The lingering sweetness of the girl's breath filled his mouth—intoxicating, mesmerizing, leaving him craving more of that intimate exchange.
Green's sudden boldness had caught Ryuuske completely off guard, leaving him momentarily breathless.
Even though he had once done something rather extreme to her body, her proactive behavior was still unexpected.
"Does it still hurt?"
A whisper of concern brushed against his ear, soft as a lover's murmur, carrying a suffocating tenderness that tugged at his heart.
"Huh? Oh, no, I'm fine. Probably just some scrapes, maybe a broken bone or two. Internal organs took a bit of a hit, but nothing serious."
Ryuuske answered reflexively before realizing what he was saying. He looked up to see Green leaning over him, her smiling eyes shimmering with mischief. On closer inspection, he noticed she even had faint dimples.
Her voice was so mesmerizing that he hadn't even registered who had spoken.
But whether it was tragic or impressive, the fact that he could casually list off his injuries—even accurately gauging their severity based on pain alone—was a testament to the brutal training he'd endured in the wild.
Thankfully, humans in this world were far hardier than those from his previous life. Otherwise, injuries like these would have left him immobilized, waiting for medical attention—not walking and jumping around like nothing was wrong.
After the battle, Ryuuske had already used basic healing items for emergency treatment. A quick visit to any Pokémon Center would have him fully recovered in half a day. Even without one, self-healing with proper medicine would suffice.
In this world, as long as you didn't die on the spot, even the most severe wounds could be mended.
"Phew… That's good. That fight was terrifying—I almost died from worry! But you two were amazing! Taking down the Vermilion Gym Leader like that? That kiss was just your reward~ Don't read too much into it, okay?"
Green beamed as if she had been the one to win, lavishing praise on Ryuuske and Ash. Her playful eyes, however, remained locked onto Ryuuske.
That wasn't just a peck—that was a full-on French kiss.
Her natural charm made her flattery dangerously intoxicating, but Ryuuske could only force an awkward laugh. Ash, meanwhile, had already begun inching away with Bulbasaur in tow. While he wasn't immune to pretty girls, his instincts screamed at him to flee the palpable tension in the air.
The air pressure is getting scary.
Not metaphorically—literally. Ash stole a glance at Caitlin. The young heiress had fallen silent the moment Green appeared, but the swirling currents around her betrayed the telltale signs of Psychic energy gathering.
"Caitlin, control your emotions! Your powers are flaring again!"
Ryuuske snapped sharply as he sensed the disturbance.
"Ah—s-sorry! I'll be careful!"
Caitlin flinched like a scolded rabbit, her shoulders hunching reflexively. After days of being disciplined by Ryuuske, her reactions had become almost Pavlovian.
Green watched with amusement, her lips curling in a smirk.
But Caitlin quickly regained her composure. She straightened, feigning nonchalance as she asked, "...Lord Ryuuske, who is she?"
Every nerve in her body screamed danger. From Caitlin's perspective, Green was like a siren—her every word dripping with effortless allure, her fox-like eyes so captivating that even she felt her resolve wavering.
"She's—"
"Someone very close to him, of course!"
Before Ryuuske could finish, Green latched onto his arm, pressing herself against him with a saccharine giggle.
"We are close, but—"
"But what? Have you forgotten what you did to me while I was unconscious?"
Ryuuske tried to clarify, but Green cut him off with a glare sharp enough to silence him.
He faltered, guilt creeping in. What he'd done had been excessive—and yet, she'd still saved his life afterward.
Caitlin's fists clenched, her breathing growing ragged. Restraining her emotions had never been harder. Part of her wanted nothing more than to unleash her Psychic powers right then and there.
"Team Rocket's setup down below was terrifying! I thought, 'If you beat Lt. Surge but get nothing out of it, wouldn't that be such a waste?' So I risked my life to steal these badges from his cabin! Don't you think you should thank me?"
Green turned her dazzling smile toward Ash.
Ash nodded like a bobblehead. "Y-yes! Thank you so much, Miss Green!"
"Don't bother. She was investigating Team Rocket anyway—she just swiped the badges as a side gig. Bet she grabbed the ones she needed too."
Ryuuske mercilessly exposed her motives.
"...No need to be so blunt! Stealing badges is hard work, you know? One wrong move and—poof!—you're dead!"
Despite her words, Green flipped her hair triumphantly, revealing the Boulder and Cascade Badges dangling from her earrings. Between her fingers, she twirled the Thunder Badge.
Ash's face fell. After nearly dying in that fight, he'd had to rely on someone else to deliver his badge—while Green had gotten hers effortlessly.
Ryuuske had to admit, her skills were impressive. Stealing from a Gym Leader was no small feat—especially when they had been detected immediately upon entering the lower decks, while Green had slipped through unnoticed.
"...Lord Ryuuske, your injuries need proper rest and treatment. We're close to Johto—I have the finest villa in the region there. Why not recuperate for a few days? Let me take care of you!"
Caitlin, feeling utterly sidelined by Green's silver tongue, desperately tried to reclaim her presence.
"These are just minor injuries. I'm not wasting time recovering when I could be training my Pokémon instead."
Ryuuske's rejection, though firm, was gentle—more of a reassurance that he wasn't dismissing her, but prioritizing his goals.
"How nice it must be to be a Sinnoh heiress~ Luxurious villas everywhere! Us ordinary Trainers have to rely on hard work and actual skill to get anywhere in life."
Green's smile never wavered as she delivered the verbal dagger.
Caitlin's face flushed crimson with fury.
Whoa whoa, Green—class warfare is not the move here!
Ryuuske didn't know whether to laugh or facepalm.
On the surface, her words sounded like a jab at wealth disparity—but in this world, Trainers were the elite. A rich heiress might stand above commoners, but compared to a true Trainer? She was nothing.
Green wasn't mocking Caitlin's privilege—she was mocking her uselessness in battle.
And though it wasn't stated outright, Caitlin understood the insult perfectly.
To be continued…
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