Chapter 221: We’ll Be Family Sooner or Later

The video continued playing.

Just as Elaria accepted the photo album Professor Oak handed her, the image on the screen suddenly froze.

[Ding! Question Time!]

[Generating random question...]

[Question: Among the photos in the album Professor Oak showed Elaria, which of the following was used as the cover photo?]

[A. A photo of Ash getting shocked by Pikachu and ending up with an afro on the first day of his journey.]

[B. A photo of Gary as a child wearing a miniature white lab coat and pretending to be a professor.]

[C. A photo of Daisy Oak putting Gary’s hair into twin tails and dressing him in a pink princess dress.]

[D. None of the above. The actual cover is a nine-photo selfie collage of a young Professor Oak posing in front of a mirror.]

[Buzz-in begins in thirty seconds!]

[VIP Chat Group]

[Ash]: ????????? What kind of options are these?!!!

[Gary]: Forget the other choices for a second—what the hell is Option C?! Grandpa, didn’t you tell me that photo had already been destroyed?!

[Professor Oak]: Ahem, Gary. Perhaps the parallel world is simply different from ours. When Grandpa says he deleted something, he deleted it. Don’t you trust your grandpa’s character?

[Gary]: I can’t say I know Grandpa that well, but I know myself! No, that’s it. I’m going home right now and finding that photo!

[Daisy]: Oh, Gary, don’t be so angry~ You were only three years old back then. You looked absolutely adorable with twin tails. All the neighborhood kids thought I’d gotten a little sister~

[Gary]: DAISY!!!!

[Ash]: Pfffft—hahahaha! Now that you mention it, I remember that too! Gary used to wear a dress and play princess around town when we were little!

[Pikachu]: Pika pika! (Laughing so hard it’s practically chugging ketchup.)

[Gary]: Ash, shut up! And who’s the idiot with the afro in Option A? You got electrocuted like that by your own Pokémon and you still have the nerve to laugh at me?!

[Ash]: Th-That was the first day of my journey! Pikachu wouldn’t listen to me back then! We get along great now!

[Delia]: All right, all right. Ash, don’t tease Gary too much. You have plenty of embarrassing childhood stories too, you know. Mom has an entire album full of them.

[Ash]: Mom!!! Don’t tell everyone that in the group chat!!!

[Delia]: They’re precious memories. Mom thinks they’re very interesting.

[Professor Oak]: Delia is right. Watching children grow up is one of the most precious treasures an elder can have.

[Gary]: Grandpa, so you really didn’t delete that photo, did you?

[Professor Oak]: Gary, you’re still young. You shouldn’t interrogate your elders over every little detail.

[May]: Um, this might not be the best time to interrupt, but... which answer are we supposed to pick? The countdown is almost over.

[Professor Rowan]: Oak, it’s your album. Just check it and tell us the answer.

[Professor Oak]: Well... I did have plans to organize my photo albums, but I’ve been too busy with research to ever get around to it. So even I can’t say for certain which answer is correct.

[Iris]: What a shame. I thought once we knew the answer, all we’d have to do was compete over who could press the button fastest.

[Bianca]: +1.

[Daisy]: Pick C! Pick C! When I help Grandpa organize the albums later, I’ll make sure that photo goes on the cover!

[Gary]: No! I forbid it!

[Countdown: 3, 2, 1——]

[Ding! Buzz-in begins!]

A huge red button appeared in the center of the screen.

[Ding! Congratulations to Diantha for buzzing in first!]

In the real world.

Diantha stared at the "Buzz-in Successful" message that appeared on the screen.

She froze for a moment.

Then, with an incredibly elegant motion, she leaned back against the sofa.

"That’s twice now."

There was a trace of smugness in her voice that she couldn’t quite hide.

"Looks like Lady Luck still favors me."

"Garde~"

Gardevoir tilted her head beside her, as though reminding Diantha not to celebrate too early.

"Don’t worry, Gardevoir."

Diantha tapped a finger against her temple.

"Since Lady Luck is already on my side, there’s no way I’ll mess this one up."

[VIP Chat Group]

[Leon]: If I’m remembering correctly, this is Diantha’s second time winning the buzz-in, right?

[Raihan]: Rigged! This has to be rigged! How come I haven’t managed to win even once?!

[Skyla]: Master is mighty! Master is unstoppable! Master’s button-pressing speed is number one in the world!

[Diantha]: Haha, it’s only luck.

[Cynthia]: ...Why haven’t I managed to buzz in first even once?

[Elesa]: Same here. I really want to win one of these, then have the livestream send future Miori over so I can see her!

[Diantha]: Haha, sorry about that. Looks like I’m taking this round first.

[Korrina]: I’m so jealous! If my hands were that fast too, my training speed would definitely improve by a ton!

[Viola]: Seriously. That reaction speed is kind of ridiculous.

[Steven]: Brother Asher’s future life is definitely going to be very happy.

[Lance]: ??? Steven, watch what you’re saying!

[Wallace]: My desire to expel Steven from Hoenn is growing stronger by the second...

[Asher]: Steven, are you ready to say goodbye to this world?

A system notification appeared:

[Contestant Diantha, please submit your answer within ten seconds. Otherwise, a random punishment will be selected!]

"I’ll go with D!"

After thinking for a moment, Diantha reached out and pressed the answer on the screen.

After all, compared to the other choices, Option D seemed relatively normal.

The screen flashed.

Then a bright red notification appeared.

[Incorrect Answer!]

Diantha’s smile instantly froze on her face.

Before she could even react, another line appeared beneath it.

[Punishment: Choose one person to give you a full-body massage for thirty minutes. The selected person may not refuse.]

Diantha blinked.

She reread the punishment from beginning to end.

"...A massage?"

[VIP Chat Group]

[Iris]: A full-body massage?! This punishment actually seems... pretty normal? At least it won’t cause social death.

[Bianca]: Not necessarily. Think about it. If you pick someone you barely know to massage you for thirty whole minutes, the awkwardness alone could kill you.

[Valerie]: And massage involves physical contact. If it isn’t someone you trust, your muscles will instinctively tense up, which would make the massage less effective anyway.

[Leon]: True. Having someone massage you while the whole thing is being broadcast live would be awkward for anyone.

[Raihan]: Still, if the livestream gave her this punishment, she’s going to have to carry it out.

[May]: If it were me, I’d have such a headache trying to choose. I feel like it’d be awkward no matter who I picked.

[Dawn]: Exactly! I’d have no idea who to choose...

[Lorelei]: Aren’t you all overthinking this? Think about whose daughter this episode is featuring. Does Diantha even need to hesitate over who to choose?

[Phoebe]: Oh, right. Then she really doesn’t.

[Glacia]: Haha, that’s true.

[Misty]:@Diantha, pick him. None of us mind.

[Cynthia]: If it’s Diantha, then I’m fine with it.

[Elesa]: Mm. Go ahead.

[Diantha]: You’re all this calm about it?

[Misty]: I’m already used to it.

[Cynthia]: We’re going to be family sooner or later anyway.

[Elesa]: Besides, even if we said no, you’d still pick him, wouldn’t you?

[Diantha]: All right... Since you’re all being so enthusiastic about it, it would be rude of me to refuse.

Diantha smiled.

"Livestream, I choose Asher."

...

TL: I’m about to bonk the author if he keeps making them guess wrong. I need to see the rewards, raaaaah! Just have him do a massage later—why use a rare question time to push on this plot?