It was finally over.
Seeing the news helicopter hovering in the distance, Satoshi felt completely drained. With Tatsumi down, Raichu had already electrocuted Corviknight, and Frogadier, with Rillaboom's help, had finished off Scrafty.
[Sato-baby, you were so cool! Want me to give you a massage?]
"No need," Satoshi said with a small smile as he walked toward his Pokémon.
"Rillaboom, thanks for earlier. I'm really happy you protected me."
"Rilla~ (It's nothing~)," Rillaboom said cheerfully, hands on its hips, clearly pleased.
Next, Satoshi turned to Raichu and Frogadier, gently patting their heads.
"Thanks for your hard work."
"Rai~"
"Koga~"
Of course, he hadn't forgotten the real MVP—Combusken, who'd brought him here.
"You did great, Combusken!" Satoshi called down from the tower. Combusken waved back energetically.
"Yamo~!"
Now that the fight was over, Satoshi could finally relax—except… the trouble he'd caused was a lot bigger than he'd expected.
"You! Are you a student from Rainbow Wing? Your battle just now was incredible! Can I get an interview?"
"Garchomp really was stolen by Team Rocket, wasn't it?!"
After descending Rainbow Wing Tower with Garchomp, Satoshi was immediately surrounded by a swarm of reporters and curious onlookers.
Honestly, he hadn't felt this much pressure even while fighting Team Rocket.
It's not like he could just elbow everyone aside and run.
[Uhehehe~ Sato-baby, you're famous now. Ah, my lovely Sato-baby~♡]
Can you please not lose it right now?!
"Sorry, I can't stay here. If you have questions, contact me tomorrow."
Satoshi rubbed his temples as a headache started to form. At this rate, he'd have to stay home all day tomorrow.
If these people found him again, he probably wouldn't even have time to eat.
Great. Now I've actually become famous.
Unfortunately, reporters were never that easy to deal with.
Just as Satoshi was starting to panic, Officer Jenny's voice cut through the crowd, instantly easing his nerves.
"Excuse me, please make way! Satoshi, we'll take it from here. You should leave for now."
"As for Garchomp, the EcoDome staff will be here soon to handle it."
Officer Jenny pushed through the crowd, speaking gently to Satoshi and Garchomp.
"Gabu~" Garchomp gave a small nod.
"Thank you, Officer Jenny."
Hearing that, Satoshi started to leave—only for Jenny to call out again.
"Satoshi."
"Hmm?"
"There's a princess waiting for you over there. Make sure you treat her gently, alright?"
A princess?
Not sure what she meant, Satoshi took the chance to dash off. Activating Agility, he finally broke free from the crowd. Only now did he realize how fast reporters could run—they'd actually managed to keep up with him earlier when he wasn't using it.
He had to sprint for quite a while before losing them completely.
...
I wonder if Satoshi's alright…?
But he was so incredibly cool earlier…
Nagasaki Soyo leaned against a weathered wall, the evening breeze playing with her hair. Under the soft moonlight, her face glowed gently.
Luckily, she'd brought her Golem to fight Team Rocket earlier; otherwise, things might've gone south fast.
Even so, she had gone a little overboard—Officer Jenny had said as much:
"You went a little too far."
To protect my boyfriend, extreme measures are absolutely justified! There's nothing to feel guilty about!
Instead, Soyo felt proud of herself.
"Soyo~!"
At that moment, Satoshi's voice called from nearby. The instant she saw him, her heart leapt.
She turned and ran toward him without thinking. When she reached him, she threw her arms around him and held him tight.
"Satoshi~ welcome back."
"Yeah, I'm back."
Satoshi's lips curved into a gentle smile.
But Soyo's perverted powers had already kicked into high gear.
Ahh, Satoshi's scent~ I love it.
"Haa~ haa~" Feeling his warmth, her heartbeat sped up, her breath turning shallow. The air between them grew heavy and charged. Her lips trembled faintly.
[Sato-baby, this woman's completely lost in your body. I have a bad feeling. Let's run before she pounces on you.]
What are you even talking about?
Satoshi tilted his head, confused.
They didn't stay like that for long. It was late, and heading home was the best idea. Satoshi was exhausted—today had been a lot.
He figured he'd spend all of tomorrow at home training. After causing such a scene, he needed to let the police sort things out—and avoid reporters at all costs.
"Soyo, let me carry you home."
Satoshi's gaze fell to her leg. She'd been hit during the battle, and though the wound had been treated, a mark still showed on her calf.
[The contrast of her pale skin against her black knee socks was dangerously enticing, paired with delicate loafers on her dainty feet. After a full day, a faint scent lingered in the air—utterly intoxicating.]
[Just one lick of that could probably add a hundred years to your life~ Sato-baby, want to try?]
"Hm?"
"Your leg's injured, right? Let me carry you home."
Ignoring Furiko's usual pervy commentary, Satoshi crouched down, offering her a ride.
"Ah… mm."
Satoshi~ LOVE~♡
Soyo's face flushed bright red as excitement surged through her.
Satoshi gently lifted her legs, helping her onto his back. She wrapped her arms around his neck, cheek pressed against his shoulder, soaking in his warmth.
Love him the most~♡
Her eyes softened, every motion filled with affection.
"Oh, right," Satoshi said suddenly. "Is there anything you want before we head back? I'd like to give you something as thanks."
He'd brought it up on purpose.
After all, without Soyo's help, saving Garchomp would've been impossible.
As for gifts… he had a Firium Z—the most valuable thing he could offer. Without a Z-Ring, it was useless to him anyway.
He really needed to visit Alola soon—not just to get a Z-Ring, but to learn those ridiculously cheesy dances.
Then again, it would feel better to earn Z-Crystals himself, through his own battles.
His battle-obsessed brain immediately started spinning with ideas.
But there was no time for that now. Still, he wanted to visit the laid-back Alola region someday and challenge the Island Kahunas.
"I actually have an Alo—"
Before he could finish, Soyo's face went scarlet. Gathering her courage, she leaned in close and whispered softly in his ear—
"Then… tonight, can I stay at your place?"