Hisako spent considerable effort calming the Miltank down, while Pinocchio, the culprit, naturally received several angry spanks on her bottom from Hisako, leaving her utterly aggrieved.
"But it was Klahh who…"
Pinocchio hung her head pitifully, glancing at her sister, only to find the Ice Vulpix Klahh comfortably nestled in Erina's arms, enjoying gentle strokes.
"?"
Pinocchio tilted her head in thought for a few seconds before muttering to herself, "Was I tricked?"
"Pika—"
Pikachu shrugged its tiny hands and shook its head helplessly.
You only realized that now?
...
...
Later that day, around 2:40 PM.
After lunch and a nap, Hayashi excitedly changed into a yukata and eagerly knocked on Erina's door—don't question why they weren't sleeping together, you beasts! She's only fifteen!
"Is that you, Hayashi? Come in—"
Erina's voice came from inside. Hayashi slid the door open and swaggered in, followed by Eevee and Growlithe.
The first thing that caught his eye was the young lady wrapped in a white bath towel, revealing a glimpse of her fair, delicate calves and the even more exquisite feet below—her jade-like feet seemed as if meticulously carved from fine jade, with five slender yet perfectly rounded toes slightly curled against the tatami, making it impossible for Hayashi to look away.
"Oh my, oh my—" Hisako teased with a smirk. "Mr. Hayashi, being so impatient isn't good, you know?"
Hayashi crossed his arms and declared shamelessly, "Yeah, I'm super excited! I'm totally into Erina's body! Come on, Erina is ridiculously cute! Like, ultra cute!"
As everyone knows, when a girl's label changes from "just another face in the crowd" to "girlfriend," her charm skyrockets exponentially.
Of course, if it shifts from "just another face" to "young wife," the appeal becomes downright terrifying: "Heh heh, madam, you wouldn't want your child to get cornered by me after school, would you?"
"Tch—"
Hisako smirked elegantly, her lips curling into a confident smile as she solemnly reached out and grasped Hayashi's hand, declaring in a deep voice, "Great minds think alike!"
"You two—"
Erina watched her boyfriend and best friend with exasperation, covering her face in despair. "I should be relieved that my best friend and boyfriend aren't caught up in any of those messy online scandals, but the way they're acting right now just makes me want to cry—"
"Isn't it fine, though?"
Sabrina, now in her swimsuit, sauntered over with cat-like grace and raised an eyebrow. "At least it's better than having a boyfriend who has zero interest in you, right?"
Erina thought for a moment, then sighed in resignation. "Well, that's true—"
"Alright, alright—"
Hayashi walked over and took Erina's hand. "Let's go! We can't waste the hot springs we specially reserved for today."
"Let's go!" Erina nodded enthusiastically, her voice tinged with anticipation. "I wonder how the hot springs in Lavaridge Town compare to the ones back home."
Hayashi waved at Sabrina and Hisako as he led Erina outside. "I can't vouch for how authentic the ones back home are, but the ones here in Lavaridge Town are definitely the real deal—"
"Oh? Then I'll have to look forward to it—"
"I'm looking forward to it too—" Hayashi blinked, adding silently in his heart: 'Looking forward to Erina's swimsuit!'
Back on the cruise ship, Erina wasn't Hayashi's girlfriend yet, so he had to maintain a certain distance. But now…
Heh heh! He let out a laugh worthy of at least ten Soul Palace elders!
...
...
After washing up in the men's bath, Hayashi swaggered into the private mixed-gender hot spring area they had reserved—where "mixed" didn't just refer to men and women, but also included a section for Pokémon.
However, Hayashi's team didn't have any Ground or Rock-type Pokémon, and his Fire-types—Pinocchio and Growlithe—weren't like Charmander, who disliked water, so it was no problem at all.
"First, the preparations—"
Hayashi strode confidently to the edge of the hot spring, stretched a bit to warm up, then glanced left and right—
"Good, no one's watching!"
Hmph! If no one sees it, then it means I didn't commit a crime! Therefore, I'm innocent!
"Whee—"
With an elegant dive, Hayashi plunged into the hot spring with a splash—What? You say you're not supposed to treat a hot spring like a swimming pool? Proof!? Ehehe!
One second, two seconds, three seconds…
Gurgle gurgle—
Amidst the sound of bubbles, a bright-red Hayashi burst out of the water with a scream. Flailing, he scrambled onto the shore and pressed his body against the cool tiles, letting out a long sigh of relief.
"Holy—holy crap—" Hayashi gasped for breath on the floor, still shaken. "What the hell, were they trying to boil me alive?"
He felt like a piece of tripe tossed into a hot pot, and couldn't help but think, Thank goodness I'm thick-skinned, or I'd have been cooked as fast as the mutton rolls next door!
Just as Hayashi was enjoying the peace (and the cool floor), footsteps approached. Erina, Hisako, and Sabrina, along with their Pokémon of all sizes, flooded into the hot spring area.
And the first thing they saw was Hayashi sprawled on the ground like a frog. The bizarre sight made Hisako exclaim, "Is this... a hot spring murder case, Part One—creak, thud!"
"Are you doing a Detective Conan bit here?" Hayashi couldn't help but lift his head to retort. "Does it say 'victim' on me? No? Then I'm not dead!"
Erina walked over, torn between laughter and exasperation, and pulled him up from the floor. "So... why were you lying on the ground?"
"Too much talk only brings tears," Hayashi sighed, rubbing his reddened skin. "Just now, the Bambietta reaction caused by Bazz-B's movement triggered intense fluctuations in the Esdeath around me, and then accidentally led to the Fenrir effect..."
"Speak human language."
"I accidentally fell in—almost got boiled alive—"
"HAHAHAHA—"
That hearty, bell-like laughter made it clear what had happened—yes, indeed, Sabrina's trash-tier sense of humor had been struck again, causing her to collapse to her knees, pounding the floor in hysterics.
Hayashi glanced at her stomach and muttered, "If she keeps laughing like this, Sabrina might evolve from Psychic-type to Psychic-Fighting."
The world's only designated female Alakazam? Damn, that's something.
Erina looked at Sabrina, who had once again lost the ability to battle, with genuine concern. "Honestly, I'm a little worried Sabrina might one day laugh herself to death on the street."
"Is this the legendary 'death by laughter'?"
"No lame jokes allowed!"
"HAHAHAHA—" Sabrina, who had caught the lame joke, burst into laughter again. "I'm dying—I'm literally dying of laughter, HAHAHA—"
Hisako couldn't bear to watch and averted her gaze. "Maybe we should just get in the water first? Let her calm down on her own—no more stimulation."
Erina nodded, taking Hisako's hand and heading toward the hot spring. Before following, Hayashi leaned in close to Sabrina and whispered, "The blanket... flew away."
"PFFT—HAHAHA—honk—squawk—"
...
...
By the time Hayashi reached the hot spring, Erina had already shed her robe and was sitting in the water in a black bikini, giving him a resigned look.
"You're so childish," she complained. "If Sabrina ever dies laughing, it'll be partly your fault."
Hayashi plopped down unapologetically, carefully dipping his legs into the water to adjust to the temperature before retorting, "I'm just training her, okay? Eagles push their chicks off cliffs—either they learn to fly or they become eagle paste!"
"Nice excuse, but you just like bullying her, don't you?"
"Ehe~"
"Ehe this!"
Hisako rolled her eyes at Hayashi before splashing the water. "Mr. Hayashi, hurry up and get in! The water's not that hot, really!"
"After nearly getting boiled alive? Yeah, right!" Hayashi smirked, shifting his attention to the Pokémon nearby. "Seems like Klahh doesn't like it here much—"
Hearing this, Hisako and Erina turned to the Pokémon section, where all the other Pokémon were already soaking—except for Klahh, who stood stiffly at the edge like she was about to storm a den of goblins or tentacle monsters.
"Guh—"
Finally, she mustered the courage to poke the water with her toe—only to let out a startled "GYAAAH!" before darting to the door in a white blur, scratching frantically.
Let me out! This is hell, hell I tell you!
"So tragic—"
Hayashi couldn't help but sigh as he pinched Erina's cheek and said, "You soak here first. I'll go calm down, Klahh."
"Mhm, okay." Erina nuzzled against Hayashi's hand before resting her arms on the edge of the pool, propping her chin on them as she watched his retreating figure with a blissful smile.
Hisako sidled up and remarked, "Erina, you looked a bit lovestruck just now."
Erina's face flushed crimson as she glared at Hisako. "What do you mean lovestruck!? How is admiring my own boy... boyfriend lovestruck? Besides, he's not even the handsome type, so it doesn't count!"
"Ah, this..."
Hisako cast a pitying glance toward Hayashi and muttered, "If Hayashi heard you describe him as 'not the handsome type,' he'd probably get depressed."
Hehe, Erina, you wouldn't want your boyfriend to know you don't think he's a hunk, would you?
----------
For advance chapters join my Patreon.
[email protected]/Aarvan