Why is my Pokémon girl a bit strange?

Qiao Ran had never used this move before, but now, he held nothing back.

Then, a miraculous sight occurred: as Excadrill began to spin its steel claws to create dust, the ground beneath its feet started to shake violently. Streams of energy seemed to surge from beneath the earth, startling Excadrill into immediately halting the move and dodging.

Less than half a second after it quickly moved away, the energy erupted onto the ground. If Excadrill had still been in that spot, it would have suffered incredibly terrifying damage!

"What? It's Earth Power?! ...Why didn't you use that move earlier?!"

Iron Maiden was also startled by Qiao Ran's tactic. Earth Power, a Ground-type move, deals double damage to Steel-type Pokémon. If Qiao Ran had mastered this move earlier, why didn't he use it then?

If he had used it earlier, Mawile wouldn't have been able to hold out for so long!

"Why? Why didn't I use it before?"

A mysterious smile spread across Qiao Ran's face. If you ask why he didn't use it, it's because he was waiting for this very moment!

Now, it seemed his gamble had paid off.

If Iron Maiden had known Dianxi possessed such a terrifying move, she might not have sent out Excadrill under non-sandstorm weather conditions and had it create its own sandstorm.

But now, just one Earth Power move could lock down most of Excadrill's movements, preventing it from getting into its rhythm.

However, Qiao Ran still needed to be careful. If Excadrill accidentally managed to create a sandstorm and double its speed, Dianxi, who would be quadruply weak to Steel-type moves, would become a porcelain doll in its presence, the kind that shatters with a single touch. That was definitely not the outcome Qiao Ran wanted to see.

To prevent this from happening, he had to eliminate any possibility of Excadrill creating a sandstorm. As long as the sandstorm didn't appear on the field, Excadrill's speed wouldn't be enough to guarantee a hit on Mega Dianxi!

"Dianxi, continue with Earth Power!"

"Di!"

Dianxi floated in mid-air. With a gentle extension of its arm, the ground began to shake. Excadrill on the ground could only dodge frantically, unable to find any opportunity to counterattack.

"This is bad..." Iron Maiden's expression grew serious. Excadrill was indeed strong, but without someone to help it create a sandstorm, or if it couldn't create one itself, it simply couldn't perform at its best.

What to do? What to do?

Iron Maiden's mind raced for a way to break the stalemate. At this moment, she even had the illusion that the opponent was the Gym Leader and she was the challenger. How could this guy's Pokémon be so strong??

Her Vulpix had gone so smoothly just now!

The stalemate continued. Dianxi unleashed Earth Power, and Excadrill dodged the attacks in a cycle that lasted for a very, very long time. Neither side seemed able to overcome the other.

However, at the last moment, Dianxi's Earth Power finally hit Excadrill.

From the turbulent earth, immense energy erupted. Excadrill, struck by the energy, not only cried out in pain but was also sent flying.

"Well done!"

Qiao Ran shouted excitedly.

However—Iron Maiden on the other side wore the same expression as Qiao Ran.

"Now! Excadrill, Iron Head!"

"What?!"

Qiao Ran was shocked. Right before his eyes, the Excadrill that had been blasted away used the force of the explosion to accelerate directly towards Dianxi.

Dragging its battered body, Excadrill traced a silver arc through the air.

"Didn't expect this, did you? This is my attack route, Qiao Ran!"

Iron Maiden's body trembled with excitement. Her fighting spirit did not wane due to the disadvantage; instead, she would carve a path forward through thorns.

She was the final victor!

"Full power Iron Head attack! Excadrill!"

"Squeak squeak!"

Excadrill's body slammed directly into the floating Dianxi. Both Pokémon fell to the ground, not only with a loud crash but also kicking up a cloud of debris.

"Excadrill!"

"Dianxi...!"

Iron Maiden and Qiao Ran both called out to their Pokémon. However, as the dust settled, both Pokémon had fallen to the ground, their eyes spinning in circles.

"Both... both have lost their ability to battle simultaneously! The result of this battle is a draw!! However, Qiao Ran still has one Pokémon remaining!"

Eve took several deep breaths before finally stating the final conclusion.

This fierce battle had even made her, a referee, feel nervous.

She hadn't expected it to end this way.

"Therefore! The winner of this battle is—Qiao Ran from Longjiang City!!!"

Chapter 59: 058 [The Second Gym Badge]

"We... we won! We won! Dianxi, we won!"

Upon hearing the news of his victory, Qiao Ran shouted excitedly. However, looking at Dianxi, who had collapsed on the field with swirling eyes, Qiao Ran felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, as if his entire body had been instantly drained.

"Ugh!"

Perhaps the sudden joy had dulled the feeling of being knocked out, but Qiao Ran hadn't felt this tired just moments ago. However, when he saw Dianxi

He felt it wash over him like a tide.

Unlike his previous Vulpix, Dianxi's feeling this time was even more intense. After all, Mega Evolution was an additional burden on the trainer. Qiao Ran, gasping for breath, secretly thought—he really needed to find a way to improve his physical fitness.

Just a three-on-three Gym battle had exhausted him to this extent. What would he do if he had to fight a six-on-six League battle in the future? Moreover, if he had a good body, he wouldn't be so easily pushed around by Dianxi and the others.

Once his body recovered, it would be time to establish his authority as a trainer.

"Come back for now, Dianxi... you should rest."

Qiao Ran recalled Dianxi into her Poké Ball. Being hit by an Excadrill with a four-times type disadvantage felt terrible. Even Dianxi needed some time to recover.

After recalling Dianxi, Qiao Ran couldn't help but kneel down again. This battle had drained him more than any before. Unlike previous battles, he had expended a massive amount of energy to fight the Gym Leader's well-trained Pokémon. Furthermore, Mega Evolution acted like a water pump, drawing heavily on Qiao Ran's energy and injecting it into Dianxi's body.

"Are you alright?"

A voice sounded beside Qiao Ran. He couldn't see the speaker clearly, but a pair of strong arms supported him, helping him up from the ground.

"You too... Since Psychic is so draining, don't force yourself to use it like that. Mental power is indeed a special ability, and you use it well, but the strain on your body is too much..."

"...???"

Listening to the gentle voice, a string of question marks inexplicably appeared above Qiao Ran's head.

Psychic...??? Mental power???

When did I ever use that???

Then, he turned his head towards the direction of the voice. Qiao Ran was surprised to find that the person helping him up wasn't Eve, but the Gym Leader who had looked displeased with him earlier—Iron Maiden.

However, her face was no longer filled with contempt. Instead, it was etched with worry and concern. This 180-degree turn in her attitude left Qiao Ran even more bewildered.

What happened?

Who am I? Where am I?

Why isn't this woman scolding me anymore?

"Although you won the Gym battle, what you need most right now is rest."

Seeing Qiao Ran's ghost-like expression, Iron Maiden became even more convinced that the boy was overexerted.

"How about this, I'll take you to the lounge to rest first."

As she spoke, she extended her arms and, in a princess carry, lifted Qiao Ran off the ground.

Qiao Ran: "...?????????"

Countless question marks once again popped out of Qiao Ran's head. It wasn't just him; even Eve, who was just spectating from behind, had her mouth wide open, staring dumbfoundedly at this "masterpiece" unfolding before her eyes.

A tall woman was carrying a boy in a princess carry...

What in the world was going on?!

Due to his fatigue, Qiao Ran was unable to resist and could only let Iron Maiden carry him to the lounge.

Moreover, after this experience, he could physically feel how terrifying Iron Maiden's strength was. Even while carrying him, she showed no signs of fatigue. It felt as if she wasn't carrying a person, but a ball of weightless cotton.

"Um... actually, I just need to rest for a bit to recover. You don't have to put me on the bed."

Qiao Ran looked around and realized Iron Maiden had brought him to a place that resembled a sickroom.

"No matter how minor the injury, it must be taken seriously."

Iron Maiden ignored Qiao Ran's protests, forcefully placed him on the bed, and tucked him in.

After doing all this, she took a badge from the lining of her long coat and placed it in front of Qiao Ran.

"This is the badge of our Jinling Gym. You've passed the trial and are worthy of it. I saw your strategy, perseverance, and determination. You did well."

"Th-thank you."

Qiao Ran humbly accepted the praise. To receive such commendation from a Gym Leader was, frankly, quite exciting.

However, when he looked at the badge, his expression stiffened.

He realized that the badge was shaped like a giant shovel...

"This shape..."

"I proposed this change to the League, and they agreed it was a good idea. Don't you think this shape is great?"

Iron Maiden stared at Qiao Ran's face, her pupils shimmering with a strange light. Qiao Ran was startled and quickly nodded in agreement.

"Yes, yes, you're absolutely right."

The pressure from this strong woman was immense. He even felt that if he dared to disagree, she would pull a shovel from under the bed and flatten him onto the sickbed.

"That's wonderful. I'm glad you like it too."

Iron Maiden nodded with satisfaction and then stood up from the bedside.

You should rest well. If anything comes up, feel free to find me. I'll go take care of some follow-up matters. My contact number is XXX-XXXXX. If all else fails, you can find the Gym's person in charge. Also, regarding your... never mind, we'll talk about that later. Get some good rest.

Iron Maiden gave Qiao Ran some instructions and then left the room. As the Gym Leader, she had many things to attend to. She had postponed other battles for today's fight with Qiao Ran.

However, as she passed by the doorway, where Eve was standing, Iron Maiden paused and patted her "sister's" shoulder.

Although not her biological sister, their close friendship made her feel like a sister.

Iron Maiden quietly leaned close to Eve's ear and whispered something.

"If you two want to elope, I'll support you. This guy isn't bad, little Eve, I'm almost jealous of your taste..."

"…!"

Eve's face instantly flushed red, and she didn't even notice when Iron Maiden finally left.

Honestly, we're not eloping at all!

Section 60: 059 [The Waiting Game]

Having obtained the Jinling Gym badge, Qiao Ran's business in the city was only half done. As for the other half, it was naturally to wait for Eve's sister to return and then meet the legendary "Miss Mei."

Because they had gone to explore the ruins, even Eve didn't know when they would be back. Furthermore, perhaps due to poor signal in the ruins, it was impossible for Eve to contact her sister.

With no other option, Qiao Ran could only secretly pray for their swift return, otherwise, he'd be stuck waiting in Jinling indefinitely.

"You're staying in Jinling for a while? Sure, then you can stay at the Gym. Here, even if your mother wants to take you back, it won't be possible, don't worry, little Eve."

Upon hearing that Qiao Ran and Eve planned to stay in Jinling, Iron Maiden immediately offered them lodging.

Staying at the Gym was indeed a good choice. Not only could Qiao Ran train his Pokémon, but Eve would also be protected. Even if someone tried to kidnap her... putting aside that this was League territory, Iron Maiden alone could probably send them flying with a few scoops of her shovel.

Thus, Qiao Ran and Eve stayed, and Iron Maiden arranged for them to stay in the Gym's dormitory.

The waiting period was extremely boring. Besides leading his Pokémon in training every day, Qiao Ran also took the opportunity to learn from Iron Maiden.

"Um... Miss Tie, how does one train their body to become like you? To make their body tougher?"

"Train your body?" Iron Maiden was slightly taken aback, then a knowing smile spread across her face.

"That's very simple, you'll know once you hold this."

As she spoke, she handed the shovel in her hand to Qiao Ran.

"This is..."