Why is my Pokémon girl a bit strange?

Attacked by an Ice-type move, the Dratini not only suffered heavy damage to its stamina but also had a thin layer of ice form on its body.

"One more time, Aurora Beam!"

Qiao Ran knew this was the best opportunity to finish off the weakened Pokémon. If he missed this chance, he didn't know when the next one would come.

Dragon-type Pokémon were all very powerful, especially Pseudo-legendaries like this one, which were the benchmark and elite among all Pokémon. Qiao Ran had to extinguish any spark of counterattack from his opponent completely.

"This is bad."

The situation suddenly took a sharp turn, and Long Jiangxue's calm expression began to show anxiety.

She had never imagined being pushed to such an extent in a battle against someone her age. After all, both the Pokémon she used and the training she received were far superior to those of her peers.

I actually...

Long Jiangxue's breathing became erratic, and her not-so-prominent chest began to rise and fall. She was trying to find a way to break through, but no matter how she thought, her mind was a mess.

And while Long Jiangxue hesitated, her Dratini was once again heavily damaged. The Aurora Beam fired by Vulpix struck the Dratini's long body, and then, the Dratini's eyes turned into spirals as it collapsed.

"Mii..." The Dratini had completely lost its strength.

"This...!"

Long Jiangxue rushed forward a few steps and quickly hugged the fallen Dratini. She still seemed unable to process what had happened.

"Dratini is unable to battle!"

Long Xiangdong forced a wry smile but still announced the result of the battle. He knew his daughter was a genius, possessing considerable tacit understanding and combat experience, but... who knew she would encounter such an unusually talented young man.

He was using a Pokémon that looked like a common, not-so-strong one, yet he had completely overwhelmed Long Jiangxue with his coordination and skill combination, leaving her no room to fight back. Although there was an element of type advantage, it wasn't a reason for defeat.

Most importantly, Long Jiangxue hadn't grasped the crucial point that the opponent's Pokémon would reveal itself from the snow when attacking. If she had thought of that, there would have been at least two or three opportunities to turn the tables.

It seemed... his daughter still needed more training.

Smooth sailing all the way might not be a good thing. Only by tasting the bitterness of defeat could one grow.

"The first match has concluded. Please send out your next Pokémon!"

Long Xiangdong announced the result of the first match, which was undoubtedly a victory for Qiao Ran's side.

"Hmph..."

Long Jiangxue quickly treated her Dratini with medicine and returned it to its Poké Ball. She took a deep breath, stood firmly on the battlefield again, and looked at Qiao Ran opposite her.

"I won't lose this time. I must make you use that Pokémon!"

Long Jiangxue's desire to see Dianxi grew stronger. Moreover, if she were to be defeated twice in a row by a mere Vulpix, it would undoubtedly be a humiliation she could never wash away.

However, to her surprise, Qiao Ran shook his head and directly picked up her words: "Since you want me to use it, I'll do as you wish."

"What...?"

Long Jiangxue was slightly stunned. Was this man so easy to talk to? He would use it just because she asked?

With that, Qiao Ran actually recalled Vulpix to his side and gently stroked her head. Vulpix, seeking praise, licked Qiao Ran's finger.

This time, she had acted as a genuine dragon slayer. Qiao Ran would surely reward her when they got back.

Not only that, but after defeating Dratini, her level had also risen to 22.

"Come back for now, Vulpix."

Qiao Ran returned Vulpix to its Poké Ball, preparing to send out another Pokémon. His intention wasn't just to conserve Vulpix's strength but also to ensure fair treatment and allow Dianxi to gain some battle experience.

"Hmph..."

Long Jiangxue looked at Qiao Ran's actions and snorted again, crossing her arms.

"Do you think I'll praise you just because you did that?"

Although her expression seemed genuinely indifferent, judging by how she stared intently at the Poké Ball in Qiao Ran's hand, she was quite looking forward to the next battle.

Or rather, she was looking forward to Dianxi.

"As the Gym Leader, I will send out my Pokémon first."

Long Jiangxue said, gripping her other Poké Ball tightly. Qiao Ran watched her every move.

Since Dratini was her starting Pokémon, Qiao Ran was quite curious about her next one. Would it be a more powerful Dragon-type, like a Garchomp?

However—after Long Jiangxue threw out her Poké Ball and the light flashed, Qiao Ran realized how unrealistic his thoughts were.

What appeared before Qiao Ran was not the Dragon-type Pokémon he had imagined, but... a pink sphere.

Yes, a sphere.

With two large eyes, pointed ears, and small hands and feet, based on his knowledge of Pokémon, Qiao Ran could swear on his integrity that this was definitely a Pokémon called Pangding. Its typing was Fairy and Normal, completely unrelated to Dragon.

"This... isn't this a Dragon-type Gym?"

Qiao Ran's eyes widened, and he even rubbed them vigorously. He thought he must be hallucinating. Since when did a Fairy-type traitor sneak into the Dragon-type lineup!

Qiao Ran's question came from the heart, but Long Jiangxue, upon hearing it, became like a cat whose tail had been stepped on and went into a berserk state.

"Dragon-type... Is there something wrong with me liking this kind of Pokémon!"

Her delicate face, usually so devoid of expression, flushed red for the first time. She clenched her small fists and began to defend her actions.

"Isn't pink really cute too!"

"This..."

"I wish our school uniforms were all pink!"

"..."

Qiao Ran averted his gaze slightly. Facing Long Jiangxue's self-destructive outburst, he found himself at a loss for words.

Not knowing what to say, Qiao Ran casually released his Pokémon. Surrounded by the pink special effects of the Sweet Ball, the diamond princess Dianxi appeared on the field.

She was truly beautiful, and also very cute.

"Pink... it's not too bad, is it, Dianxi?"

"Tee-tee?"

Dianxi glanced back at Qiao Ran, then tilted her little head in confusion. She had no idea what Qiao Ran was talking about.

What does Master suddenly mean by all this?

Section 15 015 [Diamond Princess]

"Even if you say that, you still think I'm strange, don't you?"

On the other side, Long Jiangxue glared at Qiao Ran, both embarrassed and annoyed. She didn't believe Qiao Ran's words were sincere. After all, ever since she was little, whenever she revealed these interests, even her closest female friends would look at her strangely.

Is there really such a big contrast between my appearance and pink?

"Um..."

Qiao Ran really wanted to say "Yes, it's strange," but considering his current status as a challenger, he wisely kept his mouth shut.

If he had to draw an analogy, it would be like an elite young master who always had a cool, indifferent expression suddenly announcing that he only liked wearing pink underwear.

However, it wasn't an insurmountable issue. Everyone has different preferences, and some people's tastes are just more unusual. As long as it doesn't cause trouble for others, there's no problem.

"Cough... cough cough."

Seeing that the conversation was veering off track, Long Xiangdong, who was officiating, cleared his throat and quickly drew everyone's attention back.

"Both sides, please note, the match has begun."

"I know!"

When Long Jiangxue got fired up, she even dared to glare at Long Xiangdong. He could only sigh inwardly, thinking how difficult his daughter was to manage during her rebellious phase.

And... the Pokémon Qiao Ran had sent out also gave Long Xiangdong a strange feeling. Long Xiangdong wasn't a Pokémon researcher, and there were many undiscovered Pokémon in this world, but this one...

He didn't know its name, but on its small body, he saw a pride and composure typically found only in high-level Pokémon, as if it had been an extraordinary legend from the moment it was born into this world.

However, unlike Long Xiangdong, who had glimpsed something profound, Long Jiangxue was still eager to prove herself and wash away the shame of her previous defeat.

"Unlike the young Dratini, Pangding and I are the strongest partners! Our friendship began when I was little!"

"Pangding, let our opponent know how strong we are! Prepare—Rollout!"

"Pang!"

Hearing Long Jiangxue's command, Pangding pushed off with its short legs, took a deep breath, and leaped into the air like a pink balloon.

"This..."

Qiao Ran was genuinely surprised by this tactic from Pangding. Was it floating?

"Dianxi, be careful!"

"Tee-tee."

Dianxi nodded and focused intently on the floating balloon in the sky. Although Pangding's physical attack wasn't high, the Steel-type Rollout would still deal significant damage to Dianxi, who was both Fairy and Rock-type.

—This wasn't just a little damage; it was a terrifying four times super effective hit!

"Last time, you only won at school because of information superiority. But now, I'm the one with the information! So I will win!"

Long Jiangxue waved her hand down. "Now, Pangding, Rollout!"

"Pang!"

Following Long Jiangxue's order, Pangding's entire body glowed with a silvery-white light, transforming into what looked like a steel balloon. It began to spin and descended rapidly towards the ground.

"Dianxi, Diamond Storm! Knock it down!"

Qiao Ran knew that Dianxi wasn't good at dodging. Unlike Vulpix, with its agile limbs, Dianxi's mineral body wasn't suited for quick movement. So, instead of dodging, it was better to force the opponent to surrender with an attack.

"Tee!"

Dianxi extended its hand, and countless pink diamond fragments flew out, swirling around her like blooming cherry blossoms. They eventually formed a pink diamond whirlwind that shot towards Pangding.

Diamond Storm!

This was Dianxi's unique Diamond Storm. Unlike the storms summoned by other Pokémon, just watching the dazzling pink spectacle was a feast for the eyes.

"..." Long Jiangxue's breath hitched, and she was almost mesmerized.

However, at this moment, she hadn't forgotten her duty as a trainer. Since she had sent out Pangding, she intended to make it count.

"Pangding! Rollout, accelerate!"

"Pang!"

As if following a pre-set signal, after Long Jiangxue said this, the Pangding in the air began to rotate its body while exhaling. Its speed suddenly increased, becoming like a falling meteor as it descended from the sky towards Dianxi's position!

"Accelerate?!"

Qiao Ran was startled by the sudden move. He hadn't expected that Long Jiangxue, the daughter of the Dragon-type Gym Leader, could make such an ordinary Fairy-type Pokémon perform such a trick.

Clearly, this was a combo that required a lot of training to perfect. Long Jiangxue and Pangding must have invested a significant amount of time and effort into it.

"It's not over yet!"

Due to the sudden increase in speed, the Rollout Pangding not only dodged the Diamond Storm but also charged straight at Dianxi's body, colliding directly with her.

Steel clashed with diamond, even sparking.

"Tee!"

Dianxi narrowed her eyes. That attack had hurt. Although her diamond body was a true tank, she had taken the full brunt of the damage, and her body was pushed back about ten centimeters.

"It actually held on?" Long Jiangxue exclaimed. Dianxi looked delicate and small, but she was surprisingly resilient.

She had thought this single move, with its quadruple type advantage, would be enough to defeat her opponent. However, things didn't seem to be that simple. Or rather, she had underestimated Dianxi.

"Dianxi, are you okay?"

"Tee."

In response to Qiao Ran's inquiry, the diamond princess replied energetically, indicating she was completely fine. As an ultimate tank with a terrifying base stat of 150 in both defenses, Dianxi seemed born to endure the harshest attacks.

Moreover, as Dianxi's level had gradually increased, ordinary Pokémon like Pangding were no longer a significant threat to her.

In fact, it was already quite impressive that Long Jiangxue could fight Dianxi to a standstill with just a single Pangding.

"Alright, Moon Power!"