Although she was riding a high from being called the "Cerulean Mermaid," Misty wasn't some airheaded bimbo who lost her wits the moment she was praised. After cooling down, she tilted her head, her curiosity finally piquing.

  "By the way, Hakuya... why the hell did you two fall into the river in the first pce?"

  "That..."

  Hakuya exchanged a quick gnce with the Sprigatito in his arms before coming up with a smooth, half-truthful response.

  "A few days ago, I officially started my journey as a Trainer. I just took a boat from Hoenn to Kanto, so I wasn't familiar with the area. I got chased by a pack of feral Pokémon in the forest and, in the panic, I slipped and fell into the river."

  He obviously couldn't tell her the truth about the randomized Emerald world.

  So, after a bit of quick thinking, he spun a story that sounded just reasonable enough to pass.

  "Oh, I see," Misty nodded, buying it completely.

  "Since it's your first time here, I suggest you head to the Pokémon Center in Viridian City. If you have a Pokédex from a Professor, even if you're not a local Kanto trainer, you can get free food and a bed..."

  As she gave her friendly advice, Hakuya's brow began to furrow.

  Just like in his previous life, the Pokémon world had a strict registration system.

  Normal people had IDs issued by the League, and traveling Trainers had a double yer of security; every Professor who gave out a Starter Pokémon recorded the trainer's data into their Pokédex.

  Unfortunately, because he couldn't get past Sapphire's Arceus, Hakuya hadn't been able to get a Pokédex from Professor Birch yet. Which meant he had zero identification.

  He was penniless and, essentially, an illegal immigrant.

  Forget being a "mooch" at the Pokémon Center; if he tried to register, he'd probably be picked up by Officer Jenny and tossed into a cell for interrogation.

  Gncing at the sky as the sun dipped below the horizon, Hakuya realized there was only one solution.

  —With a start like this, the only logical move was to shamelessly leech off this girl's "soft rice."

  "Actually... because I fell in the water, I lost all my money and my Pokédex. Do you think I could... stay with you for a few days?" Hakuya asked, pressing his hands together with a look of pure, practiced embarrassment.

  He didn't say it outright, but the "please take care of me" vibe was screaming.

  "Eh?"

  Misty blinked.

  While Hakuya's face and personality were definitely her type, and traveling together was a staple for trainers, he had no tent, no sleeping bag, and no money. She felt less like a travel partner and more like a human ATM.

  Seeing Misty hesitate, Hakuya covertly gave Sprigatito a sharp look.

  "Nya~"

  The kitten, catching the hint, gave her trainer a look of utter disappointment before jumping to the ground. She squeezed out two tiny, pearl-like tears and began purring piteously, rubbing her soft face against Misty's legs with a heartbreaking "please love me" expression.

  No pretty girl is immune to a cute animal's charm, and Misty was no exception.

  Especially not when faced with a high-tier maniputor like Sprigatito, who knew exactly how to milk a scene for all it was worth.

  "Please, Misty. We just got off the boat from Hoenn. We have no family here, no friends... if you don't help us, we're literally going to die in the wilderness."

  "Nya~"

  "C-come on, 'die in the wilderness' is a bit much, isn't it? Ugh..."

  Despite her sharp tongue, Misty was a softie at heart. Faced with the combined pincer attack of a handsome guy and a crying kitten, her defenses crumbled.

  She couldn't say no to Sprigatito's snuggling, and her own upbringing—plus their shared love for Water-types—made her feel guilty about leaving Hakuya to fend for himself.

  Fine, whatever—

  She saved him, so she might as well see the job through to the end.

  "Fine. My pn was to fish around here for a while anyway, so eating and sleeping together for a bit is okay," she said, holding up a finger to emphasize her point. "But only for a few days! Also... just call me Misty."

  "Thank you so much. I'm in your hands."

  Hakuya suppressed the urge to smirk as he reached out to shake her hand.

  But before their palms could touch for more than a second, Sprigatito shoved her way between them, hissing in disapproval.

  That's enough! The acting is over! Don't get that close to my trainer, you ft-chested hussy!

  "Here, take this spare rod. Tonight, we're having grilled fish for dinner."

  After deciding to take them in, Misty pulled a backup rod from her bag.

  She had brought plenty of supplies from Cerulean City, but over the st few days, she had turned her frustration from ck of catches into a stress-eating spree, burning through half her rations. With two more mouths to feed, fishing was the only way to fill their stomachs.

  Hakuya took the rod and nodded.

  As a hardcore, veteran gamer and "fisherman," he didn't need Misty's help. He expertly hooked the bait and sat cross-legged by the river, ready to provide for the "family."

  With a flick of his wrist, the line cut through the air in a silver arc and hit the water with a soft plop.

  In the Pokémon world, alongside creatures with magical powers, there were also "normal" animals like pigs, cows, and sheep—and in this river, there were plenty of regur bass and carp.

  "Nya~"

  Instead of fishing, Sprigatito preferred to lean over the water, admiring her own reflection.

  For the Sprigatito line, their fur has pnt-like properties that absorb sunlight for energy, so keeping their faces clean was a daily ritual to ensure maximum photosynthesis.

  After posing for a while, she puffed out her cheeks and dunked her head into the water.

  Once her face was soaking wet, she trotted back to Hakuya, tilting her head up and demanding he wipe her dry.

  "..."

  With a vibrating rod in one hand and the other forced to dry a cat's face, Hakuya felt a mix of affection and exhaustion.

  I mean, petting the cat is great, but I'm never going to catch anything like this—

  As autumn set in, time flowed by as steadily as the river.

  But it wasn't long before the peaceful night was shattered by a piercing scream.

  "It's a Gyarados!"

  Hakuya rushed over to the source of the noise and immediately saw what Misty had hooked.

  Gyarados—also known as the "Atrocious Pokémon."

  The bane of every early-game pyer, a Level 20 beast with a 540 base stat total that could wipe a team.

  However, for some reason, even though this Gyarados looked massive and its red eyes screamed "murder," it felt like a tiny little baby to them.

  After being tortured by randomized gods in Emerald, this "big guy" felt pathetic.

  He's so weak he's almost cute—

  Hakuya and Sprigatito looked at each other, the same thought echoing in their minds.