Sure enough, the summer rainstorm came and went just as quickly.
After about half an hour, the rain stopped.
Although the sky was still gloomy, the rain had at least ceased.
Roy lifted the tent flap to look outside and took a deep breath of the damp air.
"Alright, the rain has stopped. Let's pack up and go."
Delia and Misty crawled out of the tent.
Their clothes were still a bit damp, clinging to their bodies and outlining their different curves.
Roy glanced over, looked for two extra seconds, and then nonchalantly began to pack the tent.
The three of them nimbly packed up the campsite, shouldered their backpacks, and continued on their way.
The mountain path after the rain was muddy and treacherous, making every step uneven.
Misty walked cautiously, terrified of slipping.
"This road is way too hard to walk on..." she complained, her arms spread wide to maintain her balance.
Delia walked in the middle; although she was also careful, she was much steadier than Misty.
Roy led the way with a steady pace, occasionally glancing back at the two women.
"Be careful, there's a downhill slope ahead. It's a bit slippery."
"Got it..." Misty replied, but as soon as the words left her mouth, her foot slipped. "Eek!"
Her body tilted, and she was about to fall.
Roy was quick to react, grabbing her arm to steady her.
"I told you to be careful."
Misty's heart raced as she gave a silly giggle. "Hehe, good thing you're here."
"Follow me closely and step where I step." Roy released her arm and continued forward.
Misty followed obediently behind him, placing each foot exactly in the footprints he left behind.
It was indeed much more stable this way.
Delia watched from behind, her lips curling up slightly and a gentle light shining in her eyes.
After walking for over an hour, the mountain path gradually leveled out.
The trees became sparser, allowing them to see the sky in the distance.
Though it was still gray and hazy, it wasn't as oppressive as it had been in the forest.
"We're almost there." Roy checked the map. "Once we go over that ridge ahead, we'll be able to see Black Cloud City."
"Finally, a city..." Misty let out a long breath. "Sleeping in a sleeping bag these past few days has nearly broken my back."
Delia also rubbed her shoulders. "I want to take a nice bath too."
The three of them quickened their pace and climbed the small ridge ahead.
Then, Black Cloud City appeared before their eyes.
Misty froze.
She stood at the top of the ridge, motionless, her eyes wide.
"What... what on earth is that..."
Black Cloud City was shrouded in a massive mass of dark clouds.
The clouds hung low, as if they were about to press down onto the ground.
The entire city lay in the shadow of the dark clouds, looking eerie and extremely oppressive.
Every so often, a flash of lightning would streak through the clouds, followed by the faint sound of thunder.
It didn't feel like a city.
It felt more like the lair of some Great Demon King.
"Roy..." Misty tugged at Roy's sleeve, her voice trembling slightly. "This... this isn't some Demon King's city, is it? Why does it look so dark? It's terrifying..."
Roy squinted his eyes as he looked at the distant city.
The dark clouds were indeed thick and heavy, covering the entire city tightly.
But looking closely, those clouds were different from ordinary rain clouds.
There was an indescribable sense of eeriness to them.
Delia walked over and gently rubbed Misty's head.
"There's no such thing as a Demon King. It's just dark clouds from the rainy season."
Her voice was gentle and calm, carrying the soothing power unique to a mature woman.
"Let's go. It's a city, after all. There will be hot baths and soft beds to sleep in."
Misty nodded and took a deep breath.
"Mm... okay, fine."
She muttered to herself as if for comfort, "At least it's by the sea. This is a coastal city. It... it shouldn't be too bad..."
Roy said nothing and took the lead in walking down the hill.
The two women followed behind him.
As they approached Black Cloud City, the sense of oppression grew stronger.
An indescribable smell permeated the air.
It wasn't a foul odor; it just made one feel uncomfortable.
It felt as if something was pressing against their chests, making it difficult to breathe smoothly.
It wasn't until they actually entered Black Cloud City that Misty realized the view from afar had been oppressive enough.
The inside was even more exaggerated.
The entire city was cast in shades of dull gray.
The buildings were gray, the streets were gray, and even the trees by the roadside looked dusty and gray.
The sunlight was completely blocked by the dark clouds, with only faint light filtering through.
Even though it was afternoon, it felt like dusk.
There weren't many pedestrians on the street, but every one of them was strange.
Some were listless, walking with their heads down as if they had lost their souls.
Others were full of energy, hurrying along as if busy with something.
The contrast between the two types of people made the city's atmosphere even more bizarre.
Roy observed as he walked.
His gaze lingered for a few extra seconds on those energetic people.
These people were clearly dressed differently from the original residents of the city.
Some carried professional hiking backpacks, while others had Poké Balls hanging at their waists.
They were clearly outsiders.
And not just ordinary tourists.
Roy silently noted this discovery.
It was likely related to the information about Zapdos.
"Roy, what are you looking at?" Misty noticed his gaze.
"Nothing, just looking around." Roy withdrew his gaze. "Let's go to the Pokémon Center first."
"Yeah!" Misty nodded. "I need to let Psyduck recover first. It hasn't had much energy these past few days."
Roy chuckled and teased, "When does it ever have energy?"
Misty paused. "That's true!"
...
The three of them walked along the main street.
The closer they got to the Pokémon Center, the slightly milder the city's color palette became.
Though it was still gray and hazy, it was at least less oppressive.
Some flowers and plants were planted around the Pokémon Center, adding a touch of brightness to the gloomy city.
Misty let out a long sigh of relief.
"The Pokémon Center is still the most comfortable..."
No matter which city it was in, the Pokémon Center was always that warm, bright spot.
The red roof, white walls, and the large Poké Ball symbol.
Just looking at it was reassuring.
The three of them pushed open the glass doors and walked inside.
The hall was very quiet.
The lights were on, but the illumination was somewhat dim.
Unlike Pokémon Centers in other cities, there were no Trainers waiting in line here.
There wasn't a single person in sight.
Nurse Joy's counter was empty, though the portrait of Chansey hanging behind it was smiling sweetly.
"Eh? No one's here?" Misty looked around.
The seats in the hall were all empty, and there was even some dust in the corners.
It looked like no one had sat there in a long time.
"Nurse Joy?" Misty walked to the counter and called out.
There was no response.
"Nurse Joy? Is anyone here?" she called again, her voice a bit louder.
Still no one.
Delia also walked over and looked at the curtain behind the counter. "Maybe she's resting in the back?"
"It's only five in the afternoon..." Misty checked the time. "Resting at this hour?"
Roy leaned against the counter, his ears twitching.
There was movement behind the curtain.
A rustling sound, like someone putting on clothes.
Then came a lazy yawn.
The curtain was pulled aside.
A Nurse Joy stepped out.
Her hair was a bit messy, with pink strands scattered over her shoulders.
Her face still bore the dazed expression of someone who had just woken up, her eyes half-closed and very drowsy.
Worst of all, her nurse's uniform wasn't properly put on at all.
One side of the white uniform was drooping, revealing the black bra underneath.
It was a half-cup bra that couldn't quite contain her fullness.
A small portion was exposed, gleaming white and quite dazzling.
The skin on her chest was fair and delicate, her collarbones were exquisite, and further down was a deep cleavage.
Nurse Joy rubbed her eyes and yawned.
"Eh? People are actually here at this hour?"
Her voice carried the hoarseness of just waking up, sounding soft and weak.
She spoke while walking toward the counter.
Her steps were a bit unsteady, as if she wasn't fully awake yet.
Halfway there, the lights in the hall suddenly buzzed a few times.
The lights flickered.
Then, with a click.
The entire hall plunged into darkness.
"Oh my!" Nurse Joy cried out in surprise.
A power outage.
The emergency lights didn't come on immediately, leaving the hall pitch black.
Roy's eyes hadn't adjusted to the darkness yet, so he couldn't see anything.
He could only hear footsteps and Nurse Joy's startled cries.
"Oh dear, why is the power out... honestly..."
Then came the sound of someone tripping.
"Ah!"
Nurse Joy had tripped over something and was falling forward.
Roy felt a soft body crashing toward him.
He instinctively reached out to catch her.
He ended up with a fragrant, soft body in his arms.
Nurse Joy fell right into his chest, her face hitting his pectoral muscles.
That pair of fullness pressed firmly against him.
Through the thin fabric, he could clearly feel that...
Nurse Joy's clothes weren't properly on to begin with, and this collision and friction caused them to slide down even further.
Just then, the emergency lights finally flickered on.
The dim yellow light illuminated the hall.
Roy looked down.
Nurse Joy was sprawled in his arms, looking up at him.
Her face still wore an expression of shock.
Her nurse's uniform had slipped down even more.
The black half-cup bra had also been pushed askew.
Exposed to the air like that, and with the sudden chill, Roy got quite an eyeful.
Nurse Joy froze for a moment.
Then she followed Roy's gaze downward.
She saw her own exposed...
Her face instantly turned bright red.
"Ah!"
She scrambled to pull up her clothes, but because she was leaning in Roy's arms, she couldn't get any leverage.
In her panic, she reached out for something to hold onto so she could stand up.
Her hands fumbled over Roy's body, and with a firm pull, she used him as support to stand up.
Once standing, Nurse Joy froze for a moment.
Was that just now...?
She subconsciously glanced at Roy again.
Roy looked at her calmly, the corners of his mouth turned up slightly in a faint, knowing smile.
Nurse Joy's face turned even redder.
She quickly put her hands behind her back, while her other hand frantically pulled up her slipping nurse's uniform, covering some of the view.
But the clothes were already a mess and didn't cover everything properly.
One shoulder was still bare, and a large area of skin on her collarbone and chest was exposed.
At this moment, Delia walked over.
She had also seen that scene the moment the emergency lights came on.
But there was no surprise on her face, only a gentle smile.
"Nurse Joy, it's only five in the afternoon, and you're already... resting?"
Her voice was soft, with a hint of teasing in her tone.
Nurse Joy smiled awkwardly, fumbling with her clothes.
While pulling at them, she said, "Just a quick break, just a quick little rest..."
She pointed to the sky outside. "Look at the weather out there, it's pitch black. Isn't it just the right time for a nap?"
She yawned as she spoke. "I just closed my eyes for a little bit... hehehe..."
Her laugh was forced, and her eyes darted around, not daring to look at Roy.
Misty poked her head out from the side, sizing up this unreliable Nurse Joy.
She had heard before that the Nurse Joy in Black Cloud City was a bit strange.
Completely different from the Nurse Joys in other cities.
Unreliable, lazy, and always running into trouble.
Seeing her today, it was indeed the case.
"I'd heard before that the Nurse Joy in Black Cloud City was weird and unreliable..." Misty blurted out with a pout. "Seeing you today, it's definitely true~"
Upon hearing this, Nurse Joy chuckled and waved her hand.
"They're the ones who are weird~"
She spoke as if it were a matter of course, not thinking there was anything wrong with her at all.
Then she straightened her clothes; although they were still wrinkled, she at least covered what needed to be covered.
She cleared her throat, trying to look a bit more professional.
"Anyway... what are you here for? Recovery? Or just passing through to rest?"
Roy took a step forward and introduced himself. "I'm Roy, a Trainer from Pallet Town. These two are Delia and Misty."
"We're headed to Fuchsia City and passing through here. We wanted to rest and regroup."
"And also have our Pokémon recover."
Nurse Joy nodded and flipped open the registration book on the counter.
"Oh, Pokémon recovery. Sure, give me your Poké Balls, I'll..."
She stopped mid-sentence.
Her eyes widened, and her mouth fell open.
"Oh boy!"
She slapped her forehead and cried out.
"What bad timing, the power's out!"
She pointed to the lights overhead, then to the recovery machine behind the counter.
The machines all had black screens and showed no reaction at all.
"With the power out, the machines won't work..."
She scratched her head, looking at Roy and the others with some difficulty.
Then she suddenly cried out again in alarm.
"Oh no, oh no!"
Delia was startled and quickly asked, "What is it? What's wrong?"
Nurse Joy was so anxious she started stomping her feet, her fullness bouncing along with her.
Those large breasts jumped up and down under her poorly worn nurse's uniform, the white waves of flesh making one's head spin.
She was completely unaware of her own exposure, only pointing at the treatment room behind the counter with a panicked face.
"Inside! There are still three Pokémon being treated inside!"
Her voice changed pitch, carrying a hint of a sob.
"If the power doesn't come back on soon, it'll be terrible! Those Pokémon's treatments are only halfway done!"
Delia's expression changed as well.
"What do we do?" Misty also grew anxious. "Isn't there a backup power supply?"
"There is..."
"But the backup power can only last for half an hour! If the power isn't back in half an hour, the Pokémon inside will..."
Nurse Joy didn't finish her sentence, but everyone understood what she meant.
[Ding!]
[Triggered Mission: Resolve the Black Cloud City Power Crisis!]
[Mission Description: A malfunction has occurred at the Black Cloud City Power Plant. Go to the Black Cloud City Power Plant, find the cause of the failure, and resolve it.]
[Mission Reward: Magnet — When held by a Pokémon, the power of Electric-type moves is increased by 20%!]
The sudden power outage also provided Roy with an opportunity to complete a mission.
Once again, a good combat item was being offered.
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Thoughts on where the plot is heading? Let me know in the comments! If you're enjoying the ride, please leave a quick review and toss a few Power Stones my way. Every bit of support means the world! 🙌