"Li Yuan, your performance has truly exceeded my expectations," Cynthia said, her gaze fixed on him with a complex mix of emotions.
Though he was a bit of a jerk and said many disrespectful things, he knew exactly how to balance his behavior. He pushed just far enough to make his intentions clear without becoming genuinely repulsive. Cynthia didn't feel uncomfortable; she was mostly just exasperated by his bluntness. In fact, she found him quite interesting.
With his exceptional talent and the magnetic charm of his Aura, it was hard not to like him.
"If Sister Cynthia is satisfied, why don't we exchange contact information? It'll make it easier for us to... 'date' next time, won't it?" Li Yuan said with a grin, emphasizing the word "date" as if referring to something far more intimate than mere training.
"Heh, you really don't miss a single chance to take advantage of a situation, do you?" Cynthia didn't bother calling him out anymore. On the contrary, she decided to give him an opening. "But if you want a 'date,' it's not impossible. If you can help me with one very important matter, I might actually consider it."
This matter was vital to her, and she didn't want to leave it to chance if there was a way to solve it.
"Since Sister Cynthia has gone that far, how could I refuse? Just tell me what you need," Li Yuan said, though he was secretly surprised. He had only been teasing her out of habit; he hadn't expected her to actually agree.
There's no such thing as a free lunch, he thought, becoming a bit wary. If she's willing to offer a date as a reward, this task must be incredibly difficult. Still, it was a golden opportunity to get closer to her, so he was willing to put in the effort.
"This shouldn't be too hard for you," Cynthia said seriously. "I want to know if there's a way to let a Pokémon possess the power of its final evolution... without actually evolving."
"What? ...That's a first. I've never tried anything like that," Li Yuan said, stunned. "Why would you want that? The power gap between an initial form and a final evolution is massive—at least two full ranks. It's like asking an Elite-rank to go head-to-head with a Gym Leader-rank. Even my Huanhuan can't do that when going all out."
A "cheat" could help a Pokémon overcome a small level gap, but a full rank gap was a different story. The higher the level, the wider the chasm became.
"Sigh... to be honest, I have a younger sister..." Cynthia began, her voice trailing off.
"Wait! You have a sister? Since when?" Li Yuan blurted out. This was news to him; as far as he knew from the lore, Cynthia was an only child. Is she really the Cynthia I know?
"You misunderstand. She's not my biological sister," Cynthia explained quickly. Is his reaction a bit much? Why does it matter if I have a sister? And what does 'since when' mean? Is my family history supposed to be public knowledge to you?
"I see. Please, continue~," Li Yuan said.
"I've watched this girl grow up. Her starter Pokémon is a Piplup, and it still hasn't evolved," Cynthia said.
"Does the Piplup refuse to evolve?"
"Not entirely. My sister doesn't really want it to evolve, either. She thinks the evolved forms aren't 'cute' at all, so she's very reluctant," Cynthia said with a wry smile. She understood the sentiment—it was common among girls who loved fluffy, adorable creatures. Some even refused to evolve their Dragon-type Dragonair because they found Dragonite too "dorky" and unlike the rest of the evolutionary line.
"Then let her be. Asking a Piplup to beat an Empoleon of the same level is virtually impossible," Li Yuan said, shaking his head.
"What if we add Belly Drum, Super Torrent, and one of your signature moves?" Cynthia asked, still holding onto a shred of hope.
"Still difficult. A one-rank gap is manageable, but two ranks is just too much. Even if they could match each other in raw power, the Piplup would lose the battle of endurance," Li Yuan judged. The stamina difference alone was a wall. Besides, with that many 'cheats,' any other Pokémon would have won already. Why waste them on a Piplup?
"Not even you can do it? I guess it's just fate then..." A flash of disappointment crossed Cynthia's eyes.
"Why does she have to use the Piplup for battle? Surely she has other Pokémon. Giving those 'cheats' to her other two would be enough to sweep any team," Li Yuan suggested. Under the law, a Trainer could only hold three Pokémon before obtaining a professional license. Why not just keep the Piplup as a pet and let the other two do the heavy lifting?
"The problem is... her other Pokémon are also..." Cynthia looked embarrassed.
"Don't tell me the other two refuse to evolve as well," Li Yuan said, his face darkening. What kind of eccentric family is this?
"No, she only has two Pokémon currently. Her second is a Pachirisu. It doesn't evolve at all, so its combat potential is limited," Cynthia sighed.
"Your sister's situation is... tricky. Does she even want to be a Trainer? Maybe she should just become a Breeder. With you backing her, she'd live a great life as a civilian," Li Yuan advised. With two weak Pokémon, even with "cheats," she'd struggle against type disadvantages and endurance matches. Why push it?
"She has real talent as a Trainer. It would be a waste to give up. I want her to try until the very end," Cynthia said quietly. She wasn't her biological sister, so Cynthia's help was limited. The most reliable person in this world is always yourself. If she didn't become a Trainer, her best path was becoming a Pokémon Breeder, but Li Yuan had given Cynthia a flicker of hope for the girl's original dream.
"Sigh, you've really given me a difficult problem," Li Yuan mused.
"I'm sorry. If it's too much trouble, just forget it," Cynthia said apologetically.
"It is a lot of trouble..."
"I see, I understand..."
"Being so tired after just one date... that would be very troublesome~."
"Wait... you mean you do have a way?" Cynthia was stunned. He can even solve this?
"That... depends on you~." Li Yuan looked at the beauty beside him with a playful glint in his eye. Beautiful Champion, you wouldn't want your sister's future to be ruined, would you~?
"Don't make any unreasonable demands," Cynthia said, her face flushing under his intense gaze. He definitely had some 'wicked' thoughts just now.
"What? Do I look like the type of person to take advantage of someone in trouble? If one date isn't enough, we'll just have to go on a few more~. That shouldn't be too hard for the Champion, right?" Li Yuan smiled.
He wasn't going to demand anything extreme. They weren't blood relatives; why would she sell her body for her sister's sake? Besides, with his Aura's charm, winning her over was only a matter of time. Why ruin his image when he could take his time and win her over properly?
"I agree." Cynthia felt a wave of relief. This wasn't a difficult request at all. One date or several—what's the difference?
In truth, she was becoming quite interested in Li Yuan herself. He was like a Pandora's box filled with secrets, and she found herself wanting to uncover them all.
Curiosity is starting to take root, she realized.