Chapter 309

"So this is how Grass-type Pokémon battle."

"Is this how Grass-type Pokémon battle...?"

Mei paused for a moment. What the other person said seemed to make sense, but she immediately thought of her Serperior —these were completely different fighting styles, weren't they?

Moreover, it wasn't just her; Mei's Decidueye was clearly not a playstyle focused on survival.

"In that case, we must finish this quickly!"

Under Sunny Day, Grass-type Pokémon terrifying recovery abilities. If you can't deliver a fatal blow or control the situation, even the most severe damage can be easily recovered by the opponent.

You can give it a try.

Hua Wanshuang, on the other hand, smiled calmly, completely unaffected by Mei's imposing manner.

Roserade - Solar Beam!

Under the intense light, Roserade's rosebuds overlapped on both hands, and after absorbing a large amount of sunlight, this skill, which originally required a long Stockpile, was instantly activated.

"Zzz--!"

This beam of light, like a light sword that suddenly extended, shot straight into the sky, heading towards the Delibird in mid-air.

"The Sunny Day weather is giving Grass-type characters such a huge boost."

Seeing the current situation from the sidelines, Mei couldn't help but comment a few words.

"If Mei could cover the other party's weather, the situation would be much better, but her Delibird doesn't seem to have learned that skill."

"After all, Delibird isn't Pokémon?"

Qiao Ran shook his head. Mei's Delibird's Ability is "Vital Spirit," which prevents it from falling asleep. This is different from his Vulpix's "Snow Cloak." If Delibird had such Ability, it would probably choose to fight based on the weather, just like Vulpix.

Unfortunately, Delibird do not possess this Ability.

"... Ha ha."

Seeing Mei and Qiao Ran's expressions, Acerola couldn't help but chuckle a few times.

Although the situation on stage looked critical, they didn't seem worried at all, and even had time to make a few comments, which was in stark contrast to the Trainer watching from the other side.

However, Acerola itself

They knew that this confidence stemmed from their trust in Mei's strength. Although they hadn't ranked their own combat abilities, they each had a general idea of what they were capable of.

Aside from Qiao Ran, who is at an exceptional level, the one who firmly holds second place is probably Mei, who is currently in the Battlefield.

--Although Mei's pace in catching up was also astonishing, it was an undeniable fact that Mei had entered the Elite Four Realm first, even though the time difference between the two was not that much.

"Delibird!"

"Brave Bird!"

As expected, Mei on the stage, facing such a strong Solar Beam, instantly countered by using Brave Bird to enhance her speed and quickly close the distance to her opponent.

Roserade!

Hua Wanshuang's side also quickly adjusted the direction of the Solar Beam, attempting to hit the Delibird in the air.

Neither side used any fancy moves or obvious counters; it wasn't a strategic Nasty Plot, but rather a clash of raw power Pokémon.

Was it one side's timely dodge or the other side's accurate aim?

"At times like this, you have to rely on your momentum."

Qiao Ran clenched his fist. Trainer can provide assistance to Pokémon in terms of command, but in the actual execution on the battlefield, it is still the Pokémon themselves that carry it out. As Trainer, all they can do is boost morale.

If you trust them, they will surely bring hope.

About an hour later.

Mei's three Competition have finally come to an end.

"Yes! We won!"

Exhausted, Mei leaned against Serperior's body and collapsed onto the Battle Court.

Normally, if it were just three Competition, it probably wouldn't take this long. However, due to Hua Wanshuang's unique fighting style, the duration of the entire Competition was dragged out to an incredibly frightening level. As Mei was unable to completely defeat her opponent, this time was extended indefinitely.

Most importantly, the opponent's attacks were all powerful Grass-type moves, such as Solar Beam and Solar Blade.

In addition, there are many powerful moves; even a slight hit from one would be a huge blow to Mei's Pokémon.

However, even in such a harsh environment, she still achieved victory.

"Congratulations."

Seeing Mei's exhausted face, Hua Wanshuang stepped forward and congratulated the girl. All three of her Pokémon had been completely defeated, but Mei's last Serperior, Serperior, still had the strength to fight. This Serperior had truly left a deep impression on her.

Unlike her strategy of fighting while recovering, this Serperior unleashed a powerful Leaf Storm as soon as it entered the battle, ignoring even type matchups and truly showcasing its own reckless style.

What's most surprising is that within this "recklessness," Hua Wanshuang also sensed a great deal of "detail," as if she were deliberately controlling the direction of the storm; it was definitely not a skill that was used randomly.

After handing the Badge to Mei, Hua Wanshuang exchanged a few more pleasantries with the girl in front of her. Then, she and Mei walked together toward Qiao Ran and the others in the audience.

"Sorry... our battle has gone on for a while, so the rest of the Competition will have to be extended into the afternoon."

Hua Wanshuang smiled gently and apologized to Qiao Ran.

Normally, she wouldn't need this long to deal with an ordinary Trainer, but when facing these powerful juniors, she had to show enough strength.

As for why it took so long—well, that can only be said that's just how she plays, and she couldn't control it herself.

"Indeed, it's almost noon..."

Faced with Hua Wanshuang's statement, Qiao Ran nodded helplessly. It was already quite late, almost lunchtime, and Mei was already exhausted after a battle that lasted for more than an hour, let alone the older Gym Leader.

Continuing to fight like this is not realistic.

Even if he won under these circumstances, Qiao Ran probably wouldn't be happy, as it would be a rather unfair victory.

"So, if any of you have the time, would you be interested in coming over to my house for a visit?"

Looking at Qiao Ran and his group, Hua Wanshuang suddenly extended an invitation.

"I'd also like to have a detailed discussion with everyone about Pokémon."

Faced with the Gym Leader's invitation, Qiao Ran and his group couldn't very well refuse. Besides, they did need a place to have lunch, and if they didn't accept the Gym Leader's invitation, they would probably just have to eat somewhere else.

"We'd also like to speak with you, Gym Leader... It would be wonderful if we could have a meal together."

Qiao Ran expressed her desire to go along, and the other girls nodded in agreement. They were actually quite interested in being able to interact with powerful Trainer and see how they lived.

Perhaps one day they themselves will be like that, after traveling through most of the world.

After counting all the corners, one day it will finally find rest somewhere.

"No need to be so formal, just call me Sister Wan Shuang or Sister Hua."

Hua Wanshuang was very approachable and always maintained a kind attitude towards these younger generation members, just like her calm and collected fighting style... even to the point of being somewhat slow.

"Then I'll call you Sister Wan Shuang."

Qiao Ran always felt that calling her Sister Hua directly was a bit strange, so he ultimately chose this name. However, there was no other reason for it; it was simply that this name suited his feelings better.

"Anything is fine, everything is fine."

Hua Wanshuang smiled and agreed, then clapped her hands and asked the other staff members of the Gym to help tidy up the Battle Court.

"Please wait for me a moment. I'll arrange a driver to take you there after I take care of some things."

"Um."

Qiao Ran and the others understood the Gym Leader's work; sometimes it wasn't so easy to get away. Mainly, they had watched Sabrina for a long time when they were in Magic City, and they roughly understood what made it difficult for her.

The Gym staff had to clean up the traces of the battle and calculate the repair costs. Meanwhile, outside the Battle Court, many Trainer, besides those who had already packed up their filming equipment and left, were watching Qiao Ran and his group, seemingly ready to come up and exchange ideas at any time.

After seeing Hua Wanshuang walk away, everyone rushed up to her. Some wanted to take photos, some wanted autographs, but most were asking about Pokémon breeding and such. Everyone was very interested in these young boys and girls; their strength was already beyond what was expected for their age.

What special cultivation methods did they use?

Almost everyone has this thought.

However, Qiao Ran always chose the same answer to these kinds of questions.

"Of course, it's because of my affection for Pokémon."

After all, there are many things he doesn't quite understand himself. His Pokémon are excessively obedient; they not only train themselves but are now even starting to manage their own worlds. Who knows when they might conquer the universe and soar to the stars?

Mei and Mei others also used Qiao Ran's answer.

They felt they hadn't done anything strange; if there was anything to it, it was definitely their bond with Pokémon.

Qiao Ran makes a good point.

The Trainer, having failed to gather any information, gradually left after getting photos and autographs. They had come here because they were drawn by the broadcasts at the Pokémon Center. For them, the afternoon's Competition seemed to be the one more worthy of their attention. Although Mei was already very strong in the morning, Qiao Ran in the afternoon was the true Number One of the Younger Generation.

Being able to witness such a battle up close might allow one to learn something from it.

"The Trainer... is really enthusiastic."

Watching the Trainer' departing figures, Lillie sighed. She had been Trainer for a while, but every interaction with these Trainer made her feel the passion and drive for life.

"After all, their goals are the same as ours." Qiao Ran looked at Lillie, and the two exchanged a knowing smile.

Which young boy or girl embarks on Pokémon Journeys without the goal of becoming Pokémon Master? However, the number of those who can hold onto that initial aspiration to the end is probably not very large.

"Hey... what are you two doing?"

Mei noticed the subtle interaction between Qiao Ran and Lillie. Last night, to avoid interfering with Qiao Ran 'Qiao Ran battle, she didn't approach her. However, judging from Lillie current state, something seemed off. Could it be that these two...?

However, this kind of thing only lasts for one night at most. By tonight... her battle with Qiao Ran will be over, and then it will be her turn.

As a girl just experiencing something new, Mei still maintains a considerable thirst for exploration, especially when this thing is truly interesting; this sense of urgency is irresistible. If it weren't for the many eyes watching, she might have done something even crazier.

"You two... um..." Mei also rolled her eyes at Qiao Ran; she still remembered what happened last night.

"Ahem... Hello everyone."

Hua Wanshuang, who reappeared before everyone, seemed to sense a strange atmosphere. She could only cough lightly to attract the attention of Qiao Ran and the others. She herself was puzzled. She had only been gone for a short while, so why did things feel completely different from before?

"I've arranged the driver and transportation; we can just head over now."

Hua Wanshuang led the way, taking the group to the underground parking lot. She also briefly introduced the other people they might meet later.

"Today happens to be the weekend, and my husband and children are at home too. They'd love to see everyone."

"Sister Wan Shuang, who is your husband?"

Seeing that Hua Wanshuang was around thirty or forty years old and had her own family, Qiao Ran wasn't surprised. What did pique his interest, however, was what kind of person could have married such a woman.

A wonderful wife.

He's just an ordinary office worker.

Hua Wanshuang didn't say much, but when she mentioned her husband, she still had a faint smile on her face.

"We were very good playmates since we were little, and we fell in love with each other and got together as we grew up."

Although Hua Wanshuang said her husband was just an ordinary office worker, anyone could see the joy and pride in her heart. Lillie and the others also looked at each other with great curiosity.

They've been married for so long... and they're still so loving.

Visiting someone's home can indeed create a sense of in-depth communication and lead to a deeper understanding of the other person. However, compared to the girls who were interested in Hua Wanshuang's married life, Qiao Ran was clearly more concerned about the meal.

However, this was also related to the fact that their discussions were getting more and more in-depth, and sometimes Qiao Ran didn't even know what kind of expression she should show.

"Sister Wan Shuang actually has two children?"

"Yes, there's a boy and a girl. The older boy will be starting middle school soon."

"Two children... won't they fight?"

"You'll get used to it. Are you guys interested in this too?"

"Um... I'm just asking."

"Maybe..."

As Lillie and Mei talked, they subconsciously glanced at Qiao Ran, who was immediately startled. "What faraway place are you two thinking about?"

If we keep going, this question won't just be at the Elite Four level, it'll be at the Champion level!