"Long time no see, Ditto! Weren't you the one who said you'd be my #1 top gifter last time?"
With Iono's excited face practically nose-to-nose, Jason felt his whole body lock up.
I'm doomed—she's latched on.
"Hee-hee, not talking means you agree, right?" Iono's grin grew even brighter. She even pulled a Premiere Ball from the pocket of her oversized jacket and waggled it in front of him. "So—ready to be caught by me?"
Jason's brain spun.
Fight her? No chance.
Run? The room's this small—run where?
His eyes darted to the side.
Cynthia sat elegantly on the sofa, tea in hand, watching quietly—purely there for the show.
You'll do!
"Yah!"
He shouted, and in a flash of light he changed—into an adorable, round Gible.
Before Iono could process the sudden morph, Gible-Jason kicked off with surprisingly nimble legs and launched himself at Cynthia.
Thump.
He landed precisely in Cynthia's arms, adjusted his posture, and nuzzled his big head against her flat stomach.
Then he looked back at a dumbstruck Iono, wearing a mix of smugness and "grant me asylum," and declared, "Too late! I already belong to Miss Cynthia!"
Cynthia was pure surprise—and delight. The familiar feel of a Gible in her arms made her forget to correct his… suggestive phrasing. Almost automatically, she stroked his head, the clarity in her gray eyes turning soft enough to drip water.
Iono, meanwhile, turned to stone. Half-crouched, her Premiere Ball plopped onto the carpet. Her ever-sunny face crumpled with grief.
Miss Cynthia beat me to it!
Over in the corner, the sulking Garchomp had the most dramatic reaction. Its head snapped up; confusion flashed in those golden pupils—then murder.
Excuse me—what?
Yesterday I taught you to fight, and today you're stealing my Trainer? I don't even dare imagine tomorrow!
A dragon's rage boiled up—it was about to overflow.
Floating above, Gast's eyes brightened. She quietly took notes.
Keh. If a Trainer tries to catch you, immediately jump into another Trainer's arms for protection.
As expected, Jason's teaching practical life skills.
Iono picked up her Premiere Ball and sighed theatrically, beating her chest. "Aaaah, damnit! I was this close! Can't believe Miss Cynthia got there first!"
Of course, she was only venting. She knew full well that a special Pokémon like Jason, once noticed by a Champion, wasn't likely to roll her way.
She bounced back fast and turned to Cynthia—who was happily snuggling the Gible. "Okay okay, no more jokes! Miss Cynthia, when do we head out?"
Cynthia gave Gible-Jason one last affectionate rub, then looked up. "Jason already agreed to come with us. Time's about right—we'll head out shortly."
"Jason?" Iono tilted her head, the big hair clips wobbling. "Who's Jason?"
"Oh—this Ditto." Cynthia pointed to her arms, smiling. "He told me to call him Jason. Says 'Ditto' sounds too impersonal."
"Waaah—" Stars filled Iono's eyes. She looked at Jason with genuine admiration. "So cool! He even picked his own name! That's awesome!"
Hope sprang anew. She leaned in again, face shining with expectation, and held out her arms. "Jason~ If I can't catch you, let Iono-sama at least give you a hug, okay? Just a sec—I promise I won't get handsy!"
Jason looked up into her hopeful face—only for his gaze to be hijacked.
Arms spread, shoulders pitched forward, her yellow jacket collar fell open. From his perfect upward angle he could see inside—dark inner layer, and… two Magnemite neatly pressed together.
As a righteous, pure Ditto, Jason felt his internal fluids begin to circulate much faster. He swallowed by reflex.
Nothing against Cynthia—he just wanted to try somebody else's.
He nuzzled Cynthia's hand, then—under her surprised look—sprang from her arms, aiming for Iono's embrace.
Midair, he shifted back to Ditto.
"Eek!"
Expecting a Gible to catch, Iono was all smiles—until he flipped back to Ditto in mid-flight. Before she could adjust, the slippery blob plop—landed precisely at the base of her neck…
…and slid straight down inside her wide collar.
Time stopped.
One second later—
"WAAAAAAAH!"
A piercing shriek blew up the suite. Iono jolted like she'd been electrocuted, leaping in place. Her cheeks flushed scarlet to the ears.
"Jason! Jason! Wh—where did you go?! Get out! Don't wiggle! Eek—don't go deeper! Iono-sama is super ticklish! "
She flailed and slapped at her clothes, trying to extract the culprit getting way too handsy with her torso. The top-tier streamer's composure was gone; only panic and mortification remained.
After a chaos of wrestling and a face red enough to drip, she finally fished Jason out of her clothes—dangling him in one hand while he played dead.
"Y-you… you pervy Ditto!" she sputtered, more fluster than bite. After all, he was just a Ditto—what could he do? …Wait, what am I thinking?!
Mood barely recovered, she glanced awkwardly at Cynthia—who'd watched the whole thing with a faint smile.
"Um… Miss Cynthia, let's head out."
Dangling in Iono's grip, Jason started thrashing. "Hold up! How about a little respect for the party involved? You still haven't told me what this problem is! I don't even know where we're going!"