"Ah! Starmie, did you suddenly realize something? I feel like your aura has suddenly become much stronger!"
Misty's eyes widened as she looked at her Starmie.
The red jewel core was now emitting a luster brighter than ever before.
As the owners of their respective Pokémon, they were particularly sensitive to changes in their Pokémon.
Of course, the prerequisite was that you must have established absolute trust with your Pokémon.
So when Starmie suddenly broke through a major level and its aura intensified, Misty, as its owner, felt it instantly.
However, she didn't know it was a reward from Yuuto's system.
Instead, she thought Starmie had gained its own enlightenment and achieved a qualitative leap.
"Starmie~"
Starmie let out a joyful cry, clearly enjoying the feeling of becoming stronger.
It landed gently in Misty's arms, its core jewel rubbing against her arm.
"It's true!"
Misty happily picked up Starmie and spun around.
"You've broken through to the Elite Level!"
"That's great!"
She was so excited that her face turned red.
Delia, on her side, also felt Eevee's enhancement.
"Bui~"
Eevee jumped lightly into Delia's arms, its fluffy tail wagging happily.
Delia could clearly feel that Eevee's body was sturdier and the energy flow within its body was smoother.
Being observant, she quickly concluded: could it be because of what had been accumulated during this period of following Yuuto to fight in arenas?
"Yuuto,"
Delia looked at Yuuto and asked gently:
"Did Eevee and Starmie break through because they've fought so many battles recently and accumulated enough experience?"
Yuuto was stroking Pikachu's head — the little guy had also leveled up, and the energy in its cheek pouches was more abundant.
Hearing Delia's question, he nodded:
"It should be."
"They've accumulated combat techniques, so it's normal for Pokémon to get stronger."
He explained casually, his expression natural.
Yuuto didn't plan to tell Delia and Misty about the system.
It wasn't that he didn't trust the two of them.
Rather, this cheat was both a good thing and a source of danger.
He could trust Delia and Misty not to betray him.
But he couldn't rule out others tricking them into talking.
After all, there were superpowers and Hypnosis waves in this world.
Keeping them in the dark from the source was also for their own good.
"So that's how it is!"
Misty held Starmie, her eyes sparkling.
"In that case, following you around to fight in arenas really is a good method!"
She had previously thought Yuuto was a bit bellicose.
Now she saw it was clearly an efficient training method!
After Delia's explanation, Misty's opinion of Yuuto instantly improved.
*This guy… was actually this good at raising Pokémon?*
He seemed so casual along the way, yet Pidgeotto, Pikachu, and Butterfree were all progressing at lightning speed.
Misty recalled carefully.
How long had it been since they set out from Pallet Town?
Yuuto's Pikachu, from that little guy who only knew how to act cute at the beginning, could now hold its own.
Pidgeotto was even more exaggerated — that size, that strength… and Butterfree!
Even though they were the same species of Pokémon, Yuuto's was just more elegant and stronger!
*This guy really has the shadow of a powerhouse now~*
Misty stole a glance at Yuuto.
Under the sunlight, the lines of Yuuto's profile were sharp.
He was looking down, checking Pikachu's cheek pouches with a focused expression.
For some reason, Misty's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
*No wonder my sister said Yuuto could support the future of our four sisters.*
*Eh?*
*What am I thinking!*
Misty snapped back to her senses, her face instantly turning bright red.
*Why am I thinking about this too?*
*It's… it's still too early. To support this young lady, he… he'd have to be a bit stronger.*
*He hasn't even gathered six Pokémon yet~*
*Once he gathers them… No, no, no!*
*What on earth am I thinking!*
Misty shook her head vigorously, shaking out the messy thoughts.
With a red face, she moved her feet a little further away from Yuuto to avoid being influenced again.
Yuuto, however, didn't notice Misty's wandering thoughts.
He was considering who to use the newly acquired VIP Experience Badge on.
His consciousness sank into the system inventory.
The badge lay quietly in its slot, emitting a faint golden luster.
Yuuto calculated in his mind.
After much consideration, Yuuto decided to give the badge to Pikachu.
The reason was simple.
First, Pikachu had the highest potential — Champion Level — and would need a massive amount of experience to reach the top later on.
Second, the next Gym was Lt. Surge's in Vermilion City, an Electric Type Gym.
The mission required Pikachu to stand on its own.
This placed high demands on Pikachu's overall strength.
He had to make it level up quickly…
Yuuto rubbed its head.
"You'll level up even faster from now on. Keep it up!"
"Pika Pika!"
Pikachu happily rubbed against Yuuto's hand…
---
After sorting out the rewards, Yuuto and the others continued their journey, heading toward Vermilion City.
On the way, the three of them entered a mountainous area.
The journey was smooth at first.
They encountered several groups of Trainers along the way, whom Yuuto easily defeated.
Misty and Delia also had a few battles each, consolidating their newly increased strength.
But after entering the depths of the mountains, things began to feel off.
"This fog… is it getting thicker?"
Misty frowned as she looked around.
At some point, fog had started to rise around them.
At first, it was just a light mist.
But the further they went into the mountains, the thicker the fog became.
By now, visibility was less than ten meters.
"Be careful."
Yuuto walked at the very front.
Pikachu crouched on his shoulder, ears standing straight up, alertly sensing the surroundings.
Delia held onto the hem of his shirt, and Misty followed beside Delia.
The three of them walked in a line, advancing slowly through the thick fog.
During their journey, the three of them entered a mountainous area covered in heavy fog.
The group wandered around in the thick fog for quite a while without finding a way out.
Only a few Pokémon were seen nearby.
"This is ridiculous, why won't this fog clear up!"
Misty had already started to wail.
She was naturally impatient.
Having dawdled for nearly an hour in this environment with extremely low visibility, her patience had long since run out.
"Yuuto, what should we do next?"
Delia subconsciously began to seek the advice of the man of the house.
There was a hint of unease in her voice.
This kind of thick fog always made one feel creeped out.
Yuuto stopped walking.
He closed his eyes and sensed carefully.
The sound of the wind.
The rustling of leaves.
The faint sound of flowing water in the distance.
And…
"There's the sound of flowing water."
Yuuto opened his eyes.
"Walk toward the water."
"Fog in the mountains usually gathers along river valleys. If we find a river and follow it downstream, we should be able to walk out of this fog zone."
"Really?"
Misty immediately perked up.
"Then let's go, let's go!"
The three of them adjusted their direction and walked toward the sound of the water.
They walked for about another twenty minutes.
Instead of thinning out, the fog became even thicker.
Visibility had dropped to less than five meters.
Moreover, the surroundings began to look unfamiliar.
"Something's wrong…"
Yuuto stopped again.
He crouched down and touched the ground.
Damp soil.
And…
"These are the footprints we left just now."
Yuuto pointed to the shallow marks on the ground.
"We've circled back."
"What?"
Misty and Delia exclaimed at the same time.
"Then… then what do we do?"
"Could we be trapped here?"
Yuuto took a deep breath.
He looked up at the sky — though he could only see a vast expanse of white.
Then, he made a decision.
"Since it's come to this, let's eat first!"
"Huh?"
Misty and Delia were both stunned.
"Eat?"
"Yes."
Yuuto took a pot directly out of his bag.
And a portable stove.
"The fog is so thick that forcing our way will only consume stamina and increase the risk of getting lost."
"It's better to rest and reorganize first, then wait for the fog to clear a bit before moving on."
"Besides,"
He looked around.
"The terrain here is relatively flat, suitable for camping."
Misty wanted to say something else.
But her stomach suddenly let out a "gurgle."
Her face turned red, and she stopped talking.
"Eat? Okay, okay!"
Hearing about food, Misty immediately regained her energy.
With the fog being damp and cold, the three decided to have a small hot pot meal here.
Yuuto was responsible for setting up the simple stove.
Delia took the ingredients out of her backpack.
Fresh vegetables, mushrooms, sliced meat, and various seasonings.
Delia's cooking skills were truly beyond reproach.
In a short while, the steaming hot pot was ready.
The rich aroma spread through the fog.
"It smells so good!"
Misty took a deep breath, her eyes lighting up.
The three sat around the portable stove.
The soup base in the pot bubbled and rolled, with the red chili oil and clear broth separated, making one's appetite surge just by looking at it.
"Let's dig in."
Yuuto was the first to pick up a slice of meat.
The meat was fresh and tender, cooked after just a few swishes in the pot.
Dipped in special sauce, it melted in the mouth.
"Mmm~ So delicious!"
Misty squinted her eyes in satisfaction.
Delia smiled gently and put a few more slices of meat into Yuuto's bowl.
"Eat more, Yuuto."
Amidst the swirling fog, the scene of the three sitting together and eating had a unique sense of warmth.
Pikachu and Eevee were also focused on devouring their food…
…The harmonious hot pot time didn't last long.
Before long, they heard a burst of harsh reprimanding.
"Quick! Quick! Run faster!!"