Chapter 103

"Alright, alright, stop arguing."

In the end, it was Bea stepped in and stopped the conflict. She now had a very important question to ask, since the three of them were likely to disagree on what to do next.

"By the way, have you made up your minds? Are you planning to participate in our next operation?"

Since she had discussed these matters with Qiao Ran and Gloria yesterday, she hadn't immediately asked for a response. Instead, she allowed them to think about it carefully overnight. After all, the event she was about to participate in could be quite dangerous, and if she wasn't careful, she might even face the worst possible outcome.

Compared to Pokémon, humans are physically quite weak, let alone Gigantamax Pokémon. A single kick from a Pokémon could crush a human like an ant, leaving no trace of their body.

"I will go."

Qiao Ran had originally planned to go to Hammerlocke, and this time he happened to run into Bea, which he felt was a great opportunity.

Originally, it would have been very difficult for him to do this alone, but with the help of the Pokémon League, his confidence would have increased significantly. Moreover, the Pokémon League in this region is not just a simple Pokémon League; Qiao Ran might even be able to obtain some special information there.

"I knew you'd say yes."

Upon hearing Qiao Ran's answer, Bea's lips curled into a faint smile, something she never did normally, demonstrating just how happy she was this time.

"And you, Gloria, are you planning to go? If you can go..."

Bea turned her gaze towards Gloria. Qiao Ran was already planning to go, and if Gloria could also participate, she would definitely be a powerful asset. As one of the best Trainer in Galar, Gloria was also one of the strongest Trainer of the new generation.

"I..."

Gloria lowered her head and hesitated for a moment.

"I'm sorry... I thought about it all night and decided not to participate."

If she were just an ordinary Trainer, she would definitely participate in this operation. However, she now carries the lives of an entire town on her shoulders. If something were to happen to her and she failed to bring back supplies on time, given Spikemuth's current situation of insufficient internal production and an increasing influx of outsiders, it would certainly face a food shortage crisis...

By then, not only Marnie, but the entire Spikemuth will likely face huge problems.

I'm sorry, I can't make that decision right now.

Gloria explained her reasons to the two people in front of her. She was no longer a lonely Trainer; she now had something she needed to protect.

"Alright... I can't stop you, after all, what you have to do is also very important."

Upon hearing this, Bea nodded understandingly. She knew the situation in Spikemuth; it was a small town with extremely scarce resources, relying on external supplies for almost everything. Now, without external support...

They still have to struggle to survive.

"Thank you." Gloria said gratefully, and Bea understood her feelings.

"I understand."

Qiao Ran did not object to Gloria's choice; on the contrary, if he were in the same position, he would have done the same.

"What's the use of your understanding, lol."

Gloria stuck her tongue out at Qiao Ran, not intending to listen to him. She'd been annoyed by him ever since he appeared; why would someone like that be Hero?

After completing this sequence of actions, leaving Qiao Ran dumbfounded, Gloria took out Poké Ball from her skirt pocket and released the giant green gorilla Pokémon, preparing to leave.

However, after taking a few steps, she suddenly turned back and came to stand in front of Qiao Ran.

"Hello."

After a moment of silence, Gloria pretended to look in other directions casually, but then took out a white, ribbon-like object from her sleeve and stuffed it directly into Qiao Ran's hand.

"...?"

A question mark appeared above Qiao Ran's head.

"This is my Dynamax Band. It can absorb Dynamax Energy and allow your Pokémon Gigantamax. However, I can't use it now that I'm out of energy in Spikemuth. But you might... if you want to use it, feel free to take it. Bea can tell you how to use it."

"This..."

Qiao Ran stared blankly at the item in his hand. He had originally planned to ask the Pokémon League members for it after meeting them, but to his surprise, Gloria was so straightforward and gave him her wristband directly.

"Stop with all that 'this' and 'that', just please don't let anything happen to you... I've put your motorcycle back where it was before, you can find it yourself."

Gloria spoke, she turned her head and took a step in another direction.

However, her voice still reached Qiao Ran's ears.

"If you can't come back, Marnie will be heartbroken..."

Section 195, Chapter 192 [Location: Pokémon League]

"Let's go, Qiao Ran."

Gloria had already jumped onto the ruins and left, and Bea called out to Qiao Ran, who was still standing there. They were about to continue their operation.

Even though the world is broken, people still need to keep moving forward. Even if they go in different directions, their wishes are surprisingly the same—they all hope that the world will become a better place.

"Um."

Qiao Ran nodded and put the Dynamax Band that Gloria had given him into his pocket. He might not know Gloria, or perhaps, if Marnie hadn't been there when he first met this girl... they could probably have become good friends.

At the very least, she's definitely a girl worth befriending.

Only one night has passed since yesterday's great battle.

However, the devastation in the city was several times worse than yesterday. The ruins that were still somewhat recognizable had been trampled into dust, and the scattered bricks and Stone Blocks were completely unrecognizable.

Humanity's civilization, built over thousands of years, is as fragile as paper in the face of Gigantamax power, utterly destroyed in a single trampling. This is the epitome of the end of civilization.

However, to Qiao Ran and Bea's relief, as time went by, the number of Dynamax Pokémon gathered in this area had decreased significantly. After realizing that there was nothing noteworthy here, the Dynamax Pokémon all chose to leave.

However, the danger level of this area has not decreased as a result. Qiao Ran and Bea still need to consider the risk of exposure when moving, so as not to attract unnecessary attention.

With Bea's help, Qiao Ran's movement was not hindered, but at certain special times, he still felt a little embarrassed.

For example, right now--

Qiao Ran stood on the ruins, looking down at Bea, while the gray-haired girl below had already spread her arms, making a "hug" gesture.

"Come on, I'll catch you."

"..."

Faced with this situation, Qiao Ran remained silent for a second before finally choosing to jump. Although he felt that something was not quite right, he was, after all, a man who had been Princess Carry Iron Maiden. Now, being carried in a carry by Bea seemed to be no problem.

"Snap."

Qiao Ran jumped down from above, and Bea caught him steadily. Due to the height difference, Bea chose to hug Qiao Ran's lower body, which was a choice she had to make.

"... cough."

Qiao Ran, who was being held by Bea, coughed lightly. He felt that the current position was a little indecent, and he even felt that his strange thing had touched something strange.

However, Bea didn't seem to notice any of this. She just blinked in confusion, then picked up Qiao Ran, placed him steadily on the ground, and finally clapped her hands casually, as if it were as simple as eating and drinking.

"Alright, let's move on."

"..."

Qiao Ran could only nod blankly. Was this the legendary tomboy?

The Pokémon League's temporary base is outside of Hammerlocke.

Because it's far from the center of the conflict, Gigantamax Pokémon don't often appear here. In order to cover the main force, the Pokémon League has also set up outposts on the perimeter. If a Gigantamax Pokémon is spotted approaching, people will be dispatched to lure it away to protect the safety of the main force.

"Master of Bea Gym Leader."

On their way to the base, Qiao Ran and Bea passed by many outposts, and the people there would greet Bea, showing that she was highly respected within the Pokémon League.

"Gym Leader Bea, who is this...?"

However, many people have doubts about Qiao Ran's identity. Although they are not against others accepting the Pokémon League's relief, they are still somewhat wary of outsiders due to the special nature of this base.

"This is the Sword Hero, Qiao Ran."

Bea solemnly explained Qiao Ran's identity to everyone she met, and everyone who heard about Qiao Ran's identity couldn't help but show an excited expression in their eyes.

"Real...?"

"Real."

Bea could confidently guarantee the accuracy of this news. As the only human who had witnessed that scene firsthand, she felt it was necessary to share this good news with all her colleagues.

This is why she introduced Qiao Ran in this way—in this crumbling world, even the strongest person needs a pillar of support.

"Quick... quick, go tell the professor! The Bea Gym Leader says they've found the Sword Hero!"

Soon, before Bea even arrived at the base, the news had already spread throughout the Pokémon League's base. Although no one had yet verified the accuracy of the news, they preferred to believe it was true.

The Hero... no matter which Hero it is, they have all waited far too long.

Continuing along the Forest path, Qiao Ran and Bea soon arrived at the entrance of the Pokémon League's base. It was a fairly large area, consisting of simple temporary huts everywhere. There were also subdivided areas for growing crops and raising animals nearby. It seemed that the Pokémon League did not just intend to make this a temporary base, but perhaps even had long-term development plans.

However, what surprised Qiao Ran the most was not these things, but that before they arrived, a large group of people had already appeared at the gate of the camp, and some of them were even calling out his name.

"... Is the Pokémon League that enthusiastic?"

Qiao Ran was a little flattered. In his original world, he could never enjoy such treatment. There, he was just an ordinary Trainer, and the Pokémon League was always stingy with the subsidies they gave him.

"It's definitely because of your identity, which is normal." Bea nodded understandingly. "Sword Hero" has always been a source of inspiration for many people, let alone the staff of the Pokémon League. Under the influence of that doctor, many people would have such thoughts.

"You must be Qiao Ran, right?"

At the head of the dark crowd was a woman with a single orange ponytail, whose white coat could not conceal her voluptuous figure.

At this moment, she looked at Qiao Ran excitedly, her eyes seemed to Spit Up fire, and her body was eager to pounce on him, as if she wanted to pin Qiao Ran to the ground and devour him.

"That's... that's great! It's a living person..."

Hearing her words and seeing her current expression, Qiao Ran couldn't help but twitch his lips. If she weren't wearing a proper white lab coat, he would have almost mistaken her for some wild, infatuated woman who had suddenly jumped out of the Forest...

Section 196, Chapter 193 [Pokémon League: Doctor]

"Quickly, come in first. Let's have a proper talk. Yes, we absolutely must have a proper talk."

"Oh... by the way, my name is Sonia. Have you heard of me before? If not, that's okay. We'll get to know each other soon."

The young doctor grabbed Qiao Ran and Bea's hands and pulled them inside the gate of the camp. She also noticed the Long Sword in Qiao Ran's left hand—in fact, almost everyone present had their eyes fixed on this extremely eye-catching object.

The long blade, the ancient yet noble patterns, and the hard, strong shape stirred the hearts of almost everyone present, causing their faces to flush. The appearance of this object was already deeply ingrained in their minds, and although there seemed to be slight differences in appearance between ancient paintings and the actual object, this did little to quell their excitement.

Like them, Sonia also wanted to immediately understand the secrets of the Long Sword, but she suppressed her curiosity and excitement and decided to take Qiao Ran back first.

The Pokémon League's temporary base was not luxurious; in fact, it could be described as somewhat rudimentary. Even Professor Sonia's residence was nothing special—just an ordinary, simple little house.

In such harsh conditions, no one has the right to demand special privileges, let alone these soldiers who are about to carry out dangerous missions.

"Don't bother me, I need to ask some questions first!"

Sonia closed the door and gave a few words of advice to the large crowd gathered outside. She didn't want her "research" to be in jeopardy.

The moment was interrupted; it was a moment she was enjoying all to herself.

She had been looking forward to this day for so long.

Is that... is that the real Sacred Sword?!

Sonia, who was talking to the Pokémon League members, was a "highly respected" doctor, but what Qiao Ran didn't expect was that when Sonia closed the door and turned her head in his direction, a "healthy" smile had appeared on her face.

"Quick... quick, give me that... let me see that..."

Her face flushed with excitement, coupled with her voluptuous body writhing, made Qiao Ran involuntarily take a step back, a bead of cold sweat trickling down her forehead.

"Gurgle."

This... this guy is really a researcher, a PhD????

Qiao Ran wondered if he had made a mistake. He even felt that the anger he had finally managed to calm down last night had been reignited.

Unlike Bea and Gloria, Sonia is a truly mature woman. Compared to Iron Maiden, who is about the same age and has a similar figure, she possesses a more inexplicable and alluring charm, which may be innate.

"Yes... yes, take that out, it's that long one..."

"Doctor Sonia, please don't do that. You're scaring Qiao Ran."

Finally, Bea, unable to bear it any longer, stepped forward and stood firmly in front of Qiao Ran, blocking Sonia from lunging at him. Qiao Ran even saw Sonia's body bounce off Bea with a "plop".

"I... that..."

Sonia touched her slightly aching nipple. With Bea blocking her way, she seemed to regain some clarity, and her gaze gradually returned to reason.