Gardevoir was clearly bewildered by the sudden confession. A storm of emotions flashed through her eyes—anger, panic, dissatisfaction—but eventually settled on shy anger.
He really is a pervert! Touching my daughter wasn't enough; now he has evil designs on my body too!
She knew humans were no good. To say something so shameless so casually—his skin must be thicker than a wall.
"You talk nonsense! You probably say that to everyone. I don't have time to play house with you. Give me back my daughter!" Gardevoir snapped, but there was a hint of shyness in her glare. Being confessed to so boldly would make even the coldest person blush a little.
"Fine, fine. I'll give her back. So stingy, not even letting me hold her," Li Yuan complained.
"Do you think my daughter is a tool? Something for you to be generous with?" Gardevoir retorted. She didn't realize her attitude toward Li Yuan had shifted slightly. Before, she wouldn't have bantered with him; she would have just teleported away.
"Yes, yes, you're always right. I wouldn't dare say otherwise," Li Yuan sighed helplessly. Under Ralts's confused gaze, he handed her back to Gardevoir.
Gardevoir snatched her daughter back immediately, as if afraid he would regret it. seeing her daughter safe and unharmed, and confirming Li Yuan truly had no intention of hurting them, a seed of hesitation sprouted in her heart.
Originally, she planned to snatch Ralts and teleport away immediately to find a new home where no one could find them. But now, she felt awkward just leaving. You don't hit a smiling person. Li Yuan didn't seem like a bad guy, and he had fed her daughter so much. Leaving with a scowl felt rude.
So, for a moment, Gardevoir was stuck.
"Also, take these Energy Cubes. It should be enough for you two for a week," Li Yuan acted as if he didn't notice her internal struggle. His eyes were full of concern as he pushed a dozen boxes of cubes toward her.
Such kindness, ignoring past grievances, made it hard for Gardevoir to act tough.
After a long silence, she spoke. "I'm sorry. I admit you are a decent person, but I won't forget the pain, nor will I accept human charity. Take these back."
But Li Yuan shook his head, looking displeased. "I don't like hearing that. If you think I'm a decent person, why call it charity? Can't it be mutual support between friends? I know you don't want to betray your heart and accept humans just for a little benefit, but we can compromise. You don't have to accept 'humanity'—just accept me as an individual. I don't think I've been annoying enough to be unacceptable, have I?"
"..."
Gardevoir was silenced. She couldn't argue. Li Yuan was an individual, not the concept of humanity. And he was right; she couldn't heal her scars so easily just for a sweet treat. That kind of softness would get her killed in the wild.
Li Yuan didn't push for immediate acceptance. He offered her an out. "Besides, even if you don't consider yourself, consider Ralts. She's so small; she needs nutrition to grow. You haven't found a stable food source yet, have you? Can you bear to watch your daughter starve?"
This hit Gardevoir's sore spot. Her only weakness was her daughter. She could starve, but she couldn't watch her daughter suffer with her. It made her hate the humans who kidnapped them even more. If they hadn't taken her from her resource-rich home, she wouldn't be in this dilemma.
Since humans caused this, taking some interest from a human wasn't wrong, right?
"Sigh... I accept your kindness. You are indeed different from them." Gardevoir finally compromised. The sky and earth were big, but her daughter's growth was bigger. Watching her daughter go hungry hurt her more than anything. Whether for her daughter or herself, she had to take this favor.
It was an open scheme she couldn't refuse.
She gave Li Yuan a deep look and chose not to teleport away. Instead, she took her daughter back to the tree hollow, deciding to stay there temporarily.
But she needed to lecture her daughter. You can't just teleport down for food regardless of danger! Li Yuan is nice, but what if it was those hunters again? That would be walking into a trap!
And seriously, how good can these 'Energy Cubes' be? To make my daughter look so brainless... did he put drugs in them that lower intelligence?
Gardevoir opened a box. Hesitantly, she used her psychic power to lift a cube to her mouth and sniffed.
She had to admit, it smelled amazing. Even before eating it, she could sense the concentrated berry essence. Eating one cube was probably more effective than eating an entire berry. How do humans make this stuff? If baby eats this every day, she'll grow up fast.
Driven by intense curiosity, Gardevoir opened her mouth and swallowed the cube.
Instantly, her eyes widened. She covered her mouth in shock. It felt like a flavor bomb had exploded on her tongue. The rich, intense fruit aroma overwhelmed her senses, filling her entire world with sweetness. Saliva flooded her mouth uncontrollably, urging her to swallow the fragrance down.
"This... is delicious! It tastes like berries, but why is it so good?" Gardevoir looked incredulous. She finally understood why her daughter looked so silly while eating. The taste was truly enjoyable.
It wasn't just filling the belly; it made her momentarily forget her sorrow. For a second, she felt purely happy. She had lived for so long, yet she never knew taste buds could be this satisfied.
Compared to this ultimate enjoyment, the wild berries she found for her daughter were... trash. To put it bluntly, they tasted like shit.
How can he give my daughter such delicious food? What if she gets addicted and wants to follow him forever?
Wait... is that his evil plan?
Gardevoir became seriously suspicious. It was entirely possible.
But then she thought, He's sharing such good things with me, and I'm suspecting him? Besides, doesn't he give this to his own Pokémon too? Maybe to others, this is just ordinary food, but we're the ones who can't even afford that?
I think I'm overthinking it... but why do I suddenly feel a bit sad?