Chapter 127 Fuchsia City, the Future Elite Four
: Oddish, Caterpie, Weedle…
Paras, Bellsprout, Aiolyse…
…
In the dark forest, wild Pokémon appeared one after another as Xia Mu led Sonia onward.
From the main road at the beginning, it became a country lane, and finally a forest path.
Two full days had passed since they left Goldenrod City and headed for Fuchsia City.
Since the day he trained with Aura, Xia Mu had undergone a complete transformation, a tremendous metamorphosis.
His strength had increased, and although he couldn't yet compare to Pokémon of level 30 or 40, his strength was still far beyond that of ordinary level 10 or 20 Pokémon.
"How much longer until we reach Fuchsia City? Will we get lost? The fog is getting thicker, Xia Mu, Rotom Pokédex." Sonia was already somewhat uneasy.
Traveling deep into the forest for a long time, without sunlight, and with the white fog making it difficult to determine their direction,
this uncertainty about the road ahead inevitably instilled fear.
"That's right, Rotom. Just keep going for about three kilometers, and you'll reach Fuchsia City, Rotom," the Rotom Pokédex said.
As soon as it finished speaking, Xia Mu added, "It's alright. Even though our vision is obstructed, the map function isn't malfunctioning. If you're feeling uncomfortable, I can have Arcanine come and take us there."
Hearing Xia Mu's words, Sonia's strong-willed nature kicked in again.
It was she who had initially insisted on venturing into the dense forest to explore and see more wild Pokémon in the Kanto region.
She hadn't expected things to turn out this way.
They hadn't seen any rare Pokémon, and the prolonged lack of contact with the outside world was making them feel increasingly stressed.
While the Galar region also had deep forests, they were nowhere near as eerie and terrifying as the forests of Kanto.
Most importantly, they had been traveling for almost two days without encountering a single village, let alone a town. It felt like they had truly traveled back to ancient times, and the dampness and discomfort only increased with each step.
Seeing Sonia's strong will, Xia Mu mentally scoffed, but to appease her, he took her hand.
This made Sonia blush slightly, but she didn't resist.
"Perfect, I'll share my Aura with you, so you can share your senses with me," Xia Mu said.
This was the best way to resolve her psychological trauma, a new ability Xia Mu had learned through training.
He hadn't originally planned to reveal it, but given Sonia's current situation, this was the only way to help her distract herself.
Actually, he had learned this method from Mewtwo.
Back in the Lantern Mt. Fire, Mewtwo had shared its senses with Xia Mu using its psychic powers.
It was the same now, but the effect was nowhere near as powerful as Mewtwo sharing its psychic abilities.
"This...this is Aura? It's so amazing, so clear! It's like I can sense everything within a few hundred meters!" Sonia exclaimed.
This feeling and experience was something she had never had before.
At the same time, she also used this Aura to connect with Xia Mu's heart, feeling a warmth that touched her deeply.
The feelings between them seemed amplified a hundredfold at this moment, which she could perceive, making her realize that Xia Mu's affection for her was genuine.
"Let's go, are you not scared now?" Xia Mu said with a smile.
Sonia's cheeks flushed even more. She didn't say anything more, but obediently let Xia Mu lead her forward.
Pikachu, Vaporeon, and Yamper, following beside them, barked incessantly, seemingly happy that their owners' relationship had grown closer. They
walked for about an hour.
Although walking deep in the forest was difficult, they finally emerged, and before them lay Fuchsia City nestled in the mountains.
The smog had cleared, the eerie feeling was gone, and the sunlight felt wonderfully warm.
Xia Mu finally understood why most Pokémon Trainers avoided Fuchsia City—
not because traversing such a vast forest was necessary, nor because Fuchsia City's Gym Leader, Aguilar, was too strong; there were other main roads leading directly to Fuchsia City.
The reason they didn't come was simply because the surrounding mountains were easy to get lost in without proper navigation.
Although there are countless wild Pokémon, and with a bit of luck, one might even encounter extremely rare species, most trainers are aware of their limitations. Even if someone ventures in, they won't go too deep.
In contrast, the reason so many trainers enjoy exploring Viridian Forest is because it's much safer; even alone, there's no need to worry about getting lost.
...
"So? Want to walk this path again sometime?" Xia Mu couldn't help but tease.
Sonia immediately got angry upon hearing this, pinching Xia Mu's waistline with one hand, making him wince in pain.
"I told you not to laugh at me," Sonia said angrily.
"I won't, I won't," Xia Mu begged repeatedly.
Finally free from Sonia's clutches, Xia Mu rubbed his waist, on the verge of tears.
Sonia snorted coldly and strode ahead along the wide road towards Fuchsia City.
This was on a hill, and although Fuchsia City was close at hand, it was still quite a distance away.
Xia Mu followed, naturally followed by Pikachu, Yamper, and Vaporeon.
After walking for about half an hour, Xia Mu and Sonia finally arrived at Fuchsia City.
Although it wasn't as bustling or large as Vermilion City or Goldenrod City, Fuchsia City's development was somewhat different from what Xia Mu had imagined.
Games, of course, couldn't compare to the real world, and the anime only depicted Fuchsia City in a partial way.
In short, the city was full of ancient charm, probably because it was surrounded by forests.
Although it wasn't far from the sea, Xia Mu couldn't imagine why the people here would build such a large city in such a place.
Finally arriving in a human city, Sonia and Rotom's Pokédex recorded life in their own way, learning about the local customs and culture of Fuchsia City.
Unexpectedly, the first thing Xia Mu saw upon arriving in Fuchsia City was the huge building built on the very edge of the city—this was the Fuchsia Gym, exactly the same scene depicted in the anime.
"Should we challenge the Fuchsia City Gym Leader right away, Xia Mu?" Sonia asked curiously.
Wasn't it too hasty to challenge them so soon after arriving in Fuchsia City?
Besides, before and on the way here, Xia Mu had mentioned that the Fuchsia City Gym Leader's strength shouldn't be underestimated; otherwise, he wouldn't be a candidate for Elite Four.
Xia Mu shook his head and said to Sonia, "There's no rush. Let's find a place to fill our stomachs first."
Without hesitation, Xia Mu led Sonia and the three little ones towards the bustling city center.
They had been traveling for two days, and although they had rested along the way, they were quite tired.
Fuchsia City was different from Vermilion City and Goldenrod City; it didn't have many skyscrapers or bustling shopping malls.
However, after walking for a while, Xia Mu and Sonia arrived at a food street. There were many shops here, all kinds of stores, just like an ancient town from their previous life.
They randomly picked a restaurant that looked good and had a big meal.
It has to be said that when traveling, the most anticipated thing in every new place is the local food.
After the feast, Xia Mu and Sonia first went to the Pokémon Center to have the Pokémon checked, and then went to the yard behind the Pokémon Center to feed them.
Soon they would be challenging Ajuga at the Fuchsia City Gym, so Xia Mu decided to swap out his Pokémon.
After all, Ajuga was a candidate for Elite Four member, the future Poison-type Elite Four member, so Xia Mu guessed his Pokémon's levels were probably over 50 or 60.
At the very least, they were definitely over 50.
Otherwise, an Elite Four member would be too cheap.
Although the Elite Four Pokémon in the game were only around level 40, in his second playthrough, they were indeed over level 60.
After feeding his Pokémon, Xia Mu went to the Poké Ball Transfer Machine.
During the feeding, Xia Mu had already mentally communicated with his Pokémon, so they accepted the trade, except for a little reluctance.
They had been traveling with Xia Mu for several days now, so there was no reason for the other companions to stay home.
He replaced his level 45 Pikachu with a level 100 Lucario.
He replaced his level 53 Pidgeotto with a level 100 Beedrill.
He replaced the level 50 Vaporeon with a level 57 Charizard.
Arcanine, Gardevoir, and Venusaur were kept.
This cautious approach was to avoid unforeseen circumstances, as he didn't know A-Ju's true strength.
If the level difference wasn't significant, Gardevoir, Venusaur, and Charizard could be used as the main force, since the League officially limited Gym battles to three-on-three.
Xia Mu's goal was to completely defeat A-Ju, showing no mercy.
This was different from dealing with other Gym Leaders because A-Ju's identity was too special.
Xia Mu wanted to become the Kanto Regional Champion, and he needed to absolutely crush the Elite Four.
If he struggled even against one Elite Four member, how could he possibly defeat all four consecutively?
In a true Regional Champion Challenge, a challenger needed to defeat all four Elite Four members consecutively to claim the title.
If a region already has a champion, then as a challenger, one must not only defeat the Elite Four but also the regional champion to become the new champion.
This is the same setting as in the game, but in the real world, very few people can actually do this.
After exchanging Pokémon, Xia Mu released Lucario, Beedrill, and Charizard, whom he hadn't seen in a long time, and fed them some food.
Lucario, Beedrill, and Charizard were extremely excited to be with Xia Mu again.
Especially knowing that they would be challenging a Gym Leader whose strength was comparable to the Elite Four, the three of them were even more excited.
Of course, Xia Mu also made it clear that if the opponent's strength was not high enough, then Lucario and Beedrill would not need to fight.
As for Arcanine, it was just to ensure that at least in a three-on-three battle, it could completely overwhelm Arcanine.
...
Not long after.
Outside the Cinnabar Gym in Cinnabar City.
Xia Mu, with Sonia, knocked on the tightly closed door of the Cinnabar Gym.
Unlike the gyms in Vermilion City and Goldenrod City,
the Cinnabar Gym is an ancient building, giving the impression of stepping into a bygone era.
The wooden door opened quickly, revealing a woman with dark green hair.
Xia Mu recognized her; she had a role in the original story and was Aya's younger sister.
"Hello, may I ask what brings you here?" Aya spoke gently and softly.
Xia Mu smiled slightly and spoke first: "Hello, I'm a trainer here to challenge the gym. Is Gym Leader Aya here?"
After Xia Mu finished speaking, Sonia introduced herself as well.
"Here to challenge the gym? It's been a while since any trainers have come. The Gym Leader is inside; please come in." Aya gestured to Xia Mu and Sonia with a smile.
Just as Xia Mu and Sonia stepped into the courtyard, two shuriken suddenly flew from afar, landing at their feet and blocking their path.
Startled by the sudden attack, Sonia was taken aback, but Xia Mu remained calm, simply grabbing Sonia's hand to soothe her.
Seeing this, Aya immediately looked towards the nearby building and scolded, "Ah-Xing, don't act recklessly! They're here to challenge the gym leader's trainers!"
"That's precisely why we're testing their courage," Aya said, as a figure in ninja attire leaped from the shadows. With a
lithe figure and purple hair, it was none other than Ah-Xing, Aya's daughter.
Aya shook her head helplessly, apologizing to Xia Mu and Sonia beside her, "I'm so sorry, this is the gym leader's daughter, named Ah-Xing." Xia Mu
shook his head, indicating it was alright. Sonia, now understanding the situation, calmed down.
"So you want to challenge my father? If you want to get past here, you'll have to defeat me first!" Ah-Xing's demeanor was extremely arrogant.
Her appearance and attire revealed her free-spirited nature.
Xia Mu didn't actually have much of an impression of her, after all, the memory of Xiao Zhi challenging the Fuchsia Gym was too long ago and had become very vague.
"Don't take it seriously, Ah Xing was just joking." Aya awkwardly tried to smooth things over, then grabbed Ah Xing's arm and gave her a hard tap on the head. She then said in a low voice, "Just shut up already!
Don't you know that because of you, many trainers aren't coming to Fuchsia City anymore? If this continues, the gyms will have to close down."
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(End of Chapter)