Chapter 58: Refitting

“Gastly, use Shadow Ball!”

Under the vast sky of Sakuragi Park, Gastly and Zapdos were locked in a frantic chase. For a moment, various Electric-type and Ghost-type moves flew through the air. As a Shadow Ball struck Zapdos, both Pokémon had exhausted more than half of their stamina, and the training session finally drew to a close.

They landed on the ground, both panting heavily. Judging by the battle, it had been a fairly even match, provided Gastly didn't use Hypnosis.

After being caught for so long and through constant tempering and training, Zapdos finally bowed its head slightly before Xia You.

While it wasn't yet completely submissive to his every command, commanding it was no longer a major issue.

Nearby, Bulbasaur was leisurely basking in the sun; Squirtle was floating in the water with its belly facing up; Charmander lay on a rock, incessantly wagging its tail, while Luxray was tirelessly harassing it.

Just then, Kirlia let out a soft cry. Xia You’s heart stirred; he took out a Poké Ball to recall Zapdos, and even Gastly took the opportunity to slip back into Xia You's shadow.

A few seconds later, a man and a woman walked into Sakuragi Park.

It was Koharu and Roy!

Xia You picked up a brush from the ground, walked over to the pond, and called Squirtle over. While scrubbing the crevices of the turtle's shell, he asked, "What are you two doing here?"

Koharu walked up behind Xia You with her hands behind her back, her large eyes fixed on him. She said cheerfully, "I heard from my dad that you returned to the Research Lab yesterday, so I came specifically to see Kirlia after school. As for Roy, he insisted on following me; I couldn't do anything about him."

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

Only then did Koharu turn her head toward it and nod with a smile.

Roy was pacing back and forth nearby with his hands on his head. Seeing that there were only a few Pokémon in the massive Sakuragi Park, he couldn't help but laugh. "You've been traveling for so long and you've only caught these few Pokémon? If it were me, I would have caught dozens by now!"

When he first met Xia You and saw him with a rare Pokémon, he thought he would be incredibly impressive. Looking back now, he thought he was nothing special.

Unexpectedly, just as he finished speaking, a large, dark face suddenly lunged out from Xia You's shadow, pressing right up against his face.

"Waaaaah!!"

Roy was startled, stumbling back several steps, even letting out a scream that sounded like a young girl's.

However, it didn't end there. From within the pond, a massive Pokémon with a gaping, blood-red maw and a ferocious expression burst through the water, staring him down with a menacing gaze!

Still reeling from the first scare, Roy was struck by another wave of cold sweat. His footing slipped, and with a loud *splash*, he fell straight into the water!

After choking on a few gulps of water and swimming a bit, he scrambled back onto the bank in a frantic mess.

Not daring to make eye contact with Gyarados again, he looked at Gastly and said in disbelief, "How can there be Pokémon hiding in your shadow? Hey! Don't just pop out and scare people like that!"

"Jie jie!" Gastly mocked, "Kid, you're just too cowardly! You want to be a Pokémon Trainer like this? You'd better find another career path!"

"Whoa, it talked!" Roy pointed at Gastly, his expression one of extreme shock.

"Tch, such a wide-eyed amateur." Gastly couldn't be bothered with him and slowly drifted back into Xia You's shadow.

Xia You then walked over to his backpack, took out an exquisitely packaged small box, and handed it to Koharu.

"I bought this for you in Celadon City."

"What is it?"

Koharu's heart leaped with joy. She smiled as she opened the gift box, revealing a perfume bottle inside.

"It smells so good!" She lightly sprayed some on her wrist, and immediately, a faint, fresh fragrance drifted to everyone's noses. "A few days ago, the girls in my class were talking about Celadon City's perfume. They said the perfume produced there is considered the most famous and best in the Kanto region!"

Seeing that Koharu truly liked it, Xia You felt somewhat relieved. However, nearby, Roy felt a pang of bitterness seeing Koharu's joyful expression.

He said with an air of indifference, "Perfume is still too early for you. It's not suitable for someone your age at all!"

"What kind of old-fashioned thinking is that?!" Koharu rolled her eyes at him, dissatisfied. "Perfume isn't just for adult women! It can help people relax, stay calm, restore energy, and even has the effect of healing the soul. It's not just about smelling good!"

"That..." Roy was left speechless, not understanding why Koharu had such a strong reaction to the topic of perfume.

"Oh, right!" Koharu seemed to suddenly remember something and said to Xia You, "My mom has finished all her manga. She said if you have time, you should come over as soon as possible."

"Oh? That fast?"

Xia You was somewhat surprised, but he didn't head straight to the Sakuragi residence. Instead, he left the Pokémon in the park for the time being and first returned to the Research Lab to find Professor Sakuragi.

"Professor, please help me transfer Zapdos from this Poké Ball into this Ultra Ball!"

Looking at the two Poké Balls before him, Professor Sakuragi pushed up his glasses and asked in surprise, "Oh? Why do you want to do that?"

Xia You said helplessly, "Zapdos has finally become somewhat obedient, but it's still quite resentful about being caught by an ordinary Poké Ball in the first place. Changing it to an Ultra Ball and giving it a new environment should help settle its mood."

"I see," Professor Sakuragi said understandingly. "No problem, leave it to me!"

...

Inside the Sakuragi residence.

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

Even Koharu's younger brother, Satoshi, was out playing with friends and had not yet returned home.

By the coffee table, Xia You first took a light sip of the tea Koharu handed him, then presented the gift he had bought for Yoshino Sakuragi.

"Auntie, you've worked so hard lately! This gift is just a small token of my appreciation; please accept it!"

"Oh my, you shouldn't have spent so much, I feel so embarrassed!"

Yoshino Sakuragi originally wanted to refuse, but unable to withstand her daughter's constant encouragement, she eventually accepted the gift.

Seeing that Yoshino had accepted it, Xia You then focused all his attention on a beautifully bound volume of manga sitting nearby!

Yoshino Sakuragi was truly professional; not only had she completed the work while forgetting to eat and sleep, but she had also handled the entire production process to turn it into a book.

Opening the volume, he had already read the previous content, and after finishing the remaining story, he nodded in satisfaction.

As a woman, she had depicted the emotions within the story with such delicacy and grace that it perfectly matched the atmosphere and the intended emotions of the tale.

"It's truly wonderful. I believe once this manga is released, it will definitely be very popular!"