Early the next morning.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the curtains, spilling onto the disheveled large bed.
Delia slowly awoke, her body feeling languid and weak.
Her face was rosy, her eyes shimmering with a spring-like charm, and the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned upwards.
Last night... she had truly eaten her fill.
In the end, she had lost her composure a bit, acting somewhat like a... but she didn't mind in the slightest.
On the contrary, she was overjoyed.
Being able to let the man she loved indulge so thoroughly, watching him lose himself in her body—the sense of accomplishment and happiness from that was far more intoxicating to her than mere pleasure.
She turned slightly, looking at Roy, who was still sound asleep beside her.
His handsome profile appeared exceptionally soft in the morning light, his breathing steady.
Delia's gaze was so tender it could melt.
Being with a man like this was truly wonderful.
She smiled sweetly, instinctively reaching out to gently rub her slightly swollen, soft belly.
After gazing at Roy with longing for a while longer, Delia carefully got up, careful not to wake him.
She picked up the battle-damaged garments from the floor.
These... were completely unsalvageable.
But she still held them as if they were treasures, cradling them in her arms for a moment before, with a flushed face, carefully folding them, planning to dispose of them separately later.
Dressing quietly and neatly, Delia began to tidy the room.
Although the hotel staff would clean, the aftermath in the room was rather... intense.
Delia looked at it all, her face burning red, her heart filled with both sweetness and embarrassment.
These things were too embarrassing for outsiders to see.
She found some large bags, gathered all the evidence into them, and ended up with three full bags!
Carrying the heavy, mortifying trash, Delia tiptoed out of the room like a thief, heading straight for the hotel's rear garbage disposal area.
After throwing away the trash, she finally let out a long sigh of relief, patting her burning cheeks.
Seeing there was still time, she went to a nearby breakfast shop, carefully selected Roy's favorite flavors and some sweet treats Misty liked, buying a sumptuous breakfast to bring back to the hotel...
"Mmm... smells so good..."
Roy was awakened by the aroma of food.
Opening his eyes, he saw Delia and Misty already sitting at the small dining table in the outer area of the suite, breakfast neatly laid out.
Delia's complexion was astonishingly good; the charming allure of being thoroughly nourished was almost overflowing from her eyes and brows, and the look she gave him was sickeningly sweet.
"Awake? Come and have breakfast," Delia greeted him tenderly, getting up to fetch Roy's jacket.
The three of them finished breakfast warmly.
When they checked out, the lady at the front desk saw them, her gaze growing even more peculiar.
Especially seeing Delia's blissful, almost honey-dripping appearance, and the faint, almost imperceptible awkwardness in her gait, which further confirmed some of her guesses from last night.
Youth, they really know how to have fun...
Not long after stepping out of the hotel entrance, a familiar figure approached them.
It was the valiant Officer Jenny.
"Mr. Roy, Ms. Delia, Ms. Misty, good morning," Officer Jenny greeted with a smile, her gaze lingering on Roy's face a moment longer, a flicker of subtle appreciation and a certain warmth in her eyes.
"Officer Jenny, good morning. Is there new progress on the case?" Roy asked.
"Yes," Officer Jenny nodded, her expression turning serious. "I'm here to formally notify you that Lt. Surge's crimes have been largely investigated, the evidence is solid, and the League and local court have preliminarily deemed him guilty."
"Currently, they are determining the specific sentence based on statements from multiple victims."
"That's good news," Roy nodded.
"Additionally," Officer Jenny took an envelope and a delicate small box from her folder and handed them to Roy.
"This is a commendation from the Vermilion City government and police force. Thank you for your outstanding contribution to maintaining urban safety and the Trainer environment."
Roy accepted them.
Inside the envelope was a check for a quite substantial amount, enough for them to travel comfortably for a long time.
Inside the small box were three exquisitely printed, seemingly faintly glowing cruise tickets.
"Are these... tickets for the s.s. anne?" Misty, sharp-eyed, recognized them immediately and exclaimed with delight.
"That's right," Officer Jenny said with a smile. "The s.s. anne is a signature industry of our Vermilion City and one of the most renowned luxury cruise ships in the Kanto region. These three are VIP cabin tickets, covering all costs for the upcoming voyage from Vermilion City to Lanpuerqi City, as well as most onboard spending credit. It's a token of appreciation from the city government, hoping you can enjoy a nice sea voyage."
Lanpuerqi City? That's a famous resort city!
Misty's eyes shone even brighter.
"Thank you very much," Roy didn't refuse; it was indeed a practical reward.
"No need to be polite, you've earned it," Officer Jenny waved her hand. Then, her gaze settled on Roy's face, her tone softening slightly with a hint of regret. "Actually, if not for my busy official duties, I'd really like to personally show you around, introduce you to some of Vermilion City's other excellent industries..."
The way she said this was rather thought-provoking.
Especially as she spoke, her bright eyes fixed on Roy, seeming to imply something.
Roy just smiled politely. "Officer Jenny has her duties, we understand. Perhaps another time."
Officer Jenny seemed to realize she might have overstepped, a slight blush coloring her cheeks as she coughed lightly. "Well... I wish you a pleasant journey. The s.s. anne arrives at the dock at ten this morning; don't miss it."
With that, she gave Roy one last deep look before turning and striding away with purpose.
Watching Officer Jenny's retreating figure, Misty finally couldn't hold back.
She sidled up to Roy, nudged him with her elbow, lowered her voice, and asked with a mix of teasing and intense curiosity:
"Hey, Roy... I've noticed something!"
"Hmm?"
"It seems... every Officer Jenny we meet looks at you a bit... oddly!" Misty blinked her big eyes. "It's like... like they want to gobble you up!"
Delia, who was drinking water, almost choked, then covered her mouth with a light laugh, her eyes shimmering as she looked at Roy.
Roy's old face felt a bit awkward; he flicked Misty's smooth forehead with his finger. "Don't talk nonsense."
"I'm not talking nonsense!" Misty rubbed her forehead, mumbling. "Sister Delia, tell me, isn't it true?"
Delia smiled gently, walking to Roy's side and naturally linking her arm with his, her voice soft and charming yet filled with pride:
"Because our Roy is big and amazing, handsome, physically fit, strong, and so righteous, just like a hero. Officer Jennys deal with so many people and things every day; their standards are high. Isn't it normal for them to appreciate our Roy?"
Rewarded by Roy last night until her body and soul were intoxicated, today she was overflowing with love and admiration. When praising Roy's virtues, she was unstinting and proud to be associated with him.
Misty was left speechless by Delia's straightforward and proud praise.
She stomped her foot, pouting. "Aiya! Sister Delia! You just spoil him! Always go along with him! He's going to get a big head for sure."
Roy reached out and ruffled Misty's hair. "Alright, enough teasing. Do you still want to go play on the s.s. anne luxury cruise or not?"
"Think, think, think!" Misty's attention was instantly diverted. She looked towards the dock and indeed saw a huge, white, streamlined luxury cruise ship slowly docking. It shimmered with a captivating luster under the sunlight, the characters 's.s. anne' on its hull looking particularly grand.
"Ah! That's right! Luxury cruise ship, luxury cruise ship, here I come!" Misty jumped up excitedly, the last bit of jealousy tossed to the far ends of the earth. She happily dashed towards the dock.
Roy and Delia exchanged a smile and followed her.
Just as they left the hotel area and officially stepped onto the dock, the system's prompt sounded precisely in Roy's mind:
[Ding! A new Gym Challenge mission has been refreshed!]
[Gym Challenge — Saffron Gym: Obtain the Gold Badge and help Sabrina return to normal.]
[Mission Rewards: Psychic ability upgraded to Beginner level.
Master Ball*1 — Under conditions for capture, 100% chance to capture a Pokémon.]
A new Gym mission!
The rewards were indeed becoming more generous and tempting!
Not only did it directly upgrade his Psychic ability to the 'Beginner' level, but it also gave the legendary artifact with absolute capture rate — the Master Ball!
This thing, at a critical moment, could be the ultimate trump card for capturing a Legendary Pokémon or turning the tide of battle!
However, the mission's difficulty had clearly increased.
Obtaining the Gold Badge, given his current team's strength and growth rate, shouldn't be a problem as long as he challenged normally.
Although the Saffron Gym is an intermediate-level Gym, the Gym Leader's main Pokémon are probably between quasi-Gym-level and Gym-level. He could handle it.
The difficulty lies in the second requirement — helping Sabrina return to normal.
Sabrina, that Gym Leader with terrifying Psychic abilities, was an extremely troublesome character in the original.
Because she mastered overly powerful and difficult-to-control Psychic abilities from a very young age, her personality became twisted, her mental world vastly different from ordinary people's, and her thoughts were almost impossible to predict.
Her own father was driven away from home by her immense power and mental issues, and her mother was turned into a doll that she carries with her... If even her closest family ended up like this, one could imagine the difficulty for an outsider to get close to her and help her. If not careful, he might be caught in the crossfire of her berserk Psychic abilities or also be turned into a doll.
'This mission is a bit tricky...' Roy thought to himself.
He accepted the mission, but what exactly to do and whether to take the risk would depend on the actual situation at the time.
He came to this world to enjoy life, capture powerful Pokémon, and build a harmonious big family, not to become Sabrina's figurine.
Everything took priority on his own safety and interests.
If it proved impossible, he could simply give up the second part of the mission and just take the Badge. Although losing the Master Ball would be a pity, nothing was more important than his own safety and life.
Suppressing his thoughts about the Saffron Gym, Roy pulled his attention back to the present.
Saffron City was still far away; this was a rare moment of leisure.
First, let's properly enjoy this luxury cruise trip!
Before them, the massive s.s. anne had already docked steadily at the pier. The gangplank was lowered, and staff in crisp uniforms were welcoming guests.
Well-dressed men and women, accompanied by their respective Pokémon, were boarding the ship one after another, chatting and laughing.
The sea breeze brushed against their faces, bringing a salty, moist scent and a feeling of freedom and romance.
"Let's go, board the ship." Roy, holding Delia's hand with one hand and gesturing to Misty with the other, walked towards the gangplank.
Misty, already impatient, grabbed Roy's hand and charged forward.
Delia wore a gentle, happy smile on her face, closely following by Roy's side.
The moment Roy's foot first stepped onto the deck of the s.s. anne.
In his field of vision, a bright, glaring red exclamation mark suddenly popped up, flashing violently.
This was the first time Roy had seen a red mission trigger. Seeing the urgency of the situation, he hurriedly checked it.
[Ding! Emergency Timed Mission Triggered!]
[Mission Name: Resolve the s.s. anne Crisis]
[Mission Content: An illegal organization has planted multiple timed bombs on the s.s. anne. Please locate and disarm all bombs before they detonate to prevent a tragedy.]
[Mission Rewards: 1. Master Angler Aura — 50% chance of catching rare items or special Pokémon while fishing.
2. Officer Jenny Family Universal Favorability +10]
[Remaining Time: 01:58:47]
Less than two hours!
Roy's heart tightened fiercely, but not a trace of abnormality showed on his face.
He gently patted Delia's hand, which was holding his arm, and whispered, "Delia, Misty, come with me. There's something urgent."
His tone was steady but carried an undeniable seriousness.
Both Delia and Misty were stunned, especially Delia, who was extremely sensitive to Roy's emotions. She immediately sensed the tension beneath his calm surface.
"What's wrong, Roy?" Delia asked softly, her eyes full of concern.
"No time for detailed explanations. First, find the Captain." Roy was concise. Pulling the two girls, he quickly headed towards the Bridge, relying on the directions on the tickets and his exceptional memory.
The luxurious decorations and cheerful crowds along the way now seemed shrouded in a dangerous shadow in his eyes... The Bridge.
The Captain was a burly, middle-aged man with a beard, named Russell. He was leisurely looking at a nautical chart, smoking a pipe.
He seemed somewhat surprised by the sudden visit of Roy and the two women.
"Oh? VIPs gifted by the Vermilion City government? Welcome, welcome." Captain Russell took the tickets and pokédex Roy handed over, glanced at them, confirmed they were valid, and his attitude remained fairly polite.
"What can I do for you? Are you dissatisfied with your cabin, or do you want to book some special activity?"
"Neither." Roy stepped forward, lowered his voice, and spoke with utmost gravity, "Captain, I have received confirmed intelligence. Bombs have been planted on the s.s. anne, multiple ones, set to detonate on a timer within two hours."
"What?" Captain Russell almost dropped his pipe, his eyes wide. "Young man, this is no joke! The s.s. anne's safety inspections are the strictest in the Kanto region!"
"I'm not joking." Roy's gaze was intense as he pushed his pokédex forward.
"I guarantee this with my status as a registered League Trainer and the commendation from the Vermilion City government."
"Please immediately permit me, or have someone accompany me, to conduct an emergency inspection of several key areas."
Roy's imposing manner and resolute tone froze the anger and skepticism on Captain Russell's face.
Especially upon hearing "commendation from the Vermilion City government"... this young man before him was probably not simple.
Better to believe it than not!
What if... Cold sweat broke out on Captain Russell's temple. He slammed his pipe on the table. "Alright! I'll believe you this once! I'll personally take a few men with you to check!"
Captain Russell was also a man of swift action. He immediately called his two most trusted and capable sailor-security guards and followed Roy, quickly leaving the Bridge.
Although Delia and Misty didn't understand how Roy knew, they had absolute trust in him. They followed closely behind, their hearts in their throats.