Misty's sudden approach gave Delia, who was currently combing her hair, a real fright!
Delia was still holding a leaf she had just plucked from Misty's hair, her whole body frozen.
Her gentle eyes were wide as she watched Misty get so close to Roy's face that they were almost touching, her heart skipping a beat.
Eh?
This... this girl... why so sudden... are they about to kiss?
Delia's cheeks felt slightly hot, and a strange sense of sourness welled up in her heart for no reason, but mostly it was the shock and bashfulness of thinking, "Are young people today so bold and direct?"
She subconsciously gripped the comb in her hand, standing there, a bit at a loss.
Meanwhile, from Roy's perspective.
Misty's face was within inches.
Delia had already carefully combed her short orange hair; it now lay smoothly against the side of her ear, the ends still a bit damp, likely from the night dew.
The dancing warm light of the bonfire reflected on her face; her skin was smooth and tight, with a healthy flush from exercise, and there was a tiny bead of sweat on the tip of her nose.
Her features were sharp and well-defined, her large eyes bright and spirited, her long eyelashes like little brushes.
Her pink lips were slightly parted, and her warm breath, carrying the scent of food, brushed gently against Roy's face.
Roy evaluated the scene calmly in his mind.
She looks much prettier than in the anime.
As expected, the ancient image quality of the Original Series completely buried this mermaid's natural beauty.
With these looks, in reality, she would definitely be a top-tier beautiful girl.
Especially at this distance, with this unadorned sense of reality.
The fine texture of her skin, the firelight reflected in her pupils, he could even see a tiny grain of rice stuck to the corner of her mouth.
She was full of vivid vitality.
Misty stared into Roy's eyes for several seconds, seemingly trying to find any trace of a joke or bluff.
But she failed.
Roy's gaze was calm and deep, like a pool of water, showing no ripples.
Suddenly, the corner of Misty's mouth curved up, revealing a smile filled with mischief and curiosity.
Her pink lips parted slightly, her voice lowered, carrying a hint of playfulness:
"I'm really curious..."
"How this little mouth of yours can say such big words~"
She deliberately emphasized "little mouth" and "big words," her warm breath puffing against Roy's lips.
Roy also smiled faintly.
He knew Misty's personality: competitive, unwilling to lose, and highly curious.
This kind of personality was easy to guide.
"You don't believe me?"
Roy leaned back slightly, creating a bit of distance, but his gaze remained Lock-On Misty.
"Think I'm bragging?"
"Hehe, anyway, I've never seen a rookie Trainer who dares to treat the Indigo Champion as a'small goal'." Misty also sat up straight, crossing her arms, wearing an expression of "let's see how you make this up."
"That's simple."
Roy picked up his water cup, took a sip, his tone as casual as if discussing the weather.
"You can join us and travel together."
"See for yourself how I do it."
Reverse psychology.
Blunt, but effective.
Sure enough, Misty's eyes widened instantly.
"Join you guys?"
"Yes." Roy nodded. "Don't you want to become a Water-type Pokémon Master? On the journey, we'll encounter various Water-Type Gyms, lakes, and rivers. Following us won't delay your training."
"And..."
He glanced at the frying pan still warming over the fire.
"You've already tasted Sister Delia's cooking skills."
This sentence was a precise strike to her weak point!
Misty's throat moved involuntarily as she stole a glance at the pan where the aroma still lingered.
Her stomach cooperated with a soft "growl."
The food Sister Delia makes is really... incredibly delicious!
The sausages were fried crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the mushrooms were so fresh her tongue almost fell off... If she could eat this every day... She shook her head violently, temporarily suppressing her "foodie" thoughts, and coughed to feign composure:
"Hmph! I mainly want to see if you actually have real ability! It's... it's not for the food!"
But those shining eyes had already betrayed her.
"So?" Roy raised an eyebrow.
"Fine, okay!"
Misty hardly hesitated and agreed immediately.
She agreed so quickly that she even stunned herself after saying it.
Uh... did I agree too fast? Does it make me look easy?
Her cheeks turned slightly red, but she quickly became self-righteous again.
Anyway... anyway, I'm just curious! I want to see what right this guy has to be so arrogant!
Besides... really just besides... being able to eat Sister Delia's cooking... After agreeing to Roy, Misty finally remembered there was another person.
She quickly turned her head toward Delia, who was still a bit dazed while holding the comb, and immediately put on a sweet smile, her tone carrying a hint of Charm:
"Um... Sister Delia!"
"Can I join you guys? Would it be a bother?"
Although Delia was older than Roy, she was a gentle woman at heart.
From the moment Roy arrived, Delia had basically handed everything over to him, following his lead on most decisions.
She saw that Roy was goading Misty into the team, so she also nodded.
"Of course you can."
A gentle smile bloomed on Delia's face again. She stepped forward and lightly patted Misty's shoulder, brushing off the last bit of grass from her collar.
"With more people, the journey will be livelier and safer."
"That's great! Thank you, Sister Delia!"
Misty happily hugged Delia's arm and nuzzled it affectionately.
Just like that.
Before the meal was even finished.
The first task of the Misty line—"Becoming Travel Partners"—was easily accomplished.
[Ding!]
The system's notification sound rang clearly in Roy's mind.
[Task One Complete!]
[Harmonious Family Aura, loaded successfully!]
A warm current quietly flowed through Roy's limbs; it was subtle, but it definitely existed.
He looked at Delia and Misty, who were huddled together talking.
Delia was smiling gently, asking Misty if she was afraid of the cold at night and if she needed an extra blanket.
Misty looked touched, waving her hands to say no while her eyes sparkled at the soft blanket Delia pulled from her backpack.
The atmosphere between them was harmonious and natural, with no trace of the awkwardness or distance of just having met.
It was as if they were meant to be sisters.
Is this the effect of the aura... Roy inwardly praised.
The travel group had officially expanded from two to three people.
And the successful loading of the Harmonious Family Aura also laid the most stable and harmonious foundation for a potentially larger "family size" in the future... The night passed without incident.
Inside the tent, Delia and Misty slept on the inner side, while Roy slept on the outer side. Pikachu and Eevee curled up on a soft mat in the corner of the tent.
Misty was probably exhausted; almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she began breathing steadily and lightly.
Delia lay on her side, watching Roy's blurred silhouette in the darkness for a good while before slowly closing her eyes... The next morning.
Amidst the fragrant breakfast prepared by Delia, the three of them packed their gear with high spirits, extinguished the fire, and set off on their continued journey.
The group had officially become a trio.
Misty walked at the very front with light steps, full of energy.
Delia walked in the middle, responding gently, holding a small notebook to record edible berries and mushrooms seen along the way.
Roy brought up the rear, scanning the surroundings while keeping an eye on the system map and script information in his mind.
Pikachu was perched on his shoulder, and Eevee followed at his feet.
The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.
However, as noon approached, the sky suddenly darkened.
Large patches of dark clouds gathered without warning.
"Oh dear, it looks like it's going to rain." Delia looked up at the sky.
Just as she finished speaking, bean-sized raindrops came crashing down.
This rain came suddenly and felt strange; it wasn't particularly heavy, but the clouds were a somber deep gray, with a hint of an indescribable, subtle rainbow light mixed in.
"Quick! There's a cave over there!" Misty, being sharp-eyed, pointed to a cliff face not far ahead and shouted.
The three of them quickly picked up their pace and rushed into the small natural cave.
Just as they entered the cave, before they could even wipe the rain from their bodies.
Suddenly, a magnificent seven-colored light cut through the gloomy sky without warning!
It was as if a hole had been torn through the thick layer of clouds!
The light swirled, sacred and majestic, carrying an inexpressible ancient aura that instantly drew everyone's gaze.
"What is... that?" Misty's mouth hung open as she stared blankly at the sky.
Delia also covered her mouth, her eyes full of shock.
Roy's pupils constricted slightly.
Without hesitation, he quickly pulled his pokédex from the side pocket of his backpack.
He raised the pokédex, aiming it at the direction where the seven-colored light was disappearing.
Although it could no longer be seen clearly with the naked eye, he knew what it was.
The script clearly recorded—near Pallet Town, at the beginning of the protagonist's journey, Ho-Oh had made a fleeting appearance.
Click! Click! Click!
Roy used the pokédex's burst mode to its fullest, the high-speed lens frantically capturing the remaining energy trails in the sky and that fleeting, noble figure.
The rain and mist affected the clarity, and Ho-Oh's speed was faster than imagined.
Ultimately, the pokédex screen only managed to freeze three photos of varying degrees of blurriness.
"Are you really this excited over a Shinny Fearow?"
Misty's puzzled voice rang in his ear.
She had unknowingly moved close to Roy, standing on tiptoe, curiously looking at the photos on the pokédex screen.
The rain had dampened her short orange bangs, and a few wet strands clung to her smooth cheeks.
Because she was so close, the fresh scent of rain mixed with her youthful fragrance wafted over.
The hem of her ultra-short midriff-baring top was also a bit wet, clinging to her slender waist and abdomen, outlining an alluring curve.
Roy turned his head and could see her profile within inches, along with her long eyelashes trembling slightly with curiosity.
"A Shinny Fearow?" Roy smiled, withdrew his gaze, and looked at the pokédex: "This isn't a Fearow."
"Then what is it? A Pidgeot? Or some bird Pokemon I've never seen before?" Misty's knowledge of non-Water-Type Pokemon was clearly limited.
"What it is doesn't matter." Roy didn't explain directly; after all, the existence of Ho-Oh was too distant and mythical for ordinary Trainers.
"What matters is that the footage of this thing is worth a lot of money."
"Worth money?"
"If I post it on a Forum, people will scramble to pay for it."
Before building enough fame and securing a stable source of funds, the path of a Pokemon training journey was actually very expensive.
Pokemon food, Potions, various items, travel expenses, equipment maintenance... Many Trainers from ordinary families worked along the way, stopping and starting, and even needed to take on escort or search missions to sustain their travels.
Although Delia had said she had some savings from years of work and that it would last a long time if they were frugal.
But Roy didn't intend to rely on Delia's money forever.
Firstly, traveling while pinching pennies would inevitably be restrictive and affect training efficiency.
Secondly, always spending a woman's money felt a bit awkward after all.
Therefore, using "script information asymmetry" to create wealth was a part of the plan Roy had made long ago.
Rare Pokemon that could be captured would naturally be captured as much as possible.
Those that couldn't be captured for now, or those like Ho-Oh that only made a fleeting appearance, he had to find ways to extract value from them—such as selling rare visual materials.
On Trainer Forums, there was never a shortage of Researchers, Collectors, and wealthy enthusiasts full of curiosity and desire for various rare and legendary Pokemon.
A photo of Ho-Oh with enough clarity, even if it was just a distant shot, was enough to cause a small-scale sensation and bidding war.
"People actually pay for photos of a Fearow? How strange~"
Misty curled her lip, clearly still finding it hard to understand.
She only had eyes for Water-Type Pokemon; in her view, if one had spare cash, it would be better spent on buying Vaporeon scales or Milotic feather model collections.
Roy didn't explain much, just put away his pokédex and continued toward Viridian City...
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