Pokémon: Master System.

"Don't worry, Mom, I know what I'm doing. I won't argue with him."

Grandma Qin walked shakily toward Grandpa Lin, holding the phone. Grandpa Lin, wearing glasses and reading a newspaper, still vaguely resembled a handsome young man. He looked up at Grandma Qin and asked, "Who made the call? Why were you talking for so long and laughing so happily?"

“Your youngest daughter wants to call you, so I'm putting it on speakerphone.”

Upon hearing that it was his youngest daughter calling, Old Lin's hand trembled slightly, but he quickly regained his composure, putting on a serious expression. However, Old Mrs. Qin, who had lived with Old Lin for decades, immediately noticed his nervousness; this was the first phone call between the father and daughter in so many years.

"Hello." Lin Xuemei's voice came from the other end of the phone, making Old Lin's heart tremble.

"It's me." Old Lin tried his best to keep his voice steady, but at over seventy years old, his voice was full of vicissitudes and hoarseness.

Lin Xuemei, who was still hesitating about whether to call him "Dad," couldn't help but tear up when she heard Old Man Lin's weathered voice, and said softly, "Dad."

The phone went silent for several seconds before Lin Xuemei continued, "I'm bringing Xiaoyu to the capital in a couple of days to visit you all."

Old Mrs. Qin couldn't help but interject, "Are you back on business? Do you have a place to stay? If you're back, stay at home. I'll have someone vacate two rooms for you so the whole family can have more fun. Your room has been empty all this time."

"Hmm." Lin Xuemei was slightly touched when she heard her mother's words. This time, she did not refuse her mother's suggestion. Last time she came to the capital, she insisted on staying in a hotel. This time, she naturally wanted to go home.

"What brings you here?" Compared to Old Mrs. Qin's concern about Lin Xuemei's residence, Lin's father was more concerned about what Xuemei wanted to do. Although he said he wouldn't contact her, Lin's father often secretly inquired about his youngest daughter.

“Xiaoyu is a senior in high school this year, and he will be participating in the U19 Pokémon League in six months. I want him to go to the Dragon's Secret Realm for six months of training,” Lin Xuemei said.

"Isn't Xiaoyu supposed to be a researcher? He hasn't even caught a single Pokémon yet?" Grandma Qin asked. She felt guilty towards her two grandsons, Xia Luo and Xia Yu, who hadn't been around much, so she cared for them even more than her own grandchildren. She remembered that during the Lunar New Year, Xia Yu didn't even have a single Pokémon. How come he's already participating in the High School Cup?

"Yes, Xiaoyu only recently started catching Pokémon, and she has already caught three," Lin Xuemei said.

Only then did Old Lin speak: "When will you arrive?"

Listening to Old Master Lin's voice, Lin Xuemei said softly, "It will probably take two days. Xiaoyu's third Pokémon is still hatching in the Flame Secret Realm in Xishu Province. It can only come over after it hatches."

"Which three Pokémon? I'll have someone prepare the necessary items in advance. I also need to handle Xiaoyu's paperwork these next few days." Mr. Lin was quite thoughtful; although his tone was serious, his concern was evident in his words.

"Buzzing bat, forest lizard, little fire dragon."

"okay, I get it."

The conversation abruptly ended there, and both ends of the phone fell silent. After a short while, Lin Xuemei slowly spoke up: "Dad, Xia Yong also needs your help with something."

"Speak." When this son-in-law was mentioned, Old Lin didn't have a good attitude. He had run off with his daughter for so many years. If it weren't for his daughter's sake, he wouldn't want to pay any attention to him.

"Xia Yong wants you to help Xiao Yu find a partner. A while ago, a Grass-Insect Secret Realm appeared in Starlight City, right? The Pokémon Association gave Xia Yong a 20% priority purchase right, and we've already bought it. Xia Yong said he's willing to offer 10% of the shares as a dowry for Xiao Yu's marriage. Once they get married, this 10% will be transferred to Xiao Yu and his girlfriend's names, each holding half a share. Since Xia Yu is coming to the capital, could you help him find a suitable girl if you have time?"

“I’ve agreed on behalf of your father.” Before Old Man Lin could speak, Old Mrs. Qin interjected, “If he won’t handle this, I will. But Xiaoyu is only a senior in high school now, so he should at least wait until he goes to university before they can get engaged.”

"It's nothing, Mom. I just mentioned it briefly. There's no rush. Just remember that it happened." Lin Xuemei said, her tone softening slightly. "Mom and Dad, I'll hang up now. Take care of yourselves and get some rest. I'll come see you in a few days."

"Ah."

…………

Chapter 45 Enemies meet on a narrow road

Two days later.

Xia Yu requested a six-month leave from school. At the same time, Jiang Qinglan from the Flame Realm called, predicting that the eggs of Darmanitan and Charmander would hatch within a day. If they wanted to see the two Pokémon hatch as soon as possible, Xia Luo and Xia Yu had to rush to the Flame Realm immediately.

The two set off immediately. Because of the previous accident, this time the two of them, along with Lin's mother, did not ride flying Pokémon to the Flame Realm, but instead took a high-speed train, which has a higher safety rating.

About an hour later, the three arrived in Tiandu City and then took a car to the Flame Secret Realm. When the three arrived at the Flame Secret Realm, Jiang Qinglan was already standing at the entrance to greet them. Today she had put on exquisite makeup and her hair was permed into small waves. She had obviously dressed up carefully. When she saw Xia Yu and the other two from afar, she immediately waved and went to greet them.

"Sister, we've come to help you with your luggage." Jiang Qinglan saw the three of them carrying their luggage and immediately went to greet them. She first greeted Lin's mother, and the "sister" made Lin's mother beam with joy. Then she called on the staff on duty to help the three of them with their luggage: "The rooms have been booked for you. There are three rooms in total. The staff will put your luggage in the rooms, so don't worry. I'll take you to see the Pokémon eggs first."

"Young lady, you have such a sweet tongue. I'm much older than you. Just call me Aunt Lin. What's your name?" Lin Xuemei said to Jiang Qinglan with a smile.

"Aunt Lin, are you their mother? I thought you were their older sister. You look so young. I'll just call you Sister Lin. Sister Lin, I'm Jiang Qinglan. You can just call me Xiao Jiang." Jiang Qinglan smiled sweetly and chatted affectionately with Lin Xuemei on the way to the incubation room: "Sister Lin, what skincare products do you use? You look so young."

Xia Yu and Xia Luo were both exasperated, walking silently ahead. They whispered to each other, "Brother, you still have one spot left. Do you want me to help you pick another one?"

"Sure, I haven't been here for half a month. I wonder if there are any new spirit eggs in the Flame Realm."

…………

Upon arriving at the hatchery, Xia Yu discovered that most of the Pokémon from the previous hunt had been replaced. Among them were several near-Elite Four level Pokémon eggs, but not a single one had Elite Four level potential. It seemed that he had been lucky to find a Darmanitan Pokémon egg last time.

"These two Pokémon eggs are your Pokémon eggs." Jiang Qinglan introduced them to the two of them. "They are expected to hatch at any time today. Both Pokémon eggs have good potential and absorb much more energy than ordinary Pokémon. Our supervisor said that hatching these two Pokémon eggs is a losing proposition."

"This Daruma baboon egg was completely infused with fire-type energy liquid, just as you requested, and it's being absorbed very well."

"The other Charmander egg, as you requested, will be mixed with Fire, Flying and Dragon type energy liquid in a 2:1:1 ratio. Then, it will be modified as needed, and the final ratio of the three types of energy liquid will be fixed at 3:2:5."

As Jiang Qinglan was explaining, someone suddenly walked up from behind. The voice sounded somewhat familiar. Xia Yu and Xia Luo turned around and frowned at the same time. It was a small world; they hadn't expected to run into Zhao Shan and Zhao Zhengyi here again.

Clearly, they also entrusted their Growlithe egg to the Flame Realm. Both sides chose the egg at the same time and hatched it together, so it would naturally hatch at roughly the same time.

Compared to last time, Zhao Shan and Zhao Zhengyi were much more low-key. When they saw Xia Luo and Xia Yu, their expressions froze, and Zhao Shan even revealed a hint of hatred in his eyes.

Zhao Shan clenched his fists tightly, his hatred digging his fingernails into his flesh. Ever since Wei Yeqin's late-night visit to the Zhao family, Zhao Shan had been severely reprimanded by the Zhao family patriarch, Zhao Xuesong. His expenses were cut off for six months, leaving him only with the bare minimum for living expenses. He was told to reflect on his actions behind closed doors, to stop causing trouble, and to be strictly forbidden from seeking further conflict with the Xia family, lest the Zhao family incur the wrath of a champion-level expert.

Zhao Xuesong was terrified by Wei Yeqin's strength. Even when facing the Four Heavenly Kings of the Southwest Region, he did not feel as much pressure as when facing Wei Yeqin.

Zhao Shan was initially very obedient, staying home quietly and only handling minor chores without causing trouble. However, as his allowance was cut off, he found it increasingly difficult to stay home, becoming so poor he could barely make ends meet. This fueled his resentment towards Xia Luo; if it weren't for Xia Luo, he wouldn't have had his allowance suspended for six months—it was all Xia Luo's fault!

Although Zhao Shan didn't dare to cause trouble in the volcanic secret realm, he dared to say a few words to Xia Luo.

"Aren't these the two young masters of the Xia family? Are the two Pokémon eggs they chose last time about to hatch? Let me see what Pokémon they chose and how good their aptitude is," Zhao Shan said sarcastically.

Upon hearing Zhao Shan's words, Lin's mother frowned, while Jiang Qinglan quietly told her about the identities of the two men and what had happened last time.

After hearing about the two men's background and the whole story, Lin's mother was already furious. But at this moment, Xia Luo stepped forward, looked at Zhao Shan, this clown, and sneered: "It seems you're living a pretty comfortable life. I heard that my elder brother Wei Yeqin visited the Zhao family a while ago. It's a pity I had something to do and couldn't come with him. When I have time, I'll come with my elder brother to visit the Zhao family again."

When Zhao Shan heard Xia Luo mention Wei Yeqin, his hatred intensified, but he dared not provoke Xia Luo any further. He could only turn his head and pretend to talk with Zhao Zheng as they walked, intending to bring up the matter of the Pokémon egg: "The Growlithe we picked last time is about to hatch. I had an expert examine this Growlithe egg, and its potential is at least at the near-Elite Four level. Luckily, we found it and were one step ahead, otherwise it would have been picked by someone else."

“Some Pokémon eggs are all show and no substance. They may look good on the outside, but their aptitude might not be as good as the ones we choose.” Hearing Zhao Shan’s smug words, Xia Yu responded indifferently: “We treat the ones we don’t like as treasures.”

Zhao Shan was furious with Xia Yu, but he didn't dare to make a move. Instead, he examined the Pokémon egg of the Growlithe he had chosen.

The Growlithe Pokémon egg in the Zhao family's house had begun to shake slightly, and cracks were gradually appearing on the shell, a sign that it was about to hatch.

The cracks continued to deepen, and the two members of the Zhao family held their breath, watching the cracks spread like lines, and the shaking of the elf egg gradually increased. Finally, as the top of the eggshell shattered, a dazzling light emanated from the crack.

Growlithe hatches from its egg. The newly hatched Growlithe is extremely small, with dazzling flames emanating from its body, clearly indicating its extraordinary potential.

Both Zhao Shan and Zhao Zhengyi had smiles on their faces. They were both very satisfied with the Growlithe. With this Growlithe, Zhao Zhengyi's future path would be much easier.

"This Growlithe has a great pose, it's at least at the level of a near-Elite One. Zheng Yi, train it well!" Zhao Shan said in a condescending tone, and then gave the two Xia brothers a provocative look.

"Mmm." Zhao Zhengyi was also excited, and reached out to gently stroke the fluffy head of the Growlithe.

Just then, Charmander's egg also began to shake gently.

Chapter 46 Shiny Charmander

The little Charmander's egg shook gently, and a crisp sound came from inside, as if the little Charmander inside was trying its best to hatch.

"Crack!"

A crack appeared at the top of the eggshell and quickly spread like a spider web, almost covering the entire eggshell. Then, with a crisp sound, the entire egg cracked open instantly.

The golden little dragon hatches from the egg. It is also very small and needs to go through a rapid growth period of several days to grow to the size of a normal little dragon.

"Shiny Charmander!"

With a gasp, everyone around gathered around, their eyes filled with envy, and some even made offers on the spot.

"Would you be willing to sell this little fire dragon? I'll offer three million."

"Three million won't buy a shiny Charmander of this quality. I'll offer four million."

"Five million!"

Bidding broke out directly among the crowd, and the price soared to five million. Fortunately, staff from the Flame Realm came over and calmed the restless crowd.

“My Tao family would like to buy this little fire dragon. You can name your price.” At this moment, a middle-aged man in a suit spoke up from the crowd, seemingly certain that the Xia brothers would not dare to refuse him.

"Tao family, come back if you can beat Wei Yeqin. Don't you see Xia Luo? Master Xia is here."

Another voice came from the crowd. After everyone recognized Charlotte, they all shut their mouths and did not mention buying the Shiny Charmander again. The Tao family members also slunk into the crowd.

Are the Tao family so arrogant? Come and have a go at Wei Yeqin's Lucario. Didn't you see that Zhao Xuesong from the Zhao family was directly defeated twice by one person and had no chance to fight back?

At this moment, Zhao Shan and Zhao Zhengyi's faces turned red. They had just been smug, but they never expected that the little Charmander's Pokémon egg would actually be a shiny Charmander.

So what if it's shiny? Our Growlithe is no worse. As long as we can find an S-rank Fire Stone for Growlithe to use, it will definitely increase Growlithe's stats again.

But the evolved Black Sprayer is really cool.

Zhao Zhengyi and Zhao Shan left the Flame Secret Realm quietly with their heads down. Xia Yu watched them leave, but his mind was on other things.

The feud between the Xia and Zhao families had been brewing for a long time. If it weren't for Wei Yeqin, he and his elder brother would have suffered unimaginable consequences. The reason they haven't retaliated against the Zhao family yet is because the Xia family is weak. Wei Yeqin will protect them, but he will never become the Xia family's henchman. Therefore, both the Zhao and Xia families are currently exercising restraint, achieving a delicate balance.

However, this balance will be broken sooner or later. If given the chance, Xia Yu will definitely take revenge on the Zhao family without hesitation. In this Pokémon world, there are too many ways to make someone disappear without a trace.

…………

The next day, Xia Yu took the newly hatched little fire dragon and his mother on a plane to the capital. At the same time, Xia Luo's Daruma baboon also hatched, and they prepared to return to Starlight City.

Before leaving, Xia Yu gave his older brother some instructions, such as to take good care of that Dharma baboon, as it had excellent potential.

Also, there's a Bulbasaur with pretty good stats in the Grass and Insect Realm; you should definitely try to catch it if you get the chance.

Xia Yu hadn't forgotten the Bulbasaur population in the Grass and Insect Secret Realm, where there was also a Bulbasaur with Champion-level potential. However, he had limited time at the time and could only choose to catch Treecko nearby. But if he had the chance, he certainly wouldn't let go of this Bulbasaur.

As for the two group's champions, the Sceptile and the Venusaur of equal strength, too many people are eyeing these two strongest Pokémon. The Xia family's strength is limited, and it is impossible for them to compete with these people. It would be better to seek out the Bulbasaur and gamble on the future.