Chapter 151: Shopping with Ralts and Feebas

In the afternoon, Tang Yi spent most of his time strolling around the hotel. The hotel was in a quite nice location, with a gorgeous artificial lake a little over a kilometer away. The water sparkled in the light, and people were fishing and walking along the shore.

After wandering around the neighborhood with Ralts for over an hour, Tang Yi finally headed back.

They had dinner together with Fang Tianze and the others. Since they had just arrived, Ralts hadn't had a chance to meet Butterfree, Feebas, and the rest yet.

Upon hearing that Tang Yi had basically spent the afternoon wandering around aimlessly, Eevee looked at him speechlessly and said, "Though none of us actually thought you could win, you're giving up on treatment way too fast!"

Tang Yi chuckled and asked, "How else should I salvage this? Surely you don't expect me to rely on a sliding tackle?"

"A sliding tackle?"

"That's right. When Fletchinder swoops down, Ralts performs a sliding tackle right under its belly, follows up with a single Confusion, and the battle is over," Tang Yi explained, gesturing with his hands.

The others had originally intended to listen seriously, but judging by Tang Yi's gestures, they realized he was just joking.

Butterfree let out a helpless sigh and changed the subject. "Alright, alright. The match hasn't even started yet, so the outcome is still uncertain. Let's drop this for now. Do you and Ralts have any plans for tomorrow? Actually, there are plenty of fun places to visit in Yuanshui City."

Tang Yi's lips twitched. Butterfree's words sounded completely insincere; she had just claimed there was still hope for his match, only to immediately hint that he should take Ralts out sightseeing tomorrow.

She might as well have said straight to his face, "You're not going to win anyway, so don't overthink it. Since your room and board are free here, you might as well go out and enjoy yourself."

Ralts shook her head. "We'll just hang out around the hotel tomorrow. Besides, there are match broadcasts we want to watch."

Their opponent, Wei Chenhai, was already locked in. Technically, tomorrow's match results didn't concern them, but Su Chengtao was fighting in another match tomorrow, which was the main point.

Tang Yi said, "Going out for some fun is fine too. I asked around today, and the National College Entrance Examination committee doesn't restrict our free movement. But since it's my first time in Yuanshui City, if we really want to have a good time, it's better to plan an itinerary. Time is limited, after all."

It sounded precisely like someone completely giving up on themselves.

"No need. I'm familiar with Yuanshui City, I can lead the way for you," Feebas suddenly chimed in.

The rest of them were startled.

Didn't Ralts just hint that Su Chengtao was competing tomorrow? Wasn't the whole reason Feebas made a special trip back to Yuanshui City to catch another glimpse of Su Chengtao?

"Feebas," Ralts said with a hint of worry, stopping herself mid-sentence.

Tang Yi thought about it for a moment and made a executive decision. "Alright then, sorry to trouble you with guiding us tomorrow. We can just explore together! By the way, Big Boss Fang, Sister Butterfree, are you two coming along?"

Butterfree glared at him slightly, snatched the phone out of Fang Tianze's hands, and began typing furiously.

Tang Yi's phone buzzed shortly after. He picked it up speechlessly, and sure enough, it was a message from Butterfree.

They were sitting face-to-face—was she trying to bully Feebas for not having a phone?

Fang Tianze: *Little Tang, why are you taking Feebas out tomorrow?*

Tang Yi: *Sister Butterfree, just think about it. All of us contestants are staying at this very hotel. If Feebas stays here the whole time, there's a high chance she might bump into him. Whether that leads to old flames reigniting, hatred born from love, or drawing swords against each other, none of it would be very pleasant.*

Fang Tianze: *[Sweating.JPG] You have way too much imagination.*

Tang Yi: *[Smiley Face.JPG] Thank you for the compliment. I'll be sure to pass your praise on to Ralts.*

Fang Tianze: *......*

The others at the dining table cast sideways glances at the two people messaging each other while sitting right across from one another.

A moment later, Butterfree put down her phone, smiled, and changed her tune. "Well then, you guys go out and enjoy yourselves tomorrow. Just remember not to come back too late, since you have a match the day after. As for us, we won't tag along to join the bustle."

The fact that Fang Tianze and Butterfree weren't coming along was somewhat unexpected, but it didn't disrupt Tang Yi's travel plans.

During his heart-to-heart with Ralts that afternoon, he had sensed that she was still carrying a fair amount of psychological pressure—obviously something a few casual words couldn't wash away. Therefore, he had originally planned to take her out for a stroll tomorrow anyway.

The conversation at the dinner table quickly shifted to recommended sights and delicious food in Yuanshui City.

After returning to their rooms following dinner:

Ralts still looked a bit uneasy. "Our match isn't over yet. Does going out to play like this make us look bad?"

Tang Yi waved his hand. "It's really fine. Whether we win the match or not isn't something that can be changed by a last-minute cram session. Instead of staying here and feeling anxious, we might as well go out and clear our minds."

To win the upcoming match, there were only two possibilities: either Ralts evolved, or she managed to unleash a move's full liberation.

Or perhaps satisfy both conditions; otherwise, they truly had reached their absolute limit. Both Tang Yi and Ralts had a rough estimation of their own strength.

Ralts still felt it wasn't entirely appropriate, but she said no more.

The next day.

Tang Yi and Ralts woke up early and rendezvoused with Feebas at the entrance. Butterfree and the others indeed didn't show up, perhaps unwilling to act as fifth wheels and disturb them.

Though, as it turned out, there was still one fifth wheel present.

With Feebas around, Ralts was much less willing to let Tang Yi act recklessly.

The moment they stepped out of the hotel, Tang Yi instinctively reached for Ralts's small hand, but the girl quickly shook him off and shot him a stern look: *Behave yourself!*

Tang Yi responded with an innocent look of his own: *Didn't we always do this before?*

Ralts's gaze weakened as she glanced to the side: *Feebas is right here.*

Tang Yi gave a helpless look: *I knew we shouldn't have brought her!*

Feebas looked back and forth suspiciously between the two quiet individuals. "Are you guys speaking in riddles?"

Tang Yi gave a dry cough. "Children shouldn't ask too many questions. Speaking of which, did you make a proper itinerary last night?"

Feebas nodded. "Let's head to the botanical garden first. It's the closest one."

Tang Yi decided to follow their little guide's suggestion, hailing a taxi to take the two girls there directly.

The botanical garden in Yuanshui City was quite large. Although it wasn't the weekend, there were still plenty of visitors. It was said that the park had imported many rare plant species, and quite a few professional Sceptile or Venusaur maidens were meticulously tending to the grounds.

Tang Yi didn't know much about plants, but he knew that a scenic botanical garden like this was practically the ultimate spot for taking photos and checking in.

"Feebas, help me take a picture of Ralts." Tang Yi walked over to a century-old tree and handed his phone to Feebas. Remembering something, he added, "Do you want me to teach you how to take photos?"

"No need. It's not like I don't know how to use a phone," Feebas shot him a look of disdain.

Feebas took the phone, aimed it at Tang Yi and Ralts, fiddled with it for a moment, and quickly finished taking the picture.

Tang Yi took it back to look, and found that the photo turned out quite well.