"Saur?"
Bulbasaur tilted its head as it glanced at the flustered look on Melanie's face.
"Ah!" Melanie yelped mid-scream, quickly clapping a hand over her mouth. Seeing that Kazuki hadn't woken up, she let out a silent breath of relief before turning and scolding Bulbasaur in a whisper.
"Bulbasaur! What are you doing? Why are you still up this late?!"
"Saur~ saur~"
Bulbasaur gave a lazy reply as it cozied up by the fire.
"Huh? You're saying you're not in recovery condition so you don't need extra rest? Still! You're always in battle—the ones who fight most should rest even more!"
"Saur, saur!"
"…You're saying you're standing guard until I sleep?"
Melanie hesitated, glancing at Kazuki. She wanted to stay up and watch him a little longer, but she didn't want Bulbasaur to sacrifice its rest because of that.
After a moment's thought, she suddenly got up and bolted toward the house.
Bulbasaur, seeing his duty complete, started heading back to his own spot when Melanie came dashing out again—this time carrying a blanket in her arms.
Without hesitation, she laid herself down next to the campfire, just like Kazuki had earlier.
"There! I'm sleeping out here too! Now you don't have to keep watch anymore!"
"Saur?"
Bulbasaur looked at her, then at Kazuki, curiously.
Seeing that, Melanie hurried to explain herself. "A-ahem! It's not like I mean anything weird by this, okay?!"
"I'm the host and Kazuki's the guest—he's already sleeping out here, how could I be so shameless as to take the only bed?"
The reasoning was shaky, but even Melanie convinced herself with it. She laid down beside the fire comfortably, her gaze landing right on Kazuki's face.
Bulbasaur just shook its head and lay back down too, fulfilling its lifelong mission of keeping loved ones safe from curious nighttime interlopers.
"Hey... Bulbasaur, tell me honestly—what do you think of Kazuki?" Melanie valued her Pokémon's opinions above all else.
"Saur~ saur~"
Bulbasaur, finally feeling sleepy, gave a short but surprisingly positive reply before closing his eyes.
"Wait—you… you think he's a good guy too?"
Melanie sat upright, genuinely surprised. Bulbasaur very rarely gave high praise to anyone besides her.
Seeing that Bulbasaur had already dozed off, she lay down again, but her gaze lingered on Kazuki.
Unlike before, now there was a flush of rosy light in her eyes.
Since losing her parents, Melanie had lived on her own. It had been such a long time since she'd talked so much to another person in a single night.
Deep down, she had always longed for someone she could rely on—but isolated as she was in the mountains, that hope had always seemed distant.
Then, out of nowhere, Kazuki literally dropped into her life—his looks, his build, even the way he treated Pokémon all aligned with her most cherished values.
The feelings she'd kept buried for so long… tonight, they stirred.
…
The next morning, Melanie woke up early, as always.
And the first thing she saw upon opening her eyes—was Kazuki's face.
She felt a warm sweetness inside her, like waking up inside a dream.
And then she sat up.
And then she saw… something else.
The morning sun was rising behind Kazuki, casting a glow not just on his face… but on something that was undeniably masculine, boldly outlined like a small mountain beneath the blanket.
H-H-He's…
Too much...
Her eyes blinked as she froze, unable to turn away, trapped between panic and intrigue.
Only when Kazuki finally stirred awake did she hurry to gather her blanket in a fluster.
"Whoa—Melanie? You slept outside too?"
"Huh? I—I just wanted to stargaze! The stars! Yes, the night sky!" she blurted, scooping up her blanket and bolting into the cabin like a whirlwind.
Kazuki used the moment to get dressed.
Inside the cabin, Melanie took several deep breaths, trying to calm herself before returning outside.
When she finally reappeared, she was composed—on the surface, at least.
"Ahem… y-you're already dressed, huh?" she said.
For some reason, seeing him dressed again made her feel… a bit disappointed?
"Yeah, dry clothes feel way better. Thanks again for the blanket!" Kazuki said, handing it back to her. Then he reached for his Poké Balls, preparing to release his Pokémon and complete this phase of the romance side mission.
Melanie stood there absentmindedly, idly fidgeting with a decorative corner of the blanket.
"Pika!"
"Pii-pii!"
…
It wasn't until Kazuki's Pokémon were all out that Melanie snapped out of her daze. Her wide eyes scanned the team before her in astonishment.
"These… these are your Pokémon? Your Pidgeotto looks so healthy!"
"And your Pikachu—it's adorable!"
"Wow! And… your Butterfree—how come it's so beautiful?"
Melanie stood completely mesmerized by the gently fluttering wings of Butterfree. Then she turned and saw Clefairy.
"Wait!? That's—Clefairy!!"
"Oh? You know Clefairy?"
Kazuki raised an eyebrow. Even Misty, a Gym Leader's daughter, hadn't recognized a Clefairy—yet this mountain girl did?
Melanie nodded madly. "Of course! It's an ultra-rare Pokémon!"
"I heard that even if you encounter a weak one, it's almost impossible to capture—unless it really, really trusts the Trainer!"
"But you... Kazuki... you actually caught one??"
Every single one of Kazuki's choices hit Melanie right in her admiration zone. With each passing moment, her gaze grew more starry-eyed.
"Hahaha, just got lucky." Kazuki smiled modestly and began directing his four Pokémon to join the recovery group.
At first, the injured Pokémon seemed a little uneasy. Kazuki's team clearly had the weathered feel of seasoned battlers, which intimidated the others.
But Pikachu, diplomatic as ever, stepped forward to communicate with Bulbasaur on their behalf. After a short conversation, the four newcomers were seamlessly welcomed into the fold.
While Kazuki quietly observed his Pokémon working to build trust among the others, Melanie sat nearby, stealing glances at him like a bashful wife-to-be.
The peaceful harmony of the moment was perfect—
Until it was suddenly shattered.
A massive hot air balloon descended from the skies above.