If it were his past self, having such an exquisitely beautiful young lady flatter and fawn over him like this, he would probably have laughed in his sleep. But now, he was no longer that overworked corporate drone who struggled day in and day out just to scrape together a meager monthly living. Now, he possessed the capital to stand at the pinnacle of the world, the drive to live meaningfully, and his ambitions had grown far grander.
That said, if something were to actually happen between him and such a lovely girl, Ryuuske wouldn't hypocritically refuse.
Moreover, given how desperately she longed to control her psychic abilities and live a normal life, Ryuuske didn't want to treat the matter too lightly. He decided to teach her properly.
"Let's go out and find a place to sit and talk. I don't like this lifeless environment."
Though being alone with a beauty had its charms, now that he had arrived in this unfamiliar world, filled with never-before-seen Pokémon and breathtaking cultural landscapes, Ryuuske preferred lively, crowded places.
"Mmm~ I like crowded places too."
Caitlin smiled faintly, a trace of sorrow flickering in her beautiful eyes.
In the past, she had lived alone in a castle-like place, like a caged canary unable to go anywhere. She had grown accustomed to loneliness, but accustomed didn't mean fond. If possible, she wanted to interact with people, to stand among crowds—even if it was just listening to others' idle chatter.
"Then let's get ready and head to the battle arena to watch some trainers' matches."
At Ryuuske's instruction, the elegant young lady's skirt fluttered as she trotted to the sofa, slipping her snow-white feet into lace-trimmed white ankle socks and then into crystal-like high heels.
Ryuuske also freshened up a bit, continuing to wear his casual-style suit. Caitlin naturally looped her arm through his, and the two walked out of the bedroom together, heading to the opulent casino they had visited the day before.
---
The casino was still bustling, with these nobles and elites starting their day early to enjoy life. The simultaneous appearance of Ryuuske and Caitlin instantly made them the center of attention, leaving many stunned.
Yet, the pairing of a gentlemanly young man and an elegant, noble young lady was like something out of a fairy tale—a prince and princess whose presence felt perfectly natural.
The crowd whispered among themselves, no doubt puzzled by how the two, who had seemed at odds just yesterday, could now appear so intimate.
Just then, a girl suddenly dashed over. As if not seeing the people in front of her, she kept her head down and accidentally bumped into Ryuuske, causing him to stagger.
"Hey, watch where you're running!"
Before Ryuuske could speak, Caitlin's brows furrowed in displeasure as she glared at the girl in the formal dress.
"Don't get angry, stay calm, be elegant!"
Ryuuske quickly patted Caitlin's delicate hand, which was still looped around his arm.
Realizing she was slipping back into her volatile temper, Caitlin took a deep breath, and her irritated expression melted into a sweet smile.
"Sorry, sorry, I'm in a hurry…"
The girl who had bumped into them apologized softly, then suddenly raised her head to look at Ryuuske. Her gaze held a strange scrutiny that puzzled him, but before he could react, she dashed off again without another word.
"How odd…"
Caitlin muttered under her breath, while Ryuuske frowned. He felt like he had seen that girl somewhere before, but no matter how hard he searched his memories, her face remained unfamiliar.
"Never mind, let's not dwell on it. Let's find a place to sit."
Ryuuske led Caitlin to a sofa, where they ordered drinks. He then began explaining his experiences and insights in controlling psychic abilities to Caitlin in meticulous detail.
Though his powers were borrowed from Mewtwo, Mewtwo was like a battery supplying energy—the actual techniques and finesse were all things Ryuuske had figured out himself.
"...Are you sure this is okay?"
Encouraged by Ryuuske, Caitlin bit her lip and asked cautiously. Her golden hair, like fine sand, slowly floated under the influence of her psychic power. The strands, usually smooth and draped over her back, now fanned out like a peacock's display.
"It's fine, trust me! With me here, you can use your powers freely. There's no danger of them going out of control."
Ryuuske patted Caitlin's delicate shoulder reassuringly.
"To master psychic abilities, you have to practice constantly. Suppress your other thoughts, don't panic. Keep your hair floating like this and focus on controlling it. This is about refining the precision of your power—a necessary step for any psychic who wants to grow stronger."
Ryuuske tilted his head, studying Caitlin. Now, she was in full bloom. If the Caitlin of the past was a shy, hesitant bud, the current Caitlin was striving to reveal her true beauty.
Ryuuske had a feeling that this was the real Caitlin—the most beautiful version of herself.
On a whim, under Caitlin's bashful gaze, Ryuuske stood up and walked over to her. He gently removed the two white rose hair ornaments from her ears and tied them to the ends of her floating hair.
"...There, that should look even better. Come on, Caitlin, make your hair float again."
Ryuuske stroked his chin, admiring his handiwork with satisfaction.
"I… I think I can't do it anymore."
Caitlin frowned, trying to summon her psychic power again. But the lingering embarrassment from earlier made it impossible. The harder she tried, the more she struggled, and the more she struggled, the more frustrated she became. Soon, her agitation triggered another surge of uncontrolled psychic energy.
A finger poked her chest—soft, but larger than expected. Ryuuske calmly suppressed her rampaging power with an impassive expression.
"I-I'm sorry… I… I can't do it… I really can't control them perfectly…"
Caitlin lowered her head, biting her lip as if on the verge of tears.
"You've already done well, Caitlin. At least you succeeded earlier, didn't you? No one improves overnight. No one starts off perfect—imperfection is human nature."
"...Pursuing perfection is the beginning of all misfortune. Everyone has things they can do and things they can't. Just focus on what you can do, and leave the rest to others. That's why humans need to cooperate."
Ryuuske felt like he was turning into a psychologist dealing with this emotionally troubled young lady.
To be continued…
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