Sigh... guess I'm stuck with you, Li Yuan muttered internally, rubbing his temples. Finally, he gave in and said aloud, "Come with me."
After all, she was one of the classic childhood crush heroines. Her looks might not be world-shatteringly stunning, but she was definitely attractive. If he had the chance to win her over—why not?
Besides, if it were any other pretty girl, even if she threw herself at him, he might only offer her a 10% discount at best.
Beauty was nice, sure—but money still mattered.
And let's be real: rich men never lack for beautiful women.
"But... I can't even afford a 90% discount right now," Sophia said awkwardly.
Even at 10% of the original price, that was still ¥50,000! As a regular college student who was already pouring funds into raising her Pokémon, there was no way she had that kind of savings lying around.
"I told you to follow me, didn't I? That means I'm not charging you," Li Yuan said with a casual shrug. "Of course, if you really feel bad about it, I'm also happy to accept... other forms of repayment. I don't mind."
"I do!" Sophia's cheeks flushed red. I knew it! He's totally after my body!
Normally, Sophia would never accept a free favor like this—she hated the idea of owing someone. What if he actually did ask her to repay him with her body one day?
But today... something was different. She felt this strange, persistent nostalgia—an unfamiliar, almost soft emotion toward him.
To the point that even this "freebie" didn't feel so hard to accept anymore.
She didn't realize that this shift in emotion wasn't entirely natural—it was being subtly influenced by Li Yuan's aura.
By adjusting the frequency of his aura output, Li Yuan could alter how people perceived him.
Part of the reason Sophia felt so nostalgic just now was indeed because she'd run into an old classmate… but the other part was due to his aura manipulating her subconscious.
To put it simply: he was currently radiating a kind of "pheromone" that made her instinctively trust him, feel drawn to him, and lower her guard—almost like he was someone she was meant to follow.
The two made their way to a small training field at the back of the shop—this was where today's "training" would take place.
The facility had been reinforced to gym-level durability to prevent any Pokémon-induced destruction during practice.
"Here we are. Go ahead and let Blaziken out," Li Yuan said calmly.
"Alright. Come on out, Zhi Zhi." Sophia gently tossed a Pokéball forward, and with a flash of red light, her Blaziken appeared.
"Zhi Zhi" was the name she had given it back when it was still a Torchic. She'd gotten used to the name over time and hadn't bothered changing it.
Let this be a lesson: never name your Pokémon too early, or you might end up with an awkward nickname for life.
"Zhi Zhi, long time no see. Still remember me?" Li Yuan stepped forward to greet it and even ran a hand over its fiery orange... feathers.
"Cha-moh?! (You?! That punk who always messed with Haruka!)"
Blaziken immediately recognized him and took a few cautious steps back, clearly on high alert.
She was very familiar with this guy. Throughout high school, he was always teasing her trainer—making her blush, getting handsy, and somehow always getting away with it.
He'd push the limits just enough to irritate Sophia without crossing the line into full-blown hatred. Honestly, that took skill.
Eventually, even Blaziken herself started calling her trainer "Haruka" like he did, a testament to just how much influence this guy had on both girl and Pokémon.
If he weren't technically an ally, Blaziken might have considered him their shared trauma.
"Hey, no need to be so wary. I'm not about to toss you in a pot and turn you into stew. Who knows—we might even see each other often from now on. Right, Haruka?" Li Yuan teased.
"Quit it..." Sophia blushed and dodged his hand, but instead of glaring at him like Blaziken expected, she looked… bashful. Shy, even.
"Cha-moh?! (Wait, what?)"
Blaziken was stunned. Haruka, blushing like a schoolgirl? Why wasn't she smacking him away like usual?! Was she seriously into him?!
No way. No way, right?
Could it be that Haruka was used to being bullied by this guy and had developed some weird attachment to it?
She didn't even flinch—she leaned in a little, blushing. Was this some kind of masochist awakening?
Blaziken had only been out for a few seconds, and the world already felt like it was ending.
"Zhi Zhi, don't overthink it. I just came to ask him for help, that's all," Sophia hurried to explain, still flustered.
"Cha-moh? (What kind of help needs him specifically?)" Blaziken asked suspiciously. The more you explain, the more it sounds like a cover-up.
After all, Li Yuan had always had a big impact on them. It wasn't strange that Haruka couldn't quite forget him.
"You'll see in a moment," Sophia mumbled, not really knowing how to explain it herself.
"Cha-moh... (Sigh... fine. If you really like him, I'll go with you when you marry him.)" Blaziken looked absolutely dead inside.
"I told you it's not like that!" Sophia fumed. Seriously, Zhi Zhi, what is wrong with you today?!
Seeing him once doesn't mean she was in love!
If that were the case, she'd be in love with half the people she interacted with every day!
"Alright, alright," Li Yuan stepped in, "Haruka did come to me for help. I'll be awakening the Blaze ability in you today, so pay close attention to how it feels."
"Cha-moh? (Blaze? Got it.)" Blaziken nodded. So that was it—he was going to change her ability.
To her, Speed Boost was clearly superior to Blaze, but since this was her trainer's decision, she would cooperate.
So she reluctantly allowed the demon to touch her again.
But soon, she realized something felt very wrong.
It wasn't just that his hand felt like it was lingering a little too long—it was the sudden surge of heat erupting from deep inside her.
A blazing, furnace-like energy had ignited in her core, burning through her internal organs and flooding her entire body. If she didn't release it soon, she was going to explode.
"Cha-moooh!"
Blaziken threw her head back and let out a roar. A wave of searing flames erupted from her body, cloaking her in an inferno of fire, her aura skyrocketing with raw, explosive power.
Even more shocking—her Speed Boost ability hadn't disappeared. It was still active.
She now had two abilities at once.
That shouldn't have been possible.
And yet, here it was, happening to her.
No wonder Haruka had been willing to risk everything, even enduring his nonsense—this "demon" really did have incredible abilities.
Blaziken was overjoyed. With this power, she could finally wash away the shame of her recent defeat at the Eighth Gym.
Even Sophia, standing at a distance, could feel the heat radiating off of Blaziken's flames—it was far more intense than any Blaze activation she'd ever witnessed.
She had never seen her partner look so powerful.
Li Yuan had really done it. With just a few touches, he had awakened such strength—it was unbelievable.
What was even more incredible was that, while Sophia had to stand well back to avoid getting burned, Li Yuan was still touching Blaziken with his bare hands, completely unaffected.
What kind of monster was this man?
Was he really the same guy she remembered?
Sophia suddenly realized... she didn't know him at all.
All this time, she'd been judging him based on old memories and superficial impressions. Maybe she had underestimated him far too much.
Now, watching this calm, focused young man continue his work even while surrounded by flames, she found herself dazed... and strangely drawn in.
She'd never seen this side of him before.
And it was... surprisingly captivating.