Chapter 274: The Debts He Left Behind, the King-Level Ninetales Guarding the Fruit Tree
Chapter 274: The Debts He Left Behind, the King-Level Ninetales Guarding the Fruit Tree
"You two lovebirds whispering over there—mind if I join in and listen?"
Just as Hikaru and Sakura were reminiscing over childhood memories and gossiping, Meisuang suddenly moved closer, making both of them feel awkward and guilty.
Secretly talking about someone behind their back wasn't exactly the best habit.
Sakura quickly cleared her throat twice, "Ahem, nothing much."
She learned that from Hikaru—whenever he found himself in an awkward situation, he would either rub his nose or clear his throat. Though she hadn't quite mastered the nose rubbing, coughing seemed easy enough.
Meisuang gave them a suspicious look but eventually just shook her head.
"Forget it."
She probably had an idea of what they were discussing. They were most likely talking about the guardian and her connection to him. Rather than letting them speculate, she decided to just tell them herself.
"You two are curious about that guardian and his relationship with me, right?"
Upon hearing this, Hikaru and Sakura exchanged glances and then nodded in unison, "Mm-hmm!"
Meisuang sighed and spoke slowly, "He's my father."
"Mm-hmm!"
Neither of them was surprised by this.
She glanced at Sakura and said, "You probably don't know this, but I'm not actually blood-related to Ye Tian."
"Huh?"
Sakura froze for a moment, shaking her head in confusion.
Hikaru was equally baffled—this piece of gossip was even juicier than he'd imagined.
"I'm just a love debt he left behind..."
"What?!"
Her words left both of them utterly shocked, as if they had been turned to stone on the spot.
Damn, this gossip wasn't just juicy—it was explosive!
Seeing their stunned expressions, Meisuang took a deep breath and continued, "I'm not entirely clear on the details myself. All I know is that ever since I was old enough to remember, he never once came to find me, nor did he ever look for my real mother."
"He's been guarding this Changchun Secret Realm, claiming to be an alumnus of Central Youth University."
"But I know he secretly came to see me a few times, probably thinking I wouldn't notice."
As she spoke, she scoffed lightly, clearly not impressed by his sneaky visits.
Hikaru and Sakura exchanged a glance.
Hikaru finally broke the silence, "That's... quite something."
To be honest, they didn't know what to say in response. The situation was just too complicated, and they felt somewhat guilty for bringing it up.
Meisuang, however, seemed unbothered and simply tossed her long hair back, tightening her white windbreaker before changing the topic.
"Enough of that. We're almost there. The place he guided us to isn't bad—a tree with red flowers. Let's first check if there are any Pokémon guarding it."
"Mm..."
Seeing that she changed the topic, Hikaru wisely didn't push further and instead focused his attention downward.
Below them was a towering Changchun tree blooming with vibrant red flowers, bearing around a hundred fruits.
Though it appeared that no Pokémon were present, Hikaru knew better.
He sensed an orange-colored Ninetales lurking nearby, ready to react as soon as someone tried to touch the fruits.
Moreover, that guardian, Yamato, was also hanging around the vicinity.
It wasn't hard to guess—he was probably hinting that Meisuang should take this opportunity.
However, the fact that this red-flowered tree was guarded by a King-level Ninetales made the situation more complicated.
As soon as they descended, an orange blur landed in front of them.
The newcomer had flowing, fluffy fur, with nine tails fanning out like a magnificent plume, and a long, elegant tuft of fur on its head. Its vivid red eyes sparkled with a noble and imposing aura.
Seeing the formidable Ninetales, Meisuang's face turned serious.
"A King-level Ninetales!"
This kind of Pokémon wasn't easy to deal with.
[Pokémon: Ninetales]
Ability: Flash Fire
Gender: Female
Talent: King
Level: 64
Moves: Flamethrower, Quick Attack, Safeguard, Hyper Beam, Solar Beam, Double Team, Fire Blast, Dream Eater, Rest, Substitute, Charm...
"Roar!"
Unlike the aloof and graceful Alolan Ninetales, this Fire Ninetales exuded a fierce and regal presence.
"So strong..."
Sakura's enthusiasm visibly faded, clearly daunted by the King-level opponent.
However, to their surprise, the Ninetales spoke up.
"Grrr... (Humans, if you want the fruit behind me, you must exchange something of value!)"
Having grown accustomed to the annual human intrusions, Ninetales didn't immediately attack. Over time, it learned that some humans were willing to trade rather than steal.
Originally, it would intimidate them with its aura and most would back off. However, there were always a few greedy ones who would try to sneak past and pluck the fruits.
Once it had even caught a group of thieves trying to snatch the fruit, and since then, it began to see trading as a more efficient approach.
Hikaru immediately shared Ninetales' intention with Sakura and Meisuang.
"Great! Trading is way better."
He opened his backpack, which contained several energy cubes.
Meisuang raised an eyebrow, surprised to see him carrying so many.
"New students were only allowed to bring school-issued backpacks. How come yours is so spacious?"
Hikaru smiled sheepishly, "Ah, this one is a gift from a generous senior."
"Generous senior..." Sakura echoed, nodding seriously.
Hikaru didn't waste any time and pulled out a batch of specially crafted Fire-type energy cubes, infused with a hint of rosemary to enhance their aroma.
The tantalizing scent immediately caught Ninetales' attention.
Carefully, it picked up one cube with its paw, gave it a tentative lick, and instantly, its fierce, piercing eyes turned dazed and mellow.
Even its proud, upright tails slowly drooped down, making it look almost cute and cuddly rather than fierce and imposing.
Seeing Ninetales' reaction, Hikaru couldn't help but chuckle.
"Wild Pokémon trying energy cubes for the first time always seem to get this look... Seems like I hit the mark."
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