The three of them looked back.
They saw a tall Officer Jenny dressed in a standard police uniform walking briskly toward them.
Beneath her deep blue uniform skirt, a pair of long, slender legs were tightly wrapped in sheer black stockings, shimmering with an alluring luster under the sunlight.
Between the hem of the skirt and the top of the stockings, a section of fair skin—the absolute territory—was revealed, dazzling the eyes.
She walked with a vigorous stride, her full chest swaying gently with her movements, making the uniform seem somewhat overburdened.
Beneath the brim of her hat was a beautiful face that shared the same features as all Officer Jennys, yet possessed its own unique charm, currently wearing an expression of seriousness and concern.
"Are you all alright?" Officer Jenny asked as she approached. Her gaze swept over the pit trap on the ground and Roy's group before finally landing in the direction the Squirtle had fled. She sighed helplessly. "It's those mischievous rascals again."
"Officer Jenny!" Misty recognized her identity and complained indignantly, "Those Squirtle went too far! They dug a trap that made me fall and even tried to ambush me with Water Gun!"
"I know." Officer Jenny nodded, her hands on her hips, making her curves appear even more breathtaking. "That is the 'famous' Squirtle Squad from around Blue Water Town."
"The leader is a particularly clever and cunning Squirtle, leading four younger brothers who are equally fond of pranks."
She pointed toward the sides of the road and the distant bushes. "They've been active in this area for a while, specifically setting various traps like pits, tripwires, and water balloon bombs along the roads and in the grass. Several Trainers and passersby have already fallen victim to them."
"Although they don't have much malicious intent and won't cause serious injury, they are a real headache."
She looked at Misty and advised, "So, I suggest you'd better not chase after them blindly."
"They know the terrain here much better than we do, and they've certainly buried more traps nearby. If you chase them, you're likely to fall for one trap after another."
"So that's how it is... Thank you for the warning, Officer Jenny." Upon hearing this, Delia quickly thanked her while holding back the still-defiant Misty.
"You're welcome. Maintaining the safety around the town is my duty." Officer Jenny waved her hand, offering a professional smile.
Her gaze inadvertently swept over Roy and paused for a brief moment.
This Trainer... looks quite pleasing to the eye. Strange, considering it's the first time we've met.
Just then, a system notification sounded in Roy's mind.
[Ding! Side Quest Triggered: Return to the Right Path!]
[Quest Content: Make the prank-loving Squirtle Squad realize their mistakes, lead them onto the right path, and find a suitable home for them.]
[Quest Rewards: Speed Potion—After use by a Pokemon, permanently increases Speed Base Stats by 20% or significantly enhances speed-related Ability effects;]
Junior Rare Candy x2;]
Officer Jenny Family Universal Favorability +10.]
Looking at the system panel floating before him, Roy couldn't help but curl his lips upward.
What a coincidence.
His 'starters' quest happened to require catching a Squirtle.
Now, not just one had delivered itself to his door, but an entire'Squad.' He could complete this side quest while finishing his main task.
The rewards were also quite generous.
The Speed Potion was definitely a strategic resource. Using it on Pikachu or a future high-speed main member would yield outstanding results.
Rare Candies were even better for tangibly increasing levels.
As for the Officer Jenny Family Universal Favorability +10... Roy's gaze subtly swept over the breathtaking figure of the Officer Jenny before him, outlined by her uniform, especially those long, straight, and powerful legs made even more prominent by the black stockings.
Once he completed this quest, his accumulated favorability with the Officer Jenny Family would reach 30 points.
According to the system description, favorability affected the first impression and natural affinity that family members felt toward the host.
30 points should be considered the level of a good friend, right?
Could he then try something else with this sexy and valiant policewoman?
However, while the idea was good, the execution required caution.
The Officer Jenny Family was, after all, a law enforcement family spread across the League with a very strong sense of justice.
He had to take it step by step, using the advantage of favorability to test the waters slowly.
While making his playful plans internally, Roy quickly accepted the quest.
Immediately, a flawless, gentle smile appeared on his face. He took a half-step forward and spoke to Officer Jenny: "Thank you very much for the information, Officer Jenny."
"We were just about to go to Blue Water Town for supplies. I wonder if there are any specialty foods or shops in town worth recommending? Since it's our first time here, I'd like to pick up some local specialties."
His attitude was natural and sincere. Combined with the invisible effect of the 20 points of Officer Jenny Family favorability, Officer Jenny suddenly found this stranger particularly pleasing to the eye, and his words were very pleasant to hear.
"Specialty foods?" Officer Jenny thought for a moment and broke into a smile. This smile was less professional and more friendly and charming.
"Blue Water Town is near rivers and lakes, so the seafood is quite good. There are a few old shops famous for their smoked fish and dried fish."
"Also, there's a dessert shop on the west side of town. Their homemade berry-mix ice cream has a great reputation."
As she spoke, she seemed to make a decision: "How about this? Since my patrol is wrapping up anyway, why don't I take you there?"
"I can introduce you to the town along the way; consider it part of my job as a 'part-time promoter.'"
It's working! The favorability boost is truly powerful!
"That would be too much trouble for you!" Roy immediately took the opportunity.
"With Officer Jenny as our guide, we'll definitely find the best things quickly. By the way, my name is Roy, from Pallet Town. This is Delia, and this is Misty."
As he introduced them, he naturally walked side-by-side with Jenny, guiding the conversation.
He cleverly asked about the town's local customs and security situation, incidentally inquiring about the specific activity range of the Squirtle Squad, while interspersing his own interesting travel anecdotes and insights with humor.
Officer Jenny maintained some official distance at first, but she soon relaxed under Roy's guidance, occasionally letting out a light laugh. The atmosphere of their conversation was quite harmonious.
While chatting, Roy was also observing and testing.
These 20 points of initial favorability were roughly equivalent to the level of 'trustworthy and good impression,' enough to make Officer Jenny willing to provide extra help and even feel a slight sense of closeness.
But to go further, he would need more favorability points.
At the same time, he intended to use this to build a closer relationship, paving the way for later capturing the Squirtle Squad and finding them a place to go.
With the help and approval of a local Officer Jenny, many things would be much more convenient.
Delia followed slightly behind. Seeing the two of them chatting happily, a gentle smile appeared on her face, thinking that Roy was truly good at socializing.
As for Misty... she had unconsciously fallen to the very back, her pace a bit slow.
Her large eyes glanced forward from time to time.
Seeing Roy talking and laughing with that Officer Jenny, who had such a hot figure and bright smile—Officer Jenny even occasionally covered her mouth and laughed because of Roy's words, her body leaning slightly toward him... Misty felt a strange discomfort in her heart, a stuffy feeling, as if it were stuffed with a ball of wet cotton.
Her mouth also unconsciously pouted slightly.
"Hmph... he can talk to anyone..." she muttered softly, not even noticing the hint of sourness in her tone.
"Misty, what's wrong? You're walking so slowly and keeping your eyes on Roy?" Delia noticed Misty's abnormality, slowed down to wait for her, leaned in closer, and asked gently.
"Who... who's looking at him!" Misty reacted like her tail had been stepped on, instantly bristling. Her voice rose a bit, and her cheeks turned slightly red.
"I... I'm looking at Officer Jenny! I was wondering what kind of mother could give birth to so many Officer Jennys who look almost exactly the same! This heredity is just too incredible!"
She thought on her feet, finding a seemingly reasonable excuse and nodding vigorously to try and increase her persuasiveness.
"Ah?" Delia was stunned by this sudden, imaginative question and subconsciously began to think about it too.
"You're right... it seems every city's Officer Jenny looks the same... Nurse Joy too... that really is quite amazing."
Having successfully diverted Delia's attention, Misty quietly breathed a sigh of relief, but the stuffiness in her heart hadn't dissipated.
Just then, the sound of splashing water came from the side of the road.
A clear, wide river appeared before them, sparkling under the sunlight.
"Ah! A river!" Misty's eyes lit up, finally finding the perfect excuse to slip away.
"Sister Delia, I want to go to the river and let my Water-type Pokemon out so they can relax in the water! They've been in their Poke Balls for so long without touching natural water!"
Without waiting for Delia's answer, she jogged toward the riverbank, her pale orange short hair fluttering in the wind.
Roy and Jenny ahead also noticed the movement.
Roy looked back at Misty running toward the river and said to Delia: "Let her go; it's rare to see such a clean river. We'll continue with the shopping and come back for her later."
Officer Jenny nodded: "This stretch of the river is very safe. The current is gentle, and there aren't any fierce Water-type Pokemon. Let's go then; the commercial street is just a short distance ahead."
The three of them continued forward.
On the way, Delia thanked Officer Jenny again: "It's really a bother for you, Officer Jenny, to go out of your way to lead us."
"Don't mention it." Officer Jenny laughed, her tone becoming more casual. "Our Blue Water Town isn't very big, and the population isn't large. So public servants like us often have to take on several roles."
"In addition to my daily security patrols, I sometimes help with tourism guidance and promoting the town's specialties. Just consider it my job as a part-time promoter."
Roy joined the conversation at the right moment, both complimenting the town's tranquility and beauty and praising Officer Jenny's diligence and approachability, keeping her smiling constantly.
Delia listened from the side, seeing Roy's effortless manner with a gentle gaze.
While the three were shopping in the town, a strange explosion reached their ears.
The ground even seemed to tremble slightly!
"What happened?" Officer Jenny's smile instantly vanished, and she whipped around to look in the direction of the explosion—the small river on the edge of town.
Following that, the sound of panicked running approached.
A middle-aged woman dressed as a towns person appeared, her face full of panic. Seeing Officer Jenny was like seeing a savior, and she shouted:
"Officer Jenny! This is bad! Something big has happened!"
"The river! Two strangely dressed weirdos appeared out of nowhere by the river! And a talking weird cat!"
"They were throwing bombs from the air, blasted a lot of Pokemon, caught them all in a net, and then flew off in a hot air balloon."
The woman was panting, pointing toward the sky.
"Oh! And an orange-haired girl went after them."
"Alright, I'll handle it immediately!" Jenny quickly started her motorcycle parked nearby.
"Officer Jenny!" Roy immediately stepped forward. "That girl is likely my companion, Misty! It's too dangerous for her to chase them alone! Please allow me to assist you in the pursuit!"
Officer Jenny looked at Roy and saw an indisputable firmness in his eyes.
Normally, she might consider the issue of a Trainer putting themselves in danger.
But the situation was urgent now, and for some reason, she had a strange sense of trust in the man before her.
"Fine!" Officer Jenny made a snap decision. "There's no time to lose, we leave now! Get on!"
"Sister Delia, go to the Pokemon Center and notify Nurse Joy to prepare for potentially injured Pokemon! Also, contact the police for backup!" Roy quickly instructed Delia.
"Be careful!" Although Delia was worried, she knew the situation was critical and nodded firmly.
Before her voice had even faded, Roy and Officer Jenny disappeared around the corner.