Chapter 272

"Hehehe, if this hadn't happened, I might have recommended you and seen if you could handle the work of International Police."

Within International Police, Modan, Code Name 000, is a highly respected frontline officer. Many active International Police are his former subordinates, so a recommendation from him could indeed have a very positive effect.

"If possible, I would really like to try it."

Qiao Ran smiled slightly. If this hadn't happened in the Pokémon World, he would naturally have been happy to accept the position, provided that it wouldn't interfere with his Gym challenges.

"Hehe, I don't dislike guys like you who're a bit of a bad boy."

Recalling the scene after the battle where Qiao Ran was surrounded by several girls, Modan couldn't help but laugh. Although he didn't know what method Qiao Ran had used, such a scene was still quite rare.

"?"

Upon hearing this, Qiao Ran couldn't help but tremble slightly.

Wait... what do you mean by "not dislike it"?

If a girl had said something like that, he wouldn't have thought anything of it, but hearing it from an older man like Modan made him a little flustered.

"They are all good Trainer, so I hope you won't do anything too outrageous."

Modan wouldn't interfere in the relationships between the young people, but as things got more and more chaotic... especially with the possibility of Acerola getting involved, he couldn't just stand by and do nothing.

That girl Acerola... Although she thought she was hiding it well, Modan could still tell that she was now showing a bit too much concern for Qiao Ran.

Indeed, not only is he quite good-looking, but he is also very strong as Trainer and is quite reliable in critical moments. It's probably no coincidence that the girl was attracted to him.

"... Um."

After listening to Modan's words, Qiao Ran slowly understood what he meant.

Indeed, as Modan said, Lillie and the others were all very good girls, and as their relationship progressed, he gradually realized something.

--If it were the very beginning, they would never have been so excited as to hug themselves in front of others.

Unbeknownst to them, their relationship seemed to be gradually developing into something more intimate.

Qiao Ran didn't know whether this change was good or bad. All he could do was follow his heart and not let anyone down.

"Great! That Monster has finally been defeated!"

"Thank you all!"

The next day, as soon as Qiao Ran woke up, he heard an Uproar commotion outside. Perhaps because they were too tired from yesterday's battle, he and Modan got up a little late. As soon as they stepped out of their room, they were surrounded by a group of very enthusiastic residents of Po Town.

Not only were there combat members dressed in Team Skull uniforms, but also many ordinary residents in plain clothes. They were all excited about the news. As long as the Monster disappeared... they could obtain resources from the Malie City. Even though most of the area had become ruins, there were still many things that could be used beneath those ruins.

Thank you!

"Thanks to you all!"

Their enthusiasm was simply too much to refuse. In the end, Qiao Ran had no choice but to say that he hadn't had breakfast yet and asked them to make way for him and Modan so they could fill their stomachs first.

"Come on over, breakfast has been prepared for a while now."

Plumeria, a former member of the Team Skull, had somehow appeared outside and offered to lead the way for the two.

"Everyone else has already gone to the cafeteria... I also need to thank them for what happened yesterday."

Like other residents of Po Town, Plumeria worries about survival every day. Compared to Guzma, who is the leader, she deals with more basic affairs and can see the urgency of the situation more clearly. Now that Guzzlord is no longer a threat, they can send out some of their more skilled Trainer to find things that can be used.

"By the way, Guzma's performance yesterday... I guess I didn't drag the team down, right?"

As they were talking, Plumeria asked this question for some reason. As the former second-in-command of the Team Skull, she was probably one of the people here who knew Guzma best. If it were the old Guzma, he probably wouldn't have participated in such an operation. However, the changes that have happened to Guzma recently are quite significant.

What initially changed him was probably that Trainer who, like her, enjoyed using Poison-type Pokémon.

"His attack was the key to Defeat that Monster."

Qiao Ran truthfully expressed her thoughts.

Guz, using Bug-type Pokémon

Horses are an indispensable force in the fight against the Guzzlord, and yesterday's Guzma had already fought desperately enough.

Qiao Ran saw all of this.

"Without his help, we definitely wouldn't have been able to sleep here last night."

Qiao Ran smiled and waved his hand.

"I see." A smile appeared on Plumeria face. "Thank you."

Team Skull is an organization formed by a group of marginalized individuals in Alola.

These people may have been marginalized by traditional culture, or perhaps they were overwhelmed by the Island Challenge. Plumeria herself also had a period of negativity, but as time went by, she gradually adjusted.

Seeing that Guzma is gradually being understood by others makes her feel very gratified.

"Qiao Ran! Uncle Modan!"

Upon arriving at the Restaurant, they spotted Acerola waving at them from afar. Several of the people who had fought yesterday were also sitting at a table, including Guzma still looked disgruntled.

How was your rest?

Qiao Ran found an empty seat and asked about everyone's situation. Although he had gotten up a little late, he himself had rested quite comfortably.

"Hmm, not bad."

Lillie and Mei both nodded. Having traveled for so long as Trainer, they had experienced all sorts of harsh conditions. At least they could sleep in a bed yesterday, so what else could they complain about?

Besides, given Alola's current situation, they can't make any more demands.

The group chatted as they ate breakfast.

"By the way, what are your plans after this?"

Suddenly, Acerola asked a question that concerned her greatly.

Qiao Ran and his group left the Aether House to find Lillie's mother, but now that they've found her and the Guzzlord has been defeated, what are their next plans?

Last night, she had wanted to ask Lillie, who slept in the same room as her, but Lillie had already fallen asleep as soon as she lay down on the bed, and she didn't even have a chance to ask.

--There was no way around it, a whole day of fighting was just too tiring, and she could understand Lillie's exhaustion.

"After defeating the Guzzlord, do you plan to stay here, or...?"

Acerola looked up, glancing nervously at Qiao Ran and the others. No matter what, she wanted to know an answer, even though she probably already knew the answer.

"We'll probably still visit other islands."

Qiao Ran glanced at Mei.

"Mei's mother is still on another island; we need to find her."

"We can't just ignore the situation of other people on the other islands; there might be problems there too."

From any perspective, they cannot stop here. Besides what needs to be done in the Real World, they also need to set aside time to explore Alola.

If Mei were to go on the exploration alone, although she certainly wouldn't have any problems with her abilities, Qiao Ran was still very worried.

If she were to encounter any danger, Qiao Ran would not be able to bear the consequences; after all, this is no child's play.

"As expected, you guys don't stay in any one place for long."

After hearing Qiao Ran's reply, Acerola nodded, her face showing an expression of "I knew it."

Although she had expected this recovery, she still felt better asking directly.

--They are all pure Trainer, and they certainly won't stay in one place.

"Girl, if you want to go together, then go with them."

Suddenly, Modan, who had been sitting silently to the side, spoke up.

Ever since Qiao Ran and the others appeared, Acerola had been watching them, but there were others watching Acerola as well.

Although he and Acerola were not related by blood, he had watched this little girl from his hometown grow up.

"Don't let my age fool you, I'm a police officer on Ula'ula Island, and I can handle protecting the children just as well."

So, just do what you want to do, stop hesitating here.

What do you think?

On the way back to the Aether House, Qiao Ran found an opportunity to whisper with Lillie and the others.

As for what he was referring to, it was naturally what happened at the breakfast table earlier.

Modan surprisingly offered to take on the responsibilities of the Aether House and then invited Acerola to travel with them.

Although Acerola didn't directly express her opinion after those words, it was clear to both Qiao Ran and the others that Acerola was obviously interested, and her silence was a way of waiting for their response.

"Um..."

Mei's expression was also somewhat conflicted. If they were really only in Alola, bringing Acerola along might not be a problem. But in reality, their destination wasn't just Alola; in fact—they would be spending almost half their time...

Jidu needs to stay in the Real World.

"If we absolutely have to join her, we can't just leave her here alone while we go to the Real World."

Lillie expressed a similar view, saying that leaving Acerola alone in Alola was definitely not a good idea; who knows what dangers she might encounter?

"There's no way I can fool her with any other excuse." Mei shook her head. She knew Acerola well. Although she sometimes liked to play pranks like a child, she was actually a very smart girl. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that she was more mature than her peers.

"So, instead of discussing it here, I think it's better to talk to her again later. It shouldn't matter if she knows these things, right?"

Mei looked at Qiao Ran, seemingly seeking his opinion. Generally speaking, the secret of being able to travel between worlds is not told to others, but for some trustworthy individuals, an exception can be considered.

During this time, they gradually became familiar with Acerola, and in the previous battles, they also sensed her will; at the very least, she was definitely someone they could trust.

"I think it's feasible."

Qiao Ran nodded in agreement; it's better to have an open and honest discussion than to overthink things.

"If she wants to leave with us, she'll have to be prepared for this."

Meanwhile, in the Real World.

Sabrina, who has taken over as the gym leader of the Magic City Gym Leader, has gradually adapted to her work here. In addition to receiving Trainer's challenges, she also has to deal with media interviews and sometimes participate in some programs to promote the Gym. Thanks to its huge popularity, Trainer come to the Magic City Gym to check in and challenge, making the Magic City Gym a must-see attraction for tourists.

"I didn't expect this craze to still be going strong."

Although Cynthia had left and Qiao Ran and the others had gone to the Pokémon World and hadn't seen each other for several days, Sabrina these past few days had left her no time to think about so many other things.

The period immediately following her appointment was also the busiest time. In her spare time, she would watch a few videos in her "Trainer Diary" and seem to see herself again in the Pokémon World, the one who was adored by countless people. However, every time this happened, she would feel a little empty inside.

She had thought that once she regained what she had lost, she would have the same feelings as before, but now it seems that she had miscalculated once again.

"I just hope these efforts will be effective and that we can find more people from the Pokémon World."

Sabrina muttered to herself, put away her phone, and stood up from her chair.

She'll be facing challenges from other Trainer soon, so warming up a bit will help her get into battle mode.

As the Gym Leader and an idol in everyone's eyes, she must always maintain the best image.

However, just as she was thinking this, a Gym Trainer with short hair walked in through the door of the lounge.

"Gym Leader Sabrina."

She seemed to have something to say, and only after Sabrina signaled her to continue did she speak.

"There's a man with dark skin in the Gym's reception area. He says he wants to see you. It seems like he has something to say."

Oh? Did he mention anything special?

Sabrina suddenly became interested, but just to be on the safe side, she asked a few more questions.

Since she became the Gym Leader and gained some fame, she has had many people wanting to see her. However, she can't possibly meet with everyone; at the very least, they need to provide relevant information.

"He said..." The Gym Trainer seemed hesitant, but finally spoke, "He said seeing you reminds him of the Dark Queen..."

After saying that, she looked nervously in Sabrina's direction. Miss Sabrina was such a good person, why would she use such an adjective?

This is a complete slander against Miss Sabrina!

"..."

Sabrina was slightly taken aback, but a smile appeared on her face instead.