Chapter 357

The first thought that Qiao Ran and the others had when they arrived was that they probably needed to find a place to stay as soon as possible.

"The appointment time is approaching, we need to hurry."

When traveling by plane, most of the time is not actually spent on the flight itself, but rather on getting to and from the airport, waiting for the flight, and other miscellaneous things. As for whether the plane will arrive early or late, that probably depends on luck.

At least for now, Qiao Ran and his team really need to race against time if they still hope to fight two battles today.

Seeing how eager the group was to pull out their Pokémon and dash forward, Cynthia could probably understand their feelings. After all, Gym Challenge held a special significance for Trainer, and no one would want to miss them if they could.

After a flurry of activity, the group arrived in the city by subway. After quickly finding Inn to stay in, they headed straight for the Gym, hardly taking any time to rest.

After all, if we're talking about rest, the time we've had so far has been enough.

What's even more anticipated now is the battle that follows.

This time, Cynthia also came to the Gym in Yangcheng with the others. Although she would not participate in the battle due to her physical condition and strength, that did not stop her from being a good spectator and commenting on the performance of both sides.

The difference in skill between an average Gym Leader and Cynthia is truly...

Some of them were too big. Even if she wanted to learn something from these Gym Leader, she would probably find it difficult to find anything worth learning. On the contrary, she gradually understood a lot from Qiao Ran.

Perhaps this is why she has been so attentive to Qiao Ran from the very beginning.

"Is this... the Gym in this city?"

Arriving at their destination by taxi, what greeted everyone's eyes was not a building indistinguishable from other Gym in the city—but a rather modern, towering tower that seemed to reach into the clouds.

"It seems like this is the place."

After getting off the bus, Qiao Ran immediately checked the nearby map. It turned out that the driver had not taken them to the wrong place. In addition to its function of transmitting broadcast signals, the tower was also a very famous tourist attraction. The Yangcheng Gym was just one of the facilities there.

Even on ordinary days, many tourists come here to watch the games.

"... It is indeed quite different from other places."

Having visited so many regions and seen so many Gym, this one was indeed the only one whose appearance alone made him feel that it was very special. Compared to other Gym that were almost plain and unadorned on the outside, this one, built on a tower Gym, seemed to have a unique charm.

"However, if you're hosting a large Competition and need a large audience, you'll still need to use other Stadium, right?"

Although this Gym is located directly within the tourist attraction, attracting many visitors to watch the battles every day, it doesn't mean that the Gym's most iconic Open Tournament are completely canceled. Qiao Ran did a quick online search and found many videos labeled as Yangcheng Gym, but showing Battle Court taking place in large Venue. More importantly, Gym Trainer themselves need a large Battle Court for Pokémon training.

If this tower were used as Training Ground... even tourist attractions probably couldn't withstand such a heavy blow.

Following the bustling crowd of tourists, Qiao Ran and his group finally made their way to the floor where the Gym was located after much effort. However, calling it a floor wasn't quite accurate, as a large area within the building seemed to belong to the Gym.

However, when he tried to walk directly into the Gym entrance, he was stopped by the staff.

"Hello, this is not a visitor area. If you would like to watch the Competition, please wait elsewhere. If the Gym Competition is scheduled to take place, we will broadcast it throughout the tower."

"We are Trainer have booked Competition today. Could you please get in touch with your Gym Leader?"

Qiao Ran took out his Trainer's badge and then removed the disguise from his face.

"Ah... you are...?"

Perhaps because he already had a certain degree of fame in the circle, the Gym Trainer at the entrance immediately recognized Qiao Ran's identity. He cautiously glanced at the person behind Qiao Ran and couldn't help but swallow.

He had heard about what had happened in Magic City and Rongcheng before, but now... had these guys already infiltrated their area?

"... Okay, I'll go inform the Gym Leader right away. You can come in and wait a moment."

The Gym Trainer nodded and quickly left the scene.

The Gym Trainer returned to the Gym to report the situation, while Qiao Ran and the others waited for a while in the rest area near the entrance.

"How are you feeling? Are you feeling any better?"

Taking advantage of a free moment, Qiao Ran went over to Cynthia and inquired about her health. If possible, he would also like to stroll around the tourist attraction with Cynthia. Come to think of it, when they stayed at Sabrina's house before, Cynthia didn't seem to go out with them much.

"Why are you worried about me? You only need to think about the Gym Battle now."

Is this guy completely unfazed, or is he just not reacting at all? Why is he suddenly so concerned about her at a time like this?

"... I'm fine, my body is slowly recovering. But, if you don't perform well in battle, you know what to do, right?"

Cynthia smiled and looked at Qiao Ran. They had discussed a lot about the upcoming training methods on the plane, and an important part of it was to observe their performance in the Gym Battle and make targeted adjustments. After all, Cynthia had been separated from them for a while, and she didn't dare to make a definitive judgment on the current strength of Qiao Ran and the others.

Faced with Cynthia's "gentle" gaze, Qiao Ran could only obediently nod frantically, "Mmm-hmm."

He wouldn't underestimate any Gym Leader, nor would he be negligent during Gym Battle. Besides, before leaving Rongcheng, Hua Wanshuang had told him that the Gym Leader of this Gym seemed to have recently acquired some kind of "secret weapon."

Qiao Ran and the others waited for a while, and the Gym Trainer who had gone to report the situation returned to them. Behind him was a man with a very distinctive appearance.

Based on the information Qiao Ran collected, this person appears to be the Gym Leader Yangcheng Gym.

"..."

Just like in the photos and videos.

--The Gym Leader of the Yangcheng Gym was a middle-aged man dressed very casually, with a somewhat nonchalant expression. He had a slight stubble on his face and a complexion that was rather...

His skin was a healthy wheat color, but what caught Qiao Ran's attention at a glance was that he was wearing a pair of slippers.

"..."

Although he had heard that the Gym Leader had a lot of authority and that there were many very individualistic Gym Leader, this was the first time Qiao Ran had ever met Gym Leader dressed like this. His relaxed and casual demeanor made it seem as if he were taking a walk in his own home.

The casually dressed middle-aged man glanced at the group of people in front of him, and finally fixed his gaze on Qiao Ran.

"Hey kid, are you the challenger for the Gym?"

"...?" Several question marks appeared above Qiao Ran's head. Seemingly noticing Qiao Ran's reaction, the other party smiled and quickly switched to the previous tone.

"Are you the one challenging the Gym this time?"

"Yes. My name is Qiao Ran."

Qiao Ran nodded. Every region in China has its own dialect, but he really didn't understand any of them.

Fortunately, almost every Gym Leader or Gym Trainer has a certain level of Mandarin proficiency requirement. After all, those who come to the Gym to challenge are not only local Trainer. In fact, some larger Gym even have requirements for proficiency in a foreign language. If it reaches that level, it probably won't just be receiving Trainer from within the country.

Take the Yangcheng Gym, for example; it probably has just as many such regulations.

"Come on then. Wan Shuang has told me about you guys. There are two Competition today, right? It's you and..."

He raised an eyebrow and looked at the area behind Qiao Ran.

"... Miss Mei, it must be just the two of you today, right?"

Suddenly called upon by the Gym Leader, Mei quickly stepped forward and introduced herself. After Qiao Ran Mei finished explaining their situations, the casually dressed Gym Leader smiled.

"Let me also introduce myself. My name is Chen Leizhong, and I am the Gym Leader the Yangcheng Gym. This is my eighteenth year as Gym Leader."

To become Gym Leader, one not only needs to pass the initial competition but also meet certain criteria during the three-year assessment. Most importantly, one must Defeat other competitors who also want to become Gym Leader. In other words, Gym Leader who have served for a long time are generally experienced Monster strength has consistently remained at the highest level.

"You are all quite famous young Trainer recently, and you seem to have good relationships with many Gym Leader. I've heard a lot about you, but don't think I'll go easy on you. I will broadcast the upcoming Gym Battle throughout the entire tower and stream the matches live."

Completely different from his casual and relaxed demeanor, once this Gym Leader Chen Leizhong started speaking, it was like a machine gun. Soon, he turned his head decisively and gave instructions to the Gym Trainer beside him on other matters.

After explaining the arrangements to the Gym Trainer, he looked at Qiao Ran and his group and nodded.

"... Prepare well, and we'll meet in the dueling arena later."

I hope you won't let me down.

Just as Chen Leizhong said, they didn't have much time to prepare, only about half an hour. During this half hour, the entire tower would repeatedly broadcast the news that the Gym battle was about to begin. Tourists who wanted to watch could wait in the viewing area. Once a certain number of people had been gathered, entry to the viewing area would be prohibited.

As for others, they can also watch the live battle through the monitors inside the tower. This entire building is actually the Gym's stage, and in terms of the number of people it can accommodate, it is probably no less than the large Stadium of other Gym.

Not only that, before Chen Leizhong left, he also handed Qiao Ran a thin manual, saying it was something about precautions for combat. Qiao Ran opened the manual and flipped through it, only to find that it was filled with a lot of writing.

Mei, who was standing nearby, also came over. After all, she would be participating in the battle later, so it would be good for her to know a little about the situation.

"Let me see... What's this?... Hmm... I can't use the Earthquake skill, I can't use the Dig skill... I can't destroy the ground or walls in any way..."

Halfway through the reading, Mei and Qiao Ran couldn't help but exchange a glance.

"Isn't this the same Rules as the previous Battle Train?" X2

Both of them thought of the same thing without prior agreement—similar to these Rules, the use of skills with enormous destructive power, which could even cause irreversible damage to the ground, is also prohibited on Battle Train. These Rules are not due to any deliberate restriction, but because... if this were to be done, it would definitely have terrible consequences.

"That's true, this is inside the tower... If Dig directly, we'd probably only get down to the ground floor, right?"

Qiao Ran thought to himself, "That was close. Luckily, I don't like using the Dig move. Although many novice Trainer like to have their Pokémon Dig Dig during battles, using Dig to dodge moves... is probably underestimating the speed at which the opponent releases their moves."

"Moreover, the experience I gained on the Battle Train was unexpectedly useful here as well..."

First Battle

"Hello, we have reached our maximum capacity for live audience viewing... We are very sorry, could you please watch the video broadcast in another area?"

"I'm sorry, sir, we can't admit you now..."

The news of Qiao Ran and others participating in the challenge attracted a large audience from the moment it was announced. The venue, which was usually announced half an hour in advance and would be packed with people about ten minutes before the start, was already overflowing with people less than ten minutes after the announcement this time, and there was also a large crowd gathered outside.

Qiao Ran and his group indeed have considerable influence. Even though none of them had ever appeared on the internet before, their names had already spread throughout the China Trainer community after what happened.

Even if these spectators didn't come here just for entertainment, but simply to watch a high-level match, they definitely wouldn't miss today's Competition.

There are so many people here...

Hearing the sounds outside, Cynthia went to the door and peeked out. It seemed that there were many more people in this world than in the Pokémon World. In just half an hour, such a large number of people could be gathered. This would definitely not be possible in the Pokémon World.

"Then we absolutely must take it down."

"Um!"

Hearing Qiao Ran's words, Mei responded. If they lost here, it would definitely disrupt their plans. In order not to drag the whole team down, they only had this one chance.

As the two who are on the front lines on the first day, they will definitely face the most difficult challenge. After all, even online, it is difficult to find footage of a Gym Leader fighting at full strength, and even if there is, it is probably from a long time ago.

After all, most Gym challengers are relatively weak, and even if they participate in the final Pokémon League tournament, it's only a small step on the path to Trainer. To possess such strength while challenging Gym... Qiao Ran and his friends are probably extremely rare exceptions.

After resting, Qiao Ran arrived at the battle Battlefield more than twenty minutes later, led by the staff.

This entire floor... no, or rather several floors, is actually used for Gym Battle. The central location is naturally the standard rectangular Battlefield, while around the Battlefield is a large area for spectators.

To ensure safe Gym Battle, the ground, ceiling, and surrounding walls of this area have been specially treated to minimize the impact of common skill damage. However, even so, for safety reasons, many powerful and destructive skills are still prohibited.

Welcome to Yangcheng Gym.

Standing at the other end of the Battle Court was Chen Leizhong, the Gym Leader Chen, whom I had met before.

He was exactly the same as before, still relaxed, wearing his familiar slippers, and didn't seem to mind at all, even in public.

As for the audience, they seemed quite used to the Gym Leader's appearance. After all, they had done their research before coming here and naturally knew what kind of personality the Gym Leader had.

"The Yangcheng Gym Gym located in a special location, so we have some unique Rules here."

Chen Leizhong put his hands in his pockets and looked at Qiao Ran opposite him.

"... You should have seen the instructions I gave you, right? In this special Battle Court, certain special skills are prohibited. If either side uses such a skill, the Referee will immediately declare them the loser."

"As for the other Rules, they are the same as other Gym. We also use 3vs3 battles here. The side whose Pokémon are all incapacitated first loses."

Before the battle, Chen Leizhong first went over the Rules with Qiao Ran in detail. He emphasized the most important point—that destructive skills could not be used—several times. He was so cautious that it was as if he was afraid Qiao Ran would blow up his Gym.

That makes sense. Most challengers probably wouldn't pose that much of a threat, but if they reached Qiao Ran's level... and started using their skills recklessly, it wouldn't be a joke.

Once you reach Cynthia's level, demolishing a building with a single skill would be a piece of cake.

Qiao Ran had made promises in all three locations regarding the other party's caution. If possible, he certainly hoped that no major problems would arise, as he couldn't afford the consequences if anything went wrong here.

"Both Trainer are ready!"

After everything was ready, Qiao Ran and Chen Leizhong stood on opposite sides of the Battlefield, with all the cameras and the audience watching intently at every move.

"Gym Trainer, please send out your Pokémon first!"

Not everyone has the opportunity to watch high-level Competition live. Even if they've seen those classic battles countless times on video, like the retirement match between Old Man Nian Hai and Qiao Ran, the feeling of being there in person is still completely different.

Completely different.

The smell, the touch, the sound—all of these can be clearly felt with the body.

"Come on! My first one!"

Chen Leizhong grinned, taking his hands, which had been lazily tucked into his pockets, out.

He Fling a red and white Poké Ball into the Battle Court. After a flash of light, a Pokémon with the Pokémon of a rodent, a round and cute body, and ears that looked like two big wings appeared in the Battle Court.