Chapter 218
At least, Mei and Lillie have personally experienced these things, and Qiao Ran has seen them countless times in the Pokémon World.
They needed to tell all of this to the Champion in front of them.
"I was in the Unova Region at the time..."
Mei slowly opened her mouth.
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The Pokémon World may very well be facing some kind of calamity.
As she listened to Mei and Lillie's account, Cynthia's expression grew increasingly grave. The situation seemed even worse and more terrifying than she had imagined.
She initially thought that this was just an accident that led her to a strange world, and that she had gotten separated from her friends. She believed that if she could find a way back, everything would be resolved, and she could even study the Ruins of this world and discover some unknown secrets. But now it seems...
"Has the Galar region, the Unova Region, the Alola Region... all reached this point?"
Although Mei and Lillie only mentioned these regions, judging from the situation in these places, the situation in Sinnoh is probably not much better.
Otherwise, given the Pokémon League's capabilities, it's impossible for them to turn a blind eye to the calamities in other regions. The fact that the Pokémon League hasn't addressed these situations for so long suggests that they themselves have encountered difficulties they can't handle.
"Yes, we saw all of this with our own eyes."
Qiao Ran nodded. Everything they said was true; there wasn't a single lie in it.
"After all, I do have the ability to take people to specific areas of the Pokémon World. Just recently... wasn't there an attack in Hangcheng? Those were Genesect from the Unova Region; they crossed the world via Hoopa's Ring."
"Genesect... wait, you're capable of going to the Pokémon World?"
Cynthia was taken aback at first, then she suddenly realized what Qiao Ran had said.
Can I... go to the Pokémon World?
Cynthia's intense gaze was fixed on Qiao Ran, making Qiao Ran swallow hard.
"Indeed, I have the ability to travel to the Pokémon World, but... only by myself. If I want to bring others along, I need a special method, and the price of that method is very high."
How serious is it?
Cynthia's gaze remained fixed on Qiao Ran.
"... This price will stay with you for life."
Qiao Ran wasn't exaggerating at all. Although Lillie and Mei accepted the condition, Qiao Ran knew exactly what they had gone through.
"Therefore, I hope you will come to me to discuss this matter only when you are mentally prepared, or in the worst-case scenario."
Becoming his "Pokémon" means that they are bound together for life and have a special connection. If one party harbors resentment or prejudice against the other, this relationship can become a burden.
Qiao Ran didn't want this to happen either.
... I see."
Seeing Qiao Ran's extremely serious expression, Cynthia also nodded seriously. Clearly, this was not a joke.
The group then discussed other details.
"Cynthia, how long do you plan to stay here?"
Sabrina wanted to know what Cynthia was planning to do. She seemed very interested in the Ruins of this world, and judging from her personality, she probably wouldn't settle down in one place like Naza herself.
"I might be staying here for a while, and I'd like to ask you to help me find Caitlin."
Having finally reunited with fellow Pokémon World, Cynthia was also quite tired and wanted to get some rest.
"... Coincidentally, we've been looking for ways to expand our influence recently, and we can also work on finding Caitlin to join us."
Sabrina nodded. "If you want to stay here for a while, you might as well stay with me."
"So... which room does she live in?" Qiao Ran asked. Although Sabrina's house was quite big, it didn't have that many rooms.
"Just make another room available, or if that's not possible, we can all sleep in my room."
Sabrina wasn't too worried.
My bed is quite big.
Cynthia's appearance did not bring about any earth-shattering changes, and Qiao Ran and the others' lives returned to the routine of training during the day and resting at night.
Aside from occasionally receiving Coaching from the Champion, the group continued to eat various takeout meals every day.
Cynthia has no talent for cooking and is always engrossed in her own affairs, paying no attention to these trivial matters.
"The Ruins of this world... seem quite different from those in the Pokémon World... and this language doesn't look like a proper ancient language..."
Her research seemed to have found a key point, but due to the extremely small sample size, she was unable to make a judgment.
Aside from the occasional time when Qiao Ran would sneak Lillie and the others out to the Wild Area for a nice meal, the rest of the time they could only eat takeout with him.
Soon, the day before the Performance Competition arrived. That evening, Qiao Ran introduced Cynthia to someone she was certain would be very interested in.
"Oh? The oldest Elite Four of the Huaxia Alliance, and also a pioneer in the excavation and archaeological work of this world's Ruins?"
Cynthia's eyes lit up immediately, and she looked even more energetic than when she was battling Pokémon.
"Yes, she's also very interested in the Pokémon World, and she helped us solve many of the problems we encountered... Of course, she hasn't told anyone about any of this."
For Qiao Ran, Phoebe was indeed a very useful tool, and she was also independent enough not to collude with the Pokémon League.
"So, a trustworthy ally?"
A relaxed smile curved at the corners of Cynthia's lips.
"You could say that."
Qiao Ran might not know about others, but personally, he definitely trusted Phoebe.
"If you're really interested in the Ruins, you can go there to find her later; she has a lot of rare information about them."
"... Thanks."
Cynthia's smile grew even wider; this was the first time Qiao Ran had ever seen her smile like this.
... Perhaps this is what it feels like to find a treasure you love.
"No need to thank me. It would be great if you two got along well."
Looking at Cynthia's mature and charming face, Qiao Ran smiled slightly, stood beside her, and then placed his phone in front of them.
The phone screen suddenly lit up, and then a familiar face appeared in front of the two of them.
"... What brings you here to see me again?"
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"The Pokémon World Champion?"
After hearing Qiao Ran's introduction, the person on the screen immediately lunged forward towards the screen, as if doing so would allow them to leap off the screen.
"Get out of my way, don't block my way!"
Phoebe immediately gave Qiao Ran a scolding, and Qiao Ran was very angry.
Daodi handed the camera to Cynthia, who was standing next to him.
Hello, I am Cynthia.
Cynthia wore a faint smile, her composed demeanor like that of a gentle older sister. Although she appeared to be an absolute ice queen, one could tell after spending some time with her that her personality was not as cold as it seemed.
As the Champion, she not only lacked the airs of a strong person, but was also very considerate and thoughtful. Except for the occasional time when she would sit on the sofa in a daze, seemingly lost in thought, and only realize after a long while that a few ice cream cones had been delivered, she was practically perfect.
"The food delivery service in this world is actually quite useful."
-- Cynthia offered her commentary on this.
"... My name is Phoebe, and I am the Elite Four of the Pokémon League."
Phoebe also gave a brief introduction. Although she personally felt there was nothing wrong with it, Cynthia was still slightly surprised when she heard someone who looked like a "little girl" say that she was Elite Four.
While there are indeed precedents in the Pokémon World where children have become Champion or Elite Four members, she had previously heard Qiao Ran say that he was the "oldest Elite Four" and also a "leading figure in archaeological research." It shouldn't look like this at all, right?
Is there some special connection between them?
Or...
Cynthia had some ideas in mind, but she didn't say them directly here. After introducing themselves, the two of them started discussing back and forth. Moreover, since both of them had some research on the subject, Qiao Ran couldn't understand what they were saying as the discussion deepened.
"Go, go, go play somewhere else. I need to talk to Cynthia a bit more."
Finally, Qiao Ran, who was in the way, was kicked out by Phoebe. Qiao Ran had no choice but to hand the phone to Cynthia so that she and Phoebe could talk it over.
"I'm sorry, I'll make it up to you next time."
Although Phoebe's attitude hurt Qiao Ran's young heart, Cynthia's gentle comfort still made him feel a touch of warmth.
"It's alright, you can chat a little longer."
Qiao Ran was also happy to see the two of them get to know each other better; they were both very nice people and should be able to become great companions.
As expected, Qiao Ran Cynthia and Phoebe's relationship progressed rapidly, and they were even discussing when to meet in real life by the end of the call.
Cynthia was eager for Phoebe's research data on the Ruins. With more data, she could verify some of her conjectures. There were some things she couldn't verify herself. Moreover, as long as she could get in touch with Phoebe, she could get the latest research progress immediately.