c117: Become Famous
Just as the crowd moved toward Chen Xiaoxiao, she sensed the shift in attention and vanished in a flash of Teleport, a signature ability of experienced Psychic-type trainers.
"That's definitely Psychic-type ability!"
"I'm sure of it! That has to be Chen Xiaoxiao!"
"Wait! I haven't even gotten the goddess's autograph yet!"
"Goddess! Don't leave me behind!"
Now standing alone in a secluded corner ahead, Chen Xiaoxiao could still clearly hear their cries echoing behind her.
"They all know I'm a Psychic-type specialist?"
She blinked in surprise, her heart pounding.
Suddenly alarmed, she pulled out her Pokédex and opened the news tab.
To her shock, the No. 1 trending story on Qiandu's Hot Search was her.
"The Youngest Elite Trainer in Pokémon Alliance History: Chen Xiaoxiao!"
"What the—? Why am I trending?! Didn't they say I wouldn't be on the news?"
She scrolled in disbelief.
Below the top headline, nearly every major trending story was about her or the massive incident in Denki Forest involving Zapdos the night before.
"Electric Forest's Electric-Type Riot!"
"A Legendary Unknown: The Solgaleo That Battled Zapdos for 300 Rounds!"
"The Legendary Duo: Zapdos and Latias Appear!"
"Lei Ting of Hanwu City's Thunder Gym Leads the Defense with Elite Trainer Chen Xiaoxiao!"
"Elite or Future Champion? Experts Break Down Chen Xiaoxiao's Path!"
"The Woman Who Commands Latias!"
"Unveiling the Truth: What Really Happened Between Zapdos and Chen Xiaoxiao?"
"Electric Forest Incident Leaves Netizens in Awe!"
Chen Xiaoxiao's face went pale. Just from the clickbait-style titles, she knew her carefully kept identity and background had been completely exposed.
And the last two headlines clearly the work of gossip media like UC—were particularly melodramatic.
With trembling fingers, she tapped on the top-ranked story.
Her photo taken from the Denki Forest battle—was the header. Below was a detailed biography: age, hometown, early education, Pokémon school achievements, battle records, gym wins, and even her classification as an Elite Trainer by the Huaxia Pokémon Alliance.
Scrolling further down, she was stunned to find millions of comments.
"16 years old and already an Elite?! What have I been doing with my life?"
"I'm 18 and still struggling with a single Badge. She's on another level!"
"Dude above, I'm 20 and just got my first Gym win. Respect!"
"A girl trainer? Shouldn't she be at home? This isn't ladylike at all!"
"Hey, look at this sexist fool! Girls, go blast his profile!"
A flame war had erupted in the comments.
Even more disturbing, Chen Xiaoxiao noticed one reply listed her name as "Student Chen Xiaoxiao."
"Selling schoolgirl photos of Chen Xiaoxiao in uniform! Only 10 Huaxia Pokémon Coins! Payment = photo!"
She was furious. Some troll was even trying to profit from her personal images!
Fuming, she backed out of the story and browsed the other trending posts. As she feared, most were clearly based on authorized leaks. The photos and data weren't from paparazzi they were from internal sources.
Sighing deeply, she opened a call to her direct superior, Leng Xin.
"Hehe, Xiaoxiao! I knew you'd call. Surprised by last night's news?"
Leng Xin grinned from the screen. Just as Chen Xiaoxiao was about to scold him, the screen split.
"Xiaoxiao! You're famous now! I heard even Time Magazine in the Unova Region wants to feature you on next month's cover!"
It was Leng Yue, his niece, her face glowing with excitement.
Judging from the setting, Leng Xin hadn't even gone to the office yet and was eating breakfast at home.
"Leng Yue, I'll talk to you later. Uncle Leng, why did you authorize the publicity? Now I'm being swarmed at the airport!"
Chen Xiaoxiao looked exhausted.
"Haha, don't blame me. Every generation, the Alliance chooses a symbol for young trainers. Xu Fei, the last one, was surpassed by you in battle—he's no longer suitable. The senior Elites and Council Members recommended you unanimously!"
Leng Xin shrugged, still smiling.
"The Zhong De incident was a wake-up call. Powerful clans were worried their young ones might provoke you without knowing your strength. Your clash with the Zhong family was already more polite than they deserved. We had to act."
Leng Yue giggled off-screen while Chen Xiaoxiao sighed in disbelief.
"Come on, Xiaoxiao. Fame has its perks. At the very least, it'll stop some people from causing trouble. And what Yue said is true—Time really wants an exclusive with you. I've arranged it already."
Leng Xin added.
"An interview too? Uncle Leng, seriously?!"
"It's a political task. No backing out. It's just an interview we'll prep you on the questions. Easy stuff."
His tone turned firm, leaving no room for debate.
"Hah… fine. I got it. Uncle Leng, I need to board now. Yue, I'll call you once I get back to Shencheng. Bye!"
She ended the call and exhaled sharply, rubbing her cheeks.
As she walked toward the boarding gate, travelers continued to recognize her. Some requested autographs and selfies. Chen Xiaoxiao smiled apologetically and said she was boarding soon, gently refusing most requests.
"I'm not a Celebrity… and I don't want to be one."
Even after boarding the plane, a few passengers identified her and asked for signatures. With no more excuses to hide behind, she signed a few.
After all, most were Shencheng locals her own people.
Group photos, though? She politely refused those across the board.
The aircraft boarding system in this world unlike the slower transport of the old Earth was hyper-efficient. In just over an hour, they arrived at Shencheng Airport.
With a simple disguise hoodie, cap, sunglasses she disembarked without being recognized.
All around, passengers chatted about the incident in Denki Forest, and more than once, she overheard her name being spoken.
But the disguise held.
At the airport exit, she paused.
Closing her eyes, she stretched out her arms toward the sky like a Flying-type trainer basking in open air.
Taking a deep breath of familiar Shencheng air, she felt the stress melt away.
Waving down a taxi, she told the driver:
"To Grandma's Breeder Field, please."
As the cab wound through the vibrant streets, skyscrapers flashing past and riverside views filling the windows, a gentle nostalgia settled in.
"Shencheng, I'm home."
She said quietly in her heart.
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