Chapter 348

"Um."

Dianxi and Ninetales both nodded.

At this moment, Ninetales, imitating Dianxi, revealed a gentle and dignified smile on her face.

For a moment, Qiao Ran was also filled with inexplicable emotions, and was slightly amazed by the feeling at that moment.

If it were the old her, Qiao Ran would never have imagined that she would show such an expression—although it's a pity that her former self is gone forever, just like her own children, they will eventually grow up.

Growing up can be a bit heavy at times.

After having breakfast with everyone, Qiao Ran called Cynthia and Sabrina to discuss what had happened.

Fortunately, Brock, whom they had been unable to reach by phone before, finally got through this time. The dark-skinned man seemed to have just come down from some mountain, and his half-closed eyes clearly showed signs of fatigue.

As one of the Gym Leader in the Kanto Region, he also joined the conversation.

Qiao Ran and the other girls shared what they had seen and heard, especially Qiao Ran, who focused on what happened in that strange world.

"... Oh, right, we also took some photos before that substance dissipated, and I'll send them to you now."

"Um."

Cynthia nodded, taking out a tablet to look at the information Qiao Ran had sent, and then asked a question.

"Are you absolutely certain that the situation in that world wasn't an illusion? From your description, it seems you're the only one who experienced it all..."

"The Ninetales can also prove it, and her evolution happened in that world. When others saw us, she was already in her Ninetales form."

Qiao Ran initially doubted whether those were hallucinations, but when he considered the situation of the Ninetales, the situation was suddenly reversed.

This is not an illusion, but reality.

"... Hmm... I understand. Torn World, and everything seems upside down, completely defying the laws of physics..."

Cynthia lowered her head, sorting through the key words Qiao Ran had mentioned.

"These descriptions do indeed resemble the legends of the Sinnoh Region. I've read accounts from people who accidentally entered the Giratina world and eventually returned to the Pokémon World for various reasons. Apart from some fabricated accounts, most of them should be credible."

"Most importantly, it does resemble your description, Qiao Ran. However..."

While Cynthia was speaking, Sabrina and Brock, who were participating in the video, could only listen quietly. However, when they heard the crucial part, Sabrina couldn't help but make a sound.

"But?"

"However, records about Giratina's world only exist in Sinnoh. And those who returned seem to have all gathered near a certain region. Of course... this doesn't rule out the possibility that similar events occurred in other regions, only that the Pokémon and humans involved have... completely disappeared."

At this point, everyone present took a deep breath, and Brock sat up straight.

"..."

While the harmonious coexistence of humans and Pokémon is the main theme of the Pokémon World, for some Legendary Pokémon that wield great power, even the smallest actions can have unimaginable consequences.

This kind of unconscious cruelty takes away a considerable number of lives each time, making it all the more chilling.

"The Distortion World, or rather, the Distortion World, the Torn World, is a region that existed when Arceus created the Pokémon World. It is the opposite of the world and is necessary to maintain balance."

According to ancient legends, everything in the present world is reflected in the Otherworld, and everything in the Otherworld also affects the other side of the mirror; the two correspond to each other and maintain balance.

"But why now... if what Qiao Ran in Alola is real, then what we saw on the satellite images before must all have been..."

Cynthia's expression was already quite bad.

She already had a bad feeling that things were going very badly, but what Qiao Ran saw this time confirmed it even more, and it was even more serious than she had imagined.

Qiao Ran continued in the same vein.

"It's all... the erosion of the Real World by the Distortion World, isn't it?"

"That's not necessarily true." Upon hearing Qiao Ran's words, the meticulous Cynthia still retorted.

"However, for two worlds that were originally clearly distinct, this collapse of balance... is no different from the collapse of the world itself."

Cynthia repeated the sentence several times, as if afraid that others might not realize the seriousness of the matter.

"We must speed things up, find a time and space, or Giratina..."

In the ensuing conversation, the group discussed the details they had discovered.

After discussing the matter, Qiao Ran also brought up the topic of Anabel.

"By the way, we've found Anabel's old files in Alola. We plan to meet her in the next few days and see if we can get her to remember anything. If she can join us, our combat strength will increase by another level."

Although Anabel is not as strong as Cynthia, she is at least a top- Elite Four or above. If we can recruit her and a few others, we could probably form a Pokémon League on the spot.

"Besides Anabel, there's also Nurse Joy we met before..."

"Nurse Joy? What, Nurse Joy?"

Hearing Qiao Ran's mutterings, Brock, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly perked up.

"Nurse Joy is..."

Etc.

Looking at Brock's screen, Qiao Ran seemed to suddenly remember something.

Brock... Nurse Joy... Brock... Nurse Joy...

They didn't know Nurse Joy's identity, nor could they find any other clues, but—that didn't mean Brock couldn't do it!

--In the Pokémon World, besides the Nurse Joy family, the only person who can recognize each Nurse Joy is a certain eccentric named "Brock".

Although Qiao Ran didn't know if Brock in front of him had the ability, he felt it was still worth trying.

After Qiao Ran told Brock all the information, he patted his chest with a serious expression.

"Can."

This was the first time Qiao Ran had seen such a confident expression on his face; he seemed even more confident than when he was climbing the mountain.

Leave everything to me!

"..."

Meanwhile, Sabrina and Cynthia remained silent, with Sabrina looking utterly speechless, showing no intention of joining the strange conversation.

The conversation lasted until nearly noon, and even after the others had hung up, Cynthia still did not leave.

"Qiao Ran, where are you right now?"

There was no hesitation in her eyes. As she spoke, she stood up from her chair and put on her long coat.

I'm coming to find you right now.

Looking for me?

Cynthia's sudden reaction caught Qiao Ran off guard. She seemed perfectly fine before, so why did she suddenly stand up and say she was coming to find him?

However, looking at Cynthia's serious expression, Qiao Ran seemed to have a premonition.

--

"We can't wait any longer, Qiao Ran. I'm coming to find you now, and then you'll take me to the Pokémon World."

After hearing about Giratina and the Distortion World, Cynthia could no longer sit still. It was Qiao Ran, the junior, who was exploring the Pokémon World, while she, the Champion, was always in the back researching information. This was really improper, and Cynthia felt a little guilty about it.

Moreover, the situation is urgent. Antimatter from the Distortion World has already appeared in the Pokémon World. If it continues to spread, Cynthia even has reason to believe that the destruction of the Pokémon World is only a matter of time. She must set off immediately.

Although she had gained a lot of information from Phoebe, she couldn't wait any longer in the face of such a huge crisis. Normally, she would be happy to stay with Phoebe for a long time if she were doing research, but this was clearly not the time for research.

You want to go to the Pokémon World? But I can't go to the Sinnoh Region.

Qiao Ran was startled by Cynthia's words, but the place he could go had absolutely nothing to do with the Sinnoh Region.

"Going to Unova is fine too."

Cynthia did not refute this, but instead went along with Qiao Ran's words.

"... Compared to Alola or Galar, the distance between Unova Region and Sinnoh is quite short, and I'm pretty familiar with Unova. I occasionally fly Unova... kind of like a vacation."

"Fly?"

Garchomp.

Cynthia gave Qiao Ran a hint, and upon hearing those four words, Qiao Ran roughly understood what was going on.

As expected of Champion- level Pokémon... it even has this kind of function.

"So your plan this time is..."

"That's right."

"I plan to fly directly back to Sinnoh from Unova, just like before. There might be some difficulties along the way, but there's no other way now."

If she could, Cynthia wouldn't want to act rashly like this, but now neither time nor anything else will wait for her to hesitate.

"If you don't want to come with me, just take me to the Pokémon World, and I'll figure out a way to get there."

Cynthia respected Qiao Ran's choice. After all, he wasn't even from the Pokémon World, so asking him to go on an adventure with her was too demanding.

She didn't even mention this during their previous conversation, just to make Sabrina and Brock feel awkward. Not everyone can accept Qiao Ran's condition of traveling to another world, and not everyone can understand why she's working so hard.

"..."

However, after hearing Cynthia's words, Qiao Ran simply smiled.

What kind of person do you take me for?

"... If you want to go to the Pokémon World, come find us in Rongcheng. We plan to rest here for a while and won't be going anywhere else for the next few days."

Qiao Ran believed that she had made this choice after careful consideration, after all, they had talked on the phone many, many times during this period.

Just how much does someone Pokémon World really love that world?

"If you're going to Sinnoh, I can go with you, but you'll have to agree to some conditions. Anyway, let's talk about the details with Mei and Lillie after you get here."

Exploring Unova has always been one of Qiao Ran's to-do lists, and Cynthia's journey across Unova to Sinnoh does not conflict with her exploration of Unova. Most importantly, Qiao Ran cannot watch her go on an adventure alone. Although she is a Champion with unparalleled strength and is a fixed point in the Pokémon World, that is only in terms of her Pokémon.

No one can guarantee that she won't be ambushed or attacked unpredictably, since one-on-one Battlefield battles no longer exist in the modern Pokémon World.

In that kind of world, perhaps only Sabrina would live a relatively comfortable life, but given Sabrina's personality, she probably wouldn't risk her life for anything.

After listening to Qiao Ran's words, Cynthia closed her eyes slightly, and after a long while, she finally nodded.

"... Um."

She seemed to want to say something more, but instead of saying it directly, she put it into action.

"I'm leaving now. Phoebe hasn't woken up yet. I've sent Spiritomb to contact the other Ghost Pokémon she'll receive the message when she wakes up."

"... Wait for me."

The fact that Cynthia was coming surprised not only Qiao Ran but also the other girls.

"So... Cynthia is also planning to join us?"

"Could she also be targeted by that Nihilego...?"

"At that time..."

The girls were whispering amongst themselves, their expressions varied. They understood Cynthia's desire to go to the Pokémon World, but they knew... the price of going to the Pokémon World wouldn't be so simple.

That Cynthia actually agreed?

They actually agreed to these conditions?

"Heh... it seems things are getting more and more complicated." Mei said, glancing at Qiao Ran with a forced smile. Hearing her words, the expressions of the girls present became somewhat unnatural, except for Acerola was still celebrating her increased combat power.

"Cough... cough cough."

"Let's put that aside for now. Didn't you say you were going to contact Anabel? We're staying here these days anyway, so let's see if we can get her to go out with us."

Qiao Ran tried to change the subject and shift the attention to Anabel, and Lillie readily picked up on Qiao Ran's line of conversation. However, Mei still made a sarcastic remark.

Mei: "And Anabel too, she's got quite the ambition."

A tic-tac-toe sign immediately appeared above Qiao Ran's head. "..."

What's wrong with me today? Did I eat gunpowder?