Chapter 98

Looking into Qiao Ran's eyes, Bea felt her whole body stiffen, and she didn't even know what to do. Under normal circumstances, it would have been easy for her to break free, but now she knew that Qiao Ran had saved her, and to repay his kindness, she couldn't bring herself to do anything outrageous.

But... being held so tightly by the other person, their bodies pressed together completely, with every part of them pressed tightly against each other, Bea also felt that something was not quite right.

This was the first time something like this had ever happened, and it made her, who had maintained the mindset of Fighting type for countless years, start to waver.

"Ah... I'm sorry."

Qiao Ran quickly let go. To be honest, he didn't do it on purpose. In that instant, he just wanted to save someone.

However, even though she was an extremely strong Fighting type, when Qiao Ran held her in his arms, he could tell that she was actually quite petite, not much different from an average girl.

Or perhaps, she was just an ordinary girl.

Nessa & Sonia

Section 185, page 182 [Number: 040]

What do we do now?

Qiao Ran turned his gaze to the sky; he wasn't paying attention to Bea. This wasn't the time for leisurely conversation.

By then, the enormous Corviknight had become like a dark cloud, looming over everyone's heads.

"Click, click..."

The shattered ruins echoed with a mournful cry once more amidst the flapping of the Corviknight. These broken fragments couldn't even withstand the wind pressure from the flapping of its wings, and kept sliding to the ground.

"What can we do? There's only one way."

Breaking free from Qiao Ran's embrace, Bea leaped to the ground, dashed forward a short distance, and then took out Poké Ball to retrieve her already battered Machamp.

"Run! Run now!!! What are you waiting for!!!"

Bea glanced at Qiao Ran and shouted loudly. At this point, they had no choice but to run away. It was impossible to fight Gigantamax Pokémon in this state, especially since this was a Gigantamax Corviknight, which was even more terrifying than a regular Corviknight.

Gigantamax grants Pokémon additional combat power. While a normal Pokémon simply grows larger when it Gigantamax, this Corviknight in the sky has the ability to transform its feathers into "Blade Birds." Each feather circling around it is a small steel bird capable of inflicting massive damage on its opponents.

Unless Bea also uses her Gigantamax to increase her power, she can fight against the opponent. But that would inevitably create a huge spectacle, attracting other Gigantamax Pokémon here and putting them in an even more disadvantageous situation.

"Run! Run!"

Bea could only call out to Qiao Ran, asking him to run with her. With their current battle power, the gigantic Pokémon were almost invincible. Even though the boy she encountered had two Legendary Pokémon, Bea didn't quite believe that he could Defeat a Gigantamax Corviknight in a short time.

If you can't Defeat them quickly, it's like exposing yourself in a completely dark Forest, which will inevitably attract more hunters.

"Um."

Qiao Ran nodded, mounted Suicune, recalled Dianxi which was moving relatively slowly, and followed behind Bea.

Although Bea is only human, her physical body has transcended the human realm. She Splash high and crossed a pile of ruins in an instant. Her agile movements made Qiao Ran feel a little ashamed.

Is this guy even human?

If she were human, and I studied with her for a while, could I become like her too?

To be honest, Qiao Ran was quite envious of such a strong body, but now was not the time to think about such things. He could only slightly raise his left hand, let the Long Sword rest on Suicune's back, and then use the Tokiwa Power to relieve her physical fatigue.

"Boom!!!"

Another loud bang rang out. Qiao Ran and the others tried to escape, but the giant Corviknight naturally wouldn't let them have their way. It flapped its wings, and countless small birds made of feathers rained down from the sky, turning everything in its way into sieves.

"Suicune!"

Qiao Ran couldn't move on his own, so he could only place all his hopes on Suicune. And Suicune certainly didn't disappoint him. She let out a long howl, jumped onto the roof, and then crossed the long gap, landing lightly on the other side.

As the Messenger of the North Wind, her every move carried the scent of the wind, making her movements always light and graceful, even with a man on her back.

The chase lasted for an unknown amount of time. Finally, Bea discovered a small gap where they could hide. It was an angle formed by the ruins of a house and the ground. After testing it out and finding that it was big enough for a person to hide in, she called Qiao Ran to hide inside as well.

"Hmm." Qiao Ran nodded upon hearing this, and at the same time exchanged a glance with Suicune.

"It's alright. If there's any problem, I'll call you out immediately."

"No, I can go back, but let Mimikyu come out at a time like this."

"... All right."

The exchange between the two happened in an instant. Suicune knew that she was too small to fit in such a cramped space, but for safety's sake, she asked Qiao Ran to release the smallest Mimikyu.

Of course, Qiao Ran recalled Suicune so that she could return to the Wild Area to rest. The Wild Area have the ability to slowly restore stamina, and even if the degree of restoration is not high, it is better than nothing in the current situation.

"Miiii..."

Qiao Ran the tiny Mimikyu, and together they crawled into the narrow crevice. The space was really small; Qiao Ran took up half of it, while Bea occupied the other half.

"There's no other way, let's just hide here for now... and see when it leaves."

In the cramped space, Bea whispered almost into Qiao Ran's ear, Qiao Ran in close without any hesitation. After all, she was a girl who could distinguish between what was important and what was urgent, and she wouldn't be coy about such things. Moreover, as a Fighting type, she was actually able to keep her head calm, especially in times of crisis.

"Good."

Qiao Ran didn't object; he actually needed a little time to calm himself down.

Mimikyu nestled obediently against Qiao Ran's legs, remaining silent.

"Roar roar roar roar roar roar!!"

The giant bird in the sky let out a deafening roar, and countless Blade Birds made of black feathers soared through the air under its control. Qiao Ran and Bea could only hold their breath and wait for the other to leave.

They had only found a hiding place when the other party wasn't paying attention, but that didn't mean they were safe; the other party could very well find them again.

--By then, we might not be so lucky as to find a place to hide.

"..."

As time passed, the atmosphere grew increasingly silent. In the cramped space, neither of them spoke, as if afraid that any sound they might make would attract the attention of the hunters in the sky.

However, even so, their bodies still pressed together, which caused Bea to be involuntarily affected by these sensations. She even felt her body getting hot and couldn't help but think about some things that had happened before.

Why is this guy... sticking so close to me again?

Actually, she wasn't deliberately thinking about these things; she had never thought about such things before. But... in this state of having nothing to do, she couldn't shake these thoughts from her mind.

Etc...

Suddenly, she felt something strange coming from beside her. To her surprise, she discovered that the man next to her was swaying slightly.

"...?"

She glanced to the side in surprise and found that the other person had changed their posture, their legs tense, looking as if they were ready to leave at any moment.

What are you doing??

Bea stared in disbelief at the other's actions. The Corviknight in the sky was definitely still there, and the space here was so small; any sudden movement could easily attract unwanted attention!

"It's nothing, I was just thinking about some things."

Qiao Ran held a rectangular object in his right hand, a thoughtful expression on his face. His gaze followed the cracks in the ruins outwards, his mind seemingly lost in thought.

"Um... I mean--"

"--Is there any way we can shoot that bird down?"

"What?!"

Qiao Ran's words surprised Bea once again; she even thought this man was crazy.

Those are Gigantamax Pokémon! And this entire city is actually a den of Gigantamax Pokémon!!

Who gave him the courage to wage war on someone else's territory?

However, she didn't notice that in Qiao Ran's right hand, there was a uniquely designed cell phone, quietly emitting a light.

Several lines of large, prominent text were displayed on the phone's screen.

"Number: Singularity 040!"

Singularity Name: Gigantamax Final Land - Galar!

Danger Level: Level Six!

Objective: Survive and collect the Gigantamax Energy!

Current collection progress: 1/100!!!!

Section 186, Chapter 183 [Singularity: Strategy]

Let's rewind a few minutes.

At that time, Qiao Ran was still cramped in the small space, recovering his strength. However, just as he was thinking about what to do next, he heard a faint sound coming from around him.

"Master... Master..."

Hearing such a sound in the dark and cramped space made Qiao Ran shudder. He glanced at Mimikyu, who was curled up on the ground looking adorable, but realized that the sound did not come from her.

Although Mimikyu 'Mimikyu voice has a Ghost type quality, it is noticeably weaker.

The voice just now, apart from being a little weak, didn't sound weak at all; it even had a hint of being a troublemaker.

Almost a single syllable triggered the "troublemaker radar" in Qiao Ran's mind.

Could it be that...?

Qiao Ran looked behind him, and a very bold but perfectly reasonable idea formed in his mind.

Almost without hesitation, he let Mimikyu extend its black claws from under his skirt to help him open the backpack on his back...

What happened next was only natural.

--Qiao Ran saw a weakened Rotom.

She couldn't move or make a sound, but she still used all her strength to turn on her screen and let Qiao Ran see what was on it.

On her screen were several lines of text that were incredibly surprising, especially the phrase "Singularity target," which made Qiao Ran feel completely powerless.

Objective: Collect Gigantamax Energy?? Current progress... 1/100???

In Qiao Ran's memory, he didn't seem to have ever actively collected any energy. If there was such a situation, it was probably only that one battle with Gigantamax Pokémon.

He

Defeat a Gigantamax Pokémon and restored its size to normal.

So, Defeat a Gigantamax Pokémon also allows you to collect its energy? But... only 1/100th of the energy from Defeat one? That's way too outrageous!

He needs to Defeat 100 of those guys???

"Damn it..."

Qiao Ran cursed inwardly. Before he knew about the mission, he was just wandering around this world like a headless fly. However, after he learned about the mission, a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.

Defeat that one Machamp was already quite a challenge for him, and now this mission requires him to Defeat 100 Machamp?

"..."

Therefore, for safety's sake, it would be better to take this task slowly.

No... that won't work.

Qiao Ran went through an unprecedented struggle. He wanted to go back. He really, really wanted to go back. He couldn't slowly tame Gigantamax Pokémon one by one in this world.

Qiao Ran through the cracks in the rocks into the narrow space. His hands were already sweating. 100 of them. Even if he could Defeat two a day, it would still take him fifty days; if Defeat three a day, it would still take him more than a month.

Can he wait that long? Can Mei and the others wait?

Especially Mei; Qiao Ran didn't think she could last that long alone in a place. Besides... when Qiao Ran and Lillie left, they told her they would be back soon.

"... Is there any other way? Gigantamax Energy... only Gigantamax Pokémon..."

Qiao Ran's brain began to work, and his gaze swept around, searching for useful objects that could inspire his thinking.

Finally, his gaze settled on his pocket—an old map with one corner sticking out.

Map... region...

Qiao Ran couldn't help but think of something Gloria had once said to him.

"Chairman Rose set up Energy Collection Device in Hammerlocke to collect Gigantamax Energy from the ground. That's why so much Dynamax energy has gathered around Hammerlocke..."

Yes.

Energy Collection Device.

There are Energy Collection Device inside Hammerlocke!