Ryuuske raised his voice.
It wasn't because he was surprised by the information, but rather because he saw how seriously Misty was treating the matter and felt he should match her tone.
"Yes, it's Saffron City Gym Leader Sabrina. She was wearing a Team Rocket uniform and somehow showed up in Cerulean City."
Misty's expression was grave as she nodded solemnly, a trace of anxiety flickering in her eyes. Cerulean City was a place she had a duty and obligation to protect, yet now a Gym Leader who might be a member of Team Rocket had slipped in unnoticed.
"Why would she come to Cerulean City… Who knows? Maybe she's just here to sightsee."
Ryuuske replied noncommittally.
"Ryuuske!"
Misty suddenly raised her voice, staring hard at him. "…Has anyone ever told you that you seem completely detached from society, like you can't even blend in?"
"Is that so…"
Ryuuske narrowed his eyes, surprised that his attitude was so obvious.
Even though he had crossed into a new world and knew full well that the people here weren't NPCs but real humans with their own emotions, as a transmigrator, he still subconsciously held himself above them, not truly seeing them as his own kind. Unlike Lance's superficial arrogance, Ryuuske's was deeply rooted in his heart—an arrogance far worse than Lance's.
This was probably a common psychological issue among all transmigrators.
Ryuuske didn't dislike this arrogance of his. He had always pursued greater power, strength that could match his pride.
Compared to interacting with humans, he probably preferred and trusted Mewtwo and Gabite more—the companions who had survived three months of perilous life with him.
"…Then maybe I just have a bit of social anxiety."
"You chat with others just fine—that doesn't sound like social anxiety. You're just rejecting everyone!" Misty retorted.
"Forget about me. Let's get back to the earlier topic. Why come to me? I'm just a rookie trainer who only has one badge. As the Cerulean City Gym Leader, you have the authority to command the trainers here to assist you, right? Even if the newbies don't count, there must be a few skilled ones among them. Besides, don't you have any friends? Wouldn't it be better to call them?"
Ryuuske wasn't some hot-blooded protagonist from an anime who would roll up his sleeves and charge in just because a girl asked him to. This wasn't a game or a cartoon—carelessness could cost him his life.
"…And most importantly, we're not even that close!"
Even if this Misty was overly friendly, the two of them really weren't particularly familiar!
"If Sabrina really is a member of Team Rocket, bringing too many people would definitely alert them in advance. That goes against my goal—I just want to investigate secretly."
Misty paused, then spoke in a tone that was hard to describe—not quite sorrowful, but more stubborn. "…I don't really have any friends. Ever since I set out on my journey at fifteen, my goal has always been to inherit the Cerulean City Gym. I competed in that year's Indigo Plateau Conference, and then successfully challenged the Gym Leader under the League's supervision. When would I have had time to make friends?"
"That's pretty sad. Traveling for so long and still not making any friends—maybe your personality is just terrible, and you never consider others?"
Ryuuske's malicious taunt earned him a furious glare from Misty.
"Don't look at me like that. Keep glaring, and I won't go with you!"
She expected him to say something even more infuriating, but instead, she heard those words. Misty froze for a moment before asking in disbelief, "…You'll do it?"
"Yeah. Since you're so pitiful that you don't even have a single friend, I'll reluctantly help you out as your friend!"
Ryuuske's words still weren't kind, but his agreement was firm.
Fighting alone wasn't a big deal, but if possible, having some reliable friends to rely on wouldn't hurt. This Misty was practically a blank slate. Her outwardly sociable personality made her seem like someone with countless friends, but in reality, she was just a pure-hearted, hardworking girl who had devoted herself to fulfilling her duty.
Gym Leaders weren't hereditary. She had struggled desperately to inherit her parents' legacy, and her past life must have been tough.
This was a girl who could be easily swayed—and her status as the Cerulean City Gym Leader might prove useful to him in the future.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you. There's no way anything dangerous will happen!"
Misty's voice was excited—whether because Ryuuske had agreed or because her so-called "friend" had agreed, it was hard to say.
"Save it. If anything, I might be the one protecting you."
Ryuuske scoffed.
"I'm a Gym Leader!"
"A pitiful Gym Leader who can't even make friends shouldn't be bragging here. And don't think I'm as weak as you assume."
If push came to shove, he could always unleash Mewtwo. Even if one of the Elite Four showed up, they'd still lose a layer of skin in the chaos.
"When's dinner? I didn't eat lunch, and this afternoon I only had a piece of cake and a cup of coffee. I was planning to eat early, but you dragged me here for no reason. Now I'm starving."
Ryuuske rubbed his stomach and complained.
Misty, who had been about to continue bickering with him, immediately stood up and hurried to the kitchen to rush the chef when she heard his words.
This feeling… wasn't so bad, Misty thought.
Born into a Gym Leader's family, she had been burdened with high expectations from a young age. Her entire life had revolved around becoming a trainer, training hard, and enduring life-and-death trials until she finally earned recognition and succeeded her parents as the Cerulean Gym Leader.
Misty had never had much experience interacting with peers her age. Her outwardly cheerful personality couldn't mask the shyness in her heart. In the past, she hadn't had the time or energy to socialize with others. Even after becoming a Gym Leader and finally having free time, her status created an invisible barrier between her and her peers.
In truth, Misty didn't even know Blaine personally—she had only heard of Professor Oak's name but had never met him. The enthusiastic girl had simply agreed to help when Blaine made a request, never expecting that this chance encounter would lead her to meet Ryuuske, a boy around her age.
She didn't see him as anything special—it was just that his name had been popping up frequently in Kanto's media lately, making him hard to forget. Combined with their brief meeting, when she needed someone's help, he was the first person she thought of.
Boldly dragging him to her home and making her request, Misty hadn't held much hope that he would agree. After all, this was a dangerous matter. Yet, to her surprise, he had accepted—an unexpected delight.
But for Misty right now, the greatest joy wasn't his agreement, but rather Ryuuske's attitude toward her.
Because Ryuuske wasn't from this world, and because of that deep-seated arrogance, he didn't hold any particular reverence for Gym Leaders or even the Elite Four—he treated them all as ordinary people.
And that, unknowingly, struck right at the heart of the girl troubled by her own status.
To be continued…
Guys, I apologise for being inconsistent in updates. I have been sick as of recently and still in recovering phase so can't post much(it is a viral infection).