"Mom?" Lillie reached out to help.
"No need!" Lusamine hurriedly dodged, quickly getting to her feet. Using Carl's leg as leverage, she adeptly leapt into Hoopa's teleportation ring.
Carl's gaze was involuntarily glued to her, his heart racing as if it would burst from his chest. The sight was so breathtaking that he couldn't look away.
"Had enough?" Lillie's icy voice suddenly cut through.
"Even more astonishing than in photos…" he blurted out before realizing his mistake. While appreciating mature women was his preference, it was indeed inappropriate to be this direct in front of Lillie.
"Just kidding," he quickly tried to smooth things over. "Who would've thought I'd accidentally walk in on your mom bathing?"
"Hah," Lillie gritted her teeth. "If it wasn't an accident, you'd be flat on the ground right now."
"Don't take it so seriously," Carl tried to explain. "Your mom's hair covered her so much, it was more modest than any beachwear."
He thought Lillie would understand. After all, in Westvale, seeing bikinis at the beach was nothing unusual.
"I wasn't that angry at first," Lillie said, her face clouded. "But you couldn't take your eyes off, could you?"
"I'm nearsighted."
"Cut the nonsense," Lillie interrupted, "Since it happened, there has to be some explanation."
"You're not going to be one of those irresponsible guys, are you?" she asked bluntly.
"Of course not!" Carl denied immediately, but then found the conversation taking an unexpected turn. How did it come to this?
"Good to hear," Lillie interrupted firmly. "I've decided: you should date my mom. Then you can be my stepdad!"
Carl nearly choked on his own saliva. What kind of idea was this? Lillie was actually encouraging him to pursue Lusamine? Wasn't that just asking him to be the intruder?
"Have you lost your mind?" He reached out to feel Lillie's forehead. Ever since discovering the secret of the Mew doll, she seemed more unpredictable.
Lillie swatted his hand away. "I'm perfectly clear-headed. I've just thought things through."
Taking a deep breath, she asked seriously, "If it were an ordinary girl, would you take responsibility?"
"Probably… I would," Carl replied hesitantly, Serena's image flashing through his mind. If he hadn't stepped up back then, the consequences would have been unimaginable. In hindsight, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.
"That's the spirit!" Complex emotions flashed through Lillie's eyes, a mix of nostalgia and determination.
She spoke softly, almost talking to herself: "Dad disappeared when I was three. My memories of him are vague, just mom and me."
"I remember more about Becca than my own mom."
"Mom's had it tough, being both mother and father. Sometimes she handles it well, and other times, seeing her so overwhelmed makes my heart ache."
"When I started high school, she spent even more time in the lab."
"If she were truly selfish, she would've done this long ago."
"The files say Dad was a top scientist. But after all these years, is he even still alive?"
"She just wanted me to have a home. Everything she's done was for me, never considering herself."
"Mom's young and beautiful, and she's the head of the foundation. She could have had anyone—wealthy businessmen, league champions, movie stars—but she didn't choose anyone."
"All because of me!"
"I wanted to tell her to find someone."
"But seeing the dark circles under her eyes, the words always stuck in my throat."
"I'm selfish, fearing she'd love someone else."
"And afraid saying it would make her feel all those years of hardship were for nothing." Lillie looked Carl straight in the eye, her tone firm. "Meeting Cosmog made me decide to act. Saving it wasn't just for it, but to free Mom from her past shadows."
She paused, then continued, "Seeing your interaction with my mom now, I'm more convinced this is the right decision. You're young and accomplished, running a big company like XY with promising collaborations with the foundation. You're considerate and capable, even taming legendary Pokémon. No one can give a greater sense of security than you."
"You're the perfect match for Mom," Lillie declared with conviction.
Carl was speechless, unable to find a counter-argument.
Lillie stepped closer, her gaze unwavering. Carl saw undeniable determination in her eyes, reminding him of Lusamine's past.
In this timeline, Lusamine, the president of the foundation, had only Lillie. Thirteen years ago, as chairman and chief researcher, Dr. Mohn disappeared unexpectedly, plunging the organization into crisis.
In a crucial moment, Lusamine, who had always stayed behind the scenes, stepped up. With decisive actions, she stabilized the internal situation and struck hard externally, nearly eradicating the notorious Skull gang in Westvale.
Under her leadership, the foundation not only maintained its operations in Pokémon rescue and Ultra Beast research but also established the Aether Paradise as a sanctuary and tourist attraction. These initiatives greatly strengthened the foundation, quickly elevating it to a top-tier conglomerate in Westvale.
Lillie's mother, Lusamine, was renowned in both business and trainer circles. She had commercial ties with the Sinnoh temple family and made astute investments in future champions and Elite Four members, like Diantha, Drasna, and Cynthia. To the world, she was a formidable businesswoman.
But as her daughter, Lillie was more concerned about her mother's happiness. After recent events, and learning more about Carl, she made this seemingly surprising decision.
Yet Carl couldn't easily agree. He lived by his heart, and his relationship with Serena developed naturally, which he embraced. But facing Lillie's request, he needed to be honest with himself.
"I understand your thoughts," Carl said seriously, looking at Lillie. "As a daughter, your decisions and words make sense. But you're still young and have a lot to learn about relationships."
"What do you mean by that?" Lillie's brows furrowed, worried Carl might refuse.
To her, despite her mother's excellence, she might feel overshadowed by Carl. Lusamine was the foundation's president, but Carl had established the globally popular XY company; Lusamine was knowledgeable, but Carl seemed to know everything; Lusamine had champion-level skills, but Carl could tame legendary Pokémon; Lusamine was beautiful, but Carl was never short of outstanding women around him.
Most importantly, Lusamine had her as a burden and a past marriage. Lillie feared these would be obstacles. What she didn't know was that the allure of a mature woman could actually be a plus for men.
An ancient sage once said that taking care of a friend's family was a noble act. But for young men like Carl, meddling in someone else's marriage was hardly appealing.
If he were that kind of person, Serena might already have had his child. With so many exceptional women around—Cynthia, Diantha, Dawn—they all could be choices. Of course, if he met a single woman he truly liked, he wouldn't refuse.