With Melanie now outside, Kazuki began undressing.
He figured that, knowing what kind of girl Melanie was—gentle and reserved—there was no chance she'd walk in on him undressing. No matter what happened, she'd surely keep her distance from a guy who was completely naked.
So Kazuki stripped off everything without hesitation and, in his bare skin, walked confidently into Melanie's bedroom.
He scanned the room and spotted a neatly made bed, tightly tucked and pristine—the kind you'd expect from someone meticulous.
But just a few steps in, something caught his eye—
A delicate pink bra.
A lacy, nearly translucent pair of pink panties.
Bathed in the soft glow of the setting sun, the undergarments hung by the window, almost like an unintended work of art.
Outside, Melanie—who'd just gotten the fire going again—saw Bulbasaur returning with the Oddish in tow.
"You're back! Bulbasaur!"
"Saur~!"
Bulbasaur replied happily, walking right into the cabin to grab a bite from its usual spot.
The moment it pushed the door open, it caught a full view of the very naked Kazuki, mid-step in Melanie's room.
"SAUR!!"
Startled out of its mind, Bulbasaur instantly launched two Vine Whips, cracking loudly against the floor as a warning.
"Ah! Kazuki? Bulbasaur!?" Melanie jumped at the sound of the whips lashing, bolting straight into the house in a panic.
"Bulbasaur, wait, Kazuki's not a bad person—he's the one I res... cued…"
And then she saw him.
Kazuki's toned, athletic body—broad shoulders, a defined chest, and the unmistakable outline of his abs—unhidden in the warm light of her private room.
Melanie turned red in an instant, steam practically rising from her ears.
"I-I-I'll... explain everything later! For now—Bulbasaur, come out! Quickly! We'll deal with it in a moment!!"
Like a frog tossed into boiling water, Melanie leapt out of the room, her steps frantic and uncoordinated.
Once Bulbasaur followed her out, she slammed the door shut behind them, took several shaky breaths, and then retreated back to the fire, hugging her knees as she squatted down.
Her mind buzzed—thoughts jammed and scrambled.
What just happened?
First... her first kiss gone, even if it had been for a good cause…
And now she'd seen—really seen—a man's body, up close and true.
Kazuki's... body really was in great shape…
When she'd checked him earlier, she'd thought the firmness she'd felt through the fabric was a trick of the hand—but no! He really did have abs!
And his…
Melanie's mind conjured up the image again, replaying the moment.
Her face flushed hot again, the crimson spreading like dye dropped in water.
Wait—was it really that big?
Did he... did he see my underwear by the window and get... excited?
Oh no!! This is so embarrassing!!!
Melanie buried her face into her arms, her brain halfway retreating from consciousness.
No, no—think clearly!
It looked like… it was just in its natural state.
Then in its... full state... wouldn't it be—
Gasp!
Wouldn't it be enough to… break... someone?
With her knowledge of basic anatomy and medicine, Melanie wasn't exactly clueless about these things.
If anything, she probably understood it better than Kazuki himself.
Just then, she heard footsteps approaching.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Melanie shook her head wildly to scatter every lingering image blurring her mind.
"Sorry about what just happened!"
"I-It's fine! R-Really, it was m-my fault, not yours!" Melanie stammered, thankful the firelight helped hide her still-burning cheeks.
Kazuki used a few twigs to prop up his clothes near the fire to dry them.
Melanie kept her head low but peaked at him shyly through glistening eyes.
The moment she saw Kazuki pick up his underwear to straighten it out by the fire, her mind—again—flashed to that vivid "form" she'd just witnessed.
She panicked, unsure of where to look, her head turning wildly until her gaze landed on Bulbasaur, who was watching them both from a corner of the cabin with cautious eyes.
Seeing the Pokémon calmed her, and she brightened, waving Bulbasaur over like a lifeline.
"Bulbasaur, come here! Let me introduce you to Kazuki!"
Bulbasaur cautiously approached the campfire.
"Hey there, Bulbasaur!" Kazuki greeted him with a warm smile as he finished arranging his clothes.
"Saur!"
Although Bulbasaur didn't exactly dislike Kazuki, their initial meeting had involved what looked like an attempt to capture his companion, so the little Pokémon remained wary.
"Oh? So you two have already met?" Melanie lifted her head as the conversation turned, her expression beginning to relax.
"We ran into each other during a capture attempt," Kazuki admitted readily, knowing that honesty would help smooth things over in the long run.
"Ah, that explains it! Bulbasaur's the guardian here. He protects the recovering Pokémon from anyone who tries to take advantage of them."
Even then, Melanie didn't scold Kazuki—on the contrary, she patiently explained the situation, easing the tension.
"Bulbasaur, Kazuki didn't know the rules around here. Let's give him a chance, okay?"
"All the other Pokémon seem to like him—I really don't think he's a bad person."
Just as she spoke, the Oddish from earlier waddled up to Kazuki.
Kazuki reached down and gently patted it, and the Oddish reacted quietly, without fear.
"Saur~."
Bulbasaur saw this scene and finally let down his guard, plopping down by the fire to toast himself in warmth beside them.
With the tension resolved, Melanie began asking Kazuki about his training journey so far.
She spoke with bright eyes and rapt attention.
Melanie's parents had passed away early, and she'd grown up alone. Her dream was to become a Pokémon nurse, and she'd never actually captured a Pokémon herself. She'd lived here for years, taking care of the injured Pokémon who wandered to her.
She'd once made up her mind to venture out—but then she met these wounded Pokémon, and her kind heart couldn't bring herself to leave them behind. So she remained.
Now, hearing Kazuki talk about his travels was like listening to fairy tales. Every word thrilled her.
Even when Kazuki began yawning from exhaustion, Melanie still listened eagerly, unable to get enough.
But her gentle, considerate nature meant that the moment she noticed his fatigue, she stopped asking questions.
"Kazuki, you should go rest—take my bed."
"If I sleep in your bed, where will you sleep? It's fine—I'll just rest out here."
Seeing her favorable impression of him, Kazuki played the gentleman to score more affection points.
"I've spent many nights sleeping on the ground during my journey—don't worry about me. You should lie down first."
"Okay then! Sleep well. I'll stay by the fire a little longer before heading to bed," Melanie said, rubbing her hands together for warmth.
Kazuki nodded, lay down, and thanks to his seasoned traveler's habits, fell asleep almost instantly.
Melanie watched him for a while and, once she was sure he was fast asleep, couldn't help but let her gaze linger.
Watching him breathe softly, peacefully…
A tender smile spread across her face.
Her legs slowly shifted closed, pressed tightly together, as the feelings blooming inside her grew stronger—and harder to ignore...
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Next goal: 700 Power Stones!
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