Chapter 351

"Miss, we don't allow Ghost Pokémon to play here... It's best if you don't bring Pokémon."

"Huh? But these kids are all very well-behaved, aren't they?"

Although she had finally arrived at the secret room she had been looking forward to, Acerola's initial excitement immediately turned somber upon hearing the staff's words.

She glanced at the Ghost Pokémon, Gengar Mimikyu, and a whole bunch of other ghost Misdreavus floating in the air beside her, then tried to get the shopkeeper to make an exception with a pitiful expression. But rules are rules, and under the shopkeeper's insistence, Acerola reluctantly put the Pokémon away.

"Fine, I won't bring it then... Fine. Humph."

This is still the first

Once, Qiao Ran noticed that Acerola seemed a bit angry, but the shopkeeper had their reasons for handling it that way, and they weren't deliberately trying to make things difficult for Acerola. It was already difficult enough for the shop staff to Role Play NPCs; if players also brought Pokémon, a single Astonish would be enough to make them run away on the spot, let alone Ghost-type Pokémon. Who knows who would be scaring whom in the end?

"... We can go in, and then we Pokémon to other places to play later."

Lillie and the others were comforting Acerola. Anyway, after Acerola's meddling, last night's events were completely forgotten. Now everyone was acting like nothing happened, playing the escape room game. Even Mei's acting seemed a bit over the top—was she really that interested?

Qiao Ran didn't understand and didn't dare to ask, so she could only obediently follow behind and experience it with them.

Although Qiao Ran didn't have much experience playing escape rooms, overall, this experience was quite interesting. This feeling came not only from the scene setup and Role Play provided by the venue, but most importantly, from the fact that all the people she played with were her very familiar companions.

After leaving the store, Acerola, who had initially been a little annoyed, had a much changed opinion of the place and even started having strange fantasies.

"You know... if Alola becomes normal again, how about I open a shop like that? There are plenty of locations on Ula'ula Island, like that supermarket ruins that Tapu Bulu destroyed before, it looked really scary inside."

"I used that Battle Court when I set up the Grand Trial before, Mei should know that, right? She went there back then too."

Acerola spoke with great interest, but in fact, this kind of operation of setting up a secret Battle Court and arranging NPCs is very similar to Alola's Grand Trial. However, the Captain's Grand Trial involves arranging the battle Battle Court and the wild Totem Pokémon to battle.

After finishing the escape room, everyone went to experience many different entertainment facilities. During this time, Acerola was mostly running around excitedly, just like her Ghost Pokémon, she has a personality that is interested in many things.

Moreover, Qiao Ran also discovered that she wasn't just joking around; she was genuinely thinking about how to bring good things back to Alola. Compared to this world, or other regions in the Pokémon World, the relatively underdeveloped Alola Region was indeed lacking in many things.

The more Acerola traveled with Qiao Ran and the others, the more she felt this way. Her vision expanded beyond Alola and a single island, encompassing the differences between regions, worlds, and even between humans and Pokémon.

The time spent playing around was indeed very enjoyable. The most enjoyable thing was that, thanks to Acerola's actions, yesterday's events were successfully covered up. Mei and Lillie were all pretending to be clueless, acting as if no one knew anything as long as no one said anything.

"... Alright then."

Qiao Ran didn't disrupt this balance. He knew Mei was the type to be shy, especially about these kinds of things. Wasn't that the reason they hadn't progressed their relationship before?

However, Qiao Ran was somewhat worried: what if one day Mei had an accident with someone else, like Mei and Lillie? Would she immediately go berserk and lose control?

"It seems this is far from over..."

Qiao Ran rubbed her head. The future was still full of obstacles. Although they had overcome one hurdle, there were still many, many problems ahead. After all, no one had ever experienced this kind of relationship before. Whether it was themselves or Qiao Ran, they would probably have to find some "solutions".

After rest and entertainment, the Trainer still have to carry out daily special training. In addition to letting the Pokémon get some exercise, it is also to help them adapt to the rhythm of battle. Especially for Qiao Ran and others, they can't just stand there and watch when the Pokémon are training.

--Everyone must increase their physical strength to prevent any unexpected events; even Lillie needs to improve her stamina.

Even if you don't need to reach the level of Super Palletian, you should at least be able to lift Larvitar hands.

As for Training Ground, Wild Area is definitely the best choice.

"I think we could try building some Training Ground or small houses in the Wild Area. The Unova Region's Timburr are very good at building houses, and there should be some in the Wild Area, Pokémon? How about we get them to help?"

During a break in training, Mei also shared her idea. In the Unova Region, there is a type of Pokémon that is always seen at construction sites: the Timburr, and its evolved forms Gurdurr and Conkeldurr. These Pokémon love construction-related work, and their bodies become very Sturdy from working. It is thanks to the help of these Pokémon the Unova Region has become highly industrialized and urbanized, with almost every building having one of these Pokémon.

"Hmm... I think we can give it a try. As for the building materials... I'll see if I can contact Sabrina's side..."

The moment this topic came up, Qiao Ran immediately thought of Na.

As the owner of the Magic City Gym Leader, Zi certainly has a vast network of connections. Finding someone in this field would be a piece of cake for her, and besides, she's incredibly reliable.

"Ah, Anabel replied to my message."

Just then, Lillie, who had been doing Limber, jogged over to Qiao Ran.

She was still holding her phone in her hand.

She said she'd be free tomorrow and that we should meet at our usual spot!

The old place Anabel pointed to was naturally the meeting point where they first went out. Although they had been running around every day for the past few days and Qiao Ran was a little tired, he didn't dwell on it too much, considering that their meeting with Anabel wasn't just for fun.

Awakening Anabel's memories would definitely have great benefits.

Of course, no matter how important this matter is, it's still a day away. For Qiao Ran right now, it's better to worry more about the present.

For example, will anything strange happen tonight?

"No way, they're not all coming tonight, are they?"

Although everything was peaceful during the day, it was all thanks to Acerola. Today, Qiao Ran thought more than once about how wise it was to let Acerola join the team.

--If it weren't for her, I would definitely have suffered a massive hemorrhage by now.

Despite having Acerola as a safety net during the day, Qiao Ran was still quite worried about his safety at night. If these three people attacked him together, would he dare to move? He absolutely wouldn't dare to move.

"Let's go relax at the Wild Area..."

After a day of playing and training, it was almost 8 p. m. when Qiao Ran returned to her room. It wasn't yet time for the mischievous kids to go out at night, so Qiao Ran had the opportunity to do things on her own.

Taking advantage of this time, whether to visit the newly arrived Mew in the Wild Area or to spend some time with Ninetales, would be excellent.

Especially the newcomer Mew, she's a big star in the Wild Area now. After all, her unique ability to Transform at will is something no other Pokémon has, and coupled with her cheerful personality, it's hard for other Pokémon to dislike her.

"... Let's first get a feel for where they are."

Upon arriving at the Wild Area, Qiao Ran looked around. After all, it was already night, and the Pokémon were all resting, even the lively Mew. It's worth mentioning that Mew had built its nest on the newly grown tree, from which one could see most of the Wild Area.

However—at this time of year, the only Pokémon that could probably settle down in that tree is probably Mew, which is quite petite. As for Dianxi or other Pokémon, they would prefer caves at lower altitudes to those tall trees. They probably wouldn't want to live there at all.

Qiao Ran had made up his mind to go check out Mew by the tree, and maybe even have her transform into some other Pokémon skills. However, before he could take more than a few steps, a strange aura emanated from behind him.

"Clatter."

Strange noises accompanied this.

"..."

Qiao Ran's expression instantly fell. In that moment, he basically understood everything and sensed the presence of "the other party," but—it was obviously too late.

When Qiao Ran was able to open his eyes again, he was bound in a rather eerie-looking cave, surrounded by strangely shaped rocks that emitted a faint glow.

Within the light screen, strange white "jellyfish" were still waving their tentacles with abandon.

"This..."

Qiao Ran's expression darkened, and he looked as if he had been poisoned. The word "damn" stuck in his throat. He was beginning to understand everything, but—it was all too late.

Some things will gradually fade from his mind, but eventually someone will force him to remember them.

"Master, it's been so long, have you... really forgotten something?"

From the depths of the cave, amidst the misty, shimmering light of the minerals, a white-haired, white-dressed girl, as light as an elf, emerged Frillish. Her steps were so light it was as if she were not touching the ground, and her entire being exuded a fleeting, ethereal beauty that was impossible to fathom.

However, the malicious smile on his face clearly made Qiao Ran's heart tighten.

Although her white and blue attire bears a resemblance of six or seven parts to the current Ninetales, anyone who sees the two of them would likely be able to instantly distinguish her from the Ninetales.

"Master~"

"Who was it that kept saying they would make it up to me and would never forget?"

Nihilego slowly walked out, meticulously listing Qiao Ran's crimes one by one.

Before, and even before that, and even earlier, every time Qiao Ran asked her for help, she never refused. But she has dragged it out until now, and Qiao Ran has never delivered on the so-called "rewards" he promised.

"... I've been waiting for this for the past two days, you know."

I've been waiting all along.

A faint black aura seemed to emanate from Nihilego, causing Qiao Ran to shudder. Wait... could this be a sign of him turning evil???

Fearful and unable to move, Qiao Ran could only awkwardly avert her gaze. "..."

But it's not his fault! The key is that a lot has indeed happened in the past two days...

"..."

Qiao Ran was about to explain, but when he looked up and saw the complicated look in Nihilego's eyes, he swallowed the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

Rage, resentment, disappointment, and loss...

So what kind of emotion is it?

She, who is usually unpredictable, also exhibits noticeable emotional fluctuations.

--All right.

Qiao Ran gradually calmed down.

Indeed, he had forgotten his promise to Nihilego. He had stood him up many times, and tonight he hadn't even thought about it, only remembering to climb a tree and pet the cat.

"I understand... it was indeed my fault."

"I..."

Qiao Ran immediately began to apologize on the spot, wanting to comfort Nihilego's hurt feelings. However, before he could say more, Nihilego's expression had already become "strange".

"So... you've already agreed, haven't you, Master?"

"Huh?"

"The debts from before, and the payments due today, all need to be made up in one go."

Nihilego smiled, and after Qiao Ran his head to admit his mistake, she switched her emotions in the blink of an eye.

She patted the back of her hand, and with every gesture, the queen's prestige and influence were evident. Upon hearing this voice, the other Nihilego in the Cave began to stir and gradually moved towards Qiao Ran and the Nihilego.

The white-haired girl squinted her eyes, licked her lips with a mischievous grin.

"We won't let you leave until dawn tomorrow..."

"Master~"

What does it feel like to be Beat Up by a group of Nihilego?

In the Pokémon World, perhaps no one can answer this question, but outside of the Pokémon World, Qiao Ran feels he has the absolute right to speak on the matter.

"I'm going to die... I'm going to die..."

How exactly did I fall asleep last night?

Perhaps... that feeling wasn't actually falling asleep, but simply being completely exhausted and then losing consciousness.

In the first half, it was basically Nihilego who Beat Up him, but in the second half, Nihilego, as the queen, simply took him back to her room.

After Humanoid Transformation, she was no longer satisfied with just a Levitate cave. She decorated her room a bit, making it quite elegant and unique. From a human aesthetic point of view, it was indeed out of step with mainstream art and had a very "Otherworld" feel.

However, when Qiao Ran was led into his room by Nihilego, all he could see was the Otherworld.

"Are you tired? You can take a good rest then."

Unexpectedly, Nihilego let him lie on her lap, relaxing his mind slightly. His gentle attitude almost made Qiao Ran hallucinate, but little did he know that it was only the beginning of Hurricane.

The "comeback" Nihilego was clearly not going to let Qiao Ran off so easily. In the latter half of the night, she even tried many things that had previously puzzled her, all while maintaining exclusive copyright. As for the final step—considering Qiao Ran's physical condition, she didn't go too far. At least, she now had the answer she wanted.

As for the rest, we can talk about them later.

"So... that's what Dianxi and the others were doing..."

Nihilego was quite surprised. The last time she secretly followed Qiao Ran from a distance, she also spotted Suicune wandering by. However, no matter what she asked Suicune, Suicune always gave vague and ambiguous answers. She heard that Suicune was a veteran Pokémon who had followed its master since Dianxi, but now she had ended up like this. Nihilego could only shake her head and sigh.

As for Qiao Ran, he was filled with fear towards the Nihilego had had its limiter activated. Right now, it was just this queen; what if she became familiar with the other Nihilego outside? Wouldn't that be...?

In fact, not all Humanoid Transformation Pokémon exhibit this tendency, but it is particularly evident in Nihilego. Qiao Ran is unsure whether it was influenced by Lillie and the others, but compared to Yveltal or other Pokémon know nothing, her tricks are quite elaborate.

"But thankfully, it's finally the second day..."

The next day, when Qiao Ran returned to the Real World and struggled to crawl to the bathroom, he was very grateful that he was still fully conscious.

Procrastination and betrayal will ultimately be Punishment by justice. Qiao Ran has now experienced this firsthand. From now on, he must strive to become an honest and trustworthy person.

"So, you went to the Wild Area last night and ended up spending time training with Pokémon."

So you just stayed up all night?