Misty didn't stop running until she reached the docks. She bent over, hands on her knees, panting hard as she stared out at the sea.
What's wrong with me?
I told myself I was okay with it—even if Kazuki ends up with a bunch of girls, I'd be fine!
So why did it feel so weird seeing the way Serena looked at him?
What am I worried about?
Am I… afraid Serena might become his girlfriend before I do?
Wait—girlfriend?
Misty froze, eyes blank.
Did I just… call myself that?
Does that mean I've already fallen for Kazuki?
Ugh! Sisters, when will one of you finally explain what love really feels like?!
She clawed at her hair, completely lost.
Eventually, she shut her eyes and took a long, deep breath to calm herself.
"Wait a sec… what am I even afraid of?"
"Kazuki's right here with me—not halfway across the world!"
"Clearly, I have the advantage."
"All I have to do is seize the moment… be bold!"
"At worst… I'll just push him down when the time's right!"
"Besides, he was the one who forced himself on me back in Viridian Forest!"
"He should take responsibility!"
"What are you muttering about?" Kazuki's voice behind her made her jump.
"Ahh!" Misty shrieked and nearly fell straight into the ocean.
Kazuki lunged forward, catching her around the waist.
Even though he'd held her like this many times before, the moment her soft curves pressed against his chest, Misty's heart started thundering again.
"Th-thanks…" she stammered, avoiding his gaze as she steadied herself.
"Weren't… weren't you off training? Why'd you come looking for me?"
Kazuki gently pulled her away from the water's edge before answering, "I was about to go grind some levels."
"But then Delia told me you went running toward the docks all dramatic and wild-eyed."
"She said you might've been hit by a Psychic-type's move."
"She thought you were about to throw yourself into the sea."
Misty's brows furrowed, completely baffled. "What? Delia actually said that?"
Kazuki just smiled.
"So it was you who said it! Ugh, you're the worst!"
With just a few words, he'd managed to shift her entire mood.
"Well, that's more or less what she meant. I just polished it up a bit."
"She said you looked down and told me to check in."
"So… what's got you looking like your Psyduck just fainted?"
Misty looked up at Kazuki, her throat tightening around the words she wanted to say.
For someone as bold and brash as her, confessing feelings was harder than anything else.
The universal tsundere pain.
In any other script, this would be the scene of a bittersweet farewell. Misty would bury her feelings, step back, and wish Kazuki and Serena the best.
But sorry—not this time.
This is a Perfect Script.
Early bird, latecomer, it doesn't matter.
He's meant to have all of them.
Misty exhaled and deflected with a laugh. "I-It's nothing! You sent away the shiny Horsea again, and I just wasn't used to not seeing it, that's all."
"Oh, that? Easy fix—just catch a new one here at the beach."
Misty sighed and looked up at the sky. "It's not like they're everywhere…"
"What do you mean? Isn't that one right there?"
Kazuki pointed toward the sea.
"Ugh, I know you're trying to cheer me—wait, what?!" Misty dashed to the edge of the dock.
"Whoa… even if it's not shiny, it's still beautiful!"
"Okay! This time, I will catch a Horsea!"
But just as she raised her Poké Ball to throw, her hand stopped mid-air and lowered again.
"Wait… why does this Horsea look all beat up?"
The little seahorse floated shakily in the water, bruised and battered. It even spat out a strange ink pattern that looked like…
Kazuki narrowed his eyes.
That pattern—it was the same as the Tentacool incident in the original script.
Misty, always soft-hearted toward Water-types (except for Gyarados), immediately knelt down.
"I can't bring myself to fight it like this…"
She decided to take the injured Horsea to the Pokémon Center instead.
"This wild Horsea isn't afraid of people! That's amazing!"
"Maybe I can catch it without even battling!"
Smiling brightly, Misty watched as the Horsea was taken into treatment.
Kazuki had thought maybe the Horsea came for help because of his Friend of the Ocean, but clearly, Misty's lifelong Water-type affinity aura was just as powerful—maybe even more so.
After Horsea's treatment was underway, the trio headed off to claim their reward for winning the Pokémon Costume Contest: a luxury stay at Seaside Wharf.
Unfortunately, the one managing the VIP accommodations was none other than Nastina.
Classic.
Nastina had sponsored the contest knowing the winner would bring massive foot traffic, so of course, she claimed the right to host them.
To Kazuki's surprise, the mayor of Porta Vista greeted them personally at the hotel.
The region was small, with no Gym or natural resources to boast. Tourism was its lifeblood.
And when the mayor heard that Kazuki had won with a shiny Horsea, he dropped all pretense and came running with a camera crew to take PR shots and shower them with praise.
But behind the smiles, Kazuki read the subtext.
The mayor publicly praised Nastina's developments, hinting that he supported her hotel project.
If the mission required halting the resort's construction, then reporting her wouldn't cut it.
This had to be done more carefully.
After the mayor left, Delia went to pick out rooms while Misty wandered the luxury district with Kazuki.
They'd barely gone far when a crowd gathered around a tank-like vehicle parked at the wharf.
Out stepped an old woman with a megaphone—Nastina herself.
"Listen up, brave Trainers!"
"Our natural enemy, the Tentacool, is sabotaging our construction site!"
"I'm offering a reward for anyone who helps drive them away!"
The moment Misty heard that, her eyes blazed with fury.
"So that's it! Her hotel's destroying Tentacool's habitat!"
"They're adorable, and she wants to get rid of them?!"
Nastina, seeing that no one reacted, sweetened the deal.
"I'm very generous!"
"Whoever drives them off will get one million Pokédollars!"
"If you're interested, line up now!"
"Hmph! Just a million? As if that's enough to bully Tentacool! Everyone's got money these days!" Misty scoffed, unimpressed by the bribe. As the daughter of a Gym Leader family, money was the least of her concerns.
But most of the other Trainers weren't so lucky.
The moment she offered cash, a wave of interest erupted in the crowd.
Even Team Rocket, hiding underwater, leapt out and fired a rose-tipped arrow onto Nastina's tank.
"And who might you three be?"
With their cue delivered, Jessie, James, and Meowth strutted out onto the pier with their usual speech.
"Wow! You three look like professionals—this job's all yours!"
"If you can drive off the Tentacool, the million is yours!"
"One million Pokébucks?! Yes, boss! We're on it!" The Team Rocket trio's eyes sparkled at the promise of payday.
"What?! Even they're involved now?!" Misty's heart sank. "They're all ganging up on the Tentacool!"
Kazuki quietly recorded Nastina's conversation with Jessie and James in his Pokédex, then turned to Misty.
"Princess, not everyone's rich like you."
Misty turned to him with teary eyes. "Kazuki… you're not going to fight the Tentacool too, are you?"
"Please… don't hurt them, okay?"
"Hahaha…" Kazuki chuckled and pinched her cheek. "I don't agree with your taste, but don't worry."
"I'm not going to hurt the Tentacool. I'm going to help them find their way back home."
Misty's eyes widened, her lashes shimmering with tears. "Really? You really can help them?"
Kazuki patted her head gently. "Of course. For you—and for them—I'll make sure it happens."
Between the smooth line and the Water-type connection, Misty felt her heart thump in a way she couldn't deny.
"I'll help you then!"
Kazuki looked toward the distant silhouette of Paradise Resort and thought for a moment.
"For now, go back to the hotel and check on Delia."
"Leave Horsea with me. I'll call you when I need you."
"Okay." Misty, no longer pouting or stubborn, handed over Horsea and obediently turned back toward the hotel.
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New Goal:- 200PS
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