Chapter 44: Agatha: Young People Nowadays Are Into Some Seriously Kinky Things!
On the private island in Alola...
"Steven"
Asher’s voice was frighteningly calm.
"Hmm?"
Steven turned toward him with a cheerful smile.
"What exactly did you promise me earlier?"
"I said that a third person would never find out," Steven replied with complete confidence. "But there are far more than three people in the VIP Seats."
Asher took a deep breath.
He now completely understood why Wallace called Steven shameless every day.
"Come on, Brother Asher. Don’t be angry."
Steven leaned closer.
"Think about it. Hiding is useless. Someone would have discovered you sooner or later. Instead of letting some ill-intentioned organization find you first, it’s better to let me act as your guarantor. I’m a League Champion, after all. My reputation is dependable."
"Your reputation isn’t worth a damn!"
"The Devon Corporation’s reputation," Steven corrected without changing his expression. "Worth hundreds of billions in market value and trusted by customers of all ages."
Asher took another deep breath and lay back down on his chair.
There was no point hiding anymore.
Misty had already seen what he looked like. Everyone in the VIP Seats knew that he was in Alola, and the chat group was frantically tagging him.
[VIP Chat Group]
[Ash]: @Asher! Mr. Asher! How did you train your Dragonite?! Can you teach me?!
[Pikachu]: Pika, pika!
[Cynthia]: Mr. Asher, regarding the phrases you taught Raina in the video, I searched every ancient text in Sinnoh but couldn’t find their source. Did you come up with them yourself?
[Lance]: Asher, would you be willing to reveal your true identity? I searched the Trainer registration records of every region, but there is no record of you anywhere.
[Professor Birch]: Mr. Asher! Could you reveal more details about the ancient medicinal formula involving the Prism Scale? It could be enormously significant to our efforts to restore lost techniques!
[Bill]: And the data on Lapras’s Aura frequency! Please!
[Professor Sycamore]: Bill, calm down.
[Bill]: I am perfectly calm! If I weren’t calm, I would already be flying directly to Alola!
[Valerie]: Mr. Asher, did you choose Raina’s traveling outfits? The color coordination is exceptionally tasteful~
[Elesa]: Exactly! Especially that white dress. Where was it custom-made?
[Viola]: Mr. Asher! Could you provide several high-resolution photographs of Raina? I’m making an album documenting her growth!
[Steven]: One at a time, everyone. Brother Asher needs to rest.
[Wallace]: Steven, when did you become his spokesperson?
[Steven]: From today onward, Brother Asher’s affairs are my affairs.
[Misty]: @Asher, come out and say something!
Steven nudged Asher’s arm with his elbow.
"Brother Asher, everyone in the group is tagging you. Aren’t you going to respond?"
Asher sighed helplessly.
Forget it.
Steven had already sold him out. There was no point continuing to play dead.
He reached out and tapped the screen.
[VIP Chat Group]
[Asher]: Hello, everyone.
[Ash]: He spoke!
[Brock]: He really does exist in our world...
[Wallace]: Mr. Asher, would it be convenient for you to answer a few questions?
[Asher]: No.
[Wallace]: ...
[Lance]: Then answer only one. Who exactly are you?
[Asher]: A retiree.
[Lorelei]: Retired? You only look about twenty years old.
[Asher]: I retired early.
[Bruno]: Hahahaha! I like that answer! Direct and decisive!
[Misty]: ...
[Misty]: Aren’t you planning to say anything else?
[Asher]: About what?
[Misty]: For example, why have you been hiding when you’ve been in our world this entire time?!
[Asher]: Because it would be troublesome.
[Misty]: Troublesome?!
[Asher]: Yes. Being chased around by a group of Champions and professors asking questions would be troublesome.
[Lance]: ...
[Cynthia]: ...
[Professor Oak]: ...
[Wallace]: His reasoning is so convincing that I can’t even argue against it.
[Raihan]: Hahahahaha! I like this guy! Don’t you agree, Leon?
[Leon]: He certainly is interesting.
[Steven]: You’ll get used to it. I’ve already spent half a day with him, and my state of mind is now extraordinarily peaceful.
[Misty]: Could all of you take this seriously?! This person—this man—he’s—
[Daisy]: Your husband?
[Misty]: He is not my husband!
[Violet]: Didn’t you personally admit that Raina is your daughter? We still have the screenshot.
[Misty]: That isn’t what I was talking about!
[Daisy]: Misty must be blushing.
[Lily]: A historic moment. Screenshot saved for posterity.
[Misty]: You three need to stop!
[Delia]: Misty, the more you deny certain things, the more truthful they sound~
[Caroline]: We’ve both been through this before. We understand.
Inside Cerulean Gym, Misty transformed into a human steam engine. Even while standing in the swimming pool, her entire face was so red that it looked flushed with blood.
Misty plunged her face beneath the water.
"Darn it, darn it, darn it! This is all Asher’s fault!"
He was involved too, yet she was the only one being teased.
How infuriating!
[VIP Chat Group]
[Misty]: @Asher, come back here! Stop hiding behind the screen without saying anything! I know you’re watching!
[Asher]: ...What is it?
[Misty]: ...Did you watch all those videos too?
[Asher]: Every single one.
[Misty]: Then... y-you-you...
[Daisy]: Oh my~ I’ll say it for Misty. She wants to know what you thought after watching those scenes.
[Misty]: ...
[Asher]: She looks like you and has my personality. I think that’s wonderful.
[Daisy]: Oh my~~~~
[Violet]: Oh my~~~~
[Lily]: Oh my~~~~
[Dawn]: Oh my~ Asher certainly knows what to say~ (*ﾉ▽ﾉ)♡
[May]: Even I’m feeling embarrassed after hearing that~ (*ﾉ▽ﾉ)♡
[Ash]: What’s wrong with everyone?
[Brock]: Ash, don’t ask.
[Ash]: Why not?
[Gary]: Because you’re an idiot.
[Misty]: @Asher
[Asher]: Hmm?
[Misty]: Hmph! Don’t think you can distract me by saying something like that! Explain yourself properly! What exactly is going on with that parallel world?!
[Asher]: Ahem... Honestly, I don’t know either. Just like you, I was extremely surprised to discover that I was one of the protagonists in the video. I don’t know anything beyond that.
[Misty]: Really???
[Asher]: One hundred percent true!
[Daisy]: Oh my~ Really now~ Don’t you feel even the slightest attraction toward my little sister? ･ﾟ･(´∩ω∩｀)･ﾟ･｡
[Misty]: Daisy! What are you saying?!
[Daisy]: It’s all right, Misty. I know you’re too embarrassed to say these things yourself. We can do it for you~
[Violet]: Exactly. Misty has already begun imagining herself as her parallel-world counterpart. She must really yearn for that parallel-world life, right?
[Lily]: And now that she has discovered Asher was here all along but deliberately hid himself, she must feel rather upset and unbalanced, right?
[Misty]: I don’t! I’m not!
[Psyduck]: [Image: Misty staring at the screen with a bright-red face and puffed-up cheeks.]
[Iris]: I ship them~
[Bianca]: I ship them~
[Misty]: Aaaaaah! Psyduck, what are you doing?! Who told you to come out of your Poké Ball by yourself?!
[Psyduck]: Psy? (°ー°〃)
[Steven]: Ahem. Allow me to offer an impartial opinion. I believe Brother Asher is an extremely sincere person.
[Asher]: Steven, shut up.
[Steven]: See? He’s embarrassed.
[Wallace]: Steven, why are you talking so much today?
[Steven]: Because Brother Asher is my brother.
[Wallace]: You’ve only just met, and you’re already brothers?
[Steven]: Of course. We have the kind of bond that comes from soaking in a hot spring together.
[Steven]: In any case, Brother Asher isn’t a bad person. I’m willing to personally vouch for him.
[Raihan]: So soaking in a hot spring once is enough to establish that kind of bond? Leon and I have known each other for years. By that logic, wouldn’t we practically be married?
[Leon]: Raihan, could you shut your mouth when you don’t know how to phrase something properly?
[Sonia]: So the two of you are actually...
[Leon]: No, no, no, no, no! Sonia, you’ve misunderstood! It’s absolutely nothing like what you’re imagining!
[Lorelei]: (⊙_⊙)
[Glacia]: (⊙_⊙)
[Agatha]: Good heavens. Young people nowadays are into some seriously kinky things!
[Lance]: Absolutely outrageous.
[Leon]: No! That isn’t what’s happening! I’m not attracted to men! You have to believe me!
[Wallace]: ...Don’t worry, Leon. We won’t discriminate against the two of you.
[Alder]: It seems the times truly are changing too quickly.
[Cynthia]: What are all of you talking about? Why don’t I understand?
[Diantha]: @Cynthia, in this case, not understanding is probably a good thing~
[Steven]: Never mind them for now. The video is about to begin.