**
Yuuto carried Misty steadily through Viridian Forest, her warm, trembling body pressed tightly against his back like a living backpack.
Delia walked gracefully beside him, while Eevee trotted ahead, ears perked and alert to every rustle.
"Yuu… Yuuto…" Misty buried her burning face deeper into the crook of his neck, voice muffled and shaky. "Are you tired? Am I… a bit heavy?"
She could feel every steady step he took, the rise and fall of his breathing, but after clinging to him for so long she still felt guilty.
"It's fine." Yuuto answered honestly, deliberately shifting his grip to lift her a little higher, weighing her. "Lighter than I expected. You always seem so energetic, but you're actually really light."
"R-Right? I have a good figure, don't I?" Misty instinctively boasted, but immediately regretted it.
She could clearly feel his strong hands supporting her beneath her thighs and round ass. His warm palms, separated only by the thin denim of her shorts, felt like they were burning straight through to her skin.
Every time he adjusted his hold, his fingers brushed the sensitive inner skin of her thighs. That teasing contact sent little electric jolts straight between her legs.
She could only tighten her arms around his neck and press herself even closer, soft breasts squishing firmly against his broad back through her crop top. Her perky nipples had already stiffened from the constant friction, poking against him with every step.
Delia saw everything. Her gentle smile deepened, but she stayed quiet, only paying extra attention to the surroundings to quietly clear away any extra "scare sources."
As Yuuto walked, he silently spread his Aura Power.
Invisible waves of perception rippled outward into the forest.
Within his senses, countless life signatures pulsed—most weak Bug and Flying types, but a few brighter ones stood out.
He was searching for that special Caterpie from his memory.
Aura couldn't just locate; it could also vaguely sense the "quality" of a life force.
He wanted the one that felt exceptionally resilient and lively among the weak ones.
While he searched, any decent wild Pokémon they encountered became quick experience for Pikachu and Eevee.
After half a day of steady progress, Pikachu's level had climbed noticeably.
[Pokémon: Pikachu — Lv.14 → Lv.17]
As long as they avoided provoking big aggressive swarms like Beedrill or Fearow, the outer parts of Viridian Forest were perfect for new Trainers—great for combat experience and steady leveling.
"Pika~chu!"
Pikachu finished off a Rattata that had tried to ambush them with a clean Thunder Shock.
After the battle, the little guy wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead and looked up at Yuuto with sparkling eyes, clearly fishing for praise.
"Well done, Pikachu." Yuuto praised, stopping to pull out special Pokémon food and fresh berries from his pack. "Take a break and eat up."
He carefully set Misty down on a clean, flat rock.
Misty's legs were still shaky when her feet touched the ground. She sat close to Yuuto, eyes darting nervously around.
Yuuto crouched and began feeding Pikachu and Eevee.
Delia handed Misty a water bottle with a gentle smile. "Have some water, Misty. You've had a tough time."
"W-What tough time? Jiang Chuan is the one who's had it tough…" Misty took the bottle, mumbling shyly while stealing glances at Yuuto's focused profile.
She watched him carefully break the food into small pieces, saw Pikachu and Eevee eat happily, and felt something warm flutter in her chest.
For now the area was clear of bugs—only wind through leaves and distant bird calls.
The atmosphere felt peaceful and warm.
Seeing no immediate threats, Misty's courage slowly returned. She tried standing up from the rock to stretch her legs.
But the moment her toes touched the ground—
Something moved in the bushes behind Delia.
"B-Bug! Sister Delia, behind you!"
Misty almost shrieked. She leaped backward instinctively, then—*whoosh*—skillfully jumped straight onto Yuuto's back again.
Her arms locked around his neck. Her slender, smooth legs wrapped tightly around his waist like vines.
She buried her face deep into his neck, voice trembling. "There's a bug!!"
Yuuto felt the sudden weight and warmth again.
This time he was ready. He caught her easily, hands sliding under her thighs to support her plump, round ass.
The thin denim shorts rode up high, letting his palms feel the bare, silky skin of her inner thighs and the soft, springy curve of her cheeks.
Misty's perky breasts pressed firmly against his back, nipples still stiff from earlier and poking through her crop top.
Her hot, panicked breath puffed against his neck with every shaky exhale.
"Huh?" Delia turned, surprised, then paused.
From the bushes, a Caterpie slowly wriggled out.
But this one was different.
It was noticeably larger than normal, with a deeper, lustrous emerald-green body like polished jade.
The two red antennae on its head twitched with curiosity. Its beady black eyes looked unusually sharp and aware.
It didn't flee or attack blindly. It simply stopped, raised its head slightly, and observed the three humans—especially lingering on Yuuto and Pikachu.
"This Caterpie…" Delia murmured, impressed. "It looks so special."
Yuuto looked up, eyes sharpening.
At the same time, the system chimed.
[Ding! Side Quest Triggered: First Capture.]
[Quest Content: Complete your first Pokémon capture through battle.]
[Quest Reward: Primary Potential Enhancement Fruit ×1 — Permanently raises the potential of any Pokémon below Elite
The quest confirmed this Caterpie was extraordinary.
But the "through battle" requirement made Yuuto chuckle.
"Who exactly is this implicitly criticizing?"
He couldn't help muttering.
Normal new-Trainer captures involved battling until the target was weakened, then throwing a ball.
They clearly didn't want him just tossing a ball like some certain protagonist.
Whether as a person or Trainer, one shouldn't be too shameless.
"Pikachu." Yuuto adjusted Misty on his back, making sure she clung securely, then gave the order to his rested partner.
"Prepare for battle. Use Quick Attack to close in, then finish with Thunder Shock. Be careful—just defeat it, don't overdo it."
"Pika!"
Pikachu's eyes lit up. Tiny sparks danced from its cheeks as it turned into a yellow lightning bolt, charging straight at the special Caterpie.
Facing the fast-approaching threat, this Caterpie didn't panic.
A flash of fighting spirit appeared in its eyes. Its plump body twisted at the last second, rolling sideways and narrowly dodging Pikachu's frontal Quick Attack!
"Huh?" Misty, still clinging to Yuuto's back, forgot her fear for a moment and widened her eyes in surprise.
This Caterpie's reaction and speed were far beyond any ordinary one!
…After several exchanges, Pikachu finally brought it down.
The Caterpie was hit by the electric current, body twitching before collapsing weakly to the ground, exhausted but with no look of defeat in its eyes.
It really was strong—it had traded blows with Pikachu. Even though Pikachu wasn't at full power and had fought earlier, this performance was impressive.
Still, the hard power gap remained.
After a few more moves, the Caterpie finally fell.
Yuuto didn't hesitate. He pulled an empty Poké Ball from his waist, weighed it once, then flicked his wrist.
The ball arced perfectly and struck the Caterpie.
Red light pulled it inside.
The Poké Ball landed on the grass and wobbled.
One shake… two shakes… three shakes…
*Ding!*
The crisp capture sound rang out.
The ball stopped moving, the center button glowing steadily.
[Ding! Side Quest "First Capture" completed!]
[Quest Reward: Primary Potential Enhancement Fruit ×1 — sent to system backpack.]
Yuuto walked forward, bent down, and picked up the newly captured Poké Ball.
It felt pleasantly heavy in his palm.
The moment he touched it, the Caterpie's full status panel connected to the system.
[Pokémon: Caterpie]
[Type: Bug]
[Level: Lv.6 (Novice)]
[Potential: Gym]
[Ability: Shield Dust — Prevents additional effects of moves.]
[Moves: Tackle, String Shot]
[Held Item: None]
[Special Enhancements: None]
Yuuto scanned the panel, satisfied.
It really was a high-potential Caterpie.
Among its species, Gym-level potential was extremely rare.
Higher potential usually meant stronger vitality, longer lifespan, and the ability to stay useful for much longer in the early game.
Plus, Caterpie's evolution chain required very little experience—quick to Metapod, then Butterfree.
Once evolved, Butterfree brought immediate combat value with Confusion, Psybeam, Sleep Powder, Stun Spore, and more.
Yuuto planned to make this Caterpie one of his core early-game fighters.
Perfect for the first Gym and beyond.
"Yuuto, are you really going to train this Caterpie?"
Misty finally slid down from his back once the capture was done. Her legs were still a little shaky, so she stayed close, gripping his arm while staring at the Poké Ball with clear doubt.
"This isn't a Pokémon worth spending too much effort on, is it?"
Misty had received proper Gym education since childhood. Though she specialized in Water-types, she knew the common view of Caterpie.
Short lifespan, fixed brief evolution cycle, and Butterfree's final stats were on the lower side.
Most Trainers saw them as practice tools for rookies or quick experience packs—rarely worth raising long-term.
Earlier, Yuuto had used normal Caterpie and Weedle for Pikachu to train on. Why capture and train *this* one?
Out of concern for her companion, the straightforward Misty spoke her mind.
She was worried Yuuto, lacking experience, would waste time and resources on something "ordinary."
Yuuto smiled and didn't answer immediately.
He simply held up the Poké Ball, eyes calm and confident.
"You'll see soon enough."