Chapter 39: Unicorn Rhinoceros Speed Race!

Pokémon Center, Ash's room.

"Ah? Miss Xiao Juer has already left?!"

Upon hearing this news, Clemont instantly showed a devastated expression.

"Yes, she left because she still had work to do."

"Oh, work is important."

Clemont thought it made perfect sense.

"Although I didn't get an autograph, just seeing Miss Xiao Juer already made me happy. By the way, what's going on between you and Miss Xiao Juer?"

"Hmm... can you promise not to spread what you hear?"

Ash gave a scrutinizing look.

"Of course! I won't do anything that's disadvantageous to Miss Xiao Juer."

"Then that's fine."

Ash sighed and pulled Clemont aside.

"What the heck! Yurie also wants to know, Ash is sly, big brother is even slyer, sly sly!"

Seeing Ash and Clemont talking in secret without me,

Yurie immediately stomped her foot in anger, though she didn't come over to eavesdrop.

However,

Someone will tell her what exactly happened.

"What! You and Miss Xiao Juer are together?!"

Clemont looked at Ash, bewildered, his face full of envy, loss, and relief.

After a moment, Clemont emerged from his sorrow and sadness.

Ash puzzled, "I remember you weren't like this yesterday; weren't you urging me to definitely agree to Xiao Juer?"

"Yeah, but when you actually hear the goddess falling in love, your heart definitely feels awful."

Clemont said glumly,

"Let's not talk about this; let's continue our journey! Have you decided which gym to challenge next, Ash?"

"Before that, here's this for you."

Ash thought, Xiao Juer is now his girlfriend, so he needs to maintain fan loyalty for his girlfriend.

Ash took out the extra duplicate Xiao Juer signed photo that Xiao Yao had bought.

"This is something Xiao Juer specially asked me to pass to you before she left."

Ash told a kind lie,

"Really?"

Fake, she even completely forgot that I still have you by my side...

But Ash definitely couldn't say that,

Clemont happily took the signed photo from Ash's hand, although it was just a very classic cover style.

But given Clemont's years of cooking skill, the signature is undoubtedly genuine,

It's... just a bit like a replica,

But who is Ash? A proper five-time champion, and moreover Xiao Juer's boyfriend—this surely can't be fake, right?

It's real, definitely real, or perhaps I'm just inexperienced.

"Awesome! Ash! Remember to thank Miss Xiao Juer for me; I will surely cherish it, and when I return I'll put this photo on the gym wall."

Ash nodded, having seen those fans chasing stars in his previous life, he could more or less understand Clemont's current feelings.

"But what does 'gym' refer to?"

"Doomed!" Yurie behind them helplessly raised a hand to her forehead.

"Dang! Dang!" The Thump-thump Mouse felt Yurie made sense.

"Sigh... this... that... anyway, let's hit the road."

Feeling unable to come up with an excuse, Clemont simply ran away.

No choice, Ash, Se Mei, and Yurie had no choice but to follow behind.

Originally, catching up to Clemont, a physically weak weakling, was easy for Ash, but thinking that yesterday Serena was still a novice,

Although people's physiques in the Pokémon world far surpass those of the previous life, Ash still felt sorry and carried Se Mei on his back, holding a backpack as he chased Clemont's silhouette.

A boy carrying a girl, with a little girl trailing beside them, is undoubtedly quite strange.

Along the way, it inevitably drew people's pointing and gossip.

": What a beautiful maiden!"

": The boy and girl are just about adults, right? The daughter is already this big? What a role model!"

": Is this legal?"

": By the way, do you guys feel that the hat-wearing boy looks a bit familiar?"

Although being talked about, Ash was utterly unaffected; after becoming famous, he'd long grown used to it.

As for Se Mei, she had long been like an ostrich, burying her shy face in Ash's back.

The three followed Clemont, all the way out of Bai Tan City, turning east and west into a forest path.

This path differs from the small trail trampled by many passersby.

The dirt road is half a meter lower than the forest grass on either side, and the cut edge remains smooth at a constant angle, as if someone had deliberately cleared it with equipment.

"Wait for us, Clemont, do you know which gym we'll challenge next? You're running so fast."

Finally,

With Waveguide Power, Ash sensed danger approaching and could not attend to Yurie, who was about to fall behind.

Quickly stepped forward and pressed Clemont's shoulder.

"Kid, not bad—your muscles are pretty solid. Usually you look like a physical weakling, yet now you can run this long."

Forced to stop, Clemont scratched his head,

"Eh? *cough cough*… Really?"

When Ash said that, Clemont suddenly felt his legs as if filled with lead, utterly unable to lift them.

Serena struggled down from Ash's back, and Panting Yurie followed from behind,

"Serena is so sly, and Yurie also really wants to be carried."

She said, and Yurie cast a plaintive gaze at her older brother, "Dodo big dummy!"

"Clemont, why did you suddenly run so fast?"

After thinking, Serena still didn't say 【Sudden Madness】, maintaining basic courtesy.

"Uh… this…"

As Clemont's gaze drifted, unsure what to say,

Boom—!

A violent ground tremor rang out,

"What happened?"

The others looked ahead in confusion, but Ash had already anticipated it.

"Anyway, first head to the forest on the side."

Saying that, Ash took Serena's hand and was about to jump onto the side forest grassland.

As a result, Serena, in pain, couldn't move her legs and couldn't get up.

Ash had to turn back,

His arm slipped through Serena's black‑stocking‑clad leg bend and under her arms, lifting the shy Serena by the waist.

The two together arrived at the high grass on the side.

Clemont first used his mechanical arm to grab the struggling Yurie and hoist her up.

He himself got stuck hard at the roadside,

Coming to his senses from social death, Clemont reverted to his physical‑weakling setting.

The sound grew nearer,

Ash quickly reached out and pulled Clemont up.

It was only then that everyone finally saw the newcomers' identity.

A group dressed in athlete‑like outfits, with a few sponsor logos faintly visible, were riding Unicorn Rhinoceroses.

Serena's expression turned odd,

After all, her mother is a famous Unicorn Rhinoceros rider, and hasn't shied away from training her in that regard,

but,

Compared to Unicorn Rhinoceros racing, Serena clearly prefers performances and Ash, showing little interest in the race.

"Is this really Unicorn Rhinoceros racing? How dangerous—we've accidentally entered the athletes' track."

"Unicorn Rhinoceros racing? What is that?"

Taking a few deep breaths, he clumsily scrambled up from the grass, and Clemont asked the same question that was in Yurie's Mind.

Hearing that,

Serena almost wore a dead‑nerd stare.

In Carlos, it's truly rare for anyone not to know about the highly‑watched Unicorn Rhinoceros racing.

"It refers to a competition where one rides Unicorn Rhinoceroses in a speed race."

As the athletes ran past from the side path,

Before long, the four resting heard a siren wail drawing nearer.

The nearby Rocket Team trio, frightened, crouched low.

"Damn! They know we're about to act? The despicable little brat actually called the police, meow!"

"Don't rush, let's first listen to what they say."

…

At that moment, a Junsha drove up, looking sternly at Ash, Clemont and their party,

"You all… what are you doing here? Don't you know this is dangerous?"