Chapter 147: Xiaoxue

"This street hides many top Breeders and Pokemon makeup artists, even Miss Li Jia opened a perfume shop here!" Xiaogang Ge walked while looking around, his eyes bright as if searching for treasure, his steps full of urgency.

Huo La followed behind, hands clasped behind his head, letting out a long yawn—he had been pondering things until midnight last night and now was extremely sleepy.

Xiao Xia and Lilian walked beside Xiaogang Ge, while Ash was still sound asleep on a bed at the Pokemon Center, not waking no matter how they called.

"Xiaogang Ge Ge, what exactly are you looking for?" Lilian pushed up his glasses and asked curiously.

"I'm looking for..." Xiaogang Ge began to answer, when his eye suddenly caught a direction, his eyes instantly lit up, his feet seemed to catch wind and he darted forward, finally stopping steadily at the doorway of a small shop.

"Huh? This shop? Doesn't look that fancy," Xiao Xia leaned over to glance at the sign, pursed her lips, her tone full of indifference.

But Xiaogang Ge seemed not to hear, his body trembling slightly, his raised hand wanting to rest on the door handle yet hesitating to let it down, his fingertips turning white from nervousness.

Huo La yawned again, stepped forward and patted his shoulder: "Alright, stop shaking, just go in and you'll see."

Saying that, he stepped over Xiaogang Ge, reached out and pushed the shop door open.

Lilian and Xiao Xia followed closely behind, entering the shop together.

The interior wasn't large, but it was kept very tidy, with several small sections delineated.

Inside the shop, only an "old aunt" perched on the glass looking out, and behind the inner curtain, a green‑haired girl could be vaguely seen—she was skillfully massaging a Lucky Egg, her silhouette exuding a graceful, slender charm.

"Hey! There's a Vulpix here!" Xiao Xia suddenly pointed at a stool in the corner, exclaiming with delight, "It looks fluffy, so cute!"

Following her finger, indeed a Vulpix lay on the stool: orange‑red fur fluffy and soft, its head resting on its forepaws, eyes half‑closed as if napping, looking extremely well‑behaved.

Xiao Xia couldn't help reaching out, wanting to pet the Vulpix's fur.

At that moment, the green‑haired girl inside happened to pause, lifted the curtain and stepped out, hurriedly saying, "Sorry to keep you waiting, please... don't touch it!"

But her words were a step too late—Xiao Xia's hand had already brushed the Vulpix's fur.

The next second, the Vulpix snapped its eyes open, opened its mouth and spewed a small flame that landed straight on Xiao Xia's head. Moments later, her hair was singed into a puffed, exploded‑noodle‑like shape, looking like a mullet.

After seeing off the old aunt and the Lucky Egg, the green‑haired girl quickly turned to Xiao Xia, apologetic: "I'm sorry, I'm sorry! This kid has a bad temper and doesn't like strangers touching it. I know the best salon on this street; I'll take you there myself to fix your hair, okay?"

Xiao Xia, sporting the exploded hair, looked a bit pale‑faced, but since she was the one who initiated touching the Vulpix, she couldn't say much and just shook her head gloomily.

"It's... it's nothing, Miss Xiaoxue," Xiaogang Ge suddenly spoke from beside, his voice trembling, palms sweating with nerves, "I... I'm Xiaogang Ge, my dream is to become a Breeder as great as you!"

"Ah, so it's Mr. Xiaogang Ge, pleased to meet you!" The green‑haired girl—Xiaoxue—smiled, nodding at Xiaogang Ge, eyes curved like crescents, "Knowing you set me as your goal makes me truly happy."

"I... I'm so moved! I've... decided!" Xiaogang Ge inhaled deeply, as if making a huge resolution, his voice rising a few notes, "Please, please take me as your disciple!"

"Ah! Xiaogang Ge, what are you saying!" Compared to her own exploded hair, Xiao Xia was clearly more shocked by the words, eyes wide open.

Huo La stood calmly aside—Xiaogang Ge's stammering, nervous inability to finish sentences in front of Xiaoxue was the real sign he was moved;

As for his usual babbling whenever he sees a beautiful woman, that's simply a case of lust.

And it must be said, Xiaoxue is the type of beauty that's pleasant to look at over time, exuding a gentle, graceful aura that truly makes people feel close.

"Is Miss Xiaoxue really that impressive?" Lilian, who hadn't heard the name before, asked with curiosity.

Xiaogang Ge immediately furrowed his brow, his gaze at Lilian serious: "When it comes to Miss Xiaoxue of Beauty Street, everyone in the Breeder circle knows her!"

"She won the Champion title at the Beauty Street Breeder Competition for three consecutive years, and last year received official recognition from the Pokemon League. Moreover, she's a regular in the Pokemon Reader magazine, voted 'Most Popular Breeder' by readers for four straight years—truly a super‑excellent figure!"

Xiaoxue smiled, leading everyone to a small table inside, and brought out a few cups of warm water: "Please sit, don't stand any longer."

Xiaogang Ge sat opposite Xiaoxue, hands on his knees, his ears flushed from nerves, yet forced himself to find a topic: "Miss Xiaoxue, your shop's décor is truly cozy; does the Vulpix usually behave this... lively?"

"It, well, is more wary of strangers," Xiaoxue smiled helplessly, turning to look at the Vulpix, her voice softening, "But once familiar, it's actually quite clingy."

"Miss Xiaoxue, I came today with some Pokemon snacks I just made yesterday, hoping you could give me some advice," Xiaogang Ge said, pulling a wax‑paper packet from his backpack, placing it carefully on the table, his fingertips trembling with nerves.

Xiaoxue lifted the wax‑paper packet, gently tore a corner, brought it close to her nose and inhaled; her eyes lit up with surprise: "The sweet guava, the faintly sour berry, and the refreshing pomelo... at least eight kinds of berries form the base, plus Moo Moo Milk and mint for flavor, right? Mr. Xiaogang Ge, your craftsmanship is truly impressive!"

She wasn't just being polite—one of a Breeder's core abilities is precisely controlling the properties of ingredients.

Although many Breeders turn berries into snacks, blending eight different‑characteristic berries together without clashing flavors or destroying nutrition is beyond a novice Breeder; it requires several years of experience.

Just then, a soft, muffled "woo~" sound resonated in the room.

The Vulpix, which had been napping by the window, suddenly rose, trotted in on its short legs, and with a light leap hopped onto the table.

Xiao Xia, recalling her singed hair moments earlier, instinctively recoiled a step, her gaze tinged with caution.

The Vulpix ignored everyone else, simply nudged the wax‑paper packet in Xiaoxue's hand, gently sniffed with its nose, then looked up at Xiaoxue, its tail tip wagging lightly as if being affectionate.

Xiaoxue looked at its expression and couldn't help smiling: "You want to eat this too?"

The Vulpix obediently nodded.

Xiaoxue took a tiny biscuit from the wax‑paper packet and placed it near its mouth. The Vulpix sniffed, opened its mouth and chewed slowly, its eyes gradually narrowing into crescents, clearly enjoying the taste.

"This kid never eats food made by outsiders, but today is an exception," Xiaoxue said, watching the Vulpix chew sweetly, her tone full of surprise, then turning to Xiaogang Ge, her gaze adding a hint of approval, "It seems Mr. Xiaogang Ge's skill has even won over the picky Vulpix."

"Ahem, that's natural!" Huo La suddenly interjected, defending Xiaogang Ge, "Xiaogang Ge Ge's skill isn't bragging; not only Pokemon love it, even people can't stop praising it. I've been traveling with him, and he's handled almost every meal; without him, this journey wouldn't have been so comfortable."

Hearing Huo La praise himself, Xiaogang Ge's face flushed instantly, he waved his hand quickly: "No, no, I just make it casually; as long as it suits everyone's taste..." Though he said that, the corners of his mouth couldn't help rising, clearly delighted.

Lilian also nodded, adding, "Indeed, the berry porridge made by Xiaogang Ge Ge is especially tasty; Pikachu often rushes to get it!"