A Three-Year Promise with Red

If one Yawn couldn't handle an opponent, then two Yawns would.

This wasn't the famous saying of some Trainer, but Eevee's post-battle summary of this match.

In her previous life, she had actually favored an extremely violent, all-out offensive style—Calm Mind paired with Moonblast, or Hyper Voice.

With Pixilate as her Ability, she had been practically every Dragon-type's nightmare.

For some reason, after being reborn, she had suddenly developed an interest in all sorts of strange strategies.

But how could a gentle, adorable little Eevee like her think about playing dirty against others every day?

Those who kept bad company picked up bad habits. Xia Chen had definitely influenced her too deeply!

Xia Chen had no idea how Eevee was maligning him atop his shoulder.

He was at the Pokémon Center in Battle Park, chatting with Red while waiting for Marnie.

Red had stayed because his Poliwhirl had been beaten into the infirmary by Eevee and was still receiving treatment.

Eevee, meanwhile, had barely been hurt in the previous battle. She was currently crouched on Xia Chen's shoulder, eating the lovingly made Pokéblocks he had prepared.

"So, you came to the Donghuang Region to collect Gym Badges and compete in the Donghuang Conference?"

Xia Chen took a sip of Mago Berry juice and asked curiously.

"Yes. I heard that the Donghuang Region is the largest region by area. I'm sure an adventure here will be amazing!"

Red smiled brightly, with no sign that the frustrating battle just now had upset him in the slightest.

"Sure enough, before I'd even started traveling, I met such outstanding opponents as you and Eevee the moment I arrived in Zhijiang. This battle really benefited me greatly."

Xia Chen cleared his throat twice. "Eevee was the one who fought well."

If Eevee hadn't reacted quickly and immediately followed up with another Yawn, Red might really have turned the battle around with that protagonist-aura-powered Rejuvenating Roar while Xia Chen was still caught off guard.

Red shook his head seriously. "There's no need to be modest. I'm not someone who hates losing."

Xia Chen shrugged helplessly and didn't argue. He was gradually getting used to it.

Why did all of them think he was being modest?

Not continuing that topic, Xia Chen proactively asked, "Do you only have Poliwhirl right now?"

Red scratched his head. "I also have a Pikachu, but he's not in a very good mood right now."

"Huh? Xia Chen, why are you smiling? It's really not that Pikachu hasn't acknowledged me!"

Watching Red get so flustered that he was already protesting too much, Xia Chen held back his laughter.

For a Trainer, not being acknowledged by a Pokémon he had already caught was an enormous humiliation.

He should leave this future battle fanatic some dignity.

Xia Chen changed the subject. "So, Red, where do you plan to start your journey?"

Red clearly had this all planned out and answered without hesitation, "I'm going to follow the Yangtze River westward. This route has the most Gyms in the Donghuang Region, and it's also the area with the richest variety of Pokémon."

"Poliwhirl, Pikachu, and the partners I'll catch in the future will travel with me. We'll build our strength while challenging the Gyms along the way."

"The Cloud Marsh Gym, standing above the vast Cloud Marsh Lake like an ocean. The Thundersong Gym, perched atop the Eastern Gate of Nandu. The Azure Sky Gym, towering over the mountain city. The uniquely distinctive Fireflow Gym in the Fun an Basin..."

"Three years from now, I'll collect all eight Gym Badges and participate in the next Donghuang Conference!"

The young man adjusted the cap on his head. Beneath its brim, his face brimmed with high spirits.

He really was that Red—full of adventure, never willing to admit defeat!

The dangers of the wilderness, the hardships of travel, the difficulty of Gym challenges—those obstacles seemed like nothing more than stepping stones in his eyes.

What didn't kill him would only make him stronger.

Xia Chen suddenly felt a little sentimental. "That's wonderful. I wish you a smooth journey!"

Red stared at Xia Chen for a while, then suddenly smiled and held out his hand.

"Xia Chen, do you want to travel with me? I can tell that you and I are the same kind of person!"

The same kind of person?

Xia Chen instinctively wanted to refute him. How could someone whose goal was to become a laid-back Gym Leader be the same kind of person as him?

Yet he couldn't deny how moving the scenes Red had just described appeared in his mind.

"Eevee~" Eevee pawed at Xia Chen's arm, as if trying to draw his attention.

Xia Chen looked down and saw Eevee gazing at him with rare seriousness.

"Eevee—" (No matter what you choose, I'll always stay by your side.)

Xia Chen read that meaning from Eevee's sparkling, determined eyes and smiled softly.

He picked Eevee up and met Red's inviting gaze.

"Maybe I'll travel someday, but not now." Xia Chen smiled. "I have my own path to walk as well."

If he traveled, his research into Sylveon's and Milotic's evolutions would certainly be delayed.

No matter what, as someone with no one to rely on and no cheat ability, he needed to establish a solid financial foundation first.

He gently scratched the sensitive soft flesh beneath the cream-colored fur around Eevee's neck and said, "I think that as long as I'm with the Pokémon I love, every day can be wonderful enough even without adventures."

"Still... three years from now, you'll see me at the Donghuang Conference. And when that time comes, I'll beat you up again!"

Xia Chen raised an eyebrow provocatively at Red.

Eevee nodded in agreement. "Eevee! (I'll beat you up every time I see you! Not even Arceus can save you—I, Eevee, said so!)"

Red laughed and straightened his perfectly straight cap. "It's a deal. When the time comes, you'll definitely see a different Red!"

"Smack!"

The two smiled at each other and sealed their promise with a high-five.

"Um... sorry, I'm late." Marnie stood beside the table with Snivy in her arms, suddenly feeling oddly out of place.

Had she arrived at a bad time?

She gave Xia Chen a rather strange look. How did he manage to become friends with every Trainer he had just battled?

Though they were both men, so there probably wasn't anything to worry about... still, something about it felt a little strange.

Although Red had been eliminated by Xia Chen during the breakout round of the Piplup Cup, he wasn't in a hurry to leave Zhijiang. After all, the Cloud Marsh Gym in Zhijiang was one of the stops in his travel plans.

However, at Red's current strength, he would only have a chance of obtaining the Cloud Marsh Badge if the Gym Leader went absurdly easy on him.

Red had been confident to the point of arrogance when he first started out, but he still possessed basic common sense.

He decided to train in the wilderness around Zhijiang for a while first.

In gaming terms, the Gym Leader's Pokémon were too high-level. He had no hope of clearing it, so he needed to grind some levels first.

Before they parted, Xia Chen gave Red a newly released amphibious multifunction bicycle from Silph Co.

"Consider it a substitute for me traveling alongside you," Xia Chen said.

Red was deeply moved and gave Xia Chen the cap he had worn for who knew how long in return.

After some thought, Xia Chen decided to treasure it properly rather than wear it and inherit the will of a battle fanatic.

Red's cap—what an incredibly meaningful keepsake for a Pokémon fan!

It definitely wasn't because he disliked the thought of however much scalp oil had accumulated in that hat.