Pokémon: Start with an Admiral Crab!

"This is the paging station - contestant A Yao from Honglian Island! Contestant A Yao from Honglian Island!"

"You have a missed call - please return it at the Pokémon Center at the convention site!"

A missing person notice blared over the loud speaker in the lounge.

"Ayao - there's a call for you?"

Shizuka, who had sent Haxorus for treatment, just came back.

She no longer has to serve as a Pokémon nurse during the competition, and can free up time to prepare for the field competition.

"I don't know... maybe it was Xiao Gang calling?"

"——I am the idol of his brothers and sisters~"

Wang Yao stood up and went to the video phone in the conference room as announced on the radio.

Insert the ID card for identity verification and the video call will start to redial automatically.

Diddoo!

The phone rang once before being picked up. It was obvious that the other party had been waiting by the phone.

"Ayao—Articuno! It's Articuno!"

"Hurry up and help me find that trainer named Xiao Feng!"

Professor Oak's big square face almost takes up the entire screen.

"Alright, alright! You don't have to yell so loudly~"

Wang Yao subconsciously moved the receiver a little further away.

But he realized it the next second - the speaker of the video phone was actually fixed on the screen.

All he had in his hand was a microphone.

Then he took the microphone back and put it to his mouth.

"Dr. Oki?"

Shizuka also poked her head out from behind Wang Yao.

Although Wang Yao had lived in Professor Oak's research institute for a long time before... Professor Oak never appeared on the screen when Wang Yao was talking to Shizuka.

"Oh~ It's Miss Joy - hello!"

Professor Oak turned his head away from the camera, his expression became a little more serious, and he greeted Shizuka.

"Anyway - Ayao, go find the trainer of that Articuno. The three legendary birds are companions in the legend!"

"With your Zapdos and the opponent's Articuno, it will be just a matter of time before we can perfect the research on the three mythical birds!"

Professor Oak said expectantly.

"Are you sure it's a companion... I feel like Zapdos doesn't seem to like its 'companion' very much?"

Wang Yao scratched his cheek in embarrassment.

"Oh! Wait until I finish my research before you can..."

Dr. Oak didn't care about so many things. He only knew that he had new research material.

"Okay, okay—I'll help you contact her."

Wang Yao could only appease Professor Oak first.

After promising to send Articuno back to the research institute, Wang Yao hung up the phone helplessly.

"When you get old, you just nag—right?"

Wang Yao spread his hands towards Shizuka.

"He is an authoritative expert in Pokémon research. How can you say that Professor Oak is an old man?"

Shizuka clenched her fist helplessly and tapped Wang Yao's chest lightly.

Although the other party seems to be a bit nagging...

"Also... May I ask Mr. Yao - when did you capture the Zapdos?"

Shizuka grabbed Wang Yao's ear, pulled it close to her mouth, and asked softly.

"Well - let me think, it should be before I arrived in Vermilion City..."

Wang Yao gently lifted Shizuka's claws away.

"call--!"

Wang Yao breathed a sigh of relief.

"Stop it!"

"You've kept it from me for so long - is there anything else you don't know?!"

Although she wanted to laugh, Shizuka still tried hard to put on a serious and interrogative face.

"No - of course not, if there was any, it was just an accidental oversight on my part~"

Wang Yao's face was full of honesty.

"And I have my reasons too - I actually rescued this Zapdos from the Hunter Organization."

"I have been hiding it to avoid being discovered by the evil forces. It is also for your own good that I have not told you..."

Wang Yao explained earnestly.

"——Hunter Organization! Are you in danger, Yao?"

Shizuka's attitude changed instantly and she began to worry about Wang Yao.

"Don't be afraid, I have grown into a powerful trainer now. I can slap the ants of the Cricket Hunter Organization one by one!"

Wang Yao hugged Shizuka and waved his hands in the air a few times.

This isn't some remote island in the middle of the ocean - this is Kanto!

The Rockets' home base!

Even if you have the guts to call all the hunter leaders from A to Z over here - Sakaki won't even cry out in fear!

"No! You have to be more careful!"

Shizuka frowned slightly and advised Wang Yao.

"As you command—Your Majesty!"

Wang Yao saluted Shizuka with a playful smile.

"Do you still remember now - I once said that I am actually very strong?"

Wang Yao posed in the classic Peppa Pig style.

"--Hate!"

Shizuka couldn't hold back her laughter and pushed Wang Yao.

"Let's go eat first—watch my show in the afternoon!"

Wang Yao put his arm around Shizuka's shoulders and walked towards the restaurant together.

……

"Player Afei's Snorlax has woken up - oh! It's the Destroyer Ray!"

The commentator at the water venue is rapping passionately.

"...The rage of being awakened from a sweet dream is too terrible. Player Adi's Swampert is simply unstoppable!"

"The winner of the Water Field has been revealed - it's A Fei from Kaji Town in the Johto region!"

“Oh wow——!”

"YoYo--!"

The audience's cheers filled the entire stadium, cheering for the winners and encouraging the losers.

This duel was very exciting, as both sides were powerful elite trainers.

"Next time, let's fight it out at the Silver Conference!"

Ah Fei and Ah Di walked down from the command platform, their eyes still full of fighting spirit.

"——The next one to leave will be you!"

The two hands were clenched and then unclenched, with regret and expectation on one side.

……

Wang Yao held Shizuka's hand and walked into the contestant channel.

"Aren't you looking too casual in this outfit?"

Shizuka asked as she looked at Wang Yao's strange fiery red casual shirt.

"This is the characteristic costume of Honglian Island - shouldn't I promote my hometown?"

Wang Yao said this while wearing a pair of hand-woven straw sandals, a straw hat, a bright red shirt with a coconut tree silhouette, and green patterned shorts.

"Hey - I shouldn't have agreed to go in with you."

Shizuka covered her forehead, feeling a little embarrassed.

After all, she was tricked into wearing a summer T-shirt that looked like a tourist's attire.

There was also an image of a starfish with a silly expression on its face, but I didn’t know what its name was.