Why is my Pokémon girl a bit strange?

As Qiao Ran and his group walked towards the room, Eve seemed a little reluctant to leave.

"Then you can come by later. Vulpix is tired and needs to rest."

Qiao Ran glanced at Vulpix, who was lying in his arms. Her breathing had gradually stabilized, and she seemed to have fallen asleep. Qiao Ran was determined to take her back so she could get a good night's sleep.

"Okay, I'll wander around outside then. Ah—if only I had signed up for the exhibition match earlier, I'm sure I could have won the championship now."

Eve fiddled with her wig and walked in the opposite direction from Qiao Ran. Qiao Ran, on the other hand, walked down the long corridor towards his room.

Before long, Qiao Ran arrived at the door holding Vulpix. He opened the door and walked in first, with Dianxi quietly following behind.

Suddenly, Dianxi, who was behind him, made a sound, calling out to Qiao Ran, who was still in front, and quietly closed the door.

"Wait, Brother... no, Master, please wait a moment."

"What's wrong?" Qiao Ran looked back at her with some confusion. He had no idea what Dianxi wanted to say.

"It's this."

Dianxi extended her hands, which she had been hiding behind her back. Three Poké Balls lay quietly in her hands.

"While Master was competing, I also did some things. These are all Flying-type Pokémon... With these, I'll reach a hundred."

Seeing that Qiao Ran hadn't spoken for a long time, Dianxi lowered her head, too timid to meet his eyes. "M-Master doesn't like it? I took the liberty..."

She wanted to be useful, so... she would do anything.

"No... you did very well, very well!" Seeing these Poké Balls, Qiao Ran was genuinely surprised. According to the original plan, he might not have started catching Pokémon until tomorrow.

"That's great, Dianxi, we can complete another mission! Today... no, we can complete it now!"

Holding the Poké Balls, Qiao Ran couldn't help but get excited.

"Then... Master, can you hug me?"

"Hmm? That... isn't that what we do every night?" Qiao Ran asked, a little confused.

"It's different! This is different from that..."

Dianxi tried to explain, but the more she explained, the redder her cheeks became.

"Alright, no need to say more, I understand."

Qiao Ran smiled a little helplessly, lowered his body slightly, and hugged her tightly.

"..." In that instant, Dianxi felt like her breathing had stopped for a second.

This feeling...

However, neither of them noticed that Vulpix, lying on the bed, had quietly opened one eye. She stared at them intently, a hint of curiosity and confusion on her face...

Section 40 040 [The Meaning of Mutual Understanding]

'What exactly... is this?'

Vulpix didn't understand what was happening before her, but she suddenly felt like she had lost something important. From the moment she was born, she had been with Qiao Ran, so she had always thought it was natural for her to be good to Qiao Ran and for Qiao Ran to be good to her.

However, as time passed, some things began to change gradually.

"..."

Vulpix remained on the bed without making a sound, quietly watching the scene before her. However, everything that happened today left a mark on her heart. Some things were changing, and she herself was also learning and comprehending more.

Vulpix rested on the bed, while Eve was still wandering outside. She would likely return before lunch. To prevent her from noticing anything amiss, Qiao Ran had no choice but to leave Dianxi in the real world and go to Pokémon Pioneer Land by himself.

He wasn't going there to summon new partners this time; he just wanted to see Suicune.

After all, Qiao Ran felt it was better to summon new partners when everyone was present. That way, it would feel more like they were integrating into the family.

Moreover, Qiao Ran felt he had been neglecting Suicune a bit lately. He had brought Dianxi and Vulpix onto the ship but had left her behind. In the end, Eve had even taken the sleeping spot originally reserved for her.

She was the Pokémon who had come to Qiao Ran most recently and needed the most care.

"I'm sorry... Suicune, for leaving you here alone again."

"Roar—"

Qiao Ran sat on the grass, with Suicune lying beside him, looking at the flowing river before them.

Qiao Ran was also a bit helpless. Suicune's identity was too special. Even if he wanted Suicune to participate in a battle, he couldn't possibly release her in front of a crowd of spectators.

"I'll let you participate in battles whenever I have the chance."

"Roar."

Suicune nodded gently, her gaze fixed on her reflection in the water.

As for her, she wasn't afraid of loneliness. As the embodiment of the north wind, she had always been a solitary creature. No matter how lonely it was, she never felt uncomfortable.

However, she also loved the feeling of being needed by her Master... Qiao Ran... was the only one, besides the Wind King's eldest daughter, who made Suicune feel this way.

"Don't worry, don't worry, I'll let you battle. When have I ever lied to you? Wait... wait! Stop licking my neck, hahaha!"

Before he knew it, Suicune had pushed Qiao Ran onto the grass and was licking his neck with her tongue. Suicune didn't know how to express her affection, so she could only resort to this simpler, more primitive method.

"So itchy..."

Qiao Ran finally managed to escape Suicune's licking hell. Although it was really itchy, he didn't dislike this kind of interaction. After all, being able to do this meant Suicune was in a pretty good mood.

"Suicune, when you can take human form in the future, I'll take you out more often. Sometimes, the human world and the Pokémon world are different. Only by experiencing different lives can we understand each other better... Vulpix and Dianxi are like this... you will be too."

Qiao Ran lay on the grass, and gradually, he seemed to grasp the true meaning of humanization. This special transformation was a bridge that brought them closer.

No matter how close humans and Pokémon were, there was always a decisive barrier between them. However, once this barrier was broken, everything would change. Pokémon would better understand human habits and lives, and humans would consider Pokémon matters from more perspectives.

At least, Qiao Ran had always treated his Pokémon as his best friends, as living beings, not as tools to win.

They would live together, eat and sleep together, sleep in the same bed, and nothing would be different.

"Roar."

Suicune nodded, indicating that she understood Qiao Ran's meaning. However, she wasn't desperate to take human form because she loved her current body—a body bestowed by the great Lady Ho-Oh, which also held a special meaning for her.

Besides, she could already do things that humans could do quite well.

—Like cooking or doing laundry.

She could even control water and wind to achieve a one-stop service of washing and quick drying, making her a terrifying biological washing machine.

"Alright, it's about time I head out. Otherwise, some rowdy girl is going to start looking for me."

Qiao Ran summoned Rotom to check the time, then said goodbye to Suicune and left. It was already noon, and if he didn't go back, there would likely be some trouble.

After all, Qiao Ran didn't intend for others to know about his abilities.

Returning to the real world, Qiao Ran opened the door and came out of the restroom. He glanced around the room and found that Eve was not present, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

However, his gaze then fell on the two girls on the bed. Vulpix and Dianxi were looking at each other, their expressions seeming a bit strange.

"Did... something happen?"

Qiao Ran scratched his hair in confusion. Could something have happened while he was gone?

"No, nothing happened."

"Mmm... nothing."

However, to Qiao Ran's surprise, both Vulpix and Dianxi vehemently denied that anything had happened. As if they had reached some unspoken agreement, they both fell silent.

"...??"

Seeing them like this, Qiao Ran's face was filled with even more question marks. He took a step forward, intending to ask for more details.

"Um—"

However, just as he was about to speak, there was an urgent knocking sound from the door.

Qiao Ran turned around with a helpless expression and went to open the door.

"Stop knocking, stop knocking, you don't need to be so loud..."

Qiao Ran thought it was Eve knocking, but when he opened the door, he saw... Jynx, leaning against the wall, panting heavily.

Jynx's originally glossy golden hair was now dirty, and her body was covered in wounds.

"Jynx! Jynx!!"

As soon as Jynx saw Qiao Ran, she cried out urgently, her face filled with anxiety.

"...?" Qiao Ran didn't understand what she was saying. Apart from his own Pokémon, he couldn't understand Pokémon language.

However, the two girls behind Qiao Ran had the ability to translate.

"She... she just said... Eve... Eve was captured! Only she... managed to escape! Please save Eve..."

Dianxi's expression changed slightly.

"What?!" Hearing this, Qiao Ran's eyes widened in shock.

On this ship... someone was actually captured?!

And they could capture Eve... she wasn't weak at all!

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Chapter 41: 041 [Pursuit] (Seeking Votes!)

Honestly, if Qiao Ran had heard this out of the blue, he would have doubted its authenticity. To take Eve away would require immense strength, and it would also have to meet two conditions: "without alerting anyone else on the ship" and "quickly ending the fight." Qiao Ran didn't believe that someone on this ship could simultaneously achieve these.

But when the battered Jynx appeared before him, even if he was unwilling to believe it, he had to.

"Where was she captured?"

Qiao Ran became a little anxious. Part of it was worry for Eve, and another part was due to her special identity—if she was captured, the clue he had for finding Mei would be completely lost!

For whatever reason, Qiao Ran had to set out and find her.

"Jynx! Jynx!"

Jynx pointed in a direction with her finger, then showed a pained expression and collapsed onto the ground.

"Oh no... she fainted. What did she say?" Qiao Ran looked at Dianxi behind him.

"She said it was on the deck... After Eve was kidnapped, the kidnappers took her onto a speedboat and fled... The direction was the opposite of the ship's course..."

Dianxi carefully translated, relaying what Jynx had said.

"Speedboat..." Qiao Ran's heart skipped a beat. It was obvious that this was a planned kidnapping this time, and they had even prepared the escape tools.

"Dianxi, you stay here and look after Jynx for now."

"Master... I..." Dianxi was a bit confused. Why was she being left behind? Her strength could clearly be of more use.

"Sorry, this battle might take place on the sea, so it's a bit disadvantageous for you. You should stay here," Qiao Ran said quickly, opening the door as he spoke.

"Vulpix, you come with me first."

"Awooo." Vulpix jumped down from the bed and was picked up by Qiao Ran, settling on his shoulder.

"Alright, we're leaving now. If we don't hurry, we might not be able to find them."

Qiao Ran anxiously left the room with Vulpix. However, before leaving, Vulpix quietly looked back and cast a somewhat smug glance at Dianxi, who was still standing in her original spot.

Dianxi could only glare back, grinding her teeth. Since it was Master's arrangement, there was nothing she could do. Besides, Qiao Ran did have a point; fighting at sea would be too disadvantageous for her... If she wasn't careful, she might even sink straight to the bottom of the ocean.

Running wildly through the ship's cabins, Qiao Ran finally reached the deck level after navigating countless stairs.

"The opposite direction of the ship... is it that way?"

Standing at the edge of the deck, enduring the sea breeze, Qiao Ran squinted to confirm the direction. Then, he leaped directly up and flipped over the railing.

"My goodness! Someone jumped overboard!"

"Quick, quick, call for help!"

The innocent bystanders were stunned. Although they hadn't noticed Qiao Ran's appearance, they had clearly seen something flip over the railing – the shape was undoubtedly that of a person!

In their panic, they tried to call for a crew member to handle the situation. However, when they reached the railing, they were surprised to find that hundreds of meters away from the ship, a blue, wolf-like creature was sprinting across the water.