Chapter 96

"I'll be waiting for you here."

Marnie and the Team Yell didn't say much as they said goodbye, but the Team Yell brought out various musical instruments to send Qiao Ran off. Some people who couldn't bear the scene even wiped away their tears.

These hot-tempered but kind-hearted Team Yell, once they truly accept someone, still value the feelings between people.

"Wait!"

However, just as Qiao Ran started the engine and was about to get on the road, a small convertible truck suddenly drove past him.

The car was going very fast; it even performed a drift and sudden stop right in front of Qiao Ran during a sharp turn.

The car window rolled down, and a short-haired woman wearing a green hat and sunglasses poked her head out.

This person is none other than Gloria, the current Special Attack Captain of the Team Yell and a former top-tier trainer.

"You're going to Hammerlocke next door, right? Perfect timing, I'm also going there today to check if there are any supplies. Do you want to come with me?"

She beckoned to Qiao Ran, extending an invitation that caught him off guard.

This guy... has he changed his personality?

Section 181, Chapter 178 [Galar: Hammerlocke]

In the deserted wilderness, a slightly worn pickup truck swayed along the road, with a similarly worn motorcycle strapped to its bed.

The short-haired girl sat listlessly in the driver's seat, maneuvering the steering wheel. Beside her sat a boy of similar age, holding a sword in one hand and leaning against the window with the other, gazing at the scenery outside.

"So boring..."

The girl— Gloria— yawned Yawn. Spikemuth was located near the edge of the Galar region, and they would have to travel a long way to reach other cities.

Moreover, due to the natural disaster, there was no human habitation or Pokémon along the way, making it extremely boring.

Even a seasoned driver like Gloria would find it rather uninteresting.

"Hey, are you asleep? Don't you want to talk?"

She looked at Qiao Ran beside her, trying to distract herself by chatting.

Her trip was actually part of the "Special Attack Captain's " daily work. Yesterday, due to an accident, she didn't receive the food and other supplies she was supposed to bring back. Although it was just a mistake, it was still fatal for Spikemuth, which was already severely lacking in supplies.

If she returns empty-handed several more times, then there will definitely be a big problem.

So Gloria chose to go out again today, and since Qiao Ran was also planning to go out, she invited Qiao Ran along as well.

Speaking of which, ever since she heard that Qiao Ran had decided to leave, she suddenly found Qiao Ran much more agreeable. This man seemed quite nice, actually.

"Say something?"

Upon hearing Gloria speak to him, Qiao Ran down the Rotom he was fiddling with. He hadn't forgotten about Charge the Rotom, so as soon as he got in the car, he started operating it.

As the plug was inserted, the numbers on the Rotom monitor started to fluctuate, and it seemed that a little more time would be needed to achieve good results.

"Yeah, don't you have any questions? Like about Hammerlocke, which we're going to?"

Perhaps bored to an extreme degree, Gloria actually started to actively help Qiao Ran find topics to talk about, acting as a narrator.

And what she said was exactly what Qiao Ran needed.

"Hammerlocke... Indeed, I don't know much about this place yet. Could you help me introduce it? After all, this is my first time in Galar."

Qiao Ran wasn't lying. All his knowledge of Galar came from the game, and there's always a gap between games and reality. If Qiao Ran wanted to survive in reality, he had to break free from the constraints of game thinking and replace his flawed knowledge with real-world experience.

"Hammerlocke, huh, you've come to the right person."

Gloria smiled smugly. Her skill in starting conversations was truly top-notch; this man was captivated by her with just one sentence.

"Hammerlocke is the second largest and oldest city in Galar. It's the most strategically important location in Galar, almost entirely surrounded by a cluster of tall Castle buildings, making it a very famous tourist destination."

"Of course, Hammerlocke is famous for more than just these things. It's home to the strongest Gym in Galar, and the Gym Leader is said to have the strength of Champion from another region. Not only that, Galar's most advanced Energy Collection Device is also located here, continuously supplying energy to the outside world."

Gloria's words were full of pride. As a Galar, she had witnessed Galar's rise and felt deeply proud of the local culture. Hammerlocke was not only a city of the past, but also a city that connected to the future, and undoubtedly a landmark of Galar.

"The strongest Gym Leader... but Marnie said her Older Brother also went to Hammerlocke to provide support, right? Is the situation here really that bad?"

Qiao Ran asked the question that had been on her mind.

"Hmm... the situation in Hammerlocke is probably the worst in all of Galar..."

Gloria sighed deeply. She had been to Hammerlocke countless times, but she still felt powerless at the sight of the carnage.

"This is all because of the Energy Collection Device over there, which happens to collect Gigantamax Energy from underground... Those Gigantamax Pokémon all want to Snatch Hammerlocke's energy reserves to meet their own needs."

"In Hammerlocke right now, the outer Castle has basically been captured, and the remaining people have gathered inside the Castle and walls. If we go there this time, we can at most search the outer perimeter for any usable supplies. Trying to break through the encirclement of Gigantamax Pokémon is basically impossible."

Gloria briefly explained the current situation in Hammerlocke to Qiao Ran. Compared to Spikemuth, which was still relatively intact, Hammerlocke had suffered massive devastation. Not only had the outer perimeter of the city completely fallen, but the remaining people had also crammed into the city's interior. Fortunately, the Gym Leader here were quite strong, so Hammerlocke did not fall directly into the most desperate situation.

However, at this rate, it's only a matter of time before Hammerlocke is breached. The people inside the Castle certainly won't be able to produce their own food; they'll have to rely on their existing reserves.

Meanwhile, the Pokémon outside the Castle were also consuming their Gigantamax Energy day by day, but this rate was still much faster than that of the people inside the Castle.

"Although I'm also worried about the situation there... but... sigh."

Gloria sighed again. She was willing but unable to do anything about it. With her abilities, she couldn't possibly turn the tide on her own.

If there could be a miracle, she desperately hoped for one. Thinking this, Gloria glanced at the boy beside her. Did this guy... really possess the abilities of the legendary Sword Hero?

He... could he be the one to save Galar?

Everything will be alright.

Qiao Ran knew Gloria's thoughts, but he couldn't offer any more promises.

He could only silently promise himself that if he had the ability, he would definitely do more.

As time went by, Gloria's Pikachu slowly approached its destination— Hammerlocke.

Through the car window, what Qiao Ran saw first was not a beautiful view, but a large area of ruins, just as Gloria had said, especially the broken Castle walls, which had collapsed in large chunks, blocking the road.

"There's nothing we can do, let's get out and clean it up first. Sometimes that just happens."

Gloria opened the car door with practiced ease, preparing to get out and clear the way, while Qiao Ran, after glancing at the Rotom he had placed on the seat, also got out of the car.

On Rotom's display, the Charge level had reached 57.2%—how much longer until she wakes up?

Section 182, page 179 [Hammerlocke: Outer Layer]

After releasing their Pokémon to clear the rubble from the road, Qiao Ran and Gloria returned to the car once again.

They had actually done similar things many times along the way, but whenever a Gigantamax Pokémon passed by the vicinity of the road, it would cause this level of damage. In addition to clearing some obstacles, they also needed to fill in the damaged roads so that vehicles could pass smoothly.

Simply put, if the road is blocked, move mountains; if the road collapses, build bridges. No matter what means are used, the destination must be reached.

"The situation in this city... is just too terrible..."

The pickup truck entered the city via the road outside and began to approach the city center. However, the closer Qiao Ran got to the city's interior, the more he realized that the scars the city had suffered far exceeded his imagination.

Everywhere there were collapsed houses and a jumble of unidentifiable debris. The entire city had been ravaged into ruins. Later on, Gloria's little Pikachu was no longer able to go any further, because there were just too many ruins and there were no other paths to take.

"Let's go down from here. I'm planning to look for any usable supplies nearby. Where are you planning to go? Oh, right, here's a map of Hammerlocke. Take this and use it. Even though you're completely lost now, it'll still be good to have a look."

Gloria took off her sunglasses and handed Qiao Ran a tattered map.

After doing all that, she took off her coat and even her Little Green Hat. Today, she had specially put on a short-sleeved shirt and shorts that were easy to move around in, so that she could move more easily in this apocalyptic city.

"I... I'll look around the area first and see if there's anything noteworthy."

Qiao Ran took the map from Gloria, opened the car door and got out. Before leaving, he picked up the Rotom, which was half- Charge, and stuffed it into the backpack on his back.

"Alright, I won't stop you from going wherever you want, but you must be careful. Although we've been quite lucky and haven't encountered any obvious Gigantamax Pokémon along the way, there are many of them hidden in this city... and the closer you get to the interior, the more there are. Also, watch out for the things in the sky."

Gloria slung her backpack over her shoulder and released her Pokémon followed her. It was a green Pokémon that looked like a gorilla, but what was most eye-catching was not its muscles, but the thick green fur on its head that looked like leaves. Not only that, it also carried a huge tree stump drum on its back, with two wooden drumsticks sticking out at an angle.

The large green gorilla stood beside Gloria like a guardian, and stretched out its strong hands to help Gloria jump onto the ruins.

"... Rillaboom."

Looking at the uniquely styled Pokémon, Qiao Ran couldn't help but pronounce its name. It was Rillaboom, one of the final evolutions of the Galar region Starter Pokémon Pokémon.

It has to be said that each of the Starter Pokémon Pokémon in Galar has a unique art style. This green-haired gorilla is probably the most stable and reliable-looking one among them. Moreover, when paired with Gloria, there is always a strange sense of harmony emanating from it. However, it is a pity that Gloria is not wearing her signature Little Green Hat now for the sake of convenience.

"Let's split up like this for now. And remember, if you encounter Gigantamax Pokémon, do not battle it! Run away immediately, understand?"

Gloria waved to Qiao Ran from the ruins and then disappeared from Qiao Ran sight in a flash. She had been here many times before, so she was quite familiar with the surrounding terrain. In order to move more supplies, she had to take action quickly. If she delayed for too long and attracted the attention of the nearby Pokémon, things would become much more difficult.

She carried the fate of everyone in Spikemuth on her shoulders, and as time went on, many refugees from other places poured into Spikemuth. Marnie couldn't bear to drive them away, which made their already difficult lives even more difficult.

"Goodbye."

Qiao Ran waved goodbye to Gloria with his still-usable right hand, and planned to wander around the area to see what was going on.

This was actually his first time visiting a real town in the Pokémon World, but cruelly, what he saw was a hellish scene.

"Dianxi."

In order not to attract the attention of Gigantamax Pokémon,

Qiao Ran only released one Pokémon to accompany him this time. Moreover, Dianxi, as the princess of the underground world, has a considerable control over the land.

"Dianxi, if you find anything noteworthy in the ruins, tell me immediately. Also, if there's any danger, be sure to tell me."

"I see."

Dianxi nodded, Levitate in mid-air, quietly following behind Qiao Ran.

The deserted Quan Hammerlocke was utterly desolate. Qiao Ran dragged his Long Sword, moving with difficulty among the ruins. Because he was always in danger of stepping into the air, he needed Dianxi to judge his next position with every step he took. This back and forth had already exhausted a lot of Qiao Ran's strength.

"The Hammerlocke Battlefield in Pokémon... I think it's near the innermost Castle, and the Energy Collection Device should be there too."

Qiao Ran looked at the map, recalling bits and pieces from the game. He felt a strange sense of familiarity with the scenery here, perhaps because he had seen this city in the game. When he saw the scene in front of him, he felt a deep sense of sorrow.

"Master, what do we do next?"

Dianxi looked at Qiao Ran in front of her and voiced her inner question. Qiao Ran was currently wandering around like a headless fly; Dianxi could sense that her master didn't know what to do next.

"Let's look around first. Rotom should be here soon, and we can hear what she has to say."

Qiao Ran hadn't paid much attention to Rotom was around, but now that she was gone, he finally remembered her kindness. He even wondered if he should treat Rotom a little better in the future.

For example, try to play along with her jokes more often in the future?

As Qiao Ran pondered this, he followed the map Gloria had given him and began heading towards the city center.

Despite Gloria's repeated warnings not to go to the center, Qiao Ran insisted on going there, believing that nothing ventured, nothing gained.

The singularity of Singularity doesn't come knocking on your door. If the other party comes looking for you, it's a sure sign of their defeat. Qiao Ran always believed in taking the initiative and creating opportunities through action.

"Master, hold my hand."

Dianxi floated in the air and gave Qiao Ran a hand. Qiao Ran jumped down from the ruins and walked onto a relatively clean path.

However, before Qiao Ran could take a few steps, he saw two gray, Pokémon run past him. The two Pokémon were very fast, but Qiao Ran still managed to make out their shapes.

"Wait, what was that just now?... Machop???"

Qiao Ran was taken aback at first, then a warm smile appeared on his lips.

Although his most important task this time was to scout out the situation here, he wouldn't let any Fighting-type Pokémon in order to collect all 100 of them.

Any Fighting-type Pokémon is his target.

"Suicune! Grab those two guys in front of you!"

Qiao Ran released Suicune without hesitation—in this complex terrain, her agile figure would definitely be of the greatest use. Moreover, she also had two long ribbons on her body, which were also useful for Bind things.

When Suicune transformed into human form, she had already used this function many times. The ribbons Levitate around her, like some kind of special tool, which could help her do many, many things.

Section 183, Chapter 180 [Hammerlocke Fighting type]

"Master, leave it to me."

With Qiao Ran's permission, Suicune vanished around the street corner in a few flashes. Her physique was indeed well-suited for moving around here; compared to Qiao Ran, who could only move slowly, her speed was practically a concept from another dimension.

Qiao Ran was quite relieved to entrust the task of chasing Machop to Suicune, but he immediately looked at Dianxi beside him. The two exchanged a glance and quickly followed.

In any case, this is an extremely dangerous area. It's better to be safe than sorry; no one knows what might happen next.

"Master, let me help you lift the sword."

"Good."

To make it easier for Qiao Ran to move around, Dianxi thoughtfully helped Qiao Ran share some of the sword's weight. Although she looked small, she contained an energy that Qiao Ran feared, something he had experienced countless times.

He had been waiting for an opportunity to retaliate, but he had absolutely no chance.

Of course, with Dianxi's help, Qiao Ran's movement speed was much faster. Qiao Ran's physique was actually not bad. He had the foundation from being trained by Iron Maiden at the Jinling Gym, plus the weight training on his left hand, and the nutritious meals prepared for him by Suicune. Now, his physique could be faintly seen with obvious muscles.

"Suicune's location... what? Has something happened?"