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The salty sea breeze blew against his face, bringing with it a hint of refreshing coolness that chased away the oppressive summer heat. Jacob, sitting comfortably in the taxi, looked past the swaying palm trees lining the road and out toward the beach beyond.
Children's laughter rose and fell in cheerful waves, and at the same time, Jacob observed many adorable Water-type Pokémon playing in the area.
Marill, Popplio, and Psyduck were all visible among the beachgoers.
Jacob had another significant purpose for coming to Aqualis City, which was to visit the Water-type Secret Realm located here in order to find a suitable Water-type Pokémon for his team.
Currently, among his diverse collection of Pokémon representing various types, he still didn't have any Water-type or Ice-type Pokémon, so he was taking this opportunity to see if he could successfully find one.
Water and Ice-type Pokémon worth considering included Dewgong, Cloyster, Lapras, Walrein, Arctovish, and Iron Bundle.
Among these options, Iron Bundle was completely out of the question, and Arctovish was almost certainly impossible to obtain.
Among the remaining viable Pokémon, Jacob found himself most drawn to Lapras.
Lapras was also known as the Transport Pokémon, functioning as a standard defensive tank-type Pokémon with numerous valuable advantages.
First and foremost, its natural bulk and defensive stats were more than sufficient for its role; secondly, Lapras's Water Absorb Ability proved quite advantageous when facing other Water-type Pokémon, not only negating damage entirely but also restoring its HP in the process; and finally, and perhaps most importantly, Lapras possessed the capability to Gigantamax.
After undergoing Gigantamax transformation, Lapras's strength, impressive appearance, and practical utility were all genuinely outstanding, and its exclusive G-Max Move, G-Max Resonance, was incredibly powerful and useful.
G-Max Resonance, after the move was successfully used, created an Aurora Veil effect on the battlefield, which significantly reduced the damage taken by your entire side for a substantial period of time—essentially casting both Light Screen and Reflect simultaneously with a single move.
"What are you thinking about so deeply?" Just as Jacob found himself immersed in the process of mentally choosing a Pokémon, Nina's gentle voice came from beside him, breaking his concentration.
"I'm thinking about going to the Water-type Secret Realm tomorrow," Jacob answered truthfully and directly.
"Is there any particular Pokémon you're hoping to find?" Nina, sitting beside Jacob, looked up at him with her eyes completely focused on him and filled with genuine interest.
"Lapras." Meeting Nina's attentive gaze, Jacob reached out naturally and gently stroked her head in an affectionate gesture.
"Don't worry about it. There will definitely be a suitable Lapras waiting for you there."
"Mm."
Nina accompanied Jacob to their hotel so they could drop off their luggage, and then they went together to a nice restaurant for dinner.
After enjoying a satisfying and hearty dinner, the two of them came to the beach together and began strolling leisurely along the sandy shore.
It was already nighttime, and the full moon hung high in the dark sky, but for many people in this tourist destination, the real nightlife was only just beginning.
The restaurants situated along the coastline were doing excellent business, and stylishly dressed young people in light, casual clothing were visible everywhere throughout the area.
Perhaps for the convenience of taking photographs, Nina had changed into a tropical-style long dress and a comfortable pair of sandals, allowing her to walk easily on the beach while enjoying their rare time together.
This wasn't Jacob's first time visiting the sea or walking along a beach, but it was absolutely his first time experiencing the ocean with someone he genuinely loved.
In truth, the most important aspect of traveling isn't specifically what kind of scenery you manage to see, but rather who you see that scenery with. Being able to witness and experience this beautiful scenery together with Teacher Long made Jacob feel nothing but deep peace and warmth in his heart.
Looking down at the sand beneath her feet and out at the churning waves before her, Nina found herself really wanting to take off her sandals and walk barefoot directly on the sand, feeling the cool seawater wash over and immerse her feet.
"Jacob, I want to take off my shoes." Nina turned to face Jacob, clearly asking for his opinion and approval.
"Go ahead if that's what you want. When you're traveling, you should naturally do whatever makes you happy." Jacob looked at Nina with an undeniably doting expression. "Go on, I'll hold your shoes for you and take pictures."
"Really?" Hearing Jacob's offer to hold her shoes, Nina's face filled with visible happiness and delight. "Then I'm going to do it?"
"Go ahead," Jacob said with an encouraging smile while looking at Nina. "But you have to give me a proper reward first."
Hearing Jacob's playful words, Nina's face flushed with color. With her hands clasped behind her back, she nodded slightly in agreement. The sea breeze blew steadily, lifting her skirt gently and revealing her slender, pale calves.
Nina, blushing noticeably, looked up at Jacob with bright, sparkling eyes. Her voice came out soft and almost shy. "What kind of reward do you want from me?"
"Anything at all," Jacob said with a deliberately wide smile while looking at Nina expectantly.
"Then close your eyes first."
"Mm."
Jacob obediently closed his eyes. He only sensed a fragrant breeze passing by him, which made him immediately open his eyes again, and then he felt a brief, warm touch against his cheek.
He discovered that Nina had simply extended two fingers and lightly tapped his face with them, while a distinctly mischievous smile appeared across her features.
"You cheated," Jacob said with exaggerated exasperation in his tone.
"You cheated too—you secretly opened your eyes when you weren't supposed to."
Nina laughed joyfully as she bent down to take off her sandals, revealing a pair of fair, delicate feet. As she stepped onto the wet sand, a pleasant, faint coolness washed over her skin.
"Remember to hold my shoes properly."
Stepping freely on the wet sand, feeling the salty sea breeze against her skin.
Her skirt and long hair fluttering dramatically in the wind made Teacher Long look extraordinarily charming and beautiful.
"Nina, look over here." Jacob raised his camera, waved enthusiastically to Nina, and motioned for her to look directly at the camera lens. "Give me a smile."
Just at that precise moment, the tide rose and the water surged forward dramatically.
The salty sea breeze blew Nina's long hair back away from her face, her skirt fluttered gracefully in the wind, perfectly outlining her slender waist, and the seawater rushed up to cover her ankles, bringing an intensely cool sensation.
The scene was frozen perfectly at this exact moment, as Jacob successfully captured a beautiful photograph of Nina.
"Are you finished taking the picture?" Nina called out loudly over the sound of the waves.
"Yes, I'm all done," Jacob replied clearly.
"Let me see how it turned out!" Nina impatiently ran back to Jacob and eagerly looked at the photo displayed in the camera from beside him.
"Not bad, right?" Jacob said with obvious satisfaction and pride in his work.
"It's okay, I suppose. It just makes me look somewhat short."
"It's fine—you can always edit it later," Jacob suggested casually.
Nina couldn't help but roll her eyes dramatically at Jacob. Did she really need to edit photographs with her natural height and good looks?
"Come on, let's go. I'll take a few more pictures for you," Jacob said with an encouraging smile.
The two of them walked along the beach just like this, alternating between walking and stopping to take photographs.
Their footprints were left clearly visible in the sand, but as the seawater surged forward in waves, all the footprints were gradually covered and erased.
By the time the two finally returned to the more bustling developed area, there were dozens of additional photos stored in the camera, all capturing Nina's brilliant, genuine smiles.
The two walked past the beach area and arrived at the bustling downtown district. The noise became almost deafening, and Jacob and Nina had to put their protective masks back on for privacy.
"Hey handsome, want some barbecue?"
"Handsome guy, want to get a drink?"
The two strolled casually along the bar street, with the fragrant, enticing smell of grilling meat on one side and noisy singing performances on the other.
Under the dim, atmospheric lights of the open-air bar, scantily clad blonde women sang enthusiastically and performed energetically on the elevated stage, while men drinking at tables below applauded loudly and cheered with obvious appreciation.
Jacob merely glanced briefly in that direction when Nina's voice came pointedly from beside him.
"Does she look good to you?"
"Average at best," Jacob replied without hesitation. "At least in my heart, she's nowhere near as attractive as you are."
"You're such a liar."
"I'm being completely honest. I'm not lying to you at all."
The two continued walking forward while talking back and forth.
Perhaps influenced by the surrounding noisy atmosphere and the densely crowded people pressing in around them, Nina leaned her body slightly closer toward Jacob, and her fingertips tentatively touched the back of Jacob's hand.
Jacob also immediately felt the warm, gentle touch against the back of his hand. He didn't hesitate even for a moment and quickly turned his hand over to properly hold Nina's hand in his.
Even though the two of them were officially recognized as a couple now, Nina's heart still inevitably raced faster, and her face flushed slightly with warmth.
At this particular moment, the loud street noise and the constant sound of the sea breeze seemed to fade away into the background. She only felt distinctly aware of the faint warmth radiating from their joined hands.
They walked together in comfortable silence, strolling along the beach for quite a while longer, and then finally returned to their hotel.
Entering the hotel building and arriving at the luxury villa suite they had specifically booked, Nina's heart rate quickened noticeably the exact moment they pushed open the door together.
This was her very first time staying in a hotel alone with a member of the opposite sex, and her face flushed deeply as she thought back to what Eleanor had told her privately before her flight last night.
Back here in the villa, it was truly their private time alone together.
The two first changed into their swimsuits and went for a refreshing swim in the villa's private outdoor pool, then enjoyed some delicious late-night barbecue snacks together.
The night deepened around them, and the sea breeze continued to blow steadily.
Without either of them fully realizing it, the time had already passed midnight. Both Jacob and Nina were beginning to show clear signs of fatigue from their long day.
"It's time we should get some sleep."
"Mm."