[Ding! Romance Side Mission Triggered — Suzie: Help Suzie catch three suitable Pokémon and receive an ambiguously intimate thank-you from her!]
[Mission Reward: Adult Poké Ball ×1
Three-Thousand Beauties Aura: This aura ensures perfect harmony among all love interests. No jealousy. No drama. Ever.]
Hmm! Not bad! System, I see you're pulling out the stops for our newest party member.
Catching three Pokémon? Easy. But that "ambiguously intimate thank-you" part…
How ambiguous are we talking?
If you don't set boundaries, I might just go all in.
Kazuki mentally teased the quest log, then glanced over the reward again.
Another Adult Poké Ball. He still hadn't used the last two—not even when recruiting Officer Jenny at Maiden's Peak or Sabrina. They might come in handy next time someone truly special comes along.
As for that Three-Thousand Beauties Aura…
Kazuki looked up at Misty and Suzie, who were chatting and organizing supplies together. The two were getting along wonderfully, laughing in sync.
Honestly, they didn't need an aura to stay harmonious.
Still… having it wouldn't hurt. Especially once his Private Estate started filling up with girls, young wives, mature ladies… and especially someone like Sabrina with her yandere tendencies.
Yeah. On second thought… that aura was absolutely essential.
He could keep Sabrina in check now, but what about when he was off battling in League tournaments? Her psychic powers might wreak havoc while he was away.
Having this aura would ensure no one got hurt at home.
Alright. Let's go, then.
Kazuki closed the romance mission panel and collected his rewards.
[Congratulations, Host! You've successfully corrected the misguided beauty ideals of Scissor Street's Pokémon Trainers and inspired Suzie to take her first step toward her dream!]
[Beginner Lightning Speed Aura Loaded.]
[Justice Reputation +1.]
After clearing out the last of his notifications, Kazuki marked Suzie as an official party member on his map tracker.
And with that, Suzie joined Kazuki and Misty on their journey.
At first, things were a little awkward. Misty had grown used to clinging to Kazuki at random moments, but with Suzie now around, she found herself more reserved.
Fortunately, time, food, and late-night heart-to-hearts smoothed things over. Suzie, with her high emotional intelligence, took the initiative to talk about some private topics—sensing Misty's discomfort and easing her tension. Not to mention, Suzie had never been in a relationship before and was genuinely curious about men.
Once she learned that Misty supported polygamy, she started asking her questions directly.
Misty, now thoroughly "educated" by Kazuki, was already on a higher level. She often had Suzie blushing and tongue-tied in their late-night conversations.
But hey—blushing leads to bonding.
In just a few short days, the three of them had grown incredibly close.
With Misty playing the role of a capable "first wife," Kazuki didn't rush things with Suzie. After all, love—like tofu—can't be forced while it's still hot.
His current focus was on leveling up his Pokémon.
Celadon City was massive and flashy, but it lacked the kind of wild Pokémon he needed.
After farming a bunch of Rattata on the outskirts, Kazuki hadn't run into any decent clusters since.
Only Charmeleon, trained with the Elite Trainer Kit, had gained any real progress.
[Pokémon: Charmeleon | Level 30 → Level 32]
Just some levels away from evolving into Charizard.
An Elite-trained Charizard was a powerhouse, no doubt.
But when it came time to challenge the Cinnabar Gym, Kazuki still wasn't sure if Charizard would be the best pick against Blaine's Magmar. If their levels were too far apart, it might be smarter to rely on Wartortle's type advantage.
Wartortle was already Level 33. By the time they reached Cinnabar, it would be a full-grown Blastoise.
And then there was Bulbasaur. Thanks to the Legendary Miracle Seed, it had reached Level 38. By the time of the Gym battle, it might even be on par with Magmar.
That would also fulfill the final requirement for the Type Disadvantage Master Mission.
In short—the entire starter trio could see action. The future looked promising.
Kazuki was daydreaming about strategies when a figure appeared up ahead: a Pokémon, right in the middle of the road, punching the air.
"What the heck is going on? Is it… shadow boxing?" Misty squinted at the strange scene.
"That's a Hitmonchan. Fighting-type Pokémon," Suzie explained, drawing from her deep knowledge.
Kazuki looked closer. The Hitmonchan was drenched in sweat, its skin lined with exhaustion.
It looked familiar…
High-tier level, but not quite Elite…
Oh! This must be near the P1 Grand Prix area!
Could this Hitmonchan belong to Anthony, that fight-crazed maniac?
Judging by its condition, it had clearly been overtrained.
If it still hadn't broken through to the Elite tier after all that work, maybe the Pokémon lacked potential—or maybe its Trainer just sucked.
"Hey! You there, Trainers!"
A burly man in a sweat-soaked tank top suddenly popped out behind the Hitmonchan.
"You've got a Pikachu—that makes you a Trainer, right?!"
"I'm Anthony! A man who lives to become the Fighting Champion!"
"Come on, kid! Let's have a true battle—man to man—Fist to fist! Pokémon-style!"
Anthony was obsessed with fighting.
Every time a Trainer passed by, he would leap out and challenge them, whether they agreed or not.
"Seriously? He's blocking the road to force battles now?" Misty deadpanned. "What is this, a stick-up? Team Rocket vibes."
"Kazuki, I don't think that guy's mentally stable…" Suzie said gently, worried about Kazuki getting dragged into something unsafe.
"Yeah, let's just go around him," Misty agreed.
Although the system did mention educating Anthony as a task, Kazuki didn't really feel like bullying a half-crazed musclehead on the roadside.
He figured he'd save the lesson for the P1 arena itself.
"Relax, I—"
"Ready or not, kid—I'm coming in HOT!"
But Anthony was already too far gone in his obsession. With zero warning, he shouted out a command, sending Hitmonchan flying in with a devastating punch.
"STOP!!"
A red-haired girl with braided pigtails and a short blue skirt burst out of the bushes and threw herself between them.
Hitmonchan's fist was already in its final swing—no time to stop.
Just when everyone thought the girl was about to take a brutal hit—
Kazuki stepped in and caught the punch with his bare hand, pulling the girl safely behind him.
Everyone around him—Misty, Suzie, the girl—was stunned.
"Oh my god… Kazuki, are you a human Fighting-type Pokémon?! You caught that barehanded!! That's insane!!" Misty clapped, totally impressed.
"Are you okay?! Did it hurt?" The red-haired girl quickly grabbed Kazuki's hand, eyes full of concern.
Suzie's eyes went wide. Wait. Isn't that something Misty, his girlfriend, should be doing?
She glanced over at Misty… who was still clapping, smiling admiringly.
"Aren't you going to check on Kazuki?" Suzie asked, clearing her throat.
"Huh?" Misty looked at the other girl and grinned.
"Looks like someone already beat me to it."
"Let him enjoy being the hero for once. Who knows? Maybe we're about to gain another sister."
"Wha—I… We?! You're not serious… right?!" Suzie blushed furiously.
The red-haired girl checked Kazuki over once more, then stepped forward, visibly upset.
"Dad! You can't just ambush people like that!"
"Do you even know how many people you've hurt already?!"
"Rebecca?! What are you doing here?" Anthony blinked, his manic energy finally starting to fade.
"Please, Dad. Come home. Don't let this obsession take over your life," Rebecca pleaded, tears brimming in her eyes.
But Anthony had long since placed his fighting dream above everything else—even family.
He rubbed his head and muttered stubbornly, "Not until I win the P1 Championship.
No matter who challenges me—I won't back down."
"Kid, your moves were solid. I hope to see you on that P1 stage!"
"Come on, Hitmonchan. Let's keep training!"
And just like that, he ran off down the road, daughter forgotten.
"That guy's not all there, is he?" Misty said, watching him vanish.
"All that for a fighting tournament? Hasn't he hit his expiration date as a fighter already?"
As she spoke, she walked over to Kazuki, took his hand, and began massaging it with natural ease.
Then she looked up, noticed Rebecca watching, and gave an awkward smile.
"Uhh… sorry, Rebecca. I didn't mean to insult your dad…"
"It's okay," Rebecca shook her head. "You were just being honest. I'm not mad."
She glanced at Kazuki and Misty's hand-holding and realized they were a couple.
"I'm really sorry my dad scared you. You're just travelers, right?"
"If you don't mind… I'd like to offer you a place to stay tonight, free of charge. It's the least I can do."
"A roof and a bed? We definitely don't mind!" Misty lit up at the offer.
Free lodging? Count her in!
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