Chapter 89

"..."

Gloria didn't refute Marnie's words, but instead looked at Qiao Ran and snorted. Actually, it wasn't so much that she didn't believe Qiao Ran's identity, but rather that she didn't believe in Qiao Ran as a person. This man suddenly appeared, and he was even closely related to Marnie. As Marnie's fan, she naturally couldn't accept this.

"Ha."

Qiao Ran, standing to the side, didn't know what to say, so—in this awkward atmosphere, the group slowly made their way towards Spikemuth.

However, Qiao Ran made use of the time in the car.

He was also observing the sword in his hand.

--This is a weapon that looks very old. The once sharp blade has become scarred. Moreover, this sword is both ancient and luxurious, as if it is not only a weapon for fighting, but also a symbol of some kind of power.

"When will this thing finally get off my hands?"

Qiao Ran sighed inwardly. This Long Sword not only affected his various movements, but also the activation of his Tokiwa Power, unless he used the sword to stab someone and then transferred the power through the sword...

"... It seems like it could work?"

Qiao Ran's eyes lit up, and he silently noted this point in his mind. Although this sword looked very powerful, the blade was not sharp at all. Even if he used it to stab someone, it probably wouldn't cause any damage.

Of course, to solve the problem of the "sword" once and for all, Qiao Ran could also learn from a certain hero surnamed Yang in the East and travel the world with only one arm. However, while everything was still unclear, Qiao Ran had no intention of cutting the sword, let alone severing his own arm. After all, this region was Galar, a region with a legend of Sword and Shield.

Sword and shield are the themes of this region's legends, which tell of a hero wielding a sword and a hero wielding a shield who together repelled invading invaders and protected the peace of Galar.

Therefore, this sword is very likely related to that Legendary Pokémon, which is also the first Legendary Pokémon in history to be explicitly mentioned in the games as having an older sister attribute.

Qiao Ran was really eager to see what this Pokémon looked like.

Furthermore, Qiao Ran harbored his own little secret—he had never seen a Legendary Pokémon Pokémon than his own. Was it because Legendary Pokémon were simply too rare... or was there some other reason?

The legends of Alola and Unova have vanished; Legendary Pokémon of Galar also disappeared?

With many questions swirling in his mind, Qiao Ran returned to Spikemuth with Marnie and Gloria. As soon as they arrived at the town's entrance, they were greeted by Team Yell lining the street.

"Little Marnie!!! Special Attack Captain!!!"

"Waaaaaaahh..."

The excited shouts and the piercing sound of vuvuzelas mingled together, creating a bizarre scene. Someone even started an impromptu rap on the roadside, leaving Qiao Ran speechless for a moment.

This town is so punk! No wonder it's the town where the Dark Type Gym is located.

"Everyone, the danger is over, don't worry."

Marnie greeted everyone, trying hard to force a smile, but... because she was not good at making such expressions, Qiao Ran in the back row thought she was having some kind of strange facial spasm.

However, Gloria, who was sitting in the same car as Qiao Ran, had a different opinion.

"Little Marnie... her smile is so beautiful, waaaaaah... I'm so touched..."

Faced with Marnie's "smile," she cupped her cheeks and laughed, even pulling out her phone from under her skirt, desperately trying to capture this rare moment.

"..."

Seeing her infatuated expression, Qiao Ran could only silently move a little to the side.

The assimilation ability of this Team Yell... is just too amazing!

This girl is a heroine just like Mei Mei!

Upon arriving in Spikemuth, Gloria and the others separated. As the Special Attack Captain, she needed to properly store the supplies they had brought back, as even a little bit of gasoline would be very useful.

"Lord Qiao Ran, do you not have a place to stay yet?"

As for Marnie, the first thing she did was arrange accommodation for Qiao Ran, which was indeed a very important issue. However, when she brought Qiao Ran to a house, they were met by a large Team Yell at the door, who seemed to want to stop Marnie and Qiao Ran from entering.

"Little Marnie, this won't do!"

"Little Marnie, this is really dangerous..."

"Why are you with him...?"

The Team Yell was speaking in a language Qiao Ran couldn't understand, while Marnie stepped forward and stood in front of Qiao Ran.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine, really fine. He's just staying here."

"But..."

The Team Yell seemed unwilling to give up, but under Marnie's repeated insistence, they finally relented. What could a fan do? They couldn't argue with their idol.

"Qiao Ran, please stay here for now."

After doing all this, Marnie took out the Key, opened the door, and looked at Qiao Ran behind her, gesturing for him to go in first.

Meanwhile, the Team Yell at the door, their faces filled with dejection as if their spirits had collapsed, gritted their teeth and their eyes burned with hatred as they watched Qiao Ran walk in.

It's not over yet! They haven't given up!

"Quick! Go and fetch the Special Attack Captain!"

Section 170, page 167 [Yes/No]

"Sorry... It's a little messy inside, I hope you don't mind too much... A lot has happened recently, so I haven't had time to tidy it up... It's not usually like this."

Following behind Marnie, Qiao Ran entered the small house.

The room was decorated in a simple and plain style, mostly in black and white. In the corner of the living room, there were some musical instruments such as drums, bass, and guitar.

"Here it is..."

As Marnie said, it is indeed a bit chaotic here, but even in the chaos, there are traces of life.

"This is my home."

Marnie glanced back at Qiao Ran, her eyes filled with helplessness, as if asking Qiao Ran why he would ask such a question.

"Now, besides my parents, only Gloria and I live here. My Older Brother went to Hammerlocke to provide support, so there happened to be a free room..."

Unlike most families with only one child, Marnie has an older Older Brother is one of the Gym Leader of the Galar Pokémon League. Even among all the Gym Leader, Marnie's Older Brother is considered one of the stronger ones.

So the place I live in is...

With her Older Brother gone and only one room left, Qiao Ran basically understood what Marnie was about to say.

"Hmm... there was another empty room, but Gloria has already moved in there."

Marnie went on to explain.

"If my Older Brother knew, he would definitely understand."

As she spoke, she used the spare Key in the living room to open a door to a room—a very clean room with band posters on the walls, a few musical instruments hanging on the wall, and nothing else.

"My Older Brother is the Gym Leader and also the lead singer of the Spikemuth band, so there are quite a few strange things here. He gave me the room Key before he left... I guess he knew this time would be dangerous..."

Speaking of her Older Brother, Marnie's eyes showed a hint of sadness. Now the entire territory of Galar is in danger, and her Older Brother has gone against the tide to the most dangerous place. It would be absolutely impossible for her not to worry.

"Don't worry, he'll be fine."

Seeing her dejected look, Qiao Ran didn't know what to do. He could only try to comfort her by saying that people who could become Gym Leader were not incompetent and that Qiao Ran believed in their abilities.

"Hmm... it'll be fine."

Hearing Qiao Ran's words, Marnie nodded gently.

"..."

Then, the room fell silent, and Marnie stood motionless in place.

"..."

"...?"

After a long pause, Qiao Ran blinked first, somewhat confused about what had happened.

Not only was Marnie in an awkward position—he himself was also stuck in an awkward position.

"What's wrong...?"

Why did you suddenly stop talking?

Upon hearing Qiao Ran's voice, Marnie's breath hitched, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she took a few steps back like a startled rabbit.

For a brief moment, she was trying to think of what to say, but she couldn't think of anything else to say, so she just froze on the spot.

Although this wasn't the first time something like this had happened—how could she possibly come up with such a reason!

"No... nothing, nothing else..."

She kept backing away until she reached the doorway.

"If... if there are any problems, you can... call me. My room is just across the street..."

Marnie leaned against the doorframe, only half her head peeking out to cover her slightly flushed face.

After saying that, she disappeared through the doorway. However—the very next moment after she vanished, a scream comparable to a vuvuzela came from the other side.

"Marnie! You didn't really... bring that guy back, did you?!"

"...!"

"Wait... wait for me! Don't run away!"

"Knock knock knock knock!"

"Um... Gloria, this is... my decision, and I'm sure my Older Brother will too..."

"That won't do either!"

"Ah..."

"..."

Hearing the chaotic noises outside, Qiao Ran could only stare wide-eyed in disbelief. What on earth was going on?

Besides the chaotic footsteps, there were also many disorderly shouts.

It wasn't until a short-haired Green-Hatted Girl dragged an innocent-looking Marnie back into the room that Qiao Ran finally understood that Marnie had completely lost this physical battle.

"Good afternoon, both of you?"

Qiao Ran didn't know what to say, so she could only offer a greeting first.

"Good afternoon..." Marnie replied very straightforwardly.

Meanwhile, Gloria glared at Qiao Ran.

"This is terrible! Hey, how can you live here? This is Little Marnie's house, and this is her Older Brother's room!"

"..."

Qiao Ran ignored her, rolled her eyes, and continued to pack her luggage.

Arguing about these things is pointless for him; he'd rather do something else.

Since he was on a scientific expedition when he transmigrated, he carried some spare equipment and spare clothes on his back.

Besides, even if he forgot to bring clothes, he could go to the Wild Area to get some spares; these problems were not a problem for him at all.

"It was me... who let him move in."

Qiao Ran didn't answer, but Marnie, who had been dragged along by Gloria, started to defend Qiao Ran. She said that it was her decision all along, and she didn't think there was anything wrong with it.

"And even if my Older Brother found out, he would definitely agree."

Your Older Brother will be driven mad by you.

Gloria almost vomited blood. The Team Yell was frantic, but Marnie, the person in question, showed no sense of crisis whatsoever. She actually invited a boy she had only met for less than a day back to her home and even gave away her Older Brother's room.

If that Older Brother came back and found that not only had his room been occupied, but his younger sister had also been kidnapped, and there was an extra person in the house, he would probably die on the spot.

"Impossible, my Older Brother is a good person... He'll definitely understand. Even if I gave the room to someone else without permission, he'll surely forgive me."

Even when others tried to stop her, Marnie didn't change her mind. Besides, she was a Dark Type trainer, and although she usually behaved very well, the more others tried to stop her, the more she wanted to rebel.

"Stop talking, Gloria. I've made up my mind, he should live here... If you still don't agree, then he can just stay in my room."

"Varied..."

Gloria was completely shocked when she heard Marnie's words.

"..."

After a moment of silence, Gloria, like the Team Yell at the door, finally deflated. She had never expected that Marnie would be so stubborn about this.

"Okay... alright... then... let's do it this way."

Faced with Marnie's unwavering will, she had no choice but to submit; she simply couldn't bring herself to argue with Marnie directly.