Misty shifted her body and looked at Officer Jenny in shock. "What's wrong with you, Jenny?"
Breathing heavily, Officer Jenny blinked a few times to clear the image of Kazuki from her mind. After taking a few calming breaths, she smiled dreamily at Misty.
"S-Sorry, Misty! It's just…" Her cheeks flushed deeper. "The way you described everything... it really hit home for me."
"Huh?" Misty's mouth dropped open in surprise. "I-Is that... so?"
Misty's gaze flickered downward, and a crimson tint quickly spread across her cheeks.
"Jenny, did you have something to drink tonight, or is something else going on?" she asked, puzzled. "Honestly, I didn't think what I said was that intense."
Misty still couldn't quite grasp how quickly women Jenny's age reacted to such things.
Back when they were at Bill's lighthouse, Misty had rolled the idea over and over in her head before accepting certain things emotionally—what Jenny seemed to process in a heartbeat now.
In a sudden movement, Jenny sat up straight and lightly grabbed Misty's shoulder.
"Sorry! Didn't mean to embarrass you!" she said with a sheepish smile. "Work's been slower than slow lately. I guess I've had too much time on my hands to daydream about... stuff."
"I'm not usually like this, I swear! I don't know what's gotten into me today. Honestly, this is already the second time!"
"Second time?" Misty's eyes widened, darting to the black lace edging peeking from Jenny's pocket. "So... you and Kazuki were...?"
"That pervert Kazuki! Don't tell me he made a move? With so many tourists around?!"
"N-No!" Jenny waved her hands furiously. "It's not Kazuki's fault! It's… it's just that... my imagination kinda ran wild."
"Come on, Misty!" Jenny leaned on her again, emboldened by the alcohol and pleasantly surprised that Misty hadn't shut down the conversation. "Tell me more about you and Kazuki. I... I really like hearing about it."
"W-What?" Misty glanced at their surroundings, her flush creeping all over. "A-Are you sure this is okay?"
Jenny took a deep breath, then nodded seriously. "Perfectly fine."
"Well..." Misty hesitated for only a moment before her curiosity got the better of her. She grew excited, too. "Then let's talk! But in exchange, Jenny — you have to teach me about being more feminine and womanly."
"I want to learn how to treat my Kazuki better!"
Deep down, Misty had lots of curiosity bottled up, but her usual prideful nature kept her from voicing it. Tonight, with a little alcohol in her and Jenny prodding for more, she allowed herself to open up.
And so began a night of heart-to-heart chatter between the two girls…
Midnight.
Drip-drip. Sizzling.
Splash-slosh…
The sounds of running water echoed from the bathroom. The two girls had stayed up so late talking that they were now forced to bathe together…
The next day, past mid-morning.
Even after Kazuki had finished an entire session of morning stretches and exercise, neither Misty nor Officer Jenny had woken up.
Kazuki walked to Misty's bedroom and gently keyed in the password she'd given him. As he softly pushed the door open, he saw the two of them still sleeping soundly.
Shaking his head with a smile, he softly closed the door. "And she calls herself the daughter of the Cerulean Gym. Overconfident much."
Since there were no patrol duties that morning, and the area around Maiden's Peak lacked many good Pokémon for training, Kazuki decided to have his Pokémon battle each other for practice.
Pikachu vs. Pidgeot
Bulbasaur vs. Butterfree
Charmeleon vs. Wartortle
The outcomes of the first two matchups were easy to predict. But the third battle surprised him.
Despite having both a type advantage and level superiority, Wartortle had a rough time fighting Charmeleon. There were moments when a single mistaken move nearly cost Wartortle the battle.
Seems like this elite trainer kit is really paying off.
After the battles ended, Kazuki let his six Pokémon rest on their own. That's when the "Drunken Girl" came tottering out of the Pokémon Center.
"Mornin', Kazuki!" Jenny greeted with surprising energy.
A few steps behind her, Misty followed sluggishly. "Mornin'... Kazuki."
Clearly, Misty still wasn't fully awake—probably just felt awkward staying in bed after Jenny got up first.
"You're so full of energy, Kazuki!" Jenny blinked, her gaze unconsciously scanning him from toe to head. "You're practically glowing."
"You're pretty radiant yourself," Kazuki replied with a polite smile—then noticed the black lacy edge of fabric peeking from Jenny's jean pocket.
"Guess I must've had good dreams," Jenny said cheerfully as she touched her cheek. "I'll head over to the office to finish some reports. After lunch, I'll find you for patrol!"
After Jenny left, Misty finally ambled from the Pokémon Center's yard over to Kazuki, draping her arms around his neck.
"Kiss me, Kazuki!" she whispered sweetly.
Kazuki chuckled, ruffling her hair. "Not kissing a little drunkard's lips."
"Come on~ I brushed! I brushed before bed and right after waking up! Pleaseeee~" With no one else around, Misty tossed aside her usual tsundere mask and acted completely different from her usual self.
Kazuki, charmed by how obedient and adorable she was becoming, leaned in to grant her wish.
But the kiss startled him.
Normally, Misty's kisses were shy pecks—but today she leaned in deeper and held the kiss for long moments, unwilling to let go.
"Whoa! What's with you today? You suddenly get bold on me?"
Kazuki dabbed her lips with a tissue.
"Wh-What do you mean, bold? You're usually the one who kisses me like that!" Misty clutched her lip, embarrassed. Last night's intimate chat with Jenny had done quite a number on her. It left her thinking about Kazuki all through the early night, and by the time she was too tired to fantasize anymore, she'd already drifted off.
So now, with a rare bit of alone time, Misty couldn't help being a little forward.
"Hey! Isn't this a girlfriend's job too? I'm not stupid—I can learn!" she chirped.
"Come on, sit down. I want to sit on your lap and doze off again. Jenny already got up, and I felt bad lying around."
"You…" Kazuki tapped her on the head gently, but didn't stop her.
The moment he sat down, Misty straddled his lap and nestled in close.
Lying on Kazuki's shoulder with her eyes closed, she stuck out her tongue slightly with a cheeky grin. "Yup... this is the right size. I didn't give Jenny any false info last night."
Satisfied with the double-check, Misty curled back up on Kazuki and soon drifted off again.
She stayed asleep on him all the way until lunch. Kazuki even took out her Pokémon for some additional training to keep her team on par. After all, Misty was the future master of the Cerulean Gym—and her three sisters were only good for keeping up appearances.
Right after lunch, Jenny was the first to come find Kazuki.
Misty, already pampered and happy from the morning smooches, saw them off with a smile and even winked at Kazuki on the sly.
Though Kazuki had no idea what her wink was supposed to mean. Wouldn't it be easier to just whisper something?
Still, he smiled and nodded, pretending he'd gotten the message.
But once the patrol began, Kazuki quickly understood.
Officer Jenny today was entirely different from yesterday—much more animated and cheerful. Yesterday, she'd fidget and get shy when personal topics came up.
But now, if there weren't many people around, she would boldly steer the conversation toward romantic territory.
Apparently, Kazuki and Misty's open attitude had reassured her. Now she was clearly interested in becoming something more.
The progress was lightning fast. Especially after Kazuki caught a would-be thief during their patrol—Jenny's gaze from that moment on grew even more intense.
When they returned to the secluded path near Maiden's Peak, the two began brushing against each other more frequently.
Kazuki, wanting to see how far his Justice Reputation had grown, let her get closer, gradually matching Jenny's boldness with his own.
Just as the atmosphere peaked, his Aura Power suddenly flared with a reaction.
Kazuki stopped walking and looked up—somehow they'd ended up by the small cabin again.
"What's wrong, Kazuki?" Jenny asked, concerned by his sudden expression.
"Ah, nothing! Just... this spot reminds me I always need to pee," he said, resorting to the same excuse as before.
"Wait here a sec, I'll be right back."
Jenny watched him go with a faint smile, her hand absentmindedly touching the holstered pistol at her waist.
"Again with the bathroom... same place as yesterday. Mmm~ such a wonderful place…"
She blushed, eyes lingering on Kazuki's retreating figure.
As Kazuki neared the wooden cabin, his Aura Power only grew stronger despite being passive.
He carefully pushed open the wooden door and found a white-haired old woman in purple robes humming while tidying the room.
"Hmm?" The old woman turned to Kazuki. "What's this? The first evening of the festival hasn't fallen yet and there's already someone here?"
Kazuki's gaze fell on the bundle of talisman papers beside her.
"Gastly. I'm here to make a deal."
The old woman froze briefly before resuming her cleaning, her tone light and wary.
"Gastly? Whatever do you mean? I'm just an old shrine maiden, helping to ward off restless spirits."
"Looking for good talismans? These are real effective—and fairly priced!"
She started pushing her talismans like a seasoned vendor.
"I do want talismans," Kazuki said plainly. "Just Gastly ones."
"Then you've come to the wrong place. There's no Gastly here," she replied, still denying her identity.
"No need for games, Gastly," Kazuki said, focusing his Aura Power and releasing it deliberately.
The shrine maiden finally gave Kazuki a serious look.
"Well, well. Who would've thought... a human with Aura Power."
The old woman floated up, her form shifting in a moment into the ghostly Gastly. She zipped around Kazuki, observing him with interest.
"So what do you want from me?"
"Going to expose the Maiden's Peak legend?"
Judging from her energy aura, this Gastly was easily over level 70.
Why she hadn't evolved into Gengar yet was a mystery.
Engaging her in battle wouldn't be wise—so Kazuki laid out his proposal.
"You're Gastly, and I want all your talismans. I'll pay double—" he started.
"Double?" Gastly perked up and quickly morphed back into her old lady form, eagerly handing over stacks of talismans.
"Oh my, such discerning taste! These will keep you so safe!"
"Hold it," Kazuki said calmly. "The offer comes with a condition."
"Condition?" Gastly faltered.
"Don't worry, I'm not asking you to scare people or hurt anyone. Quite the opposite."
"This year—for the festival—don't scare anyone. In exchange, I'll help spread the ghost maiden legend for you."
"That's… that's it?" Gastly blinked in disbelief.
"That's it," Kazuki confirmed, stone-faced.
"Well then, deal! You've got my word," Gastly cheered and scooped up the money, handing over her spell tags.
Satisfied, Kazuki exited the cabin and returned to Jenny.
"You're back!" she said, rushing over. "I was afraid something happened to you!"
"You said you were just going to the bathroom—I couldn't exactly follow… What if I saw your... you know—ugh, forget it."
She nearly blurted out something from last night's naughty conversation with Misty.
"Oh, it's nothing. There's an old shrine lady up there who sells ghost-banishing charms," Kazuki explained smoothly. "Since we've got night patrol tomorrow, I figured I'd grab a few, just in case."
"A shrine lady?" Jenny tilted her head, then lit up.
"Ohh right! Every year, this famous spirit ward appears during the festival. Her talismans are legit!"
"But they're not cheap... You must've spent a fortune!"
"Let me help pay—"
Kazuki gently pressed her gloved hand down.
"No need. You treated Misty and me to some fancy sake yesterday, remember? Consider this my treat in return."
"If you really feel bad, treat us to a good meal tonight."
As their hands touched, even through gloves, Jenny felt a rush of excitement—it was their first real bit of hand-holding.
Knowing her mind might run wild again, she smiled shyly and focused. "Okay then, no Pokémon Center food tonight. I'll treat you two to something really special."
And sure enough, Jenny led them straight to the priciest restaurant around Maiden's Peak.
Judging by how familiar she was with the place, this wasn't her first visit.
That's family wealth for you—worldwide influence doesn't come cheap.
After a hearty meal, Misty and Jenny headed off together to browse the lively festival. It was only the first night, and the streets were buzzing.
Kazuki, citing "some errands," split from them and slipped into the dark forest—the perfect setting to stage the ghost maiden legend.
Armed with some white plastic bags and five of his Pokémon (excluding Pidgeot), Kazuki began setting up spooky illusions.
Pikachu — nimble and quick, darting through the forest shadows with plastic bags to create blurry figures.
Butterfree — floating ghostly like a spectral maiden.
Bulbasaur — rustling the forest vines to produce creepy sounds.
Wartortle — splashing strange drops near the coast.
Charmeleon — using blue glass chips to create will-o'-the-wisps.
Altogether, it was spooky enough to give a science show a dozen episodes' worth of content.
As the setup rolled out, small couples wandering from the festival (looking for romance in private-walk spots) were perfect carriers of the tale.
Every few minutes, Kazuki would hear another shriek echo through the trees.
"Not bad," he muttered, collecting his Pokémon one by one.
Satisfied, Kazuki headed back through the night—toward the Pokémon Center.
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