Water·Lord / Soul-Searching ...

Qiao Ran smiled and nodded. He was actually quite happy to grow closer to Suicune. Although Suicune often took the initiative to help with many things, she liked to treat herself as an outsider, as an observer.

If he had to make an analogy, she was like a maid standing outside the dining table, serving her master. Even when given an order, she would not take the initiative to sit at the table.

So, no matter how close their relationship became, there was always an indescribable sense of distance between them.

But now, Qiao Ran felt that Suicune was gradually integrating into their group—at the cost of her dignity and majesty.

"W-Wait! Master!"

However, just as Qiao Ran was petting Suicune while thinking about these things, Dianxi suddenly let out a startled cry from nearby.

Her shout interrupted Qiao Ran's thoughts. Only then did he suddenly notice that a bright light was radiating from the Suicune he was touching.

"Th-This is!"

Qiao Ran was startled, and his mouth fell open.

Tokiwa Power... could actually have this kind of effect?!

089 Suicune

"Something's coming, Rotom! Something is coming!"

Looking at the light emanating from Suicune, not only was Qiao Ran shocked, but the other Pokémon hurried over as well. Rotom even activated burst mode in midair.

"That light is..."

"That's right, she's about to take human form!"

Vulpix and Dianxi were undoubtedly the two most familiar with this light, but even so, they were filled with interest in the process.

After all, when they had taken human form, they had been unable to see themselves and had not known what they were changing into. Moreover, this was their first time truly witnessing the entire transformation process, so of course they had to watch carefully.

As for the other Pokémon, such as Altaria and Nihilego, they quietly watched the scene with a trace of curiosity in their eyes.

The light around Suicune slowly spread outward, then gradually shrank again, enveloping her entire body. At the same time, Suicune's form was already changing during the process.

After the light faded—

The blue water wolf that had originally stood there vanished, replaced by a woman with long purple hair, a lovely figure, and an incomparably gentle yet cool demeanor.

Unlike the youthful Vulpix and Dianxi, her body was full of mature charm. She was tall yet well-proportioned, with smooth, full curves.

—Her body was as immaculate as that of a newborn, yet two white ribbons floated around her. Perhaps because of Suicune's powers, a faint mist constantly shrouded her. Together with the white ribbons drifting around her, it gave her a sacred air, like a fairy emerging from a bath.

"..."

Vulpix and Dianxi were both dumbfounded. They were not shocked by Suicune's beauty, but by her figure—wasn't that just too unfair?!

Dianxi looked down at herself, then at Suicune. After that, she gazed up at the sky in resignation. If she had to compare them, it was probably like the difference between an orange and a durian.

Dianxi felt that even if she Mega Evolved, she would not have the slightest chance of winning. The gap was so enormous that it was practically a one-sided slaughter.

Fortunately, although Dianxi had no competitive edge before Suicune, she could still gain a little comfort from Vulpix. If Dianxi was at the little-girl level, then Vulpix had fallen all the way to the tragic toddler level, with no chance of turning things around.

"So amazing..."

Vulpix could only keep voicing her admiration. She did not even have the courage to compare herself.

"This... this really is..."

Qiao Ran did not know what Dianxi and Vulpix were thinking. In fact—he himself was already staring in fascination.

If Dianxi and Vulpix's human forms were cute and pretty, then Suicune possessed the sensuality of a gentle older sister. They were completely different feelings. If Qiao Ran had to say which was better, he simply could not choose.

"Wonderful... truly wonderful..."

Qiao Ran could not help sighing. He had not even noticed that his hand was still resting on Suicune's back, and he even stroked her unconsciously.

Qiao Ran swore that he had absolutely not intended to do that. His mind was simply still stuck on when Suicune had been in her Pokémon form, when he had been giving her a massage.

"Ah~~~~~~!"

As Qiao Ran's hand moved, the purple-haired beauty before him let out a soft moan. Her cheeks reddened, and her entire body went limp.

"N-No... Master, no..."

Her legs curled beneath her as she knelt on the grass. The cool, faintly stubborn expression she had worn immediately collapsed, and she looked at Qiao Ran pitifully. (Omitted)

"Cough... cough!"

Seeing Suicune like this, Qiao Ran coughed violently and covered his nose, as though a nosebleed were about to rush backward down his throat. If he could still forcibly restrain himself before figures like Vulpix and Dianxi's and keep improper thoughts at bay, then Suicune's... was simply far too explosive.

She was completely a mature woman! The fully ripened kind, at that.

This was bad, bad, bad, bad...

An alarm went off in Qiao Ran's heart.

What should he do if his Pokémon had become way too sexy? Waiting online, urgent.

"Y-You should hurry and find something to put on. I'll come back and see you later, cough cough cough cough cough."

Qiao Ran took several deep breaths and temporarily calmed the restless feelings in his heart. He called Rotom over, intending to teleport back to the real world first. If he stayed here any longer, who knew whether he could remain calm?

Qiao Ran felt like he was overheating.

"M-Master."

Suicune, who had only just taken human form, was still unfamiliar with human language. However, she did not understand why Qiao Ran was leaving so quickly.

Or rather, she did not feel any shame about her current body, nor did she think there was anything improper about Qiao Ran staring at her. On the contrary, she felt very proud. If Qiao Ran wanted to look, she would show him every detail and let him look to his heart's content without hesitation.

After all, in Suicune's mind, Qiao Ran had bestowed this new body upon her. Like Lady Ho-Oh, Qiao Ran was one of only two people who had brought her new life. From the moment she took human form, Qiao Ran's status in Suicune's heart had clearly risen another level, reaching an entirely new realm.

—Her new body had given her a new life and held special meaning. Suicune did not feel ashamed of her new body; she felt honored from the bottom of her heart.

It was just... Suicune had a small knot in her heart. She felt that the timing of her transformation had been far too awkward. Based on her previous thoughts, she had believed that she would likely take human form after some battle, but she had never expected to start glowing while Qiao Ran was petting her fur...

If her juniors asked about it in the future, how was she supposed to answer? Dianxi could say that she took human form during a Contest, while Vulpix could say that she had been able to take human form from the very beginning. But what about her?

Was she supposed to say that Qiao Ran had petted her into taking human form???

The thought of possibly having to face her two older sisters and Lady Ho-Oh later left Suicune speechless. She simply could not say such an answer out loud!

090 Questioning the Heart

"This is terrible. Absolutely terrible."

After returning to the real world, Qiao Ran still could not suppress the heat in his heart. He gulped down several cups of water, but the hand holding the cup was still trembling slightly.

As a Trainer, was it really a good thing to feel things he should not feel for his own Pokémon? Was it really a good thing?

Qiao Ran had actually encountered this question before, but he had always set it aside in his heart and refused to think further.

After all, his feelings had been far less intense back then. Vulpix and Dianxi were beautiful and cute, yes, but they did not stir him up as easily. Vulpix was the type who strongly aroused one's protective instincts. As for Dianxi, as long as she did not Mega Evolve, Qiao Ran could try to see her as a child.

Besides, even if Qiao Ran truly could not control himself, such as when Dianxi took the initiative to ask him for a kiss, he could still temporarily regulate himself and try not to think in deeper directions.

But Suicune was different. The sensory stimulation she brought Qiao Ran was entirely different and full of impact. After all, when two bouncing peaks were placed before Qiao Ran, he was starting to lose his resolve.

"Calm down... calm down... The more it's like this, the more I need to stay calm."

Although Rotom had hinted at this countless times,

there was still a hurdle in Qiao Ran's heart that he could not cross. He had once merely been an ordinary Pokémon enthusiast, and he had hoped to build good relationships with his Pokémon. However, that did not mean he wanted to directly participate in the breeding work of a Day Care!

Kissing and feeling desire were completely different things!

This feeling was like the several kittens he had always raised suddenly turning into beautiful girls one day. Though in Qiao Ran's mind they were still the same "kittens" from before, they... were also completely different now.

He could no longer treat them with the same attitude he had used toward those "kittens."

"Ahhh... what should I do?"

Qiao Ran scratched his head, feeling conflicted for the first time.

Of course, this was also related to the fact that he could not let go of his dignity and majesty. As a Trainer brimming with majesty... if he were to make Eggs with Pokémon...

Qiao Ran simply could not imagine what their future lives would become.

"What, you're asking whether my family has Pokémon blood? Mm... I understand. Little Eve told you, didn't she?"

"Indeed, she told me those things. But that isn't what I want to ask."

In the training room of Jinling Gym, Qiao Ran found Iron Maiden, who was still training. The reason he had come to find Iron Maiden now was ultimately because he wanted to ask for advice.

Some matters could not be resolved merely by looking and thinking on his own. Even he needed to seek help from others.

"Then what do you want to ask?"

Iron Maiden looked at Qiao Ran before her, while Qiao Ran fell silent for a moment.

"What I want to ask... is actually about your ancestors. I don't know how to put it, but... if you truly have Pokémon blood, then your ancestors must have been with Pokémon..."

Qiao Ran's words were somewhat jumbled, but Iron Maiden more or less understood what he meant.

He was actually interested in this? Or was he... taking this chance to secretly learn about me?

A flicker passed through Iron Maiden's eyes, but she ultimately gave him an answer.

"You know, there has always been a saying in my family. Supposedly, it was left behind by our original ancestor."

Iron Maiden lifted the iron block in her hands, then set it down again. Sweat soaked through her tight workout clothes, perfectly outlining her shapely figure. Even under such intense training, however, she showed no sign of being out of breath.

"A saying?" Qiao Ran frowned.

"Yes. It's only a very simple sentence. If you can remember it too, you will probably understand the answer to your question."

Iron Maiden set the iron block in her hands on the ground, making the floor tremble slightly.

"Do what you want to do, don't care about others, and let nature take its course."

"Do what I want to do... don't care about others... let nature take its course..." Qiao Ran repeated, trying to understand its meaning. But on second thought, he realized that something seemed off.

"Wait, aren't those three sentences???"

"Together, they're one sentence. Are you an idiot?" Iron Maiden did not want to explain further. In her worldview, people who obsessed over meaningless details were useless fools.

"Fine."

Qiao Ran shrugged and did not continue dwelling on the matter. Still, Iron Maiden's "family motto" had indeed given him an entirely different feeling.

Do what I want to do, let nature take its course... don't care about what others think... No wonder. Was that why they had children of mixed human and Pokémon blood, allowing the bloodline to continue?

But were human-Pokémon descendants... really all right? What if...

Thinking of this, Qiao Ran could not help glancing at Iron Maiden. She was clearly an extremely healthy woman. Not only was her appearance quite exceptional, but she even possessed physical advantages that ordinary people could not compare with. And the root cause of it all was that part of her blood was Pokémon blood.

—It was as if they had received a blessing. Mixed descendants of humans and Pokémon always possessed all sorts of special abilities and talents.

So... was mixed blood actually the most correct choice for superior reproduction?

"Sounds... pretty good?"

Gradually, as he thought, Qiao Ran's views began to slowly change.

Besides, even if awkward things might happen in the future, Qiao Ran could not possibly avoid his own Pokémon. Rather than keep hiding and acting awkward, he might as well let nature take its course. Qiao Ran had always been decisive and straightforward by nature.

"..."

Time passed. Qiao Ran lay in bed for the night, resting and thinking all night long.

At last, the next day arrived. While the sky was still dim, a series of knocks sounded at Qiao Ran's door.

"Qiao Ran, Qiao Ran, my sisters are back!"—The one knocking was Eve.

Hearing her voice, Qiao Ran quickly stirred awake from his sleep.

"Mei and the others are here?? They finally came???"

Qiao Ran sprang out of bed and began washing up and changing clothes. No matter what, he could not let the others see him looking sloppy.

—Especially Mei and Lillie, who came from the Pokémon world. Qiao Ran still hoped to leave as good an impression as possible in front of them.

Taking a Day Off + Important Vote

Happy New Year's Day! Happy New Year's Eve! Happy New Year!

Today is a legal holiday, so I'm taking the day off~~~~~~~~~~! The author can also work on refining the upcoming plot~~~~~~~~~~~

Also, what Pokémon would everyone most like to see first next? Including but not limited to the following:

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