After laughing for a while, Delia began to tease, "Oh my, how sweet~"
"Exactly, exactly, it even made me blush~" Misty chimed in.
Aimi turned back to glare at them, but the blush on her face deepened.
She took a deep breath, turned her head, and took the card from Roy's hand.
"Alright! Then I will accept it for now!"
Her voice became firm, and her eyes sparkled.
"Rest assured, I will definitely manage our Gym well!"
"I will work hard to train and catch Pokémon, and become a famous Fighting-type gym leader in Kanto!"
She specifically emphasized the words "our", and after speaking, she snuck a glance at Roy.
Roy nodded with a smile.
"Mm, I believe in you."
Misty stood behind, touching her chin, her mind racing.
If the Fighting Spirit Gym belongs to Aimi and Roy...
Then what about my family's Cerulean Gym?
Sister Daisy always tells me that in the future, I should let Roy go home to handle it.
Then doesn't that mean Roy will have to handle two Gyms in the future?
Can he handle it?
Won't he be exhausted!
If he's already exhausted from just Gym affairs, then... what about other things~ How will he handle those~
No, no, I still have so much to do with Roy~
Gym matters shouldn't be left entirely to Roy.
I also need to train my Water-type Pokémon quickly, increase my combat power, and hold down the Gym.
If I hold down the Gym, Roy can have a good rest when he returns to Cerulean City.
With the Gym matters settled, the three sisters at home shouldn't consume too much of Roy's energy, right~
Then I can go hehehe with Roy...
Misty's thoughts wandered further and further, a silly smile appearing on her face, her mouth stretching almost to her ears.
"What are you giggling about? Aimi is saying goodbye to you."
Roy's voice suddenly rang in her ear, and then a finger tapped her forehead.
"Ah? Oh!"
Misty snapped out of it and saw Aimi standing in front of her, looking at her with amusement.
"Misty, take care on the road, and take good care of Roy."
"Mm-hmm! Don't worry!" Misty nodded quickly, her face slightly flushed.
Aimi turned to Delia again.
"Sister Delia, you take care on the road too."
"Alright, you too. Take care of yourself and don't overwork." Delia smiled gently.
Aimi looked at Roy one last time, her eyes reddening again.
"Take care on the road, and look after yourself."
"Mm, you too." Roy nodded. "Don't push yourself too hard. Call me if anything happens."
"Okay."
Aimi nodded vigorously, then took a deep breath and squeezed out a smile.
"Then you guys should go quickly; it'll be dark if you don't leave now."
The three of them turned and left.
After walking a distance, Roy looked back.
Aimi was still standing at the entrance, waving at them.
The sunlight shone on her, and she seemed to be glowing.
Although there was reluctance in her eyes, there was more determination.
Roy waved back, then turned around and continued walking forward.
Behind them, Aimi watched their backs grow smaller and smaller until they disappeared at the end of the road.
She took a deep breath and gripped the card in her hand tightly.
Then she turned and walked back into the house.
Ayano was sitting on the sofa, looking at her with a smile.
"They left?"
"Mm." Aimi nodded.
"Reluctant to see them go?"
"A little." Aimi said honestly, but the corners of her mouth lifted slightly. "But it's okay, he will come back."
Ayano looked at her daughter, her eyes full of gratification.
Her daughter, although strong before, always had fatigue and pressure in her eyes.
Now it's different; there is light in her eyes, and she is full of vitality.
"So what now? What are you planning to do?" Ayano asked.
Aimi clenched her fists, her eyes burning with fighting spirit.
"First, eat breakfast, then go to the Gym!"
"I want to turn the Fighting Spirit Gym into the strongest Fighting-type Gym in Kanto!"
Ayano laughed out loud.
"Good, good, good! That's my daughter!"
Aimi turned and walked toward the kitchen, her steps light, full of energy.
This is her and Roy's Gym; she must manage it well.
Let everyone know that the Fighting Spirit Gym is back!
...
"Let's go, the next stop is the Fuchsia Gym." Roy took out the map to plan the next part of the journey: "However, before reaching Fuchsia City, we have to cross a large mountainous area."
Misty leaned over to look at the map.
"Fuchsia Gym? I've heard of it, isn't it a Poison-type Gym?"
"Mm, the gym leader is named Koga, and he is a ninja." Roy put away the map. "However, that Gym is not in the city, but hidden in the deep mountains and forests."
"Ah?" Misty widened her eyes. "How can a Gym be built in the mountains?"
Delia also recalled the information she knew: "It is said that this is also part of the challenge. To challenge the Gym, one must first find the location of the Gym."
"Then how much mountain road do we have to walk..." Misty wailed. "And how many... bugs will we have to encounter?"
Roy rubbed Misty's head. "Just stick close to me; I'll take this opportunity to level up my Pokémon."
The three adjusted their direction and turned directly into the mountain road.
The light in the forest dimmed, and the tall trees blocked most of the sunlight.
Underfoot was soft fallen leaves and soil, and occasionally the figures of wild Pokémon could be seen darting through the bushes.
"Pikachu, you go ahead and scout the path." Roy released Pikachu.
"Pika-pi!"
Pikachu jumped to the front, full of energy, its little ears standing high.
After walking for about half an hour, the wind began to pick up in the forest.
The leaves rustled, and through the gaps in the canopy, dark clouds could be seen gathering in the sky.
"Is it going to rain again?" Misty looked up at the sky.
Delia took out the map and looked at it. "This forest is near the sea, and it's the rainy season this time of year, so I guess it will be like this for the next few days."
As soon as she finished speaking, bean-sized raindrops began to fall.
"Quick, find a place to hide from the rain!" Roy looked around and saw a huge banyan tree, its aerial roots hanging down to form a natural shelter. "Over there!"
The three trotted over, and just as they reached the tree, the rain poured down.
The rain hit the leaves with a pitter-patter sound, and the air was filled with damp moisture.
"This rain is too heavy..." Misty patted the water droplets on her body; her clothes were already mostly wet.
Misty noticed Roy's gaze, and her face turned bright red. "You pervert, it's daytime~ Hold it in! We'll talk about it at night!"
Roy shook his head with a chuckle.
Delia covered her mouth and giggled, her situation no better.
Her white shirt was soaked and clung to her body, revealing the curves of a mature woman.
Her fullness stretched the shirt tight, and the dark silhouette inside was vaguely visible.
She noticed Roy's sweeping gaze, and a blush appeared on her face, but she didn't dodge like Misty; instead, she slightly puffed out her chest.
"This rain won't stop for a while." Delia took towels out of her backpack, handed one to Misty, and then one to Roy. "Wipe yourselves off first."
Roy took the towel and wiped his hair and face casually.
His clothes were also wet, but he didn't care; boys aren't that particular.
"Pikachu, are you okay?"
"Pika-pi~" Pikachu shook off the water droplets on its body, its little face full of contentment.
Eevee huddled in Misty's arms, its fur plastered to its body by the rain, and let out a pitiful cry.
"Eevee~"
"There, there, it's okay." Delia used the towel to gently wipe Eevee's fur.
The rain fell for about twenty minutes and gradually eased.
The three continued on their way, stepping along the muddy mountain road.
Delia and Misty were cautious, while Roy began to grind.
After a few days of repetition, the team gained quite a lot.
[Pokémon: Pikachu, Level: lv51 → lv52]
[Pokémon: Bulbasaur, Level: lv41 → lv42]
[Pokémon: Pidgeot, Level: lv38 → lv40]
[Pokémon: Wartortle, Level: lv24 → lv29]
[Pokémon: Charmeleon, Level: lv30 → lv34]
[Pokémon: Primeape, Level: lv35 → lv36] (Perfect Rage Fist usage count: 7)
[Pokémon: Gastly, Level: lv19 → lv23]
[Remaining active party slots: 2]
"Pidgeot is finally level 40." Roy nodded with satisfaction.
Level 40 is a watershed; at this level, one basically steps into the threshold of quasi-Gym-level.
Pikachu and Bulbasaur's levels are too high, so it's normal for them to level up slowly.
Primeape's leveling is a bit slow, mainly because Roy is deliberately grinding its Rage Fist usage count.
This move is Primeape's signature skill; the more it is used, the greater the power.
If it can evolve into Annihilape, the increase in combat power will be significant, increasing much faster than just leveling up twice.
In addition, having completed the tasks of the Education Conference battle and winning the P1 Grand Prix, the system opened up two more active party slots for him.
This means he can catch two more Pokémon with good potential to cultivate by his side.
"Not bad, not bad, the team is growing stronger and stronger." Roy was in a good mood.
"Roy, Roy, come quickly, it's going to rain again!"
Misty's urgent shout came from the tent area.
Roy looked up at the sky; it was covered in dark clouds, and there was a faint rumbling sound.
It was going to rain again.
"Team, return!" Roy quickly recalled all the Pokémon and walked quickly back to the campsite.
Delia and Misty had already set up the tent, and the tarpaulin outside was covered tightly.
Just as Roy crawled into the tent, the rain poured down.
Patter, patter...
The rain hit the top of the tent, the sound as loud as beating drums.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, followed by a thunderclap.
"Ah!"
"Ah!"
Delia and Misty were both startled, shivering, and subconsciously squeezed toward Roy.
Misty dove straight into Roy's arms, her body trembling slightly.
Delia was no better, clinging tightly to Roy's arm, her fullness pressing against it, the soft sensation transmitting through the wet clothes.
Eevee was also scared by the thunder, shrinking beside Pikachu, its little body shivering.
"Eevee, Eevee..."
"Pika-pi~" Pikachu extended its little paw, gently stroking Eevee's little head, gently comforting it.
Pikachu is an Electric-type Pokémon; thunder is child's play to it.
After all, it can trigger the Thunder move itself, so what is this little bit of thunder?
"This weather is really moody; it thunders and rains at the drop of a hat these days." Misty complained in a low voice, huddled in Roy's arms.
She was still a bit wet, and the heat of her body transmitted through her thin clothes.
Roy could feel her soft body pressing against him.
"Because the rainy season is here." Delia explained, holding the map, her body also subconsciously leaning toward Roy. "This forest is near the sea on one side, so it rains often. Don't worry, these are just showers; they will pass in a while."
Her voice was gentle and calm, trying to soothe Misty's nervousness.
But every time the thunder sounded, her own body would also tremble.
Roy could feel Delia's full body pressed tightly against his arm, that pair of fullness pressing on it, soft like balloons filled with water.
Delia seemed to have noticed it too; her face blushed slightly, but she had no intention of moving away.
The tent was quiet for a while, with only the sound of rain and thunder.
Misty's breathing gradually calmed down, and she stopped trembling.
But she had no intention of coming out of Roy's arms; instead, she buried her face deeper.
"Um..." Misty's muffled voice came from Roy's chest: "Roy, do you feel like there has been a lot of thunder lately?"
"It's alright, it is the rainy season." Roy replied casually, but his gaze fell on a city on the map.
Black Cloud City!
His eyes became serious.
Last time on the s.s. anne, he had spent a lot of effort to pry information out of that socialite, Mieko.
That woman was also an old hand; she wouldn't budge without a clear benefit.
She kept being vague.
Roy had a deep exchange with her for most of the night, which finally made Mieko leak a lot of intelligence.
There was a lot of intelligence, bits and pieces.
However, there was one piece of information that Roy focused on, and he had kept it in mind throughout the journey.
"Analysis Report on Abnormal Electrical Energy Fluctuations Around Black Cloud City and Suspected Activity Trajectory of Zapdos (Special Observation for Summer Thunderstorm Season)".
The core content is just a few points:
Energy peak occurrence time: Rainy season, period of frequent thunderstorms.
Core fluctuation area: Northeast of Black Cloud City, the site of the abandoned power plant and surrounding hilly areas.
Now, the rainy season has arrived!
The authenticity of this intelligence remains to be verified, but Roy doesn't want to miss this rare opportunity.
After all, talking about the three legendary birds online is one thing, but in the real world, who wouldn't want to desperately try to catch one and electrocute the opponent until they question their life in a match?
"When the rain stops in a while, let's go to Black Cloud City." Roy spoke up, interrupting the two women's conversation.
"Hm?" Misty poked her head out of his arms, tilting her head cutely. "Go to Black Cloud City? Isn't that a different direction from where we are going to the Fuchsia Gym?"
"It's just a detour of a day or so." Roy explained. "It's been raining every day these past few days, and the medicine and such are a bit damp; we need to find a city to resupply."
He didn't say his true purpose.
After all, this intelligence was obtained from those in high society, and there will likely be many forces getting involved by then.
It's better for Delia and Misty to just rest honestly; there's no need for them to get involved in these things.
"That's true." Misty thought for a moment and nodded. "The rain these past few days has indeed been too heavy, and the tent is all damp."
"And I also want to sleep comfortably in a bed." She stretched, her body curves fully exposed. "Sleeping in a sleeping bag these past few days, my back is almost broken."
Delia also agreed: "Alright, let's go to Black Cloud City to rest and reorganize. It's also a good chance to replenish some ingredients; our reserves are not much left these past few days."
"Then it's settled." Roy marked the location of Black Cloud City on the map.
At this moment, another flash of light crossed the sky, followed by a deafening thunder, as if announcing the huge surge that was about to come...
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