Xia, who is afraid of insects, in an ambiguous pose.

After leaving Tokiwa City, Jiangchuan headed towards the next nearest city, Nibi City, following the map.

The gym there happened to be a low-level Rock-type gym, and Jiang Chuan planned to get his first badge, which was this gray badge.

Stepping out of the city, the air in the suburbs was much fresher.

Xiaoxia had long forgotten the embarrassment she had just experienced at the Pokémon Center. She skipped and hopped ahead of the group, humming an off-key tune.

"La la la~ Ice cream~ Burger~ Next city~"

Hanako walked gently beside Jiangchuan, exchanging glances with him from time to time, everything understood without words.

The three walked along the road for a while, and then a vast and dense forest came into view.

Viridian forest.

One of the largest forests in the Kanto region, and also the only way to Nibi City.

"Wow, what a huge forest!" Xiaoxia peeked out and saw that the light in the forest was a little dim, but she could hear all sorts of insect chirping and rustling sounds.

Her expression changed slightly, but she quickly straightened her back and muttered to herself.

"No, there's nothing to be afraid of! I'm a future water-type master!"

Jiang Chuan smiled but didn't expose her.

He opened the system map to confirm the direction.

"We'll reach Pewter City once we cross this forest. Stay close, there are lots of wild Pokémon in the forest."

"Okay!" Xiaoxia replied, but quietly moved her feet toward Jiangchuan.

Hanako covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

Just as the three were about to enter the forest, the system notification sounded in Jiang Chuan's mind right on time.

[Ding! Gym Challenge Quest - Pewter City Gym: Defeat Brock, the Pewter City Gym Leader, to obtain the Gray Badge.]

[Mission Reward: Metal Coat - When held by a Pokémon, increases the power of Steel-type moves by 20%. A specific Pokémon evolution item.]

[Optional Quest: When battling Gym Leader Brock, use a Pokémon whose type is weak to Rock (the type disadvantage) to win.]

[Mission Reward: Metal Coat quality upgraded to "Superior". Superior Metal Coat - Steel-attribute move power boost increased to 40%!]

Jiang Chuan paused slightly.

The reward is pretty good. The Metal Coat is not only a powerful piece of equipment, but also a key item for Onix's evolution and Scyther's evolution. I'll need it sooner or later.

Choosing the mission... if you win against your own attributes, the rewards will be doubled.

A 40% increase in power is quite a significant boost.

But what about reverse attributes...?

Jiang Chuan began to make plans in his mind.

Reality isn't an animation; it's not something that can be accomplished by simply saying "don't underestimate the bond between us."

Defeating a Gym Leader with a type advantage requires a significant level, tactical, or ability advantage.

Alternatively, they might utilize the terrain or use cheats to add extra boosts.

However, Jiang Chuan does have a solution.

Pikachu's "Best Actor" ability.

Once triggered, it ignores attribute advantages and forces a 50/50 matchup.

If this is utilized effectively, winning against the odds is not impossible.

However, it's still quite a distance to Nibi City. We need to take it one step at a time. First, we'll cross this forest, level up, and expand our team.

He composed himself and led the two women into the Viridian Forest.

The interior of the forest appears even more secluded than the outside.

The trees are tall, their branches and leaves blocking out the sun, casting dappled sunlight.

The air was filled with the scent of earth and vegetation, mixed with the faint sweetness of fruit.

"There seem to be a lot of bugs here?" Xiaoxia's voice was noticeably softer, her eyes darting around warily, her body almost pressed against Jiang Chuan's arm.

"Viridian Forest is a paradise for Bug and Flying-type Pokémon, so of course there are a lot of Bugs there," Jiang Chuan said calmly, while his sharp gaze swept around the surroundings.

He is searching.

According to my memory, there should be a caterpillar with considerable potential in this forest.

That caterpillar displayed remarkable combat intelligence in the early stages, and after evolving, it became capable of standing alone.

Bug-type Pokémon grow quickly and evolve early, making them an excellent choice for rapidly building up combat power.

If you can capture it, it will be of great benefit to challenging the first gym and even to strengthen your early-game team.

"Insect... Insect type..." Xiaoxia's face turned a little pale, and she subconsciously grabbed Jiang Chuan's clothes.

Seeing this, Hanako naturally moved to Misty's other side and said gently, "Don't worry too much, Misty. Most Bug-type Pokémon are quite gentle, as long as they don't provoke you..."

She hadn't finished speaking.

The bushes next to us suddenly shook.

Immediately afterwards, a plump, bright green caterpillar crawled out.

Green caterpillar!

It raised its head and looked curiously at the three uninvited guests with its big, dark eyes.

"ah--!!!"

The next second, a piercing scream, comparable to a soprano, suddenly rang out, almost piercing through the forest!

"Insects! Insects! Insects—!!!"

Xiaoxia's courage and pretense crumbled instantly.

Like a startled rabbit, she suddenly jumped backward and then, without a second thought, leaped into the air!

Jiang Chuan suddenly felt a heavy weight on his back.

A soft, trembling body was now firmly attached to his back.

Xiaoxia jumped onto Jiang Chuan's back, wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, and her slender, white legs were wrapped around his waist like an octopus.

Xiaoxia buried her face in the back of Jiang Chuan's neck and shoulder, her voice trembling with sobs, her body shaking like a leaf in the wind.

Jiang Chuan was taken aback by her sudden "attack." His neck was wrapped around her tightly, but what was clearer was the amazing elasticity and softness coming from behind him.

Xiaoxia usually wears shorts and a tank top, looking lively and healthy. Now, pressed tightly together, Jiang Chuan truly felt her beautiful figure full of youthful vitality.

Especially her pert buttocks, which were now pressed tightly against his palms and waist, the sensation clearly tangible even through the thin fabric.

Her legs wrapped tightly around his waist, the soft, elastic skin of her thighs pressed firmly against his side.

"Cough cough... Xiaoxia, give me some air, you're choking me." Jiang Chuan patted her arm that was tightly wrapped around his neck.

"No! No! There are bugs!!" Xiaoxia hugged even tighter, locking her legs even more tightly.

Jiang Chuan had no choice but to support her knees and steady her body to prevent them from falling together.

He looked down at the beautiful, white legs that were tightly locked around his waist, slightly taut from the effort. This posture... was indeed standard and intimate.

Moreover, the seemingly energetic and strong woman is actually quite light and flexible when carried on someone's back, and it is not heavy at all.

Maybe he really could manage to lift the whole house up...

cough cough...

Jiang Chuan suppressed his strange thoughts and tried to comfort him.

"Okay, okay, don't be afraid, it's just a caterpillar, it didn't attack us."

Hanako was also startled by Kasumi's sudden and intense reaction.

She hadn't expected Xiaoxia to be so afraid of insects.

However, seeing Xiaoxia clinging tightly to Jiang Chuan's back, their bodies pressed close together, a knowing smile flashed in Hanako's eyes.

That's great, we don't even need to assist anymore.

"Eevee, go and gently ask it to leave, don't scare it," Hanako instructed her Eevee.

Bui~

Eevee nimbly leaped over and swatted the Caterpie away with a flick of its tail.

"Alright, Xiaoxia, the bug is gone." Jiang Chuan shrugged his shoulders, and the soft back swayed gently.

His hand naturally supported Xiaoxia's buttocks, his palm feeling the elastic curves, and he even unconsciously squeezed them gently to help her adjust her posture, with a hint of teasing.

"Really...really gone?" Xiaoxia's voice was muffled, with a strong nasal tone, but she finally dared to raise her head slightly, opening her eyes a crack and cautiously glancing back.

Only after confirming that the terrifying green creature had truly disappeared did she let out a long, trembling sigh of relief.

But she was still lying on Jiang Chuan's back like she had no bones, her limbs were weak, and she showed no intention of getting down.

"Um... Jiang Chuan..." Xiaoxia's voice trailed off, filled with an unprecedented weakness and embarrassment: "Will we encounter more insects later?"

Jiang Chuan could almost picture her flushed face at that moment.

He deliberately hesitated for a moment before saying, "Definitely. This is Viridian Forest, a paradise for Bug-type Pokémon. Caterpie, Weedle, Metapod, Kakuna... and maybe even Fluffon, Paras, and the like."

With each name he uttered, he felt the delicate body on his back stiffen and tremble slightly.

"Moreover," Jiang Chuan added, with a hint of mischievousness, "we'll be crossing the forest in a few days. We've only just entered."

"Waaah..."

Xiaoxia let out a cry of near despair.

Her face turned pale then red, then red then pale again. Finally, as if she had made a great decision, she buried her burning cheeks back into Jiang Chuan's neck and said in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz, but loud enough for Jiang Chuan and Hanako beside her to hear clearly:

"My...my legs are weak...I can't walk...I can't walk anymore..."

"Jiang Chuan... will you... will you carry me on your back?"

Seemingly realizing the request was excessive, she quickly added, albeit haltingly, with a hint of ingratiation:

"Wait...wait until we get out of the forest, I'll treat you to something delicious! A feast! Double ice cream! No, three!"

Jiang Chuan was secretly laughing his head off.

Xiaoxia, who is usually carefree and calls herself a tomboy, can also be so soft and cute, and even asks for a hug (or a piggyback ride).

He could clearly feel her warm breath tickling his ear and neck as she spoke.

The tight embrace from behind, the warmth, softness, and trembling of the girl's body, and the faint scent of her body mixed with sweat and a hint of fragrance constantly assaulted his senses.

It feels pretty good?

Moreover, carrying her on your back is an excellent opportunity to gain her favor.

After all, Xiaoxia still has a mission involving superpowers.

From both a public and private perspective, this is a win-win situation.

"Sigh, I really can't do anything with you." Jiang Chuan deliberately sighed, but steadily supported her in his hands, lifting her up slightly to make their position more comfortable.

"It's settled then, once we're out of the forest, we'll get three ice creams, and I can choose any flavor."

"Mmm! You can choose whatever you want! Plenty!" Xiaoxia readily agreed. As long as she didn't have to walk on the ground and face the possibility of insects, she would agree to any condition.

"Hanako, let's slow down a bit," Jiangchuan said to Hanako beside him.

Hanako nodded with a gentle yet playful smile, "Okay. Misty, just stay put, Eevee and I will keep an eye on things."

She emphasized the word "stay put," which made Xiaoxia's ears turn even redder, but she was powerless to refute it and could only bury her head even deeper like an ostrich.

"Let's go."

Jiang Chuan didn't linger any longer. Carrying Xiao Xia on his back, he strode deeper into the Tokiwa Forest.