Chapter 185

To provide Gym Trainer with a better living environment, these Community not only have a great Community, but also many facilities specifically for Pokémon. Even Gym Leader choose to live here.

She had heard Xia Fei mention before that her cousin was visiting Magic City for the first time, and that her family had no relatives connected to the Magic City Gym. Staying in a place like that was definitely impossible, let alone in a building that only Elite Trainer could apply for.

So...

Compared to Xia Fei, who remained skeptical, Nian Xiaoxiao was actually willing to believe Qiao Ran's explanation—if he could really stay in that kind of place temporarily.

"That's about it."

Xia Fei took out her phone and checked the time. If she delayed any longer, she wouldn't make it home for dinner.

She looked at Nian Xiaoxiao. Based on her understanding of this friend, her family was very strict, and she was basically not allowed to stay outside for too long, let alone go to other people's houses for dinner.

Although she really wanted to invite him, it was impossible.

"Xiaoxiao, are you going straight home? Is someone coming to pick you up?"

"Hmm... I guess we won't need to today."

Nian Xiaoxiao hugged the Munna pillow in her arms, smiled and shook her head.

"If you're going to that Community, we can actually go that way together."

Xia Fei was stunned for a moment before she slowly came to her senses.

"Huh? Huh???"

Thanks to the well-developed public transportation system, the group arrived at their destination in a short time.

"Wait, Xiaoxiao, you really live here?"

Xia Fei's expression was still a bit strange. She had known Nian Xiaoxiao for so long, but this was the first time she had ever heard of such a thing. Although she saw Nian Xiaoxiao being picked up and dropped off by a car every day after school, this was really the first time she had ever heard of such a thing!

Could it be that her friend is some kind of important person?

"Hmm... I should probably head back too."

Nian Xiaoxiao looked at Qiao Ran and his group and nodded politely. "I really had a great time today. If we have the chance, we might meet again, right?"

She winked at Nebby, and this time the little guy didn't flinch. Instead, he tossed his nebula-like twin tails and smiled.

"So cute..."

Leaving behind a sigh, Nian Xiaoxiao bid farewell to everyone and returned home alone, while Qiao Ran and the others headed towards their destination according to the address left by Sabrina.

This is my first time here.

Xia Fei seemed a little nervous. Although they hadn't encountered any obstacles along the way, she could feel the Pressure of "powerful Trainer" emanating from the passersby. Some of them even had smaller Pokémon with them, and the quality of their Pokémon training was far better than what she had seen at school.

"It's alright, not bad."

Qiao Ran wasn't surprised by this. The Trainer's strength was probably not very strong compared to him now, and they were far inferior to Jiang Yuanhao next door.

However, Qiao Ran's words only earned him a roll of his eyes from Xia Fei. She knew it... this cousin was definitely bragging again.

Arriving at the room door without any problems, Qiao Ran out his Key and opened the door. Although he had used his Aura to explore the interior before entering, he was still slightly surprised by the huge space and exquisite decoration inside.

"Is this the Elite Trainer receive?"

Everywhere you look, there's dust-free furniture, and the place exudes a sense of cleanliness. Although no one lives here, you can tell that someone probably comes to clean it every now and then.

"Miss Sabrina's residence..." Xia Fei stared blankly at the scene before her, muttering to herself. There was no trace of Sabrina in the house, not even the smell of life, but...

But she noticed something inconspicuous.

"Alright, let's rest for a bit, and then set off again later."

After getting a quick look at the house, they put down their "disguised" backpacks. They didn't need to bring any luggage; carrying any was just for show. During their break, Qiao Ran and the others also changed their clothes. Next, they went to visit Xia Fei's house.

"W-What should I do? I think I'm getting a little nervous."

While Xia Fei waited outside, Lillie, who was changing clothes in the room, secretly found Mei. Although she had already spoken to Qiao Ran's mother on the phone and built a good friendship with Qiao Ran's cousin, this time she was really going to meet Qiao Ran's relatives face to face.

Lillie, a pampered young lady who had been protected and controlled by her mother since childhood, had never seen such a scene before.

"I... I think I might be a little..."

To Lillie's surprise, Mei also seemed a little nervous, but she quickly put on a smile—though it was still a bit forced.

"But it's definitely alright, right?"

"It's just a meal, let's not overthink it."

"It'll be alright!"

It took a little time

After a short rest, the group was ready to head to Xia Fei's house.

However, on the way, Qiao Ran noticed that Xia Fei, who had occasionally talked back to him before, was now looking at him with a strange gaze.

"What's wrong?"

"N-nothing... Hmph."

Her cousin looked away, not wanting to say more to Qiao Ran, but even now... she still felt like she was in a dream. So many things had happened today that she had never experienced before, especially just now, she had actually seen that thing in the room where Qiao Ran was staying.

There's no doubt she recognizes that thing.

Those were the boots Miss Sabrina wore during her performances, so many boots... just sitting there in the closet, unattended and completely uncared for.

Although Xia Fei's first thought upon seeing it was that it was likely a counterfeit made by some enthusiastic fan, she gradually realized that the possibility of it being a counterfeit was extremely low.

Performing Family's costumes are often custom-made, making them extremely difficult to replicate, especially since it's not just one pair, but many pairs that need to be copied.

--Although Miss Sabrina has not been famous for long, Miss Sabrina outfits always manage to attract everyone's attention.

While this is largely due to Miss Sabrina's own qualities, it would have been impossible to create a new trend among urban women and gain a considerable following without sufficient taste in clothing and makeup.

"..."

So, no matter how unwilling she was to admit it, Xia Fei was increasingly convinced of what her cousin, whom she had only met less than a day ago, was saying.

Could he... really be good friends with Sabrina?

Is it acceptable for close friends to even borrow each other's accommodations?

Meanwhile, in the rest room of the Magic City Gym.

After a day of training, the long-haired beauty sat quietly in a chair, enjoying a moment of peace. She fiddled with her phone, her slender fingers flying across the screen, while beside her, an Alakazam used its Confusion "lift" a small backpack in its hand, closed its eyes, and entered a Calm Mind state.

Although she was just sitting there in an ordinary manner, her every move attracted a lot of attention. However, even so, the Trainer around her only dared to steal a few glances and did not dare to overstep their bounds.

The rose is very beautiful, but it has sharp thorns. What can these people do besides look at it from afar?

"That's right, their popularity has definitely increased."

Sabrina didn't notice the Gym Trainer's thoughts, or rather, she deliberately ignored them—having been famous in the Pokémon World for a long time, she had probably become accustomed to these things since she became a Gym Leader at a young age.

Moreover, she is also a movie star in the Pokémon World. In this world, she would at least be a globally renowned international superstar, not to mention that Sabrina is among the top tier.

"Oh."

As Sabrina looked at the voting results for the Gym Candidate on her phone screen, she couldn't help but chuckle. She had been struggling on the brink of elimination, but after the previous Competition, her ranking had improved slightly. Although the increase wasn't large, it was certainly good news.

"Among the Performing Family's audience, there are indeed some Trainer."

Sabrina's lips curled slightly, clearly in a good mood. She stood up from her chair, and without saying a word, Alakazam beside her also ended its Calm Mind and followed Sabrina toward the door of the lounge.

Those guys should be here by now, right? Should we go check on them tonight?

Um...

It should be quite interesting, right?

Sabrina contemplated her next move, her steps quickened. However, just as she was about to step out the door, she saw a slender figure approaching from the opposite direction.

"..."

The woman was about her age, with long black hair and a rather expressionless face. Although Sabrina didn't want to admit it, the woman's appearance reminded her of herself from a long time ago.

Congratulations on advancing to the next round.

A faint, unchanging sound rang in my ears.

"Thank you," Sabrina replied politely.

The two didn't exchange much, only exchanging a few words as they passed each other. But this simple scene sent chills down the spines of the other Trainer in the lounge.

As everyone knows, the Magic City Gym has two ancestors, and the two in front of them are the second ancestor.

They vaguely remembered the day Sabrina became Elite Trainer. The two fought to the edge of the Battlefield, the Battle Court crumbled, and the ceiling almost fell off. If the Old Gym Leader hadn't suddenly appeared and stopped the real-life battle, no one knows how this farce would have ended.

Why are there two Monsters with such powerful Psychic?

Their interaction was brief, consisting of only a fleeting brush past each other and a single sentence. However, after taking two steps, the slender, dark-haired woman suddenly stopped.

They took their steps.

"Wait a minute." She sensed something was off.

"This bag... Aren't you staying at the Gym tonight?"

She noticed the backpack that Alakazam was carrying behind Sabrina —a bag she recognized without a doubt—on the day Sabrina first moved in.

In preparation for the upcoming Gym Leader Election, some Trainer choose to apply for one of the few rooms in the Gym so they can stay there and train 24 hours a day. Sabrina is undoubtedly one of them.

Of course, she herself was the same.

"I had something to take care of, just wanted to clear my head." Sabrina didn't explain much, just said a few words before continuing on her way away.

Watching Sabrina's departing figure, the black-haired woman remained silent.

"..."

After staying in the lounge for a while, she also came out of the room and into the hallway outside.

As her Confusion flowed, a cell phone floated out of her pocket and automatically dialed a number saved in her contacts.

She slowly opened her mouth, facing the phone's microphone.

"Xiaoxiao... yes, I'm going back to stay here today..."

Xia Fei's home is just in a very ordinary neighborhood.

Compared to the accommodations provided by Sabrina, it did look much simpler and older, but it was filled with a harmonious atmosphere of life.

Xia Fei's father is an ordinary office worker whose work has little to do with Pokémon. Xia Fei's mother, who is also Qiao Ran's mother's sister (who should be called her Aunt according to family hierarchy), works as a nurse at a hospital.

"Ranran, welcome, welcome to Magic City!"

Aunt was a mature woman with a gentle smile. She was in her thirties, but she was very well-maintained. Qiao Ran could indeed see the resemblance between her and her mother in her eyes and brows.

She is definitely related to me by blood.

This was the first time Qiao Ran had felt this sensation so clearly.

But... why call me by such a nickname?!

"Um, just call me Qiao Ran, no need for any of those..."

Qiao Ran was completely energized by what she heard.

Even Mei and Lillie, standing behind Qiao Ran, couldn't help but show thoughtful expressions. It wasn't that there was anything strange about the nickname "Ranran"—after all, even more embarrassing nicknames exist—they just suddenly thought of something: after spending so much time together, they still called Qiao Ran "Qiao Ran," wasn't that a little odd?

Perhaps it would be better to use a more unique and special name?

"That's what we all called you when you were little. Maybe you don't hear it as often now?"

Aunt smiled, not too bothered by Qiao Ran's refusal. After all, her daughter was the same; when she grew up, she would also be reluctant to be called by her nickname in front of others.

However, after seeing the figures behind Qiao Ran, Aunt still looked puzzled.

"That... the one behind you?"

After Pokémon appeared, many strange hair colors emerged in the world. However, Mei's face and hair blend seamlessly into the domestic environment in most cases, while Lillie's are slightly different.

Of course, it's inaccurate to judge Lillie based on her Western or Eastern features in the Real World. After all, in the Pokémon World, people with all sorts of features live together, so perhaps "mixed-race" would be a more accurate description.

Hello, Auntie.