Seeing Sabrina suddenly rush over, Ash Ketchum was momentarily stunned.
"Woooooo~"
She threw herself into his arms, her voice trembling slightly, unable to hide the worry on her face. Ever since receiving Lorelei's call earlier, she had felt uneasy, and now it seemed her fears had come true.
"Hey, why are you crying? I just stepped out for some air, and my ability even improved. Shouldn't that be something to celebrate?"
Ash gently looked down at Sabrina, who was clinging to him, quietly wiping her tears.
"I wasn't worried. Something just got in my eyes. I hate it."
Sabrina pouted, quickly brushing away her tears with her sleeve, trying to maintain her usual composure.
"Alright, you win."
Ash chuckled softly, then lifted her chin slightly. Before she could react, he leaned in and kissed her.
"Okay, let's go back."
"Mm…"
Sabrina barely registered his words. She was still dazed, held in his arms, her thoughts completely scattered.
After returning to the hotel room, Sabrina finally regained her senses. She turned her head away, not daring to look directly at Ash. Although their relationship had already crossed a certain boundary, moments like this still made her heart race uncontrollably.
"Ash, are you okay? I didn't mean what I said earlier. Please don't be angry."
Lorelei stood there with her hands clasped, her expression apologetic. The faint tears in her eyes gave her a pitiful appearance that could easily soften anyone's heart.
"Forget it. I'm fine. Just remember what I said."
Seeing the tears on her cheeks, Ash sighed. He knew she hadn't meant any harm. After all, she had no way of knowing his past.
"I promise, I won't joke about things like that again."
Lorelei let out a sigh of relief. At the same time, she silently decided to keep some distance from other men in the future to avoid misunderstandings.
When Ash had left earlier, she had truly been worried. That realization made one thing clear to her. Ash had already taken a place in her heart, perhaps even more important than she had expected.
"Sabrina, take her to wash up. She can't stay like this."
Ash glanced at Lorelei's slightly messy appearance and spoke calmly.
"Alright. And don't forget to bathe yourself. You smell like alcohol."
Sabrina nodded, then used her psychic powers to gently lift Lorelei and guide her into the bathroom.
Ash opened his mouth to argue, but when he saw Lorelei's condition, he simply sighed and said nothing.
In truth, he hadn't drunk at all. The alcohol smell came entirely from Lorelei. Still, considering what had happened, he chose not to explain.
"Now that I think about it, I'll need to explain things to Cynthia too… this is going to be troublesome."
As the sound of running water came from the bathroom, Ash frowned slightly.
Sabrina would not have much of an issue. Despite her proud demeanor, she was surprisingly compliant when it came to him.
But Cynthia was different.
As the Champion of the Sinnoh region, Cynthia was a public figure admired by many. Even though this world did not strictly enforce monogamy, it was still rare for someone of her status to share a partner.
"Forget it. Why overthink things? I'll deal with it when the time comes."
Ash shook his head. Overthinking was not his style. When the moment arrived, he would handle it directly.
Soon, Sabrina and Lorelei finished bathing. Ash followed shortly after.
The three of them lay on the large bed. Sabrina rested against his left arm, while Lorelei leaned against his right.
For a brief moment, everything was quiet.
"Ash, did you tell Sister Lorelei about Cynthia?"
Resting against Ash Ketchum's arm, Sabrina spoke softly. She could feel a gentle warmth from his body, a steady vitality that naturally put her at ease.
"Not yet. I'll tell her after the Whirl Cup is over. I don't think it will be a problem, but if we make things public too early, it might affect Cynthia's current status."
Ash spoke calmly, his tone steady.
"Even though there's no strict law enforcing monogamy, most people still treat it as the norm. Even in large families, very few openly admit to having multiple wives."
Sabrina listened quietly, her fingers lightly gripping his sleeve.
"But it doesn't really matter."
Ash let out a faint breath, his expression turning confident.
"Back in Kanto, I already shook the reputation of the Sinnoh region. Even if some people oppose it, it won't change anything. And honestly, there probably won't be many who would dare."
He paused for a moment before continuing.
"Leaving aside the law, my current status alone is enough to qualify for it."
(End of Chapter)
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