Watching Eevee and Zigzagoon get completely surrounded by the children, Xinhai could not help but laugh.
He got to his feet and stepped back two paces, giving the children more room.
Standing nearby, Gardevoir tilted her head slightly. Her red eyes watched the scene through her light purple sunglasses, and a gentle curve touched her lips.
The boy leading the group looked up at Xinhai while petting Eevee, his eyes brimming with undisguised amazement. "Big brother, your Pokémon all look so strong. You must have collected a lot of Badges by now, right?"
"Not that many. I've collected seven so far," Xinhai said with a smile, not hiding how many Badges he had earned. "Just one more to go."
"That's amazing!" The boy's eyes widened even further, his mouth falling slightly open. "Doesn't that mean you can enter the Ever Grande Conference soon?"
"I'm still one Badge short." Xinhai smiled and ruffled the boy's wind-tousled hair. "I can only register once I've gotten the eighth one."
"That's not far off at all!" The boy's voice rose with excitement, and his little fists clenched unconsciously.
"My cousin went to watch the Ever Grande Conference last year. He said it was incredible! So many Trainers brought super powerful Pokémon to battle... He said he yelled himself hoarse watching the matches!"
Seeing the bright sparkle in the boy's eyes, Xinhai's heart stirred slightly. He asked softly, "Do you want to become a Trainer?"
The boy froze for a moment, then nodded vigorously, his voice loud and resolute. "I do! Once I turn ten, I'm going to set out on a journey! I want to be like you, big brother—collect Badges and compete in the Conference!"
He paused, then added in a quieter voice, though his gaze remained bright, "My dad says being a