The dilemma of which travel approach to adopt had indeed troubled Hayashi and Erina for quite some time. Their indecision persisted even after arriving in Pewter City, making Hisako feel compelled to intervene.
Following Hisako's suggestion, Hayashi and Erina contacted Professor Oak via video phone for advice.
Upon hearing their concerns, Professor Oak wore an expression torn between amusement and exasperation. "Gengar is a special case—don't expect it to happen again! As for meeting Pikachu... young lady, imagine if you'd chosen a different travel method and encountered a different Pikachu. Would you still be asking me this question?"
Erina paused, then slowly nodded after a few seconds of contemplation—had she met another Pikachu, she likely would have questioned, "What if it wasn't this one?"
"So it doesn't matter whether it's this specific one. What matters is which Pokémon you actually encounter and bond with," Professor Oak chuckled, casually opening a pack of spicy beef noodles. "The Pokémon you meet and come to know is the one destined for you."
"I understand." Erina took a deep breath and bowed respectfully to Professor Oak. "Thank you, Professor Oak—"
...
...
"So—" Hisako, relieved that the matter was finally resolved, patted her chest as she watched the two return. "Are we continuing our journey by going wherever interests us?"
"Let's do that!" Hayashi nodded, unfolding a map of the Pokémon world. "Currently, there are eight regions: Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, Sinnoh, Unova, Kalos, Alola, and Galar. But judging by how difficult it was for Professor Oak to obtain Milcery for you, the Galar region probably isn't fully accessible yet, so we can ignore it for now—"
"So that leaves seven regions to choose from?"
Hisako and Erina huddled together, carefully examining the map. Occasionally, they opened their Pokédex to search for travel guides on each region, comparing similar attractions and jotting down notes on paper...
'Wow, this level of enthusiasm is on par with shopping sprees—' Hayashi couldn't help but twitch his lips. He could tell that Erina and Hisako had already entered a state of frenzied travel excitement.
Honestly, the environment of the Pokémon world is truly unmatched by any other—beautiful natural scenery combined with unique Pokémon, not to mention the even more fascinating regional variants...
'Sorry, but if it were me, I wouldn't be able to resist either.'
Hayashi shrugged and leaned in, saying, "First off, we're definitely going to the Alola region! You've both seen the Pokédex, right? Alolan Vulpix is just about the cutest thing ever, isn't it?"
"..."
Erina and Hisako exchanged glances before speaking in unison: "Absolutely!"
Regular Vulpix is already adorable enough, but Alolan Vulpix, with its snowy-white fur, takes cuteness to a whole new level. And when it evolves into Ninetales, that elegance and grace—suddenly, I can kinda understand their's obsession!
"Speaking of which, why don't you each catch a Vulpix?" Hayashi's eyes lit up as he suggested. "One regular Vulpix, one Alolan Vulpix—proof of sisterhood while still being unique. How perfect would that be?"
"!"
A giant exclamation mark popped up above Erina and Hisako's heads. They nodded in sync, declaring, "We love that idea!"
Between girls—especially close friends—it's common to have matching things, like couple outfits! Think shared shampoo brands, similar clothing, or identical phone charms.
But compared to Hayashi's proposal, those things are just lame, okay? We're talking about regional variant Pokémon here. Clothes, perfumes, charms—what do they have on this? Nothing!
Of course, it also helps that Hayashi suggested Vulpix/Alolan Vulpix, given how ethereally gorgeous these little creatures are. On the flip side, if he'd proposed Rattata, Diglett, Geodude, or Grimer, he'd definitely be eating cilantro noodles, celery stir-fry, and fishy-tasting herbs for dinner.
...
...
"So yeah, women in a frenzy are genuinely terrifying."
In his private room, Hayashi lay sideways on the bed while Eevee sprawled belly-up in his arms, happily letting him stroke her soft underbelly fur. Sitting in front of him, back turned, was Gengar, intently operating a controller as Ethan battled mold monsters.
"They've been discussing nonstop from 6:30 to 8:30! And they're probably still at it—how horrifying!"
"Gahahaha!"
Count yourself lucky they're just debating among themselves and didn't drag you into it.
"Ugh, true—" Just imagining being cornered by Erina and Hisako to discuss travel plans made Hayashi shudder. "So scary! My sweet Eevee is way better—adorable and smells amazing~"
"Eve~!"
Praise received, happiness achieved~
Eevee let out an overjoyed sound, her little tail wagging so fast it blurred—Stop that, you're a fox, not a dog!
"So cute~"
Hayashi brought his face close to Eevee's, pressing his nose against Eevee's as they locked eyes.
Eevee blinked its innocent eyes, staring at Hayashi with an unbearably adorable expression that made him lose control—he buried his face into Eevee's belly and took a deep breath.
"Ah—"
Cat-sniffing? Pah! What do cats have that can compare to my Eevee!? Bah, bah, bah—Eevee is number one in the world, and Sylveon is number one in the universe!
"Eve eve!"
Eevee let out cheerful cries, making Gengar nearby shoot a jealous glance—distracted, the character she was controlling got smacked to death by a suddenly appearing monster.
"Geehee!"
Ah, dead!
Gengar set the controller down on the table, then crossed her arms and floated into the air, looking down at Hayashi and Eevee while stomping her feet in frustration. "Geehee geehee!" she said.
You should cuddle me too! Look how plump I am—I bet I feel amazing!
"Huh?"
Hayashi raised his head with a strange expression, eyeing Gengar. "Uh, Gengar, you don't have fur like Eevee. Cuddling you would just feel weird."
"Geehee!?"
Gengar was shocked. She patted her round body, then floated closer to Hayashi, waving her arms urgently. "Geehee geehee!" she insisted.
I might not have fur, but my body is super soft! It's really comfy to hug—try it!
"Alright, alright—"
Hayashi sat up from the bed and opened his arms to hug Gengar, who did the same.
"Geehee?" How is it?
"Feels like hugging a balloon—" Hayashi squinted. "Soft, and really bouncy."
"Geehee geehee!"
Gengar grinned smugly, proudly declaring that he should hug her more often—it's the best!
"Well, maybe in summer, but definitely not in winter—"
Hayashi let go of Gengar and patted her "waist." "Your body's kinda cold, Gengar. Feels great in summer, but it'd be freezing in winter."
"Eve?" Cold?
Curious, Eevee hopped over and lightly tapped Gengar with its paw, then brightened up.
"Eve!" It's true! So cool and comfy!
"Right?" Hayashi chuckled. "Gengar's the perfect natural air conditioner—but only in summer!"
"Geehee!!"
Waaah, I don't want this kind of body! I wanna snuggle in winter too!
...
...
The next morning, after enjoying Erina's cooking, the three of them sat at the table with their Pokémon.
"Ahem! Since we've decided to travel, let's pick our next destination!" Erina excitedly pulled out the notebook she and Hisako had spent all night planning with.
"By the way, what about Pewter City?" Hayashi scratched his cheek. "We're already here—shouldn't we visit the Pewter Gym?"
"…"
Erina and Hisako exchanged glances, then shook their heads in unison.
"No!"
"Can't stand Brock!"
"Exactly!"
"The moment he sees Erina, he'll definitely rush over and grab her hand. I absolutely won't allow that to happen!"
Hayashi listened to Erina and Hisako taking turns condemning Brock, unable to suppress a wry smile. If Brock knew that his "enthusiastic" behavior in the anime had caused such beauties to keep him at arm's length, he'd probably feel like throwing a fiery punch at his animated self.
Amusing.
"So where's your planned first stop?" Hayashi propped his chin on his hand and asked curiously.
"Of course—"
Erina and Hisako exchanged glances, then simultaneously pointed to the center of the map and declared in unison: "Saffron City!"
"Huh? Saffron City?" Hayashi blinked in surprise, then said with astonishment, "I thought you'd choose Celadon City! After all, Celadon's perfumes are incredibly famous in this world!"
Upon hearing his words, Erina and Hisako shot him an exasperated glare.
"Idiot!" Erina huffed. "We're chefs! Don't you know that chefs aren't allowed to wear perfume because it could affect the taste of their dishes?"
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