Chapter 88: A Challenge from Ash. Corey and Fergus also experienced
the joy of tandem riding once again, and Xia Mu thoroughly enjoyed it.
Frankly, at this point, Xia Mu couldn't resist the urge to act like a rogue.
However, Xia Mu used his Aura to suppress the raging fire, preventing Sonia from noticing anything amiss.
It worked; it was like a sudden cool breeze in the sweltering heat, allowing him to maintain his composure and calm down.
Of course, Xia Mu didn't consider the other possibility: Sonia had already noticed, but she hadn't said anything.
The two strolled around a large shopping mall in Cinnabar City for a while, then Xia Mu found a barbecue restaurant and took Sonia to try the local-style barbecue.
For Xia Mu, this was actually the first time he had such a relaxed outing since his transmigration.
In his previous life, the pressure of life made it difficult for him to even breathe. Now, transmigrated to the Pokémon world, although he still faced various pressures, at least he wasn't as miserable as in his previous life.
After finishing their barbecue, Xia Mu took Sonia for a long stroll, buying two milk teas and plenty of snacks.
Xia Mu had been in a relationship in his past life, but his expertise in the field wasn't deep, so he didn't have many ways to build a closer relationship. Despite having various fantasies, none of them were suitable for him to put into practice. It wasn't
until after 1 PM that Xia Mu took Sonia back on his Arcanine.
The journey was no longer silent; he actively sought topics, allowing them to understand each other better.
Actually, Xia Mu's personality and Sonia's were somewhat complementary, and their values were similar; otherwise, even with their intimate interactions and shared experiences, they wouldn't have been able to connect.
Back at the Cinnabar Gym, a considerable crowd had already gathered in front.
Unlike the morning, there were even more people in the afternoon, and Xia Mu even recognized several familiar figures among them:
Ash, Brock, Misty, Neesha, Neesha, Neesha, and Fergus…
When they parted yesterday, they had indeed said they would come to challenge him, and he hadn't expected them to actually come.
Xia Mu and Sonia dismounted from Arcanine's back, smiles on their faces.
Although everyone's memories had been altered, the memories remaining in Xia Mu and Sonia's minds made them feel more familiar with Ash and his friends, as well as Neesha and Fergus, since they had experienced the Mewtwo incident together.
As for Sonia and Ari, they had met on Pinkan Island and came to Cinnabar Island together.
Because of Xia Mu's return, many trainers flocked to him, including some who had battled him before.
After calming everyone down, Xia Mu then communicated with the black-clad security guards at the Cinnabar Gym to confirm the battle arrangements and instruct them to prepare.
During this process, Xia Mu finally had the opportunity to stand before Ash and his friends.
Sonia had already spoken to them, and it was clear that after the Mewtwo incident, she had a special fondness for Ash and his friends.
In Xia Mu's opinion, perhaps this was due to the protagonist's halo?
Although his arrival changed many plot points, the luck surrounding Ash wouldn't disappear easily; this was just the beginning.
"Brother Xia Mu, we meet again! I never expected so many people to line up to challenge the gym today," Ash greeted excitedly.
Hearing this, Xia Mu replied naturally, "Yeah, I thought you guys weren't coming."
"Hehe, how could that be? I really want to battle with Brother Xia Mu. If I miss this opportunity, this trip will have been a waste. Although I've already obtained the Volcano Badge for the Cinnabar Gym, I still want to challenge you!" Ash clenched his fist, speaking with great confidence.
This kind of behavior truly shows the fearlessness of a newborn calf.
Coupled with Pikachu's eager expression, it certainly exuded confidence.
Misty and Brock were somewhat helpless, but it had to be said that it was precisely because of Ash's drive that they were willing to travel with him.
It must be said, the protagonist is the protagonist; Ash's actions resonated with some people around him.
"I understand, but we'll have to wait a little while. Everyone should go in order, after all, I can't let you cut in line just because I know you." Xia Mu maintained his smile, then greeted Xiao Tian and Ali beside him. They weren't there to challenge, just to watch the excitement. They
had definitely seen the excitement, especially Xia Mu and Sonia returning together on their Arcanine, their posture ambiguous—clearly a couple.
Ali didn't feel anything, but Xiao Tian felt a little uneasy.
Although she wasn't an adult yet, she was still a sixteen-year-old girl, and her mind was mature enough that it was impossible for her not to have feelings for Xia Mu.
The feeling of being outmaneuvered made her very uncomfortable.
She was the one who met Xia Mu first, yet Sonia and Xia Mu had developed such a close relationship so quickly.
After greeting Ali and Xiao Tian, Xia Mu nodded to Corey and Fergus.
Xia Mu already knew their strength well after the Mewtwo incident.
Although they all had Volcano Badges, they weren't there for the badges. They had no
other goal than to battle stronger trainers.
The more like them they were, the stronger they were.
Under Xia Mu's arrangement, this challenge was different from the previous ones; he wouldn't let them enter one by one.
Xia Mu planned to let all the challengers enter the arena to watch. Since they were
going to challenge him anyway, he might as well make it all public.
He also wanted everyone to clearly see his strength.
The reason for holding this public competition was also to shut up some of the critics.
While having lunch in Cinnabar City, Xia Mu and Sonia overheard a lot of gossip.
Many people questioned the strength of Xia Mu, the acting Gym Leader of Cinnabar City.
Because the challenge mode was one-on-one and not open to the public, only one person could enter at a time, and the next person could only enter after that person finished.
In short, they criticized possible behind-the-scenes manipulation and cheating.
Xia Mu had to admit that after hearing these sharp analyses, he found them reasonable.
So this battle method was somewhat influenced by those critics.
Actually, Xia Mu guessed that Blaine arranged it this way because he was afraid Xia Mu's strength wasn't enough, or that the gym would be overrun by a group of trainers, hence this semi-covert battle method, one by one.
Even if he lost badly, he could maintain public relations afterwards.
Led by Xia Mu and the black-clad security guards, the group of dozens entered the gym one by one.
Then, after registering with the gym administrator, they lined up in order and sat in the spectator area.
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(End of this chapter)