Chapter 58: Respite and Recovery

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“Gengar, use Shadow Ball!”

Under the vast sky of Sakuragi Park, Gengar and Zapdos were entangled in a fierce chase. For a moment, various Electric- and Ghost-type moves flew through the air. When a Shadow Ball struck Zapdos, both Pokémon had expended more than half of their stamina, bringing this training session to a close.

They landed on the ground, panting heavily. Judging by the battle, without Gengar using Hypnosis, the fight was fairly evenly matched.

After so long a time of bonding and training, the currently tamed Zapdos finally bowed its head slightly before Xia You. Though not fully obedient yet, it was now manageable to command.

Nearby, Ivysaur leisurely basked in the sun, Squirtle floated on its back in the water, Charmeleon lay on a rock wagging its tail, and Eevee persistently teased it.

Suddenly, Ralts let out a soft call. Xia You stirred, took out a Poké Ball, and recalled Zapdos. Even Gengar slipped back into Xia You’s shadow.

A few seconds later, a young man and woman entered Sakuragi Park.

It was Koharu and Ko!

Xia You picked up a brush from the ground, went to the pond, called Squirtle over, and began scrubbing the gaps on its shell while asking, “What brings you here?”

Koharu clasped her hands behind her back, stood behind Xia You, and looked at him with bright eyes, cheerfully saying, “I heard from my dad that you returned to the research lab yesterday, so I came by after school to see Ralts. As for Ko, he insisted on tagging along—I couldn’t stop him.”

Ralts curved its body gracefully like a dancer and gave Koharu an elegant bow.

Only then did Koharu turn to it and smile, nodding.

Ko paced nearby with his hands on his head. Seeing only a handful of Pokémon in the vast Sakuragi Park, he laughed and said, “After all your travels, you’ve only caught this few Pokémon? If it were me, I’d have dozens by now!”

When he first met Xia You, seeing him with a rare Pokémon, he thought he must be impressive. Now, it seemed otherwise.

No sooner had he spoken than a large, dark face suddenly sprang from Xia You’s shadow right in front of him.

“Waaah!!”

Startled, Ko stumbled backwards several steps, even letting out a girl-like scream.

But that was not all. From the pond, a gigantic Gyarados burst forth, mouth wide open and fierce, staring at him with a menacing glare!

Still shaken, Ko broke out in a cold sweat. Losing his footing, he slipped and fell with a splash into the water!

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He coughed up water, swam a few strokes, then clumsily climbed out.

Not daring to meet the Gyarados’ gaze again, he looked at Gengar and said incredulously, “How can a Pokémon hide in shadows like that? Hey! Don’t just pop out and scare people like that!”

“Heh heh!” Gengar mocked, “Kid, you’re just too timid! Want to be a Pokémon Trainer like this? Better start thinking of another path!”

“Wow, it talks!” Ko pointed at Gengar, utterly amazed.

“Tch, such a fuss over nothing,” Gengar replied lazily, then slowly slipped back into Xia You’s shadow.

At this moment, Xia You walked to his backpack, took out a finely wrapped small box, and handed it to Koharu.

“This is a gift I bought for you in Celadon City.”

“What is it?”

Koharu’s heart leapt with joy. She smiled and opened the gift box, finding a bottle of perfume inside.

“It smells so nice!” She sprayed some on her wrist, and a light fragrance immediately filled the air. “A few days ago, the girls in our class were still talking about Celadon City’s perfume, saying it’s the most famous and best in the Kanto region!”

Seeing Koharu really liked it, Xia You felt somewhat relieved. But Ko, watching her so happy, felt a pang of jealousy.

He said dismissively, “Perfume is too much for you. It’s not suitable for someone your age!”

“What kind of old-fashioned thinking is that?!” Koharu rolled her eyes. “Perfume isn’t just for grown women! It can relax the mind, calm the nerves, restore energy, and even heal the soul. It’s not just about smelling nice!”

“Uh…” Ko was speechless and didn’t understand why Koharu reacted so strongly about perfume.

“Oh, by the way!” Koharu suddenly remembered something and said to Xia You, “My mom finished her manga. She said if you have time, you should come over.”

“Oh? So soon?”

Xia You was surprised but did not rush to the Sakuragi home. Instead, he left the Pokémon in the park temporarily and returned to the research lab to find Professor Sakuragi.

“Professor, please help me transfer Zapdos from this Poké Ball to this Ultra Ball!”

Looking at the two Poké Balls, Professor Sakuragi pushed up his glasses in surprise. “Oh? Why do you want to do that?”

Xia You sighed. “Zapdos has finally become somewhat obedient now, but it’s always been upset that it was caught with a regular Poké Ball. Changing to an Ultra Ball and a new environment might help soothe it.”

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“I see.” Professor Sakuragi nodded in understanding. “No problem, leave it to me!”

…

Inside the Sakuragi residence.

Because Professor Sakuragi was still busy working, only Xia You, Koharu, and Yoshino Sakuragi were present.

Even Koharu’s younger brother, Sota, was out playing with friends and hadn’t come home yet.

At the tea table, Xia You took a gentle sip of the tea Koharu handed him, then presented the gift he had bought for Yoshino.

“Auntie, you’ve worked so hard these days! This small gift is no great token, but please do accept it!”

“Oh my, you shouldn’t have! How could I accept this?” Yoshino Sakuragi tried to refuse, but with her daughter’s persistent encouragement, she finally accepted.

Seeing that Yoshino had accepted, Xia You focused his attention on a finely bound manga book beside him.

Yoshino was truly dedicated; she had worked tirelessly to complete the artwork and even compiled it into a book, handling everything herself.

Flipping through the pages, Xia You had already seen the earlier content, and after reading the rest of the story, he nodded with satisfaction.

As a woman, she had depicted the emotions in the story with exquisite subtlety and elegance, perfectly capturing the mood and intended feelings.

“This is wonderful. I believe once this manga is circulated, it will be very well received!”

—

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