Why is my Pokémon girl a bit strange?

"……!"

Qiao Ran didn't know Eve's condition, so he could only urge Suicune to speed up and check on Eve once they reached the surface.

Suicune nodded and continued to increase its speed. In a short while, it broke through the water's surface and arrived in the watery world filled with air.

Qiao Ran and Vulpix breathed in the fresh air, but Eve's situation was not optimistic.

"Eve? Eve?"

Qiao Ran patted the girl's face behind him, but she seemed to have lost consciousness, showing no reaction at all. Moreover, her complexion was terrible, and her hands and feet were ice-cold.

"This is bad…"

The pursuers hadn't caught up, but Qiao Ran was facing the worst possible situation. It was clear that Eve had choked on water underwater and was drowning. However, Qiao Ran had no knowledge of how to perform resuscitation.

This is bad, bad, bad…

Qiao Ran's heart was pounding.

What should I do now?!

"The Rotom Phone is waterlogged, I'm waterlogged, and she's waterlogged too! She needs CPR, Rotom! Although her situation isn't as bad as mine, Rotom!"

The dizzy Rotom Phone floated out of Qiao Ran's pocket at the opportune moment. Despite its waterproof black technology, it still felt terrible underwater. However, its words gave Qiao Ran some direction.

"Maybe… I should give her CPR while performing chest compressions?"

Qiao Ran recalled some first-aid knowledge he had seen and then took a few deep breaths, forcing himself to calm down. This was a critical moment, and he didn't have time to think too much.

"CPR, Rotom! It has to be mouth-to-mouth, Rotom! Also, place your hands below the sternum and perform compressions. After four compressions, pinch the nose and give one breath, Rotom!"

"CPR… CPR…"

Qiao Ran pinched Eve's mouth, preparing to act.

Looking at her tender, cherry-red lips, Qiao Ran's heart beat even faster.

After all, this was his first time…

"Wait, Master."

However, at this critical juncture, a voice suddenly called out to him.

"What?"

Qiao Ran turned his head, but there was nothing behind him. He saw nothing, but something soft, moist, and ice-cold suddenly covered his lips.

"……!" Qiao Ran shivered all over, his eyes widening instantly.

This is…

The other party didn't give him any time to react; it had already happened.

The sensation was indescribable. If Qiao Ran had to describe it, he would rather believe he was tasting a cold and sweet jelly or dessert.

Qiao Ran wanted to savor the feeling again, but it didn't last long. It might not have even lasted a second before the other party chose to leave again.

"Master, hurry and save her."

The white-haired girl looked at Qiao Ran's face, a faint smile appearing.

Some things, you only know how important they are when you lose them.

This time… she wouldn't just stand by and watch…

Section 46 045 [What Exactly Happened?]

What… happened to me?

Right… right. I sank to the seabed… at the seabed…

Is this… the seabed?

In the darkness, Eve couldn't see her surroundings. She only felt herself sinking continuously. She had no strength in her body, not even enough to control her arms or legs.

She kept sinking until she felt a salvation-like presence—

Light…?

Suddenly, a beam of light shot through the darkness. Following the light upwards, Eve's tightly closed eyes opened slightly. She saw a boy's anxious face. Not only that… he was so close to her, even crossing the boundary of what a friend should maintain.

"……＆!*@……!……%@!%"

Eve couldn't hear what he was saying, but she felt something of hers had been taken away.

"……"

Right… right.

He came to save me…

Eve couldn't hear or feel her surroundings, but her heart gradually became active, and warmth spread throughout her body.

Her mind was a blur. When she painstakingly opened her eyes again, the first thing that greeted her was a familiar yet strange ceiling.

"Cough… Cough cough cough cough!"

She felt as if the respiratory tract in her nose, mouth, and upper body was burning like fire. The burning sensation was enough to make even the strongest girl shed tears.

Eve's eyes welled up with tears.

"You're awake?"

Qiao Ran walked up to her and observed her condition. After a period of rescue efforts, Eve's physical condition gradually stabilized. Once he confirmed she was safe, Qiao Ran brought her back onto the cruise ship.

Fortunately, they weren't attacked by the two kidnappers during this process. Whether it was because they couldn't find him or for some other reason, Qiao Ran encountered no obstacles along the way. Could it be that those two guys were just idiots?

Putting the kidnappers aside for now, Qiao Ran felt that Eve's condition was more important. No matter what, he couldn't stand by and watch this girl collapse in front of him.

"How are you feeling now? If you're uncomfortable, please tell me."

"I..."

Eve's voice was a bit hoarse, and she looked very weak. It was clear her condition wasn't good.

However, just a second later, her eyes suddenly widened.

"My... clothes..."

As her consciousness gradually returned, she felt a sense of discomfort originating from her own body. She could tell that she was likely not wearing any clothes.

—That's right, beneath this blanket, she was completely naked!

"I had my sister, Shui Jun, take your clothes to wash them. They're still drying outside. Since we couldn't find any spare clothes for you, this is how it has to be for now. Also, did you lose your backpack when you were kidnapped? I'll ask the crew later; maybe they saw it."

Qiao Ran slowly explained the reason. When they came out of the water, all of their clothes were soaked, and they would have caught a cold if they didn't change. However, no matter how hard they looked, they couldn't find any replacement clothes for Eve, so she had no choice but to be naked.

"..."

Eve listened, stunned for a few seconds, then obediently lay back down on the bed, covering her face with the bedsheet.

She couldn't see her own expression, but she felt that her face must be completely flushed.

She felt that the boy in front of her must have seen her clothes, and perhaps... even more.

"Um... I drowned, right?"

"Yeah, you scared me half to death back then."

Qiao Ran nodded, recalling the situation. It had indeed been quite critical, and if it weren't for Rotom's guidance nearby, Qiao Ran felt he might have messed everything up.

So, rather than saying he saved Eve, it was more accurate to say Rotom saved her. Professional guidance was very important.

"Th-thank you."

Eve's voice was as faint as a mosquito's hum. Although she didn't ask for the detailed circumstances, based on the knowledge she possessed, she certainly knew what had been done to her. Or rather, she knew what had happened between her and Qiao Ran.

However, considering everything that had happened, Eve surprisingly didn't feel angry, nor did she feel annoyed or regretful. Instead, her heart was filled with warmth and excitement.

She now increasingly believed that her decision to sneak onto the ship and contact Qiao Ran was absolutely the right one. This boy, with his astonishing performance skills, had brought her so many surprises in many other aspects as well.

The time she had spent with him had never been boring. Most importantly, he appeared precisely when she needed him most, almost like...

It was great... it was truly great...

"Thank you... for saving me..."

"Didn't you already say that?"

"Um... it's different... This is actually my first time being..."

"Alright, alright, don't say any more."

Qiao Ran shook his head, a smile appearing on his face.

"You should rest a bit longer. Your Jynx hasn't fully recovered either. You should be fine before we disembark."

Although he was still concerned about the two kidnappers, Qiao Ran decided not to ask about it at this moment. The weak girl needed more rest.

Qiao Ran decided to ask about those matters after she recovered a bit more. Those people didn't give off the ruthless vibe of poachers, but they were certainly not good people.

"Mhm..."

Eve nodded gently, covering her completely flushed cheeks with the blanket.

Compared to her usual mischievous demeanor, she was much more docile and obedient now.

Qiao Ran withdrew his gaze from her and walked to the other side of the room, gazing out at the scenery from the window.

The sky outside was still clear, and the blue sky and white clouds were a sight that never grew old, no matter how long one looked. However, just as Qiao Ran was relaxing and enjoying the refreshing view, a familiar voice came from behind him.

The voice seemed to carry a kind of dark resentment as it spread from behind Qiao Ran.

"Brother... can you tell me now? What exactly happened this time?"

The cute girl blinked her ruby-like eyes, staring at Qiao Ran's location.

"Why has Vulpix been acting so shy and avoiding my gaze since we got back?"

"What exactly did you two do?"

Section 47 046 [Thoughts]

"This..."

Qiao Ran's expression flickered. Faced with Dianxi's sudden questioning, he was momentarily at a loss for words.

Dianxi's observational skills were truly remarkable. She had already sensed something just from Vulpix's subtle actions. It was too difficult for a naive Vulpix to hide her thoughts from her.

"..."

So, what should I do now?

Qiao Ran found himself in a difficult dilemma.

Tell the truth?

Well... if he told the truth, Qiao Ran didn't know how Dianxi would react, and he didn't want to see Dianxi look disappointed.

Lie?

Qiao Ran felt that, based on the connection between him and his Pokémon, he wouldn't be able to lie to Dianxi.

After a few seconds of silence, Qiao Ran glanced at Eve, who was lying on the bed, and confirmed that she couldn't hear him from this distance. Qiao Ran finally looked in Dianxi's direction and chose to tell the truth.

"She kissed me... before she gave me mouth-to-mouth resuscitation."

—As expected, he couldn't lie to them.

Rather than avoiding this and that, hedging his bets, Qiao Ran's personality was more inclined to get straight to the point and tell the truth.

"...!"

Dianxi gasped, her eyes widening.

"She..."

It was clear that what Qiao Ran said had shocked Dianxi to the point of speechlessness. That soft, sweet Vulpix actually did something like that?

She had originally thought Vulpix was just an ordinary, gentle girl, but in reality, Vulpix didn't seem as innocent as she appeared. When it was time to strike decisively, Vulpix's execution was terrifyingly swift.

Dianxi asked herself if, in that situation, she could even have done the same thing as Vulpix.

After hearing Qiao Ran's explanation, Dianxi stood frozen for a long time without speaking. Seeing her petrified posture and expression, Qiao Ran's heart pounded. However, after a period of stalemate, Dianxi finally lowered her head and spoke.

"...I... I want it too..."