Garchomp fled, leaving silence in the bathroom.
The two people stuck together in the tub—one angry, one awkward—sat there soaking in the silence.
Cynthia was angry. Very, very angry. She felt like she should teach him a severe lesson!
But as she stared at him, she realized her anger wasn't as intense as she expected. It wasn't boiling over into violence.
In fact, she noticed that after not seeing him for a while, the kid had become even more handsome. There was a strange, inexplicable aura about him that made her want to be close to him.
Under this illusion, Cynthia felt her anger dissipating at a visible rate. Soon, she sighed internally, thinking, He didn't mean it. Let it go this time.
This wasn't just Li Yuan's Aura soothing her. A Champion's will wasn't that fragile. The real culprit was his new ability.
When Li Yuan captured Mars, he received a random reward: [Viridian Heart].
At first glance, it sounded like a heart transplant. But upon closer inspection, it was shocking.
In the Pokémon world, the Viridian Forest blessed a human with special powers every ten years—the Viridian Force (or Power of Viridian). It allowed the user to heal Pokémon and read their minds.
The Viridian Heart was an enhanced version. It didn't just work on Pokémon; it worked on humans too. It granted Li Yuan an affinity with nature, Pokémon, and people. Unless he actively harmed them, living beings were naturally predisposed to like him.
So Cynthia was being hit by both his soothing Aura and the passive charm of the Viridian Heart. Her emotions were pacified effortlessly.
This led to a serious problem: Cynthia was now stuck. She couldn't forgive him, but she couldn't stay angry either. She was locked in a stalemate with him in the tub.
Every second she hesitated, her body was being taken advantage of! When had she ever been touched like this? She was practically his already!
"Uh... if Sister Cynthia doesn't want me to leave, I'm willing to stay~," Li Yuan realized he needed to give her an out.
"Stay your head! Get out! You can teleport, right? Teleport out directly! No peeking!" Cynthia snapped, her shame turning into anger again.
"Yes, ma'am! Whatever you say!" Li Yuan acted like a good boy, terrified of provoking her further.
But it was all an act~. He signaled Gardevoir to teleport him. But instead of leaving the bathroom, he only teleported... just outside the bathtub.
Instantly, the naked beauty in the tub was right in front of his eyes, unobstructed!
Her skin was white as snow, her curves perfect, her most private areas faintly visible through the clear water. Even Li Yuan, who had seen many women, couldn't help but fantasize.
Such a perfect silhouette... greed-inducing.
"Li Yuan!!!"
This time, Cynthia exploded. Not even the Viridian Force could calm her down.
Feeling his burning gaze, she covered her body in panic. In a fit of rage, she grabbed a bottle of body wash and hurled it at the pervert's face!
She was furious. She had conflicted with herself for so long, and the result was nothing! She was still seen!
She should have just kicked him out from the start. That extra hug only made Garchomp misunderstand their relationship. She had lost the battle and the war.
Now she had no secrets from Li Yuan. How could she marry anyone else?
Do I have to marry him now?
No! I can't let that bastard off so easily!
"Uh... Sister Cynthia is beautiful~. I'll wait outside~." Li Yuan tilted his head, dodging the projectile body wash. He took one last, long look at her white body before fleeing the bathroom in glee.
"Stinky brat!" Cynthia was ashamed and angry, but she couldn't do anything. Her face burned, and her heart was a mess of complex emotions.
Strangely, she couldn't stay mad. For some reason, she was incredibly tolerant of that little scoundrel. If anyone else had barged in on her bath, Garchomp would have fed them to the fishes!
But with him, she didn't have that impulse. Did she actually have feelings for him?
Impossible. She knew he was chasing her, and she didn't mind being chased, but she thought she only saw him as a brother. A hug wouldn't kill her.
But after sharing a "mandarin duck bath" (bathing together), Cynthia realized a serious problem.
She didn't just tolerate his hugs and hand-holding; she didn't even feel truly angry about him seeing her naked. Was this something a "good temper" could explain?
Did she subconsciously want him to touch her?
Cynthia couldn't understand it. They hadn't known each other long. She wasn't into younger men...
Was it because he helped her so much? Even so, that didn't explain why she was making excuses for him in her head, as if she wanted to forgive him for defiling her innocence.
Only a woman facing her lover would think like that.
Cynthia couldn't understand her own reactions. She felt like she was going to die of frustration!
When she finally calmed down and walked out wrapped in a white bath towel, she overheard Li Yuan talking to the shark.
"Garchomp! (I didn't know you took down my Champion so fast, kid!)" Garchomp looked displeased, as if someone had stolen her human.
"Not at all. It's all thanks to Sister Shark giving me face. Otherwise, how would I dare snatch food from a shark's mouth?" Li Yuan called her "Sister," trying to get close.
"Garchomp! (Hmph! Who gave you face? Don't think you've passed the test. Even if she accepts you, I won't let my Champion be taken away so easily!)" Garchomp's loyalty flared up. She didn't want to be lonely.
However, her loneliness and loyalty instantly bowed before Li Yuan's "Pomegranate Skirt." Li Yuan conjured a box of precious Life Energy Cubes from thin air.
The moment the cubes appeared, Garchomp was hooked. The scent of life essence made her drool uncontrollably, triggering her primal hunger. She wanted to bite Li Yuan's hand off to get it.
"What if I offer this as a dowry? A lifetime supply of these for you. How about it, Sister Shark?" Li Yuan waved the cubes in front of her eyes.
Garchomp couldn't resist. She snatched the box with blinding speed and poured the cubes into her mouth, chewing happily. The taste conquered her spirit instantly. She couldn't say no to this boy.
While Garchomp swayed in ecstasy, Li Yuan proposed marrying Cynthia again.
Garchomp, lost in the flavor, nodded her head in satisfaction. Yes! Marry him! He has the good food!
Watching this, Cynthia nearly died of anger.
Stupid shark! Is this what our years of bond amounts to? You sold me out for a box of snacks?!
Do you have any dignity as a Champion's Ace? Even a dog would be ashamed!
"Eat, eat, eat! All you know is eating! Get back in your ball and stop embarrassing me!" Cynthia, in a fit of rage, recalled the shark before she could sell her out completely.
These two were going to drive her to an early grave!