Why is my Pokémon acting a little weird?

"I didn't know this mountain was so high..."

Acerola and Miyue, who had been to this mountain before, couldn't help but sigh. In the past, they always took the bus at the foot of the mountain, but now, they actually had to move up directly bit by bit.

"Take your time, and don't rush."

Qiao Ran did not force any speed of advancement. The people on the mountain might need their help, but they also had to ensure their basic safety and physical strength.

...It would be great if Xiaogang could climb the mountain for them.

Chapter 523 [What do you think]

Arriving before reaching the top of the mountain is the "battle train" that everyone is about to participate in.

It’s not that Qiao Ran and his group were lazy in climbing the mountain, but the distance was really very, very far. No matter what, Mount Huiklani was the second highest mountain in the Alola region - and the highest mountain was right next to it, so the specific gap was not that big.

Moreover, the appearance of the ultimate beast also brought considerable trouble to their progress. Although Qiao Ran and the others said that this was just an ordinary mountain climbing, it was no joke.

The afternoon before the show, Qiao Ran took Liliae and the others to visit his aunt's house again, but unfortunately, Xia Fei was still in school at that time, so it was impossible to see her.

Aunt talked to them about many things. Qiao Ran and his friends had not been in the Magic City for a long time, but a lot of things had happened during this time. The most important thing was that during the time they had been here, Xia Fei had changed a lot without them realizing it.

"During that time, she told me about Naz every day, and about the match between you and the old gym leader Nian Hai that day."

In Shanghai, Xia Fei is just one of the thousands of ordinary girls, spending every day in an ordinary way, going to school, going home from school, and hanging out with friends during breaks.

The appearance of Qiao Ran still allowed her to see a more diverse world.

"Now she brings La Rulas with her every day and says she wants to be a trainer in the future."

"She never tried this hard before."

In this world, although Pokémon is undoubtedly the theme, not everyone can become a trainer. Just like many people play games, but in the end only a few can become professional players, if you want to become a trainer, you must put in more effort than others in more areas.

Most ordinary people would choose to entrust their Pokémon to their parents to save more time to do other things. However, Xia Fei can now bring Pokémon with her and spend time taking care of it herself, which is a big improvement.

Of course, this also means that she has much less time to play. After all, even if she has to take care of Pokémon, she can't fall behind in her studies.

"She will definitely become a good trainer in the future." Qiao Ran was very confident in her. After all, she was his cousin.

"...I hope so." My aunt just smiled gently. Compared to other things, what she lamented more was that her daughter had found her future direction.

Being able to find her own goals and working hard for them, Xia Fei seems to be really different from other children of the same age.

"By the way, I have to talk about you too. Why did you bring an extra girl here today?"

"She looks about the same age as Xia Fei... Tell me honestly, what are you thinking?"

A drop of sweat dripped down Qiao Ran's forehead: "This..."

Although he is basically asked questions about this every time he comes, he is really not good at it.

Reply.

Moreover, since he had basically been either staying at Nancy's house, living in the Aether House, or fighting in various battles during this period, the relationship between him and the girls had not made any progress for a long time.

No...that's not right. You can't say there is no progress?

Feeling that after hearing this question, several pairs of eyes around him were looking at him in unison, Qiao Ran's heart began to beat faster again.

Not only could he feel that there was less contact between the few people, but they themselves felt the same.

——After we leave the Magic City, there should be no other people getting in the way, right?

———————————————————————————————————————————————— ————

After staying at my aunt's house for an afternoon, everyone had to meet someone else in the evening.

Although it was a pity not to see Xia Fei, the person that night was obviously much more special.

——Nazi used her privilege as the owner of the restaurant to get off work early and took a few people to a very good Western restaurant for dinner.

"You guys are supposed to go on the show tomorrow."

"Yes."

Naz herself doesn't care too much about the food. As for the reason she gave to the public - it's just that this store looks more stylish and more suitable for Mei's taste.

"I'm afraid it will be some time before we meet again."

Under the soft light, Naz supported her cheek with one hand and shook the red wine glass in the other.

In our daily interactions, I knew that she was not an alcoholic. As a person with super powers, staying sober and alert at all times is the most basic practice, and alcohol will undoubtedly interfere with her judgment.

But today is indeed a special day.

"Um……"

Qiao Ran nodded.

After leaving Shanghai, he will continue to move towards the south of China, and then to the east. These two directions are destined to have no connection with Shanghai. It will probably take some time before he comes back next time.

"..."

Naz is not a talkative person, although she sometimes seems a little harsh, but at times like this she gradually falls silent.

"Are you feeling uncomfortable?"

"...No."

There was a hint of red on her cheeks from drinking, and she looked away slightly.

From childhood to adulthood, she has come all the way to where she is today. Not only has she become a gym leader, but she has also become a world-famous actress. In just a few years, she has achieved things that others cannot do in their entire lives.

However, she still felt very uncomfortable when she thought that several people would have to leave tomorrow.

If I had known that their contact would make me feel this way, it would have been better to keep my distance from the beginning.

"If one day I can no longer be the gym leader...it will definitely be your fault."

A question mark popped up in Qiao Ran's head: "??? Did we do anything?"

"What do you say?"

Nazi raised her head and gave Qiao Ran a look with her eyes that seemed a little tipsy due to the influence of alcohol. Her flushed cheeks were like delicate flowers.

Under the dim, flickering lights, her beauty even made Qiao Ran's heart skip a beat. Perhaps only at this moment would he feel that she was the actress who amazed the entire Pokémon world.

However, her current expression was obviously not an act.

Chapter 524 [Special Rules]

Nazhi drank a little too much, and in the end Qiao Ran helped her get into a taxi and then helped her all the way into the community.

"Whispering, whispering..."

Qiao Ran's presence undoubtedly caused some discussion among the residents of the same community, but Nazhi was their immediate superior after all, and the confidentiality within the alliance was very well maintained, so these people were still quite strict with their words.

However, a wave of internal discussions is certainly unavoidable.

After a peaceful night, Qiao Ran and the others have packed up and are ready to go to the station. The crew will send someone to meet them, and the next step is the official battle.

"...Anyway, let's get in touch later. If anything happens."

The next day, Naz also took a day off. Despite not feeling well, she also put on some makeup so as not to draw attention to herself and send the group off for the final time. She was accompanied by Nian Hongyu, who had become an elite trainer. After Naz became the gym leader, the extra elite trainer position became vacant, and she was undoubtedly the most suitable candidate to take over.

"I look forward to you participating in the national conference. I will cheer you on then."

Her gaze remained on Qiao Ran and Nazhi's faces, and finally she showed a rare smile.

Although she did not become the owner of the museum, she also found her new goal. Just like Qiao Ran and the others, everyone will embark on their own new journey.

Not only them, Nian Xiaoxiao and Xia Fei also called Qiao Ran and others. Because they were still in class, they basically had no way to meet with Qiao Ran and others, but they still said goodbye.

"I will become a trainer in the future!"

"Me too!"

Listen to their tone

As if the two of them had reached some agreement, Qiao Ran did not pour cold water on them, but only encouraged them to cheer up.

"I'll take down the alliance first, then I'll wait for you."

Challenging the gym and then challenging the alliance was his original intention for embarking on the journey. Leaving the Magic City this time also brought him one step closer to this goal.

Finally, Xia Fei and Nian Xiaoxiao hung up the phone, and Nian Hongyu turned around and left. It was Nazhi who accompanied the group to the ticket gate.

"gone."

"Ah."

Nancy looked a little absent-minded and just responded lightly.

Everyone has things they should do, just like when they first came to this world. Even if she took over this huge gym, she would still be the only one left in the end.

...Maybe Mei and the others chose to travel with him because they also thought about these things.

She felt a little confused, but she could only try her best not to let her thoughts wander.

In the end, Qiao Ran walked up to her gently, reached out and hugged her.

Although it was only two or three seconds, she did not think of resisting this time.

"..."

The touch of other people was transmitted to her body, and the warmth also penetrated the defense and barrier she built with her superpowers.

It was a short time, but it seemed good enough.

She raised her head, looked at Qiao Ran, and then slowly spoke.

“…This is the first time since I can remember.”

She was wondering what Qiao Ran was thinking when he did these actions. She did not use her superpowers to read it, but just kept the surprise. However, what she did not expect was that this guy actually gave her an answer that she could never imagine.

"Then your first time was quite a lot."

Nancy: “……???”

Hearing this, Nazhi's face suddenly turned red. She didn't know whether she was shy or really angry at Qiao Ran's words that ruined the mood.

An innocent suitcase nearby flew up and hit Qiao Ran on the head, scaring the passengers next to him half to death.

"Sure enough, people like you should disappear as soon as possible!"

——————————————————————————————————————————

After saying goodbye to Naz, passing through security and entering the high-speed rail station, Qiao Ran and others quickly found the filming crew who were supposed to be with them at the designated location.

"Here here."

The producer of the show was a middle-aged man wearing glasses. As soon as he saw Qiao Ran, he came up to him enthusiastically and shook his hand, almost giving him a hug.

"You are all very famous young trainers recently. It's a great honor for our production team that Master Nancy has recommended such excellent candidates."

Battle trains are a project that has only recently become popular. It is not only to attract attention to the railway hub, but also to boost the city's image. It is naturally great to have a trainer like Qiao Ran, who is very popular among young people recently, participate.

It seems that they really owe Pavilion Master Nancy a big favor.

"Ha ha ha ha."

Qiao Ran and Meiyi are not good at such social interactions, and can only laugh it off to deal with the other party's compliments and polite words.

Lillie, on the other hand, was immune to the greasy talk of society. As the eldest daughter of the Ether Foundation, she had probably grown up listening to this kind of stuff.

"The show officially starts filming in an hour and a half."

After communicating with the producer, a woman who also wore glasses and looked like a secretary explained the subsequent rules to everyone, while the producer himself was busy with other things.

"We'll depart from Modu Station... which is where we'll end up, Rongcheng. The entire journey will take about four and a half hours. Our train will be slightly slower than regular high-speed trains, but for safety reasons, this is the most suitable option."

"As for the battles in the train, we will also use special rules. Due to the limited space in the train, the activity area will be a vertical strip. Also, due to the limitations of the small space, neither side can send out Pokémon that are too large."

"Finally, and most importantly, aside from prohibited moves like Earthquake, the power of both teams' moves must also be strictly controlled. We've deployed two Magic Wall Puppets in each carriage to reinforce the barrier. If either team's skill breaks through the transparent barrier, they will be declared the loser."

"This is the special feature of our battle train."

“Fast, efficient, small and beautiful!”

"Using skills that are controlled to the utmost, and then accurately hitting the opponent's vital points, this is a comprehensive test of the control, tacit understanding, and on-the-spot adaptability of the trainer and Pokémon!"

Chapter 525 [Sequence]

There is nothing wrong with making some changes to the rules for safety. Even in the Unova region of the Pokémon world, it is impossible for two trainers to fight each other in a carriage. If you use a Dragon Dive and I use a Destruction Beam, even the strongest carriage will probably be scrapped on the spot and the people will be sent flying.

Therefore, this "train battle" actually feels like a duel on a suspension bridge between canyons. In this confined environment, you must not only consider how to defeat your opponent, but also how to keep the vehicle under your feet stable. If any one side fails, there is no way to win the final victory.

"In each carriage, the battle is one-on-one, and the winner is decided one by one."