Pokémon: Start with an Admiral Crab!

The next evening, at the Quartz Alliance's meeting place restaurant.

"I'm sorry! You didn't tell me earlier that you were coming to the venue..."

Wang Yao smiled apologetically and forked a piece of braised pork chop onto Shizuka's plate.

"——I was planning to pick you up~"

Wang Yao said seriously.

"Humph……"

Shizuka snorted, ignored Wang Yao's excuses, and started cutting the pork chops with a knife and fork.

This guy has only called me once since the Golden City Competition, when he first arrived at the Oak Research Institute...

Now he even has the nerve to say that he would come to pick me up. He doesn't even know how to find a better excuse to lie. This is absolutely ridiculous!

Put the cut pork chops into your mouth and chew them carefully.

"Do you know how busy I am lately?"

After a long while, Shizuka, who had swallowed the food, finally spoke.

After a busy day, she was already starving.

"Qua~"

Just then, Pada Duck stealthily poked its head out from the dining table.

It's tired of eating Pokémon feed... The dishes on the table look delicious.

"Ah..."

While the two were chatting, Psyduck used his telekinesis to grab a large piece of steak and silently controlled it to move under the table.

"Of course I know~ That's why I brought help for you - look what this is!"

Fortunately, Wang Yao was prepared and took out a Poké Ball with a pink heart sticker on it from his belt.

biu——!

As Wang Yao pressed the release button, a pink star-shaped Pokémon appeared at the dining table.

"Pico~"

Picosi made a "yeah" gesture with his hands and winked at Shizuka playfully.

"Isn't this your Picosi?"

Shizuka knew that Wang Yao had a Pico, but she had only seen it in video calls before.

"Xiao Pi has learned a lot of nursing knowledge in the Pi Pi Cultural Center. Let's let it help us next time!"

Wang Yao gave Pixie's Poké Ball to Shizuka.

"…You're kind-hearted, but it's still not enough~"

Shizuka's anger towards Wang Yao calmed down a little, but she still shook her head helplessly.

The shortage of manpower cannot be alleviated by just one Picosi.

"It seems that because the Johto region will change the competition system next year... more and more players are coming to the Kanto region to prepare for the competition in advance."

"There are a lot more contestants in this competition than in previous years, with a total of more than 500 people!"

Shizuka explained to Wang Yao.

The Silver Tournament of the Johto region is also held on the Quartz Plateau. In fact, every year many players from the Johto region will first come to the Kanto region to experience the atmosphere of the competition.

This way, you can achieve better results when you return home the following year.

"Five hundred people...is that a lot?"

Wang Yao had no idea about the number of participants in previous years.

"...Anyway, the conference has decided to add a fifth venue to the elimination rounds."

Shizuka has become immune to Wang Yao's idiocy.

In the past, the competition was held through four elimination matches to finally select the top sixteen players.

The number of contestants this year is almost twice that of previous years, so there will be one more elimination round.

"The fifth venue?"

Wang Yao asked while chewing a steak.

"It's a new place of fire, based on the original water, grass, rock, and ice."

Shizuka explained.

Although the specific venue layout has not been officially announced, Joey, as a logistics staff member, naturally has his own information channels.

"Fire attribute... I'm not afraid of it."

Wang Yao has a lot of water-attribute Pokémon, and a fire-resistant Steelix as a backup, so the newly added arena is actually very beneficial to him.

"Remember to tell me when you've chosen your venue. I still have quite a few Pokémon I can lend out."

Pokémon loaned to others cannot be used again in subsequent games, but Wang Yao has quite a lot of spare Pokémon.

"Got it~"

Shizuka replied a little tiredly.

She has been so busy with work recently that she has almost no mood to participate in the competition.

"Pico?"

Picosi suddenly bent down and pulled out a short yellow tail from under the table.

"Psyduck? What are you doing hiding under the table?"

Wang Yao dragged Pikachu out of the table and asked.

"Quack~"

Psyduck shook his head innocently.

“…This color?”

Wang Yao looked at the sauce remaining on the duck's beak with some suspicion.

"Dead duck - stealing food, huh?"

Taking another look at the empty plate of steaks on the table, Wang Yao instantly understood.

"Ah..."

A few drops of cold sweat appeared on Psyduck's head.

Before it could ask Shizuka for help, Wang Yao's drill attack had already arrived.

"Quack quack quack!"

Wang Yao's two fists were like iron pliers, clamping the duck's head in the middle and twisting it wildly.

"Don't bully it—Psyduck, come here!"

It was Shizuka who rescued Psyduck. She pulled away Wang Yao's fist and held Psyduck to sit beside her.

"If you want to eat, just tell me... Eating secretly is wrong!"

Shizuka gently took out a napkin and wiped Psyduck's mouth clean.

"Ah..."

Psyduck rested its head comfortably on Shizuka.

"Quack~"

Then he raised the duck claw and pointed at another dish on the table, and opened his mouth to gesture towards Shizuka.

[Duck wants to eat that~]

"Okay, dear! I'll give it to you!"

Shizuka touched Psyduck's head affectionately, picked up a piece of fried fish fillet and handed it to Psyduck's mouth.

"Qua~"

After eating the fish fillet in one bite, Psyduck licked his lips with satisfaction.

"Dead duck..."

Wang Yao stared at the ignorant Psyduck and instantly came up with an idea.

"Eat more~Eat more...The duck meat is fried very well this time!"

Wang Yao smiled and forked a piece of the same fish fillet onto Shizuka's plate.

"Quaa?"

Psyduck looked at the fish fillet on Shizuka's plate in a daze.

"Cuck!"

A chill suddenly ran from the tip of the tail to the hair.

"Quack, quack! quack!"

Psyduck lay on the ground in fear, stretching out its claws to reach into its mouth.

But the delicious steak is already safely in my stomach...

"Ah..."

After struggling, Keda Ya knelt on the ground with tears in his eyes and began to repent pitifully.

[Sorry, another delicious duck...]

"Ayao!"

Shizuka hurriedly hugged Psyduck.

"You're teasing me again!"

Shizuka cursed at Wang Yao.

"Pikachu... don't believe the bad guys, that's not duck meat~"

Shizuka quickly hugged Psyduck's head and coaxed it softly.

"Oh... sorry, Psyduck!"

Wang Yao also began to apologize sincerely.

"I was mistaken - that dish was actually ordinary fish."

"Ah..."

Psyduck, with tears in his eyes, stood up again carefully.

【Really……】

"——The one you stole at the beginning is the one!"

Wang Yao then added the finishing blow.

"Quack?!!!"

Psyduck was completely petrified, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.

"Ayao - look at what you have done!"

Looking at the fainted Psyduck, Shizuka put her hands on her hips and questioned Wang Yao angrily, feeling both angry and amused.

"Pico?"

Picosi was biting his fingers and watching the scene with great interest.