The setting was a bridge. In influencer photos, a large share of the poses involved the model resting both hands on the railing, leaning out a little, and brushing back her hair or propping up her chin in thought.
The railing had to be more than 1.5 meters high. That posed no problem for photographing humans, but Lilligant was only a meter tall.
Sitting on the railing was dangerous, especially in a photography activity for school. It would practically be a textbook example of what not to do.
"Let's try taking a photo with your back to the railing."
Another common bridge pose had the model stand with her back to the railing, looking away from the camera with her face turned to one side. It invited viewers to wonder what she was looking at. This was called "gaze direction," a technique used in both comics and photography.
The railing behind her, the bluish sea nearby, and the distant water and sky dyed red by the sunset all made for excellent background tones.
However...
Lilligant was too short. The railing towered over her, giving the photo something of a "prison blues" feel.
Click.
Figuring that sheer quantity might work a miracle, Shen Qi kept pressing the shutter.
"Hey! Why did you suddenly run off?"
Lilligant, who had been standing with her back to the railing, suddenly turned and ran, slipping behind Shen Qi in a fluster.
Before Lilligant could respond, someone called out.
"Shen Qi, what are you doing here?"
A car window rolled down, and Krabby blew a stream of bubbles.
It was Xia Yang, the swimming coach at the Luxury Resort and the first Racing Driver Shen Qi had met.
"Taking pictures of a Pokémon."
No wonder Lilligant was panicking. There were only so many racers on Island 6 and Island 5, and she had raced Xia Yang before. She was terrified of being recognized.
Shen Qi patted Lilligant's flower crown and conveyed his thoughts through the game interface.
[Don't worry. The more strangely you act, the more likely you are to attract attention.]
[Okay...]
Reassured, Lilligant merely leaned lightly against Shen Qi, just like any ordinary, shy Pokémon.
"Oh, what Pokémon is this? She's so pretty."
Xia Yang parked his car and asked curiously.
In fact, Lilligant looked very different from her "Tsareena" racing disguise. Without the large flower crown on her head, she was much shorter. She wasn't a native Pokémon either, so the locals knew little about her.
"She's a Lilligant. She lives at Pokémon High School."
"I see..." Xia Yang soon changed the subject, looking rather dejected. "Did you know? A racer came to Island 6 recently. He's really good."
Chapter 37: Farewell, cage
"A really good racer?"
Shen Qi's reaction to the subject was unremarkable, but he distinctly felt Lilligant unconsciously tighten her grip on the hem of his clothes.
Clearly, this was something that interested her.
"Yeah. I lost to him twice in a row, by a huge margin both times."
Over the past few days, Shen Qi had either been lying in the hospital or recuperating at home. He had missed two delivery jobs, and Lilligant hadn't gone out for mountain practice or any races either.
"He's never shown up on Island 6 before. Judging by his team emblem, he's with the Perilla Racing Team."
"Uh... I don't know much about racing teams."
"They're a team from Celadon City. Apparently, a reserve driver came to Island 6 to practice. He wants to make the main roster."
He was merely a benchwarmer driving a Class B Car, yet on Island 6, that was enough to crush everyone.
Apparently, he hadn't been familiar with Island 6's roads at first and had suffered a few setbacks. Now that he knew the routes, hardly anyone could match him.
Xia Yang sighed. "Sure, we're just amateur racers without much money, but that guy has beaten loads of racers on the island. He's almost swept Islands 5 and 6. I really wish someone would teach him a lesson."
"Count me out." Shen Qi shook his head. "You can't expect me to challenge a Class B Car with the Little Sheep, can you? Uh..."
He caught himself just in time, suddenly remembering that, with Chansey's help, some game items, and a little luck, the Little Sheep had beaten Lilligant.
If he kept talking, he might lose romance progress.
"It's getting late."
Only a few traces of sunset remained on the water. Xia Yang pointed to his car. "Want me to give you two a ride back?"
"No need. We came with a friend. We have a car."
"Good, then. I'll head off."
"Bye."
As he watched the race car leave, Shen Qi could clearly sense Lilligant's excitement.
The narration also made clear the fighting spirit blazing in her heart.
Indeed, in the Memory Image, the Gyaru Heiress who had fought alongside Lilligant had never made it beyond T3 Races. Even before her accidental death, she had never reached the so-called T2 Class.
Over the past year or two, Lilligant had practiced driving alone and quietly saved up money. Clearly, she wanted to fulfill her former Pokémon Trainer's long-cherished wish.
Now that she had heard a formidable opponent had come to Island 6, how could she not have a few ideas?
[Narration: Lilligant has heard of the Perilla Racing Team. It has several T2 Class Racing Drivers and a few drivers capable of competing in T1 Races.]
[The appearance of a reserve driver from the Perilla Racing Team provides the perfect test for Lilligant's future push toward T2 Races.]
Shen Qi had no real understanding of T3, T2, or T1. Even with those few game items, the Little Sheep still wasn't suited to racing. He had a little over 50,000 b on hand... Shen Qi had thought about it. He definitely needed to buy a somewhat better computer for everyday life and studying. If he wanted to upgrade some of the Little Sheep's components, his budget wouldn't merely be tight. It would be downright pathetic. "Let's head back too." *[Okay...]* Once the pink race car was back on the road, Lilligant was noticeably more relaxed. Moving around in her true form far from Pokémon High School, while driving the pink race car famous throughout Island 6, had put her under considerable psychological pressure. *[Will you enter the race, Shen Qi?]* Shen Qi knew perfectly well that, if he insisted, the Little Sheep could race. He was also confident that, together with Chansey, he could challenge a Class B Car and a team's reserve driver. The problem was that pushing the Little Sheep's performance past its limits could wreck it at any moment. And what would beating that racer on Island 6 accomplish anyway? The prizes for Island 6's amateur races... Judging by what he had seen last time, it might only be worthwhile if the Sevii Islands organized an event together. If the vehicle was wrecked, he would lose around 50,000 b. Even counting only the Little Sheep's routine repair costs, Shen Qi would probably end up in the red. Besides... who said the Little Sheep would even finish the race? A large prize wouldn't necessarily mean he could claim it. "I don't plan on taking him head-on. I don't have that kind of pointless need to win." *[But you really are good, Shen Qi. You might even become a famous racer.]* "Maybe. There's still a long way to go." Shen Qi had asked around. Taking the Racing License test cost 30,000 b, and there was an annual review fee too. That was small change for a racing team or a club, but it was a real burden for middling racers. Winning wasn't guaranteed. Vehicle wear and maintenance cost a substantial sum, and racers still had to pay to renew their Racing Licenses. With those practical constraints, Shen Qi certainly wouldn't rush into getting a license. He would focus on building himself up at Pokémon High School first. *[That's true...]* "Unless..." *[Unless what?]* "Lilligant is sitting in my passenger seat." After saying that, Shen Qi instinctively expected to hear Lilligant's classic "Ah-!" scream next, but she simply drove in silence. The narration wasn't an all-purpose search engine. It wouldn't explain every single detail of everything. Besides, he didn't need the narration this time. Lilligant soon gave him an answer. *[You... clearly said you'd bring the Little Sheep next time.]* *[Then wouldn't I... be sitting in your passenger seat?]* In that instant, the evening landscape of mountains and rivers lost its color. Lights on the sea; Tassels of stars; Beside him sat the third breathtaking beauty in this scene... "Lilligant." *[Hmm?]* "When you do that, it's really hard not to confess my feelings." *[Ah-! Don't say strange things while I'm driving-!]* "Then I'll say them after we get out." *[No, no...]*
["Speedy Hot Girl," Romance Scenario progress: 62%]
Each carried a warmth in their heart, and silence settled inside the car. In the passenger seat, Shen Qi scrolled through his phone, its battery nearly drained. Photo after photo flashed past, and every so often, he deleted a completely unusable shot.
[Narration: Lilligant is very curious about how today's photos turned out.] ```
"A few of them are pretty good."
[R-really?]
Before you continue