Chapter 134: Saying One Thing While Meaning Another

"Spread out in a big 'X' shape?"

Ralts imagined the pose for a moment and immediately shook her small head vigorously.

Tang Yi chuckled, having guessed her thoughts. "You don't need to be so reserved with me. My parents aren't here, and I won't tease you for it."

Ralts stared at him, hesitated for a second, and then, following his advice, awkwardly stretched out into an 'X' shape. Having already done much more embarrassing things than this, the young girl didn't have much of a psychological burden left.

*Unh.*

It really was comfortable!

Ralts’s eyes brightened. She felt her entire body relax significantly and murmured a small complaint, "You should have told me sooner."

Tang Yi laughed, thinking to himself, *How was I supposed to know you were still being reserved with me?* He left her to it and went back to his studies.

An hour later, feeling a bit weary, Tang Yi stood up and stretched. He glanced back to see Ralts lying on the bed with her eyes closed, perfectly still.

*Is she asleep?*

Tang Yi walked over carefully, picking up a blanket to cover her, when he suddenly noticed her eyelashes fluttering slightly. He felt both annoyed and amused.

Leaning close to her ear, Tang Yi whispered to himself, "Looks like she's fast asleep. In that case, I could... heh heh heh."

"What are you trying to do!" Ralts snapped her eyes open, wearing an expression of righteous indignation that seemed to say, "I caught you!"

Tang Yi put on an innocent face and held up the blanket. "I was just going to cover you up. It’s still a bit chilly at night, and I didn't want you to catch a cold. What did you think I was going to do?"

"Ah, I, I, I..." Ralts stammered, unable to finish her sentence. Then, noticing the mischievous glint in Tang Yi's eyes, she realized she had been tricked. "You did that on purpose!"

Tang Yi laughed. "Who told you to pretend to be asleep?" He patted her little head and asked with concern, "Are you just waking up, or can't you fall asleep?"

Ralts shook her head. "Maybe it’s not my bedtime yet. I feel a bit tired, but I just can't drift off. I didn't want to disturb your studying, so I was just closing my eyes to rest for a while."

Tang Yi figured that Ralts hadn't yet adapted to the high-intensity training of the past two days. They had pushed her a bit too hard during the day; although high-grade potions could heal physical wounds, mental exhaustion was much harder to treat quickly with medicine.

"Let me give you a massage," Tang Yi suggested.

Ralts immediately made a connection and said guardedly, "No, don't you try anything funny."

Tang Yi sighed helplessly. "What is going on in that little head of yours all day? This is the Pokémon massage technique Master Fang taught me last weekend. It’s for channeling energy. I thought it might help ease your fatigue."

Ralts didn't feel at a loss this time. "Hmph, even if what you say is true, I... I can roughly sense what you’re thinking right now."

Tang Yi was startled. "You can sense that?"

Times had certainly changed. Ralts had been able to use telepathy a little bit lately, which had become quite apparent during their training over the last two days.

Tang Yi nodded. "Alright, I won't deny it. I admit that the moment I suggested the massage, I did have some other thoughts. But those were just thoughts. Humans aren't made of wood or stone—you can't forbid me from even thinking, can you?"

Ralts cried out in annoyance, "Hey, don't just admit it so bluntly!"

"So, do you still want the massage?"

"Yes!" Ralts replied, looking as if she were facing death with honor.

She didn't bother getting up; she just rolled over on the bed, burying her face in the pillow to hide her embarrassment and shyness. However, she remained incredibly tense, her whole body rigid. When Tang Yi’s palm first touched her back, Ralts shuddered as if she had been electrocuted, clearly feeling very sensitive.

"Shouldn't we turn off the lights and lock the door?" Ralts suddenly asked.

Tang Yi replied helplessly, "This is a proper massage! Stop talking; you're distracting me."

"Oh." Hearing how serious Tang Yi sounded, Ralts obediently quieted down.

Tang Yi took a deep breath, recalled the essentials of massaging a Hoppip from the weekend, and began to slowly stroke the girl's back with his right hand. He didn't press his palm firmly against her skin, but kept a slight distance until he felt a faint tingling sensation in his palm—the sign that he had begun to channel the energy.

He began moving his hand back and forth, guiding the energy within Ralts to circulate slowly throughout her body.

The Pokémon massage technique created by Fang Tianze had little to do with traditional medicine. The pushing, pressing, pinching, and kneading techniques Tang Yi was familiar with were not used here at all. Because of this, even a beginner like Tang Yi could imitate the motions quite well.

In essence, however, there were some similarities. Channeling energy was meant to promote circulation within the Pokémon, regulating their nerves and promoting healthier development by letting energy flow through their muscle tissues and internal meridians.

Although Tang Yi had gained a preliminary understanding of the technique during his practice session over the weekend, he was still far from proficient, so he didn't dare to rush. After about fifteen minutes, beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. Ralts had remained silent the entire time, which made Tang Yi lose confidence.

"Ralts, how does it feel?" he asked tentatively.

Ralts still had her face buried in the pillow, making it impossible to see her expression. Hearing his question, she turned her head slightly and muffled, "It’s just average."

Tang Yi paused and took a quiet look. The small face Ralts revealed was clearly full of enjoyment, and her body had relaxed without her even realizing it.

Pokémon massage was, in fact, perfect for Pokémon girls. Having experienced it for the first time, Ralts quickly became immersed in it, yet she kept her lips pressed tight, refusing to let out a single sound of pleasure.

Tang Yi found it amusing. *Complaining with your mouth, but your body is being very honest.*

Well, he wouldn't call her out on her little girl-like secrets.

Ten minutes later, Ralts suddenly felt a liquid drip onto her arm. She glanced over curiously and saw that the sweat from Tang Yi's forehead had rolled down his cheek to his chest and was now dripping onto her.

She hadn't realized this type of massage was so exhausting. Staring at Tang Yi’s earnest, tired face, she found herself momentarily mesmerized.

After a moment, with a hint of worry, Ralts asked, "Hey, do you think... if Mom saw you like this, would she