That night, Xia Hunao was lying in his bed when his phone suddenly vibrated. Xia Hunao picked up his phone, glanced at it, and then jumped out of bed: "Wei Chiting, I have something to go out for, I'll be back in a while."
Wei Chiting was watching a movie by his desk. Hearing Xia Hunao's words, he didn't even look up: "Okay, I got it."
It was a joke. Coach Xia had been disappearing without giving any reason lately. This time, he at least told you he was going out. If he were to stop him again, it would be indefensible.
Xia Hunao walked out of the villa, went outside the neighborhood, and took a taxi to a park in Linglong City. It was nine o'clock in the evening, and there weren't many people in the park. Xia Hunao walked to a corner of the park and saw the coach from Jiangling University waiting for him there.
"You're here."
"Yeah, I'm here. Am I late?"
The coach pointed to the Eevees on the ground, struggling madly with distorted expressions, without making much noise: "No, there's still a little while."
Xia Hunao squatted down and stroked an Eevee's head: "Be good, little one, it won't hurt too much, you'll be free soon."
Xia Hunao's hand might have had some special magic. The Eevee he stroked gradually calmed down. Although its facial expression still showed a lot of discomfort, it stopped struggling.
Xia Hunao turned his head: "Mu Zhishui, can you tell me what's going on?"
The coach from Jiangling University looked at the Eevees on the ground: "I can't say much, I can only tell you that these are the Pokémon prepared by the school for us to deal with the competition."
"I really underestimated your technology, to be able to create such artificial Pokémon."
Mu Zhishui gave a wry smile: "That's not praise, is it sarcasm? Although science and technology created these Pokémon, they can't guarantee their lives. Every evolution is a huge strain on their bodies. How can this be called science?"
Xia Hunao looked at Mu Zhishui: "Then how did you get them from your students?"
Mu Zhishui also squatted down and stroked the Eevees on the ground with Xia Hunao: "I noticed something was wrong with these little guys on the field today. They were inexplicably berserk. I think this is the rhythm of their lives coming to an end. So after the match, I told them that these were Pokémon borrowed from the school and needed to be returned for regular check-ups, and that's how I got all the Eevee Poké Balls."
Xia Hunao looked at Mu Zhishui, who showed reluctance in his eyes: "I know what you're thinking. You don't want them to watch the Eevees die, as it would be very stimulating for them. But your security work doesn't seem to be very good."
After speaking, Xia Hunao picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it towards the bushes not far away: "You in there, if you want to eavesdrop, be quieter and move less. It's so quiet at night, who can you hide from?"
A girl came out of the bushes, her voice choked with sobs, and approached Mu Zhishui: "Coach..."
Xia Hunao watched. This girl was the vice-captain of Jiangling University. Xia Hunao couldn't help but think: The vice-captains of the university teams seem much more capable than the captains.
"Cai Rou, why are you here?"
Cai Rou sniffled: "I saw you, Coach, going out alone late at night, so I decided to secretly follow you to see. I didn't expect to meet Coach Xia from Liuling University halfway..."
Xia Hunao chuckled: "Do you think the two of us are having a date here late at night, or something like a wild encounter?"
Hearing Xia Hunao's words, Cai Rou and Mu Zhishui both blushed. Mu Zhishui glared at Xia Hunao: "What are you talking about!"
Xia Hunao quickly waved his hands: "Alright, alright, Cai Rou, is it? Come over and see which Eevee is yours, and spend its last journey with it."
As he spoke, Xia Hunao pulled Mu Zhishui's hand and retreated a certain distance. Cai Rou squatted down and looked carefully at the Eevees, then picked one up: "Xiao Yi, Xiao Yi, it's me."
The unconscious Eevee heard Cai Rou's voice, and the frown on its brow relaxed a lot. Cai Rou held Xiao Yi and told stories of their time together.
Xia Hunao, standing by, looked at Cai Rou and the Eevee's retreating figures: "I can't watch this kind of situation, I'm too sensitive."
Mu Zhishui looked at Xia Hunao: "Indeed, this situation is really..."
Xia Hunao wiped his eyes: "Are you sure it was right for me to call her out? Perhaps bringing her out at this moment is something particularly cruel to her."
"Perhaps letting her just watch without accompanying them is even more cruel."
Cai Rou gently placed Xiao Yi back on the ground and stood up, returning to Xia Hunao and Mu Zhishui's side: "Coach Mu, Xiao Yi, Xiao Yi she..."
Mu Zhishui hugged Cai Rou: "Xiao Rou, having you with her at the end, Xiao Yi must also be comforted."
Xia Hunao took his phone out of his pocket: "Uh, our principal and the supervising teacher sent me a message, asking me to convey their...
"Thank you, teachers..."
After Xiao Yi lost its vital signs, the other Eevees also gradually completed their final journey.
The three of them arranged the Eevees and sent them off with their gazes. Watching the Eevees transform into a sky full of light dots and dissipate into the sky, Cai Rou cried again: "Xiao Yi!"
Mu Zhishui patted Cai Rou's shoulder: "Okay, stop crying, let's go back. It's cold at night, be careful not to catch a cold."
...
After bidding farewell to the Eevees, the three parted ways and returned to the villa area via two different routes. As soon as Xia Hunao pushed open the door after returning to the villa, he saw Tong Ruo and Zheng Xiaoxiao sitting behind the door.
Xia Hunao was startled: "Sisters, why aren't you asleep yet?"
Zheng Xiaoxiao turned her head and asked: "You're back, did you send them off?"
Xia Hunao looked at Zheng Xiaoxiao's red eyes: "Huh, you scared me. Xiaoxiao, what's wrong with you?"
"You tell me first, are you sure you sent them off properly for me?"
Hearing Zheng Xiaoxiao's words, Xia Hunao finally understood what was going on with these two sisters. Xia Hunao sat between the two sisters on the sofa: "Yes, the three of us have sent them off for the two of you. They didn't suffer much."
Xia Hunao thought for a moment, but ultimately did not reveal the intense pain the Eevees experienced in the end. However, the two sisters understood him so well that his hesitation had already told them the whole truth.
The two sisters' emotions could no longer be suppressed. Seeing them cry and cling to him, Xia Hunao could only remain motionless and let them cry.
After crying for a while, Zheng Xiaoxiao sniffled: "You said just now that the three of you sent them off, who was the third person?"
"The vice-captain of Jiangling University. I discovered her when she followed Mu Zhishui and me."
"I see. Her bond with the Eevee must have been deep too, otherwise she wouldn't have been there."
"Perhaps. Seeing her cry like that was truly heartbreaking."
The three chatted for a few more minutes, and then Xia Hunao returned to his room. Entering the room, Xia Hunao softly called out a few times: "Wei Chiting, Wei Chiting?"
Wei Chiting was sleeping soundly and didn't answer. Xia Hunao took out his Poké Balls and released all his Pokémon.
"Guagua, Diancie, and Nincada, do you know, today..."
Xia Hunao quietly recounted what had just happened to his Pokémon. His voice was low. After only a few sentences, Diancie leaned against Xia Hunao and gently held his hand with its small hand.
Xia Hunao held Diancie's hand back and gently stroked its tiara: "Thank you for comforting me, I'm fine."
The person and the three Pokémon spent a quiet moment like this. Xia Hunao took out his Poké Balls: "Alright, I called you out so late, let's all go back and rest."
Diancie and Guagua nodded, then voluntarily pressed the buttons on their Poké Balls and returned to them. As for Nincada, its mind still didn't seem to work well, and it just floated in mid-air. Xia Hunao smiled: "Alright, alright, it's still too difficult for you to enter the Poké Ball voluntarily. Come back."
Saying that, Xia Hunao aimed his Poké Ball at Nincada and recalled it.
...
The next day, Xia Hunao got out of bed and went downstairs, only to see everyone dressed in flamboyant outfits, up to no good.
Xia Hunao asked: "What's going on with you guys? Although our tournament journey is basically over, you are all..."
Lu Bingming smiled and said: "Do you know, right after yesterday afternoon's match ended, Lingling University and Jiangling University will compete for the championship. The losing team from yesterday has discussed with us, and we are tied for third place. There will be no third-place playoff, and we will directly watch the finals."
"I see, then it doesn't matter. But what are you guys doing?"
"Of course we're going out to play. What do you say, Assistant Coach Xia, want to join us?"
Xia Hunao shook his head: "Forget it, what's there to play in Linglong City in June? I have an appointment, so I won't be joining you."
Lu Bingming leaned in and asked: "Coach Xia, who did you make an appointment with? A guy or a girl?"
Xia Hunao gave him a blank look: "Why are you asking so much? If Li Qiufeng asked me, it would be fine. He's in his senior year now and won't be under my charge soon. You're only in your junior year next year, what are you trying to do?"
Not agreeing to go out with everyone, Xia Hunao left the Liuling University villa and went straight to the Lingling University villa, knocking on the door.
Huang Tianxiao opened the door and saw Xia Hunao: "Huh? Coach Xia, why are you here?"
Xia Hunao spread his hands: "Aren't I here to help you fight Jiangling University? I'm a reinforcement, your attitude is a bit off."
Huang Tianxiao quickly invited Xia Hunao in: "Please come in, but I really didn't expect you to help us."
"Aren't I just finding something to do for myself? If I don't help you, what do you expect me to do? Should I go and help Jiangling University, who defeated us, to deal with you?"
"I think your coming here is a very wise choice!"