Chapter 206
The young man appeared to have fainted and was being supported by a girl with red hair and strange clothes. And the one on the other side... was that Sabrina?
A look of understanding appeared in the Old Man Nian Hai's eyes.
However, they didn't seem to have a very good relationship, as they were still glaring at each other.
Others might not understand what had happened, but Old Man Nian Hai had seen it all. The two girls hadn't appeared on the Battle Court "normally," but had used their Psychic to "teleport" there.
At such a young age, he is able to put his Psychic into practice.
When exactly did so many Monster capable of teleportation suddenly appear?
Old Man Nian Hai sighed deeply.
"Gym Leader Nian Hai, are you alright?"
The Gym staff arrived late and began to investigate the situation.
"It's nothing, it's nothing."
Old Man Nian Hai hurriedly waved his hand, telling them to go help the Referee who had fallen on the other side.
Since the Referee had also been knocked down, the subsequent rulings for this Competition were made by someone else.
In the center of the Battle Court, both Metagross and Dianxi had lost their ability to fight, their eyes spinning. Dianxi had even exited her Mega form. Due to the massive damage she had taken, when the damage was transferred to Qiao Ran immediately blacked out and collapsed.
Steel-type move that's four times weaker than Steel-type moves—he couldn't withstand even a hundred thousand of them.
Both sides are now incapacitated! The final result of this Competition is... a draw!
"Since Gym Leader Nian Hai's three Pokémon the first to be unable to battle, the final winner of this Competition is -- Qiao Ran, Trainer from Longjiang City!!!"
Let's congratulate our victors today!!!
The Referee approached Qiao Ran, who was being supported by Latias, and raised one of Qiao Ran's arms. The entire audience erupted in cheers, the intense roar seemingly drowning out everything else. However, Qiao Ran, who had already fallen into a coma, heard nothing and continued to slump his head as the Referee shook him.
Meanwhile, Sabrina stood with her arms crossed, glaring at Latias and Qiao Ran's location.
Hateful.
I was actually a step late...
And why this particular guy...?
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"That's... that's amazing!"
"They actually won! They really won!"
In the audience, Xia Fei excitedly grabbed Nian Xiaoxiao's hand, while pointing repeatedly at the Battle Court with her other hand.
"That's my cousin, he really is my cousin."
"I know, I know, I was watching too." Nian Xiaoxiao glanced helplessly at her friend. Ever since Qiao Ran actually won, Xia Fei had been like a madwoman, constantly repeating the same words.
However, no one around her laughed at Xia Fei's behavior. After all, besides her, many other spectators had made similar moves. Qiao Ran's victory was like a white crow suddenly appearing among black crows, exceeding everyone's expectations.
Moreover, the intense Competition scene lingered in everyone's minds long after the Competition ended, and it was difficult for it to dissipate for half a day.
Everything that had happened before felt like a dream, with only the ruins of the competition venue silently telling everyone that it was all real.
The competition venue, which had undergone numerous reinforcements and was specifically built for large-scale events... has been completely rendered unusable.
"..." Beside Xia Fei and Nian Xiaoxiao, Nian Hongyu stared silently at the Battle Court, lost in thought. Her gaze would linger on her grandfather for a moment, then on Sabrina standing next to Qiao Ran.
Nian Hai had already lost the Competition, but he still maintained a smile, looking kindly at Qiao Ran had fallen into a coma. Nian Hongyu didn't know what her grandfather was thinking, but seeing his smile, Nian Hongyu gradually accepted the result of the Competition.
This man... was far more powerful than she had imagined, and might even have reached a level she could not reach.
As for Sabrina over there... Nian Hongyu could finally confirm just how much that girl valued this man.
Even now, Sabrina was still gritting her teeth as she looked at the Red-Haired Woman supporting Qiao Ran. Nian Hongyu didn't recognize the woman, but judging from her expression, Sabrina must be very unwilling.
"Oh..."
Seeing Sabrina's displeasure, Nian Hongyu couldn't help but feel happy; this woman had clearly become her source of joy.
However, Nian Hongyu was unaware that Sabrina's thoughts were slightly different from her own.
Although Sabrina's initial appearance was indeed intended to help Qiao Ran, Sabrina thoughts had already changed after seeing Latias supporting Qiao Ran and the flashing Flash from all directions. Now, she could only grit her teeth in resentment.
If I had been able to help Qiao Ran sooner... I could have profited from this wave of attention!
Hateful.
When Qiao Ran woke up again, he was surprised to find himself lying on the bed without even realizing it.
This is where he's staying, which is also Sabrina's house.
"The Competition, where's the Competition?"
Qiao Ran tried to get up, but a strong feeling of fatigue washed over him. In the end, he only twitched slightly in the blankets, without making much of a sound.
However, the people sitting by the bed soon noticed that Qiao Ran had woken up.
"She's awake! She's awake!"
"... how are you feeling?"
Lillie and Mei surrounded him, asking all sorts of questions about Qiao Ran's situation, while Sabrina arrived late and stood at the doorway.
"The Competition... wait, is the Competition already over?"
Qiao Ran rubbed his aching head and leaned against the pillow Mei handed him. Seeing this, he realized he was no longer at the competition venue. All he wanted to know was what had happened next.
"Yes, the Competition is over. The result of the last game... was a draw."
Lillie nodded and slowly began to speak. What she said was not too far off from what Qiao Ran had guessed. When the final skills collided, Qiao Ran lost consciousness for a moment. If it were Dianxi, the situation probably wouldn't have been much better.
A draw is a result that Qiao Ran can accept.
"And as for the Badge, I've kept it for you too."
Lillie took out a Badge and handed it to Qiao Ran.
In his hand, the Badge shimmered with a golden luster, forming an indescribable circular pattern, reminiscent of Psychic type Gym.
"Thanks."
Qiao Ran took the Badge and gently played with it in his hand. Collecting Badge and becoming Pokémon Master was his original intention for embarking on his Pokémon Journeys. Every time Harvest a new Badge, the feeling was indeed quite good.
"... That battle has already gained traction online."
Suddenly, Sabrina joined the conversation, her finger swiping slightly across the phone screen to show Qiao Ran the page.
Qiao Ran glanced at it and couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise.
"Homepage rankings... fifth place? How long has it been?"
"From the time of upload, it's been about three or four hours."
Three or four hours?!
Qiao Ran could hardly believe it.
To get onto the homepage rankings of a website, you need an extraordinary amount of popularity. The video of Qiao Ran and Sabrina's battle only stayed on the homepage for a short while, but this video... has already made it onto the rankings within just a few hours.
The difference is significant.
"After all, it's an official battle video released by the Pokémon League. The camera angles and clarity are professional. Besides, the official account already has a lot of popularity; it's one of the most followed content Uploader on Video-Sharing Website."
"Of course, the most crucial point is that the battle was indeed quite intense, with one side being a veteran and popular Gym Leader, and even many Pokémon I'd never seen before appearing."
Sabrina deliberately emphasized the words "never seen before," which startled Qiao Ran, causing a bead of cold sweat to trickle down his forehead. Could this girl... be holding a grudge?
Is she holding a grudge because I didn't use Zacian or Yveltal during our fight?
"However, these are probably not major problems. The most crucial thing is—"
A puzzled expression appeared on Sabrina's face as she scrolled through the video's comments, placing them in front of Qiao Ran.
"There seems to be some strange rumor circulating between us..."
Upon hearing Sabrina's words, Qiao Ran's expression froze on his face. "..."
"Huh?"
What?
What... rumors???
How come I had no idea???
Could it be that something happened while I was unconscious?!
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Qiao Ran had no idea what was going on, but when he looked at the other girls, they all had strange expressions on their faces.
"Actually, it's because... when you were unconscious, Qiao Ran, Sabrina Teleport down to help you, and she just happened to be caught on video..."
Finally, Lillie offered a brief explanation, explaining that it could be considered a misunderstanding. However, seeing so many people discussing it online always made her feel quite uncomfortable.
Sabrina's high popularity, coupled with her instinctive reaction when danger struck, even though it was another girl who ultimately saved Qiao Ran... was enough to generate buzz in itself.