Chapter Seven: Rejecting the Rat Race Begins With Me

Ralts timidly peeked out, glancing through the strands of hair before quickly retreating behind Tang Yi, her tiny hands gripping his palm even tighter. It was a clear sign of anxiety.

Tang Yi, whose plan had fallen through, could only smile wryly and gently pat the girl’s little head in comfort.

“Hello.” Surprisingly, the other Ralts greeted them first. The little girl stood upright, her pronunciation still somewhat unsteady, but she was already able to speak.

Tang Yi was astonished. “She can already talk?”

The young trainer smiled modestly. “Not very well yet—her speech isn’t perfect. The last training class wasn’t very good, so I dropped the rest of their courses. I heard this one has a good reputation, so we signed up.”

Her smile carried a hint of worry. “My Ralts has been born for two weeks already, but her speech is still not clear. If this keeps up, what will I do? I’m quite anxious.”

Tang Yi was speechless. “Two weeks—isn’t that a bit too rushed? I’ve researched it: for a fast-growing Ralts, they only reach the stage for language training after a month. Their developmental period lasts three months—a month in is when you can start teaching them to speak and similar things.”

The girl’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Are you joking? A month? By then, others have already begun basic skill training! Language class is just the foundation. I plan to enroll my Ralts in battle basics, psychic preschool, and fairy guidance…”

“Uh, don’t these courses start after three months?”

She looked defeated. “Where did you get all this outdated information—from a breeding center handbook? Do you know why these training classes are so popular? The current philosophy is, you have to give your Pokémon a head start! If you wait a month just to learn to talk, others are already learning skills. Whether it’s for college or civil service exams, who do you think has a better chance of being accepted?”

Tang Yi sighed softly. “Is even this subject to competition? Is there nothing in this world that can escape the rat race?”

“Rat race? What does that mean?”

Apparently, the term hadn’t been coined in this world yet.

Tang Yi explained simply, “For example, if you’re watching a movie in a theater, and someone in the front row suddenly stands up, then everyone else stands up to see, so in the end, everyone has to watch the movie standing.”

“That person standing is so rude!” the girl condemned.

“Yes, but everyone follows suit, and originally, everyone could have watched the movie comfortably sitting.”

She seemed bewildered, as if she understood, but also as if she didn’t.

Tang Yi didn’t wish to delve deeper into the topic. He turned his gaze to the Ralts by her side, who looked just like a young girl in elementary school.

Compared to his own Ralts, who hid behind him, the other trainer’s Pokémon seemed much more open, her beautiful bangs framing wide, expressive eyes.

Tang Yi asked quietly, “You’re so young, and you have so many classes. Are you tired?”

The previously confident Ralts was caught off guard by the unexpected question. She tried to answer but hesitated, turning to her trainer for help.

The young trainer was already showing signs of displeasure.

Ralts, sensitive as ever, picked up on her trainer’s unease, and quickly replied in still imperfect speech, “Not tired. I’m happy to be with Qiao.”

Qiao was presumably the girl’s name.

Tang Yi hurriedly apologized. “I may have asked too much. I’m sorry.”

“Never mind,” Qiao waved it off. She had hoped to exchange breeding tips with another Ralts trainer, but now she’d lost the will to continue, offering a few perfunctory words before they each went their separate ways.

Once they were out of sight, Tang Yi felt a gentle tug at his sleeve.

“Ralts, Ralts,” his own Pokémon softly called.

Worried that Tang Yi wouldn’t understand, she pointed at Qiao’s distant Ralts and shook her head.

She was telling Tang Yi that Qiao’s Ralts had lied.

With their red horns, Ralts were highly sensitive to emotional shifts; at such close range, it was easy to tell if a fellow Pokémon was lying.

Tang Yi sighed again. He hadn’t needed little Ralts to remind him—the other Ralts’ ruby eyes had noticeably dimmed while she spoke, not the expression a girl her age should wear.

Just born, and already loaded with classes—how could she possibly not be tired, or happy?

Such an obvious lie!

“Ralts, Ralts!” His own Ralts tugged at his coat, looking up at him with anxious, trusting eyes.

He found it both amusing and heartbreaking.

What struck him was that whenever no one else was around, his own Ralts would peek out from behind her silky green hair, revealing her large eyes. If a stranger appeared, she’d let her hair fall, hiding her gaze completely.

If she couldn’t see, she wouldn’t feel timid.

It was a sign of trust.

Yet there was still a hint of fear in her eyes. Though Qiao’s Ralts hadn’t told the truth, his Ralts could sense the other’s real emotions through her horn.

She didn’t yet understand what a “training class” was, but instinctively felt afraid of the negative emotions she was about to encounter.

Tang Yi himself was hesitant.

The logic was simple: the earlier the systematic and professional training began, the sooner she’d learn to speak, master more skills, and gain an edge in competition.

But was it worth it?

He weighed the gains and losses repeatedly, until his gaze met his Ralts’s crystal-clear ruby eyes, and felt the warmth of her small hand tightly grasping his.

In that instant, Tang Yi smiled.

To hell with weighing gains and losses!

There are things that can’t be measured by profit.

That trusting gaze, those bright, innocent eyes—these are priceless, beyond any exchange of benefits.

And Tang Yi wasn’t neglecting her training entirely.

He would simply wait a little longer, as the breeding center handbook advised, letting his Ralts pass through her rapid growth phase before beginning careful training.

He even recalled how, in his previous world, human children in kindergarten, not even fully literate in their native language, were forced to start learning English.

Even though he knew competition was inevitable, Tang Yi refused to become someone who contributed to its escalation.

Rejecting the rat race, starting with himself.

Half an hour later.

Finally, an enthusiastic staff member sat before Tang Yi, pitching various package deals. “Your Ralts seems very promising! We have a psychic and fairy combo package, with an extra 200 yuan off the original discount.”

“No need. We’re not interested in skill training right now. I’d like to schedule a language class, maybe in a week or two, with the lightest workload possible. How much does that cost?”

The staff member, a young woman, had her sales pitch stifled, looking at Tang Yi with bafflement, as if she wanted to ask, are you seriously joking with me?