After defeating the Cerulean Gym, it's natural to challenge the Vermilion Gym. Before that, Xiaoyan interrupted Xiaoming's 98 - game winning streak. Before leaving, Xiaoyan said to Xiaoming, "This is a common thing in life." Then Xiaoming gave Xiaoyan a prize for beating him, a Pokémon egg. Great! We don't know what Pokémon will hatch from it.
"Where is the Vermilion Gym?" Xiaoyan stood on the forest path, looking around. Then he noticed something astonishing.
"Pikachu, we're lost!" Xiaoyan said with a smile to Pikachu on his shoulder.
At this moment, someone rushed over and knocked Xiaoyan down.
"Ouch..." Xiaoyan sat down on the ground. The egg (Pokémon egg) on his leg almost broke.
"I'm really sorry. I got excited and rushed over when I saw you had Pokémon," the old gentleman said as he helped Xiaoyan up.
"May I ask what's going on?" Xiaoyan had a hunch that something was about to happen.
"Could you come with me?" So Xiaoyan followed the stranger (good kids don't do this).
Then the old gentleman led Xiaoyan to a rather magnificent mansion.
"Maybe the old gentleman is going on a trip and wants to give me this mansion because he thinks I'm handsome and promising. But how can I refuse him? I'm going on a trip too," Xiaoyan fantasized with his powerful imagination.
Xiaoyan followed the old gentleman into the mansion and entered a room. He saw a young girl lying listlessly on the bed, looking out of the window.
"This is the young lady. Her parents are in the import - export business. They've been working abroad for a long time and haven't been back for several years. So the young lady has been unhappy every day. Today is her ninth birthday. I wanted to find some Pokémon to keep her company, but as you can see, I'm old. I might pass away at any time. I hope you can help," the old gentleman said with a worried look at Xiaoyan.
(Please don't look at me like that. I can't stand it anymore.) Xiaoyan thought.
"Okay, I'll make the young lady smile." After struggling for a long time, Xiaoyan finally said this. After the old gentleman knew that Xiaoyan would help him, he walked into another room with relief, leaving Xiaoyan alone with the little girl.
"My name is Xiaoyan. Could you tell me your name?" Xiaoyan broke the silence and said what should be said when meeting someone for the first time.
"My name is Xiaolan. I'm nine years old."
"I'm ten years old." After the self - introductions, they fell into silence again.
Xiaoyan thought for a while and released his Pokémon. Of course, he didn't release the legendary Pokémon.
"These are your Pokémon," Xiaolan looked at Xiaoyan.
(The old gentleman is really trusting me to be alone with such a cute little girl. It's really a headache... I'll take her in as my little sister. That's settled!)
Charmeleon and Pikachu got along surprisingly well with Xiaolan. If he put in a little more effort, he might be able to make her laugh.
Xiaoyan whispered something in Pikachu's ear. At first, Pikachu looked at him resentfully, but Xiaoyan kept whispering. Finally, Pikachu nodded.
At first, Pikachu found a pair of bamboo chopsticks from somewhere and gave them to Xiaoyan. After taking the chopsticks, Xiaoyan inserted them into his nostrils and made funny faces to make the little girl laugh. And as expected, it worked.
"Miss, you're finally smiling."
"I've learned that Pokémon are not just for battles. They're friends that we can live happily with." Xiaolan had surprisingly strong comprehension. She changed her view of life in just three minutes. She smiled at Xiaoyan, and Xiaoyan smiled back.
"Xiaolan, how about going on a trip with me?" Xiaoyan reached out his hand to Xiaolan. The latter nodded and took his hand.
Xiaolan packed her belongings into her pink backpack, and then walked hand - in - hand with Xiaoyan on their trip. Just like that, Xiaoyan had taken in a little girl. Congratulations!
The old butler stood at the door, watching Xiaolan and Xiaoyan leave. Then he turned around and walked into the empty house.
(Wife, did you see? Our young lady has finally set out on a trip, with a reliable young man. Now I can go to you in peace...)
The old butler slowly lowered his wrinkled hand. A bottle of painkillers fell to the floor. He could feel the excruciating pain all over his body. He had been relying on painkillers to get through these days. After all, he was over a hundred years old.
He leaned on the chair, and the drowsiness became stronger and stronger. At the last moment, the image of Xiaolan when she was five years old appeared in his mind. She was standing in the garden, smiling at him. The old butler's lips also curved slightly, and he passed away peacefully.
On the other side, Xiaoyan and Xiaolan had just walked out of the forest. He looked back at the forest behind him and then continued walking forward, holding his little sister's hand.
"Swish... swish..." There was a little movement in the grass behind Xiaoyan, but Xiaoyan was just chatting with Xiaolan and didn't notice it.
"Lord Ho - Oh, is that the trainer you've approved of? He just looks like an ordinary kid."
Their journey to the Vermilion Gym continues...