The atmosphere between them was harmonious and natural, with no trace of the awkwardness or distance of just having met.
It was as if they were meant to be sisters.
Is this the effect of the aura…
Roy inwardly praised.
The travel group had officially expanded from two to three people.
And the successful loading of the Harmonious Family Aura also laid the most stable and harmonious foundation for a potentially larger “family size” in the future…
The night passed without incident.
Inside the tent, Hanako and Misty slept on the inner side, while Roy slept on the outer side.
Pikachu and Eevee curled up on a soft mat in the corner of the tent.
Misty was probably exhausted; almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she began breathing steadily and lightly.
Hanako lay on her side, watching Roy’s blurred silhouette in the darkness for a good while before slowly closing her eyes…
The next morning.
Amidst the fragrant breakfast prepared by Hanako, the three of them packed their gear with high spirits, extinguished the fire, and set off on their continued journey.
The group had officially become a trio.
Misty walked at the very front with light steps, full of energy.
Hanako walked in the middle, responding gently, holding a small notebook to record edible berries and mushrooms seen along the way.
Roy brought up the rear, scanning the surroundings while keeping an eye on the system map and script information in his mind.
Pikachu was perched on his shoulder, and Eevee followed at his feet.
The atmosphere was relaxed and pleasant.
However, as noon approached, the sky suddenly darkened.
Large patches of dark clouds gathered without warning.
“Oh dear, it looks like it’s going to rain.” Hanako looked up at the sky.
Just as she finished speaking, bean-sized raindrops came crashing down.
This rain came suddenly and felt strange; it wasn’t particularly heavy, but the clouds were a somber deep gray, with a hint of an indescribable, subtle rainbow light mixed in.
“Quick!
There’s a cave over there!” Misty, being sharp-eyed, pointed to a cliff face not far ahead and shouted.
The three of them quickly picked up their pace and rushed into the small natural cave.
Just as they entered the cave, before they could even wipe the rain from their bodies.
Suddenly, a magnificent seven-colored light cut through the gloomy sky without warning!
It was as if a hole had been torn through the thick layer of clouds!
The light swirled, sacred and majestic, carrying an inexpressible ancient aura that instantly drew everyone’s gaze.
“What is…
that?” Misty’s mouth hung open as she stared blankly at the sky.
Hanako also covered her mouth, her eyes full of shock.
Roy’s pupils constricted slightly.
Without hesitation, he quickly pulled his pokédex from the side pocket of his backpack.
He raised the pokédex, aiming it at the direction where the seven-colored light was disappearing.
Although it could no longer be seen clearly with the naked eye, he knew what it was.
The script clearly recorded—near Pallet Town, at the beginning of the protagonist’s journey, Ho-Oh had made a fleeting appearance.
Click!
Click!
Click!
Roy used the pokédex’s burst mode to its fullest, the high-speed lens frantically capturing the remaining energy trails in the sky and that fleeting, noble figure.
The rain and mist affected the clarity, and Ho-Oh’s speed was faster than imagined.
Ultimately, the pokédex screen only managed to freeze three photos of varying degrees of blurriness.
“Are you really this excited over a Shinny Fearow?” Misty’s puzzled voice rang in his ear.
She had unknowingly moved close to Roy, standing on tiptoe, curiously looking at the photos on the pokédex screen.
The rain had dampened her short orange bangs, and a few wet strands clung to her smooth cheeks.
Because she was so close, the fresh scent of rain mixed with her youthful fragrance wafted over.
The hem of her ultra-short midriff-baring top was also a bit wet, clinging to her slender waist and abdomen, outlining an alluring curve.
Roy turned his head and could see her profile within inches, along with her long eyelashes trembling slightly with curiosity.
“A Shinny Fearow?” Roy smiled, withdrew his gaze, and looked at the pokédex: “This isn’t a Fearow.” “Then what is it?
A Pidgeot?
Or some bird Pokemon I’ve never seen before?” Misty’s knowledge of non-Water-Type Pokemon was clearly limited.
“What it is doesn’t matter.” Roy didn’t explain directly; after all, the existence of Ho-Oh was too distant and mythical for ordinary Trainers.
“What matters is that the footage of this thing is worth a lot of money.” “Worth money?” “If I post it on a Forum, people will scramble to pay for it.” Before building enough fame and securing a stable source of funds, the path of a Pokemon training journey was actually very expensive.
Pokemon food, Potions, various items, travel expenses, equipment maintenance…
Many Trainers from ordinary families worked along the way, stopping and starting, and even needed to take on escort or search missions to sustain their travels.
Although Hanako had said she had some savings from years of work and that it would last a long time if they were frugal.
But Roy didn’t intend to rely on Hanako’s money forever.
Firstly, traveling while pinching pennies would inevitably be restrictive and affect training efficiency.
Secondly, always spending a woman’s money felt a bit awkward after all.
Therefore, using “script information asymmetry” to create wealth was a part of the plan Roy had made long ago.
Rare Pokemon that could be captured would naturally be captured as much as possible.
Those that couldn’t be captured for now, or those like Ho-Oh that only made a fleeting appearance, he had to find ways to extract value from them—such as selling rare visual materials.
On Trainer Forums, there was never a shortage of Researchers, Collectors, and wealthy enthusiasts full of curiosity and desire for various rare and legendary Pokemon.
A photo of Ho-Oh with enough clarity, even if it was just a distant shot, was enough to cause a small-scale sensation and bidding war.
“People actually pay for photos of a Fearow?
How strange~” Misty curled her lip, clearly still finding it hard to understand.
She only had eyes for Water-Type Pokemon; in her view, if one had spare cash, it would be better spent on buying Vaporeon scales or Milotic feather model collections.
Roy didn’t explain much, just put away his pokédex and continued toward Viridian City…