Kazuki and the others turned around to see Gary arriving in a modest business car, accompanied by six female companions, pulling up beside Kazuki.
"Gary?" Kazuki noticed that Gary was no longer dressed in designer clothes, and the quality of his car had significantly declined, which left him puzzled.
Had Gary suddenly embraced a frugal lifestyle?
His car was now a common brand, and his outfit was no longer high-end.
However, his six female companions were as polished as ever.
Honestly, Gary wasn't even serious about relationships—he was just wasting opportunities. I might as well step in and make some cream puffs myself.
[Ding!]
At that moment, Kazuki heard the system's task notification sound in his ear.
Huh? What's this about?
Did I just trigger a mission by thinking that?
Surely it's not giving me that kind of task, right?
That's way too inappropriate! Hehehe...
[Ding! Rival encounter detected. Triggering Rivalry Mission: Challenge Gary using Pokémon of the same type and win!]
[Task Reward: +1 Pokémon Party Slot]
Oh, it's this kind of task!
I thought it was going to be something else…
A same-type Pokémon battle, huh? I know Gary's main Pokémon is likely a Squirtle, which he's probably been training as his ace.
My Pikachu is already level 36, and there's a chance Gary's Squirtle has evolved into a Blastoise by now.
If I use my Wartortle, I'd clearly be at a disadvantage.
I'd better check what other Pokémon he's carrying before making a decision.
After all, the reward of an extra party slot is incredibly valuable!
Having a Pokémon by your side for training is always better than leaving it at the lab.
Even though I joke about bonds all the time, Pokémon that are constantly with you do perform better than those left at the lab, even at the same level.
So, with this extra slot, plus Elite Trainer Kit, I'll have a total of eight Pokémon I can carry with me. That'll make my rotation strategy during the League battles much more flexible.
After accepting the task, Kazuki saw Gary excitedly jump out of his car.
"Kazuki? Didn't expect to run into you here!"
"Hey! You've got another girlfriend? She's quite pretty!"
"Too bad she's still no match for my six!"
Now that Gary couldn't compete with Kazuki in Pokémon battles, he started showing off in other areas.
"I…" Suzie was about to explain but stopped when she saw the six women behind Gary. She didn't want to drag Kazuki down, especially since it seemed like he and Gary were rivals.
Being mistaken as Kazuki's girlfriend actually stirred a competitive spirit in her.
To help Kazuki save face, Suzie subtly moved closer to him, making their relationship appear more intimate.
Kazuki, of course, wasn't fazed by Gary's antics. After all, he had Suzie and Misty by his side, and in reality, he was managing four relationships.
But since Gary had started the banter, Kazuki wasn't going to let it slide. He decided to hit Gary where it hurt.
"Hey, young master Gary, experiencing the common life now, huh? Driving this kind of car?"
"Your clothes are so cheap too!"
Kazuki's words immediately made Gary bristle.
Gary's current situation was a direct result of Kazuki's rare Pokémon and various achievements, which had pressured Professor Oak into cutting Gary's travel allowance.
To maintain his image, Gary refused to reduce the number of female companions he hired, so he downgraded his car and wardrobe instead.
This time, Gary had come to earn some money from a supervisor's bounty to sustain his lavish lifestyle.
"You! Kazuki, this is all your fault!" Gary shouted, pointing at Kazuki in frustration.
"My fault? How so? We've only met once on this journey, right?" Kazuki crossed his arms, deliberately asking for an explanation.
Gary, being somewhat clever, knew that admitting the truth would indirectly acknowledge Kazuki's superiority in Pokémon training.
"Hmph, none of that matters now!"
"Just know that in the future, you'll lose to me!"
"Are you here for the bounty too?"
"Hahaha! Sorry, but I'm taking this one!"
"I only brought one Pokémon, and it's more than enough to handle this little Diglett problem!"
"Ha! I'm not interested in that. If you want to compete, go ahead." Kazuki waved his hand dismissively and continued toward the hot springs with Suzie and Misty.
Kazuki's indifferent attitude always left Gary feeling unsatisfied and frustrated. Watching Kazuki walk away with his two close companions, Gary could only console himself with a hollow victory.
"Ha! Kazuki's scared! This is a Pokémon battle, after all!"
"I'm definitely going to win this time!"
"Kazuki, Kazuki! You're too caught up in your little harem to focus!"
"Keep sinking into that decadence!"
"It'll give me the chance to surpass you and win the Indigo Plateau Conference!"
"Let's see if you'll still have that smug look on your face then!"
Gary silently vowed to himself as he headed toward the mission gathering point.
Suzie glanced back at Gary as he left and then turned to Kazuki. "Kazuki, is that Gary your rival?"
"Did I embarrass you by being by your side just now?"
Having spent so much time with Misty, Suzie had started to care deeply about anything related to Kazuki's competitiveness, just like Misty did.
Kazuki looked at Suzie with mild surprise. "Embarrass me? Your elegance completely outshines those six overly made-up women of his!"
"And I don't care about such shallow comparisons anyway."
"Gary's just a spoiled young master who's always been competitive."
"He wants to outdo me in everything! We both started our journeys from Pallet Town this year. His current record is about the same as mine, so he's always trying to one-up me."
"Next time he says something, just treat it like hot air. Don't take it to heart."
Suzie nodded obediently, feeling pleased by Kazuki's compliment about her elegance.
Misty, observing Suzie's expression, couldn't help but notice the similarity to her own shy demeanor back at Bill's Lighthouse.
Though Misty didn't have any mind-reading abilities, she could relate to Suzie's feelings.
However, Misty wasn't thinking about how to help Kazuki catch Pokémon right now. Instead, she was wondering when she could make up for her promise to Kazuki.
She felt uneasy about not fulfilling her commitment and also wanted to show off her recent "growth" to Kazuki.
The increasingly intimate relationship between them had matured Misty's thoughts.
Otherwise, she wouldn't have brought up this special compensation.
After passing through the dam construction site, the trio finally arrived at the hot springs.
After dinner, they prepared to soak in the springs.
"Uh, Suzie, why don't you go ahead and start soaking?"
"I'll go feed mine and Kazuki's Pokémon first!"
The hot springs only accommodated two or three people per pool, so Kazuki, Misty, and Suzie booked two pools.
Realizing this, Misty's mind began to wander with some intriguing ideas.
"Do you need help?" Suzie offered to assist Misty with feeding the Pokémon.
"Huh? Oh, no, I've got it!" Misty quickly came up with an excuse, noticing Suzie's tired appearance.
"You're such a graceful beauty, but you look exhausted!"
"Go ahead and relax in the hot springs to unwind."
"I'm still full of energy! I'll handle the feeding."
"Alright then." Suzie didn't understand how Misty, who was even slimmer than her, had so much energy after a day of hiking. She was indeed worn out.
Once Suzie agreed, Misty quickly dashed off.
After confirming that Suzie had entered the hot springs, Misty, as Kazuki's girlfriend, found out the number of his pool.
She then quietly sneaked toward Kazuki's pool.
At that moment, Kazuki was undressing while pondering the task related to Gary.
Gary only brought one Poké Ball.
If it really is a Blastoise, should I challenge it with my Wartortle?
My Wartortle is level 33. Should I use three Intermediate Rare Candies to evolve it?
That seems like a waste.
What if Gary brings a high-level Pokémon that counters Water-types? Then the candies would be for nothing.
My Bulbasaur hasn't even reached level 40 after grinding so many wild Pokémon at level 39. It's clear that leveling up gets harder as you progress.
Using Intermediate Rare Candies before level 50 feels like a waste.
I'd better figure out what Pokémon Gary brought.
Just as Kazuki was deep in thought, his Aura Power sensed someone lingering at the door.
Huh? What's going on? Again?
"Kazuki~" Misty confirmed the name and shoes at the door belonged to Kazuki before gently sliding the wooden door open. She giggled as she kicked off her shoes and ran inside.
"Misty? Aren't you supposed to be in a private pool with Suzie?"
Before Kazuki could finish his question, Misty had already rushed over and hugged him from behind.
Her soft body pressed comfortably against Kazuki's back as she eagerly reached for his hand.
"What are you up to, you little troublemaker?" Kazuki teased with a smirk.
"What do you think? Hehe…"
Misty's face turned bright red. "I'm here to make up for my promise to my beloved boyfriend!"
With that, she deftly untied her overalls, letting her denim shorts fall to the floor.
Kazuki quickly turned to face her. "Well then… I'm going to enjoy this!"
With that, the two leaned in and kissed passionately…
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