However, Ji Ke still couldn't understand why Ye Feng would say such things and do such actions during the upcoming Pokémon League Conference and the Elite Four challenge.
Wasn't this clearly asking for trouble?
But she didn't ask.
She stood up.
And walked towards a cave deeper within the valley.
That was where she usually lived.
"What are you going to do?"
Ye Feng asked.
Ji Ke: "Now that all the Charizards in the Charizard Valley have been captured by Team Rocket, I need to find reinforcements."
"Reinforcements?"
Ye Feng wondered who these reinforcements would be.
He waited for Ji Ke to come out of the cave. About ten minutes later, Ji Ke emerged with a smile on her face:
"I was lucky, the reinforcements aren't too far from me, they'll arrive in half an hour."
"Oh."
Ye Feng nodded and then sat down cross-legged on the ground.
Seeing Ye Feng do this, Ji Ke was a little curious: "I'm safe now, aren't you leaving?"
Ye Feng: "I'm not at ease leaving you. I'll leave after your reinforcements arrive."
Ye Feng's words deeply touched Ji Ke.
Her cheeks couldn't help but blush.
Her heart pounded violently in her chest.
She had lived here for so long without much contact with the opposite sex. It was the first time she felt warmth from a person of the opposite sex.
Especially from Ye Feng, whom she already knew.
Ji Ke said no more and sat down to wait quietly.
During the wait, she kept looking at Ye Feng's Pikachu.
She saw that this red-striped Pikachu was constantly hiccuping.
She frowned and asked Ye Feng, "Ye Feng, what's wrong with your Pikachu? Why is it hiccuping so much? What did it eat to be so full?"
Ye Feng glanced at the red-striped Pikachu: "It ate too many Oran Berries."
"Oh, oh."
Having received an answer, Ji Ke asked no more and quietly waited for the reinforcements.
Half an hour later, the reinforcements finally arrived.
To Ye Feng's surprise, the reinforcement was none other than Lance, one of the Elite Four from Kanto, a Dragon-type specialist!
It turned out that Charizard Valley was also an industry owned by Lance's family.
Lance's Dragon-type family was also known as the Dragon Clan.
Ji Ke also belonged to this family.
Ye Feng looked at Ji Ke and Lance and realized they were related.
However, it was also somewhat predictable.
After all, the Dragon Clan specialized in nurturing Dragon-type Pokémon.
Lance was also very surprised to see Ye Feng there.
Ji Ke explained the whole situation to Lance.
Lance nodded, then extended his hand and thanked Ye Feng: "Thank you for saving my cousin."
Ye Feng: "It was nothing."
Lance thought for a moment and then asked, "Ye Feng, but tell me, what are you doing here?"
Ye Feng: "Collecting badges to participate in the Silver Conference."
Lance, who had been expressionless, suddenly turned pale when he heard this.
What?
Collecting badges? Participating in the Silver Conference?
Then, after he wins the conference, he'll definitely challenge the Elite Four and then the current Champion.
He had already defeated him once in Kanto?
And now he was coming to challenge him again?
It turned out Lance had multiple identities.
First, he was an Elite Four member of the Kanto region, the acting Champion of the Indigo League.
Then, he was also the Champion of the Johto region's Silver League!
That's right!
This time, it wasn't acting.
He was the official Champion of Johto!!
And this meant that Ye Feng would have another battle with him in the future.
Lance's expression became very grim.
He had lost so badly in Kanto before.
And now, in his own territory, Johto, it was going to happen again?
Moreover, you must know that his hometown was in Johto, and he was a Johto native...
To be defeated twice by the same person in his hometown and in front of his own people...
No! He had to think of a way to deal with this!!
Otherwise, he would lose too much face.
Ji Ke seemed to have noticed her cousin's thoughts.
She immediately smiled and said, "Okay, everyone is friends. Even if you have another battle in the future, just fight with your best effort. It's okay if you lose."
Ye Feng: "You're right, Ji Ke."
Ye Feng noticed that Ji Ke was starting to shy away from his gaze, blushing.
Lance sighed inwardly: "It's easy for you to say, it's not you who lost."
But.
"Alright. We still need to deal with the matter of these Charizards captured by Team Rocket. Since that's the case, we'll be leaving now."
Lance got on his Dragonite.
And his cousin Ji Ke sat behind him.
Ji Ke waved goodbye to Ye Feng: "Ye Feng, thank you for saving my life! I will repay you in the future!!"
Ye Feng also waved back at her.
Only after Lance and Ji Ke's figures disappeared.
Did Ye Feng's lips curve upwards slightly.
"Repay? You'll repay me with your body in the future."
Ye Feng smiled slightly, then suddenly seemed to remember something.
He smiled again: "I remember Lance has another cousin in Johto named Clair. She's also a Gym Leader."
"How nice, Lance. By then, should I be calling you 'brother' too?"
Looking at the empty Charizard Valley, Ye Feng felt there was no need to stay any longer.
So he left the valley and headed for the next stop, Ecruteak City.
Two days later.
The endless Gobi Desert was finally coming to an end.
Ye Feng did not ride on Rayquaza but chose to walk.
He was accompanied by the red-striped Pikachu.
Rayquaza and Squirtle were both in their Poké Balls.
Looking ahead, a small mountain appeared in front of him.
And at the base of the mountain, something seemed to be squirming.
After getting closer.
Ye Feng finally saw clearly.
There was a cave at the base of the small mountain, and at the entrance of the cave, two men in Team Rocket uniforms were guarding.
"Hmm?"
Ye Feng narrowed his eyes.
He noticed that in front of the cave entrance of this small mountain, there was also a considerable pavilion.
Inside the pavilion was a white statue of a silly Pokémon, Slowpoke...
Seeing this, Ye Feng felt like he had guessed something.
The red-striped Pikachu also saw the situation ahead, and after Ye Feng patted its head.
This red-striped Pikachu understood Ye Feng's intention and ran towards the two Team Rocket members guarding the cave entrance.
"Hmm? Pikachu? It's even a shiny one?"
These two guards discovered the red-striped Pikachu.
One of them exclaimed in surprise.
The other narrowed his eyes: "Hey, this Pikachu looks so familiar. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before."
"Oh, oh!"
He said excitedly: "I remember it now! This Pikachu looks exactly like the one belonging to Ye Feng from Kanto! Could this be it!"
"If that's the case, then Ye Feng?"
The two Team Rocket members looked around, but did not find Ye Feng's figure.
"Perhaps this one just looks very similar to that one. But a shiny Pikachu with red stripes, if we can catch it, we can sell it for a good price."
The two Team Rocket members showed evil smiles at the red-striped Pikachu.
The red-striped Pikachu also showed an evil smile at them.
Seeing this smile, the two were confused.
Why was this Pikachu still smiling?
But then, infinite terror appeared on their faces.
The Pikachu in front of them suddenly opened its mouth.
Its mouth opened wide, and inside, sharp teeth gleamed coldly.
The first reaction of the two Team Rocket members was to flee.
But unfortunately, they failed.
They were swallowed whole by the red-striped Pikachu.