Ch.147 Wash, Wash, Take a Bath

Akira's judgment about the higher-ups was correct.

They didn't immediately call out the assassins—the Jujutsu Alliance's enforcement team—to forcibly detain him. Instead, they gave Akira plenty of face.

One of the higher-ups, an Alliance executive, personally came to the airport to pick him up and accompanied him throughout the entire process.

After getting off the plane, they didn't do anything else first. Instead, they took him straight to a banquet hall, where they held a banquet while introducing Akira to everyone.

The chairman, several executive directors, the heads of various departments, specialists, and envoys.

It had to be said, the headquarters was indeed impressive, with a wealth of talent, far more comprehensive than the makeshift team Gojo Satoru had put together in Tokyo.

The personnel distribution wasn't just the "old fossils" Akira often mentioned. Instead, it was a mix of old, middle-aged, and young, covering all age groups.

While the higher-ups were indeed mostly older, the further down you went, the more young people there were, and none of them were weak.

Without needing much, just a few words of small talk with each person would have been enough to last from dawn to dusk.

Fortunately, Akira wasn't yet 20, the legal drinking age, so even with "Reverse Cursed Technique" to rely on, he wouldn't have been able to withstand such a human wave tactic.

In fact, the other side had tried to persuade Akira to drink.

After all, it wasn't a big deal. The fine for underage drinking was a drop in the bucket for the wealthy Jujutsu Alliance, not to mention that jujutsu sorcerers already operated on the fringes of the law.

But Akira refused.

The surface reason was that the Alliance, as the governing body and rule-maker, shouldn't lead by breaking the rules.

The deeper reason was that he was entering enemy territory alone and needed to stay alert at all times. He couldn't afford to let alcohol cause trouble.

The higher-ups didn't push either. After a few attempts and hints—"We're not asconservative as Gojo Satoru thinks"—they let it go.

And so, the Alliance side followed the guest's lead, while Akira waited and observed. Both sides engaged in mutual flattery, and naturally, the atmosphere was harmonious for both host and guest.

The welcome banquet lasted until 9 p.m. before it ended, and accommodations had, of course, been arranged long before.

It was a detached residence within the Alliance, a most traditional Japanese-style garden.

It had everything: a living room, study, bedroom, and garden, and even a dedicated small hot spring pool, more luxurious than the so-called presidential suites of top hotels.

Guided by the principle of "not taking advantage of a good deal is a waste" and carrying out the revolutionary martyrs' philosophy of sugar-coated bullets, Akira decisively enjoyed a good soak, bringing along Gardevoir and Serperior.

Soaking in the bluish-white hot spring water, under the steamy mist, Akira's body, tense from all the socializing, finally relaxed.

Leaning against the natural marble hot spring pool wall, Akira let out a comfortable sigh: "Today was tough on you two, Gardevoir, Serperior."

"Garde~ Garde~"

Gardevoir submerged herself in the water, only her head sticking out as she shook it from side to side.

"Don't act tough around me."

Akira first patted her head, then gathered her long, loose hair from the water and skillfully tied it up.

Why was he so skilled?

Of course, it was from doing it over and over again.

Pokémon were living creatures, not cursed dolls like Panda. Some needed regular teeth and nail maintenance, like Growlithe, while others required fur care, with Vulpix being one of the best examples.

The Ralts line was no exception. Ralts' mushroom hair, Kirlia's twin tails, and Gardevoir's long, flowing hair all needed maintenance.

Especially the mushroom hair. In the Pokédex, Ralts' mushroom hair completely covered its eyes, severely affecting its daily life. The Akira family would never allow such a thing.

At first, Hayami handled it, but later, Akira learned too.

From the beginning using a bowl as a mold for haircuts, to simple hair tying, and eventually braiding.

To put it simply, the Pokédex image was just one style. In reality, Gardevoir, like C.C. from Code Geass, had all kinds of styles and outfits.

"Serperior, what do you think?"

Serperior didn't even bother to speak, directly launching a Leaf Tornado.

Thanks to the water's resistance, the damage was negligible, so it was just a way to express displeasure and provide Akira with a temporary hair tie to tie Gardevoir's hair.

"Nice job. You and Gardevoir are getting more and more in sync."

"Tang~" (Who's in sync with her?), Serperior shot back with a big eye roll.

Akira didn't mind, seizing the moment to say:

"See, even Serperior knows those people have ulterior motives. How could you, who's so good at reading people, not know? The gazes lingering on you and Serperior weren't any fewer than those on me."

The ones looking at Akira were mostly the big shots, the focus of the banquet.

But the ones looking at the Pokémon were the less noticeable majority.

However, Akira wouldn't just treat them as background props. Over the years, how many higher-ups in the jujutsu world had actually taken action themselves? Wasn't it the silent majority who did the work?

While he could understand the entire jujutsu world's curiosity about Pokémon—or more accurately, their new forms—curiosity was one thing, but the Pokémon's feelings were another.

"Sorry if you felt uncomfortable. If you're upset, you can vent at me when no one's around."

"Gardevoir~ Gardevoir~"

Gardevoir turned around, holding a towel in one hand and a brush in the other.

Helping her master scrub his back was her way of "venting."

As for Serperior, with her Contrary ability and tsundere personality, she still held her head high. "You want me to vent? If I did, wouldn't that make me look bad?"

Besides, this lady is a Grass-type. Venting anger doesn't exist for me. If I'm going to vent, it'll be with grass!

And so, Serperior extended her vine whips, aiming for Akira and Gardevoir's waists and armpits—tickling them fiercely!

That's right, tickling.

Serperior wasn't just about giving looks and fighting. She could play around occasionally too.

And this move truly hit Akira's weak spot. He dodged while laughing uncontrollably, his body twitching.

Gardevoir was stronger than Akira, barely holding back the ticklish sensation on her waist. She reached back and grabbed the vine whips, pulling Serperior over to use her as a brush.

As the evolved form of Snivy, Serperior's most noticeable changes, aside from her elongated body, were the increased "leaf" parts on her body. Not just on her limbs and tail, but also on her back. When wet, the friction was just right.

This time, Serperior wasn't having it. She struggled fiercely, using her vine whip and bind combo, as well as tackle paired with Leaf Tornado, but this only fueled Akira and Gardevoir's enthusiasm.

"Grass-scented shampoo, nice combo. Still saying you're not in sync?"

"Gardevoir~ Gardevoir~"

And so, the man, the woman, and the snake played "to their hearts' content" until half the hot spring pool had been splashed out. Only then did they stop playing around, each heading to the shower room to shower and change into clean, refreshing clothes.

When Akira returned to his room, he noticed someone new in the hallway—a woman, dressed in traditional kimono.

Seeing Akira return, she without a word, folded her hands, and bowed deeply.