It was 10:00 AM the next morning.
After a night of fierce combat, both Mother Tsareena and Huanhuan had been filled to the brim with thick, creamy "puffs." Even now, the two Pokémon were curled up lazily in Li Yuan's arms, fast asleep and radiating satisfaction.
The only one who hadn't slept a wink was Piplup.
The poor penguin had spent the entire night outside the tent, witnessing the silhouettes of three figures endlessly colliding and changing positions. The shamelessly erotic moans had echoed in her head, making sleep impossible.
Now, dark circles hung under her round, bulging eyes. Her gaze was filled with a level of shock far beyond her tender age. It was as if she had just discovered that the greatest happiness in life wasn't just eating and sleeping, but also the thrilling "fusion of life."
That night, Piplup had grown up a lot. She had discovered the secret of the female Pokémon body—that the narrow "gate" wasn't just for peeing, but also had a shameful, pleasurable function.
Perhaps influenced by the sounds from the tent, Piplup, in a fit of curiosity and shame, had reached down to touch her own gate, slowly opening the door to a new world.
When Li Yuan finally emerged from the tent with Huanhuan and Tsareena, the little penguin was still shamefully exploring herself, her small flipper wet with slick fluid.
Seeing the humans suddenly appear, she panicked and jerked her hand away. Perhaps because she moved too quickly, a long, sticky thread stretched out between her flipper and her body.
As the thread glistened in the morning sun, Piplup knew her foolish deed was exposed. Smoke practically poured from her ears as her already dim-witted brain completely crashed. (O-O)
"Piplup... (It's over. I'm not clean anymore... wu wu wu!)" Piplup burst into tears.
Li Yuan was speechless. He realized he had forgotten to recall the penguin into her ball before starting the "session" last night. Who would have thought this little thing was a self-taught prodigy?
This was bad. If Dawn (Platinum) found out her cute starter had been corrupted into a "dirty penguin" under his care, she'd come after him with a knife.
"Alright, alright, it's not a big deal. Everyone goes through this phase. It's natural, nothing to be ashamed of," Li Yuan sighed, picking her up and gently comforting her.
"Piplup... (But... but if Platinum finds out, she'll definitely be angry...)" Piplup was still worried, acting like a child caught stealing cookies.
"You silly bird, just don't tell her," Li Yuan rolled his eyes.
"Piplup? (I can do that?)" Piplup blinked.
"Why not? It's just us here. If you don't say anything and I don't say anything, who will know? In her eyes, you'll still be the cute, clumsy little penguin."
"Piplup! (That makes sense... Wait! Who are you calling clumsy? I'll bite you!)"
"Fine. I'll keep your secret, but you have to do something for me in return."
"Pi... Piplup? (What is it? I won't do anything bad!)"
"It's nothing bad. I just plan to pursue Platinum. When the time comes, remember to give me some assists."
"Piplup? (Is that... okay?)" Piplup hesitated. After last night, she realized this man wasn't exactly a "good person." Should she really push her trainer into the fire pit?
"It's not about whether it's okay or not. If you don't help, I'll tell her what you did this morning. Then we'll see if you're still her favorite," Li Yuan threatened calmly.
"Piplup! Piplup! (No! No! You can't tell her! I'll help! I'll help!)" Piplup panicked. If Platinum knew she had become a lewd penguin, she might be banished to the cold palace while Pachirisu got all the love!
"Good. Now come eat breakfast. We have work to do later." Li Yuan didn't say more. He walked to a flat patch of grass, pulled a folding table from his inventory, and started setting up the meal.
Hearing the word "food," Piplup's dark circles vanished instantly. She threw her worries to the wind and waddled over to the table, waiting expectantly for her meal.
Not just clumsy, but a glutton too!
After breakfast, Piplup rubbed her round belly and sprawled out on a chair. Li Yuan sat with Huanhuan and Mother Tsareena in his arms, quietly waiting for the right moment.
He hadn't come here just to camp. Since rolling in the sheets with Tsareena last night, he had been formulating a plan to capture the Shiny Gardevoir.
For a Pokémon like Gardevoir—an adult with a child—capturing her heart directly was too difficult. There wasn't an adult in the world who could be easily swayed by a few sweet words.
So, the best method was to follow Hunter J's example and target the Ralts. If he could win over the daughter, he could "coerce" the mother into following him.
Of course, he wasn't going to use force. Force wasn't popular. He planned to take the route of the "Bad Uncle" with a lollipop.
Ralts was a newborn. So far, the best food she had likely tasted was wild berries. To be blunt, without selective breeding, wild berries were tart, bitter, and barely passable as food.
Energy Cubes, on the other hand, were gourmet meals tailored to a Pokémon's specific tastes. They concentrated the energy and flavor of berries to the extreme. No Pokémon could resist them.
Once the little Ralts tasted a Cube, she would be addicted. She would never be satisfied with the sour wild berries her mother worked so hard to find. She would become his culinary prisoner.
To maximize the effect, Li Yuan waited until noon. He guessed that Gardevoir had spent all night building a nest and hadn't had time to scout for food. That meant Ralts was likely starving. If he showed up now with premium food, he would look like a prince riding a white horse.
This was an open scheme. Unless Gardevoir had the heart to watch her daughter starve, she couldn't stop him from contacting Ralts. She would have to watch helplessly as her precious baby was slowly corrupted and lured away by the evil man.
Advantage: Me!