Chapter 290
Moreover... looking at the gaze of the "Anabel" opposite him, Qiao Ran couldn't help but feel a little suspicious.
--This guy... could he have lost his memory again?
This isn't the first time this person has suffered from amnesia, and even if it happens again, Qiao Ran wouldn't be surprised.
And there's an even Heavy Slam point—he and Sabrina have already gained immense fame in Magic City during this time, especially Sabrina. As the new Gym Leader of Magic City, her image was etched into the minds of every Magic City on the day she took office. If this "Anabel" really remembered things from before, she couldn't possibly not have gone to find them, right?
Deliberately avoiding him? That's a rather absurd reason.
You seem to have something to say.
Anabel smiled slightly and took out a Poké Ball from her waist.
"However, the Competition is about to begin."
Just as Anabel said, the countdown on the monitor that had fallen from the top of the carriage was already within twenty seconds. When the countdown reached zero, it would mark the official start of the battle between the two.
"Um..."
Qiao Ran nodded, banishing these chaotic thoughts from his mind. He was a Trainer, and his primary task here was to fight. As for the rest... he could deal with them after the battle.
Furthermore, if she really is Anabel, Acerola might be able to recognize her. Acerola and Modan are usually quite close, and Modan is the former commander of the International Police. If Anabel held a position in Alola, then she must have met Modan.
Putting that aside, Qiao Ran also had the idea of exchanging blows with her. As the Battle Tower Tycoon of the Hoenn Region and the commander of the International Police, Anabel's true strength would at least be at the "Elite Four" level.
Although she doesn't have a Pokémon League recognized title of strength in any work, her powerful demeanor and gaze do not deceive anyone.
It's not that only those Elite Four recognized by the Pokémon League are considered Elite Four.
The two stood at opposite ends of the carriage with perfect coordination, and simultaneously pulled out a Poké Ball.
The final round of battles was also one-on-one, with the winner decided in a single round.
Both players will blindly choose a Pokémon, and once they have chosen their Pokémon, they cannot change the Poké Ball they are holding.
This Rules is different from ordinary Gym Challenge. Instead, it is more like a battle between Trainer. No one knows what Pokémon the opponent will send out first, and they have no way to make corresponding adjustments. They can only speculate about their opponent's moves.
"... If it were you, you might want to try this."
Soon, the timer on the monitor reached zero, and amidst a red glow, the Competition officially began.
"Bring it on!"
"Mismagius!!!!"
"I've chosen you!"
"Dianxi!"
Following the voices of both Trainer, the two Pokémon chosen by each side appeared in the carriage.
Appearing before Qiao Ran was the pure Diamond Princess Diancie. The moment she appeared, the entire transparent carriage seemed to become even brighter, and the light from the sky shining on her gave her a beautiful glow, making her sparkle in the sunlight.
On the other side, a Ghost Pokémon appeared, its head seemingly adorned with a wizard's hat. It had a purple body, like it was wearing a cloak, and its golden eyes were hidden beneath the large brim of the hat, eerily observing everything around it.
From Qiao Ran and Anabel's perspective, the world seemed to be clearly divided into two parts: one side was bathed in the vibrant colors of sunlight, while the other side was shrouded in a somber, dark purple.
However, unlike ordinary Pokémon, these two Pokémon, after appearing, surprisingly floated in the air and stared at each other.
"Mismagius."
This was Qiao Ran's first time battling this Pokémon. Although he had seen this Pokémon many times with Phoebe and Acerola, this was his first time actually facing it in a battle.
After all, there aren't that many people who can use Ghost-type Pokémon. If there's a chance next time... it would be better to call Acerola out for some special training. Maybe it can even increase his experience in dealing with Ghost Pokémon.
"But... the level of this Mismagius..."
Qiao Ran secretly took out Rotom disguised as an ordinary cell phone from his pocket, and Rotom also secretly passed on the other party's level information to him.
"It's a level 53 Rotom."
"What."
Although he already had a premonition, Qiao Ran was still surprised by the level of the Pokémon that the other party casually pulled out.
This level... is already close to Sabrina's ace Pokémon, right?
"As the Train Conductor, I also have the authority to adjust the strength of the Pokémon."
Anabel, sitting opposite, seemed to have also discerned some of Qiao Ran's thoughts.
"I've seen your video before. If it were you—would you be unhappy if I used a different Pokémon?"
Anabel looked directly into Qiao Ran's eyes, and through those clear, sharp eyes, Qiao Ran seemed to sense the other's conviction.
"Yes, that's exactly how it feels."
"You really are just like me, Qiao Ran."
"Mismagius!"
Anabel reached out, and the Mismagius in front of her also began to act.
She gave no commands, either verbally or physically, yet the Mismagius began to act.
This Frillish Pokémon floated gracefully in the air, and as its cloak swayed slightly, a small, dark purple Energy Ball condensed in front of it.
"..."
Anabel remained silent, but a confident smile played on her lips, as if she had everything under control.
"Dianxi!"
Faced with the opponent's skills, Qiao Ran had to retaliate. However, the opponent's strange command method still made Qiao Ran somewhat concerned.
Unlike his feelings when facing Sabrina, Psychic are a very special kind of power, and even those who use Psychic can be traced through his Aura Power perception. But this woman in front of him...
Qiao Ran actually sensed something very similar to him from her.
Was this feeling real, or just a fleeting sense of déjà vu he inadvertently experienced?
Qiao Ran didn't want to think about these complicated questions, and as a Trainer, there was only one way for him to get the answers.
--Fight as soon as eyes meet.
As long as they continue fighting, they will inevitably gain a deeper understanding of each other.
"Dianxi!"
"Little Diamond Storm!"
The so-called "Little Diamond Storm" is actually a younger version of Diamond Storm. In order to control the damage to the Bullet Train, the battle on it must be fought with extreme caution. If Diamond Storm is used carelessly as before, given the hardness of diamonds and the speed of the storm, it would probably not be a big problem to directly destroy the carriages.
"Oh? You want to control the power?"
Anabel naturally saw through Qiao Ran's plan.
"But do you think you can hit my Pokémon like that?"
"Do you really think that simply reducing the skill level will achieve the same effect as before?"
As expected, Dianxi faced the Shadow Ball launched by Mismagius.
The Diamond Storm only held out for a short while—after breaking through the storm's range, it still flew towards Dianxi.
"What?"
This skill... didn't the opponent stop?
"Dianxi!"
Although he didn't know why the opponent could use such powerful skills without any restraint, the current situation did indeed make Qiao Ran feel troubled.
At this distance, hiding is practically impossible. Dianxi's only remaining option is to gather her power and fundamentally break through the opponent's attack.
But how do we control the power of this attack?
Qiao Ran didn't have a clear answer to this. He could only choose a relatively safe approach with Dianxi, gradually increasing their attacks to test that vague boundary.
In battle, continuous learning is their way of moving forward!
"Storm!"
Qiao Ran's Aura and Dianxi's spirit were in harmony, precisely controlling the intensity of the Diamond Storm.
Under the influence of the pink Whirlwind, the size of the Shadow Ball gradually diminished, and the wind in front of Dianxi also gradually weakened. As the fragments of the diamond shattered and turned into points of light, everything seemed to vanish into nothingness. Only the Diamond Princess remained gracefully suspended in mid-air, staring directly at her opponent.
"Such strong teamwork."
Is this really your first time participating in a battle like this?
Laymen watch the spectacle, experts watch the details.
Qiao Ran and Dianxi's performance clearly exceeded Anabel's expectations. If it was really their first time participating, they were able to control their abilities so precisely, neither too much nor too little, so naturally taking control of everything and then annihilating them in one fell swoop.
And what exactly is that Pokémon...?
What kind of battles has this guy been through?
"What a terrifying man."
Seeing that her probing was easily thwarted, Anabel began to change her approach.
"..."
However, as before, she still did not give any overt command.
The Mismagius, as if it had known her thoughts all along, began to act on its own.
Suddenly, it shook its head, stuck out a strange tongue from its mouth, and made a face at Dianxi.
"This is..."
Qiao Ran had no idea what the other party was planning. Without the other party calling out the name of the move, even he couldn't predict what the other party was using from the Pokémon's movements. In short, he still lacked experience in actual battles with other Pokémon.
Is that... a ghost face?
Or something else...
Just as Qiao Ran was contemplating whether to use this time to launch an attack, an incredibly frenzied aura seemed to emanate from his body.
No--
This wasn't his own feeling, but rather something that had been transmitted to him from Dianxi.
Fight! Fight! Fight!
Victory!
Victory!!
Victory!!!
As the feeling spread, Dianxi's originally elegant expression became somewhat impatient, and her red eyes grew even redder, as if they were stained with blood.
"Not good!"
That's not a funny face, that's clearly Taunt!
In the game, this is a move that doesn't deal damage but prevents the opponent from using any skills other than offensive ones. However, in reality, the effects of this move are clearly much more than that.
"Such a strong will..."
That relentless urge to fight was spreading in Qiao Ran's mind, making it impossible for him to concentrate.
"Oh?"
Qiao Ran's sudden reaction made Anabel gasp in surprise, but she quickly smiled back.
"You should have guessed what skill I used by now, right?"
Anabel stretched out her finger and pointed in Qiao Ran's direction.
"That's right. On this high -Bullet Train, anyone who uses an overly aggressive move will be disqualified. Most importantly, overly forceful moves carry enormous risks!"
"And now that you're in Taunt situation, can you maintain the same level of self-control as before? If you don't want that—you'd better find a way to restrain your impulses first."
As she spoke, the Mismagius conjured another Shadow Ball, which Dianxi narrowly dodged this time, clearly indicating that something was wrong with her.
"Tsk!"
Qiao Ran covered his forehead, and could only suppress Dianxi impulse while dodging. Just as Anabel said, if he fought back in this state, he would inevitably be defeated. However, if he did not fight back and just ran away, he would become a target for the enemy!
Is this the strategy for Battle Tower Tycoon?