Aspiring to become a Pokémon trainer

Setting aside her status as a champion and abandoning her scholarly pursuits, Cynthia claims to be responsible, but in reality, she is merely using these words to express that she will not stand on Sinnoh's side to protect Kitakami Village.

Of course, this also reflects a genuine interest in Nan Yin herself and a deliberate attempt to get closer to her.

Undeniably, Karuni is absolutely right. To be honest, this girl does have many similarities to her and always manages to give a pleasant reply at the right time.

Even though it was only a short time together, she felt genuinely comfortable and at ease. If she had to use words to describe it, she would frankly say that the tacit understanding between them could even be described as a meeting of minds.

Therefore, rather than the truth about Beishang Township, Liren became more interested in Nanyin music itself.

"It's my pleasure."

I casually picked up a piece of fruit and handed it to the elusive peony, watching it open its small mouth to reveal its delicate tiger teeth.

"Bonnie~"

The gentle calls and the rich aroma of desserts filled the air. However, outside this harmonious atmosphere, there was a hurried and impatient knocking on the door, followed by harsh shouts and insults in dialect.

Perhaps they knew the girl had returned to the hotel, or perhaps it was just a coincidence after several times, but upon hearing such a commotion, everyone instinctively frowned, harboring their displeasure.

This is the real disturbance.

Chapter 108 The Power of Crystallization and the Thorn Vine Staff!

"Does the difficulty you mentioned earlier include this knocking on the door?"

With her delicate brows furrowed, Zhu Lan's expression was far from pleasant, and a hint of anger was brewing within her.

Using intimidation tactics to coerce tourists goes beyond the scope of harassment; it's no longer a question of whether a rumor is true or false.

"According to the guests in the neighborhood, it seems that they did the same thing last night. Fortunately, we encountered the Egui Pong at that time and also set up a tent to sleep outdoors."

She did not answer the champion's question, but the girl's words provided ample evidence of the villagers' ill will and accusations.

"Bony?"

As if hearing Nan Yin's call to itself, the little devil put down the fruit plate and clumsily took the former's arm with both hands, sometimes gently shaking it, sometimes opening its eyes wide and casting a watery gaze.

It was an undisguised concern.

With a slight upturn of her lips, the girl used her free right hand to embrace the small beast, pulling it into her arms.

She leaned her face closer and whispered in his ear.

"It's alright, I won't let some trivial matters sway my mind."

After all, compared to you well-behaved and adorable people, what is there for us to pay attention to, even for a moment, to those troublemakers and bullies?

"Leave this to me, Sister Zhulan."

No longer sitting upright on the sofa, the blonde beauty rested one hand on her side, taking measured steps, her brilliance shining even more in her eyes and brows.

Without rushing to open the door, Zhu Lan waited until the insults she heard gradually subsided before turning the doorknob and giving a sharp, resounding shout, delivering a blow to the heads of all the villagers.

"What, what kind of nonsense are you going to cause now?"

The woman's voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear, like a flowing spring or the resounding beat of a bell, each word carrying weight.

It wasn't just the awe-inspiring presence of his facial features that was overwhelming; with each step he took and each gesture he made, his long-suppressed aura also crushed the crowd.

Overwhelmed by this aura, those who had intended to rely on their power and influence immediately lost their courage, looking at each other blankly, completely at a loss for how to refute it.

"You, you're not a guest in this room, are you?"

Faces flushed from holding it in, one of them finally came to the senses and voiced his question.

however--

"Does it matter who I am? If I'm just an ordinary tourist, can you do this? If I'm a tourist with a different identity, can you not say anything at all?"

Disgusted by the disruption to her mood and disgusted by the bullying, Beishang Township was, after all, a remote corner of Shen'ao. Although the villagers' behavior did not bring shame to Zhulan, it made her aware of the differences between places and the clear distinctions in moral boundaries.

"..."

Speechless at the beautiful woman's words, most of the menacing visitors could only tuck their tails between their legs and slink away.

"You wait for me!"

Of course, there were also some indignant and ignorant fools among them. Before long, the source of the confidence of the mountain standing behind these villagers was revealed to the girls.

The old man, with a bald head and no hair or beard, arrived with his hands behind his back, full of pride. But when he saw Zhu Lan beside him, his arrogant demeanor vanished instantly.

In stark contrast to his previous arrogance, the administrator of Beishang Township coughed twice and then adopted a warm and enthusiastic demeanor.

"Champion Bamboo Orchid, you've been visiting for so long without even letting me know in advance."

His words were full of earnestness, and the old man added a series of praises.

"After meeting you in person, I realized that you are even more radiant than you appear on screen."

"I wondered who those villagers were talking about. It turns out it was you, the administrator. Your words just now were also too kind."

Not feeling pleasant at all, the administrator's subsequent compliments only made Zhu Lan feel greasy, and she spontaneously turned cold.

“I want to say, if it weren’t for me, would those tourists have faced the same situation, the accusations and insults from the villagers? As the administrator of Beishang Township, you should know everything inside and out, so—”

Is it tacit approval? Or is it deliberate indulgence?

Staring intently at the old man's withered face, he broke out in a cold sweat and dared not breathe. After a long while, this self-proclaimed shrewd administrator finally grasped the situation and spoke.

“You’re joking, Zhulan Champion. How could it be condoning or tacitly approving? Even as the administrator of Beishang Township, it’s difficult for me to take care of all the big and small matters in this village. The villagers have always been influenced by their customs and know very little about the outside world.”

“They are not good-tempered to begin with, and they often talk back to me. They also harbor resentment over small frictions and secretly retaliate, which is something I find difficult to detect and stop in time.”

She gave what she considered a satisfactory and flawless answer, but all of this was based on the fact that Zhu Lan was new to the town and did not understand it. However, there were indeed people present who knew the situation and had experienced it firsthand.

"It was clearly you who deliberately ordered them to cause trouble!" Seeing through the old man's pretense and seeing his shameless appearance, Ke'erni blurted out her thoughts. "Nanyin and I have no dealings with the other villagers. We only had a minor disagreement with you on the mountain road yesterday, and as soon as evening came and this morning came to our door."

"Is that so, Mr. Administrator?"

Gone was the chill of the morning; Zhu Lan naturally took over the preface and smiled as she watched the other party's rebuttal.

"Do you have anything else to explain?"

"...I, I really have no knowledge of this lady's statement."

Turning his old face away, the administrator knew he absolutely could not admit to this difficult matter in front of the Sinnoh champion.

Once it's put into practice, there's no going back.

After all, the person standing in front of him was his top leader, a very important figure he would inevitably have to get to know if he wanted to advance further in the future.

Now that things have come to this, as long as we stick to our guns, no matter what the other side says, they can't refute us. As long as we can delay things and the person who has to take the blame isn't us, it doesn't matter what happens. We can take any villager who can be the scapegoat.

As he thought this, the old man's resentment towards the two girls intensified.

I really don't know what bad luck they had to stumble and fall twice, ending up in this disheveled, stuck situation.

He showed no remorse towards Zhu Lan, instead targeting the unknown Nan Yin and Ke Er Ni, whom he had long ago labeled as easy targets to bully.

"Besides, how can we easily believe what the two young girls say? Champion Zhu Lan, you know that I have worked hard for the development of Beishang Township for decades. There is no reason for me to do things that harm others and myself."

Lowering his head, from an angle where the beautiful woman couldn't see him, the old man cast a threatening glance at the two girls.

In his view, even if a teenage girl had some skills, a little bluffing would probably make her afraid of the truth and the previous actions of coming to his door.

Having made all the necessary calculations, he was about to speak again when he was interrupted by a hurried voice.

"Administrator, Sanbaoban and the others have eaten all the sticky rice cakes and tree fruits, and they're throwing a tantrum at the shrine! What should we do?!"

Their faces showed no lack of panic. For the villagers who regarded the legend of Pokémon as their own knowledge, those three Pokémon were the symbol of Kitakami Township and objects that could not be insulted.

"Damn it."

Feeling restless and uneasy, the administrator was about to lash out, but then he thought, isn't this the perfect opportunity to escape?

"Bamboo Orchid Champion, what do you think of this?"

Rubbing his palms, the old man's face showed a hint of feigned apology and helplessness, but Zhu Lan did not show much emotion. She simply looked at the white-haired girl and saw her nod silently, and she understood what the former was thinking.

“That’s perfect. Let me see for myself what kind of hero Baoban is, who has been praised in Beishang Township for nearly a hundred years.”

Not alone, Nan Yin, along with Zhu Lan and the little devil, approached the main hall they had visited the day before.

After crossing the mountain path and passing through the streets and alleys, the square that was once piled with many fruits was now in a mess, leaving only scraps and crushed fruit pits.

Everywhere you look, there are scenes that are utterly unbearable to behold.

Looking at the administrator's face again, it had turned deathly pale.

Then they walked toward the shrine. In the center of the hall, three Pokémon of different shapes were roaring and venting their dissatisfaction at the surrounding villagers, and some even took concrete actions.

That's enough!

The dog opened and closed its jaws, revealing sharp fangs, and its expression grew increasingly impatient.

"I wish I could squeak!"

Grabbing villagers by the collar and tearing them into strips, the small monkeys plundered the people's belongings, such as fruit and glutinous rice.

"I apologize for the mess, champion of bamboo orchids. I will fix this scramble as soon as possible and make it a sight to behold."

Before anyone could speak, the administrator took the initiative to admit his dereliction of duty.

As the day before the Covered Face Festival was about to begin, the main hall was not yet open, and this scene was almost never seen by tourists, leaving room for redemption.

if only--

Before the glimmer of hope could even arise, the 'clever' Yuanzeng ape turned its gaze to the weak and faded but powerful and influential administrator.

With a leap, it carried the old man to the center of the main hall, grinning wildly at the villagers offering their food, as if trying to extort more food and better conditions.

Greed is insatiable; taking an inch and wanting a mile, seeing this appearance, Zhu Lan once again pursed her lips and uttered a sigh.

"This is truly disappointing."

"Bonnie!"

As mentioned earlier, the little devil who was originally following Nan Yin immediately let out a shout like his fur standing on end when he saw the treasure companions, and subconsciously stood in front of the girl, fearing that the previous incident would happen again.

"Is that good enough?"

"I'll squeak!"

"Goo!"

Almost at the same moment, the three treasure companions also sensed the aura of the Egui Pong. When they glanced at the turquoise mask, their identity was confirmed.

Knowing that their enmity was irreconcilable, they did not hesitate for a moment. They immediately put down the old man and the villagers and hid the masks they were carrying one by one.

With its withered wings flapping, the pheasant charged towards the small, evil spirit, bringing with it puffs of poisonous smoke.

Meanwhile, the slightly slower Gouzan Dog rushed to the rescue, unleashing a powerful punch.

Instead of attacking the former, Yuanmaru decided to target the girl protected by the demon.

"Nanyin!"

It was a friend's worried call.

"Peace of mind."

The onslaught that pressed in so close had already forced the airflow apart, causing strands of hair to flutter wildly, but Nan Yin did not flinch in fear, nor did she show any intention of dodging.

The girl slowly raised one arm, spreading her five fingers to block the approaching attack. The restlessness and constant hissing echoed, but they turned into a wisp of dust in the outside world, insignificant and unnoticed.

Outside, there are mundane, trivial matters; inside, there is a warm and cozy home.

Like a tightly clenched piece of paper, twisted into a ball, she slowly tightened her knuckles without stopping her steps.

An immense force, invisible to the naked eye, descended upon the world.

The faces of the three companions twisted and deformed one after another. They tried to retreat, but lost their balance under the force and were crushed one by one by the pressure coming from all sides.

One step, two steps, as the advancing offensive gradually weakened, and as the agonizing cries of bones cracking rose one after another, Nan Yin stood before E Gui Peng.

The waveguide's senses also indicated that while the three companions were unwell, they were not seriously injured. Perhaps they had eaten too much sticky rice cake, or perhaps they were being induced by some being. Their bodies swelled up again, reaching several meters in height. The sudden battle just now had caused the entire hall to sink into a pit and cracks to appear.

Zhu Lan originally intended to summon the earth dragon that was by her side, but seeing Nan Yin's composure, she understood and crossed her arms to the side, observing the situation quietly.

The villagers were equally unaware, only knowing that Baoban had been defeated by the outsider's counterattack, and that the administrator had scrambled to his feet in a disheveled state, shouting for him to stop, disregarding his appearance.

The main hall was built at great expense, and the treasures are symbolic; neither of them should be destroyed.