Chapter 127: Elven Massage Technique

"Is it really okay for Butterfree and the others to find out about this?" Tang Yi voiced his concerns.

Fang Tianze paused for a moment before laughing dismissively. "Setting aside the fact that this is a professional massage, even if they did misunderstand, so what? You must remember, at home, the man is the one in charge!"

Tang Yi nodded. If Fang hadn't lowered his voice and looked so furtive while saying that, he might have actually believed the nonsense.

"What are you two chatting about?" Eevee, having finished explaining the massage to Hoppip, walked over with a curious expression.

Fang Tianze put on a serious face. "I'm just passing on the essentials to this kid."

Tang Yi glanced at him. Forget it; he decided not to expose him.

Eevee didn't think much of it. "I’ve talked to Hoppip; she said she’ll be sure to cooperate later."

Fang Tianze demonstrated first. Standing beside a rock, he focused for a moment, then placed his palm on the young girl's back, gently stroking it back and forth several times.

"Her primary energy source is concentrated here in the heart region. What we need to do is guide that energy to circulate through her body."

As he spoke, Fang Tianze extended his index finger, curling the others back, and began to trace a path starting from the girl's heart.

His movements were incredibly slow. He paused several times, and only after tracing almost every part of the girl's body did he retract his finger and turn back to ask, "Did you see that?"

Tang Yi nodded. "Honestly, if it weren't for your serious expression, you’d look like a complete pervert."

For once, Fang Tianze didn't retort. He sighed helplessly, "It's difficult for us humans to control energy; we can only guide it through direct contact. That’s why I said you should cherish this rare opportunity to practice."

Tang Yi understood. It was true—even a trainer without any ulterior motives wouldn't tolerate someone touching their Pokémon girl like this. It was only possible with these wild Pokémon; because they had never been integrated into human society, many wild girls wouldn't even see you as the same species, so they wouldn't mind.

When it was Tang Yi's turn, he followed Fang Tianze's instructions and first sensed the energy within the girl. He had already mastered this step.

The sensation was quite marvelous. For someone who had never touched energy before, it would have been as difficult as ascending to heaven, but once you had experienced a true, thorough fusion of energy—like that kiss between Tang Yi and Ralts—subsequent attempts felt like second nature.

Attempting it for the first time, Tang Yi’s movements were clumsy. Before long, Hoppip let out a soft cry: "!@#￥%..."

"She says you're hurting her," Eevee translated helpfully.

"Oh, oh, I'll be gentler." Tang Yi immediately adjusted his pressure.

A few minutes later, Hoppip chattered on again: "!@#￥%*"

"Is it still too hard?" Tang Yi asked helplessly.

Eevee giggled. "No, she says it feels so good and that you can go faster."

Tang Yi’s mouth twitched. "Next time, could you please not translate the expressions as well?" Between the look on your face and the words you're saying, this is way too prone to misunderstanding!

Fang Tianze, accustomed to Eevee’s mischief, suddenly interjected, "No, increase the pressure. You aren't guiding the full energy at all."

"Uh, I was just following your demonstration," Tang Yi defended himself.

Fang Tianze shook his head. "Alright, that’s my fault for not being clear. You can't just copy me completely. Although you can sense energy now, you're still far from proficient. Place your whole palm on her and increase the force slightly."

Tang Yi, who had been using only one finger like Fang, now had to press his entire palm against Hoppip’s pink back. Even through a thin layer of clothing, he could feel the warmth of her skin, and it was hard not to let his mind wander.

"Focus," Fang Tianze reminded him.

"Oh, can you make Eevee be quiet first?" Tang Yi suggested.

"Hey! Your own thoughts are impure, don't blame me!"

Fang Tianze glanced at her. "Move aside. I understand a bit of Plant-Pokémon language myself; I don't need you for the moment."

"Hmph!" Eevee, unable to defy her trainer, left with a pout.

Without Eevee's provocative translations, Tang Yi was finally able to calm down. He started again, increasing the pressure slightly, his palms stroking back and forth along Hoppip's back. To an outsider, it might have looked intimate, but a focused Tang Yi had no room in his mind for such thoughts.

The entire process was exhausting. Humans didn't have this innate ability like Pokémon; guiding energy was one thing, but guiding it through a complete circuit in the body was a task on an entirely different level of difficulty.

When he finally finished the circuit, over half an hour had passed. Tang Yi was so tired he practically collapsed on the ground. It wasn't just physical stamina being consumed, but mental energy as well.

Fang Tianze called Eevee over and asked her to check how Hoppip felt.

"She says it didn't feel as comfortable as when you did it, Old Fang," Eevee said with a smirk, her translation as uniquely styled as ever.

Fang Tianze sighed helplessly and re-translated it: "What Hoppip means is that it didn't feel quite smooth. Don't worry, that's normal for your first time. Rest for a bit, and we'll continue later." He could see that Tang Yi was quite drained.

While resting and drinking water, Tang Yi suddenly thought of something. "When I resonate with a Pokémon to use the Primal Reversion skill, will I be this tired, too?"

"Exactly. That’s why, usually, you can't use it infinitely in a single match. Being able to use a skill release once or twice is the limit. Mastering the right timing is something that requires a lot of experience. But that’s a conversation for another time."

Tang Yi mused, "How can one improve in this area? For instance, by increasing my own mental fortitude?"

"You're not increasing your 'battle aura' or anything like that. While people's constitutions vary, we humans are all roughly the same. Back at the World Championships, the limit for me was one or two uses per match. After all these years, my limit has only increased to two or three in a short period."

Tang Yi felt a bit disappointed. Well, this wasn't a fantasy leveling world after all.

However, it made sense. Even though this special technique, first demonstrated by Fang Tianze twenty years ago, had shocked many, the inherent limitations and the uncertainty of the technique itself meant its impact on matches was limited. Over time, many had simply forgotten about it.