After leaving the Pokémon House, Xiao Yan went to the Pokémon Center and called Professor Oak. The professor had just finished researching Ho-Oh, so he transferred Xiao Yan's Ho-Oh back to him. After returning, Xiao Yan settled Xiao Lan into the hotel, then went out early the next morning to train.
"You're all looking pretty good today!" In Xiao Yan's team, Arceus and Ho-Oh were the strongest, followed by Dragonite, then Charmeleon, Pikachu, and Eevee, who had never trained at all.
If I'm going to enter the Indigo League, this few Pokémon probably won't be enough, Xiao Yan thought.
"Aren't you a Pokémon Trainer? Tell you what, since you seem to be training your Pokémon, let me introduce my new product, the Pokémon Competition Vest. It doubles the effectiveness of your training." A cute girl pitched her product to Xiao Yan.
"No thanks. My Pokémon don't need help from something like that." Xiao Yan had played Pokémon since he was little and had never equipped any items. He could still beat the League outright, but that was in the games...
Suddenly, the girl pounced on Xiao Yan and knocked him down.
Did my good looks sweep her off her feet? Good thing Xiao Lan isn't here, or she'd spread this everywhere. Xiao Yan was scared out of his wits. The girl had pounced on him without warning.
"Big bro~ Pleeease~~~ I need money to save my mom. She had an accident and is lying in the hospital." At once, Xiao Yan's compassion welled up.
"All right! Give me six. How much?"
"12,000 in total." Xiao Yan took out a stack of bills and handed it to the salesgirl pinning him down. As soon as she got the money, she scrambled up.
"Little girl, what's your name?"
"What do you mean, little girl? I'm ten years old! My name's Xiao Lan."
"Same age as me..."
"If that's everything, I'll be going."
Xiao Yan caught the girl's fragrance lingering on him.
"Actually, she's pretty cute."
"Let's head back."
Just as Xiao Yan went to pick up the backpack and Badge case he had left on a large rock nearby, he discovered that both were gone. Thinking back, the only people who had passed through were himself and the salesgirl named Xiao Lan. There had been no one else.
"Ah... A girl that cute turned out to be a thief. Stealing at her age-I have to find her." After recalling his Pokémon, Xiao Yan ran toward the busy streets.
"You can't necessarily buy these Badges even if you have the money." Elsewhere, Xiao Lan gazed blissfully at the Gym Badges in her hands, admiring them one by one.
"But I wonder what he'll think when he finds out?"
"This is work I have to do to survive. He can just think of it as doing a good deed."
"That's the person in the photo. Bring her in and recover what she stole."
"Yes, Giovanni!"
"Pikachu, grab her." Xiao Yan spotted Xiao Lan leisurely drinking coffee in a café-and paying for it with the money from his wallet.
Before Xiao Lan could react, Pikachu grabbed her, though the place Pikachu grabbed seemed rather inappropriate. Then Pikachu released a Thunder Wave, paralyzing her.
"Give me back my Badges and money." Just then, Xiao Lan somehow broke free of the paralysis on her own and threw herself at Xiao Yan. He caught a glimpse down her top that made him believe a baby face really could come with a large bust.
Isn't she only ten? How are they so big? Something warm is flowing out of my nose. Uh... it's red.
"Get up first. Look, even the passersby are watching us." A large crowd had gathered around, pointing at them and muttering who knew what.
"I'm not getting up. What are you going to do about it?" He had never met anyone who acted so coy. Wait... was this acting coy or extortion?
"That's the person in the photo! Take her to Giovanni. We need her alive!" shouted someone in a Team Rocket uniform. As Xiao Lan was dragged away, Xiao Yan reflexively grabbed the Team Rocket member's wrist and refused to let go.
"Hold on! If you're collecting a debt, get in line! I was here first!!!"
Xiao Yan casually tossed out a Poké Ball, and a Pokémon emerged.
"Charmeleon, Flamethrower!" The Team Rocket member dodged the Flamethrower with an incredible evasive move, then sent out his own Pokémon.
"Sandshrew, Dig!" Sandshrew quickly dug a hole in the ground, burrowing deeper and deeper until its entire body vanished underground.
"Charmeleon, wait for Sandshrew to come out."
Sandshrew emerged beneath Charmeleon's feet. Charmeleon deftly dodged behind Sandshrew and held Sandshrew tight with both arms.
"Flamethrower!" Even a Ground-type would take considerable damage from a hit at point-blank range.
My Charmeleon trained with me at the lab for three years. Charmeleon's intelligence and strength are far beyond Sandshrew's.
"Sandshrew, Sand Attack!"
"Charmeleon, Slash!" Sandshrew hooked up some sand from who knew where with a claw and hurled it at Charmeleon. Charmeleon used Slash to cut a clear path through it and struck Sandshrew head-on. Sandshrew lay on the ground, unable to battle.
"Come back, Sandshrew."
"What exactly are you trying to do?" Xiao Yan asked the Team Rocket member.
"That woman you're protecting stole Team Rocket's Secret Files. We need to take her back to the boss. You may have won now, but our boss will make you pay someday. Hahaha~~~" By the time he finished speaking, the Team Rocket member was already gone. He had probably gone back to report what had happened.
Xiao Yan turned to look at Xiao Lan, and she looked back at him. Suddenly, crystal-clear tears spilled from her eyes.
"Even though you stole my things, I'll keep protecting you until this matter is resolved. Don't worry." Xiao Yan gave her a smile as warm as a little sun.
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