"Congratulations. what are your plans after graduation?" Ling Wanqiu asked Wang Xin after she successfully passed her graduation assessment.
"Wanqiu, you're planning to participate in the Hidden Dragon Cup Trainer Competition, right? Is it too late for me to join if I want to now?"
"There's still time, but I think it would be better if you didn't," Jiang Chen answered for Ling Wanqiu.
"Why?"
"I'm afraid your confidence will take a hit."
With Wang Xin's strength, she would likely be eliminated in the very first round of the Hidden Dragon Cup.
"Do you look down on me that much? Even if I get crushed, my confidence won't be shaken." Wang Xin was quite confident in her own mindset.
"You've changed. Are you really the same person who used to get nervous just thinking about a match?" Jiang Chen looked at Wang Xin with an odd expression. Had she really changed that much? He remembered her being terrified during a simple friendly exchange match.
Not just Jiang Chen, even Ling Wanqiu looked at Wang Xin strangely. This change was a bit too fast. Had her courage really been forged that quickly?
"Hmph, haven't you heard that you should look at someone with fresh eyes after even a short absence? I'm not the same person I was before," Wang Xin huffed with a hint of pride.
"Even if you really want to participate, I think it will be hard for you to get the Badges."
Obtaining Badges from challenging Gyms was no easy feat. Even for the weakest Gym, you would need at least three Quasi-Elite Four level Pokémon to pass. Of course, this referred to officially certified Gyms.
There were smaller gyms that weren't hard to challenge, but Badges from those wouldn't allow entry into the Hidden Dragon Cup. Only Badges from official Gyms were recognized.
"I think Jiang Chen is right. Challenging Gyms is indeed difficult. Even I have to pick the relatively weaker ones to challenge."
At her age, Ling Wanqiu could hardly find any rivals besides Jiang Chen, but even she lacked the strength to challenge the most powerful Gyms. She had to be selective. Even if someone managed to get eight Badges from the weakest Gyms to enter the Hidden Dragon Cup,
they would likely just be a sparring partner for the others, likely getting knocked out in a single round. Ling Wanqiu couldn't even guarantee she'd make it past the qualifiers herself.
"Since you both put it that way, I'll give up then." Wang Xin dropped her idea of joining the Hidden Dragon Cup. "Since I can't go to the competition, I'll go traveling instead. I'll test my luck in the wild; maybe I'll even capture a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon."
Jiang Chen and Ling Wanqiu didn't discourage her. Who was to say she wouldn't have an explosion of luck? Luck was a fickle thing. Jiang Chen himself had once had such luck that he hatched a legendary Pokémon Egg.
"Be careful while traveling," Jiang Chen advised her, as they were on good terms. The wild was not that safe. Beyond running into bad people, encountering aggressive Pokémon was a real danger. Some wild Pokémon truly would attack humans.
"Mhm, I'll be careful." Wang Xin knew the risks; her teachers at school had lectured them plenty on the dangers of the wild.
After spending the day at school and taking photos with a few close classmates, they headed home.
"I'll come find you tomorrow. Don't you dare head to the Imperial Capital early," Ling Wanqiu said, her gaze fixed on Jiang Chen as he dropped her off.
"Don't worry. Since I promised to take you to the Imperial Capital, I'll wait for you. Just remember to come early tomorrow." Having given his word, Jiang Chen naturally wouldn't ditch her.
The next morning, Jiang Chen had just woken up and it wasn't even seven o'clock when Ling Wanqiu arrived at his house.
"You're here way too early."
"Didn't you tell me to come early?" Ling Wanqiu stared at him with wide eyes.
"Fine, my mistake." Jiang Chen raised his hands in surrender. "You probably haven't had breakfast yet. Join me."
"It's been a while since I've had Sister Ning Ya's cooking." Ling Wanqiu's eyes brightened. Ning Ya's breakfast was better than her mother's, though she could never let her mom know that.
"You didn't come this early just for Ning Ya's breakfast, did you?" Jiang Chen asked with a smile.
"That's right," Ling Wanqiu nodded.
Ning Ya smiled. Having her skills appreciated was the greatest compliment.
"Young Master, are you coming back from the Imperial Capital today?" Ning Ya asked Jiang Chen.
"I probably won't be back today. If I'm staying, I'll give you a call."
After breakfast, Jiang Chen took out some Pokémon Food to feed his team. Once finished, he released Alakazam. To go to the Imperial Capital, Jiang Chen wasn't going to take a plane. That would take nearly an hour, whereas Teleport was far more convenient.
"Alakazam, take me and Ling Wanqiu to the Imperial Capital."
"Gardevoir!"
Gardevoir chimed in, reminding him not to forget her. Once before, when Jiang Chen went to challenge a Gym, he had left Gardevoir behind. She wasn't sure if it had been intentional.
A flash of light surged, and Jiang Chen, Ling Wanqiu, Gardevoir, and Alakazam vanished from the yard. In the blink of an eye, they arrived in the Imperial Capital, right at Xiao Luoxue's doorstep.
Ding-dong!
He pressed the doorbell, and soon Xiao Luoxue ran out to open the door. The moment she saw Ling Wanqiu, the excitement on her face vanished.
"Why is it you?"
She knew Jiang Chen was coming and thought it would be him at the door. She hadn't expected Ling Wanqiu.
"Not welcome?" Ling Wanqiu asked. "We traveled together once, after all. I didn't expect such a cold reception."
"Welcome? Of course you're welcome," Xiao Luoxue said through gritted teeth. She then glared at Jiang Chen, who was standing to the side, and let out a light huff.
Why hadn't he told her this woman was coming? Although they were friends, she really didn't want to see Ling Wanqiu right now. They were friends, yes, but also love rivals.
"That welcome sounds a bit forced to me." Facing the seething Xiao Luoxue, Ling Wanqiu's smile was brilliant. Seeing her rival unhappy naturally made her happy. She figured Xiao Luoxue had been planning some alone time with Jiang Chen, and now those plans were ruined.
"Come in." Xiao Luoxue glared at Jiang Chen again.
He actually brought this woman along. Were they already together? Luoxue felt a pang of bitterness and a touch of panic. No, they definitely weren't together. If they were, Ling Wanqiu would have definitely flaunted it to crush her rival.
"Phew, just scaring myself." Xiao Luoxue relaxed slightly. Even if they were together, she could still steal him away. She wouldn't let friendship get in the way then. Besides, she was the one who was there first.
She and Jiang Chen had known each other since childhood; they were childhood friends! There was no way she could lose to Ling Wanqiu. The idea that "the childhood friend can't beat the newcomer" was absolutely impossible.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?" Jiang Chen asked, noticing her rapidly shifting expressions.
"Hmph, it's nothing." She snorted at him again. Her anger hadn't dissipated. She had prepared for so long, and then Jiang Chen showed up with Ling Wanqiu. She had originally thought about going on a date and finalizing their relationship, but that was all down the drain now. Ling Wanqiu would definitely interfere. If she were in Ling Wanqiu's shoes, she would do the same.
Sensing her irritation, Jiang Chen rubbed his nose, deciding it was best not to provoke her further.
"Where are Uncle Xiao and Auntie?"
Entering the house, Jiang Chen noticed that Xiao Chengtian and Xiao Luoxue's mother, Zhao Jing, were absent.
"My dad is an Elite Four member, so of course he's busy. My mom went to work," Xiao Luoxue answered coldly. "Where's your Articuno? Let me see it."
Jiang Chen had told them both about capturing Articuno. Ling Wanqiu had already seen it, but Xiao Luoxue hadn't.
"If you want to see it, fine. But let's go to the yard." If he released it in the living room and Articuno let out even a bit of cold air, the room would turn into an ice cellar.
They went to the yard, and Jiang Chen released Articuno.
"So this is Articuno, one of the Legendary Birds. Its feathers are so beautiful."
"Actually, they're the Legendary Bird Trio," Jiang Chen muttered under his breath. He didn't care if Articuno heard him; even if it did, the bird would just pretend it hadn't.
Xiao Luoxue's eyes sparkled as she walked circles around Articuno.
Articuno: "..."
What is this? Have I become a show animal?
Every time it was released, it thought there would be a battle, but instead, people just crowded around to stare at it like it was an attraction. Articuno felt it had truly had enough. Did it even have its dignity as a legendary beast anymore?
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