Got it. I'l
"Manga?"
Xia You raised his eyebrows; he had never considered that direction before.
Talia Cerise said, "That's right! Compared to plain text and illustrations, manga can convey excitement more directly, and it's also far more popular with young people."
"Wouldn't that be too much trouble?"
Talia Cerise's tone was filled with anticipation as she chuckled.
"It will be a bit troublesome, but the structure and framework of the story are already complete. Now all that's left is expressing it visually. Besides, I'm idle at home. If I can draw a manga like this, it would fulfill one of my long-held dreams."
Since she put it that way, Xia You had no reason to refuse.
He discussed several details with Talia Cerise before hanging up the phone.
Because the plan had changed, Xia You sent a message to Misty, telling her that they didn't need to wait for him and could continue their journey after challenging the Saffron City Gym.
For the next two days, Xia You stayed at Maidens Peak, gathering material while maintaining constant contact with Talia Cerise and providing supplementary details for the manga.
It wasn't until the third day—after receiving her call and learning that she had completed over twenty pages of the first draft—that Xia You finally set off and returned to Vermilion City.
Professor Cerise's house was a typical Japanese detached home, not far from the research lab.
Knowing Xia You would be visiting, Professor Cerise didn't go to the lab that day and instead waited for him at home.
Since it was a Saturday, the entire family of four—including Chloe and her younger brother Parker—came out to greet him.
Seeing Xia You, Yamper wagged its tail excitedly and circled around him nonstop.
Looking at the neatly assembled family, Xia You couldn't help but feel a bead of sweat slide down his forehead.
Why does this feel like visiting my in-laws for the first time… and I even came empty-handed?
As the host, Professor Cerise spoke first.
"Welcome, welcome! Please come in."
Xia You nodded politely, his gaze briefly sweeping over Parker before resting on the hostess.
"Nice to meet you for the first time. I'm Xia You. Sorry to trouble you."
Talia Cerise wore red-rimmed round glasses. Her appearance resembled Chloe's, though her face was rounder and more mature. Her long cherry-colored hair was braided to one side and draped over her left shoulder.
As for Parker Cerise, he looked more like Professor Cerise—cool-headed, handsome, and surprisingly composed for his age. Though younger than Chloe, he seemed even more reliable than her.
Xia You changed into slippers and followed them into the living room.
Talia Cerise took out a transparent folder and carefully removed more than twenty pages of manga drafts.
"For now, I've only completed these. I estimate I'll need another one hundred ninety-five pages to finish the entire story. But since there aren't many complex compositions, progress should be fairly fast."
To calculate it so precisely, she clearly had invested a great deal of effort.
Xia You flipped through the pages carefully.
"What amazing artwork. It's honestly a pity that Auntie isn't a professional mangaka."
As a full-time homemaker, receiving such praise naturally made her smile.
"Your story is excellent as well," Talia Cerise said warmly. "Only a good story paired with good art can truly resonate."
"I agree," Chloe said. "I was the first reader, and I couldn't stop reading."
"I'm the second, Dad's the third," Parker added casually, hands resting behind his head.
At that moment, Parker suddenly felt something strange.
It seemed as if a round head inside Xia You's shadow was making a terrifying face at him.
He rubbed his eyes and leaned closer.
The next second, a black sphere suddenly popped out.
"WAHH—!"
Parker jumped and fell backward behind the sofa.
"Hehehe!"
Gastly revealed itself, floating smugly in midair.
"What a scaredy-cat!"
"So this is the Gastly from the story?" Professor Cerise asked, helping Parker up, astonished.
"That's right," Xia You said, stopping Gastly. "In a sense, it's actually the story's main character."
Parker wasn't scared at all now. Instead, he circled around Gastly curiously, fascinated by how it hid within shadows.
At noon, Xia You accepted the Cerise family's warm invitation to stay for lunch.
Laughter filled the table, and the atmosphere was relaxed and cheerful.
When Xia You took out the photos he had taken at the bottom of the St. Anne, everyone gasped.
"The sinking of the St. Anne caused a massive stir in Kanto," Professor Cerise said in shock. "I can't believe you not only experienced it—but escaped from the seabed!"
Chloe looked at Xia You anew.
As for Parker, his eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Xia You-gege… you're seriously awesome!"
After confirming the manga's completion schedule with Talia Cerise, Xia You set off once again—this time heading toward Saffron City.
Golden hues bathed the skyline as he traveled.
Besides Kirlia, the only Pokémon accompanying him openly was Gastly, hidden quietly within his shadow. All others remained inside their Poké Balls.
Nothing unusual happened along the way.
By the time Xia You arrived at this massive metropolis, Ash, Misty, and the others had already moved on to other Gym cities.
According to Misty, they had struggled greatly at the Saffron Gym. After failing their first challenge, they were forced to detour to Lavender Town's Pokémon Tower.
Only after capturing a Haunter did they finally manage to defeat Sabrina and obtain the badge.
Because of that detour, their progress had slowed considerably, leaving them not far behind Xia You.
Saffron City was filled with towering skyscrapers.
It was the economic heart of Kanto, with even a maglev station connecting regions, trains racing through the city at incredible speeds and injecting endless vitality into it.
Walking through the bustling streets, Xia You soon arrived at his destination.
The Saffron Gym.
Its exterior resembled tightly packed white umbrellas—stylish, yet somewhat monotonous.
In Xia You's opinion, it lacked personality compared to other Gyms.
As Saffron City's official Gym, it was led by Sabrina, a terrifyingly strong Psychic-type specialist.
Defeating her would earn the Marsh Badge.
Xia You stepped through the automatic doors.
The lobby was empty.
After walking forward a few steps, he glanced through a side door and saw several people in white coats sitting around a table, spoons in hand, staring intensely ahead—
—as if training their Psychic abilities.