Chapter 311
Hua Wanshuang would be content as long as she could spend each day peacefully as she does now.
She's actually quite laid-back about Gym Leader.
After playing with the two children all afternoon, Qiao Ran was actually a little tired. However, when he saw Mei, he found that she seemed even more tired than him.
We talked to her a lot.
Lillie whispered something to Qiao Ran, but Qiao Ran didn't quite understand what she meant. What did she mean by "talked a lot"...? What exactly did "a lot" mean?
Wait... what exactly did you two talk about at noon?
Qiao Ran wanted to press for answers, but the other party remained silent, acting all mysterious. Soon, the group arrived at the Gym, and once Gym, there was no further opportunity to ask further questions.
"Qiao Ran! Qiao Ran!"
"It really is them! They really came to Rongcheng to challenge the Gym!"
More and more Trainer came to watch the battle, and many could be seen even on the way to the Battlefield. The name "Qiao Ran" was truly a golden brand.
"Qiao Ran, you're much more popular than me."
Mei couldn't help but come closer, and thinking about the number of onlookers she had seen that morning, she couldn't help but complain.
"There are also many girls inside..."
Among the Trainer, some distinct figures could be clearly seen, and judging from their appearance, they had obviously dressed up a bit.
As a girl herself, Mei recognized it immediately.
"After all, he's Trainer, isn't it normal for girls to be around?"
Qiao Ran countered with a quick backhand, preventing what might happen next. If it was just Mei, it would be easy to handle, but if it attracted the attention of Lillie and the others, it would be much more difficult to deal with.
Qiao Ran has already sensed that if they unite, she might not be able to withstand it.
"Too."
Mei nodded slightly. What Qiao Ran said made sense. If all the people watching Qiao Ran were men, she would be more worried about whether something strange had happened to Qiao Ran.
"Please wait in the lounge for a moment. I need to get ready."
After leading Qiao Ran and the others to the lounge, Hua Wanshuang took her leave to handle some trivial matters. There were still a few details that needed her attention in preparation for the afternoon's battle. Qiao Ran and the others waited in the lounge for a while.
"We must win this afternoon's Competition!" Mei encouraged Qiao Ran earnestly. She had already won the morning's Competition, so she had no worries about the next one. However, she also hoped that everyone in the team could achieve victory together.
Don't worry.
Qiao Ran naturally smiled and nodded. Having experienced so many Gym Battle, he was no longer the novice Trainer he once was. Now, even if he returned to his hometown of Longjiang City to challenge Gym, he could probably compete with the powerful Longjiang City Gym Leader.
Qiao Ran appeared very confident, a confidence that stemmed from his increased strength.
However, Mei still secretly approached Qiao Ran and whispered something in his ear.
"Win this Competition... and tonight I'll..."
"...!"
Qiao Ran was startled by her sudden action and stared at her face in surprise. However, after saying that, Mei blushed and ran to sit down on the chair next to her. Her combo was swift and efficient.
Qiao Ran's expression still showed some surprise.
This girl...
They're definitely much bolder than before.
... As expected of Trainer from the Unova Region.
Even with so many people watching around, she wasn't afraid at all.
And... shouldn't he have said that to Dianxi?
How come it's now affecting him instead?
Although Qiao Ran hadn't yet adjusted to the change in his identity, the second half of the Gym Battle started as scheduled. He and Hua Wanshuang stood at opposite ends of the Battlefield, while Mei, Lillie, Hua Wanshuang's family, and other Trainer stood around the Battlefield, watching the Battle Court with anticipation.
"Both Trainer are ready!"
The Referee for this Competition was the same one from this morning. In such a formal Gym, there would naturally be several people who would serve as Referee. Compared to Referee who are Trainer on the side, their professional qualities would be much better.
"Gym Leader, please send out your Pokémon first!"
As the Gym Leader, Hua Wanshuang was the first to send out her Pokémon. She glanced at Qiao Ran opposite her, then looked at the other side.
Outside the Battle Court, smiles appeared on the faces of their families as they watched.
My first Pokémon.
"Come out, Ludicolo!"
As Hua Wanshuang spoke, a Pokémon with a unique appearance, looking like a duck or a pineapple, Pokémon on the Battle Court. Most of its body was made up of yellow and green, and it had a huge, wide-brimmed hat on its head, like a lotus leaf. However, what was most eye-catching was not only its unique appearance, but also its comical and cheerful movements.
--Ever since it appeared in the Battle Court, it has been constantly shaking its body, its palms and soles swaying back and forth, as if it were performing an unknown dance.
"It's this Pokémon."
Qiao Ran was quite familiar with this Pokémon, especially its unique "Grass and Water" type, which was unique among all Pokémon.
"So... whom I need to send out is..."
The Ludicolo that Hua Wanshuang sent out, although its level was already close to level 50, still hadn't broken through that threshold. Therefore, Qiao Ran didn't plan to send out Yveltal and the others directly. They could be considered his secret weapons, while this slightly weaker Ludicolo could be used to train Qiao Ran's other Pokémon.
"... Mimikyu!"
This time, Qiao Ran chose Mimikyu, Pokémon that hasn't had many opportunities to appear recently. Although Qiao Ran always brings her with him when battling in the wild, she still has too few chances to appear in battles against Trainer.
As Trainer, Qiao Ran could only try his best to give them all the opportunities to participate in battles; otherwise, every time he saw them, they would look at him with Grudge.
To be honest, Qiao Ran always felt a little sorry for them at times like this. He couldn't even imagine what the Trainer were thinking when they caught Pokémon, raised them for a period of time, and then stored them in some kind of Pokémon Day Care.
"I'm counting on you for this match, Mimikyu."
"Mi--!"
Hearing Qiao Ran's voice, Mimikyu, who hadn't played Competition in a long time, responded with great enthusiasm. Although the yellow duck on the other side seemed to be a bit stronger than her, Mimikyu had seen plenty of things stronger than her.
Even in the Wild Area, there were countless Pokémon stronger than her, but she wasn't afraid at all.
As long as you have your own Disguise Ability, no matter how powerful the attack, it's impossible for it to sneak up on you.
"Looks like Mimikyu that's been well-bred."
Although she was somewhat disappointed not to see Qiao Ran's "special Pokémon," Hua Wanshuang still dared not be careless in the face of this Mimikyu.
Just the interaction between Qiao Ran and Mimikyu had given her a bad feeling.
At least, she hadn't sensed this kind of "chemistry" with many Trainer.
"Both sides are ready!"
Seeing that both sides had released their Pokémon, the Referee raised his right hand high and then swung it down sharply.
"The Competition has officially begun!"
"Rain Dance!"
Hua Wanshuang, who had initially opted for a defensive counter-attacking strategy in the morning, surprisingly changed her approach in the afternoon, issuing her own instructions the moment the Referee announced the start of the Competition.
The Ludicolo took action the very moment Hua Wanshuang uttered the skill's name.
"Shadow Ball!"
Qiao Ran also launched his own counterattack at the same time. However, the Ludicolo did not choose to dodge, but faithfully carried out Hua Wanshuang's orders.
It wiggled its emerald green hands and feet, dancing a joyful dance with a crackling sound. As the dance progressed, a layer of dark rain clouds condensed in the sky above the Gym, and then a light drizzle began to fall from the sky, sprinkling the Battle Court.
Qiao Ran had never been able to understand the principles behind these weather skills, or why they could achieve the same effect indoors. But in fact, the existence of Pokémon was beyond the comprehension of common sense, so he simply gave up trying to figure it out. Instead of thinking about these things, he decided to think about how to handle the upcoming battle.
In the drizzling rain, Qiao Ran could clearly feel that the Ludicolo's movements were getting faster. Its swaying dance seemed to be fast-forwarded, even leaving afterimages in the middle.
The Shadow Ball launched by Mimikyu was also dodged by this bizarre movement. No... it dodged Mimikyu's move not because of the bizarre movement, but simply because of its ridiculously fast speed.
"Swift Swim?"
Qiao Ran seemed to have realized something.
Swift Swim – one of the Pokémon Ability. Pokémon with this Ability have double their speed in rainy weather. In some situations, this Ability is also called "Swift Swim," making it one of the most useful Pokémon Ability.
"No wonder they're so eager for it to rain right away..."
"That's right, that's the advantage Grass-type Pokémon in rainy weather." Hua Wanshuang nodded, directly acknowledging Qiao Ran's statement.
His guesses were all correct, and he was able to do so in such a short time.
Understanding her reasons for doing this, this young boy... his knowledge of Pokémon is probably no less than that of most people.
"No, Ludicolo a Grass/ Water-type Pokémon in rainy weather, Water-type types should have an advantage. How did it become Grass...?"
Upon hearing Hua Wanshuang's words, Qiao Ran couldn't help but retort, but before he could finish speaking, she had already issued the Attack Order.
"Ludicolo, Muddy Water!"
This time, the other side has taken the initiative.
A surging, murky current spread from beneath Ludicolo's feet, the waves seeming to come alive as they rushed straight toward Mimikyu.
Muddy Water – a Water-type skill with the same power as Surf, but compared to Surf, these muddy currents can further reduce the hit rate of the attacked, making it slightly stronger than the original Surf.
However, Hua Wanshuang's decision to have Ludicolo use this skill was probably not solely based on its power, but rather on its "range".
This attack covered the entire area of Battle Court, leaving Mimikyu with virtually no room to dodge. Since Mimikyu had no way to dodge, it had no choice but to take the hit head-on!
Mimikyu! Swords Dance!
Knowing that dodging was no longer an option, Qiao Ran immediately had Mimikyu begin its power-up.
Facing the surging Muddy Water, Mimikyu also exuded a tangible aura, like a sword blade shooting into the sky. She stood straight in place, directly resisting the terrifying surge.
The water flowed over her body, but Mimikyu didn't move at all. Apart from her costume being soaked in liquid and her doll head drooping, she looked almost the same as before.
However, Mimikyu is able to do this not because of its superior defense, but simply because of Mimikyu Ability.
Disguise's first attack after it Mimikyu the battle is nullified.
"In that case, your Disguise Ability will be ineffective." Hua Wanshuang wasn't surprised by Mimikyu's performance at all. As the Gym Leader, she couldn't possibly be unaware of Mimikyu's Ability.
Her attack this time wasn't intended to cause Mimikyu any significant damage; it was merely to remove the Disguise status.
Without the help of its Disguise, Mimikyu's threat was reduced to a minimum. Even if the opponent used Swords Dance to boost its speed, it was still unable to deal with Ludicolo speed doubled in the rain.
Of course... this is just a theoretical calculation.
"Sister Wan Shuang, do you know why Mimikyu has the nickname 'Solo King'?"
"... Why?"
Hua Wanshuang had absolutely no idea why Qiao Ran would suddenly say such a thing, and besides, "Solo King"... when did Mimikyu ever have that nickname?
"Of course, it's because Mimikyu is really strong in one-on-one battles!"
In the Pokémon games Qiao Ran had played before, Mimikyu was a regular on the battle leaderboard. With its powerful Ability, flexible move sets, and excellent stats, Mimikyu was never weaker than any other Pokémon.
Qiao Ran immediately issued the next instruction.
Mimikyu! Shadow Sneak!
"Ludicolo! Dodge! Then counterattack with Icy Wind!"
Hua Wanshuang reacted immediately, even trying to get Ludicolo to use Icy Wind to further reduce the opponent's speed. If this combo were to be executed, Mimikyu would basically be controlled by the opponent until it slowly dies.
However--
Just as the Ludicolo moved to the side and was about to open its mouth, a dark shadow emerged from behind it and slashed down, striking the Ludicolo hard.
"What?"
The Ludicolo froze in place, its body jerking violently as it nearly fell to the ground.
Hua Wanshuang never imagined that the opponent's attack would be so fast. Mimikyu's body was still standing in place, but its shadow had already spread behind Ludicolo and launched an attack.
Qiao Ran, on the other hand, wore a knowing smile.
"While Shadow Sneak isn't very powerful, this skill has a speed boost, and besides, thanks to your use of Rain Dance."