinship.

"Nimi~~"

But Beartic had no time for it, covering his eyes with his hands but leaving two slits to watch the two figures cuddling together, excitedly bouncing in the air.

Giratina Core looked up to the sky, feeling lonely.

The sun set, and the moonlight illuminated each petal, making them even more luminous and enchanting.

The light was soft, and the breeze was gentle.

The two of them still said nothing, did nothing, just cuddled together.

Jinghe, Male slowly closed his eyes, feeling the warmth beside him, unsure if it was the fragrance of the flowers or her scent. He thought that if Palkia were to use Time Freeze now, he would be quite willing.

Hiruna was tall, and her figure wasn't obvious in her usual coat, but when they were cuddling, Jinghe, Male could feel her slender form and the more impressive parts of her body.

Cough, cough.

Time passed.

Dark clouds appeared in the sky, gradually obscuring the moon's light.

Jinghe, Male frowned.

He would have to talk to Rayquaza about the "Aerilate" ability; it should be used when necessary.

"What's wrong?"

Seemingly sensing Jinghe, Male's change in expression, Hiruna softly asked.

"Nothing", Jinghe, Male tightened his grip, "I just suddenly thought of Rayquaza."

After hearing his story, Hiruna smiled, "Didn't you say you didn't want to deal with Mythical Beasts?"

"This is different", Jinghe, Male said with a serious face.

Hiruna laughed, her body trembling slightly. The two finally broke their embrace, and Jinghe, Male felt a mix of worry and hope.

After two lifetimes, this was his first time.

The bold will survive, while the timid will starve!

"I can", Jinghe, Male thought of how Hiruna interacted with Cadetria, and he pointed to her leg.

“Hmm”

Finally.

Jinghe, Male's head finally found its way to the soft, yet firm spot he had been longing for, gazing up at the night sky. Hiruna quietly searched for the white hair, but unfortunately, she couldn't find it.

“Have you been tired lately?”

“A little.”

Hiruna's stress wasn't insignificant, as she set very high standards for herself, which inevitably required more effort.

“Hydreigon seems to have gotten even stronger.”

“Yeah, it eats a lot.”

“Hahaha—”

After a brief moment of silence,

“If you're really tired, why don't you take more time off? You still have Wusong to help you, right?”

“I am on vacation now.”

That was true.

Hiruna lowered her head, their eyes met, and she smiled, “I'm waiting for you to call me ‘Champion.’ Then I can order you around.”

Jinghe, Male was speechless.

Just for that?

Their eyes locked, one above the other, and Hiruna's cheeks flushed again. Jinghe, Male felt his heart throb heavily, his ears tingling as if transitioning from extreme cold to extreme heat.

Thump—

“Squish!!”

Hydreigon, who had been dragged back by Gengue, Male, saw this scene and pounded its chest.

Pain! So much pain!

“Roo.”

Lucario wore a bittersweet smile, not quite relieved, but definitely a bit heartbroken.

The cabbage we've protected for so long has finally been taken by someone else.

“Gengga~ Gengga~”

Gengue, Male gently patted Hydreigon's shoulder, signaling that it was okay.

Don't worry, the Jing family will take responsibility.

“Hmm”

Sunlight filtered through the window, gently warming his face.

Jinghe, Male kept his eyes closed for a while, then stretched lazily and reluctantly sat up.

Next to him, Forger lay sprawled in a “T” shape, drooling, while Nine-Tails was curled up under the blanket. Clearly, Hiruna wasn't there.

But the events of last night before sleep still lingered in his mind, a mixture of nostalgia and unease. It felt like a dream, and he wasn't sure if it was real.

He patted his cheeks to wake himself up.

“Rotom, what time is it?”

“It's already ten in the morning, Rotom!” the Rotom Pokédex floated over from the side.

Ten?

Jinghe, Male was taken aback.

Gengue, Male didn't wake him up?

Then he remembered, Gengue, Male had stayed up late to “take responsibility” and fought with Hydreigon, now sound asleep on the ceiling.

And he had talked with Hiruna until late into the night, finally sending her back to her room under the murderous gazes of Hydreigon and Lucario.

“Sigh, I've been lazy, I've been lazy.”

Jinghe, Male threw off the covers and got up to wash up.

Women?

They only slow down my morning routine!

“Gengga!”

Hearing the commotion, Gengue, Male rolled out of bed, stretched, and immediately perked up.

Today was the Wind Festival, the Pokémon Capture Contest!

Gengue, Male was brimming with enthusiasm.

“The Pokémon Capture Contest?”

Hiruna looked enlightened.

It wasn't a secret that Jinghe, Male enjoyed participating in the “Baby Cup,” and Hiruna saw it as one of his “little quirks.”

After all, everyone has their quirks, right?

Noticing her expression, Jinghe, Male realized she must have misunderstood.

“It's Gengue, Male who wants to participate,” he explained.

“Hmm, I know, I know.” Hiruna nodded repeatedly, gently patting Jinghe, Male's head in a comforting manner.

Gengue, Male, catching his gaze, quickly crossed his arms, pouted, and whistled at a forty-five-degree angle.

Jinghe, Male: “.”

This purple little fatty.

“What about you? What’s that...”

Jinghe, Male noticed the small bucket in Hiruna's hand.

“I'm going to dig up some flowers.”

“Huh?”

“To bring back and plant.”

“Roo.”

Lucario showed the small shovel in his hand, a gift from Forger last night.

Hydreigon let out a loud, exaggerated cry, its voice dripping with sarcasm, as if to say, "Oh, great, now you're offering to go with her?"

Hydreigon had been wearing the same sunglasses as Gengue, Male since this morning, hiding its eyes, but Jinghe, Male couldn't shake the feeling of being watched.

“Do you want me to go with you?” Jinghe, Male asked.

“Aren’t you going to the Pokémon Capture Contest?”

“It’s still early.”

At that moment, the Windy City broadcast system crackled to life.

“Attention, trainers of Windy City! Attention, trainers of Windy City! The Pokémon Capture Contest is about to begin. Please gather at the Wind Festival venue immediately. I repeat, please gather at the Wind Festival venue immediately!”

Jinghe, Male: “.”

Hiruna smiled, “Go on, I'm just going to dig up some flowers. We have the fireworks tonight, right?”

"Alright, I'll do my best. Let's make this quick."

Jinghe, Male grabbed Gengue, Male by the spines on the back of its head and carried it toward the Wind Festival venue on the sea surface.

"Gengue~"

Gengue, Male placed its palm on its forehead and waved vigorously at Hiruna and Hydreigon.

See you later~

The Wind Festival is an event and holiday created by Windy City to celebrate its pact with Lugia.

Windy City itself is already quite unique, and with the addition of the amusement park at the Wind Festival venue and the legends surrounding the Mythical Beast Lugia, many people gather here.

Jinghe, Male, wearing an Alola flower shirt, flip-flops, a sun hat, and sunglasses, blended into the crowd and registered for the "Pokémon Capture Contest" at the Wind Festival.

"First, welcome everyone to Windy City for the annual 'Pokémon Capture Contest.' Now, let me explain the rules."

On a makeshift stage, a host in a flamboyant outfit began the introduction.

"First, please look to my left."

There, various Pokémon were gathered, standing, lying down, sleeping, or playing.

These Pokémon were not just from the Castelia region but from all over the world.

Golduck, Bidoof, Pidgeot, Victreebel, Persian, Kingdra, Electivire, Blissey, Houndoom, Xurkitree, Snivy, and many more.

The most eye-catching, without a doubt, was the pseudo-legendary Bisharp.

It stood like a tyrant at the center of all the Pokémon, and no Pokémon dared to approach it.

Well, that's not entirely true.

Behind Bisharp, a Queen of Cold leaned against it, her expression cold and indifferent, her chin raised, seemingly ignoring the Pokémon and trainers before her.

Hmm?

Is this a team?

A desert tyrant paired with a Queen of Cold?

That's quite unique.

All the Pokémon present, including Bisharp and the Queen of Cold at the center, had special tags on them, indicating their uniqueness.

"I'm sure everyone has noticed the tags on the Pokémon."

"Indeed, they are the targets of the 'Pokémon Capture Contest.' All contestants need to do is use the Poké Balls we provide to capture as many of these Pokémon as possible!"

As he spoke, the host took out a deep blue, specially made Poké Ball.

Just like the "Bug-Catching Contest" and the "Pokémon Wild Area", the Poké Balls used in this "Pokémon Capture Contest" were specially designed for the event.

"Each Pokémon is assigned points based on its rarity and strength. The trainer with the highest score at the end will be the champion of this 'Pokémon Capture Contest'!"

That makes sense.

The points for Bisharp and Blissey would certainly differ; otherwise, no one would bother with Bisharp.

Capturing a Bisharp is much more difficult than capturing a Blissey.

"I know everyone is eager, but please hold on a moment while I show you the prize for the champion!"

A Z-Crystal!

Wow!

The audience and contestants below erupted in excitement.

Even Jinghe, Male was surprised.

Windy City is really pulling out all the stops!

But looking around, he saw small Magnemite cameras everywhere, and the number of contestants was much larger than in the movie "Our Story", where Ash participated.

It seems Windy City's promotion has been quite effective.

With the announcement of the champion's prize, not only did the contestants become more motivated, but the enthusiasm of the audience also increased, and the number of viewers watching the live stream online surged.

"Wow! A Z-Crystal, Windy City is really generous."

"Wow, a Z-Crystal! I wish I had known about this earlier."

"By the way, what type of Z-Crystal is it?"

"If I'm not mistaken, it's an Electric Z-Crystal!"

"Hey, that person looks familiar. Who is it?"

The online live stream's popularity skyrocketed.

At the Wind Festival venue, backstage.

Windy City's mayor, Oliva, dressed in a sharp suit, was adjusting her clothing in front of a mirror, preparing to go on stage.

"Mayor, about our prize this time, is it..."

Mayor Oliva remained calm, "A Z-Crystal will boost the trainers' enthusiasm and attract more viewers to the live stream. More people will learn about Windy City and visit, so it's worth it."

"Yes."

"Besides..."

Mayor Oliva turned her head and looked at the "Sacred Flame" in the city center.

Windy City became famous and prosperous because of its pact with Lugia.

But only a few people remember that the legendary Mythical Beast Lugia hasn't visited Windy City in a long time.

He didn't know how to make Lugia appear again, but showing the passion of Pokémon and their trainers seemed like a good approach.

As long as Lugia could be coaxed to appear once, all the effort would be worth it.

"Next, let's welcome the mayor of Windy City, Mr. Oliva, to announce the start of the competition!"

Mayor Oliva, dressed impeccably, stepped onto the stage, took the microphone, took a deep breath, and raised his arm to shout:

"Want a Z-Crystal? If you do, then go out and catch Pokémon!"

The Pokémon Capture Contest officially began!

As Mayor Oliva's words echoed, the Pokémon on the left side of the stage seemed to receive a command and darted out in various ways.

In the blink of an eye, they disappeared from everyone's sight.

Next.

The contestants needed to capture as many Pokémon as possible within the allotted Time, with a focus on powerful and rare Pokémon.

"Charge!"

A middle school boy shouted, leading the charge, and the other contestants were immediately spurred into action, following suit.

Jinghe, Male, wearing his distinctive headband, seemed a bit out of place.

"Do you think asking for your help counts as cheating?" Jinghe, Male whispered.

Hmph!

Giratina Core, still remembering the "injustice" of being plucked from Jinghe, Male's shoulder yesterday, let out a cold snort.

But it added:

"I don't have many cells scattered around Windy City or its surroundings."

"Oh?"

"This is the area my partner is responsible for, and there's a decent guy in Windy City who maintains the order here."

"Batman?"

What Batman?

"Ah, never mind, I have a pretty good idea who it is."

"Gengga~!"

From a distant corner, Gengue, Male cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted to Jinghe, Male.

"Come on, there's a target here!"

Hearing this, Jinghe, Male quickened his pace.

He saw that Gengue, Male had indeed been quick on the draw, cornering a Bidoof in a dead-end alley.

"No way! No way!"

The Bidoof, already nervous due to Gengue, Male, became even more panicky when it saw Jinghe, Male appear.

Its twig-like hands scrabbled at the left wall, then hurriedly at the right, but it was obvious that a Bidoof had no climbing skills.

"No way..."

The Bidoof was sweating profusely.

"Bidoof, the Rock-type mimic Pokémon, often pretend to be trees to avoid attacks, but even a child would not be fooled, Rotom!"

"Gengga!"

Gengue, Male rubbed his nose.

This Bidoof had been hiding in the alley, pretending to be a potted plant, but Gengue, Male's keen eyes had immediately seen through the ruse.

"Bidoof."

Jinghe, Male's expression was peculiar.

In the original story, there was a Bidoof that was timid, afraid of trouble, and liked to lie, corresponding to one of the characters, and it was eventually captured, becoming a highlight of the movie.

Could this Bidoof be the same one?

Equally timid, equally a bit silly.

"No way!"

Suddenly, the Bidoof shrieked, pointing behind Jinghe, Male and Gengue, Male.

"Look, there's a very powerful and rare Pokémon!"

But neither Jinghe, Male nor Gengue, Male turned around.

"Where? Where? Where, Rotom?"

Rotom, after glancing around and turning back, met the "scornful" gazes of Jinghe, Male and Gengue, Male.

At that moment.

Rotom and Bidoof were equated in the minds of Jinghe, Male and Gengue, Male.

"Rotom."

Realizing it had been duped, Rotom floated to a corner and started drawing circles.

What hurt the most wasn't the looks from Jinghe, Male and Gengue, Male, but the realization that it had been "silly and amusing" itself.

"You're the one participating in the contest, so you go."

Jinghe, Male nodded at Gengue, Male and gestured towards the Bidoof.

"Gengga~"

Gengue, Male grinned, stuck out his tongue, and made a circle, which made the already terrified Bidoof turn pale.

"No way!! Σ(дlll)"

However, Gengue, Male didn't make a move. Instead, he pulled a Poké Ball from Jinghe, Male's waist and threw it.

"Gengga!"

"Go, Yuki!"

Jinghe, Male: "???"

Bidoof: "???"

Yuki: "???"

Yuki appeared, looking bewildered and scratching his head.

Who called me?

Gengue, Male directed Yuki's gaze towards the Bidoof and indicated that, while it looked like a tree, it was actually made of rock.

Rock?!

Yuki's eyes began to sparkle.

"No way?"

The Bidoof shuddered, noticing Yuki's "intense" gaze, and swallowed hard.

But then again...

The previous presence of Gengue, Male and Jinghe, Male had terrified it, but a single Yuki... it might not be so hard to beat!

"Absolutely not!"

Bidoof patted its cheeks, rallied its spirits, and repeated "I can do this" to itself three times. Then, it struck a pose, the air of a seasoned fighter, and beckoned to Yuki.

"Yuki!"

Yuki bared its teeth, clenched its tiny fists, and slowly approached.

You asked for it.

The next second.

"Absolutely not—!!"

Bidoof’s pitiful cry echoed through the alley, lingering for a long time.

Three minutes later.

"Gengar!"

Gengue, Male patted Yuki’s shoulder to encourage it, juggling a specially designed Poké Ball in his hand, and strolled out of the alley with a carefree demeanor.

Jinghe, Male, who followed behind, had a strange expression on his face.

He had asked Gengue, Male to deal with Bidoof, but he hadn’t expected Gengue, Male to take it as an invitation to enter the competition.

Trainer Gengue, Male?

With his Pokémon Yuki, he had defeated Bidoof and successfully captured it?

Something felt off about this.

But

Not having to do it himself was a good thing, and Jinghe, Male was more than happy to take it easy.

He pulled his hat down a bit, adjusted his sunglasses, and followed behind with his hands in his pockets.

He didn’t dare let Gengue, Male and Yuki out of his sight, though. Otherwise, these two might get up to something unpredictable.

They could even cause the entire Wind Festival venue to sink into the sea if they really went all out.

"Gengar~"

Gengue, Male tossed the blue special Poké Ball, summoning the newly captured Bidoof.

"Absolutely not?"

Bidoof, with a bruised nose and swollen face, trembled slightly at the sight of Gengue, Male and Yuki, this "terrifying" duo.

Gengue, Male was already intimidating enough, but how could a Pokémon that looked like a mere hatchling like Yuki be so fierce?

"Gengar~"

Gengue, Male placed a hand on Bidoof’s shoulder.

As a "sharp-witted" individual, Gengue, Male knew that a Pokémon with Bidoof’s character could only survive among the competition Pokémon if it had its own abilities and means.

So,

Come on, tell me which ones are the toughest and where they are.

The Wind Festival is held once a year, and each year includes a Pokémon capture contest. Many of the Pokémon participate year after year, so Bidoof should know some things.

"Absolutely, absolutely not..."

Bidoof shrank its neck, stammering.

Under the "intimidation" of Gengue, Male and Yuki, it was hard for it to not say something.

Bastiodon and Queen of Cold, these two are the toughest.

Gengue, Male rubbed his chin.

He had also seen Bastiodon and Queen of Cold standing in the center during the opening ceremony.

"Yuki?"

Yuki’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

What?

Bastiodon?

"Yuki—!!"

Yuki clenched its small fists and shouted to the sky.

It wanted to fight Bastiodon!

"Absolutely not."

Bidoof tilted its head and named another Pokémon.

Oh, there’s also a Snivy.

Snivy?

Jinghe, Male, who followed behind, looked puzzled.

Bastiodon and Queen of Cold were within his expectations. If anyone could capture these two, they would likely win the championship.

But why a Snivy?

As the initial form of one of the Unova region’s starter Pokémon, Jinghe, Male was no stranger to Snivy.

But this is just the initial form, right?

Having a Snivy follow Bastiodon and Queen of Cold was a bit surprising.

But Bidoof kept gesturing, unable to explain the exact reason.

Jinghe, Male didn’t give it much thought.

Snivy, so be it. He’d capture Bastiodon, Queen of Cold, and Snivy, and the championship would be secure.

Sure enough.

Gengue, Male put on his sunglasses, "Gengar~!"

Bastiodon, Queen of Cold, Snivy—our targets are these three. Let’s go!

Yuki marched ahead, full of confidence.

According to Bidoof’s "intelligence", Bastiodon and Queen of Cold were most likely to be in the central square, waiting for "challengers."

As the strongest two Pokémon in the capture contest, they hadn’t been captured for several consecutive years.

When Gengue, Male and Jinghe, Male arrived at the central square, they found

The Snivy Bidoof had mentioned was also there.

And.

It was challenging Queen of Cold!

Huh?

Seeing Snivy battling Queen of Cold, Jinghe, Male raised an eyebrow.

He hadn’t expected things to develop this way.

But Yuki didn’t care. It charged forward, running up to Bastiodon.

"Yuki—!!"

Come out and fight me!

"Banji?"

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end