area51novel Chapter 358 Revisiting Zhenxin Town, Goodbye Xiaogang and Xiaomao!
Chapter 358 Revisiting Zhenxin Town, Goodbye Xiaogang and Xiaomao!
Chapter 358 Returning to Pallet Town, Goodbye Xiao Gang and Xiao Mao!
"Paletown, I'm back!!" At the entrance to Pallet Town, Ash raised his hands above his head and shouted to the sky.
Serena, standing to the side, was startled by Ash's outburst, while Misty shook her head helplessly.
No matter what Xiaozhi has been through, his most essential nature remains unchanged. When he saw home, he shouted out like a child.
This trip was much shorter than the one to attend the Quartz Conference, but the level of danger involved was incomparable to the previous one.
It's like switching to a completely different, much larger instance.
Originally, it was a peaceful battle, a simple gym fight. Even if you lost, it wouldn't be a big deal. You just need to work hard to win back later.
Now it has become a matter of life and death. If we lose, not only will we be in great danger, but the whole world will be plunged into a huge crisis. It is as if we have tied ourselves to the world.
As the main source of pressure, Xiao Zhi would probably have collapsed under the pressure long ago if it weren't for the encouragement from the experts in the group and his growth over the past six months.
Even so, the trip to the Orange Islands was somewhat oppressive for Ash. With the burden of saving the world always on his shoulders, how could he relax?
When he returned, his relaxed and carefree demeanor was the true sign that Ash had let go of all his burdens.
The trip to the Orange Islands was quite fruitful. Not only did they officially add Lugia to their team, but they also caught a Snorlax with exceptional talent, along with a Lapras that was equally talented, and a Rockruff that might be the only one of its kind in the world.
These four Pokémon are probably things that other trainers would never see in their entire lives, but Ash caught four of them in just one month.
This good fortune is something even the most powerful champions would envy.
After venting his emotions at the entrance of Pallet Town, Ash led Misty and Serena into the town.
Along the way, many neighbors greeted Xiaozhi when they saw him return.
"Hey, Ash, you're back!"
"Ash, where did you go on vacation this time? Did you bring back any local specialties for me?"
"Hey, Ash, you've brought back another girlfriend. Are you planning to beat Gary to a girlfriend too?"
'
"Greetings, jokes, and playful remarks poured out from the mouths of the neighbors, and Xiao Zhi answered them one by one with a smile."
When talking about his girlfriend, Xiaoxia didn't seem to feel anything, but Serena blushed slightly. This wasn't the first time she'd been mistaken for Xiaozhi's girlfriend like this.
However, Ash already has a girlfriend, and such a misunderstanding is not a pleasant thing for either Ash or Misty. Although Serena sometimes had such fantasies, she knew that such things were wrong.
However, it's not good for her to bring up this misunderstanding. It feels like she's overstepping her bounds. Xiaozhi and Xiaoxia haven't said anything yet, so what's the point of her taking the initiative to say it's a misunderstanding?
Therefore, it's quite strange that no one offered any explanation in the face of this joke.
After passing by the neighbors, the three arrived at Ash's house. Although it had only been a month since they last met, Ash felt as if it had been longer than the previous months he hadn't been home. Perhaps it was because this experience was somewhat unusual.
Ash turned the doorknob and found that the door was not closed. It was noon, and Hanako should be home. However, it was not safe to leave the door unlocked if a bad guy came.
As Xiao Zhi pondered this, he walked into the room, shouting, "Mom, I'm home!"
"Thump thump thump!!" A few seconds after Ash finished speaking, a series of hurried footsteps came, and then a woman wearing a white face mask appeared in front of everyone. Her face looked like a ghost, which startled Ash, his two friends, and Pikachu, causing them to take a step back.
"What kind of monster dares to show up in my house?!"
"What are you saying! You have no manners. It's only been a short time since we last met, and you don't recognize your mother anymore?" Hanako rolled her eyes irritably, holding the white face mask, which had been lying flat and even wrinkled a little.
The worst thing you can do when applying a face mask is to twitch or move your face. After hearing Xiaozhi's voice, she suppressed her excitement and forced herself not to change her expression too much, but her body moved quickly to the door.
But a single sentence from Ash almost made her lose her composure. What was supposed to be a touching scene of mother and son reuniting was ruined by Ash's words.
"Mom? It really is you! Why are you wearing a face mask? You never used to use these things before." Xiao Zhi checked repeatedly, and only after confirming that the person in front of him was indeed his mother did he lower his guard.
Hanako had never used face masks before, and this was the first time Satoshi had ever seen her wearing one. For a moment, he didn't even recognize her as his mother.
Hanako gently smoothed out her face mask as she said, "The past is the past, the present is the present. Won't you get old as a mother? How was the trip? Did it go smoothly?"
"Yeah, it was pretty easy, not as troublesome as I imagined. The Orange Islands are also a great vacation spot, we had a lot of fun there." Ash casually glossed over it, as if the reality was just as he said, and nothing had happened.
No one knows a child better than their mother. After spending more than ten years with her child, no matter how well she pretends, Hanako can see right through Satoshi's thoughts.
But after a few seconds of silence, Hanako said with a slight smile, "I see. Well, this trip must have been a long-awaited break for you."
"Yes, Mom, it should be lunchtime now, why didn't you cook?" Xiao Zhi sensed that his mother seemed to have noticed something, so he quickly changed the subject.
"Oh, because someone's already cooking." As Hanako finished speaking, a figure slowly walked out of the kitchen. Everyone stared, and Ash and Misty exclaimed, "Brock?!"
"Pikachu Pikachu?!"
Suddenly appearing in front of Ash and his friends was none other than their former travel companion, Brock!
When Ash and his friends first arrived at the Orange Islands, Brock stayed with Professor Woods in pursuit of his love. But now—why is Brock in Pallet Town?
"Long time no see, Ash, Misty—and who's this?"
"She's Serena, a partner we met on the Orange Islands, and also a playmate I had at summer camp when I was a kid. She just started traveling last month, so she's practically my apprentice right now!" Ash said with his hands on his hips, somewhat proudly.
He's already able to take on apprentices after only six months in the industry, which speaks volumes about his progress!
Upon hearing this, Xiao Gang scanned Serena with his scrutinizing gaze. Although Serena couldn't see Xiao Gang's eyes, she could feel the way he was examining her.
Serena was still a little nervous about this dark-skinned former member of Ash's team who seemed easy to get along with, wondering if she could make a good impression on him during their first meeting.
"I see, I understand now. This kid is much stronger than when you first debuted, Ash."
Xiaozhi: ? ? ?
What makes you think you're better than me? You only glanced at her, okay?! This is targeted! This is definitely targeted!
"No, no! I don't know anything yet. Ash has been teaching me for a long time, but I've only learned a little bit—" Serena waved her hands repeatedly, her face slightly flustered.
"Haha, don't mind it, I was just joking. My name is Brock, and I used to be a member of Ash's team. I left the team later because of some things. Let me tell you a secret, when Ash first started his journey, he really didn't know anything. The reason he is where he is now is not because he has a good foundation, but simply because his learning ability is too abnormal."
"So you don't need to compare yourself to him. This guy is a pure monster. If you compare yourself to him, you'll probably be crushed by the immense pressure. You just need to compare yourself to yourself."
Xiao Gang smiled and comforted Serena.
From the moment they met, he could sense that this girl seemed to be under immense pressure. Ash was good at everything, except that he didn't understand social etiquette very well. He must have been a bit rough when teaching Serena, which is why Serena is under so much pressure now.
"Hey, Brock, if you're going to give advice, then give advice, don't slander me! I never asked Serena to compare herself to me, and I never put any pressure on her, okay? On the contrary, I think it's amazing that she has made this much progress in just one month." Ash rolled his eyes and said irritably.
When did he ever put pressure on Serena? On the contrary, when Serena was feeling down, he was always the one comforting her, okay?
The emotionally inept Xiao Zhi is no more after he got a girlfriend!
In the past, he might have felt pressured, but now—he understands to some extent that he should be more tolerant of girls.
Furthermore, Serena's talent is indeed quite remarkable. By normal standards, she would be considered a genius, so there's no pressure at all.
Xiao Gang stroked his slightly stubbled chin, a thoughtful expression on his face.
If the pressure wasn't from training, then what was the pressure he felt from Serena? He looked at Ash, then at Misty, and finally at Serena, before a look of sudden realization dawned on his face.
So that's what happened.
"Alright, alright, I know you're not bullying the newbie anymore. Come on, let's cook together. It's been a long time since we cooked together. This is a good opportunity to show you how much my cooking skills have improved." After Xiao Gang figured it out, he grabbed Xiao Zhi and dragged him into the kitchen.
Ash, being dragged along by Brock, didn't resist. Instead, he asked curiously, "By the way, Brock, weren't you with Professor Clifton? Why—"
Before Ash could finish speaking, he discovered that the force pulling him had vanished without a trace, while Brock was already crouching in the corner of the kitchen, as if a dark cloud was hanging over his head.
Ash fell to the ground, staring blankly at Brock, completely unaware of what had happened.
"What's wrong, Ash?!" Misty and Serena rushed over upon hearing the noise, only to find Ash lying on the ground and Brock squatting on the ground.
After a series of experiments, Xiaozhi and his friends finally figured out that for Xiaogang at this point, the word "Neimu" was a forbidden word.
It seems that his relationship with Dr. Uchiki has suffered a devastating blow. It is unclear whether Dr. Uchiki rejected him or whether they broke up after getting together. In any case, Dr. Uchiki has become a taboo subject for Xiaogang, and even his name must never be mentioned.
In less than a minute, Brock had recovered. After he and Ash made an incredibly delicious lunch together, Ash took Pikachu and said goodbye to Hanako and the others.
He still has a GS Ball to give to Professor Oak, so he should hurry up and give it to him after he gets back for a meal. Ash originally wanted to go with Misty, Serena, and Brock.
But Brock said he had to wash the dishes, and Misty said she wanted to stay and catch up with Hanako, and also asked Serena to stay with her. In the end, only Ash and Pikachu went over alone.
Ash's house isn't far from Professor Oak's lab; it only takes about five minutes to walk there at a leisurely pace.
However, upon arriving at Oak's lab, Ash encountered an unexpected person: "Are you—Gary?"
Ash looked at the figure standing at the entrance of Professor Oak's lab and said somewhat uncertainly.
When the figure turned around, Ash realized that it was indeed Gary, whom he knew well, but Gary's demeanor was very different from when he met him at the Adaptation Conference.
If Gary was once somewhat arrogant and haughty, now he seems to have undergone countless trials and tribulations, becoming a very mature trainer.
For an experienced trainer, just one look is enough to tell that such an opponent is very troublesome!
"Hey, Ash, you're back in Pallet Town too."
17
"Yeah, I just got back today. What about you?"
"Just like you."
Although the two had not seen each other for some time, they chatted without any awkwardness.
"You've been to the Orange Islands for over a month? I thought you'd go straight to the Silver Conference after the Indigo League." Ash's trip to the Orange Islands wasn't a secret; in fact, it was common knowledge.
Ash was so high-profile; he even battled Lorelei in the Orange Islands, bringing out the legendary Sea God, a corrupted version, and ultimately defeated Lorelei.
That battle propelled Ash's fame to new heights, and Gary, who usually follows the news, naturally knew that Ash had gone to the Orange Islands.
He also knew that Ash was stronger than he was at the Indigo League!
The ability to defeat Lorelei head-on is terrifying. If it weren't for some fortuitous encounters he'd had in the past month, he probably wouldn't even be able to see Ash's taillights now.
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