Su Yuan arrived at the station just after nine.
"Whew..." He let out a long breath. Running nonstop for half an hour was much harder for a homebody like him than even using Protect three times in a row.
"Glad I wasn't late." Su Yuan haphazardly wiped the sweat from his forehead and called Hikari on his phone. It wouldn't have been a big deal if he had been late; Hikari would have just complained a bit. But since he had promised to pick her up, it was his fault even if there was a reason for a delay.
He had told her on the phone last night that he wanted to see her Piplup quickly, but was that the real reason? Piplup, the chubby blue penguin Pokémon, was indeed very cute, but in Su Yuan's memory, the girl named Hikari was just as cute.
There are two kinds of "cute and cuddly" Pokémon. One kind is just simply cute and cuddly, while the other is the human-like kind of cute and cuddly, like Gardevoir and Lilligant. Lilligant is still a Grass-type Pokémon, but ever since Gardevoir was reclassified from the Undefined Group to the Human-Like Group, countless Pokémon trainers have dreamed of catching a Gardevoir to breed an Egg with.
If you're a Human-Like Pokémon, why can't I be a Human-Like Pokémon? Why can't we breed an Egg together?
This is outrageous. They only allow male Gardevoir and female Machamp to breed Eggs. Is there no justice in this world anymore?
The phone call was quickly answered. "Hikari, have you arrived at the station?"
"Mmm... I just got off the train. I'll be out in a minute." Hikari's voice on the phone was a bit noisy, but it didn't disrupt the call. It was a bustling place, and that was to be expected.
Su Yuan took a deep breath and continued, "I'll wait for you at the exit. You'll see me as soon as you come out."
Hikari softly replied, "Then wait a few minutes for me."
After hanging up, Su Yuan turned his head and used his finger to playfully poke the Fomantis on his shoulder. The little guy cooperated perfectly, making "chirp chirp" sounds and looking very happy.
And it smelled even better! A fresh breeze carried a pleasant aroma that hit Su Yuan's face. In that moment, Su Yuan was like a Cutiefly drawn in by Fomantis's scent. He twitched his nose again, sniffing the air.
"Agh!" A familiar shriek rang out beside him. Because she was so close, Su Yuan was genuinely startled. Even the Fomantis on his shoulder looked confused.
"What's wrong, Hikari?" Su Yuan snapped out of his shock and looked at the person, who looked 70-80% like the person in his memories. "You scared me to death."
"But, but, but, but, but, but you're the one who was scary first!!!" Hikari's face was flushed, and she was stuttering.
"Was I?" Su Yuan asked in confusion. "A girl shouldn't sniff people when they get close!"
A question mark appeared over Su Yuan's head. "Wasn't that the scent from Fomantis?"
The next second, Su Yuan lifted his right hand, ran it through Hikari's straight blue hair, leaned in slightly, and took another sniff.
"It really is that smell."
"Are you an idiot?!" Hikari screamed. Her face was as red as a Dragonite eating a Persim Berry. Her shriek, like the movie "Follow Me," attracted the attention of the surrounding people. A few of them were also looking at the Fomantis on Su Yuan's shoulder.
In real life, Su Yuan didn't like to be the center of attention. He apologized to the passersby, then took Hikari's suitcase with one hand and her hand with the other, and they left the station.
"Alright, alright, it's my fault. I'm sorry, okay?"
As they walked, Su Yuan pulled Hikari's suitcase with one hand and opened his phone's map with the other. "So, where are you planning to stay?"
"The rent here can be a little expensive. As for hotels, trainers get a discount, but in the long run, it's better to rent a place."
"I'm not mad anymore..." Hikari rolled her eyes at Su Yuan, then said matter-of-factly, "Of course I'm staying at your place."
"Alright then." Su Yuan put his phone away without any surprise. He had considered this possibility. It wasn't like his place had anything that would be too much for a child to handle. If Hikari wanted to stay, why would he refuse?