Chapter 38: Heading Toward Saffron Gym

"A manga?"

Xia You raised an eyebrow; he had never considered that direction before.

Yoshino Sakuragi replied, "Yes! Compared to text and illustrations, manga can interpret the brilliance of a story much more directly, and it’s also more popular with young people, right?"

"Would it be too much trouble?"

Yoshino's tone was filled with anticipation as she laughed, "It’s a bit of trouble, certainly, but the structure and framework of the story are already finished. All that needs to be done now is to bring them to life. Besides, I have plenty of free time at home; if I can draw a manga like this, it would be like fulfilling a dream of mine."

Since she had put it that way, Xia You had no reason to refuse. He discussed a few final details with her and then hung up the phone.

Because the plan had changed, he sent a message to Misty, telling them not to wait for him and that they could continue forward after challenging the Saffron City Gym.

For the next two days, Xia You stayed at Maiden's Peak to gather material, keeping in touch with Yoshino to provide her with relevant supplementary information.

By the third day, after receiving a call from her confirming that she had completed over twenty pages of the rough draft, Xia You set off to return to Vermilion City.

Dr. Sakuragi's home was a typical Japanese-style detached house, not far from the laboratory. Having been informed in advance that Xia You was coming, Dr. Sakuragi had skipped work at the lab to wait for him at home.

Coincidentally, since it was a Saturday, the entire family of four, including Koharu and her younger brother Sota, had come out to greet him.

Upon seeing Xia You, Yamper circled around him, tail wagging excitedly.

Looking at the perfectly assembled family, beads of sweat began to form on Xia You's forehead.

*Strange,* he thought, *why does this feel like showing up empty-handed to meet one's mother-in-law for the first time?*

As the host, Dr. Sakuragi spoke first: "Welcome, welcome! Please, come inside."

Xia You nodded politely, his gaze brushing over Sota before settling on the hostess. "Nice to meet you. I am Xia You. Sorry for the intrusion."

Yoshino Sakuragi wore red-rimmed round glasses. Her features were somewhat similar to Koharu's, though her face was rounder and more mature. Her long cherry-colored hair was styled in a side braid that hung over her left shoulder.

As for Sota Sakuragi, he took after Dr. Sakuragi. The young boy had a cool demeanor, a textbook "little gentleman." Though he was several years younger than Koharu, he seemed precocious and arguably more reliable than her.

Feeling a bit reserved, Xia You changed into slippers and entered the living room.

Yoshino took out a transparent folder and pulled out the twenty-some pages of manga.

"I’ve only drawn this much for now. I estimate another 195 pages are needed to present the rest of the story. However, since there are no complex compositions, the speed might be even faster."

To have calculated it so precisely—she was clearly quite dedicated.

Xia You flipped through the pages carefully and said with admiration, "Such excellent artistry. It's a real pity you aren't a professional manga artist, ma'am."

As a full-time housewife, having her abilities recognized by someone else was naturally a source of great joy.

"Your story is very well-written, too," Yoshino said, covering her mouth as she chuckled. Her first impression of Xia You was excellent. "Only a brilliant story paired with excellent artwork can become a hit."

"That's right," Koharu agreed. "I’m the first reader of this story, and after reading it carefully, it really is quite captivating."

"I’m the second, and Dad is the third," Sota said, resting his hands behind his head, looking completely relaxed.

However, whether it was a trick of the light or not, Sota suddenly felt as if a round head had appeared in Xia You's shadow, making a huge grimace at him!

He rubbed his eyes and leaned in closer to take a better look. A second later, something like a black ball suddenly lunged out, giving him a huge fright!

"Whoa!!!"

Sota jumped high into the air and tumbled behind the sofa.

"Hehehe!" Gastly emerged, wearing a mischievous grin. "What a scaredy-cat!"

"Is this the Gastly mentioned in the story?" Dr. Sakuragi helped his son up, his eyes filled with wonder as he looked at the Ghost-type.

"That's right." Xia You stopped Gastly and nodded. "To a certain extent, it’s actually the protagonist of the story."

Sota climbed up from the floor. Despite the fall, he didn't seem afraid; instead, he circled Gastly, examining it with curiosity, clearly fascinated by why it had been hiding in the shadow.

At noon, due to the warm insistence of the Sakuragi family, Xia You stayed for lunch. The group chatted and laughed, and the dining table was filled with ease and joy.

When Xia You took out the photos he had taken on the seabed of the St. Anne, it drew a chorus of gasps from the four of them.

Dr. Sakuragi's eyes widened in disbelief. "The news of the St. Anne sinking a few days ago has been the talk of Kanto. I never imagined you were not only an eyewitness to the event but actually sank to the bottom of the sea with the ship and managed to escape!"

Koharu also looked Xia You up and down as if seeing him for the first time.

As for Sota, his eyes were practically sparkling; he was in total awe. "Big Brother Xia You, you are just—so cool!"

...

After finalizing the completion date with Yoshino Sakuragi, Xia You set off again, heading toward Saffron City.

Saffron, the color of brilliant, shimmering gold.

This time, the Pokémon accompanying him, other than Kirlia, was only Gastly, who hid in his shadow. As for his other Pokémon, they were all tucked away in their Poké Balls.

Nothing else happened along the way.

By the time he arrived at this super-metropolis of the Kanto region, Ash and his group had already left for other Gym cities.

According to Misty, they had encountered many difficulties while challenging the Saffron Gym. After failing their first attempt, they suffered quite a bit and had to make a trip to the Pokémon Tower in Lavender Town. Only after capturing a Haunter were they able to rely on its power to successfully obtain the badge.

Because of this, they had also wasted two days, so they were not very far ahead of Xia You now.

In Saffron City, skyscrapers stood everywhere. This was not only the central business district of the Kanto region but also home to the region's largest infrastructure. It even boasted a magnetic levitation train station connecting to the Johto region. Every day, countless trains traveled between Saffron City and Goldenrod City at speeds of up to 550 kilometers per hour, bringing economic vitality to both metropolises.

Passing through the bustling streets, Xia You went straight to the Saffron Gym.

He looked up.

Its exterior resembled many white umbrellas clustered together. The design was striking, though perhaps a bit monotonous; in Xia You's view, it was slightly inferior to other Gyms.

As the official Gym of Saffron City, its leader was Sabrina, who specialized in Psychic-type Pokémon—a very difficult opponent. However, once she was defeated, one would receive the Marsh Badge.

Entering the Gym through the automatic doors, Xia You looked left and right.

The lobby was empty, with no one there to greet him. After walking forward a few steps, he peered through a door window and saw a group of people in white lab coats sitting at a table in the next room. They were holding spoons, staring at them with intense concentration, apparently practicing their psychic powers!