"So comfortable?"
"Ralts, ralu~" (Yes. Master's hands are so warm.)
Unfortunately, Gu Qiu still couldn't understand Ralts' words.
At this moment, she no longer looked timid at all.
It seemed she had completely opened her heart to him.
"Little one, don't move around. It's a bit dirty here—I'll clean it properly for you."
Under Gu Qiu's careful washing, Ralts grew so comfortable that she gradually fell asleep.
Gu Qiu looked at her gently.
"What a sleepy little cutie. You just woke up not long ago, and now you're asleep again."
He carefully dried her body.
Gu Qiu didn't plan to challenge the Pewter Gym tonight—it was already getting late.
Frogadier and Pika-Itachi were still recovering under Miss Joy's care.
"Let's relax today. Tomorrow might be a tough battle."
For high school seniors or university students challenging Gyms, obtaining a Badge didn't necessarily require defeating the Gym Leader outright.
They only needed to gain the Gym Leader's recognition to receive a Badge.
Otherwise, expecting students to defeat a Gym Leader at full strength with their own power alone would be nothing short of fantasy.
Even the weakest Gym Leaders were infinitely close to Quasi-King level.
Especially Brock of the Pewter Gym—known as the man with the Will of Rock. His strength was not to be underestimated.
It was said he stood only one step away from the King level.
Powerful Gym Leaders like him usually prepared multiple lineups to face challengers of different levels.
Some Gyms even arranged senior members to act as substitute opponents. As long as you defeated them, you could earn a Badge.
The League officially acknowledged this method.
However, Badges obtained this way were not Perfect Badges—only Recognition Badges.
Of course, when university graduates came to challenge a Gym, they faced the Gym Leader at full strength.
At that point, the difficulty of earning a Badge increased dramatically.
…
"Oh no, I'm going to be late!"
Mei glanced at the time.
It was already eight o'clock sharp.
She hurriedly flipped out of bed, washed up in a rush, skipped breakfast, and dashed out the door.
Today was the final exam period for first-year students at Pewter University.
Because the university president had a good relationship with Brock, the Pewter Gym Leader, the annual freshman final assessment was held at the Pewter Gym.
Senior trainers from the Gym would evaluate the students.
Those who performed exceptionally well might even receive personal guidance from Brock.
Mei had prepared for this assessment for a long time.
But she had been too excited.
She hadn't been able to fall asleep until three in the morning.
And now—
This was the price of her excitement.
The exam was scheduled for eight sharp.
…
"Ralts, you look much prettier today than yesterday."
After a day together, Ralts seemed far more confident than before.
There was even a faint smile on her face.
Gu Qiu walked toward the Pewter Gym, holding her hand like a parent taking a child out for a stroll.
After a full night's rest, today was the day to challenge the Gym.
He now had three Pokémon under contract.
Though Ralts' level was still a bit low for now.
"Ralts~"
Ralts felt incredibly lucky to have met such a wonderful trainer.
Gu Qiu's attention was entirely on her, barely noticing his surroundings.
Besides, there was no killing intent in the air.
No hostility.
By the time he reacted, a girl was already rushing around the corner at full speed.
She was about to crash into Ralts.
Gu Qiu moved instantly.
"Ah—m-move!"
The girl was running too fast. At the corner, she couldn't control her direction at all.
Gu Qiu swiftly pulled Ralts into his arms.
With his other hand, he grabbed the girl's wrist. With a firm tug, he pulled her safely into his embrace as well.
The girl only felt a strong masculine presence envelop her.
She had never been this close to a man before.
A blush spread across her cheeks.
"Be more careful next time. You almost ran into my Ralts."
When Gu Qiu got a clear look at her face, surprise flickered in his eyes.
Wasn't this Mei—the female protagonist from the games?
He had thought only characters from the original anime timeline existed in this world.
He hadn't expected even the game's heroine to appear.
Gu Qiu had always liked Mei—the vibrant, youthful beauty full of energy.
"S-sorry…"
So handsome…
And that voice—so magnetic.
Mei finally got a clear look at Gu Qiu's face.
He was exactly her ideal type.
"It's fine. Just be more careful next time."
She hadn't done it on purpose, and Gu Qiu wasn't unreasonable.
Of course—
The main reason was that she hadn't actually collided with Ralts.
Otherwise, he would have been angry.
"Is this your Ralts? She's so cute."
Gu Qiu released Mei gently.
A faint trace of disappointment flickered in her heart.
His embrace had been so warm.
"Really? I think my Ralts is adorable too."
The moment Mei praised Ralts, a smile naturally appeared on Gu Qiu's face.
He gently rested his hand on Ralts' small head.
Ralts leaned against him, enjoying the touch and filled with joy.
Mei saw all of it.
A trace of envy stirred in her heart.
If only she were that Ralts…
Mei quickly shook her head.
What was she even thinking?!
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.
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