Aimi led the three of them toward the city, acting very enthusiastic along the way.
"By the way, if you don't have anything urgent for the next few days, why not stay with us for a while?" Aimi looked back at Roy with a smile on her face. "Before you participate in the P1 Fighting Tournament, I'll take care of all your food and lodging."
As she spoke, the curves of her chest swayed slightly as she turned around.
Misty's eyes lit up: "Really? That's great! We've been camping every day lately, and my back is so sore from sleeping on the ground!"
In reality, it was because she had been too wild during her outdoor trysts with Roy and had bumped her waist.
"Of course it's true." Aimi nodded. "I can't thank you enough for being willing to help me with this favor. This little bit of hospitality is nothing."
Delia said softly, "Won't it be too much of a bother?"
"Not at all, not at all!" Aimi waved her hands hurriedly. "It's just me and my mom at home, so it's usually very quiet. It'll be nice and lively with you here."
As she spoke, she looked at Roy again with a hint of expectation in her eyes: "Besides, Mr. Roy needs to rest well and adjust his condition before the competition, right? Camping in the wild is never as comfortable as being in a home."
Roy nodded: "Then we'll be troubling you."
"No trouble at all!" Aimi smiled even more happily, her chest trembling along with her laughter.
The group chatted as they walked and soon entered the city.
Calling it a city was a stretch; it was actually just a small town. The buildings lining the streets were quite old, with mottled walls bearing the marks of time.
Aimi led them through several twists and turns before finally stopping in front of a building.
It was a Japanese-style building, two stories tall, with a stone monument standing at the entrance. Four large characters were carved into it—'Fighting Spirit Gym.'
Misty read it out loud and then looked at Aimi in surprise: "Eh? Sister Aimi, your home is actually a Gym?"
Aimi gave a bitter smile as she looked at the stone monument, her eyes filled with complex emotions.
"It is... but it's basically just a sign now."
She pushed open the door, which let out a creaking sound.
The scene in the courtyard left the three of them stunned.
It was overgrown with weeds that reached nearly to their knees.
A few old trees were growing lushly, their thick foliage covering more than half of the courtyard.
Miscellaneous items were piled under the trees: a few worn-out punching bags and a wooden training dummy covered in moss.
In the center of the courtyard was a battlefield, but it had long been abandoned. The ground was pitted and uneven, and the boundary lines were so blurred that its original appearance was unrecognizable.
"This..." Misty opened her mouth, not knowing what to say.
Aimi smiled self-deprecatingly: "This is the final audit period for the League. After this year, our Gym certification will be revoked."
As she spoke, she led the three of them through the courtyard and into the house.
"Please have a seat. I'll go pour some tea for you."
The living room was actually kept quite clean. Although the furniture was old, it was spotless.
Just as Roy and the others sat down, Aimi came out carrying the tea.
She leaned over to place the teacups in front of them, and the neckline of her knit sweater opened slightly, allowing Roy to catch a glimpse of the white skin inside.
Aimi sat down opposite them, holding her teacup with both hands, and began to explain.
"This Gym was founded by my grandfather."
As she spoke, she looked up at a photograph hanging on the wall.
In the photo was a vigorous old man wearing a martial arts uniform, standing next to a Hitmonlee and a Hitmonchan.
"When grandfather was young, he was a very powerful Trainer. Back then, the Fighting Spirit Gym was quite famous in this area, and it even vied for the status of an official city representative Gym."
Misty blinked in surprise: "A city representative Gym? That's an incredible level of prestige."
"Yes." Aimi nodded. "Back then, many people came to challenge us every day, and grandfather also raised many powerful Fighting-type Pokemon."
She paused, the smile on her face fading.
"Unfortunately... that's how it is with Fighting-type Pokemon. They often have to fight in close quarters, and injuries are common. Many Pokemon have to retire after just a few years, and they carry so many internal injuries that they can't maintain their strength for long."
She looked down, her fingers rubbing the teacup.
"So later, when grandfather passed away, those Fighting-type Pokemon were basically all old, and some were still injured. Grandfather's final wish was for them to be sent to a foster care center to live out their golden years in peace."
Delia asked softly: "Then what about the Hitmonchan? The one from earlier?"
"No." Aimi shook her head. "That Hitmonchan evolved later. What grandfather left for my father was a Tyrogue."
She looked up toward the courtyard.
"That Tyrogue was at the Elite Four Level."
"Elite Four Level?" Misty's eyes widened. "That powerful?"
"Yes." Aimi nodded. "Grandfather had built a great foundation for it, and he originally wanted my father to inherit it. Unfortunately..."
She sighed.
"Unfortunately, at that time, father's mind wasn't on the Gym at all. He became obsessed with street fighting back then, fighting people outside all day long."
"Street fighting? What's that?" Delia asked curiously.
Aimi took a sip of tea: "It's a type of fighting without strict rules."
"When father was young, he was quite good at fighting and had some fame in the street fighting circles. Later, he simply set up a street fighting stage himself and spent all day organizing matches."
As she spoke, her eyes grew dim.
"For that stage, he invested all the family's money. Prize money, venue fees, promotion costs... he spent a lot. But street fighting is a niche after all, and he couldn't make any money. Instead, the more he invested, the more he lost."
Roy took a sip of tea and didn't say anything.
"And what about the Tyrogue?" Misty asked.
"I looked after it," Aimi said. "Back then, father was out all day and had no interest in training Pokemon. So I looked after my sick mother while raising that Tyrogue."
She paused, her voice lowering.
"Mother's health has always been poor; she's been bedridden for years. I had to take care of her and handle the housework, so I had no energy to run the Gym. Tyrogue was just raised at home by me, helping with chores and doing some occasional training, but it was only basic training."
"Later, as father got older and could no longer participate in street fights, he thought about coming back to inherit the Gym. But as soon as he saw Tyrogue, he became furious."
"He said I had ruined Tyrogue by letting it do chores all day, saying it had no wild instinct left. Then he took Tyrogue away, saying he would retrain it and restore its wild nature."
She looked up at Roy and the others.
"From then on, father took Tyrogue to live and eat in the wild, challenging any passing Trainer every day. Later, when Tyrogue evolved into Hitmonchan, father became even more obsessed."
Delia asked softly: "And then?"
"Later..." Aimi smiled bitterly. "Later, father would often command Hitmonchan to fight people. Sometimes even when someone didn't want to fight, he would force it, and as a result, he injured some passersby."
She lowered her head, her hands clenching tightly.
"Every time something like that happened, the family had to pay compensation. Mother's medical bills already cost money, and with these payouts, our life became harder and harder. But father didn't care about any of that; he still spent all day outside fighting, just wanting to win the P1 Fighting Tournament."
Misty couldn't help herself: "Heh, your dad is really something else, isn't he? Letting his wife and daughter suffer for his own obsession?"
Being blunt and outspoken, she gave Anthony her most direct evaluation.
This time, Roy didn't stop Misty from commenting, because what she said was actually an understatement.
Aimi didn't argue; she just kept her head down and remained silent for a few seconds.
Then she stood up and gave a deep bow.
"That's why I'm asking Mr. Roy... I saw your Pikachu earlier; it easily fended off Hitmonchan. Your strength is definitely much greater than my father's, so I'm counting on you this time!"
"As long as you can stop my father from continuing this obsession, I, Aimi, will do anything to repay you in the future!"
She bowed again, her voice filled with pleading.
Roy stood up and reached out to gently help Aimi up.
When his hand touched her arm, he could feel that her skin was very smooth and her arm was very soft.
"Don't worry, I'll do my best," he said.
Aimi looked up, her eyes red, but a smile appeared on her face.
"Thank you... thank you so much..."
As she spoke, she bowed again. This time it was shallower, but the curves of her chest still swayed with the motion.
Just then, the door to the inner room slowly opened.
"Aimi... do we have guests?"
A woman's voice drifted out, very soft and carrying a hint of weakness.
The four of them turned to look.
A middle-aged woman walked out from the door.
She was wearing a plain-colored kimono, simple in style but very clean.
Her hair was tied back, with a few stray strands falling beside her pale cheeks.
Her complexion was poor, pale to the point of being nearly transparent, and her lips lacked color.
However, her features were delicate, and one could tell she must have been a beauty in her youth.
Although the kimono was loose, the outline of her figure was still visible.
The curves of her chest weren't exaggerated but were very soft, and her waist was slender, appearing even more delicate under the cinch of the kimono's sash.
She leaned against the doorframe, her steps a bit unsteady as if every step took all her strength.
"Mom, why did you come out?" Aimi hurriedly stepped forward to support her.
The woman patted Aimi's hand, her gaze sweeping over Roy and the others with a gentle smile in her eyes.
"We have guests. As the mistress of the house, I should at least come out to say hello."
Aimi quickly supported her mother, her tone carrying a hint of reproach: "Mom, your health isn't good. You should just lie down and rest. Why did you come out?"
"I've been lying down all day, and my back is sore." The woman gently patted Aimi's hand and looked warmly at Roy and the others. "I heard Aimi say from behind the door that you're going to help our family resolve the matter with Anthony?"
As she spoke, she leaned forward slightly and gave a polite bow.
"I'm truly sorry to trouble you."
The neckline of the kimono opened slightly with her movement, revealing a section of her fair neck.
Roy stood up and nodded politely: "You're too kind, ma'am. It's no trouble at all."
"Sit, everyone sit." The woman waved her hand and slowly sat down with Aimi's assistance.
She sat very slowly, her body leaning lightly against Aimi as if she had used up all her energy.
"My name is Ayano," she said, a gentle smile appearing on her face. "I'm Aimi's mother."
Delia said softly: "My name is Delia."
Misty also greeted her obediently: "My name is Misty!"
"We are both Roy's girlfriends."
Ayano looked at them with a smile in her eyes: "The strong often have many wives. It seems Mr. Roy must be very powerful indeed."
She paused and looked at Roy, her eyes full of admiration.
Roy nodded and said modestly: "I just have a few special skills, that's all."
Ayano smiled slightly, and some color finally returned to her pale face.
"Please stay seated. I'll go make something for you to eat."
Delia quickly stood up: "Sister Ayano, your health isn't good. Let me help you."
"How could I let you do that..." Ayano felt a bit embarrassed.
"It's fine, it's fine." Delia smiled and waved her hand. "I cook often. Both Roy and Misty praise my cooking skills."
Misty nodded vigorously beside her: "Yes, yes, yes! The food Sister Delia makes is delicious!"
Aimi also stood up: "Mom, you stay seated. I'll go help Sister Delia."
"That won't do. When guests come, there's no reason to let them work in the kitchen," Ayano shook her head.
Roy spoke up: "Auntie Ayano, please don't be so polite. Delia's cooking is indeed very good. You sit and rest, and let them get busy."
Ayano looked at Roy, then at Delia, and finally nodded.
"Then I'll be troubling you, Delia."
"No trouble at all." Delia smiled and followed Aimi toward the kitchen.
After a few steps, she looked back at Roy with a hint of a smile in her eyes.
Roy nodded to her.
...
The sound of vegetables being chopped soon came from the kitchen.
Ayano sat in the living room, accompanying Roy and Misty in conversation.
She spoke very slowly, her voice soft and carrying a hint of weakness, but her tone was very gentle.
After chatting for a while, they learned that Ayano had been a Performance Trainer when she was young and had even won awards in performance competitions.
"Back then, my health was good, and I ran around all over the place," Ayano said with a smile. "Later, after I had Aimi, my health failed, and I've been sick until now."
Misty blinked: "Didn't you see a doctor?"
"I did." Ayano nodded. "I saw many doctors, and they all said I needed to recover slowly. But with the way the family is, where would we get the money to support that?"
As she spoke, she sighed.
"That fellow Anthony is out fighting all day, and he has to pay compensation afterward. The family savings were squandered by him long ago."
Roy remained silent and didn't speak.
Ayano looked at him and smiled: "Let's not talk about those things. I'm already very grateful that you've come to help."
She paused and then said: "Anthony, although he's a scoundrel, isn't a bad person. He's just too obsessed with fighting and has gone down a dead end. I hope you can beat some sense into him."
Roy nodded: "I'll do my best."
...
In the kitchen, Delia and Aimi were busy.
Aimi washed the vegetables while Delia chopped them, working together with great rapport.
"Sister Delia, your skills are really good." Aimi couldn't help but praise as she watched Delia's skillful knife work.
Delia smiled: "I'm used to doing it at home."
As she spoke, she looked at Aimi.
Aimi was leaning over to wash the vegetables, and her knit sweater's neckline was open. From Delia's angle, she could see those two white and tender soft mounds swaying gently with her movements.
Delia thought to herself: Aimi's figure is really good.
Delia's trait as the 'big sister of the harem' was triggered again, and she began to consider things for Roy.
"Aimi."
"Hmm?" Aimi looked up.
"Do you have a boyfriend?"
Aimi's face immediately turned red: "No... I don't."
Delia smiled and continued: "You're so beautiful, how could you not have a boyfriend?"
Aimi felt even more embarrassed and lowered her head to continue washing the vegetables.
"There hasn't been anyone suitable. And my family situation, as I just told you, is quite difficult."
"Then what do you think of Roy?" Delia very naturally began to provide an assist for Roy.