It was noon, right in the middle of the school's lunch break.
At a cold drink shop near the coast of Vermilion City, Itsuki, Chloe, and his two Pokémon sat around a table, each with a Super Sundae of a different flavor and color in front of them.
As the shop's signature dessert, the Super Sundae wasn't just incredibly delicious—it was also unbelievably cold. With a single bite, the icy sensation rushed past the taste buds and straight to the back of the head!
Even though the cold made Chloe press a hand to her forehead, she couldn't help praising it.
"No matter how many times I have it, the Super Sundae here always tastes amazing!"
Perhaps it was the sugar kicking in, but she seemed noticeably more cheerful than before.
As for how the two of them had ended up sitting here together, that story began a little over ten minutes earlier.
After having lunch at the laboratory, Itsuki had decided to spend his free time wandering around the city with his two Pokémon, hoping to enjoy the sights of this coastal city.
While passing by the local school, he happened to run into Chloe during her lunch break and invited her to relax at the shop for a while.
And that was how they ended up here.
It had to be said that although they had only known each other for two days, the two had already become fairly comfortable around one another.
At the very least, sitting together no longer felt particularly awkward.
Especially after Itsuki shared a few amusing stories from his travels, the distance between them seemed to shrink even further.
After taking a few more bites of her sundae, their conversation eventually returned to Pokémon.
Chloe couldn't help asking, "Itsuki-san, what are you planning to do next?"
"My plans?"
Listening to the soft music playing in the background, Itsuki stretched lazily before turning to look out the window.
"Well, even though I've become a Special Research Investigator, it's basically just a title. Professor Cerise hasn't assigned me any specific tasks, either."
He paused before continuing.
"So, besides collecting all three Kanto starter Pokémon, I'm thinking of challenging Gyms and earning Badges first. That way, I'll be prepared to challenge the Indigo League in the future."
"Challenging Gyms?"
Chloe didn't know much about Pokémon battles, so she asked curiously, "Does that mean you're going to challenge the Vermilion Gym?" Get faster updates on g.com.
"The Vermilion Gym is still a little too much for me right now."
Itsuki shook his head and patiently explained.
"The Gym Leader there, Lt. Surge, specializes in Electric-type Pokémon. Although Electric-type moves aren't very effective against Grass-types, I'd still rather head to Cerulean City and Pewter City first."
"I want to challenge the Cerulean Gym and Pewter Gym to sharpen my skills before taking him on."
"Of course, before heading toward those two Gyms, there's another Pokémon I want to catch."
Chloe nodded, only half understanding.
"So that's what people mean by expanding their team?"
"Exactly! It's basically like progressing through a video game."
Itsuki smiled.
"When you're taking on challenges, you naturally want to build up your strength first, then work your way from the easier stages to the harder ones. Clearing them one by one is what makes it fun!"
Outside the window, students wearing matching school uniforms occasionally passed along the street.
Just as the two were chatting, a slightly dark-skinned boy around Chloe's age happened to glance through the open window.
The moment he spotted Chloe, his eyebrows rose in surprise, and he curiously approached the shop.
However, when his gaze shifted toward Itsuki, his brows immediately furrowed.
"Chloe, who's this guy?"
The boy suddenly spoke.
At the same time, his eyes moved back and forth between Chloe and Itsuki, as though he had noticed something unusual about their expressions and the atmosphere between them.
"Goh? What are you doing here?"
However, she didn't think much of it and quickly introduced them.
"This is Itsuki-san. He's currently working as a Special Research Investigator at my dad's laboratory."
"Itsuki-san, this is Goh. He's my classmate at school, and we've been childhood friends for years."
In truth, Itsuki had recognized Goh the moment he saw him.
There was simply no helping it.
The guy was way too famous!
Especially that appearance and demeanor of his—they were practically identical to his anime counterpart!
"Nice to meet you."
Itsuki gave him a friendly nod.
Seeing Itsuki greet him, Goh hurriedly nodded in return.
"Nice to meet you. I'm Goh."
However, after taking another look at Itsuki's handsome appearance, then glancing at Chloe sitting directly across from him, Goh suddenly felt a strange discomfort in his chest.
He couldn't quite explain why.
But for some reason, the whole situation was irritating him!
Just then, he noticed Ralts sitting nearby.
His attention was immediately drawn toward the little Pokémon.
"What kind of Pokémon is that?" he asked in surprise.
"That's my Ralts," Itsuki replied casually.
Seeing that Goh seemed eager to approach for a closer look, he added a warning.
"Don't let its appearance fool you. Ralts is a Psychic- and Fairy-type Pokémon, and it doesn't particularly like strangers getting too close."
"So... you'd better keep a little distance."