Chapter 247

Cynthia pressed for an answer. In fact, she already knew the answer to this question. Researchers had already studied the matter of Hoopa, Arceus did indeed show signs of involvement. However... how did Qiao Ran know so much?

Could it be that he is actually a scholar of mythology?

In the Pokémon World, did he also secretly review many related reports and papers?

"... Long ago, Arceus used its power to fend off a meteorite powerful enough to destroy the world, and in the process, its life-giving Gem scattered to different locations around the globe."

"The artifact used to seal Hoopa —the 'Prison Bottle' —was created using the energies of Arceus's three life-giving elements."

Qiao Ran continued to speak at length, and each sentence only confirmed Cynthia's suspicions.

Cynthia couldn't help but add, "It's the energy of water, fire, and earth."

"Yes." Qiao Ran nodded.

The two of them started chatting, one sentence after another.

Furthermore, after Cynthia mentions something, Qiao Ran is always able to accurately pinpoint related details.

Most importantly, what he said was basically not much different from what she knew.

--You know, she's Pokémon World, and there's a lot of information that only she has access to as firsthand data!

How did he know?

Could it be... that he's actually a PhD student's Assistant?

"Are you... also a mythologist? Or did you read those papers about Hoopa in the Pokémon World?"

Cynthia grew increasingly curious. Her conversations with Qiao Ran felt like chatting with mythologists. Most importantly, the doctors and Assistant were all significantly older than her, and there was really no one like Qiao Ran who looked younger than her.

"No, I was just lucky, that's why I knew a little bit."

Qiao Ran smiled slightly and didn't discuss the topic further.

"Or... you could say you took it as Yveltal telling me."

"Is there... such a thing?"

Cynthia stared intently at Qiao Ran, her eyes brimming with curiosity. She then remembered that there were several very special Legendary Pokémon around Qiao Ran, and perhaps she could learn some information from them.

"Tell me about Pokémon too, how about that?"

"This..."

As Qiao Ran watched the Sinnoh Champion getting closer and closer to him, the words caught in his throat—she was just too close. He could even see her Golden hair and pink lips, and her beautiful figure was on full display from this angle. Her mature charm was even more alluring and seductive than Sabrina's.

Unfortunately, she herself seemed completely unaware of this.

"Um... isn't it about time for Rest?"

Qiao Ran glanced at the bright moonlight beside her. It was already quite late, and if things continued like this, they might cause another big problem tonight.

However, Cynthia in front of him didn't seem to have any intention of letting him slip away.

Tell me a little more.

Her interest had just been piqued, and she wasn't entirely sure about many of the things Qiao Ran had mentioned before. It would be a real letdown to suddenly say it was too late to continue.

"How about... we talk while we're lying down?"

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Cynthia

Sometimes, once certain interests are sparked, they are not so easy to quell.

Although Cynthia knew that Qiao Ran had important matters to attend to tomorrow and needed a good rest, she thought... spending a little time on this shouldn't be a problem, right?

It's so rare to find someone younger than yourself to talk about this kind of thing. Whenever she chats with other mythologists, Cynthia always feels a little reserved, and they are always very careful because of her status Champion. But this boy in front of her seems to be a little different from them.

Is it that he's not afraid of her, or... is he just a bit special?

"Okay, fine, I'll talk about it lying down then."

Upon hearing Cynthia's suggestion, Qiao Ran did not refuse. He had been running around all day and had long wanted to lie down and rest. In addition, it was easy to fall asleep while lying down, and he might just drift off to sleep sometime during the day.

After tidying up the bedding, the two lay down neatly on the bed. Cynthia slept on the left side, while Qiao Ran lay on the other side.

Cynthia: "..."

Qiao Ran: "..."

For some reason, after lying down, the two fell silent at the same time, not uttering a single word for a long time.

"It seems... a little hot."

"Yes... yes."

The previous Cynthia never imagined she would turn out like this, but... why is it so strange?

She never imagined there would be a day when she couldn't speak.

"Turn around here first, let's continue talking about what we were just discussing."

However, after a brief moment of hesitation, Cynthia took action first. Her thirst for knowledge Defeat this strange awkwardness. She wanted to know the secrets hidden in those legends. Only in times like this could she maintain the same curiosity as a child.

"Turn around... okay."

Qiao Ran didn't really want to lie face to face—no, it wasn't that he didn't want to, but rather that he didn't want to appear strange in front of this Sinnoh Champion.

Most of the time, he had feelings for the other person.

He felt immense respect and admiration; as a Trainer, everyone who reached the pinnacle deserved his respect. However... when the other person actually lay before him like this, wearing only a thin nightgown, and he could even see the curve of her white neck and shoulders, his emotions hadn't quite settled yet.

It's really... beautiful.

With his slightly wavy blonde hair and fair, striking features, he possessed both a rebellious and heroic air, and an intellectual beauty reminiscent of a scholar.

Two completely different temperaments seemed like two extremes in her, yet they blended together perfectly. Just as a scholar, she possessed an irresistible charm that Qiao Ran found hard to resist.

"Where were we?" Cynthia asked.

Upon hearing the other person's voice, Qiao Ran was taken aback at first, then replied, "... The relationship between Yveltal and Xerneas, and Zygarde's influence on the environment."

"Let's talk about that then. Didn't you subdue Yveltal?"

Cynthia wore a slight smile as she turned her head to look at Qiao Ran in front of her. It seemed as if their bodies would touch if they were any closer.

"Ah... um."

Qiao Ran could only force herself to calm down.

The two continued their casual conversation, mostly with Qiao Ran doing the talking, while Cynthia would also share some of her own thoughts. However, as the conversation progressed, she also had the idea to talk about some of her own research.

"... Regarding Arceus and the other three Pokémon, I actually have some thoughts of my own. How about I tell you?"

"OK."

Cynthia hasn't had an experience like this in a long time.

I remember when she was very young, she would lie next to her grandmother and listen to her tell myths and legends. She would also express her own opinions. Although her grandmother would usually correct her mistakes with a smile, it was during that time that she developed an interest in Pokémon and myths and legends.

However, after she grew up, these things never happened again.

Even with her closest friends, she couldn't talk about these things. Their interests were quite different from hers, and every time she tried to discuss them with them, they had no desire to listen. Unexpectedly, it was only after coming to this world that she truly met someone she could talk to.

"... Therefore, the Sendoff Spring in the Sinnoh Region is a very important and crucial point. In ancient texts, it is even referred to as the fourth lake in Sinnoh. The ancients must have had their reasons for placing the Sendoff Spring in such a high position..."

Cynthia didn't know why, even though it was well past Rest, she was still in high spirits. These were all unpublished studies that she had prepared to publish in a journal after the excavation of the Ruins, but she never expected that this would happen.

"Qiao Ran...?"

Just as Cynthia was engrossed in her story, she noticed that the boy in front of her had closed his eyes and was no longer responding. His breathing was even, coming out of his nose, indicating that he had fallen asleep.

Are you asleep?

Zhulan smiled helplessly, with an expression that was both regretful and emotional.

She never imagined she would spend so much time chatting with a completely unrelated Trainer, and... judging from his appearance, he looked much younger than her.

"..."

Unconsciously, Cynthia stared at him for a long time, as if trying to memorize his appearance. Qiao Ran was not the kind of person who was so handsome that he would be outrageously handsome at first glance, but he was still handsome and clean-cut. Looking at his eyelashes that swayed slightly with his breath, Cynthia felt extremely comfortable.

"..."

This was the first time she had ever observed a man's appearance so closely; she had never had such a memory before, nor had she ever done anything like it.

Fortunately, the other person did not open their eyes halfway through and did not notice her actions.

"... That's about it, I should Rest too."

... Let's have another Pokémon battle after he finishes what he's doing over there.

Cynthia is increasingly looking forward to the upcoming battle. What kind of side of her will she show in Pokémon battles?

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Early the next morning.

Seeing Qiao Ran and Cynthia come out of the room, the girls all looked nervously in Qiao Ran's direction.

"How was your rest? Did anything go wrong?"

To keep their promise from yesterday to "test their strength in the morning," they got up even earlier than usual. As for Lillie... although she said she wanted to stay in bed yesterday, she couldn't bear to stay any longer when she saw everyone getting ready to leave, so she had to get up with them.

"It's... nothing, I rested very well."

Qiao Ran rubbed her eyes. Although she went to bed a little late last night, her sleep quality was actually quite good. If she had to find any fault, it would be that she encountered a slight problem when she got up.

In fact, not everyone can be as alert and lie still in their sleep as Sabrina, at least—when Qiao Ran woke up early in the morning and found that Cynthia's right hand had passed under his armpit and her whole body was pressed against him, he realized that the person in front of him definitely couldn't do the same thing as Sabrina.

Finally, with no other option, Qiao Ran had to turn to Latias, who possessed Psychic, and ask her to teleport him away. Although the commotion still woke up Cynthia, who was still asleep, it prevented a greater tragedy from occurring—so Qiao Ran breathed a sigh of relief.

After all, Qiao Ran didn't dare to take the risk. If such behavior angered Cynthia, it would truly be a matter of life and death.

"Yeah, I slept really well last night, I feel much more comfortable than before..."