Chapter 76: I'll play for a little while longer
Logically speaking, since Cynthia was facing Lance tomorrow, today should have been a day of intense preparation.
Yet in reality…
Cynthia pulled out two controllers, and Lu Ye started to feel a bit uneasy.
"What are we playing?"
"Weren't you going to the hotel?"
"There's still time."
Eevee's diagnosis was already complete. With so many unfamiliar Pokémon in the house, Eevee seemed a bit shy, staying curled up in its bed and refusing to come out.
Near the windowsill, the Ice-type Glaceon, exuding a strange sense of dominance, licked its paw and flashed an elegant smile.
During this time, a video call from Professor Yamana came through, mainly to get an update on the situation. After learning that Cynthia was staying at Lu Ye's place, the professor wasn't too worried.
Given Cynthia's strength, if anyone dared to plot against her, they probably wouldn't even know how they died. If anything, the one who should be worried was Lu Ye…
In the living room.
"Are you sure this is okay? You have a match tomorrow…"
Sitting on the sofa with a controller in hand, Cynthia's expression was unusually serious. "It's important to balance work and rest."
Lu Ye nodded.
"Rather than being nervous before the match, it's better to relax and get into the perfect state of mind."
Cynthia tucked a strand of golden hair behind her ear and held up a finger. "That's my battle strategy."
Lu Ye's expression was odd.
You have to admit, every Trainer has their own way of reaching peak performance.
Could it be that Cynthia's best state is staying up late playing games?!
"What game are we playing?" Lu Ye asked, looking at the list of games.
"Hmm…"
"Do you need that long to decide?"
"I'm still thinking…"
Cynthia frowned, twirling a lock of her golden hair, looking incredibly conflicted.
Lu Ye paused, suddenly remembering.
This Sinnoh Champion was also a chronic indecisive chooser!
"Forget it, I'll pick."
Cynthia let out a sigh of relief, smiling as if a burden had been lifted.
While Lu Ye was busy playing games with the rich lady to earn a living…
Haunter frowned, deep in thought about how to ask the big shots for advice on moves.
Garchomp, Lucario… none of them were a good match for it.
After scanning around, the only option left was that Spiritomb, pretending to be a potted plant under the air conditioner.
Legends say Spiritomb is formed by the fusion of 108 souls, with traces of its existence dating back to ancient times. Its Ghost and Dark typing, combined with the sinister wind it emitted, made Haunter's face turn pale with fear.
But when it thought about Lu Ye's contributions to this family…
Haunter gritted its teeth and floated over to Spiritomb, waving a greeting.
"Gengarr? (￣▽￣)／"
In an instant, Spiritomb's static face shifted. Seven or eight glowing green eyes popped up on its red, fan-shaped face, scanning Haunter from top to bottom.
Suddenly, a sinister crack split open, like a giant mouth, and a chilling wind blew out, whispering ominous secrets.
"GENGARR!!" Haunter fled in tears.
"Hiss…"
Spiritomb looked disappointed, closing its fan face in dejection.
To avoid scaring others…
Spiritomb quietly resumed its role as a potted plant.
As the sun set, Lu Ye, sore and exhausted, tossed the controller aside, rubbing his temples. "That's enough for today…"
Gaming really was a workout.
Especially with Garchomp monitoring him the entire time. Lu Ye's gaming experience was, to say the least, minimal.
"Ah… you're done?"
"It's time to cook, or you can keep playing something else."
"What else is fun?"
The soft glow of the setting sun filtered through the window, illuminating even the floating dust particles. A halo of light seemed to frame Cynthia's upturned face.
Looking into her deep gray eyes, Lu Ye felt his heart skip a beat.
Snapping out of it, Lu Ye coughed lightly and said: "There's a game I made myself. Want to try it?"
"Hmm?" Cynthia's interest was piqued.
Lu Ye brought out his laptop, placed it in front of Cynthia, and opened the early version of Plants vs. Zombies.
"It's not finished yet, but the basic gameplay is there."
Lu Ye explained the game mechanics to Cynthia. She nodded occasionally, smiling. "It looks fun."
"It's pretty hard. I even added a death mode and an achievement system." Lu Ye scratched his head. "You go ahead and play. I'll call you later."
Cynthia didn't respond.
The soft blue light of the screen reflected on her face, as she was already engrossed in the game.
Hearing the familiar and charming Plants vs. Zombies BGM, Lu Ye helplessly shook his head.
As he cooked, Lu Ye checked his BP points in the system.
In Teacher Lu's eyes, BP = Berries = Meal Money.
So, most of the BP points he earned from video rewards were converted into rare berries. Except for the occasional 10 consecutive draws to soothe his nerves.
As someone with terrible luck, Lu Ye generally preferred guaranteed exchanges.
"When the game launches, I should get another wave of BP points," Lu Ye muttered.
For a balanced meal, dinner was relatively simple: sandwiches and a vegetable salad.
When Lu Ye came out of the kitchen, Cynthia was still clicking away at the mouse. Suddenly, she looked up and said seriously, "It's fun."
"If it's fun, keep playing." Lu Ye replied offhandedly. "Remember to record that later for promotional use."
Cynthia nodded. "Okay."
Streetlights flickered on outside.
As the night deepened, Lu Ye lay on the sofa, staring at Cynthia with a complicated expression.
I said you could play a bit longer, not until midnight!
"Aren't you leaving yet?"
"Just one more level."
Lu Ye looked up at the ceiling.
If Plants vs. Zombies had her this hooked, what would happen if I made Civilization 6?
"You still have the Master League match tomorrow morning."
"Let me finish this level."
Truthfully, Cynthia's Pokémon were in excellent condition. After eating Lu Ye's Pokéblocks, they'd already returned to their Poké Balls and drifted into sweet dreams.
Though Cynthia wasn't preparing for her match, maybe, as she said, this was how she got into the right mindset.
Lu Ye's expression was odd.
Does someone really adjust their state by gaming?!
"Where are you sleeping tonight?" Lu Ye suddenly asked.
Cynthia looked at the clock on the wall, frowned, and glanced at the game screen.
"Is there a spare room?"
"Huh?"
"The sofa is fine too."
Lu Ye's neck stiffened, unable to refuse.
Cynthia pushed her golden bangs back, dialed a number, and said calmly: "Yes, send my luggage over. Right… to this location."
Lu Ye blinked.
Not even 5 minutes later, a Pelipper appeared at the window with a suitcase.
Cynthia patted Pelipper, took the waterproof suitcase, and nodded to Lu Ye. "Excuse me for intruding."