Chapter Sixty: My Trainer Must Be a Straight Man

As Tang Yi finished speaking, the murderous aura vanished without a trace. He turned to look curiously at the girl who acted as if nothing had happened. “Were you just watching me? Is something wrong?”

Ralts gave him a gentle smile. “No, nothing. Why would I be watching you?”

“Ah, nothing then. Just asking.”

The two Slurpuff girls looked on, puzzled by this seemingly strange yet perfectly ordinary pair of trainer and Pokémon partner.

Soon, the girls secreted a bit more cream to decorate the cakes, and two pieces of pure, all-natural, entirely handmade cake were complete.

Back in the hall, Tang Yi and Ralts sat across from each other at a small round table by the window, eating spoonful by spoonful. The cake was delicious, far better than what Tang Yi remembered. The rich, unique aroma was hard to distinguish—was it the cream itself, or perhaps the scent the Slurpuff girls naturally carried?

“Is it good?” Tang Yi asked.

“Mm, it’s pretty good.” Ralts’ voice was soft, lacking confidence.

“Is it too sweet?” Tang Yi wasn’t particularly fond of cake himself, but he assumed the girl would be unable to resist sweets. Apparently, he was mistaken.

“No, the sweetness is just right.”

“Then why do you look troubled?” Tang Yi found it odd.

Ralts’ expression was complicated, visibly conflicted. She glanced around, then whispered so quietly it was barely audible, “This… this place…”

“What about it? The environment’s nice.” Tang Yi was even more confused, a bit helpless. Ralts was always like this, never willing to voice her concerns.

“Isn’t this place really expensive?” Ralts finally managed to get the words out.

So that was her worry—such a trivial matter.

Tang Yi smiled reassuringly. “Are you worried about the bill? Don’t worry, this meal is on me. I won’t let you spend a dime.”

Tang Yi mused silently—he wasn’t clueless. At a time like this, how could he possibly split the bill with such an adorable Ralts? He knew how to handle these things.

Ralts responded perfunctorily, a little speechless.

My trainer must be clueless!

Couldn’t he see? On the second floor, most of the tables were occupied by young men and women who were clearly close—either married couples or dating partners.

A few other customers were alone: some men with less innocent intentions, and some women simply wanting to enjoy sweets in this romantic atmosphere.

Although this dessert shop was beloved by both Pokémon girls and human children, trainers and parents rarely brought them to eat upstairs, which required reservations and extra payment. More often, they’d take their treats home or order delivery.

Frankly, trainers like Tang Yi who brought their Pokémon girls and reserved a second-floor table weren’t unheard of, but it was certainly unusual.

Was my trainer trying to express something?

Was he hinting at something?

With her rich inner world, Ralts grew a little tangled, letting her imagination run wild.

“Ralts, you’re officially grown now. I know you want to earn money, so from here on, we’ll need to work a bit harder.” Tang Yi’s gaze was serious; he needed to reaffirm Ralts’ resolve.

“Huh?” Ralts didn’t react at first.

Tang Yi’s heart tightened. “If you ever feel it’s too much, or if training gets exhausting, you must tell me right away. I never want to force you.”

Ralts finally came to her senses and nodded earnestly, her tiny head bobbing. “I’m serious. I want to earn money, so I’ll work hard for the selection tournament. This is what I want.”

“That’s good.” Tang Yi breathed a sigh of relief, then told her about the school’s new coach, hired to train students advancing to the next level.

Since they needed to properly prepare for the upcoming selection tournament, locking themselves away wasn’t the answer. Tang Yi planned to take Ralts to school for some proper guidance from Coach Li Yaowen.

Tang Yi had been regularly consulting Coach Li in the group chat, and could genuinely feel the man’s expertise. The school had hired him at great expense, and he was hardly just for show.

“Alright.” Ralts agreed without hesitation, though she couldn’t help silently grumbling.

Though she didn’t object to training for the sake of earning money, was this really the right setting to talk about training, with such an elegant atmosphere?

My trainer is so clueless!

After that, Tang Yi seized the moment and shared his entire plan, basking in the warm sunlight by the window, the clear music playing in his ears. To him, there was no better place to discuss training.

This afternoon treat left Tang Yi in high spirits. He and Ralts reached a consensus on their future training plans, which was crucial—if Ralts had shown even the slightest reluctance, Tang Yi would have abandoned the plan without hesitation.

The rare tranquility of this afternoon passed quickly.

On the day Ralts officially grew up, she tasted her first-ever cake and earnestly discussed her future training plan with a clueless trainer.

It was an unforgettable day.

Such rare moments of leisure would only become scarcer in the coming months.

There was a month left until the selection tournament, and only a few months before the college entrance examination.

The life of a senior student was dull and tedious, mostly a mechanical repetition between home and school. But Tang Yi knew this period of tension was necessary.

Though the pressures of this world were far less than what Tang Yi remembered, for someone from an ordinary family like him, if he wanted to earn more in the future or have a better life, the entrance exam was the best path—whether for a job or as a trainer.

Tang Yi’s plan to improve Ralts’ proficiency in psychic power remained unchanged, though after consulting Coach Li Yaowen, he tweaked the methods slightly to make them more sensible.

For example, timing and quotas—setting deadlines for tasks and limiting the amount to complete.

This gave Ralts a sense of urgency each time she used her psychic power. At first, she was flustered, but as she adapted, the training became much more effective.

In this way, Tang Yi trained diligently, using methods Ralts could accept.

As Ralts grew more adept with her psychic abilities, a week slipped by unnoticed.

With Ralts’ consent, on the second Monday, Tang Yi finally brought her—temporarily inside her Poké Ball—to school.