At this time, inside the Core Botanical Garden.
Three figures were clustered around a safe in the corner, acting in a frantic mess.
"Hurry up, hurry up! Is it blown open yet?!" Jessie stood behind, stomping her feet in anxiety.
"Don't rush me! I'm already going as fast as I can!"
James crouched in front of the safe, his hands working quickly.
Meowth sprawled on the safe, eyes gleaming: "Hurry up, meow! The Celadon Gym's secret perfume formulas are all inside! We'll be rich once we get them, meow!"
James stuffed the bomb into the gap of the safe, then pulled Jessie and Meowth back.
"Alright, get ready..."
Boom!
A muffled thud.
The safe door was blown open.
"It's open, it's open!" Meowth was the first to rush up. Opening the wooden box, he looked inside: "Wow! The formulas! They really are the secret formulas, meow!"
Jessie also leaned in to look, her face flushing with excitement: "Great! With these formulas, we can make the world's top-tier perfumes! We can sell them for as much as we want!"
James had already started stuffing bottles of essence into a bag: "Pack them, pack them! Let's get out of here before anyone notices!"
The three were in a frenzy, their hands trembling with excitement.
"Hahaha! We're rich, we're rich!" Jessie hugged the bag, unable to stop grinning.
"From today on, our Team Rockets trio is going to hit the big time!" James also giggled foolishly.
Meowth stood between the two, looking smug: "This is all thanks to me, meow! If I hadn't found out the Celadon Gym had secret perfume formulas, you two would still be wandering around aimlessly, meow!"
"Yes, yes, Meowth is the best!"
"We'll treat you to a feast when we get back!"
The three danced with joy, already starting to fantasize about their beautiful future life.
Just then.
Squelch.
A flower poked out from the nearby bushes.
Round eyes, green leaves, red flower, and a dazed expression.
Gloom.
It tilted its head, looking curiously at these three strange fellows.
Jessie was the first to notice it and was stunned for a moment: "Eh? Why is there a Gloom here?"
James also looked over: "The Celadon Gym is a grass-type Gym, so it's normal to have a Gloom, right?"
Meowth waved his paw: "Doesn't matter if it's normal or not, meow. Anyway, we've got the stuff, let's get going, meow!"
The three turned around, ready to slip away.
But after just two steps, the Gloom had already waddled over to block their path.
James was startled: "Uh... it seems like it won't let us leave?"
Jessie frowned: "It's just a Gloom, what's there to be afraid of? Just go around it."
The three went left, and the Gloom went left.
The three went right, and the Gloom went right.
It simply wouldn't yield the way.
Meowth got angry: "Hey! You little flower are quite stubborn, meow! Take this—Meowth Fury Swipes!"
He bared his claws and pounced toward the Gloom, flailing about.
Then, the leaves on top of the Gloom's head trembled.
A burst of yellow-green gas erupted from its mouth.
It spread instantly.
Jessie: "Gag~"
James: "Gag~"
Meowth: "Gag, meow~"
The three bent over simultaneously, vomiting uncontrollably.
That smell...
How should I put it?
It was like rotten eggs mixed with spoiled fish, then combined with moldy rags and sour leftovers, finally left to bake under the sun for three days and three nights.
It was absolutely lethal!
"It's... too smelly, meow..." Meowth's eyes rolled back as he collapsed onto the ground.
Jessie and James couldn't stand straight either, leaning against the wall and retching wildly, tears and snot flowing together.
Even worse, the bombs they had used to blow up the safe weren't all used up; a few were still in James's pocket.
Dazed by the stench, the three completely forgot about this.
James wobbled, his hand slipped, and the bombs in his pocket all tumbled out with a clatter.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The bombs exploded one after another.
Flames instantly shot up, igniting the surrounding plants.
"Holy crap!!!" the three screamed in unison.
The fire spread extremely fast.
The Core Botanical Garden was filled with dry plants and flammable materials; as soon as the tongues of fire licked them, they began to burn fiercely.
"Run!!!"
The three didn't care about the smell anymore, scrambling and crawling their way out.
Meowth ran the fastest, his four short legs moving at high speed: "Help! Help! It's on fire, meow!"
...
By the time Roy and Erika reached the entrance of the Core Botanical Garden, they saw a raging fire.
Flames blocked the entire entrance, and a wave of heat hit them, making their faces feel scorched.
Erika's expression changed drastically: "My Gloom! It's still inside!"
Just as she finished speaking, several anxious cries came from inside.
It was the Glooms.
There were also the voices of Oddish and other Pokemon.
"Gym Leader!" The Ponytail Apprentice also ran over with a few others, her face turning pale at the sight of the fire.
Erika took a deep breath and quickly ordered: "Evacuate everyone from the Gym immediately! Fast!"
"But Gym Leader, you..."
"I'm going to save them." After saying that, Erika lunged toward the flames.
The hem of her dress rose as her slender figure instantly vanished into the sea of fire.
"Gym Leader!!!" the apprentices cried out in shock.
Roy narrowed his eyes.
This woman... is quite tough.
The next second, he also rushed in.
The exclamations of the apprentices echoed behind him.
Flames roared in his ears, and the heat made his skin sting.
Inside the Core Botanical Garden, thick smoke billowed, and flames reached for the sky.
Erika covered her nose and mouth, her eyes streaming with tears from the smoke.
"Cough, cough... Gloom! Gloom, where are you?"
She struggled through the sea of fire; the hem of her dress already had several black holes burned into it by sparks, and her hair was slightly singed.
The surrounding plants crackled in the fire, and wave after wave of heat hit her, making it almost impossible to breathe.
The sound of a Gloom came from a corner.
Erika's eyes lit up, and she hurried over.
In the corner, several Glooms were huddled together, shivering, fortunately with only minor burns on their bodies.
"Don't be afraid, I'm here!"
Erika scooped up a Gloom.
"Quick, let's get out!"
She turned and ran back.
But after only a few steps, Erika's heart sank.
The path she came from was now completely blocked by fire.
The raging wall of fire was two or three meters high, and the heat was so intense that it was impossible to get close.
"This..."
Erika held the Gloom, standing in place as cold sweat broke out on her forehead.
The fire was spreading too fast.
The surrounding oxygen grew thinner, and the smoke became thicker, making her eyes sting so much she could only squint through a slit.
To make matters worse, the beams overhead had also started to burn and could collapse at any moment.
"Cough, cough, cough..."
Erika coughed violently, her tears flowing uncontrollably.
The Gloom in her arms was also trembling, letting out pitiful cries.
"I'm sorry... I came too late..." Erika bit her lip, a surge of despair rising in her heart.
Just then.
Whoosh!!!
A thick jet of water surged from the side, accurately hitting the wall of fire.
Hiss!!!!
The collision of fire and water made a loud noise, and white steam instantly filled the air.
A gap was blasted through the wall of fire!
The gap wasn't large, but it was enough for one person to rush through.
Before Erika could even rejoice, the aftermath of the water jet swept over her.
Splash! From head to toe, she was chilled to the bone.
Erika was completely drenched like a drowned rat.
Her dress clung tightly to her body, her wet hair draped over her shoulders, and water droplets dripped down her cheeks.
Even worse...
Her white dress was already thin, and once wet, it became semi-transparent.
The fabric across her chest clung to her skin, outlining her full curves, and her lace bra was clearly visible underneath.
The same was true below; the skirt clung to her legs, even showing the edges of her underwear.
Black.
Lace-trimmed.
Erika froze, instinctively looking down at herself, and her face turned bright red in an instant.
Just then, a figure rushed out from the steam.
"Gym Leader Erika! Are you okay?!"
Roy ran over, with Wartortle following beside him.
He was about to ask something, but when his gaze landed on Erika, he was instantly stunned.
The drenched dress was nearly transparent; Erika's full breasts were supported by the lace bra, creating a deep cleavage where water droplets flowed down.
Below, her black underwear was faintly visible, the fabric clinging so tightly that even the shape could be seen clearly.
What's more, because of her recent running and tension, Erika's chest was heaving violently, her fullness trembling with every breath.
Erika noticed his gaze, her face turning even redder. She instinctively moved her arms to cover her chest but then felt that might not be appropriate, since he had come to save her.
She bit her lip, her voice stuttering slightly: "I'm... I'm fine..."
Roy finally snapped out of it and quickly looked away, clearing his throat: "Ahem, that... sorry, sorry! The fire was too big, I had no choice but to let Wartortle extinguish it first. I didn't expect to drench you like this..."
Erika took a deep breath, trying hard to calm her emotions.
She knew Roy hadn't done it on purpose; in this situation, being able to rush in and save her was already rare.
"It's... it's okay..." Erika lowered her head, her voice soft: "I should be thanking you for saving me..."
Just as she finished, the Gloom in her arms let out a cry.
Erika looked down at it, then looked up at Roy, her eyes filled with entreaty: "Roy-kun... please, you must protect this child and get it out..."
As she spoke, she tried to hand the Gloom to Roy.
But just as she reached out, Erika suddenly felt her legs go weak.
She had inhaled too much smoke in the fire, and combined with the tension and shock, her body had long since reached its limit.
Her vision went black, and she was about to collapse to the ground.
Roy was quick to react, stepping forward and reaching out to catch her.
A soft, fragrant beauty fell into his arms.
The drenched Erika was completely held by him, her body fragrance—a mix of perfume and smoke—wafting into his nose.
To make matters worse, one of his hands supported her back, while the other happened to be supporting her buttocks.
Where his hand touched was soft, full, and had the sensation of wet fabric.
Roy's fingers moved subconsciously.
As a result of this movement, his fingers happened to press against a certain spot.
Erika's whole body trembled, and a soft cry escaped her lips: "Ah..."
Her voice was soft and seductive, carrying a hint of a tremor.
She froze completely, her face instantly turning red to the tips of her ears.
The atmosphere became somewhat awkward for a moment.
The surrounding flames were still burning and crackling, but at this moment, everything seemed to go quiet.
Erika bit her lip and kept her head down, not daring to look into Roy's eyes at all.
She could feel the heat from the hand on her buttocks, and her heart was beating so fast it felt like it would jump out.
Roy cleared his throat, trying hard to look serious.
He adjusted his posture and picked Erika up completely.
A princess carry.
Erika instinctively wrapped her arms around his neck.
Then, Roy's fingers accidentally moved again.
Erika trembled again, letting out another soft cry: "Mmm..."
Her voice was even softer than before.
Roy took a deep breath, looked down at the person in his arms, and said solemnly: "Gym Leader Erika, the fire is too big. For now, please endure this for a bit. We'll talk once we're out."
Erika's mind was a mess; she didn't dare think about it.
She could only bury her face in Roy's chest, acting like an ostrich.
Roy looked at Wartortle: "Wartortle, clear the way ahead! Keep firing the Water Gun!"
"Wartortle!"
Wartortle nodded, took a deep breath, and then fiercely sprayed a jet of water.
The Water Gun cleared the way, blasting a path through the flames.
Roy carried Erika and quickly rushed out.
The person in his arms was soft, fragrant, and wet.
The feel was surprisingly good.
The moment they rushed out of the Core Botanical Garden, fresh air hit them.
Roy gasped for air, looking down at Erika in his arms: "It's okay, we're out."
Erika finally looked up, glanced at him, and then quickly looked away.
Her face was as red as a ripe apple.
At this time, the apprentices outside swarmed around them.
"Gym Leader! Gym Leader, are you okay?!"
"Great, great! The Gym Leader is out!"
"You scared us to death!"
They had just breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Erika's state, and everyone froze.
The drenched dress, the semi-transparent fabric, the clearly visible underwear, and being held in Roy's arms...
No matter how you looked at it, this scene seemed off.
Several of the apprentice girls blushed, looking at each other, not knowing what to say.
Erika also realized how awkward the current situation was and struggled to get down: "Put... put me down..."
Roy finally set her down.
As soon as her feet touched the ground, Erika almost went weak again, fortunately steadying herself against the nearby wall.
She looked down at herself; her dress was nearly transparent, covering nothing.
To make matters worse, after being drenched with water and then toasted by the fire, the clothes were half-dry and half-wet, making them cling even more and appear more transparent.
She wished she could find a hole to crawl into.
Seeing this, Roy without a word took off his jacket and draped it over her.
"Wear this for now to cover up."
The jacket carried his body heat and a faint scent of sweat.
Erika was stunned for a moment, looking up at him with a complex expression.
"Thank you..."
She said softly, pulling the jacket tight.
The oversized jacket perfectly covered her body down to the middle of her thighs, hiding all the awkward spots.
Roy smiled: "Don't mention it, it's good that you're okay."
Erika looked at him, a warm current rising in her heart.
This man had just braved the sea of fire to rush in and save her.
Even though his fingers had accidentally touched a bit...
That was also an accident.
He was truly saving her.
Erika bit her lip and said in a low voice: "Roy... thank you. Truly, thank you."
Her voice was soft, carrying a hint of shyness and something else that was hard to define.
Roy waved his hand: "Don't be so polite. Go change your clothes first so you don't catch a cold."
At this time, Wartortle also ran over with an expression that clearly sought praise.
Roy patted its head: "Well done, Wartortle."
"War-war!" Wartortle wagged its tail happily.
The nearby apprentices also snapped out of it, quickly bringing towels and clean clothes.
Erika took a towel and dried her hair, then looked toward the Core Botanical Garden.
The fire was still spreading, but other Trainers had already arrived with Water-type Pokemon to help fight the fire.
"Quick, help put out the fire!" Roy also called for Wartortle to join in.
Wartortle and several other Water-type Pokemon sprayed water together, and the fire was gradually brought under control.
More than half an hour later, the fire was finally extinguished.
The Core Botanical Garden was a mess, with charred plants and broken vessels everywhere.
But the good news was that all the Pokemon had been rescued.
Erika did a headcount and breathed a sigh of relief.
"Fortunately, everyone is fine..."
She held the Gloom in her arms; although the little fellow was frightened, it only had minor burns and would recover with some care.
At this time, a Ponytail Apprentice ran over, her face looking quite poor: "Gym Leader, this is bad..."