[Satocchi, that Uika girl has totally fallen for you~ Hurry and secretly capture her heart! Build a massive harem! With your stamina, I can already picture your glorious future!]
"No way. Even if I did consider that, I'd at least wait until Uika's genuinely into me."
Returning to the Tide Song Hotel, Satoshi chatted casually with Furiko as he headed toward his room.
Truthfully, he wasn't entirely opposed to the harem idea. But right now, only Aijo Karen clearly had feelings for him—if she hadn't kissed him out of nowhere, he'd still be clueless!
Wait…does that mean I'm emotionally dense?
No, no, I definitely noticed Karen's feelings!
Satoshi nodded firmly in his mind, convincing himself.
[Pffft~ 'I definitely noticed,' what a hilarious joke~!]
"Quiet, you!"
With an irritated grumble, Satoshi shut out Furiko's teasing and opened the door.
"So…yo…Sato…shi…"
"Oh no…I really am the weakest one, aren't I…"
Inside, he saw Soyo sprawled across the bed muttering strangely, and Anon curled up on a chair, clearly in despair.
What fresh hellscape is this? I must've walked into the wrong room…maybe if I close the door and try again…
Noting their obviously gloomy moods, Satoshi instinctively shut the door. Then, after a second's pause, reopened it.
Nothing changed. Soyo and Anon were still wallowing in their emo states.
Resigned, Satoshi stepped inside and approached them.
"Uh…did something happen?"
He took a seat on his bed, dropping his bag and casting a concerned glance at both girls.
Satoshi?!
"Oh, it's nothing~ We're just tired from the Island Challenge, that's all."
Realizing her boyfriend was back, Soyo instantly shot upright, rearranging herself elegantly. She adjusted her tone, quickly returning to her usual gentle demeanor. Casually, she inhaled, noting the scent clinging to Satoshi's clothes.
There's another girl's scent… Someone new is definitely after Satoshi. And it's strong, too—who did this?
Soyo maintained a serene smile, suppressing her annoyance.
As expected of Soyo—with her 15 years of acting experience, she'd effortlessly returned to normal the moment he entered.
Truthfully, waking up without Satoshi by her side had left her feeling empty and miserable. Last night, she'd spent two hours quietly staring at him, only managing to fall asleep after sneaking a few kisses. Waking up to find him gone had plunged her into despair.
The romantic competition on Poni Island was far fiercer than she imagined.
She'd basically become a clown!
[ULTRA BEAST | CLOWN SOYO | DARK/FIGHTING]
A long-term vegetarian Pokémon.
[SIGNATURE MOVE | MIDNIGHT CRUSH]
A devastating blow perfected by mastering the Dark type. Always lands a critical hit.
She'd already started mentally preparing to break up the group and elope with Satoshi!
Wedding Cup, here we come!
"Hey, you! Do you know when Satoshi left this morning?"
In a panic, Soyo had turned to the sleeping Anon for answers.
Unfortunately, how could Anon possibly know?
"Soyo, shut up!"
Exhausted from overthinking Akala Island's trials, Anon snapped irritably, jolted awake by Soyo's pestering.
She seriously considered delivering a Rage Fist to quiet her.
"Come on, Anon-chan, please~"
"Didn't I tell you to leave me alone?"
Realizing aggression wouldn't work, Soyo quickly softened her voice. But Anon had zero intention of responding and immediately went back to sleep.
As a result, Soyo spent the day sinking deeper into despair.
Island Challenge? Forget that—how could she worry about a silly trial when she'd failed at the basic duty of being a good girlfriend?
Luckily, now that Satoshi was back, she could finally enjoy her boyfriend again.
Sniff-sniff~ If only that other girl wasn't here! We could've gone all the way by now!
Her desires surged shamelessly beneath the surface, filling her sapphire eyes with barely contained lust. Still, she restrained herself, reaching out only enough to lightly touch Satoshi's hand.
Gazing intently at Satoshi's face, breathing his scent, Soyo felt her pulse quicken as her fingertips gently caressed his hand.
"I see… So, what about you, Anon? Something wrong?"
Seeing Soyo's mood had improved, Satoshi was puzzled but didn't dwell on it, instead turning his attention to Anon.
Currently, Anon was silently admiring Soyo's ridiculously shameless acting skills.
Soyo, you liar! When exactly did you challenge the Island Trial?
When I left the room, you were mumbling about Satoshi. When I came back, you were still mumbling about Satoshi!
Seriously, tone down the lovesickness!
Only after mentally venting did Anon respond, letting out a small sigh, clearly showing her gloom.
"I just couldn't clear the trial. Akala Island's challenge…maybe it's still too tough for me."
Anon had chosen Akala Island, specifically Brooklet Hill's water trial.
The trial had two ways to lure out the Totem Pokémon: either defeat the "King of the Sea," Araquanid, or herd Wishiwashi downstream.
Whichever method, winning meant getting Waterium Z—but either was too tough for the legendary weakest MYGO member, Chihaya Anon.
Still, the difficulty elsewhere wasn't much better:
Melemele Island had the Normal-types Gumshoos and Raticate.
Akala Island featured Water-types Wishiwashi and Araquanid, Fire-types Salazzle and Marowak, and Grass-type Lurantis.
Ula'ula Island had Electric-types Vikavolt and Togedemaru, and Ghost-type Mimikyu.
As for Poni Island…Anon's strength was nowhere near enough for that.
Although she only had to defeat one Totem Pokémon, the challenge still seemed overwhelming. Today, she hadn't even seen the Totem Pokémon before being completely crushed.
Can I really pass these trials? Even if I do, can I really defeat Kahuna Olivia?
I wish I could just run away…
Anon's eyes shimmered slightly with tears.
"Don't worry, Anon. I believe in you—you just need to follow your own pace. No need to stress yourself out."
Satoshi leaned closer, warmly placing his palm on her hand, his smile gentle and reassuring.
Still, he secretly had one question he really wanted to ask:
Why didn't you pick the Normal-type trial? Isn't that the easiest?
Besides, Melemele's Kahuna Hala is Fighting-type, and your Sylveon resists Fighting moves!
Could it be that Anon wants to push herself beyond her limits?!
His respect for Anon suddenly soared.
But in Anon's mind…
If I pick the weakest Normal-type, wouldn't that confirm I'm the weakest in the group? At least I need to be second-worst!
"Ah…right. I'll do my best, Satoshi. I won't let you down."
Feeling his comforting warmth, Anon's heartbeat quickened. She gazed gently at Satoshi, suddenly tempted to snap a photo and post it on social media for everyone to see.
A sweet, intimate moment with her boyfriend in full public view…
The thought alone eased her anxiety. With Satoshi's reassurance, she felt confident again.
But nearby…
"Hmm?"
Soyo stiffly turned her head, looking from Anon to Satoshi.
Help! My boyfriend is openly flirting with another girl right in front of me! What should I do?!