This probably doesn't count as a date… It's just repaying a favor.
At the foot of Rainbow Wing Mountain, Togawa Sakiko stood quietly, her cheeks flushed slightly pink, a faint glimmer of anticipation shining in her eyes as she waited for Satoshi's arrival.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves, softly illuminating her cascading hair. Yet, a hint of disappointment lingered; after all, he'd long forgotten about her.
Since leaving her family, Sakiko hadn't interacted normally with others for a long time. When she'd encountered Satoshi again, her pride overwhelmed her, causing her to vent frustration unfairly toward him.
This time, she had to repay his kindness properly.
As a former heiress, her dignity wouldn't allow her to simply accept charity!
---
[Satodear, are you really going to trust that cam—… Sakiko? Waaah~~ I'm so jealous~]
"Stop fooling around. By the way, Furiko, what exactly triggers system tasks?"
Satoshi was sitting along the path, suddenly wondering about this. The system had rarely been reliable; not only were the rewards mediocre, but the tasks themselves hardly appeared.
The rewards he'd received—an [Ability Patch] and a [Friend Ball]—were both purchasable. Given his family's financial situation, they weren't even particularly rare.
[Strong emotions! Whenever my maidenly heart bursts forth, tasks will trigger! Hehe~ Wanna know more about my maidenly heart, Satodear? QWQ, I'll gladly expla—]
"Forget it, I'm not interested."
[Uuu~ Stupid Satoshi! I won't talk to you anymore! ╰（‵□′）╯]
Satoshi interrupted Furiko's nonsense without hesitation.
Whatever it was, it couldn't possibly be serious. Honestly, he wasn't even interested in task rewards, aside from occasional shortcuts.
But "maidenly heart"? Did that mean physically heavy?
Satoshi puzzled over it briefly, not fully understanding, but he didn't dwell long. Soon, he spotted Sakiko waiting nearby.
Seeing her, he quickly got to his feet and hurried over.
"Good afternoon, Sakiko."
"Ah, good afternoon."
Soon, they began walking along the mountain path together.
Sakiko's cheeks flushed, unsure what to say.
She hadn't interacted closely with boys her age for a very long time. Her only past experience was…with this exact same boy. It felt awkward to speak openly now.
Should she resort to Pokémon battles with Milotic again?
She wasn't foolish enough to think battles counted as a proper date anyway.
Besides, this wasn't actually a date, merely repaying a favor.
She had no idea, though, that Pokémon battles were exactly Satoshi's language.
Now Sakiko, the former heiress with vast battle experience, faced her greatest dilemma yet:
I'm about to catch Pokémon with my childhood friend! How should I talk to him? Urgent advice needed!
After much internal debate, Sakiko secretly glanced at Satoshi.
But Satoshi's thoughts were filled entirely with images of Rillaboom, completely unaware of her gaze.
How do I catch Grookey?
Grookey was purely Grass-type, resisting both Electric and Water attacks—a terrible matchup for Raichu and Froakie.
Froakie definitely couldn't handle it, leaving Raichu as the best option.
He could paralyze Grookey with [Nuzzle], then attack with [Thunderbolt] and [Iron Tail], relying on speed to win.
That seemed logical, except if [Grookey] had the [Grassy Surge] ability, it could use [Grassy Glide].
[Grassy Glide]:Attacks by sliding along the ground. Always strikes first under [Grassy Terrain].
Even [Paralyzed], it would remain dangerously fast—something he couldn't underestimate.
Precisely because of this ability and [Grassy Glide], Rillaboom had become the strongest Grass-type starter.
In Scarlet and Violet's doubles battles, Rillaboom was famously among the best. Any Water-type Pokémon would practically go extinct when it appeared.
It was truly a heavyweight Pokémon!
Torterra couldn't even shine Rillaboom's shoes.
Nicknames like the "Four Heavenly Kings" and other absurd titles weren't exaggerations.
I'm a huge Rillaboom fan. It's just way too cool!
Observing Rillaboom's strength, Satoshi couldn't help thinking this way.
"Sakiko, let's bring out our Pokémon," Satoshi said cautiously, releasing Raichu onto the mountain trail.
"Rai~ Rai~"
Given the unpredictable terrain, he knew they had to stay vigilant.
This was still a mountain, after all. Danger could lurk anywhere.
"Ah, right. I'll just—" Before Sakiko finished speaking, she tripped over her own feet, suddenly losing her balance and pitching forward.
"Huh? Ah!" Hearing the noise, Satoshi spun around instantly, catching Sakiko just before she hit the ground, pulling her gently into his arms. Her face pressed softly against his chest.
"Are you alright?" He instinctively wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. Thankfully, his quick reflexes had prevented her fall.
So warm…
"I—I'm fine. Thank you…" Sakiko felt heat rush to her cheeks at his warmth.
She shyly pulled herself out of his embrace, maintaining a safe distance.
Why is she acting so weird?
Satoshi tilted his head, puzzled.
[Satodear… Seriously? I'll teach you later. She's embarrassed, obviously!]
Furiko sounded exasperated, finally enlightening Satoshi.
Oh, I see now!
Women were complicated. Better just focus on catching Grookey!
Totally oblivious, Satoshi decided Sakiko wasn't nearly as cool as Rillaboom anyway!
Calm down, it's just your childhood friend…
Meanwhile, Sakiko nervously took out her Poké Ball, hands trembling slightly after the awkward encounter. Sweaty palms made the ball slip from her grasp.
"Ah!"
Seeing it fall, Satoshi quickly caught the Poké Ball, gently placing it back in Sakiko's hand.
"You okay?"
"Thank you…"
An awkward silence filled the air. Raichu deliberately looked away, sensing something embarrassingly romantic in the atmosphere.
"Rai rai…" (Bad timing… Froakie, please rescue me…)
With Furiko's gentle prompting, Satoshi suddenly understood Sakiko's embarrassment. Resolutely, he took her hand, hoping to reassure her.
[Huh?!]
"Eh?"
Sakiko stared at their joined hands, her body trembling harder, yet Satoshi seemed utterly unconcerned with letting go.
"If you're nervous, just hold onto me. I'll be right here with you."
He smiled warmly, hoping to ease her anxiety.
[Oh my god, when did you get this smooth?!]
Furiko blurted, unable to hold back her shock.
What? I'm just helping her overcome shyness!
Truthfully, Satoshi considered himself exceptionally sensitive to women's feelings.
If embarrassment was an issue, tackle it head-on—fight it until it was completely overcome!
As for Sakiko liking him?
Firstly: Impossible.
Secondly: He was destined to be a Pokémon Master. Women were nothing but trouble!
"No, actually, it's better if you let go…"
Seeing his sincere face, Sakiko lowered her gaze without explaining further.
She'd never been this close with a boy her age before.
"Alright. Just tell me whenever you need me—I'll always help."
Respecting her wish, Satoshi gently released her hand.
Wait, you actually let go that easily?!
Sakiko inhaled deeply, steadying herself. Though disappointed, she released Milotic from its Poké Ball.
She couldn't help feeling slightly off-balance. Satoshi's straightforwardness showed no romantic intentions at all.
"Milotic…am I really that unattractive?" Sakiko stroked Milotic's graceful head, melancholy seeping into her voice.
"Woo? Woo~" Milotic shook its head reassuringly.
Appearance-wise, Sakiko easily matched Milotic's elegance. If she lacked charm, other girls would have nowhere to hide.
It was merely Satoshi's personality being excessively direct.
Unaware of their conversation, Satoshi was busy scanning the area with his monocular, sensing he'd heard monkey-like sounds nearby.
"Pachi…pachi…"
"Hey, that's enough. Haha~ Once I report this to headquarters, promotion is guaranteed!"
An adult man's voice echoed through the trees, making Satoshi's eyes widen in alarm.