"Alright…"
Facing the intensity of Soyo's determination, even Satoshi felt a bead of nervous sweat roll down his cheek. He had no choice but to dive back into the battle.
"Let's do our best, Lopunny~" Soyo's smile was deceptively gentle, but her tone carried a hidden gravity.
It almost felt like she was saying, "If you don't do your best, I'll end you!"
"Mi-mi-mi?? (I'm so done with your lovesick nonsense—do you even care about winning?)"
Under the crushing pressure, Lopunny shivered slightly, yet her eyes remained sharp and resolute.
"Use [Close Combat]!"
"Mi~~~!"
Lopunny cast aside her defenses, bravely rushing straight at her opponent. Her punches and kicks were rapid and fierce, displaying impressive agility and power.
"In that case, Grookey, counter with [Facade]!"
Neither move had a type advantage, and normally Satoshi wouldn't risk challenging the overwhelming 120-power Fighting-type attack, [Close Combat]. But today he was using the legendary move of overworked salarymen everywhere—[Facade]!
[Facade]:If the user is poisoned, burned, or paralyzed, this attack's power doubles!
"Pachichi!"
Paralyzed but determined, Grookey gathered its energy, its body glowing fiercely. With a burst of strength, it locked onto Lopunny, driving its fist forward.
A surge of intense energy gathered at Grookey's fist, striking Lopunny like a bolt of lightning.
"Wumi?!"
"Mi—!" Lopunny crumpled heavily, collapsing weakly onto the ground.
This was the ultimate power of the corporate slave's signature move!
Even the mighty [Close Combat] couldn't withstand it!
Useless rabbit!
Seeing Lopunny fall, Nagasaki Soyo's expression darkened slightly. Suppressing any outward sign of annoyance, she gracefully crouched down, took out a [Full Restore], and gently sprayed it over Lopunny.
"You did well, Lopunny~"
Despite everything, Lopunny had tried its best. And besides, there was something more pressing that Soyo wanted to discuss with Satoshi.
"Satoshi… Yesterday, who went with you to Rainbow Feather Mountain? It was a girl, wasn't it?"
Having tended to Lopunny, Soyo stood up, curiosity burning in her gaze.
How had she known Satoshi had company yesterday?
Of course—she'd secretly smelled Satoshi's jacket after he took it off, catching the faint scent of another woman!
[Wait… how did she know about that?!]
Wait… how did she know about that?!
For once, Satoshi and Furiko had the exact same thought.
"A friend named Togawa Sakiko."
"Togawa Sakiko…" At this name, Soyo's blue eyes flickered anxiously, the brightness dimming slightly.
She would never forget that name. Once, Sakiko had invited her into a Pokémon team, only to abandon them shortly afterward, leaving the team in pieces.
For Soyo, who grew up in a single-parent family, the team had felt like home. Losing it was devastating, and she'd spent days drifting aimlessly, longing to rebuild it—until the day she met the boy standing before her…
"You shouldn't feel so alone. If you're ever lonely, just take my hand—I'll always stay by your side."
Doki doki~
Soyo shook her head, quickly snapping herself out of that sweet memory.
Through her daily stalking—ahem—observations, she'd already realized Satoshi was utterly clueless!
"Come to think of it, Soyo, you know Sakiko, right? Yesterday, she mentioned your name too."
"Rai rai~ (Don't start trouble~)"
Satoshi crouched down, gently petting Raichu's soft, fluffy cheeks, lost in quiet contentment. He didn't notice Soyo's expression slowly darkening beside him.
"Let's not talk about this anymore… I'm no longer interested in that person," Soyo responded coldly—probably the coldest she'd ever sounded.
She truly had no idea how to face Sakiko, the girl who'd shattered their team.
Even in a Pokémon battle, Soyo had no confidence she could win. In her memory, Sakiko's strength was formidable—especially her ace, Meowscarada.
Its [Protean] ability was incredibly troublesome. Every time they fought, Soyo ended up completely overwhelmed.
[Uwah~ My dear Satoshi, she's angry… Maybe we shouldn't say anything and just let her cool down?]
Hearing Furiko's words, Satoshi's emotions barely stirred—instead, he began rubbing Raichu's cheeks even more energetically. He winked at Raichu, silently signaling it to use [Thunderbolt].
"Rai rai!"
Instantly, Raichu unleashed a surge of electricity, hitting Satoshi directly.
"Satoshi?! Are you alright?! Why did Raichu suddenly attack you?" Soyo gasped in shock.
Feeling a mild numbness run through his body, Satoshi merely smiled faintly.
"I'm fine. This happens all the time—just a little paralysis."
"I may not fully understand what happened, but I'm sure there's some misunderstanding—just like you misunderstood what Raichu did to me just now."
Even someone as dense as Satoshi could sense something had changed with Sakiko's family. For a former heiress to start working part-time…
Her family must've gone bankrupt!
Detective Satoshi was confident in his deduction.
"…I see. Then I'll consider it that way for now," Soyo replied softly.
Though she was aware of Satoshi's bizarre physical durability, taking Raichu's [Thunderbolt] directly and brushing it off like nothing was genuinely absurd.
At this rate…
She was seriously worried about whether future hypnosis would have any effect!
"Anyway, let's put that aside for now. The Afro Buffalo Cup is coming up soon, Satoshi. Are you ready? If you win, you'll receive 5000 points."
Soyo clapped her hands lightly, pushing aside the complicated topic in favor of something simpler.
The competition was named after the month's zodiac sign—in this case, a buffalo for May. Technically, it could just as easily have been called the Tauros Cup.
"Yeah, I think I'm pretty much set."
"Soyo, will you support me?"
Satoshi stood up energetically, determination radiating from him.
He had to win his first tournament!
"Of course~ I'll always be there for you," Soyo replied sweetly, nodding softly.
Seeing her agreement, Satoshi eagerly stepped closer, intending to make his request face-to-face.
The distance between them shrank intimately, almost like lovers.
He's so close… Could he be about to thank me with a kiss?!
Soyo blushed deeply, instinctively closing her eyes and softly puckering her lips.
"Then, battle me all day today!"
"...Battle?!"
Soyo blinked in disbelief.
She should never have gotten her hopes up with someone this dense!
But despite her frustration, Soyo seized the chance, boldly slipping her hand into his, savoring the warmth of his palm as she nodded in agreement.
"Y-Yes…of course!"
---
Togawa Sakiko entered her family home, her expression perfectly calm, her steps confident and steady.
"Welcome home, Sakiko-ojousama."
Entering the living room, a maid immediately greeted her with a respectful bow and gentle smile.
But Sakiko merely frowned, unwilling to accept such goodwill. She met the maid's gaze coolly, clearly displeased.
"I'm only here today because I have something I need to say."