"Next, please collect your initial supplies and head to the back mountain of Pallet Town. You must finish setting up your tent in the designated area before tonight."
"Yes! × n"
After Professor Oak finished giving instructions, he began distributing the camp supplies to each camper.
Calling them "supplies" wasn't entirely accurate — each team only received a tent cloth about ten meters long, while the personal backpack contained a simple sleeping bag, one bottle of water, one loaf of bread, and an Oran Berry.
For most new Trainers, this was barely enough for half a day.
For Ace, whose strength had reached quasi–Gym Leader level and whose appetite had increased tremendously, it wasn't even enough to fill the gap between his teeth.
"Ace, should I help you carry something?" Serena, carrying a small bag, reached out to him.
With her height of more than 1.7 meters, she had the tall-and-graceful type of figure.
Standing next to her, Ace looked like her younger brother.
"No need. Just give me yours."
Ace took the three people's bags, casually flipped his hands, and stored them in his system space.
"Eh? They disappeared?" Chloe stared wide-eyed.
"I have Psychic~ Let's hurry."
Ace grinned and headed toward the back mountain first.
The two girls quickly followed.
They walked and rested along the way.
By the time they reached the outer edge of the back mountain, it was already noon.
The scorching sun baked the ground until the soil dried into clumps. Each step produced a crisp crunch.
"Ugh… It's so hot… Ace-nii, aren't you tired?" Chloe wiped the sweat from her forehead.
Her physical strength was the weakest, so most of the rest stops were to accommodate her.
Serena wasn't much better. Her pretty face under the straw hat had flushed red as well.
"We're almost there. Why don't we push a little harder?" Ace turned around and smiled.
"Ah…" Chloe made a bitter face.
"Serena, you can rest under that shaded tree for a bit. I'll take Chloe ahead first."
"Okay." Serena didn't refuse. She was exhausted.
"Come on, Chloe. I'll carry you."
Ace crouched down in front of her.
"Eh? Isn't… isn't that a bit inappropriate?" Chloe hesitated.
"If we delay any longer, the others will already be having lunch while we still haven't set up the tent."
Ace spoke righteously as he grabbed the little girl's slender arms, wrapped them around his shoulders, and with a light pull, had her pressed fully against his back.
A soft, wonderful pressure came through his back, and Chloe let out a shy little hum beside his ear.
Still embarrassed by such close contact, Chloe could only cling to him as Ace grabbed her legs firmly.
"Ready? We're setting off—"
Before she could react, Ace took off with long strides.
His speed was no less than a wild Ponyta sprinting.
"Ah—!"
Startled, Chloe instinctively tightened her grip around him.
The corners of Ace's mouth curled, and the hand supporting her quietly slid backward.
"Ace is… really amazing…"
Serena sat under the tree, gazing at their shrinking silhouettes with surprise.
"Big Brother Ace, slow down!"
The two shot through the dense forest. They inevitably brushed past branches, bushes, and even wild Pokémon.
Even while clinging tightly to Ace, the timid Chloe still flinched every time something brushed against her.
She didn't even notice that her raised little butt was being "bullied" over and over.
"Ugh… then let's change positions~"
Ace smirked, lifting Chloe from behind to the front so she clung to him like a koala.
Both his hands naturally had to support her.
"T-This… isn't this position strange?" Chloe stared nervously at how close the ground was, feeling his breath against her cheek.
"This way I can look forward and avoid bumping Chloe into branches."
"O-Okay~" Chloe buried her head in the crook of his neck, a natural sense of safety blooming inside her.
"Then hold on tight."
Ace patted her raised butt, secured her with one hand and her waist with the other, and ran faster.
[Ding! Host seduced ignorant girl Chloe, obtained Chloe's Dependent Embrace, Pervert Points +200!]
[Ding! Host keeps bullying Chloe's delicate butt, Pervert Points +500!]
As the journey continued, Chloe's fear slowly faded — and she finally noticed the mischievous hand behind her.
But for some reason even she didn't understand… she didn't tell Ace to stop.
"Big Brother… Big Brother Ace… aren't we there yet?" Chloe whispered.
With Ace's speed, they should've arrived long ago.
"Ugh… almost."
Ace laughed inwardly.
This silly girl finally sensed something was off.
He had never taken the main path.
He had been intentionally wandering through deeper and deeper parts of the forest just to keep the "thrill" going.
And Chloe's reaction was exactly what he expected.
Under the halo skill and his charm, she grew increasingly dependent on him.
After a few more minutes—
Chloe looked around nervously at the unfamiliar surroundings.
"Big Brother Ace… are we lost?"
"No… I just wanted to stay with Chloe a little longer, so I took a detour."
"Ah…?" Chloe froze, staring up at him.
Seeing her confused little expression, Ace smirked and squeezed her.
Chloe climbed up half a level on his arms—
And her lips were instantly captured.
"!!"
Her eyes widened. She tried to pull back, but his hand was already behind her head.
Under Ace's gentle but relentless pressure, her resistance gradually weakened… her eyes slowly softened…
[Ding! Host deprived Chloe of her first kiss in the grove, Pervert Points +1000!]
Ace finally let her go.
Chloe's flushed face trembled, and a thin silver thread stretched between their lips.
"Big Brother Ace… y-you…"
Her expression was complicated, full of panic, confusion, and something she didn't understand.
Ace smiled wickedly. "Chloe is really cute. I like her~"
"But… but we've only known each other for half a day… Isn't this… too fast…?"
Chloe lowered her head, lost.
Since childhood, her parents and Goh's family were close friends. She always assumed she'd marry Goh one day.
But now she had given her most precious first kiss — one she had protected for so many years — to Ace.
"It's not too fast at all. I've liked Chloe for many years… And Chloe likes me too, right?"
"Eh??" Chloe froze.
She didn't understand anything he just said.
"The evidence… is right here~"
Ace said softly.
His hand slipped under her skirt, precisely finding its target.
"Eh!!"
Chloe yelped, clutching her skirt as Ace shifted her slightly.
When they stopped—
A piece of white cotton cloth was already in Ace's hand.
The tiny droplets on it sparkled under the sunlight.
...
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