Chapter Forty-One: Ralts’ Unusual Behavior

"I'm actually a bad guy too, you know." Tang Yi habitually joked, as he always did. Normally, at this point, Ralulu would have rolled her eyes at him, or, if she was really annoyed, might even refuse to talk to him for half a day.

But today, Ralulu seemed a little out of sorts. The gentle spring breeze lifted her green hair, revealing her large eyes tinged with worry.

"Yes, you’re a bad guy too. So, if one day you think I’m useless, will you abandon me like Feebas’s trainer did and just find another Pokémon instead?"

Tang Yi was dumbfounded. Where did this idea suddenly come from?

He quickly softened his tone and said with a gentle smile, "How could I bear to abandon you when my Ralulu is so adorable?"

"But what if one day I’m not cute anymore? Would that be reason enough to throw me away?" Today, Ralulu was uncharacteristically insistent, refusing to let the matter drop.

Tang Yi continued patiently, "Why are you having these strange thoughts? No matter how you change in the future, I’ll always be by your side. Only villains would abandon someone after making promises—like Feebas’s trainer, he’s a real jerk! A terrible person!"

"But you just admitted yourself that you’re a bad guy!"

"I—!"

Tang Yi was speechless, wishing he could slap himself.

That’s what you get for speaking carelessly!

That’s what you get for digging your own hole!

The street was bustling with cars and people, and curious onlookers occasionally glanced their way. This was hardly the place to have a heart-to-heart with Ralulu.

Luckily, the wailing police car arrived even faster than promised over the phone, providing Tang Yi a timely escape.

"Let’s go and have a look," Tang Yi seized the opportunity to suggest.

Ralulu nodded, her thoughts still with the pitiable Feebas.

They didn’t approach directly but watched from a short distance away. The police car stopped by the square, and two officers—a man and a woman—stepped out, accompanied by two Growlithe girls.

The officers immediately spotted Feebas, who was hungrily devouring chicken wings nearby. As soon as Feebas saw the police, she dropped her food and tried to run, but she was no match for the well-trained Growlithes.

The two Growlithe girls, with creamy manes around their necks, flanked Feebas and brought her gently back. It was clear Feebas was frightened, but the Growlithe girls comforted her quietly for over ten minutes until she began to trust them, finally climbing into the police car of her own accord. The car sped away from the square.

Ralulu finally withdrew her gaze. Tang Yi patted her shoulder to comfort her. "Don’t worry, the police will handle it. Let’s go home."

Ralulu seemed in better spirits and stopped bickering with Tang Yi.

The weary girl nodded meekly and, for once, slipped into her Poké Ball without protest. Tang Yi boarded the bus for home.

...

With the end of the first round of school qualifiers, and the small incident that had occurred, this unforgettable weekend for Tang Yi came to a close.

There was still over a month until the second round of city qualifiers, and less than half a year until the college entrance exams. Tang Yi’s daily life, once leisurely, now felt like a winding spring, ticking ever tighter.

The classroom blackboard displayed the countdown to the exams. Teachers frequently offered psychological counseling, while his parents subtly reminded him not to feel any pressure.

In truth, his parents were satisfied with his recent grades. Based on last week’s mock exams, getting into an ordinary university was not a problem.

But now that he’d made some progress in the qualifiers, Tang Yi dared to dream a little bigger—what if he really got into a top university? At the very least, he couldn’t let his written exam scores hold him back. With that in mind, over the following week, Tang Yi became more diligent.

Academics didn’t trouble him much; he already had a strong foundation in Pokémon knowledge. If he put in the time to review properly, he could master most subjects quickly.

What truly bothered him, though, was Ralulu’s recent odd behavior.

Since their return last weekend, the girl had been acting strangely.

Though she no longer brought up being abandoned or unloved, Tang Yi had the feeling that, knowing her personality, she was simply keeping her worries to herself, suffering alone.

But why had things turned out this way?

Tang Yi was at a loss. Everything had been fine before—was it just because they’d met Feebas?

Now, whenever he had the chance in the evenings, he’d chat with Ralulu, trying to understand what was on her mind, hoping to find the root of the problem before he could try to solve it.

"Are you still thinking about Feebas?" Tang Yi ventured.

"Ah, yes. I wonder how she’s doing."

"There’s no need to worry too much. Our world does have basic rules. If her trainer really broke the law, the police won’t let him go. We’ve already done all we could."

Tang Yi considered whether to call the police station in a few days to inquire, just to reassure Ralulu.

"If we’d brought her home, would things have been better? In any case, you’re a pretty good trainer," Ralulu murmured, tilting her head with confusion in her large eyes. Tang Yi couldn’t tell if she was simply worried about Feebas or if something else was on her mind.

But Tang Yi was somewhat comforted—at least Ralulu recognized that her trainer was a good person.

Of course, what bad intentions could a straightforward trainer like him possibly have?

Tang Yi hesitated, then explained, "It’s not as simple as you think. I can’t just bring a strange Pokémon girl home, even out of sympathy—that would be illegal."

That sort of thing—finding a homeless girl and taking her home, maybe hoping for something in return—only happened in comics or novels. In reality, it was called ‘abduction,’ and unless you wanted to go to prison, no one would dare do it.

Ralulu was clever; after Tang Yi’s brief explanation, she understood.

She suddenly grew quiet, and after a long silence, looked up and said apologetically, "Have I been making things difficult for you lately?"

"Not at all. If you have anything on your mind, you can always tell me. I’m your trainer." Tang Yi’s heart ached a little. He realized Ralulu’s recent oddness probably wasn’t intentional.

"I… I don’t know what’s wrong with me. I just feel restless for no reason. I know you’re good to me, but sometimes I can’t stop myself from thinking about these things."

Tang Yi’s expression grew thoughtful. Suddenly, he recalled a term unique to this world: Developmental Stagnation Syndrome.