After tidying up, Delia went back to... washing Roy's clothes.
Delia squatted by the creek next to the campsite, holding the T-shirt and pants Roy had changed out of.
She scrubbed them earnestly.
After finishing the outer clothes, she picked up Roy's underwear.
A pair of dark grey boxer briefs.
Delia's movements slowed down.
She inspected them carefully, looking for anything unusual.
Delia looked very closely, even twitching her nose.
There was only the scent of soap and sweat; nothing unusual.
Delia breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time, she felt a bit disappointed.
It seemed Jenny hadn't succeeded yet.
True, she was a policewoman; it wouldn't happen as quickly as two or three days.
Delia smiled, submerged the underwear in the water, and began scrubbing earnestly.
After washing and wringing them out, she hung them on the rope next to the tent.
They hung side-by-side with Jenny's lingerie.
Delia looked at those two pieces of lingerie, lost in thought.
Officer Jenny's lingerie was indeed very sexy.
Did Roy like this style?
Delia looked down at her own chest.
Today she was wearing a pale pink cotton set, a conservative style that provided full coverage.
Should she... also switch to a sexy set?
Delia's face flushed slightly.
Never mind, now was not the time to think about this.
She shook her head and turned to prepare dinner.
In the evening, Roy and Jenny returned.
The distance between the two had closed considerably.
As they walked together, their shoulders were almost touching.
Jenny's tone of voice had also changed.
She was no longer as polite as she had been the past two days, but carried a natural sense of intimacy.
"The eastern observation point was fine today," Jenny said as she walked, "but at the western one, I saw a few footprints that didn't look like they belonged to an ordinary Trainer."
"What size?" Roy asked.
"Around size 43, male, likely heavy," Jenny gestured, "the footprints were quite deep."
"Then we'll focus on the west tomorrow."
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking too."
The two glanced at each other and smiled simultaneously.
That kind of unspoken understanding was like that of friends who had known each other for a long time.
No, it was a bit more intimate than friends.
Like... a couple.
Misty sat at the tent entrance, watching the two walk over, and curled her lip.
"Sister Delia, look at those two."
She leaned into Delia's ear and lowered her voice.
"The way Officer Jenny looks at Roy, it's almost..."
Delia smiled. "Is it?"
"Of course it is!" Misty's eyes widened. "During lunch today, she stole a glance at Roy at least ten times! I was counting!"
"Why were you counting that?" Delia couldn't help but laugh out loud.
"Hehehe..." Misty gave a silly laugh.
Officer Jenny was a good woman, so Misty didn't object.
In any case, that big pervert Roy already had enough women around him.
One more Jenny wouldn't hurt.
As long as she didn't have to go into the forest to look at bugs, she was fine with anything.
During dinner, the four of them sat around the campfire.
Jenny sat next to Roy.
Their thighs were almost pressed together.
Jenny was wearing her uniform skirt, and her thighs, encased in black stockings, were right against Roy's pants.
Her heart was beating a bit fast, but she didn't pull away.
She even intentionally leaned a bit closer.
Roy felt it.
He turned his head to glance at Jenny.
Jenny was looking down, sipping her soup, pretending nothing was happening.
But her ears were already flush red.
Roy smiled and didn't call her out.
He raised his hand and naturally draped it over Jenny's shoulder.
"This soup is good; Delia's cooking is getting better and better."
His tone was very casual, as if it were just a passing gesture.
But he didn't pull his hand back immediately.
He just left it on Jenny's shoulder, his fingers tapping lightly.
Jenny's body tensed for a moment, then slowly relaxed.
She didn't dodge.
She even turned her body slightly to let Roy's hand rest more comfortably.
Delia, for her part, smiled gently and served Roy another bowl of soup.
"Drink more; it's been a tiring day today."
The meal was eaten in an atmosphere that was both ambiguous and warm.
Pikachu and Eevee squatted at Misty's feet, focused on munching on Fruit-flavored Biscuits.
They were completely uninterested in the complexities of humans.
...
The third day.
The patrol continued.
But the atmosphere was clearly different.
When Jenny changed her clothes in the morning, she specifically chose that black lace set.
She wore it under her uniform.
Although others couldn't see it, she knew.
As she walked beside Roy, that secret sense of excitement made her feel much lighter.
"We'll go to the west first today," Jenny said, pulling open the off-road vehicle's door, "we need to re-confirm those footprints."
"Alright." Roy sat in the passenger seat.
Jenny started the car, shifted gears, and stepped on the gas.
The off-road vehicle bumped along through the forest.
The road was full of potholes, and the vehicle swayed back and forth.
"Roy."
"Hmm?"
"What do you think... of me as a person?"
Jenny suddenly asked this, her eyes fixed on the road ahead, not daring to look at Roy.
"You're quite good," Roy said, "Professional, responsible, and beautiful too."
"Just those?" Jenny's tone carried a hint of dissatisfaction.
"Otherwise?" Roy smiled, "What else do you want me to praise?"
Jenny bit her lip and was silent for a few seconds.
Then she said softly, "For example... my... outfit or something..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, the last few words almost inaudible.
But Roy heard them.
He turned his head, looking at Jenny's profile.
Jenny's ears were flush red, and her fingers gripping the steering wheel tightened slightly.
"Outfit?" Roy repeated intentionally, "Do you mean... the Little Triangles?"
Jenny's hand jerked, and the car swayed.
"Don't... don't talk nonsense!" Her voice was both urgent and soft, "I... I didn't mean that!"
"Oh." Roy smiled, "Then why is your face red?"
"My face isn't red!" Jenny got flustered, "It's... it's just too hot in the car!"
"Is it?" Roy reached out and touched her face, "It really is quite hot."
Jenny's breath hitched.
Roy's fingers lingered on her face for two seconds before pulling back.
The action was as natural as if he were touching his own property.
Jenny's heart was beating in her throat.
She opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't get a single word out.
The car continued forward.
Neither spoke.
But the air in the car became hot and sticky.
As if it were about to catch fire.
It took a good while before Jenny recovered.
She took a deep breath and said softly, "Roy, are... are you like this with every woman?"
"Like what?" Roy played dumb.
"Just... just getting all touchy-feely." Jenny's voice carried a trace of resentment.
"I only get touchy-feely with women I like," Roy said directly.
Jenny stopped talking, her heart racing: Like... like me?
But she couldn't suppress the upward curve of her lips.
The car stopped at the western observation point.
The two got out to check the footprints.
But Jenny's mind wasn't on the footprints at all.
She squatted on the ground, pretending to examine the marks, while her head was full of the conversation they just had.
Roy said he liked her.
Was it true?
Or was it just a casual remark?
But she knew in her heart that whether it was casual or not, she had taken it seriously.
Even... she wanted Roy to say more.
To praise her more.
To touch her more.
As Jenny thought of this, her face reddened again.
"Jenny," Roy suddenly called her.
"Huh?" She looked up abruptly.
"The way you're squatting... it's very sexy."
Roy's gaze fell on her lower body.
Jenny quickly stood up and pulled her skirt down.
But Roy had already seen.
"You... you're talking nonsense again!" Jenny's voice was trembling.
"I'm telling the truth," Roy took a step closer, "Your outfit today was very carefully chosen."
Jenny's face was so red it looked like it might drip blood.
She knew what Roy meant.
Today she was wearing that black lace set.
He knew?
How did he know?
Could it be... the skirt was too short and it showed?
Jenny subconsciously pulled at the hem of her skirt again.
"I... I don't know what you're talking about." She turned to walk toward the car, her steps a bit panicked.
Roy followed behind, a smile on his face.
The two returned to the car and continued the patrol.
But for the rest of the time, Jenny was completely distracted.
She stole glances at Roy from time to time, then quickly looked away.
Her eyes held a complex mix of emotions.
Shyness, expectation, and a bit of... longing.
...
In the evening, the two returned to the camp.
Delia had already prepared dinner.
Misty was feeding Pikachu and Eevee rice mixed with ketchup, and the two little ones had it all over their faces.
"You're back?" Delia went to meet them, handing Roy a towel, "How was it today?"
"We've made progress," Roy took the towel and wiped his face.
He was talking about the progress of the patrol.
But Delia heard another layer of meaning.
She glanced at Jenny.
Jenny's face was still red, and she kept her head down, not daring to look at anyone.
Delia smiled and didn't ask further.
During dinner, Roy and Jenny sat together.
The interaction between the two was clearly more intimate.
Roy served Jenny food, and Jenny poured Roy water.
When their eyes met, sparks flew.
Misty curled her lip at the sight but didn't say anything.
Delia, however, smiled happily and even intentionally moved her own seat a bit further away to give the two more space.
Pikachu and Eevee buried their heads in their food, completely ignoring human affairs.
Halfway through the meal.
Suddenly, an urgent alarm sounded from within the tent.
Jenny immediately dropped her chopsticks and dashed into the tent.
She ran to the electronic screen and flipped the switch.
On the screen, at the location of the Kangaskhan Habitat, a red light was flashing frantically.
Beside it was a line of text: Large-scale stampede, suspected poachers disturbing the Kangaskhan herd!
Jenny's expression changed instantly.
She grabbed the communicator on the table and pressed the call button.
"This is Jenny, there's a stampede in the Kangaskhan zone, requesting backup! Repeat, there's a stampede in the Kangaskhan zone, requesting backup!"
Static hissed from the communicator, followed by a faint voice: "Backup... estimated... half an hour..."
"It'll be too late!" Jenny hung up the communication and turned to run back out.
Her expression had completely transformed.
She was no longer the shy young woman from a moment ago, but a sharp-eyed, decisive policewoman.
"Roy, come with me!"
"Alright!" Roy followed.
"Delia, Misty, stay in the tent, don't go anywhere!" Jenny shouted as she ran, "Lock the flap and wait for me to return!"
"Be careful!" Delia stood at the tent entrance, her voice full of worry.
"Roy, protect yourself!" Misty also shouted, then added, "And protect Officer Jenny too!"
Pikachu and Eevee ran to the tent entrance, watching Roy's departing figure and calling out twice.
But this time they didn't follow.
Because they had to stay behind to protect Delia and Misty.
Jenny rushed to the off-road vehicle, pulled open the door, and jumped into the driver's seat.
Roy followed, jumping into the passenger seat.
"Fasten your seatbelt!" Jenny started the car and slammed the gas pedal to the floor.
The off-road vehicle shot out like a wild horse.
The tires skidded on the mud, kicking up a spray of dirt.
Jenny gripped the steering wheel, her eyes fixed sharply ahead.
The road in the forest was very narrow, and branches on both sides constantly scraped against the car doors.
But she didn't care at all; the speed was frighteningly fast.
"A Kangaskhan herd stampede is no small matter," Jenny said as she drove, her voice urgent, "A Kangaskhan's punch can shatter rock; twenty of them stampeding together could tear this forest apart!"
"How did the poachers disturb them?" Roy asked.
"I don't know, but it certainly wasn't anything good," Jenny gritted her teeth, "Those people will do anything to catch Kangaskhan infants."
The off-road vehicle rampaged through the forest.
It was bumping violently, and Roy's body was tossed back and forth.
But he kept his eyes fixed ahead, his mind racing.
With the Kangaskhan stampeding, the poachers were surely still on the scene.
He had to catch them this time.
The car drove for about ten minutes.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound came from ahead.
It wasn't an engine; it was the sound of helicopter rotors.
Jenny slowed down, frowning.
"What would a helicopter be doing in a place like this?"
The sound of the helicopter rotors was deafening.
The wind kicked up by the rotors blew dead leaves and dust into a swirling frenzy.
Roy squinted, sizing up the two people descending from the aircraft.
A short, fat old man was the first to find his footing.
He was about 1.6 meters tall, but his width was almost equal to his height.
His round belly strained the buttons of his suit, making it look as if they might pop at any moment.
His hair was white and sparse, with a few strands carefully combed over the top of his head fluttering in the wind, revealing the bald scalp beneath.
He wore a smile, but it was a professional one.
Like a clerk at a jewelry counter; it looked warm, but was actually quite fake.
He got off the aircraft and straightened his tie, which had been blown askew by the wind.
Then he turned around, reached out his hand, and carefully helped a woman down.
The woman looked to be around thirty-five or thirty-six years old.
She was remarkably well-preserved.
Her skin was so white it seemed to glow, standing out remarkably even in the shadows of the forest.
Her features were delicate, her eyebrows plucked into thin, graceful arches, and her lips were painted with pale pink lipstick.
Her figure was also well-maintained.
Curvaceous in all the right places.
She wore a cream-colored dress made of a material that looked very soft, clinging to her body and outlining her curves.
A thin leather belt was cinched around her waist, making it look very slender and emphasizing the exaggerated curve of her hips.
The hem of the dress ended above her knees, revealing a section of fair calf.
The lines of her calves were smooth, without a trace of excess fat.
She wore a pair of beige sneakers on her feet, which looked quite fitting.
After getting off the aircraft, the woman naturally took the old man's arm.
She leaned slightly to the side, the silhouette of her chest faintly visible beneath the dress.
She looked around, her gaze lingering on Roy for a moment.
Then she looked away, toward Jenny.
"Excuse me..." the old man spoke, his voice a bit raspy and carrying a slow drawl, "you must be Officer Jenny, correct?"