It was already sunset by the time they arrived at the Zigong Dinosaur Museum.
The venue was closing for the day.
The driver dropped Chen Kai and the others off in front of a nearby guesthouse, only saying, “I'll pick you up here at 9 AM the day after tomorrow.”
Then, he stepped on the accelerator and left.
“After the National Day holiday, I'm definitely going to complain about them until they drop!” the yellow-haired guy said angrily.
At this point, everyone nodded in agreement.
Fortunately, the guesthouse was quite clean, and Chen Kai shared a standard room with the yellow-haired guy.
The girls each had their own rooms, while Yelena and Zhao Jie, having booked a separate tour package for a higher price, got to enjoy a private room.
After putting away their luggage, the group of eight gathered again.
It was unclear why Zhao Jie and Yelena also joined them, but thankfully, Zhao Jie waved her hand and declared, “Dinner tonight is on me!”
As the Director of the Dacheng Research Institute, she currently had a considerable amount of assets.
And Yelena wasn't short on money; she paid for all the taxi fares on the way back.
So, everyone happily went to the city center to enjoy some delicious food.
Zigong City was established “because of salt,” and the two characters “Zi” and “Gong” are derived from the names of two salt wells, “Ziliujing” and “Gongjing,” which is why their cuisine is called Salt Gang Cuisine.
Its characteristics can be summed up in three words: fragrant, spicy, and fresh.
Chen Kai, however, truly couldn't handle much spice, so he could only ask the restaurant for a very mild spice level, which earned him some teasing from the yellow-haired guy, a native of Sichuan Province.
“Haha, Kai Ge, you need to get used to spicy food.”
Chen Kai didn't feel like engaging with him at the moment.
As one dish after another was served, Chen Kai and his companions were completely immersed in this culinary feast.
Their taste buds were constantly stimulated and satisfied, with every bite feeling like a deep conversation with Zigong's food culture.
Everyone's faces were always beaming with happy smiles, and their eyes sparkled with love and delight for the food.
After eating their fill, they discussed what to do next.
“How about we go for a stroll in the city center?” Qin Ying suggested.
Wang Yi nodded in agreement: “Sounds good, I'm quite full, a walk would help digest the food.”
They then took a taxi to Huashang Street in the center of Zigong City.
This was the liveliest area in Zigong City at night.
Upon arrival, the streetlights were just coming on, and the commercial street outside seemed like a dazzling and bustling dreamlike world.
Neon lights, like nimble Pokémon, flickered freely in the night sky. Red like fire, passionate and unrestrained; green like jade, vibrant and full of life; blue like the sea, deep and mysterious. They intertwined, outlining various splendid patterns and characters, adorning the entire street with a riot of colors.
On giant LED screens, fashionable advertisements and exciting video clips constantly changed, attracting the attention of passersby.
Street performers doing live broadcasts also became an important part of the lively atmosphere.
A singer playing a guitar sat with his Kricketune on a small stool by the street, passionately singing moving songs. His voice was deep and magnetic, his singing drifting in the night breeze, while Kricketune's melodious music complemented its trainer's voice perfectly, drawing people to stop and listen.
Not far away, an acrobat and a Mr. Mime were performing a juggling act. Both the person and the Pokémon simultaneously tossed their props into the air, then skillfully caught them at the same time, their movements fluid and breathtaking.
Whether it was the live audience, who were three layers deep and constantly exclaiming and applauding, or the online live stream, which had many viewers cheering and giving rewards, the performances captivated everyone.
However, a larger venue caught the attention of Chen Kai and his group; a sign above it read: “Battle Sparring, 200 Yuan per match, choose any prize if victorious.”
Chen Kai looked around and saw a table with many items on it. Chen Kai recognized most of them as Pokémon drops, such as Hoppip leaves, Torkoal coal, Starly feathers, and some Berries.
They were somewhat useful, though not highly valuable, but for only 200 yuan, it was definitely a great deal.
The yellow-haired guy seemed to have his eye on something, so he promptly paid 200 yuan, ready to go on stage and compete.
The owner of this stage was a man dressed in flashy clothes. Since there were no challengers at the moment, he was interacting with the audience in his live stream and didn't immediately notice the yellow-haired guy approaching to challenge him.
“Hey! Uncle, wanna battle?” the yellow-haired guy asked.
The man turned around, saw a challenger, and was very happy, quickly agreeing: “Okay, young man, just a moment!”
He turned back to say a few more words to his live stream audience before walking over to confirm with the yellow-haired guy: “Young man, are you sure you want to battle me?”
The yellow-haired guy said confidently: “Of course, unless there's a trick here?”
The man said with a smile: “No, no, no! The prizes are all laid out, how could there be a trick?
You can confirm what prize you want, and then we can battle.”
The yellow-haired guy pointed to a stone: “I want that one.”
The man waved his hand: “Oh! A Rockruff stone. No problem, if you win, take it.
Of course, the premise is that you have to win.”
“Your Pokémon aren't very high level, are they?” the yellow-haired guy asked, somewhat unsure after hearing him say that.
The man wagged his index finger: “No, I'll send out a Pokémon with a similar level to yours.”
The yellow-haired guy felt relieved after hearing this and sent out his ace: “Alright, go, Dwebble!”
Dwebble was already Normal Class (level 20+); the stone on its back was even close to learning Stealth Rock.
The yellow-haired guy had heard that Rockruff's stones could help Pokémon learn Stealth Rock, and bumping into this for only 200 yuan at night, he felt it was a great deal and didn't consider the possibility of losing at all.
The man opposite chuckled: “You've made up your mind, right? Then go, Simipour.”
A smiling monkey with long blue hair appeared on the field. The man opposite hadn't lied; this Simipour was also Normal Class (level 20+), but its type was somewhat disadvantageous for Dwebble.
The yellow-haired guy felt a bit awkward.
At this moment, a staff member on the field, acting as a referee, spoke up, fearing the yellow-haired guy might run off: “Alright! Both sides have sent out their Pokémon, battle begin!”
The man opposite immediately gave a command: “Simipour, Scald!”
Despite being called Simipour, it sprayed scorching 'hot water'.
The yellow-haired guy and Dwebble were caught off guard, the hot water spraying directly onto Dwebble's face.
Dwebble was already weak to Water, and this water was scalding hot. As a Bug-type, it was also afraid of heat, and it screamed loudly:
“Dweb!” (It hurts so much!)
The yellow-haired guy felt something was off, but he had no choice. The only option now was to battle!
“Dwebble, Rock Slide!”
This was a long-range attack move Dwebble had just learned. It gathered a large rock in front of its claws and hurled it at Simipour.
The man opposite, however, remained silent, letting Simipour endure this Rock Slide.
Rock-type attacks on Water-types don't reduce damage, do they?
Chen Kai, watching the battle from below, was a little confused.
The man waited a moment before commanding: “Simipour, Water Gun!”
The yellow-haired guy made a quick decision: “Dwebble, block with Rock Slide!”
Water Gun and Rock Slide collided fiercely in the center of the field. The stream of Water Gun impacted the rocks, splashing large amounts of water and debris. The water tried to wash away the rocks, while the rocks trembled under the impact of the water but still resisted tenaciously. For a moment, water splashed and debris flew in the center of the field.
The man glanced at his colleague behind him, who gave him an OK gesture, indicating that the live stream effect was good.
The man's smile grew wider!
Even Chen Kai could see it now; this man didn't want to win too quickly; he wanted some showmanship!