On his way to work, Aoki Haruhi saw a young girl and an old grandmother standing under a large tree.
The sunlight from above filtered through layers of leaves, casting mottled shadows on her face.
The girl didn't look very old; she was petite and flat-chested.
She wore lipstick, but her eyes were still very youthful.
"Kitty, kitty. Come down now."
The girl called out softly.
Looking up, he saw a black cat with white paws crouching in the tree.
The black cat glanced down at her, then leisurely took a few steps and sat on a tree branch to lick its paws.
The breeze was gentle, the sun was just right, and it looked completely at ease.
There was a bell tied around its chest, which showed it had an owner and wasn't a stray cat.
"Grandma, wait a moment, I'll go get it down," the girl said, setting her briefcase down beside her, looking eager to try.
"Thank you for the trouble, young lady."
Tsk tsk, so it's a cat rescue?
This kind of thing is actually quite common; the most frequent task for Japanese firefighters is finding lost cats and dogs for residents.
It's just too common for them to get stuck up in big trees after accidentally running up.
Aoki Haruhi glanced at the short skirt the girl was wearing, and his brow furrowed slightly.
"Hey!"
"Hmm?" The girl, who had just hugged the tree trunk and shimmied up a bit, turned her head when she heard Aoki's voice.
She looked just like a big sloth.
"It's inconvenient for you to do that in a skirt. Let me," Aoki said.
He didn't really want to get involved in this kind of thing either, but since he'd run into it, he had no choice.
Besides, this was on his daily route to work.
"Eh?" The girl froze for a moment, looked down, and her face instantly turned red.
It was true; it was just too hot in the middle of summer not to wear a skirt.
She quickly jumped down from the tree and bowed to Aoki. "Then, I'll leave it to you, thank you."
Aoki didn't pay it much mind; he rolled up his sleeves and spat into his palms.
With a quick shimmy, he zipped up the tree.
The black cat up above meowed in fear at the sight.
About ten minutes later, Aoki Haruhi jumped down from the tree, holding the kitten by the scruff of its neck.
"Here you go, Grandma."
"Thank you so much." The old lady took the kitten, nodding gratefully. "Would you two like to come to my place? I can get you something to drink."
Aoki Haruhi looked up at the sky.
Honestly, the August sun was scorching hot; it felt like it was burning his skin.
But still...
"Thank you, Grandma, but I have work to do. Just be sure to keep an eye on the kitten so it doesn't run off again," Aoki Haruhi said with a smile.
"Yes, yes."
"Ah! Oh no!"
Right at that moment, the girl beside him slapped her forehead. "Yabai, I'm going to be late!"
Without even waiting to say goodbye to Aoki Haruhi, she took off running.
Watching her disappear in a flash, Aoki Haruhi couldn't help but shake his head.
"Good morning, President."
Aoki Haruhi stepped into the company, and his employees greeted him warmly.
He nodded slightly, then walked toward his office with a smile.
However, out of the corner of his eye—
Sitting by the door was a familiar young girl.
Isn't this the girl who wanted to climb a tree in a short skirt just a moment ago?
"Huh? Why are you here?"
"Eh?"
The girl was startled and looked up nervously.
Making eye contact with Aoki Haruhi, she almost let out a cry.
"Cat-catching uncle, why are you here too?"
"Hello, President! My name is Risa Asano, I'm 22 years old, and I'm a biology graduate from Kyoto University... I'd like to apply for the planning position at your company. I look forward to working with you."
The young girl stood before the desk and gave a deep bow to Aogi Haruhi.
Aogi blinked, finding it somewhat amusing. Who would have thought that this person was actually a newcomer applying for a planning position at his company?
What made him rather annoyed was—
She actually called me [Mister]?!
Do I look that old?
I'm only 27 years old this year, you know!
"Hello, I'm Aogi Haruhi," Aogi nodded slowly.
The other party shuddered.
Risa hadn't expected in the slightest that she would run into the company president on the way here.
She had arrived late earlier because she was saving a cat.
That wild image of her must have left a terrible impression on the president, surely?
Thinking of the scene where she was climbing the tree earlier, Risa felt utterly hopeless.
"Eh? Your major is quite impressive. What made you think of coming to a game company instead of pursuing biological research or something like that?" Aogi asked.
"Ah~ well..." Risa Asano scratched her head. "I actually don't like dissecting things for experiments. It's too cruel."
Uh...
She was certainly direct.
[I prefer working in games.]
[I can better channel my passion for work in games.]
[I've loved playing games since I was a child.]
[I have a rich imagination, so I want to try my luck at a game company.]
None of those empty platitudes.
She explained straight up why she wanted to continue her biological research.
It really was remarkable.
Aoki had interviewed quite a few game planners over this period.
He mainly needed someone with a background in biology or entomology for the Pokémon project; if they specialized in paleontology, that would be even better.
But so far, he hadn't met anyone who truly impressed him.
"Do you like insects?" Aoki asked.
"Mm-hmm. I love them!"
The girl's eyes lit up at the mention of insects.
"What kind of insects do you like? Can you name one or two and tell me about their habits?"
"My favorite is the Trypoxylus dichotomus," the girl said with a passionate smile. "Also known as the rhinoceros beetle. Male rhinoceros beetles are incredibly aggressive. When they fight, they first shake their horns up and down and contract their abdomens to make a 'chee-chee-chee' sound."
Asano Risa held her hands up like claws on either side of her head, mimicking a tiger, while making the chirping sounds with her mouth.
This cute display even made Ayase Akane, the little HR taking notes nearby, chuckle.
"Making sounds is actually how they demonstrate," Asano Risa continued spiritedly, "Rhino beetle larvae mostly feed on humus formed by decaying wood; the adults eat the tender branches of elm, mulberry, and fig trees, as well as the flowers of melons. They first use their shovel-like upper lips to break the bark, and then use their brush-like tongues to lick the tree sap. When I was little, I loved going up the mountain to catch rhino beetles. I'd smear honey and tree resin on the trunks, and the next day I'd harvest plenty of little insects."
Hmm...
What an interesting girl.
Aoki Haruhi mused to himself.
Say what you will about her, but she's professional, and exceptionally lively. If she were to join Pokeni, she would surely bring a lot of energy, wouldn't she?
It's just that when he thought about the future of Pokémon planning being like this, he wondered if it would be a bit embarrassing to have her on TV and such.
This made Aoki Haruhi hesitate a little.
"Isn't liking cats and liking insects contradictory?"
Aoki Haruhi suddenly remembered the scene from the road today and asked.
"Not at all."
"It's not contradictory at all," Asano Risa waved her hand, shaking her head as she spoke. "Insects have the charm of insects, and kittens have the cuteness of kittens. They're so fluffy, feeling incredibly soft when you hold them in your palm. Getting to pet them really makes your whole heart melt."
"What I meant was—after all, cats like to play with insects, and bugs are generally afraid of cats."
"The laws of nature." Asano Risa extended a finger. "Biodiversity, combined with the food webs that have formed through evolution, all conform to the laws of nature. Respecting the laws of nature doesn't mean you can't like both of them at the same time."
"And isn't it precisely because of this that they are even more charming?"
"Nature is so magical, nurturing such a diverse array of cute and fascinating creatures on this planet. There's nothing happier than being able to live on the same planet as them."
"Yeah, she's the one."
After seeing Asano Risa off, Aoyagi Tomoaki said calmly.
"Hm?"
Ayase Akane turned around. "Really, President?"
"Yeah, she's the one."
After seeing Asano Risa out, Aoki Haruhi said calmly.
"Huh?" Ayase Akane turned around. "Really, President? Are you sure you don't want to reconsider?"
For some reason, Ayase Akane couldn't help but feel that this girl didn't seem very reliable.
Moreover, there was that "natural" expression on her face—for some reason, it made Ayase feel like even if Asano were dropped into a primitive jungle, she would still thrive.
"She's the one," Aoki Haruhi smiled slightly.
This person would definitely be able to make Pokémon a success.
In this whole world, there really aren't many people who are both a furry enthusiast and an insect enthusiast, after all.
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