May's Confession? I Won't Sell You Out

"An ordinary person couldn't make Legendary Pokémon willingly hide in his shadow," Cynthia said.

Lin Hao stopped and turned around. "What are you talking about? I don't understand."

"Pika." Pikachu shook his head frantically beside him.

Cynthia smiled, and so did Steven. "It's fine if you won't admit it," Cynthia said. "One day, you'll stand where you belong."

"We'll talk when that day comes." Lin Hao pointed at the distant awards podium. "Right now, I just want my five million. Anyone who gets in my way is going bankrupt."

Lin Hao strode toward the stage, where President Charles Goodshow stood with his beard still trembling.

"Contestant Lin Hao." Charles Goodshow handed him a check. "Here is your prize of five million League Coins. Congratulations."

Lin Hao snatched the check, his eyes lighting up. "Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands, millions!" He counted the zeros one by one.

He patted his chest and let out a long breath. "Finally, I've got money." Lin Hao tucked the check inside his shirt. "May! Let's go!"

"Where?" May asked.

"Back to the hotel!" Lin Hao waved a hand. "I'm putting this check under my pillow and going to sleep! Nobody disturb me!"

The two walked back to the contestants' village side by side. May remained silent for a long while, her head lowered and both hands clutching the hem of her clothes. The League's specially made encrypted Communicator kept vibrating in her pocket.

"Bzz, bzz, bzz." Lin Hao stopped. "Is your phone short-circuiting?" He pointed at her pocket.

May froze, then looked up, her mind made up. "Lin Hao, we need to talk."

"About what?" Lin Hao yawned. "If you want to borrow money, forget it. I'm using this money to build a villa back in Pallet Town."

May ignored him. She opened the door to Lin Hao's room and pushed him inside.

Bang! The door slammed shut, and she locked it as well. Lin Hao stepped back, clutching his pocket.

"What are you trying to do?" Lin Hao asked warily. "I'm telling you, even if you wear black stockings, I'm not giving you half my prize money."

"Who wants your money?!" May raised her voice, walked over to the coffee table, and pulled the still-vibrating encrypted Communicator from her pocket.

Smack! May slammed the Communicator onto the table. Its screen lit up, displaying the top-secret mission orders sent by Charles Goodshow.

"What's this?" Lin Hao asked.

"These are the League's final orders for me." May pressed her lips together. "They want me to uncover all your hidden cards, no matter what it takes."

Lin Hao pulled out a chair and sat down. "Oh." He casually picked up a bag of chips. "Have you figured them out?"

"Can you take this seriously?!" May stamped her foot in anger. "This is top-secret information that concerns your personal safety!"

"I am taking it seriously." Lin Hao popped a chip into his mouth. "Crunch, crunch." He chewed with gusto.

May's shoulders slumped. She pointed at the words on the screen. "First order." She read it aloud. "Keep Lin Hao under close surveillance twenty-four hours a day!"

"Does that include room and board?" Lin Hao asked.

"That's not the point!" May stamped her foot in frustration. "Second order! No matter what methods are necessary, determine the number of Legendary Pokémon backing him!"

"Then they'll be counting for days and nights," Lin Hao said.

Inside the System Space, the Legendary Pokémon erupted into a noisy argument.

"(Roar! This woman dares to investigate us?!)" Groudon stamped his feet furiously.

"(Let her try! I'll go out there and roast her right now!)" Ho-Oh preened his feathers.

"(Don't move. Our master hasn't given an order yet.)" Mewtwo interjected.

Back in the real world, May's eyes grew damp as she stared at Lin Hao. "If the target refuses to cooperate, permission is granted to use... use..." She couldn't stop her cheeks from burning.

"Use what?" Lin Hao leaned closer curiously.

"Use seduction!" May shut her eyes and shouted.

The room fell silent. The chip in Pikachu's mouth dropped to the floor.

Lin Hao stared blankly for a full five seconds. "Seduction? That old bearded guy from the League is actually that sleazy?"

"That's not the point!" May was so upset she nearly cried.

"Then what is the point?"

"The League has its sights on you!" May shouted. "Team Rocket is looking for you! Team Galactic is looking for you! Now even the League is willing to do anything to control you!"

Lin Hao sighed, put down the chips, and pulled out a tissue to wipe his hands. "So?"

"So, I'm coming clean with you." May steadied herself. "I don't want to carry out this mission anymore."

"You're quitting?" Lin Hao asked.

"I'm done!" May gritted her teeth. "I've had enough of all these two-faced schemes! You saved my life and helped me get Greninja's hard drive back. I won't sell you out!"

May grabbed the Communicator from the table and hurled it at the floor. Bang! The expensive, specially made Communicator shattered, scattering broken components everywhere.

"That thing looks expensive," Lin Hao said, pained by the waste. "Won't you have to pay for breaking it?"

May froze. All the emotion she'd worked up vanished in an instant. "Is money really the only thing in your head?" She was on the verge of losing it.

"What else would there be?" Lin Hao spread his hands. "I'm just an ordinary person. Ordinary people don't care about saving the world. They care about next month's rent and having braised pork for dinner."

May looked at Lin Hao. As punchable as this guy was, there was something reassuringly genuine about him.

"Who are you, really?" May asked softly.

"I just told you." Lin Hao leaned back against the sofa. "I'm just an ordinary person who wants to find somewhere to build a villa, sleep until I wake up naturally every day, and travel with Pokémon along the way."

"Pika!" Pikachu nodded beside him.

Seeing the man and mouse looking so laid-back, May burst out laughing.

"Fine." She wiped the corners of her eyes. "Since you're an ordinary person, you need a top-notch bodyguard now."

"I don't need a bodyguard," Lin Hao refused immediately. "And I'm not paying a salary."

"I don't want a salary!" May declared confidently. "Just give me room and board! From today on, you're stuck with me!"

"Why?!" Lin Hao's eyes widened.

"Because you really do need someone to help you deal with the League pestering you!" May planted her hands on her hips. "Besides, without me, you wouldn't even know how to buy a train ticket out of the city!"

Lin Hao fell silent. That was a fatal weakness. "Fine." He hesitated, then sighed. "But let's be clear: you're paying for takeout."

"Deal!" May beamed.

Just then, the phone in Lin Hao's pocket rang. He took it out and saw an unfamiliar number.

"Hello?" Lin Hao answered lazily.

Charles Goodshow's restrained voice came from the other end. "Contestant Lin Hao, congratulations on winning the championship."

"I've already got the money. Don't even think about going back on your word." Lin Hao's face filled with suspicion.

"I'm not calling to ask for the prize money back." Charles Goodshow sighed. "I'm calling to send you a bill."

"What bill?"

"Check your email." The call ended.

Lin Hao's eyelid twitched. He opened the email app on his phone, and a lengthy message popped up.

"What did you get?" May leaned over to ask.

"Something that'll be the death of me." Lin Hao's hand trembled.