145 Giving up the ownership

"Are you calm?" Linh asked.

"Yeah, I'm already calm down," Floyd said, looking at Hu Tianyi then he went to his seat beside Jonathan and Bianca.

"Youngest, on behalf of Hu Tianyi, let me apologize for what he has done," Chen Yu, as a leader of the Chinese community here, he feels it's his obligation to apologize for what one of his members has done.

"Chen Ge, you don't need to, my own doing is my own fault. Youngest, I just want to tell you that I ran away because of my pessimistic about defeating the opponent, I didn't even have a thought of fighting them all I thought that time was running with my life. I really did call professor, but I knew that's not enough for you-" Hu Tianyi stood up reaching his seat and looking at Floyd justifying his own reason but he was interrupted by Floyd.

"Are you justifying your reason? I don't need your bullshit explanation, remember between you and me, it's endless," Floyd directly said as he looked at him.

"No. I just want you to know my side, and the reason behind my action, but yes it's indeed my fault from the start, if I'm not greedy about catching pokemon, it should not happen from the start. I'm really sorry, I don't hope for you to forgive me, I'll take any punishment you want for the causes that I've done," Hu Tianyi looked rightfulness at Floyd.

"Any punishment Floyd's want? Then Floyd let him punish to death," Jonathan said disdainfully.

Hearing Jonathan intervene, Hu Tianyi suppresses himself to not be angry with this guy, in his mind he already cursed Jonathan multiple times.

"Can you stop interrupting if you're just talking nonsense? You're not helping here," Linh looked at Jonathan with a disgusted expression.

"What's nonsense? He clearly said, anything Floyd wants, so killing himself was included," Jonathan retorted at her.

"You're taking this too far! Jonathan, I even took you as a friend, but this is how you want for us?" Xiao Yun rebutted as he pointed his finger toward Jonathan.

"I took you as a friend, but he is a different matter" Jonathan pointed at Hu Tianyi, "Did he take us as a friend? I doubt it. Once we're in danger, I surmise he would leave us and run away,"

Hu Tianyi, simmering with anger, could barely contain his urge to confront Jonathan. He clenched his fists, his frustration mounting at Jonathan's provocations.

Sensing the tension escalating, Floyd intervened. "Jonathan, that's enough," he said firmly, placing a hand on Hu Tianyi's shoulder to calm him.

Jonathan turned to Floyd, his expression one of surprise. Floyd simply nodded at him, signaling him to stop, then shifted his attention to Hu Tianyi. "You mentioned accepting any punishment. How about surrendering all your beasts?" Floyd proposed, his tone serious.

Jonathan, now seated, listened intently. The suggestion took him aback. To give up all his Pokémon – Hu Tianyi had at least ten – would mean starting from scratch. It was a significant demand.

"Floyd, that's…" Kanraku interjected, his voice tinged with hesitation. He understood the gravity of such a punishment. The thought of being separated from his own partner, Blastoise, was unimaginable to him. It would be akin to a living death.

Hu Tianyi, visibly struggling with the proposal, clenched his fists tighter. His face flushed with a mix of shame and anger. He wanted to lash out, to accuse Floyd of jealousy over his Pokémon, but he restrained himself.

His hesitation wasn't rooted in the emotional bond with his Pokémon but rather in the loss of his investment. Giving up his Pokémon would mean erasing all the progress he had made.

Floyd, observing Hu Tianyi's internal conflict, pressed him. "What's the matter? Can't do it?"

Hu Tianyi stammered, "I, I…" His voice faltered, revealing his inner turmoil. He lowered his head, biting his lip in frustration.

The room fell silent, everyone's eyes fixed on Hu Tianyi, waiting for his decision.

After a moment, Floyd softened his stance. "Okay, that's enough. I won't make it so difficult for you. Just surrender your Squirtle as your punishment," he said, easing the tension in the room.

Floyd was not really interested in Hu Tianyi's other Pokémon. His concern was specifically for the Squirtle. For Floyd, Blastoise had been a benefactor, and he felt a responsibility to rescue Squirtle while it was still early, before it formed a strong relationship with Hu Tianyi.

Hu Tianyi looked up, his expression one of surprise, not at the severity of the punishment, but rather at its unexpected leniency.

Hu Tianyi, internally grappling with Floyd's demand, found the request almost too lenient to believe.

'That's it? Just my Squirtle?' he thought, surprised yet relieved. Although the prospect of losing Squirtle, a Pokémon with the potential to evolve into a strong Blastoise like Kanraku's, pained him, he was aware that not all Blastoise reached such formidable levels of strength. The four Blastoise he had encountered earlier, for instance, were nowhere near as powerful as Kanraku's.

His main concern was the potential loss of the three Rattata and three Mankey he had recently captured. These six Pokémon, in his estimation, held greater potential than Squirtle.

Confused by Floyd's choice, Hu Tianyi couldn't help but wonder about Floyd's judgment. 'Does Floyd really see no value in my Rattata and Mankey? Is he unaware of their potential?' he thought, his mind swirling with questions.

"You… you mean my Squirtle?" Hu Tianyi asked Floyd, seeking clarification, a part of him still in disbelief.

"Yes, your Squirtle," Floyd confirmed with a nod.

"I see. I'll keep my promise then, and I'll hand over my Squirtle to you," Hu Tianyi replied quickly, almost too eagerly. He was internally celebrating, relieved that Floyd hadn't demanded his more prized Rattata and Mankey.

In his mind, surrendering the Eevee, Squirtle, Metapod, and Pidgey was a far better outcome than parting with the Rattata and Mankey.

Floyd, observing Hu Tianyi's rapid compliance, was taken aback. 'Is he really that unattached to his starter Pokémon?' he wondered. He had expected a more challenging negotiation, hence his initial pressure for Hu Tianyi to relinquish all his Pokémon, planning to then settle for just the Squirtle.

If Floyd had known it would be such an easy concession, he would have included Eevee in his demands, knowing the Pokémon's potential was wasted on Hu Tianyi.

Seeing Floyd's hint of disappointment, Hu Tianyi felt a surge of fear, worried Floyd might reconsider. However, his anxiety was unfounded as Floyd nodded in agreement. "Okay, that's it then," Floyd said, finalizing the decision.

Kanraku, who had been silently observing the exchange, looked at Hu Tianyi with a sense of disappointment. The willingness to give up Squirtle so readily seemed to him a regrettable decision, reflecting a lack of understanding of the true value and relation between him and his Pokemon.