Wait… is this—
Mouth-to-mouth?
The moment their lips touched, Kazuki caught a soft, refreshing scent—like fresh vanilla.
So fragrant…
She was a girl with a sweet, delicate aura.
Forcing his eyes open, Kazuki's blurry vision managed to make out the figure of a blue-haired girl.
A pink hairband pinned back her bangs, while a wide green bow accented the thick braid trailing down her back. She wore a pink short-sleeved shirt and red overalls—not exactly standout fashion, but her pretty face made up for it.
And more importantly…
Every time Melanie leaned in for another attempt at CPR, Kazuki could feel her softness press against his chest.
That figure? Definitely bonus points.
"Huh? But I did everything by the first aid manual… Why isn't he waking up?"
"Maybe I messed up the technique? This was my first time doing CPR!"
"What should I do?!"
Melanie wrung her hands, clearly on the verge of tears out of worry for Kazuki.
Seeing this, Kazuki decided not to keep up the act any longer. He coughed a few times and slowly feigned waking.
"Ah! You're awake—thank goodness!" Melanie exclaimed, hastening to help him sit up, her face glowing with relief.
"W-Where am I…?" Kazuki fully opened his eyes and got a good look at her. Yep, this was Melanie—the girl from Hidden Village who took care of abandoned and wounded Pokémon.
Still, he pretended not to know anything. Less explaining that way—couldn't exactly go around claiming to be a fortune-teller, after all.
That kind of talk in this world? They'd probably think he was nuts. Forget completing the romance side mission—he wouldn't even be able to catch Bulbasaur.
"I'm Melanie. I live nearby. I saw you had been swept into the river and were stuck on some rocks, so… I rushed over to help."
As Melanie spoke, her cheeks turned pink. She didn't mention the mouth-to-mouth—clearly flustered and a bit embarrassed about it.
"Ah, thank you so much, Melanie. I'm Kazuki, a Pokémon Trainer from Pallet Town. I got lost and fell into the river trying to cross a rope bridge… cough, cough…"
Kazuki broke into a fit of coughing as water caught in his throat.
"A Pokémon Trainer? You're actually the first one who's ever made it here!"
Melanie said it with surprise, but there was a reason for that—she had taken in many Pokémon who had been abandoned after being injured in battle.
Most of them carried deep emotional scars and were wary of humans. The surrounding area was littered with traps meant to ward off intruders.
"In any case, I'm really sorry for what happened. Please, come with me to my cabin—I'll check you over and make sure you don't have any other injuries."
Feeling guilty for Kazuki's fall, Melanie fussed over him with sincere care.
She led Kazuki down a peculiar winding path toward a small cabin nestled in the woods.
Several Pokémon were resting outside, clearly in stages of recovery.
"Wow… are all these your Pokémon?" Kazuki asked.
Melanie shook her head with a soft smile. "No, I don't have the strength yet to capture Pokémon, not properly."
"These ones were all hurt and abandoned. I felt bad for them, and since I know a bit of folk medicine, I took them in so they could heal."
"Oh! By the way, Kazuki—once we're inside, could you speak softly?"
"These Pokémon are all scared of strangers."
Kazuki nodded cooperatively and followed as she guided him toward the house.
Halfway there, Melanie stepped on a dead branch, making a crisp snap underfoot. The sound startled the nearby Pokémon.
Worried, she immediately clutched the sides of her overalls, fearing the Pokémon might panic at the approach of an unfamiliar person.
But instead—surprisingly—they kept about their business, some even crawling closer out of curiosity.
A few Caterpie ambled toward Kazuki, blinking up at him with wide, shiny eyes.
"Hm?" Melanie tilted her head at Kazuki. "Who'd have guessed? You're actually really popular with them!"
"Back when I first met them, they were all terrified—they wouldn't even look at me!"
"And here they are, voluntarily coming up to you…"
Her eyes crinkled into crescent moons, and her smile was dazzling.
Kazuki hadn't expected it either, but it seemed his passive aura that boosted wild Pokémon's affection also worked wonders on Melanie.
This romance route side mission might turn out to be easy after all!
Seeing that Kazuki didn't scare the recovering Pokémon, Melanie grew bolder, warmly welcoming him inside her cabin.
Inside, the setup was simple: one small bedroom, a humble living room with just two chairs and a table, and a little cooking stove in the corner.
Melanie brought him a chair and gently began checking him over.
"You're in luck—no major injuries," she said. "Still, if you're worried, you could stay a couple nights. I'll keep an eye on your condition, and you can leave when you're ready."
The moment she laid eyes on him, Melanie had found Kazuki quite handsome. Now, seeing how fond the Pokémon were of him too, she didn't hesitate to offer him shelter.
"Sounds good! And maybe my Pokémon can rest here too while we're at it—if that's okay with you?" Kazuki was more than happy to stay—no need to make up excuses to complete the mission now.
"You're so thoughtful. Of course!" Melanie said with a bright smile that never seemed to fade.
"I've been racking my brain on how to help these little ones regain the courage to face the world outside."
"Your Pokémon might be exactly what they need—some friendly interactions could really help them!"
"Mm! Got it!" Kazuki stood up and reached into his backpack, grabbing four Poké Balls.
As he moved, Melanie noticed the chair he had been sitting on—and suddenly realized with wide eyes that Kazuki was still soaking wet.
"Ah—Kazuki, wait! You should take off your clothes first!"
"It's almost nightfall. Forest nights get chilly, and you'll catch a cold like this."
"There's a blanket in the bedroom—you can wrap yourself in it. I'll get a fire going and dry your clothes for you."
"Thanks! I was getting uncomfortable anyway."
"Okay then, go ahead and change. The blanket's folded on the bed. I'll go start the fire!" Melanie said as she stepped out the door.
Just as she exited, her eyes flew wide in sudden panic—Oh no! I completely forgot!
Bra and panties I washed earlier… It's still hanging by the bedroom window!
He's going to see my panties the second he steps in...
Ugh, how embarrassing…
Melanie instinctively wanted to dash back in and move them, but... what if Kazuki was already changing? What if he was… completely undressed?
Frozen in place, torn between saving face and avoiding accidental scandal, she finally opted to build the fire instead—daring not to go back inside at all.