Chapter Forty-Eight: I Want to Learn Hypnosis

Because he hadn’t joined the school’s training camp, Tang Yi went straight home after class. On his way, he stopped by the small supermarket near his house. The store sold various nutritional supplements, none nearly as expensive as those sold online.

Although the shopkeeper boasted that all his goods were genuine, Tang Yi couldn’t tell the difference between these and the ones costing thousands per bottle online. Still, he remained uneasy about the quality.

Once he became an adult, to help Ralts improve her basic abilities more quickly, it would be appropriate to buy her some supplement as an aid. Tang Yi had considered this: for Ralts, physical training was almost pointless, and what truly needed strengthening was her mental power. Since mental strength was her forte, why not abandon physical development altogether and focus solely on psychic enhancement?

He wanted to buy some psychic supplements to help with her mental training, but he worried that the lower-grade ones wouldn’t be effective, and he didn’t trust the corner store not to sell him fakes. Yet, buying from a specialty shop would be expensive.

Where would the money come from? That was the question. Tang Yi knew his parents would certainly give him whatever he asked for, but he was reluctant to rely on them. Breeding Pokémon could become a bottomless pit for money. Tang Yi felt it was better to handle these things himself—after all, he was Ralts’s trainer.

Fortunately, there was no rush. Whether it was making money or preparing for the next round of selection, everything would have to wait until Ralts recovered from her growth stagnation syndrome.

Upon returning home, Tang Yi went straight to his room, as usual, to check on Ralts. The girl sat quietly at his desk, scribbling and making notes in a newly bought notebook, apparently writing something. Normally, Ralts would be glued to the computer, unmoved even by thunder.

Tang Yi felt a secret joy—sure enough, a laggy computer really did ruin the user experience; with such poor performance, she no longer felt like spending time online. Plan accomplished!

Ralts had already heard the door open. She closed her notebook and stood up, looking at Tang Yi. At home, she usually parted her green hair to both sides, revealing a pair of large red eyes, making her look even more mature.

Tang Yi asked, “How are you feeling today? Any signs of irritability or depression?”

“I’m much better than the past few days,” she replied.

“That’s good.” Tang Yi frowned slightly, noticing how she stood tall and graceful, gazing at him. He quickly understood her body language. “Is there something you want to talk about?”

She nodded.

“Go ahead. Is there something you want to buy?” Tang Yi wondered if she was about to ask for a new computer—out of the question, of course. But what excuse could he use to refuse?

“I want to learn Hypnosis.”

“Huh?”

Tang Yi took a couple of steps forward and only then noticed the Hypnosis skill book he’d bought a while ago on the desk. Ralts had actually been trying to teach herself at home.

But could self-study really be effective?

Moreover, this was the first time she had ever proactively asked to learn a skill.

Something felt off.

Tang Yi asked, puzzled, “What made you want to learn Hypnosis now? Your syndrome isn’t fully healed yet, so it’s best not to overexert yourself. Besides, can you actually understand the skill book on your own?”

“Not really,” Ralts admitted, a little frustrated, but then her eyes lit up as she remembered a solution. “Aren’t we going back to the hospital this weekend? Musharna is an expert at Hypnosis. I thought I could ask her for some guidance.”

It was a reasonable idea—Musharna was indeed skilled at Hypnosis. The problem was, they were going to the hospital for treatment, not for lessons…

Tang Yi suppressed the urge to tease her. In any case, it could only be a good thing for her to take the initiative in learning new skills, so he decided not to dampen her enthusiasm.

That night, Tang Yi used the excuse that Ralts needed plenty of rest to shoo her into her small bedroom by nine o’clock.

When the house was completely quiet, Tang Yi tiptoed to his computer and turned it on again. As he waited for the old machine to boot up, he realized, somewhat nervously, that he was also a little excited.

What strange things had Ralts been searching for today? The thought amused him.

The computer was indeed sluggish, but Tang Yi was in no hurry. He patiently opened the browser and began reviewing the browsing history.

[Why is my computer so slow]
[How to fix a laggy computer]
[How much does a new computer cost]
...

Tang Yi chuckled as he scrolled. Ralts trying to fix a computer with Baidu was a tall order, and as for buying a new one—she probably only dreamed of it, too embarrassed to ask outright. But soon, he noticed another item in the history:

[How to tell if your computer has been tampered with]

Tang Yi froze.

Ralts was getting sharper—was she starting to suspect him?

He shook his head in amusement. As long as he never admitted anything, there was nothing she could do to prove it.

Wait.

Hypnosis!

Tang Yi’s smile slowly faded. Was her sudden enthusiasm for learning Hypnosis a sign that she intended to use it on him? Perhaps she’d realized she wouldn’t get any answers out of him and was planning to force a confession.

Was his Ralts about to turn to the dark side?

Tang Yi’s heart pounded with anxiety, but he was also frustrated—he couldn’t just confront her about it, or he’d basically be admitting he’d sabotaged the computer.

But did a Pokémon’s Hypnosis even work on humans?

Driven by curiosity, Tang Yi searched online.

Question: Does the move Hypnosis work on humans?
Answer: Yes, it does. Once, while under Hypnosis, I imagined myself a martial arts master and sparred fiercely with my Timburr, eventually knocking him out with a final punch.

Some said it was illegal for Pokémon to use skills on humans, just as it was illegal for humans to abuse or harm Pokémon—if a Pokémon used a skill to hurt a human without provocation, that too was against the law.

Others argued that if a human provoked or acted excessively, and the Pokémon could no longer tolerate it, they might use a skill on their trainer in self-defense.

The various opinions left Tang Yi deeply uneasy.

I haven’t done anything excessive, have I? No, definitely not!

Tang Yi decided he should trust Ralts a little more. Still, when they went for the next Hypnosis session, he planned to quietly ask the old doctor for tips on resisting Hypnosis. After all, the doctor had worked with Musharna for years—he was bound to be an expert.

In the meantime, Tang Yi pretended nothing was amiss in front of Ralts, acting completely oblivious.

The following evening, after Ralts had gone to bed, Tang Yi habitually opened the computer and checked her browsing history, hoping to glimpse her thoughts.

He found only a single new entry:

[Don’t worry, I won’t use Hypnosis on you]

Tang Yi: ?????