There was a bend ahead that was not particularly sharp but stretched on for quite a while. Taking the condition of her brakes and tires into account, the pink race car slowed down well in advance.
After that round of pursuit, Lilligant knew that the Little Sheep also needed a long braking distance. Slowing down early would not cost her much.
What was going on?!
In her rearview mirror, Lilligant was startled to see the headlights rapidly drawing closer.
He was almost at the turn-in point, yet he showed no sign of slowing down.
He could certainly overtake her on the straight like this, but what would he do once he entered the bend?
His brakes would not stop him in time, and those grocery-run tires had limited grip. He would roll the car!
[Don't... don't drive so fast!]
Lilligant's warning came a step too late. The Little Sheep had already overtaken her on the side.
Shen Qi's gaze was resolute.
This was the last bend out of Marker Mountain, his final chance to overtake her.
"Jili!"
Chansey was a little nervous, and Shen Qi gently reassured her.
[It's all right.]
Select game item: [Adaptive Tire] Durability remaining: 64% Adjust tire type: Slick Tire
As the name suggested, these were tires that would melt once they reached a high-temperature threshold.
In their heat-melted state, the tires clung firmly to the ground like gel. Even the monstrous power of an F1 race car could rely on Slick Tires for traction.
These tires had quite a few drawbacks. They could not handle tracks with poor road conditions, and they were ineffective at low temperatures, when they actually slipped more easily than ordinary tires. They needed a "tire-warming" process beforehand to reach operating temperature.
Another drawback was the extremely severe wear of Slick Tires. In motor races, cars could often be seen heading into the pits for new tires after only a few laps or a dozen or so.
After such a long, punishing drive, the Little Sheep's tires were hot enough, and the road conditions on the outer stretch of the mountain road were decent.
As for the rapid tire wear...
There was only one bend and a short stretch of road left. Who cared how much they wore down? He could repair the [Adaptive Tire] with Normal-type energy when he had time later.
Under Lilligant's despairing gaze, Shen Qi entered the bend at an outrageous speed, yet neither skidded sideways nor rolled over.
The Little Sheep merely leaned slightly. Its rear wheels briefly lost traction, swinging its tail out in a small slide as it swept smoothly past the apex.
Baa-
The vehicle unleashed power beyond its limits and shot out of the bend. By then, the pink race car was nowhere to be seen in the rearview mirror.
The branches shrouding the mountain road fell away, and the bright moon spilled its radiance, carrying him back in a dream to all those late nights of adventure beneath the stars and moon, pushing his driving beyond its limits.
Now the wind and moon were different, and his journey had begun anew.
I won!
Even as Shen Qi became certain of victory, his heart remained in his throat.
He could already hear the Little Sheep's suspension groaning. If the course had been any longer, forget winning-even breaking down by the roadside would have been getting off lightly.
Screech.
Two hundred meters beyond the exit from Marker Mountain, Shen Qi turned the Little Sheep sideways to block the road.
The pink race car emerged from the bend behind him and slowly stopped.
[You... you're insane.]
"How else was I supposed to catch up with you, Lilligant?"
Shen Qi got out and first opened the Little Sheep's hood.
Inside the coolant reservoir, the coolant churned like a hot pot at a rolling boil. He absolutely could not unscrew the cap to release the heat now. The heat would blast the cap off and send scalding coolant splashing everywhere.
The pink race car's door opened, and Lilligant stepped out gracefully.
She was no longer in the short-skirt form she had worn during the race, having returned to her standard in-game appearance: a flower crown and a princess dress.
The elegant, gentle Pokémon beside the race car whose roaring engine had just fallen silent made for a striking contrast.
[I... sob, sob...]
A flute sounded as Lilligant covered her face and cried.
"Don't cry. I'm fine, aren't I?"
[Sob... I actually lost to the Little Sheep.]
"How is that what you're worried about?!"
Shen Qi gently patted Lilligant's back to comfort her, and she finally stopped crying.
["Speedy Hot Girl," Romance Scenario progress: 30%] [Progress has reached 30%. Awarding second-stage completion rewards.]
Huh?
Hadn't those rewards already been awarded once?
After a little thought, Shen Qi realized this romance game had a bug!
"Speedy Hot Girl" had reached 30% progress, fallen to 26%, then risen back to 30%, triggering the second-stage rewards again.
"Jili!"
Chansey got out of the car and greeted Lilligant with an innocent smile.
[Waaah--]
Lilligant, who had only just stopped crying, burst into even harder tears.
"Why are you crying again? Chansey explained it to you. We're not what you imagined... oh, come on, what could possibly happen between me and a Pokémon?"
[That's not it, that's not it...]
Her leaf hands kept wiping away droplets like morning dew. Lilligant sobbed too hard to explain.
Fortunately, there was a narrator.
[Lilligant's composure has exploded.] [Not only did she lose to the Little Sheep, she lost to the Little Sheep carrying an extra thirty to thirty-five kilograms!]
Chansey, who had gotten out afterward, clearly had not been inside a Poké Ball. That meant she had been fully summoned and sitting in the passenger seat the entire time, adding a solid thirty-plus kilograms of weight.
It was equivalent to carrying several spare tires inside the Little Sheep, yet it had still beaten Lilligant's Class B Car in the end.
She was questioning her entire life!
Her composure had exploded!
["Speedy Hot Girl," Romance Scenario progress: 29%]
What the fuck? Your composure explodes, and you dock my progress for it?
"Lilligant, you can't look at it that way. Your car competed in a race today and then drove me back and forth. Its tires were already old, and they're badly worn."
Shen Qi pointed at the Little Sheep behind him, which was still hissing. "If the course had been any longer, my van might have ended up totaled. This wasn't a normal competitive situation at all."
After laying out the analysis, Shen Qi added one more thing.
"No matter how dangerous it was, I just wanted to catch up with you and explain things. Otherwise... you might never speak to me again."
[Narrator: Lilligant covered her face. She had actually stopped crying already, but was too embarrassed to look up.] ["Speedy Hot Girl," Romance Scenario progress: 33%] [Progress has reached 30%. Awarding second-stage completion rewards.]
Well, would you look at that. I farmed the second-stage rewards again.
Chapter 17: An Absurd Storyline
In the end, the progress for "Speedy Hot Girl" settled at 37%, slightly higher than it had been after the amateur race.
Lilligant, who had been crouching there receiving comfort all this time, stood up. Only then did she realize that Shen Qi had been gently stroking her back the whole time, leaving her a little embarrassed.
[Hurry... hurry back and get some rest. You have class tomorrow.]
"Tomorrow?" Shen Qi did not know whether to laugh or cry. "It's three in the morning already. Class starts in another four hours."
[Narrator: Lilligant rubbed her hands together, feeling apologetic.]
"It's not your fault."
Shen Qi himself had decided to watch the race and then left the Little Sheep behind. That was what had led to all this running back and forth.
Shen Qi moved closer to Lilligant. "Oh, right. You weren't happy when I hugged Chansey earlier, so... to make it up to you..."
Facing Shen Qi's open arms, Lilligant first stood frozen in place as her face gradually reddened. Then she thumped his chest with one slender Leaf-Blade Hand, turned, and fled awkwardly back into her car before driving swiftly away.
["Speedy Hot Girl," Romance Scenario progress: 39%]
"Almost forty percent progress, and you still won't let me have a hug?"
"Jili..."
[Chansey was puzzled too. Wasn't it just hugging a Pokémon? Why were Shen Qi and Lilligant so shy about it?]
"It feels different with humanoid Pokémon."
[Don't I count as humanoid?]
"You're more spherical, aren't you?" Shen Qi replied with a laugh before thanking her sincerely. "Thanks for coming all this way with me tonight. Let me take you back to Ruins Valley."
Chansey shook her head to say there was no need. Shen Qi had to hurry and get some rest before class. She could just go home with him.
"That works too. I'll take you back after class."
Before you continue