The crowd around them erupted in murmurs. As residents of Cerulean City, they had seen Ryuuske during the live broadcast of the Gym challenge. Hearing his words, their eyes immediately turned to the girl kneeling on the ground.
Those who hadn't been scammed watched with schadenfreude, eager for drama, while those who had been tricked glared furiously—being deceived by a beautiful woman wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.
"W-what are you talking about?"
The girl forced a sweet, innocent smile, her voice dripping with feigned confusion.
"Still denying it?" Ryuuske flicked his fingers, and the photo of her stealing from Professor Oak's lab landed right in front of her. "Here's the evidence—you stealing a Squirtle's Poké Ball from the lab. And all these people you just scammed are still here as witnesses. With proof like this, why don't you go ahead and say whatever you want? Let's all have a good laugh."
The girl picked up the photo, her expression twisting in frustration. The image clearly showed her running away with the Squirtle's Poké Ball in hand. Damn it, she thought. I was sure I hacked the surveillance system that day. That old man Oak must have multiple backup cameras in his lab!
This was a huge oversight.
"Professor Oak's lab? You mean the Professor Oak?"
"There's only one person called Professor Oak, right…?"
"She even dared to steal from Professor Oak? That takes some guts!"
"..."
Professor Oak's reputation in this world was beyond question. Just mentioning his name made the hesitant bystanders immediately side with Ryuuske. Whispers spread through the crowd, and some of the scammed victims subtly moved closer, blocking the girl's escape routes. One person even pulled out their phone, ready to call the police.
Seeing the crowd grow more restless, the girl panicked internally—but instead of crumbling, she steadied herself. Her slender, pale legs, previously folded neatly beneath her, now shifted into a loose, pitiful "duck sit" pose. Her delicate shoulders trembled as she let out soft, heart-wrenching sobs.
"Sniff… W-would you really be this cruel to me?"
Her voice was so sweet it could melt bones. Though Ryuuske wanted to snap, "Shut up, you fake-crying gremlin," he had to admit—her sobs were annoyingly convincing. He frowned, unsure what trick she was about to pull next.
The crowd, sensing deeper drama, hesitated. Even the person about to call the police paused, waiting to see how this would unfold.
"What are you talking about?" Ryuuske demanded.
Tears spilled from the girl's bright eyes, rolling down her flawless cheeks like broken pearls—drip, drip. Her eyes were red-rimmed, the whites streaked with bloodshot veins. It didn't look like acting. It looked real.
Holy shit. This girl is an Oscar-worthy actress. Giovanni's acting skills are garbage compared to hers.
Ryuuske stared, stunned, as she effortlessly burst into tears—not just crying, but crying beautifully, crying with emotion.
She lifted her face, gazing at him with heartbreaking devotion, as if he were her entire world. Her large, expressive eyes shimmered with unshed tears, her expression so pitiful it could soften even the coldest heart.
Even Ryuuske felt a pang of guilt just looking at her tear-streaked, angelic face.
"Why are you treating me like this… Ryū?"
She said his name so naturally, as if she had practiced it a thousand times. The raw pain and despair in her voice made it impossible not to believe this was some tragic lovers' quarrel.
"I don't think we've ever met, thief? Scammer?" Ryuuske replied coolly, though he could already feel the situation slipping out of his control. Facing an "Oscar-winning actress" like this, the truth could easily be twisted.
"You're… even pretending not to know me now? Me…Shirunai?"
She lowered her head, biting her pale lips, her face etched with sorrow.
So her name's Shirunai, Ryuuske noted. Not that it helped him now. He kept his expression icy, watching her performance unfold, curious just how far she'd take this act.
"...But I guess it makes sense. I'm just an ordinary girl, and your dream is to become the strongest Trainer. I knew we had no future… Someone like you, destined for greatness, already famous… while I'm just a nobody from Pallet Town. I could never compare to Misty from Cerulean City or Sabrina from Saffron City. They're so much prettier, so much stronger than me…"
Her sobs grew heavier, her delicate frame shaking as if she could barely breathe.
"...But why did you cut me off after leaving Pallet Town? I believed in you so much… I even gave you my first time willingly… I know I shouldn't have done it, but… but I ended up pregnant! My parents disowned me, and now you won't even acknowledge me… I had no choice but to come find you! With no money, I had to resort to scams just to survive! I know it's wrong, but I was starving—!"
She gestured to her earrings. "See? I even made fake badges… just so I could feel closer to you, pretend I was a real Trainer too…"
Shirunai removed her earrings—the Boulder Badge and Cascade Badge. Ryuuske didn't need to touch them to know they were real, but the crowd couldn't tell.
"...I'm not asking you to take responsibility. Once I save up enough money, I'll get an abortion… But please, just don't pretend you don't know me! Please… Sob—!"
She collapsed onto the ground, wailing, her voice hoarse with grief.
"Wait, is this for real?"
"She's crying so hard… It can't be fake, right?"
"Didn't you see the news a few days ago? Misty went to the Pokémon Center to meet Ryuuske…"
"Yeah, the media's been speculating about their relationship. No wonder she let him skip the preliminaries and go straight to the finals."
"And Sabrina from Saffron City—didn't he get the Marsh Badge from her? Oh no… Do you think Misty got played too?"
"…Just because he's handsome and strong, he thinks he can toy with girls' hearts? I never thought he'd be this kind of person!"
"He got a girl pregnant and won't even take responsibility?!"
"..."
As the crowd's murmurs grew louder, Ryuuske realized—his reputation was ruined.
To be continued…