Aspiring to become a Pokémon trainer

In contrast, the brown-skinned man with a headscarf covering his hair bared his teeth, flung off his trench coat with a slightly roguish air, and shouted a challenge as he rubbed his fists together—"Dan Di, this time, I won't lose to you again!"

That being said, but—

"Judging from the audience's feedback, it seems that Mr. Cibana and the Dante champion have fought many times?"

Out of curiosity, Korne asked the beautiful woman beside her, and the answer was undoubtedly different from the one in the picture, which was full of energy.

"There have been about nine times in open tournaments. In private, Dani also often plays against Cibaner. Of course, there has only been one winner so far, and it will only be him."

As she recounted the past, the rise and fall of her eyebrows and the excitement in her tone revealed Sonia's deep affection for Dante and her barely concealed pride.

Her enthusiasm even caused her to momentarily lose focus, almost tripping over a nearby curb.

Although there was the added note of someone he was interested in, in reality, Dan did indeed meet these honors and descriptions.

The path to the championship in Galar is not like the Elite Four rules in other regions. Whether it is a gym challenge or a regional tournament, the prevailing rule in this land is that only one winner prevails.

Trainers who collect all eight badges can bypass the cumbersome process and directly participate in the invitational tournament, joining all trainers in Galar to challenge the summit.

The saying "Win the championship, win everything" is no longer just empty talk in this current climate.

Therefore, even without detailed differentiation, the trainers here are of an unusually high level. In the gyms that are later in the order of the rankings, coupled with the local Dynamax mechanism, the gym leaders are even stronger than the Elite Four members in the rules and regulations, such as Raihana.

In the Galar region, which places the greatest emphasis on battle culture, the only one to emerge from thousands of trainers has stood at the top for ten years without defeat, never falling into a slump in official tournaments, and is proudly called the 'strongest' by the locals.

The absolute champion, Dan, he truly deserves this title.

Possessing both strength and virtue, serving as both a mentor and a friend, and bearing a heavy responsibility, the anime series did not delve too deeply into his character, only establishing his title as the strongest and presenting a vague image. However, the game that rivals the generation, the promotional PV, and his unwavering determination to single-handedly stop Mugentana in times of crisis—such a person is definitely a flesh-and-blood, extremely charismatic individual.

People all over the world are speculating whether Leon held the Eight Masters Tournament to solidify his title as the strongest and to meet the expectations of everyone in Galar, thus inviting outstanding trainers from other regions to gather together.

Dawu, Zhulan, Adu...

Countless heroes will reunite on this land in the future, and so will I.

Therefore, Nan Yin will not underestimate her opponent. If she wants to reach the top, she must face this champion head-on and win.

On the distant, high-hanging screen, was playing Dan's signature move: one arm lifting his cape as he raised the other to the top of his head—this was the moment of victory.

"It's Gigantamax."

Not only Sonia, who was standing next to her, was also attracted by the sight, and the passing travelers couldn't help but raise their support signs and cheer for their respective sides.

The clashes between trainers are also a war between fans.

If there is a disagreement, the two sides will even pull up their Poké Balls and have a Pokémon battle right there in the street.

This is not surprising, as Galar is a region known worldwide for its competitive culture.

However, a few decades ago, this land was mired in economic deficit due to its scarce resources, resulting in slow development and a lack of distinctive features. It wasn't until the current League Chairman, Rose, drastically reshaped the entire region's industrial structure and introduced Dynamax into open battles that things changed.

In the Galar region, where the performance is actively staged, every challenge between trainers takes place in the arena, and the clashes between Dynamax Pokémon are so powerful that it's hard to look away once you start watching.

Even viewers unfamiliar with battles will be captivated by the earth-shattering clashes when they see Pokémon tens or even hundreds of meters tall unleash their moves, becoming emotionally invested in the outcome and unable to suppress their surprise and anticipation.

Since then, the Galar region has shaken off its bottom spot in the League and attracted the world's attention with its unique battle rhetoric. Riding this wave, Loz also founded the Marocmon Group, which has since grown into a behemoth that dominates the region's livelihood.

Of course, in the comics, Chairman Rose's image is not positive. Although he loves this land, he is too eager for the future and takes the wrong steps, which leads to the Dark Night and almost causes a region to fall.

In terms of his achievements, without him there would be no Galar as we know it today. In terms of his mistakes, he was too worried about the fate of the region after the Max Raid powers were exhausted, and he was too confident in his own abilities, which led him to make the mistake of being too ambitious in his eagerness.

The description in the words is roughly like this, but Nan Yin would never judge a person's good or evil based solely on past memories. Right and wrong are all witnessed by her own eyes.

While she was lost in thought, she suddenly heard a gentle breeze blowing, which lightly scattered her white hair.

Looking up, Nan Yin didn't smell any fragrance, but her view was blocked by a lovely little face. This was not a gentle breeze, but a playful winged hair flapping in its natural way.

"Koboo~"

"Buyi!"

Dissatisfied that its trainer's makeup had been ruined by this 'bad thing', and having never liked it, Eevee immediately waved its ribbon, tangling it with the trainer's feathers.

"Pfft."

Unintentionally, Diancie elegantly covered her lips with one hand and linked arms with Magiana with the other, unable to suppress the smile that came over her at the sight.

"Bony~"

Ignoring their playful fight, the little devil grabbed two strings of fructose from a nearby stall, kicked his little legs, and shared them with the girl.

Now that she has arrived in a brand new region and set foot on entirely new soil, Nan Yin naturally does not intend to keep her children in the ball anymore; accompanying them on their journey has always been her guiding principle.

Although the children's exquisite appearance inevitably attracts a lot of attention and discussion.

It's not exactly troublesome; the envious stares from others are actually a kind of happy trouble.

At least, Nan Yin is very pleased—they're beautiful, aren't they? They're all my companions.

"Alright, as the eldest sister, Ibu, please be a little more lenient with this kid."

She pulled the weakened Zhenyi into her arms, gently stroking its hot feathers with her fingertips, making the little guy squint its eyes comfortably and gradually calming the energy in its headband.

For a child who has long been struggling to survive and has been tempered by their environment, it is perfectly reasonable to be curious about everything outside the world. However, accepting and becoming familiar with it requires a long period of companionship.

However, his mischievous nature was clearly not gone. Even nestled in the girl's arms, Eevee still squinted and looked at him with a defiant gaze, which made the little beast almost bristle. It was practically saying, "You can't do anything to me now."

Without making a sound to disturb them, Korni quietly watched her friend accompany the children.

White hair cascades down her neck and shoulders like smooth willow catkins; her eyebrows and eyes are slightly raised, and she seems to be smiling. That natural expression of warmth is more serene and beautiful than any embellishment.

Her southern-style singing is so outstanding, both in appearance and ability.

Finally, she couldn't help but chuckle as she touched Lucario and whispered, "Look at them, they're even more exciting than the battles in the arena."

The blue and yellow puppy shook its head helplessly, but the wave guide honestly conveyed a relaxed mood. Just as Scorpio King was about to take the opportunity to steal the energy cube from the girl's handbag with its tail stinger, it was hit on the forehead by the former with a bone club and then covered its head and threw a tantrum.

This scene brought a smile to Sonia's face. "You two have such a harmonious relationship. If only he could understand this..."

She murmured to herself as she bent down to straighten her wind-blown white coat, only to find Diancie gazing thoughtfully toward the arena.

"The battle seems to be nearing its end."

On the screen, the Charizard, already approaching 100 meters in size, is locked in a head-on battle with the Duraludon, while a giant storm surges through the arena along with the fiery currents.

As soon as the sky-covering, fiery wings transformed into wild geese, stirring up waves of air, the scorching dragon breath was poured onto the opposite corner, causing the colossal aluminum steel dragon to sway precariously, and even its massive steel body showed scorch marks.

"It seems Mr. Cibana is going to lose again."

"This is already a routine part of the invitational tournament, nothing surprising."

Nearby passersby whispered about the inevitable outcome, with laughter mixed in, but their gazes couldn't help but drift back to the white-haired girl passing by.

"Sylveon, Gliscor... they seem somewhat familiar."

"Wait, it's that newly crowned superstar, the adorable Nan Yin!"

"It seems someone recognizes you." Korini pricked up her ears and deliberately tugged at Nan Yin's sleeve. "My dear Fairy King~"

Before the teasing remark could even register, the surrounding tourists stirred. A young man wearing a baseball cap excitedly pulled out his encyclopedia entry, exclaiming, "It really is Miss Nan Yin! I saw her on the Carlos Alliance's livestream!"

Amidst the clamor of emotions, Eevee flapped its ribbons, warily blocking Nanyin's path, as if asserting its dominance. Meanwhile, Sylveon gracefully swung its ribbons, creating a safe distance within the crowd.

"I forgot you were the new king of the game. Let's go to the other side of the viewing area. The view is better there, and you can avoid the crowd."

After apologizing, Sonia belatedly led the two into a special passage on the side.

The moment they stepped in, the roar of the arena surged like a tsunami. Gigantamax Inferno was turning the entire arena into an orange canvas. Duraludon struggled to survive in the flames, while only Kibana's roar almost drowned out the commentary.

"It's not over yet! Duraludon, Mighty Rock!"

Rock-like stone skin adhered to the steel dragon's body as it charged forward, enduring the pillars of fire, causing the earth beneath its feet to rumble and tremble.

A deafening roar of cheers erupted from the stands, and even Sonia clenched her fists: "This time, Kibana and Aluminum Dragon's perseverance is even stronger than before..."

While the Dynamax moves before her eyes were certainly impressive, Nan Yin noticed something unusual. At the center of the Dynamax Storm, the mist and clouds above seemed to be responding to some kind of call, and the nature of the energy seemed to have changed.

Almost simultaneously glancing at each other, their eyes met in unison, and Diancie nodded to the girl, also tracing the source of this energy.

Under the ultimate sensory experience, the world in Nan Yin's eyes immediately changed.

A sinister and malicious gaze seeped from the soil beneath her feet, and as the waveguide followed the bridge built by her psychic power, she caught a fleeting glimpse of it.

Layers of jagged bones intertwine to form the body, and invisible energy transforms into smog to fill the void in the flesh. The thousand-meter-tall shell is imprisoned in the abyss; it is a venomous dragon from another planet.

Aeontana.

Similarly, the giant beast that had been resting on its roots also sensed this spying. As if to provoke it, it tore apart a bunch of confining facilities, but its vitality was diluted by the gradually freezing liquid, and it could only roar in resentment.

As their gazes met, the surge of energy gradually subsided, and both Charizard and Duraludon returned to their normal forms, signaling the end of the battle, seemingly unaware of the abnormality that had just occurred.

Of course, the winner is clear just by listening to the cheers of the audience and observing the postures of both sides.

"Uh, that feels so good. I can feel it, Dan Emperor, I'm only a little bit away from defeating you."

He twisted his neck to ease the stiffness in his body, but the brown-skinned man still had a resentful smile on his lips.

“I will be waiting for your next challenge, Chibana.”

Donning his champion's cape once more, Dan patted his old partner on the shoulder, comforting it for its hard work, then raised his arm, clenched his fist, and proclaimed his own victory.

A round of applause erupted, and his image was displayed in the center of the screen, marking the end of the battle.

"Dan Di, that was a beautiful win!"

Sonia stood up and called out the name of the person she admired, not caring about the gazes of others.

"Oh, Sonia, you're here too."

Although he didn't show much emotion, judging from his relaxed demeanor, Dan Di was also pleasantly surprised by the arrival of his childhood sweetheart.

After bidding farewell to the cheers, the two expressed their welcome to Nan Yin and her entourage in the rest room.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't greet you right away. Qibana is always so eager for immediate combat, as if he can find my weakness and catch me off guard."

The voice was calm and gentle, yet tinged with a hint of weariness; this was Nan Yin's first impression of the champion before her.

"As trainers, this is how it should be. There's no need for such formality. Korne and I have come here precisely to resolve the sword of Damocles hanging over the Galar region."

Before she could finish her story, just as she was about to ask about Loz's whereabouts, she heard light footsteps approaching from afar.

A delicate beret, a knitted sweater, and a skirt with a simple, gathered hem that perfectly reveals her fair calves.

The woman's face was exceptionally delicate, complementing her smooth chestnut hair, and she exuded a sweet, refined charm.

Familiar and unfamiliar.

Chapter 138 Battle with Yuri and Entering the Game

"Yuri, what brings you to Miyagi City? Weren't you supposed to be challenging the gym?"

Upon seeing the chestnut-haired girl, Sonia immediately stepped forward and patted her on the shoulder.

"Hmph, Sonia, you really underestimate me. We've reached the final stop, so—"

With her chin slightly raised, showing off her little bit of pride, Yuri pointed at the disheartened Qibana.

"I'm issuing a challenge to you, Gym Leader of the Dragon Gym, Raihan!"

The clear voice startled the young tits on the branches. Just like the former, at this moment, the seven badges on her waist were enough to prove her qualifications, and the topmost evil badge was still shining with a brand new luster.

"Oh my, what a wonderful day it is today? Even a little girl wants to challenge Dragon Storm?"

Wiping the sweat from his brow and no longer touching the burn marks on the aluminum-steel dragon's tail, Qibana's metal earrings traced silver arcs under the arena's overhead lights.

"The battles one after another are indeed thrilling, but I must decline."

“Article 5 of Chapter 3 of the Galar Competition Regulations,” Yuri began before the former could finish his refusal, “that when a challenger’s badge count reaches the required level, the challenged party may not refuse for any reason—unless you are afraid of losing to a junior and affecting the sponsor’s contract?”

Clearly, this was a small provocation, but for the ever-outspoken Cibana, it was highly effective.

"Alright, since that's the case," Qibana grinned, turning to Nan Yin who was silently watching, a roguish smile spreading across his face. "Why don't we have our outside help fight you? After all—"

"The Fairy Elite Four members who defeated Kalos are far more challenging than ordinary Gym battles, and they are more renowned for their victories."

It's a deliberately drawn-out tone.

“I just fought against Dante and I don’t have the strength to fight another battle. If you can win, then you will naturally be qualified to keep this badge.”

As soon as the words were spoken, the atmosphere in the lounge froze slightly. Zhenyi poked its head out from Nanyin's arms, its gradually changing feathers bristling into a fluffy ball, revealing its dissatisfaction.

"Hey, isn't this against the rules?" Sonia frowned at Dan, who was stroking his chin thoughtfully.

The clouds above the arena dome had not yet dispersed, and raindrops splashed tiny water droplets on the berets of those who had come before.