Chapter Twenty-Four: Crimson—Women Only Slow Down My Pokémon Training!

Watching the blushing and retreating Xiaoguang, Zhao Fang was at a bit of a loss. If he didn’t know better, he’d have thought Xiaoguang was a girl. He’d known from the game that Xiaoguang was indeed the shy and introverted type at first, but he hadn’t expected such extreme bashfulness. Still, Zhao Fang smiled and nodded toward the window, then called for Orange while walking over to scoop up the chubby tabby, placing the cat gently into the carrier.

“Phew, that went smoothly, no trouble at all.” Seeing how obediently Orange let himself be picked up, Zhao Fang let out a sigh of relief. He’d been worried the cat might get overexcited and swipe at him—cat scratches could hurt quite a bit.

“Come back, Magikarp.” Zhao Fang took out the Poké Ball and recalled Magikarp. As for Dreepy, it nestled back around his neck, invisible as always.

Zhao Fang turned, ready to leave. After all, this was someone else’s home—he shouldn’t linger. But just as he turned, he saw Xiaoguang peeking again from the window, eyes fixed on him.

“Um… thank you very much for your help.” Zhao Fang scratched his head, deciding he should at least express his gratitude.

As soon as he thanked her, Xiaoguang’s face turned even redder and she shrank back out of sight.

“...” Zhao Fang felt a strange sensation, almost as if he were confessing to a girl, except Xiaoguang was supposed to be a boy.

Shaking his head to dispel the odd thought, he stepped outside. He had barely taken a step when he saw Xiaoguang peeking at him again. Zhao Fang gave a polite smile and continued onward.

“Excuse me… may I ask, what kind of Pokémon is that on your neck?” As Zhao Fang walked, he heard Xiaoguang’s voice.

He paused, turning to see Xiaoguang leaning out the window, asking curiously.

Zhao Fang’s first thought was, Why is Xiaoguang’s hair so long? He hadn’t noticed it earlier, probably because the window had blocked his view.

His second thought was, How did Xiaoguang see Dreepy coiled around his neck? Dreepy was supposed to be invisible.

His third thought was, Why does Xiaoguang’s voice sound so pleasant?

“Um… could… could you tell me?” Xiaoguang looked at the stunned Zhao Fang, her face growing even redder.

“You can see it?” Zhao Fang asked in surprise.

“Mm. I’ve read lots of Pokémon books and Pokédex entries, but this one… I’ve never seen it before…” Xiaoguang’s voice grew softer under Zhao Fang’s gaze. If the place hadn’t been so quiet, Zhao Fang might not have caught her words at all.

He patted Dreepy thoughtfully. He hadn’t expected Dreepy’s invisible state could be seen through. Perhaps Xiaoguang truly had some special ability—how else could an ordinary person spot an invisible Pokémon?

Xiaoguang wasn’t a humanoid Pokémon herself, so it couldn’t be a move like Foresight.

“May I touch it?” Xiaoguang asked timidly.

“Huh? I’ll need to ask first.” Zhao Fang nodded. If Dreepy didn’t want to be touched, he wouldn’t force it.

“Dreepy, do you want to let her touch you?” Zhao Fang asked.

“Dreepy~” Dreepy chirped, bobbing its head up and down, which surprised Zhao Fang even more.

After all, along the journey, Dreepy would often tighten around Zhao Fang’s neck whenever someone approached—a sign of her timidness toward strangers. Yet, this was the first time she’d been so approachable upon meeting someone new.

With Zhao Fang’s approval, Xiaoguang happily withdrew her head, then quietly opened the back door and stepped out gingerly.

But as soon as one foot crossed the threshold, she retreated again, face flushed, gazing at Zhao Fang with a mix of hope and longing.

The corner of Zhao Fang’s mouth twitched. He was starting to doubt Xiaoguang’s gender—the more he looked, the cuter she seemed!

He understood her intentions. Approaching, he noticed even more peculiarities. First, Xiaoguang’s skin—perhaps from too much time indoors—was astonishingly fair, as soft as spring onions. Then there was a faint, fresh fragrance, not overpowering, but refreshing.

The closer he got, the more he noticed how gentle Xiaoguang’s facial features were.

Xiaoguang, meanwhile, seemed lost in delight. She tentatively reached out and touched Dreepy’s head. At first contact, she jerked her hand back like a startled rabbit, but seeing Dreepy’s calm response, she gathered her courage and stroked her again.

“So cute,” Xiaoguang said, blissful.

Zhao Fang could only nod in agreement, at a loss for words.

After letting Xiaoguang pet Dreepy for a while, Zhao Fang took his leave. He still needed to turn in his quest—and this fat tabby was worth sixty League coins.

“Are you… going on a journey?” Xiaoguang asked before he left.

“Yes, I’m heading to Kanaz City next to challenge the Gym.” Zhao Fang nodded. More importantly, he wanted to assess Dreepy’s current moves and consider how best to train her.

“Thank you for letting me touch your Pokémon. This was my very first time…” Xiaoguang said shyly, lowering her head.

Zhao Fang took a deep breath, then returned to the Pokémon Center to report his task.

“Nurse Joy, do you know Xiaoguang?” Zhao Fang asked curiously. He’d always thought Xiaoguang was a boy, but today something felt off.

“Of course! She’s a very cute, easily-shy girl. She used to sneak in here just to watch the Pokémon.” Nurse Joy replied cheerfully, sending a tidal wave of shock through Zhao Fang’s mind.

So she really is a girl?

Zhao Fang’s expression grew odd. In a year or two, when Yushu arrived, he’d be quite lucky—both his neighbor and rival would be beautiful girls. Unlike Red, who spent his days at odds with Green.

What was this? Wasn’t there a saying, “Women will only slow down my Pokémon training”?

Then again, Red did grow stronger with every rivalry battle against Green.