Lavaridge Town Pokémon Center
Aoki wasted no time heading to the front counter.
"Nurse Joy, my Happiny is about to evolve soon. Do you have a Round Stone available?" Aoki asked directly.
Round Stones were exclusive evolutionary items for Happiny, allowing it to evolve into Chansey. The Joy family, being the primary caretakers of Pokémon Centers worldwide, undoubtedly had access to them.
Nurse Joy's eyes lit up upon seeing Aoki's Happiny.
"This Happiny… It's incredibly well-trained," she said, bending down to examine it. "No, it's better than the ones my cousins and I have raised!"
Happiny beamed, happily playing with the Chansey nearby.
Aoki, seeing her excitement, pressed the question again.
"So, Nurse Joy, is there any way I can obtain a Round Stone?"
Nurse Joy pondered for a moment before offering a playful smile.
"Well… It's not impossible. I do have some, but in exchange, you need to do me a favor."
Aoki nodded, understanding her meaning in an instant. His expression turned serious—then dramatically playful.
"I understand," he said, straightening his posture. "I'm willing to sacrifice myself… to seduce Nurse Joy."
Kamizrei: "…"
Nurse Joy: "…"
Everyone in the Pokémon Center: "…"
A moment of dead silence followed before murmurs and stifled laughter filled the air. Some nearby trainers gave Aoki thumbs-up, envious of his courage—or audacity—to tease Nurse Joy so openly.
Nurse Joy, however, wasn't flustered. Instead, she grinned.
"Well, you're certainly charming," she teased back. "If you're willing to join the Joy family, I wouldn't mind keeping you around."
Aoki froze momentarily. He had completely forgotten about that condition—the Joy family was infamous for having only female descendants, each resembling one another. If he married into the Joy family, his future children would undoubtedly be Joys as well.
He quickly changed the subject.
"So, Nurse Joy, what exactly do you need me to do?"
Nurse Joy chuckled, seeing through his evasion. "It's simple. Your Happiny is incredibly well-raised. I want to know your training methods. What kind of diet do you use? Could you help me raise my Chansey?"
So that was it. Aoki relaxed. It wasn't an unreasonable request.
"No problem. The key is specialized Pokémon food. I can sell you some at a reasonable price," Aoki offered.
Truthfully, he had already planned to introduce his energy cube formula to the Joy family. The Pokémon Center network was vast, and if they approved his food, it would spread worldwide.
He couldn't let Devon Corporation monopolize the industry.
"That would be amazing!" Nurse Joy's eyes sparkled. "If it works, I'd be happy to keep buying from you."
As she spoke, Nurse Joy's smile became even sweeter, exuding a warmth that could melt hearts. Aoki felt a twinge of temptation but quickly restrained himself.
She was indeed beautiful, but joining the Joy family wasn't an option.
"Well, I have a batch of enhanced energy cubes here. Let's see if your Chansey likes them."
Aoki took out a few energy cubes, placing them in front of Nurse Joy's Chansey. The Pokémon sniffed the food, then eagerly devoured it, cooing in delight.
Nurse Joy observed her Pokémon's reaction with satisfaction.
"These are amazing… The nutritional balance is perfect!" she praised.
"If you want to know the full composition, I'm collaborating with Professor Oak, Professor Birch, and Officer Jenny's research team," Aoki added, testing the waters.
Despite trusting Professor Oak, Aoki was cautious. This business venture was too large for him alone, so he needed to involve powerful allies.
He wasn't just selling standard energy cubes. His long-term goal was to introduce mid-level and advanced variants, which would require a carefully managed launch.
Hearing this, Nurse Joy's expression turned even more interested.
"I see. With such backing, this could be groundbreaking."
For a brief moment, she seemed to daydream, cupping her cheeks as a faint blush appeared on her face.
Kamizrei, standing nearby, felt her mood darken.
This was dangerous.
Aoki, however, was more confused than anything. Wait… did Nurse Joy just blush?
It wasn't unacceptable, but—No, no, focus! I can't get carried away here!
If he kept this up, he might somehow end up linked to the entire Joy family!
Before his thoughts spiraled further, he spoke up.
"Alright, Nurse Joy, let's talk more about this later. For now, I'm heading upstairs to rest."
He grabbed his backpack and walked off, Kamizrei immediately trailing behind.
The two of them had already reached a certain level of understanding in their relationship, so they shared a room.
Inside, the accommodations were cozy, with a large bed in the center.
Aoki stretched, preparing to unwind, when suddenly, Kamizrei stepped up behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders with a sly smile.
"Aoki," she purred, "you sure were interested in Nurse Joy just now. Could it be… you want to be with her?"
Aoki blinked, quickly realizing—she was jealous.
A smirk crossed his lips.
"Well, since you brought it up, maybe I should just go ahead and marry you instead. That way, we can live happily ever after."
Kamizrei's face instantly turned bright red.
"Y-You—!" she stammered before dashing into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.
From the other side, she stared at herself in the mirror, lightly tapping her cheeks.
Did Aoki really mean that?
Slowly, a wide, giddy smile spread across her face.
If he did… then maybe…
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