Pokémon: I just became a Gym Leader, and Cynthia proposed to me.

Chapter 769 The Great Challenge of Love!

There is a small island near Lily of the Valley that hosts a special festival every summer.

Unlike other celebrations, the events here have a set of strict rules.

Couples must participate together.

After the news spread, young men and women from the surrounding islands flocked to the area.

At this time of year, the island is filled with colorful balloons, and the air is filled with the aroma of grilled seafood and sweet wine.

Even the island's original name has been forgotten by everyone.

It was forced to change its name to Love Island.

Cynthia stood at the bow of the ship, the sea breeze ruffling her long, light-gold hair into a soft banner.

She turned around and looked at Li Shuwen, who was helping her adjust her scarf, a smile with a hint of pride and sweetness on her lips.

"Shuwen, you can't hold back in the match later, okay?" she said, her voice carrying a hint of coquettishness.

Li Shuwen tied the scarf around her neck, his fingers casually brushing against the stray hairs by her ear.

His movements were light, yet they exuded a reassuring confidence.

"Yes, my queen!"

Cynthia chuckled softly and reached out to take his arm.

They stood together. One was a renowned champion trainer from Sinnoh, with a cool and noble demeanor, yet he was as gentle as spring water only in front of him.

One is a martial arts master with superb skills and a reserved and profound demeanor, whose handsome features conceal a gentleness that is difficult for ordinary people to see.

The other tourists on the boat couldn't help but take a few more glances, and whispered among themselves, praising each other as a perfect match, saying things like, "No wonder he's the champion and the Midas Touch."

Hearing this, Cynthia's smile deepened, and her fingers subtly tightened their grip.

Li Shuwen noticed her movement, turned his head to look at her, and a look of doting affection that only she could understand appeared in his eyes.

As the ship docked, the excitement of the celebration washed over us like a tidal wave.

Several facilities were set up in front of the main stage to serve as the competition venue.

A young man wearing a floral shirt and a straw hat jumped onto the main stage, holding a microphone in his hand, his voice so loud it was as if he were competing with the waves to see who could be louder.

"Ladies and gentlemen—welcome to the annual Love Island Festival!"

"I'm your host for today, A-Qiao. Over the next three hours, I will witness the teamwork, wisdom, and courage of all the couples!"

He exaggeratedly spread his arms wide and bowed to the audience, which drew laughter and applause.

Aqiao straightened up, her gaze sweeping across the audience, then her eyes suddenly lit up, and her voice rose three octaves:

"Wow—everyone look over there at the registration area! That's... Ms. Cynthia?! Sinnoh's Champion Cynthia?! And this Midas next to her!"

"My goodness, what an amazing couple! Ladies and gentlemen, this year's competition is about to reach its climax ahead of schedule!"

The audience erupted in cheers. Many people stood on tiptoe to get a better look, and the clicking of cell phone and camera shutters filled the air.

"It really is Cynthia!" "Who's that guy next to her? He's so handsome!"

"Don't you know? That's her boyfriend, Li Shuwen, the Midas Touch, he's incredibly skilled!"

A-Qiao then turned the microphone towards the audience: "Everyone, are you looking forward to it?"

"expect--!"

The resounding cheers almost lifted the roof off the tent.

Cynthia nodded slightly to the audience with composure, while Li Shuwen merely glanced around indifferently, his expression as calm as if the surrounding noise had nothing to do with him.

The staff at the registration desk were clearly surprised to see a champion-level celebrity at this small island celebration, and hurriedly handed over their race number plates.

Cynthia took the two stickers labeled "07", carefully peeled off the backing, stood on tiptoe and stuck them on Li Shuwen's chest, then handed him her own sticker, smiling with her eyes crinkling: "Help me stick it on."

Li Shuwen looked down at her smiling face, and finally couldn't help but smile slightly.

He took the sticker and gently pressed it against her left breast, his fingertips touching her heartbeat through the thin fabric.

It was steady, but a little faster than usual.

"Are you nervous?" he asked in a low voice.

"It's excitement."

Cynthia corrected him, her amber eyes sparkling, "I'm really looking forward to competing with you, no matter what it is."

Another pair of contestants standing not far from them happened to overhear this conversation.

Piao Tai—the gym leader of the Black Gold Gym—scratched his short hair and gave a wry smile to the vegetable plants beside him: "It's over, it's over, we've run into a tough opponent."

Cai Zhong's lips curled into a eager smile: "What's there to be afraid of? We're also powerful experts at the level of the sect leader."

She paused, then added, "Besides... there aren't any Pokémon battles today, so it's not certain who will win or lose!"

Piao Tai coughed, his ears turning slightly red.

His relationship with Cai Zhong had recently upgraded from "childhood sweethearts" to "lovers". He came to the festival to take the opportunity to enhance his relationship, but he did not expect to run into a champion-level opponent right away.

A-Qiao spoke again on stage, this time with the solemnity of a formal announcement: "Attention all contestants—this year's competition consists of three parts!"

"The first round is a 'Pictionary' game that tests teamwork! The second round is a Pokémon trivia quiz that tests intelligence, with male and female contestants taking turns answering! The third round is a two-person obstacle course with legs tied together that tests physical endurance!"

"It's important to note that the use of Pokémon is strictly prohibited throughout this competition. Whether answering questions or completing challenges, you will have to rely entirely on yourselves!"

A murmur arose from the audience. Someone whispered, "No Pokémon? Doesn't that greatly reduce Cynthia's advantage? She's a Champion Trainer, after all."

Someone nearby immediately retorted, "Are you stupid? Even without Pokémon, they're still experts, okay? Didn't you see the news? Last time, when a poaching gang was causing trouble in Sinnoh, Cynthia and her boyfriend took down more than a dozen armed poachers without even having to use their Pokémon!"

"Really?"

"Of course it's true! Her boyfriend supposedly has some kind of... aura power? Superpowers? Anyway, it's pretty outrageous."

As the matches continued, A-Qiao waved excitedly, "Now, let's welcome contestant number 07, Ms. Cynthia, and Mr. Li Shuwen!"

A burst of enthusiastic applause and whistles erupted from the audience. Cynthia glanced at Li Shuwen, who nodded slightly, and the two walked side by side toward the competition area for the first round.

"Who will draw and who will guess?" the staff member asked.

Cynthia tilted her head and thought for a moment, then looked at Li Shuwen: "I'll draw, and you guess, okay? Your observation and association skills are better than mine."

Li Shuwen nodded.

"Ready—Go!"

"Oh? What is that drawing?"

"A round thing with a few small holes poked in it."

A-Qiao scratched her head: "What's going on here?"

Cynthia smiled and said, "It's a pineapple bun."

The audience burst into laughter.

Li Shuwen casually added from the side, "Because that afternoon she unintentionally hummed a bakery song without even realizing it."

A-Qiao's eyes widened: "Wait, you didn't guess based on the painting, you deduced it based on what happened this afternoon?"

Li Shuwen did not deny it.

A chorus of "Wow!"s erupted from the audience.

This level of observation and memory goes beyond ordinary tacit understanding; it's as if they've etched each other's every move into their hearts.

Cynthia glanced at him sideways, her amber eyes shimmering with a soft light.

She didn't speak, but her fingers quietly hooked around his little finger.

A-Qiao wiped the sweat from her forehead, her voice brimming with barely concealed excitement: "After the exciting battle of teamwork, we'll immediately move on to the second round—a Pokémon trivia quiz!"

"Rules: After each question is announced, male and female contestants must take turns answering it. The same couple cannot have the same person answer two consecutive questions!"

"In other words, if the girl answers the first question, the boy must answer the second, and so on! A correct answer earns one point, and if you answer incorrectly, your opponent can answer again!"

"Are you ready?"

Cynthia and Li Shuwen exchanged a glance and nodded simultaneously.

"First question—Listen to the question: 'What is Milotic's evolutionary path?' Be the first to answer!"

The buzzer lit up, and Li Shuwen quickly pressed the button.

Cynthia immediately replied, "Evolve after increasing Beauty!"

"Correct! One point!" Ajo announced. "The next question must be answered by the technician."

Please list three Pokémon that can learn the Spore skill.

Li Shuwen barely paused: "Paras, Paraster, Mushroom."

"Correct! Number 07 scores another point!"

A gasp of amazement rippled through the audience.

"That reaction speed is too fast, it doesn't give the other side a chance at all."

At the end of the second round, Cynthia and Li Shuwen were leading the other contestants by a large margin.

Cai Zhong, somewhat sulking, grabbed Piao Tai's arm with both hands. "Piao Tai, we must beat them in the next round!"

Piao Tai's face turned as red as a teapot, and she nodded softly, "Mm."

Ajo excitedly twirled around on stage: "In the first two segments, Ms. Cynthia and Mr. Li Shuwen displayed breathtaking teamwork and wisdom!"

"But the third and final challenge is the real test of physical strength and teamwork—the two-person leg-tying obstacle course!"

The staff pushed up a basket of elastic straps.

The rules are simple: each couple ties their adjacent feet together and starts from the starting point, passing through four obstacles in sequence: a log bridge, a rope net, a mud pit jump, and a balance beam. The first couple to reach the finish line wins.

Pokémon were also arranged as judges on the track.

For example, there are mosquito coil tadpoles under the log bridge that spray water to make it slippery, and there are swamp kings hiding in the mud pits that will suddenly pop out and scare people.

Most importantly, Pokémon assistance cannot be used throughout the entire process; the two players must rely solely on their own abilities.

Li Shuwen squatted down and carefully tied the straps to his right foot and Cynthia's left foot.

He tied it very carefully, so that it wasn't too tight and made her ankles uncomfortable, but also ensured that there was no looseness that would affect her power.

Cynthia looked down at his serious profile, unconsciously captivated by Li Shuwen's beauty.

"Okay." Li Shuwen stood up and offered her his hand to rest on his shoulder. "Does it feel tight?"

Cynthia stretched her ankles, shook her head, and then naturally wrapped her arms around his waist.

"It's not tight, you always tie it comfortably."

The word "every time" made the staff member next to him blush and quickly lower his head, pretending to check the equipment.

Piao Tai and Cai Zhong had their feet tied and were warming up by the starting line.

"Ready—Bang!"

The moment the gunshot rang out, Li Shuwen and Cynthia moved simultaneously.

The two strides were exactly the same size and in perfect sync, as if two legs on one body were naturally taking turns moving forward.

The log bridge checkpoint.

The bridge is only a hand's width wide, and below it is a shallow pool where several mosquito tadpoles are poised to pounce.

The moment Li Shuwen led Cynthia onto the bridge, the Poliwag tadpoles all sprayed water jets, instantly making the bridge surface incredibly slippery.

Li Shuwen's feet seemed to be rooted to the ground.

His true energy sank from his dantian, flowing down his legs and into the soles of his feet, making each step as steady as a rock.

Cynthia moved in sync with his rhythm, leaning her body slightly inward and giving him her full weight, while using her toes to feel the landing point of each of his steps.

The slippery bridge surface seemed like ordinary flat ground to them.

Rope net array.

Li Shuwen skillfully led Cynthia through the crisscrossing gaps in the rope net, rendering the seemingly labyrinthine ropes useless to them.

Jumping in mud pits.

There are mud pits of varying sizes scattered throughout the area, requiring precise jumps onto the dry ground.

The Swamp Kings poked their heads out of the mud pits, occasionally letting out a strange "whoosh" in an attempt to scare the contestants.

Li Shuwen glanced down at Cynthia.

"Three steps to the left, then two meters to the right front," Cynthia whispered quickly in his ear.

Li Shuwen pushed off with his left foot, and his right foot, still strapped to it, followed steadily, left, left, left.

Then, with a sideways leap, he took Cynthia into the air and landed precisely on the dry high ground two meters to his right.

The entire movement was performed in one smooth motion, as if it had been rehearsed countless times.

The audience had forgotten to applaud; they were all staring at the live broadcast on the screen with their mouths agape.

Someone murmured, "Is this the kind of coordination humans can achieve?"

Balance beam.

This challenge demands a high degree of coordination between the two individuals; the slightest misstep will result in them slipping off the log.

Before stepping onto the log, Li Shuwen did something that surprised everyone.

He crouched down slightly, put his left arm around Cynthia's waist, and lifted her up so that her center of gravity was almost completely aligned with his.

"Hold me tight," he said.

Cynthia was neither shy nor hesitant; she wrapped her arms tightly around his waist and pressed herself against him.

Her face was buried in the hollow of his shoulder, her lips brushing against his collarbone, her breath warm and steady.

Li Shuwen stepped onto the balance beam.

His steps became extremely light and fast, as if he were gliding on ice.

Cynthia was in his arms, feeling the rise and fall of his chest, the tension and relaxation of his muscles, and the steady, powerful beating of his heart.

She closed her eyes, and in this moment that should have been filled with tension, a reassuring smile appeared on her lips.

When their feet landed on the finish line at the same time, Ajo's voice cracked with excitement:

"The third round – victory! Number 07, Ms. Cynthia and Mr. Li Shuwen, have won the overall championship of this year's celebration with an absolute advantage!"

The audience erupted in cheers.

Cheers, applause, and whistles blended into a wave of sound, and some people even stood up and waved their light sticks frantically.

When Piao Tai and Cai Zhong finally reached the finish line, it was already two and a half minutes later.

Piao Tai was bent over, panting, sweat dripping from his chin, but he still raised his head and gave Li Shuwen and Xiluona a thumbs up.

"I'm impressed, really impressed," he said with a laugh, his blue hair soaked with sweat in clumps. "You two aren't here to compete, you're here to perform."

Cai Zhong, catching her breath while supporting her knees, revealed a rare, candid smile: "Honestly, I've always felt that without Pokémon, Piao Tai and I are at least in the top three in terms of physical ability and teamwork."

"But you... are not even in the same dimension."

A-Qiao rushed over with a microphone, shouting, "Champion! Please give your acceptance speech!"

Cynthia took the microphone and naturally grasped Li Shuwen's hand.

"Actually, we didn't deliberately cooperate."

"Because when you really like someone, tacit understanding is not an effort, but an instinct."

The audience fell silent for a moment, then erupted in applause that was more enthusiastic than ever before.

Someone was wiping away tears, shouting, "It's too sweet! I can't take it!"

A-Qiao wiped her eyes and turned the microphone towards Li Shuwen: "So, Mr. Li, is there anything you'd like to say?"

Li Shuwen remained silent for two seconds.

He looked down at Cynthia, who was looking up at him with expectation, tenderness, and the whole world in her eyes.

"She's right." He paused, then squeezed her hand tighter.

"I knew it from the very first day I met her."

In the audience, a woman remarked to her husband, "Look at them, they're so amazing even without Pokémon, they're practically born masters."

The husband nodded, his eyes full of envy: "They're not only experts, but also an enviable couple."

Someone in the crowd shouted, "One more time! We haven't had enough!"

This immediately drew a burst of laughter in agreement.

Taking advantage of the moment, A-Qiao stirred things up: "How about... we ask the champion to perform another one for us?"

Li Shuwen glanced at Cynthia, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Cynthia understood immediately, suddenly released his hand, took a step back, and opened her arms to him.

Li Shuwen stepped forward, stood firmly in the arc of her outstretched arms, then leaned down slightly and placed a very light and quick kiss on her forehead.

The entire audience screamed.

Cynthia reached out and gently punched Li Shuwen in the chest, the force as light as a cat's paw.

"Foul," she whispered.

"You fouled first."

Li Shuwen answered in a low voice, the smile in his eyes finally becoming impossible to hide.

The celebration drew to a close amidst a flurry of colorful ribbons and balloons.

The setting sun dyed the entire island golden red, and the sea surface shimmered like a handful of scattered gold.