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Just as Roy and Misty opened the door, they saw Delia walking over from the other end of the hallway.
Delia was wearing a clean dress, her hair tied in a low ponytail, looking refreshed and gentle. She held a tray in her hands with three steaming cups on it, which looked like free tea provided by the inn.
When she saw Roy and Misty coming out of the same room, she was stunned for a moment.
Then, the corners of her mouth slowly curled up, revealing a meaningful smile.
"Oh my."
Delia looked at the two of them with a beaming smile.
"Misty, oh Misty."
She walked over, transferred the tray to her other hand, and freed up a hand to gently poke Misty's forehead.
"You always say Roy is bad and that he bullies you, but look at you—the moment we reach a city, you stick to him and want to sleep in the same room."
Misty's face instantly flushed all the way to her ears.
Tugging at the hem of her shirt, she lowered her head, her voice both rushed and embarrassed.
"Oh, it's not what you think! It's just that it was too noisy to sleep last night, and that bad egg Roy said he had a way to help me sleep, so I... cough, cough..."
By the end, her voice grew quieter and quieter, until it was almost inaudible.
Delia nodded with an "I know, I know" sort of smile.
"Mm-hmm, a sleep aid method. I understand."
She deliberately emphasized the words "sleep aid method."
Misty was so embarrassed she wanted to find a hole in the ground to crawl into.
As Delia laughed, she suddenly frowned slightly.
She leaned close to Misty, carefully examining her neck and listening to the sound of her voice.
"Misty, what's wrong with your throat?"
Delia's tone carried concern.
"It sounds a bit hoarse."
Misty's face was already red enough, but hearing this, it flushed so deeply it looked ready to drip blood.
She opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but didn't know how to put it.
In the end, she could only glare at Roy with a petulant pout.
Her gaze held annoyance, embarrassment, and a hint of something inexplicable.
"Oh... that..."
Misty cleared her throat. Her voice was indeed a bit hoarse, carrying a raspy quality.
She gave a dry cough and then said, "This Neon Town is just too dry, being so close to the desert, and then last night that bad egg Roy... that's why my throat is a bit hoarse!"
As she uttered the last word, Misty suddenly spun around, swung her arm, and gave Roy a gentle elbow nudge.
"You big jerk!"
Her movement looked forceful, but when it landed on Roy, it was light as a feather, like a tickle.
Roy didn't dodge, chuckling as he took the blow.
He reached out and patted Misty's messy head, rubbing his palm over her crown.
"Alright, alright."
Roy's voice carried a hint of amusement.
"I'll take responsibility, I'll take responsibility."
Misty looked up, glaring at him huffily.
"How are you going to take responsibility?"
Roy's fingers slid from her hair to her ear, gently pinching her earlobe.
"Come on, let's grab a quick breakfast, and then I'll take you to fix your throat. I guarantee you'll be perfectly fine!"
Misty looked at him skeptically.
"Really?"
"When have you ever seen me lie to you?"
Misty thought about it; indeed, he never really had.
Although Roy was mischievous, he never went back on his promises.
"Fine, then this lady will trust you one more time."
Delia watched their interaction from the side, the smile never leaving her face.
The three of them went downstairs together and had a simple breakfast in the inn's small dining area.
Though called breakfast, it was actually closer to lunch.
The inn provided very simple items: a few slices of toast, a bit of jam, and three cups of hot tea.
Misty kept clearing her throat while eating, having to take several sips of water just to swallow the bread.
Delia looked at her state, then glanced at Roy.
Roy was eating his bread with his head down, his expression perfectly calm, as if nothing had happened.
Delia shook her head, sighing inwardly.
This Misty, always calling Roy bad, yet she ends up running to his room every single time. She claimed she couldn't sleep because of the noise last night, but who knows if that was just an excuse she made up.
However, she didn't expose them, quietly eating her own portion of breakfast.
After breakfast, the three of them left the inn.
During the day, Neon Town looked completely different from the night.
Those colorful neon lights were all turned off, making the streets look ordinary, even a bit run-down. The nightclub signs looked cheap and tacky under the sunlight, and the roadside trash hadn't been swept up yet, blowing all over the place in the wind.
There weren't many people on the streets, with only an occasional yawning resident walking past, looking completely listless.
"Do these people just not sleep at night?"
Misty couldn't help but complain as she looked at the exhausted passersby.
Roy didn't say anything, leading the two towards the eastern side of Neon Town.
Neon Town wasn't large; after walking for about ten minutes, they reached the edge of town.
There was a forest there.
Though called a forest, it was actually more like a large oasis. The trees weren't particularly tall, but they were dense and lush, a vibrant green that stood in stark contrast to the dusty town behind them.
Stepping into the forest, the air instantly became humid and fresh.
Misty took a deep breath, feeling the dryness in her throat improve slightly.
"That feels much better."
She turned to look at Roy.
"Your way of fixing my throat couldn't possibly be just coming to the forest to breathe fresh air, right?"
Roy smiled and didn't answer.
He wandered around the forest, his gaze scanning back and forth among the various trees.
Delia and Misty followed behind him, having no idea what he was looking for.
After walking for about ten minutes, Roy suddenly stopped in front of a tree.
It was a relatively short tree with a thick trunk, a wide canopy, and dense foliage. Hanging from the branches were bright yellow berries, shaped somewhat like pears but a size smaller, with smooth skin that shimmered faintly in the sunlight.
Roy reached out, picked two berries, wiped them on his clothes, and handed them to Misty.
"Here, eat this, and your throat will feel much better."
Misty took the berries and looked at Roy in confusion.
"What kind of berry is this? Is it edible?"
Delia also leaned in to look, her face showing an equally puzzled expression.
"Roy, you actually know medical stuff?"
Delia blinked, her tone carrying a hint of surprise.
Roy waved his hand and explained with a smile, "How could I know medicine? It's just that when I was training Paras with Kiyomi earlier, I occasionally heard her talk about berries."
He pointed at the berry in Misty's hand.
"In the forest area near Neon Town, this specific kind of berry is a local specialty."
"Kiyomi said this berry contains special compounds that are good for the throat, soothing it and relieving coughing, as well as easing hoarseness. The locals in Neon Town often steep this berry in water to drink."
Hearing this, Misty skeptically looked at the berry in her hand again.
"Really?"
Delia also picked a berry, placing it in her palm to examine it closely.
"She thought for a moment, and her eyes lit up.
"Oh, I know about this too."
Delia nodded, an approving expression appearing on her face.
"This kind of berry is quite common in feed formulas; I've studied knowledge in this area."
She turned the berry over and over in her hand, continuing.
"Usually, this berry has high water content, and the flesh contains natural pectin and various vitamins, especially components that repair the throat mucosa."
"In some towns of the Kanto region, locals dry these berries and grind them into powder to add to Pokemon feed.
"Some Pokemon whose throats are easily damaged, like Jigglypuff or Meloetta, will have their voices become much clearer after eating feed formulated with this berry."
Once Delia started talking about this professional knowledge regarding feed, she couldn't stop.
"Moreover, the water content of this berry is very high, about eighty percent or more, making it taste very refreshing and not too sweet."
She pointed to the bottom of the berry again.
"The bottom of a ripe berry turns slightly yellow; that's the best time to pick and eat it. If the bottom is still green, it means it's not fully ripe and will taste a bit astringent."
Misty listened, completely dazed.
"Sister Delia, you know so much."
Delia smiled and returned the berry to Misty.
"I want to make more delicious food with Dragonair, so I've learned more about berries."
She looked at Roy, a hint of approval in her eyes.
"Still, Miss Kiyomi knows the most. She truly comes from a professional family of pharmacologists."
Hearing Delia's mountain of professional knowledge, Misty finally put her mind at ease.
She picked up a berry, brought it to her mouth, and hesitated for a moment.
"I'm going to eat it then."
Roy made a gesturing motion.
Misty took a deep breath and took a bite.
The flesh was very soft and extremely juicy; with just one bite, the sweet juice instantly filled her entire mouth.
It didn't taste like a pear, nor did it taste like an apple, carrying a unique, clean fragrance.
As she swallowed the flesh, she could feel a cool sensation sliding down her throat.
That feeling...
...was as if her throat was being gently enveloped by something.
Misty's eyes lit up.
"Oh, it's delicious!"
She finished the first berry in just a few bites.
Then, she eagerly picked up the second one and took a big bite.
After the second berry went down, Misty took a deep breath.
Then she tried saying a few words.
"Ah— Ah— Ah—"
She tested a few pitches.
Then, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on her face.
"Ah, it really feels much better."
Misty's voice was visibly clearer than before; that raspy, hoarse quality had vanished, replaced by her original crisp tone.
She touched her throat, both surprised and delighted.
"This berry is way too magical!"
Misty turned to look at Roy, her eyes filled with surprise, admiration, and a tiny bit of embarrassment.
"Hmph, you big jerk."
She reached out and poked Roy's arm.
"Even though you're a bit bad, well, you actually know quite a lot."
She snorted, crossing her arms over her chest with an expression that said 'this lady is magnanimously forgiving you.'
"For bullying me last night, I'll forgive you!"
Roy raised an eyebrow.
"Then do I need to thank you?"
"Of course!"
Misty raised her chin, looking smug.
Delia watched the two bicker from the side, shaking her head with a smile.
She clapped her hands and said, "Alright, alright, now that your throat is fixed, shouldn't we head back to town? We still have a journey ahead of us today."
Misty nodded and was about to turn back.
But Roy reached out and stopped them both.
"Wait a moment."
Delia and Misty looked at him at the same time.
"What is it?"
Roy's gaze drifted deeper into the forest.
"Let's head a bit deeper inside."
Delia asked in confusion, "Are you still looking for something?"
The corner of Roy's mouth curled up, revealing a mysterious smile.
"I'm looking for a cute little devil."
A cute little devil?
Delia and Misty exchanged a glance, both completely bewildered.
The words 'cute' and 'little devil' didn't sound like they could ever be used to describe the same thing.
"What do you mean by 'a cute little devil'?"
Misty frowned, thinking for a long time but unable to figure out what it could be.
"Is it a Pokemon? Or something else?"
Roy smiled mysteriously without answering.
"Just come with me and you'll see."
With that, he took the lead and walked toward the depths of the forest.
Though full of doubts, Delia and Misty followed him anyway.
As Roy walked, he spread out his Aura.
His Aura spread out in all directions like an invisible net, with him at the center.
Everything in the vicinity was clearly sensed by his Aura.
Bug-type Pokemon on the trees were munching on leaves.
Oddish in the grass were sunbathing.
In the distance, a Raticate was foraging with several Rattata.
There was also an Ekans coiled on a branch, flicking its tongue as it watched the three passersby.
But Roy wasn't looking for these.
He concentrated his mind, extending his Aura even further.
The Aura passed through layers of trees, scanning through patch after patch of bushes.
Suddenly, a pink, round figure appeared within his range of perception.
Just under two hundred meters ahead, beneath a large tree.
Found it.
The corner of Roy's mouth curled up.
"This way."
He quickened his pace, leading the two women through a patch of bushes.
Misty complained as she pushed aside the branches blocking her path.
"Roy, what on earth are you looking for? I feel like there are going to be so many bugs in this forest..."
Delia also peered ahead curiously, trying to catch a glimpse of something through the gaps in the trees.
After walking for about two or three minutes, Roy stopped in front of a large tree.
He pointed at the small, pink figure beneath the tree.
"Found it."
Misty looked in the direction Roy was pointing.
When she saw that pink, round, chubby little guy, her eyes instantly lit up.
It was the kind of light that bursts from one's eyes when seeing something mind-blowingly cute.
"Oh my goodness!"
Misty let out a squeal of pleasant surprise.
"Is that Jigglypuff?"
She ran over excitedly, not even caring if branches scraped her clothes.
Hearing the noise, Jigglypuff looked up, its watery big eyes watching Misty run over.
Misty squatted in front of Jigglypuff, her eyes practically sparkling with stars.
"It's way too cute!"
She turned to look at Roy.
"Is this the cute pink little devil you were looking for? How could you call it a devil?"
Misty's tone carried obvious blame.
"I heard Jigglypuff is a Pokemon with a sweet singing voice. How could you call it a little devil?"
"Come on, Jigglypuff, how about singing a song for big sister?"
Jigglypuff blinked its watery big eyes at Misty, getting a bit excited upon hearing that someone wanted to listen to its song.
Then it opened its mouth.
Yi yi ya ya...
The sound came out of Jigglypuff's mouth.
How should one put it?
If Misty's hoarse voice earlier was a level-100 ear-sore, then Jigglypuff's voice was at least a level-90.
It was thick and raspy, like sandpaper scraping against an iron plate.
And it was completely out of tune.
Out of tune to an absurd degree.
Every single note landed precisely in a place no normal person could ever imagine.
Squatting in front of Jigglypuff, the smile on Misty's face slowly froze, petrifying her.
The corner of her mouth twitched.
"Sigh..."
"Why is this voice so thick and awful?"
"Isn't Jigglypuff supposed to be a Pokemon with a beautiful singing voice?"
"Was I lied to by rumors again?"