The violent tremor sent Misty tumbling into the pool with a startled cry, kicking up a huge splash.
Luckily, she had grown up around water and was an excellent swimmer. After a couple of quick strokes, she stabilized herself, wiped the water from her face, and looked around in confusion.
"What's going on? An earthquake?"
Before she could finish—
"To protect the world from devastation!"
A high-pitched female voice rang out from outside the venue.
Immediately followed by a male voice:
"To unite all peoples within our nation!"
…"Meowth, that's right!"
The side wall of the Gym suddenly shattered!
Debris flew everywhere as dust filled the air.
A massive, garishly painted modified vehicle crashed through the wall and barreled inside!
The front of the vehicle was fitted with an exaggerated two-meter-wide suction cup. A blurry Cerulean City emblem was printed on the side—it was clearly a stolen and heavily modified municipal engineering truck.
The old acquaintances: Team Rocket.
Yuuto looked at the vehicle, lips twitching.
Jenny had searched the whole city that morning, and the culprits really were these three.
Still, their hands-on ability was genuinely impressive. They could whip up this kind of black-tech contraption on short notice.
They failed every single time they tried to catch Pikachu, but they never fell behind when it came to inventions.
After every failure they improved: anti-electric coatings, waterproof structures, anti-paralysis devices… If they applied that research spirit to the right path, they could probably compete with the bald guy and the wolf king.
"Hahaha, eh?"
Inside the cockpit, Jessie poked her head out.
She looked at the group standing by the pool below and froze.
"Why are there only people? Where's the massive amount of Water-type Pokémon that were supposed to be stored here?"
She turned and glared at Meowth in the passenger seat.
"Meowth! You said you scouted the situation!"
"I—I really saw tons of Trainers storing their Pokémon when I checked yesterday evening, meow!"
"Useless!"
Jessie punched Meowth on the head.
At that moment, James suddenly pointed downward and shouted:
"Wait! Jessie, look over there!"
He was pointing directly at Yuuto.
"That brat! And Pikachu!"
"Ha!"
Jessie's eyes lit up instantly.
"It's a small world! Brat, since we've run into you, we'll be taking that super-powerful Pikachu of yours!"
She waved her hand grandly.
"Meowth, do it—Super Suction Mode, full power!"
"Yes! Meow!"
Meowth slammed a red button on the control panel.
The giant suction cup at the front of the vehicle roared to life.
A terrifying suction force erupted!
The entire battle arena shook violently.
The water in the pool instantly formed a whirlpool, surging frantically toward the suction cup.
Misty, who had just stabilized herself, was the first to be caught. Her body was pulled uncontrollably toward the device.
She paddled desperately, but she couldn't resist the overwhelming force.
"Misty!"
Sakura's face changed drastically from the stands.
Without hesitation, she leaped into the pool.
"Sister!"
Ayame and Peony cried out in alarm.
Sakura swam hard toward Misty and grabbed her wrist.
"Hold on to me!"
But she had underestimated the suction in the water.
With the two of them holding onto each other, they were dragged toward the giant suction cup even faster.
The whirlpool grew fiercer, the roar of rushing water deafening.
"Oh no…"
Sakura gritted her teeth and kicked her legs desperately, but she still couldn't stop being pulled back.
The suction cup was getting closer; they could already see the high-speed rotating turbine blades inside.
If they were sucked in, the consequences would be unthinkable!
At that critical moment—
**Splash!**
Another person dove into the water.
A figure cut through the current like a marlin, swimming rapidly toward the sisters.
Yuuto's swimming skills were excellent. In just a few powerful strokes, he caught up with Sakura and Misty.
A pair of strong arms wrapped around both of their slender waists at the same time!
"Eh?"
Sakura and Misty both stiffened.
They felt the firm, powerful, masculine grip on their waists.
Yuuto's arm muscles tensed as he fought against the water current.
Treading water and using his core strength, he actually managed to drag the two of them backward, bit by bit, against the suction.
"Butterfree!"
Butterfree in the air immediately understood. Its eyes glowed blue.
**Confusion** activated, enveloping the struggling Staryu in the water and forcibly pulling it out of the whirlpool!
By now, Yuuto had already dragged Sakura and Misty to the edge of the pool.
"Get up!"
He used both hands to give a firm push, sending Misty onto the shore first.
Then he grabbed Sakura's waist and hips with both hands and hoisted her up.
"Mnh~"
Sakura let out a soft moan.
She could clearly feel Yuuto's palms pressed firmly against her swimsuit-clad buttocks.
Warm. Powerful.
She could even feel the outline of his fingers.
Her cheeks instantly flushed red.
But given the urgency, she couldn't afford to be shy. With his help, she climbed onto the shore.
Finally, Yuuto propped himself up with one hand and flipped out of the water.
The entire sequence was smooth and fluid, taking only a dozen seconds.
Ayame and Peony on the stands were stunned.
"So… so cool…" Ayame murmured.
Peony, however, stared at Yuuto's soaked T-shirt clinging to his body, her eyes sparkling slightly.
"His build… is pretty good~"
Yuuto stood firm and looked at the modified vehicle that was still frantically sucking up water, a cold smile curling on his lips.
"Pikachu, jump in."
Pikachu immediately understood Yuuto's intention.
With a kick of its short legs, it proactively leaped toward the giant suction cup.
"Aha!"
Inside the cockpit, James shouted excitedly.
"That super-powerful Pikachu delivered itself right to us!"
"Great! Suck it in!" Jessie slapped the control panel in excitement.
Only Meowth, watching the approaching Pikachu, suddenly felt a chill down its spine.
"Wait… I—I have a bad feeling about this, meow…"
Before it could finish, Pikachu had already been sucked into the entrance of the suction cup.
Its small body hovered for a moment in front of the turbine.
Then the electric sacs on its cheeks erupted with blinding golden light!
**Pi—ka—CHUUU!!!**
A full-power Thunderbolt.
The dazzling golden electricity, like an exploding sun, instantly filled the entire interior of the suction cup.
The current spread frantically along the water, the metal pipes, and the control circuits.
The instrument panel in the cockpit crackled and exploded with bursts of sparks.
"Aaaah! It's leaking electricity!" James's hair stood on end from the shock.
Black smoke billowed from various parts of the modified vehicle!
The engine overloaded, the turbine stopped spinning, and the suction force vanished instantly.
Immediately after, the entire vehicle began to tremble violently.
"No—it's no good! It's going to blow!" James screamed as he yanked open the car door.
The three of them scrambled and jumped out.
Almost the moment they hit the ground, the Super Suction Vehicle exploded with a deafening boom!
Parts flew in all directions, and thick black smoke billowed upward.
As for the Team Rocket trio, they were tossed into the sky by the blast wave of the explosion.
From the air, their final lines drifted down:
"That really is one powerful Pikachu…"
Jessie's voice faded in the wind.
"Next time, we'll definitely succeed!"
James shouted unwillingly.
"But today…"
"We're blasting off again!!!" ×3
---
The aftermath of the explosion settled.
The Gym was a mess.
There was a big hole in the wall, most of the water in the pool had been sucked away, and the floor was covered in parts and broken bricks.
But fortunately, everyone was fine.
"Is… is it over?"
Misty slumped on the ground, panting, her heart still racing.
"Seems so…"
Ayame and Peony ran down from the stands to check on the two sisters.
As for Sakura, she was still leaning in Yuuto's arms.
After getting onto the shore just now, her legs had felt weak, so Yuuto was supporting her.
At this moment, her back was pressed tightly against Yuuto's soaked chest.
She could clearly feel the warmth of his chest and his steady heartbeat.
Yuuto's arm was wrapped around her waist, his palm naturally resting on her lower abdomen.
The wet swimsuit fabric was very thin.
His body heat transferred over with almost no barrier.
Sakura's face grew redder and redder.
She secretly turned her head and glanced at Yuuto's profile.
In the morning light, water droplets slid down his jawline and dripped onto her shoulder.
It was cool and ticklish.
*Yuuto… is so strong…*
The thought suddenly popped into Sakura's head.
Just now in the water, he had dragged two people against the current by himself; that sense of power… and the pressure of his palm when he was hoisting her hips… As she thought about it, Sakura's body felt slightly warm.
Her legs unconsciously pressed together a bit more.
"Sister? Are you okay?"
Ayame's voice snapped Sakura back to reality.
"Ah, ah! I'm fine!"
Like a startled fawn, she hurriedly broke away from Yuuto's embrace.
Her movement was too sudden, and she slipped again.
"Careful."
Yuuto was quick. He caught her waist again.
This time, his palm happened to press against her side.
His thumb inadvertently brushed against the skin exposed at the edge of her swimsuit.
"Mnh~"
Sakura shuddered all over and let out a very soft moan.
She looked up and met Yuuto's eyes.
Their gazes locked.
The air seemed to go still for a moment.
"Th—thank you…"
Sakura lowered her head, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
The tips of her ears were already completely red.
---
After that, it was time to clean up the mess.
Contacting the insurance company, recording the losses, and waiting for the repair crew to fix the wall.
It was a busy day, and things were basically settled by evening.
To thank Yuuto for his help today—not just for coaching Misty, but also for saving the sisters from Team Rocket—Sakura once again hosted a banquet for him at the Gym.
Moreover, to celebrate Misty's significant increase in strength, Sakura made an exception and allowed her to eat to her heart's content tonight.
"Really! Sakura, you're the best!"
Misty jumped for joy, hugged Sakura, and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
The dinner was exceptionally sumptuous.
Cerulean City was near the sea, so seafood was the local specialty.
Misty ate until her face was greasy, her eyes squinting into happy crescent moons.
Ayame and Peony also smilingly served her food.
The atmosphere among the sisters was warm and harmonious.
Yuuto felt quite gratified watching the scene. The mission had been successfully completed, and there were extra rewards…
---
After dinner, the five women gathered in the living room, chatting away.
The topics were nothing more than beauty, skincare, recent popular swimsuit styles, and which Trainer had deposited what rare Water-type Pokémon.
Yuuto had no interest in these, so he quietly got up and went to the courtyard.
The night breeze was cool, blowing away the day's heat.
He leaned against the railing and called up the system interface.
[Ding!]
[Challenge Cerulean Gym mission completed.]
[Reward: Cerulean Four Sisters Private Photo Collection (Deluxe Edition), issued.]
An exquisite photo album appeared in Yuuto's hand.
The cover was a group photo of the Cerulean Four Sisters.
The background appeared to be a hot spring pool filled with steam.
Sakura sat by the pool with one leg raised high, the water reaching the base of her thigh. Her soaked tulle clung to her chest as she turned slightly, showing off her perfect waist and hip curves.
Ayame was half-submerged in the water, arms crossed over her chest in a pose that further emphasized her already impressive figure.
Peony lay lazily on the smooth pebbles by the pool, her tulle skirt barely covering her perky backside. Her long, fair legs were completely exposed, one foot playfully hooked up, the arch of her foot elegantly curved, and her toes as rounded as pearls.
Misty stood in the pool, the water line just below her slender waist.
Her orange hair was wet and clung to her cheeks and neck, and the tulle was almost semi-transparent.
The cover alone already combined various ultimate temptations: maturity, sexiness, charm, and youthful innocence.
It was already quite top-tier.
When he got back to the bedroom later, he would have to use a "critical" eye to properly appreciate it!
[Help Misty build confidence in front of her sisters and make them see her in a new light — completed.]
[Reward: Mystic Water, issued to the system inventory.]
After setting down the photo album, Yuuto collected the second reward.
A teardrop-shaped blue gemstone appeared in the item slot.
An item that increases the power of Water-type moves by 20%.
Very nice.
He could use it later when he caught a powerful Water-type Pokémon.
Just as Yuuto was planning his subsequent travel plans…
"Ha!"
Suddenly, a loud shout came from behind him.
A pair of hands slammed onto his shoulders.
Yuuto's Aura had already sensed it, but he still cooperatively "jumped in surprise" and turned around.
Misty was standing behind him, smiling triumphantly.
"Scared you, didn't I! That's what you get for hiding here alone!"
She stood with her hands on her hips, her orange hair swaying slightly in the night breeze.
She had already changed back into her usual T-shirt and shorts and was barefoot, looking lively and cute.
However, her posture from sneaking up on him allowed her to catch a glimpse of the photo album by Yuuto's side.
Although it was only a flash, Misty still saw a corner of the album cover.
Those were… a pair of long, fair, beautiful legs.
Wearing extremely sexy, almost transparent black lace panties.
The leg shape was elegant, and the skin was smooth.
And why did they look so familiar?
They looked like her sister Sakura's legs?