Chapter 157: Consulting a Professional
“Hmm…I’m not too familiar with the Dragon Types of other worlds. But if he’s anything like the Dragons from ours, you’re going to need more than patience if you want to get through to him…” Iris responded, followed by her spitting out a mouthful of frothy toothpaste into the white marble sink before her.
“We know he respects strength. But after the events of yesterday, it feels like the only reason he isn’t trying to kill everyone here is that he lacks the power to do so…” Jason remarked flatly, his brows creasing at the notion. Fortunately, he had the perfect therapeutic preoccupation, his expression relaxing as he continued methodically gliding a black, gold-trimmed brush through Lillie’s long, silky hair.
“That’s not all that uncommon among younger, more aggressive Dragon Types,” Iris remarked, shrugging her shoulders before taking a moment to run and clean the sink with a towel. Then, perching herself on the edge of the sink, she leaned back onto her hands, spread her legs, and appended, “There’s a reason people need a license to raise, train, and breed Dragon Types. Unfortunately, there are still people who lose their lives every year from Trainers losing control of their Dragons…”
“Is there no advice you can offer?” Lillie questioned, her voice calm, her expression poised, and her back as straight as a rod atop a high-backed, hand-carved wooden chair. Notably, as it hadn’t been long since they got out of the bath, she and Iris were both wearing nothing but their panties.
“I mean, I can…” Iris affirmed, leaning her head back slightly and glancing up at the ceiling as if she were looking for something.
“Let me guess…your advice is that I should allow someone else to take care of things…?” Jason supposed, assuming that Iris’s hesitation was the result of her not wanting to say something that might offend or wound his pride.
“I know it’s probably not what you want to hear, but it’s definitely the best course of action…” Iris confirmed, reasoning, “It would be one thing if you were an established Trainer or midway through your Island Challenge. But you and Lillie just started attending school. Unless you plan to drop out or graduate after a single week, you’re not going to be able to give that little one nearly as much attention as it requires.”
“It’s not impossible…” Lillie muttered, her brows creasing and a conflicted look marring her face. Jason could sense that she wasn’t fond of the idea. But if she believed it was what he needed, he knew she wouldn’t hesitate to endorse it…
“It’s frustrating to admit…but I reached a similar conclusion last night…” Jason conceded, exhaling exasperatedly through his nose. He still wanted to prove that he didn’t need coddling, but his current situation functionally proved the opposite. Without the oversight, support, and resources of the Aether Foundation and the League, there was no way he could handle the Zinopup without imperiling himself and others—particularly Ren…
“What conclusion? That you need to drop out? Or that you need to entrust the Zinopup to someone else…?” Iris questioned, staring at Jason with her head tilted to the side.
“Can I entrust you to look after him until I’m better prepared to deal with him…?” Jason asked, causing Iris’s brows to rise.
“You’re asking me to be the Zinopup’s custodian…?” Iris asked, resuming kicking her feet as she questioned, “I suppose I could…but what’s in it for me…?” in a curious tone.
“Other than my time, attention, and body…there’s not much I can offer a Champion like yourself…” Jason noted, his serious expression giving way to an awkward but genuine smile.
“That’s true. But since you basically can’t say no to attractive women, I already have access to all of those things…” Iris pointed out, leaning her head back.
“…”
Unable to refute Iris’s out-of-pocket but increasingly accurate statement, Jason remained silent and turned his attention to Lillie’s hair. As little as a week prior, he might have been bothered by such a remark. But ever since he had decided to fight for Lusamine, his skin appeared to have thickened considerably…
“Then, permit me to make an offer in Jason’s stead,” Lillie proposed, her expression serious as she contended, “While I’m not yet President, I have access to the Foundation’s wealth and resources through my mother. You need only to tell me what it is you desire, and I’m reasonably certain I can help you to obtain it.”
“That’s the thing—I’m a Champion. There honestly isn’t anything I desire that I can’t obtain on my own,” Iris countered, meeting Jason’s and Lillie’s gazes with a cheeky smile as she asserted, “And half the fun in anything is obtaining or achieving it on your own. If there’s something I can’t get, I just need to work or try harder.”
“That’s a very commendable mentality…” Lillie affirmed, her poised smile cramping as she asked, “But surely there is something we can offer you in exchange for your assistance in this matter?”
“Honestly? Other than the two of your Pokémon becoming stronger so we can have an enjoyable battle, there isn’t really anything I want from you…” Iris expressed, pointing her pale-bottomed left foot at Jason, in particular, as she warned, “That goes doubly for you. I’m not exactly in a hurry. But if you and Ren can’t catch up to me in a reasonable amount of time and give me a good match, you can forget about having sex with me.”
“…”
Though he was tempted to point out that their eventually having sex was entirely Iris’s idea, Jason chose to nod in response to the bronze-skinned Champion’s warning, confirming, “I won’t keep you waiting too long…” in a neutral but resolute tone.
“Hmm…you’re somewhat lacking in spirit, considering the prize that’s at stake…” Iris remarked, her eyes narrowing before she alighted from the sink’s edge and made her way past Lillie to squeeze Jason’s right bicep, adding, “I’ll give you five years. Make sure to train hard in that time. And keep building muscle. Men should be built sturdy and reliable, not feeble and meek…”
“…”
Hearing Iris suggest that he needed to man up, all while staring up at him with a provocative grin, Jason experienced a fleeting impulse to push her down and demonstrate that he was anything but meek. Instead, knowing she could body him with little effort if push came to shove, he nodded his head and affirmed, “That’s the plan…”
“Good boy~” Iris hummed, pulling Jason down and planting a quick kiss on his cheek before strolling out of the bathroom with a deliberate sway in her steps. There was nothing to admire due to her tremendous volume of hair, but Jason still followed her with his gaze, knowing she would look back to confirm he was watching.
Just as Jason anticipated, Iris stopped short of exiting the bathroom to glance back at him, a happy smile adorning her face as she stated, “As for the little one outside, you should continue attempting to win him over—at least while we’re in quarantine. With everything that’s going on, I’m not in the best position to take in and train such a temperamental young Dragon. But if we transport him over to the Village of Dragons, someone there will definitely be able to whip him into shape.”
“Sounds good…” Jason affirmed, nodding. A part of him wanted to avoid the Zinopup. But since Ren appeared to enjoy interacting with the prickly lizard-pup, he would be hard-pressed to explain to her why she could no longer do so without it seeming like he was rescinding the trust he placed in her the previous day…
“Good. Now, hurry up and finish with Lillie’s hair. You still need to help with mine before I head out for training~” Iris hummed on her way out, leaving Jason and Lillie alone in the bathroom.
“…”
“…”
“I wonder if it’s a prerequisite for those who stand at the pinnacle to live and do things at their own pace…?” Lillie muttered, ostensibly speaking to herself as she lowered her gaze, crossed her arms, and cupped her chin in the same way her mother did.
‘It would make sense…’ Jason thought to himself, grabbing a handful of Lillie’s silken hair with his left hand and methodically gliding the brush in his right hand through it.
“You think so? If that’s the case…” Lillie muttered, seemingly having heard Jason’s answer through their Pactio as she stood up, placed her hands on the sink’s edge, and stuck her panty-clad butt out, asserting, “We’ll live at our own pace as well…”
Though the abruptness of Lillie’s words and overt provocation left him at a loss, Jason recovered quickly and stepped forward. The truth was that he had been feeling a little restless after his and Iris’s exchange, so while it hadn’t even been half an hour since they wrapped things up in the bath, he readily accepted Lillie’s assistance with venting his frustrations…
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After explaining his intentions to everyone at breakfast, Jason, following a series of long and short delays, found himself standing a few meters from the Zinopup with an ivory white satchel bearing the golden emblem of the Aether Foundation on its side.
Though it had sensed his approach long before, the Zinopup waited until Jason had stopped before opening its luminous, azure-blue eyes to stare at him.
“I’m not going to beat around the bush…” Jason said, his expression and tone firm as he asserted, “After what you did yesterday, any desire I had to help you has all but vanished. I understand that you’re going through an ordeal, but you’re not the only one who’s been forced from his world. And while you may have been a Prince in your previous world, it doesn’t give you the right to behave like a royal cunt and bear your fangs at those trying to help you…”
Demonstrating that it understood what Jason was saying, the Zinopup’s brows creased with surprising expressivity as it rose to its feet and began advancing with heavy steps. The horn that Ren had broken the previous day had a large, electric blue, cocoon-like scab covering its end. But as it began to channel electricity through its body, the membrane burned away to reveal a bright blue, spiderwebbing core.
fwmp
Dropping the medical supplies he had brought onto the ground, Jason gave the Zinopup a moment of pause as he pulled a large sledgehammer from his back. He knew from experience that his fists weren’t enough to damage the excessively resilient canine. And since it was evidently able to endure full-force blows from Ren, even the damage he could do with a sledgehammer would be limited.
Narrowing its eyes, the Zinopup began circling Jason with slow, almost leisurely steps. It knew that humans could be a threat to it with weapons. But since the hammer in Jason’s hand was practically a toy compared to those wielded back in its world, it wasn’t daunted in the slightest. Rather, if it didn’t feel that Jason was provoking it, it might have found his actions amusing…
Catching the Zinopup slightly by surprise, forcing it to leap back, Jason didn’t wait for it to attack as he usually did. Instead, he interrupted it mid-prowl, allowing the sledgehammer to slip in his grip so that he could grab the handle near its end before swinging it in a broad arc—aimed directly at the Zinopup’s head.
shnk
With the Zinopup leaping back, the entire head of Jason’s sledgehammer plunged into the ground, kicking up a surprisingly large plume of fragrant soil. He was still weaker than the average denizen of the Pokémon world, but it wasn’t an exaggeration to say his power was superhuman. Thus, as the Zinopup leaped at it to launch a counter, Jason stood his ground and gripped the sledgehammer tightly in his hands, reversing its direction and striking the underside of the pouncing creature’s jaw before retreating into his Sanctum before it could tackle him to the ground and presumably bite out his throat…
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