Ambushing Cosmog from the Start

Chapter 11: Why Won’t You Beg Me?

In Tian’an City, where Chen Nian lived, there were two Pokémon gyms—one specializing in Fighting-type Pokémon and the other in Dragon-types.

The current leader of the Dragon-type gym was Jiang Shuying’s father. To outsiders who didn’t know the truth, the name “Dragon-type Gym” sounded impressive, but in reality, ever since the death of Jiang Shuying’s grandfather—the previous gym leader, the gym’s status and strength had plummeted.

Even before he had any Pokémon of his own, Chen Nian had heard of the Dragon Gym’s former glory.

The old master of the Jiang family had been an Elite Four-level trainer, commanding six incredibly powerful Dragon-type Pokémon. His reputation had been unmatched, with few gyms in the entire Tian Province able to rival his.

But now, from Jiang Shuying’s account, Chen Nian learned just how far the family had fallen.

……

After the old man’s death, almost all six of his Elite Four-level Dragon-type Pokémon were released into the wild.

It wasn’t that the old man hadn’t wanted to leave his Pokémon to his family—it was simply that Jiang Shuying’s father was too weak to earn the recognition of such powerful creatures.

Now, though the Dragon Gym still had six Pokémon under Jiang Shuying’s father, the only one with any relation to Dragon-types was a single Gyarados.

If not for one of the old man’s Pokémon—an Elite Four-level Druddigon—refusing to leave and continuing to guard the gym, the Dragon Gym would have likely been shut down long ago.

But even this Druddigon was growing old, no longer able to fight as much as before. Jiang Shuying’s father couldn’t bear to force his father’s loyal partner into battle anymore.

So most of the time, the gym relied on Gyarados to face challengers.

……

Though the Dragon Gym had managed to avoid being shut down for now, its decline was inevitable. Watching this unfold, the Jiang family felt nothing but helplessness.

Dragon-type Pokémon were rare to begin with, and most of them were absurdly powerful. There was no way for them to capture a strong enough Dragon-type to uphold the gym’s reputation.

Just as the Jiang family was at their lowest, the Li family made their move.

Li Shanhe’s father was the head of the local Pokémon League branch. He sent envoys to the Jiang family with a proposal: if Jiang Shuying agreed to become Li Shanhe’s concubine, he would gift them a Shelgon with Elite Four potential as a betrothal present.

……

Faced with such a tempting offer, the Jiang family wavered.

What did an Elite Four-potential Shelgon mean?

It meant that, if raised properly, their family could one day have a powerful Salamence to protect the gym once more.

Moreover, Jiang Shuying had an older brother. The family wanted to give this Shelgon to him.

If her brother successfully raised it, he could potentially become an Elite Four-level trainer in the future. Not only would this restore the Jiang family’s prestige, but it would also ensure the Dragon Gym’s survival.

And if her brother pushed even further, reaching greater heights within the Elite Four, the Jiang family’s future would be brighter than ever.

……

So during those days, every time Jiang Shuying returned home, her family bombarded her with persuasion.

Under the combined pressure of her brother, parents, uncles, and aunts… Jiang Shuying felt utterly hopeless.

Others might not know what kind of person Li Shanhe was, but Jiang Shuying had heard the rumors.

While he might be a talented trainer, as a man, he was pure scum.

Li Shanhe treated women as playthings, discarding them without hesitation once he grew bored.

Worse still, Jiang Shuying had heard he had… disturbing tendencies. He seemed to enjoy tormenting women.

……

Even if Li Shanhe weren’t a monster, Jiang Shuying would never agree to marry him.

She wanted to find someone she could truly love with all her heart. Without genuine feelings, she refused to be intimate with anyone.

But now, with her family forcing her into a corner, she had no way out.

It was this despair that drove her to risk everything and venture into the Forbidden Zone, hoping to find a miracle that could change her fate.

……

After sharing her story, Jiang Shuying looked up at Chen Nian.

“Chen Nian, do you think I’m stupid?”

“I knew the Forbidden Zone was a death trap, yet I still came here chasing a miracle.”

“If I hadn’t met you, I’d probably be dead by now…”

“You’re planning to go back, right? Just leave me here. There’s no need to take me with you.”

“I want to keep trying…”

“I don’t know what fate has in store for me, but if I make it out alive, I’ll repay you for saving my life.”

……

Chen Nian stared into Jiang Shuying’s beautiful, determined eyes.

The two remained silent for a full minute before Chen Nian finally spoke.

“Right now, I have a question.”

“I don’t really care about your past…”

“But there’s one thing I need you to answer honestly.”

“By now, you must realize I have the power to easily achieve what you came here for.”

“So… why won’t you beg me?”

“What if I’m willing to help you?”

“You know I can change your fate with ease—”

Before he could finish, Jiang Shuying bit her lip and cut him off.

“Because I don’t want to owe you any more than I already do.”

“You’ve already saved me once. I don’t know how to repay that. If I begged you now… I wouldn’t be able to live with myself.”

“I don’t know what will happen to me. I don’t know if I can catch a strong enough Pokémon here, or if I’ll even survive. But none of that matters—I’ve already made my choice.”

“I’m leaving.”

“Let’s part ways here.”

“This journey… seeing the beauty of the Forbidden Zone, witnessing the Dragonite family’s habitat, and meeting someone as extraordinary as you… I have no regrets.”

“No matter what comes next, I won’t complain.”