Chapter 118: Practice Makes Perfect

Tang Yi beckoned, and Ralts approached slowly, filled with hesitation and caution.

"The little trick goes like this..."

Tang Yi relayed what Eevee had told him. Ralts’s eyes widened, and a rapid flush of crimson rose across her fair cheeks. Unable to bear it any longer, the young girl reached out and stomped hard on Tang Yi’s foot.

"Ouch! We agreed no hitting!"

"I didn't hit your face!"

Ralts glared at him, huffing, "You—you did that on purpose!"

"No, I didn't! Eevee really told me this."

"You're lying! Liars are puppies!"

"See? I haven't turned into a puppy, which means everything I said is true," Tang Yi said, looking innocent.

"But, but how could this be? Mouth-to-mouth is not, it's not... Oh, it’s too embarrassing! How could you, this is not allowed!" Ralts stomped her foot, unable to continue.

"Exactly, that’s exactly how I scolded Eevee at the time," Tang Yi said righteously, seizing the chance to agree with her. "Eevee must have picked up bad habits from Fang Dada; she’s got nothing but improper thoughts in her head all day. My Ralts is the best—so well-behaved and sensible."

*Oh Eevee, look at this pot—it’s big and black, just bear with it for me.*

"I am not 'yours'!" Ralts hummed lightly.

Tang Yi chuckled inwardly. The little girl couldn't resist a compliment; although her tone was still angry, a hint of happiness was already glimmering in her eyes.

"Eevee... she wasn't lying to us, was she?" Ralts asked, looking troubled.

Tang Yi deliberated, trying to sound as objective as possible. "She has no reason to lie to us. We can just try it out to see if it’s true."

"Is this something you can just 'try out'?" Ralts was getting annoyed again.

Tang Yi coughed. "Didn't we already do, uh, that last time? Ahem, what I mean is, it’s not the first time, right?"

Knowing Ralts was thin-skinned, he didn't dare be too direct, but even so, the girl was blushing uncontrollably. Mentioning the previous incident made the atmosphere in the room instantly intimate.

Tang Yi didn't pressure her, waiting for her decision. He believed Eevee hadn't lied to him, but he knew this method was truly difficult for Ralts. If she really didn't want to, he would fully understand.

After a long while, Ralts let out a sound like a mosquito’s hum. "Then... then let's try it."

Tang Yi was genuinely surprised; he hadn't held much hope. It made sense that Butterfree wouldn't tell him—knowing that while Tang Yi might be indifferent to such things, Butterfree cared so much for Ralts that she clearly wouldn't want the girl to face such a difficult choice. Unfortunately, Butterfree hadn't accounted for the fact that Tang Yi and Ralts had already shared an accidental first kiss.

Some things only have a zero or an infinite number of times.

Since that was the case, he might as well strike while the iron was hot. Tang Yi rubbed his hands together, feeling nervous, yet strangely excited. He couldn't help but despise himself for it—he was a pure soul, after all! This was all to master Primal Reversion faster; how could he have such impure thoughts?

According to Eevee, through the contact of mouth-to-mouth between human and Pokémon, the Pokémon could guide energy to help the trainer perceive it more quickly. It sounded easy, but the process was actually quite difficult. The human body could not fully adapt to energy meant solely for Pokémon; the process required complete mutual trust and total synchronization of mind and body. Without those two things, it would be a wasted effort. If one were to think maliciously, the Pokémon could even cause physical harm to the trainer if they had other intentions.

Of course, whether it was Eevee or Tang Yi, there was no need to worry about that. But complete trust of mind and body... even living together day and night, Tang Yi couldn't help but feel a bit anxious. Could they really reach that level?

Regardless, they had to try.

Ralts seemed even more nervous. "Let's turn off the lights."

"Alright."

"Lock the door."

"Okay."

"And draw the curtains tight."

Tang Yi couldn't help but tease, "Should we get two handkerchiefs and blindfold ourselves too?"

Ralts seriously considered it for a moment. "That shouldn't be necessary, the lights are already off."

But she soon realized Tang Yi was joking and puffed out her cheeks in anger.

"We aren't doing anything shameful. Ahem, let's just do it your way." Tang Yi didn't argue anymore, knowing it hadn't been easy for Ralts to make this decision.

Locking the door, turning off the lights. The room fell silent again. Tang Yi could hear Ralts’s breathing—it was rapid, though his own was no better. Unlike the accident last time, this was intentional.

Tang Yi chuckled softly. "Ralts, if we were to turn ourselves in, how many years do you think we'd get?"

"One year. I checked," Ralts replied quickly.

Good grief, she had checked that behind his back? But soon Tang Yi heard a soft giggle and understood. "You're teasing me. It’s just a kiss, how could it be a year?"

"Hmph, it is!" Ralts’s acting was still a bit shallow; she couldn't help but laugh out loud.

"One year is too short. In that case, let's add some more time," Tang Yi muttered.

"Eh?"

Tang Yi gritted his teeth and didn't give Ralts a chance to speak, pressing his lips against hers. It was his turn to be proactive.

"Mmph." Ralts was stunned by the sudden ambush; she wanted to say something, but couldn't.

After a long time, Ralts started to struggle, pounding on Tang Yi’s chest until blue psychic energy began to gather in her palms, at which point Tang Yi quickly pulled away.

"I, I couldn't breathe," Ralts gasped for air.

"Uh, don't hold your breath. You have to breathe through your nose."

"Ah, I forgot."

Even in the darkness, Tang Yi could sense the embarrassment on her face. Once her breathing steadied, he chuckled. "Shall we do it again?"

"A-again?"

"Yes, this is for learning energy perception. There's no other way."

"Fine, okay then, let's do it!" Ralts sounded as if she were resigned to her fate.

"Don't forget to breathe through your nose."

"I know! Mmph..."

Their lips met once more. The pitch-black room was silent, save for the faint sound of soft suction. The second time was easier than the first. Perhaps the darkness hid her shyness; this time, the session lasted much longer. Although the girl was still inexperienced, her movements gradually became a little bolder.