The matters in Mauville City were settled, and the Gym Badge was in hand; it was time to leave.
He tidied his clothes and walked out of the training room.
The base was still brightly lit, with members in Team Rockets uniforms rushing past from time to time.
Ariel passed through the long metal corridor and returned to the Mauville City Food Festival street.
The clamor of voices and the aroma of food hit him, forming a sharp contrast with the grim atmosphere of the underground base.
Ariel did not linger, walking straight through the Food Festival street toward the road out of the city.
As he passed the Pokémon Center, he subconsciously glanced over, and a familiar figure caught his eye.
It was Nurse Joy.
She was standing at the entrance of the Pokémon Center, seemingly looking for something.
When her gaze met Ariel's, her eyes instantly lit up, and she waved at him somewhat nervously.
Ariel paused in his tracks.
He remembered now; it was this Nurse Joy.
The day before he participated in the Food Festival upon arriving in Mauville City, she was the one who notified him to join the battle tournament at the Pokémon Center.
It was also that battle that made him notice Fumino Alec. Ultimately, while holding the head of the Wenye Family hostage, he found a major leverage point and resolved a big problem without shedding blood.
From this perspective, he did indeed owe her a favor.
Ariel thought for a moment before stepping toward her.
"Mr. Ariel!"
Ever since Nurse Joy saw Ariel's physique at the Pokémon Center that day, she had been thinking about him day and night.
Although Nurse Joy was a scion of a great family, she was also a young girl. Having been constrained by her family's red tape since childhood, her heart yearned for a sweet romance.
The man before her was about the same age as her, handsome, had a good build, was powerful, and was a direct-line Trainer—it was hard not to be moved!!
Seeing him approach, Nurse Joy hurriedly jogged to meet him, her fair cheeks flushing with a charming blush from the exertion and her inner nervousness.
On the early morning street, many early-rising male Trainers witnessed this scene.
Nurse Joy of the Pokémon Center was the unattainable 'white moonlight' in the hearts of many young Trainers.
At this moment, seeing her run toward another man with the look of a girl in love, the expressions of these Trainers instantly soured. Jealousy, envy, and resentment intertwined, almost becoming tangible.
"Who is this guy? Nurse Joy actually sought him out of her own accord?"
"Don't know him, he looks a bit unfamiliar, but... he is quite handsome."
Ariel's appearance was standard black hair and black eyes.
Unlike the colorful hair of others, in this Pokémon world, these pure hair and eye colors always inadvertently exuded a different kind of exotic charm.
"What's the use of being handsome! Strength is the only thing that matters! From his appearance, he's probably a Trainer too, I wonder how strong he is."
The surrounding discussions weren't loud, but they were clear enough.
Nurse Joy ran up to Ariel and stopped, panting slightly, a faint fragrance wafting from her.
She seemed afraid to look Ariel in the eye, her gaze shifting slightly downward, her voice as faint as a mosquito's hum.
"Th-That, Mr. Ariel... I heard you obtained the Electric Badge, congratulations!"
Hearing this, Ariel's eyes flickered.
While challenging a Gym and obtaining a badge wasn't a secret, the news shouldn't have spread this quickly.
It seemed the Joy Family, spread across the world, had an intelligence network that truly couldn't be underestimated.
He didn't respond immediately, just quietly watching Nurse Joy to see what she really wanted.
His silence made Nurse Joy even more nervous. Her fair fingers twisted together unconsciously, as if she were trying to encourage herself.
"Th-That, Mr. Ariel..." She took a deep breath as if she had made a decision and asked cautiously, "You and I, we're friends, right?"
Her voice carried a trace of imperceptible trembling, like a kitten tentatively extending its paw, both hopeful and afraid of being rejected.
Ariel's mind thought quickly.
They had met by chance; it wasn't a deep friendship.
But she had indeed unintentionally helped him a great deal.
From a utilitarian perspective, this was indeed a friendship.
"Yes."
Ariel uttered a single, concise word.
Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Nurse Joy's eyes instantly burst with the light of surprise, like a child who had been given candy.
The blush on her face deepened, her two index fingers constantly circling each other in front of her.
A battle was raging in her mind.
On one hand, she was trying to maintain her maidenly reserve, constantly cautioning herself.
On the other hand, she kept telling herself that after obtaining a Gym Badge, Trainers usually left for the next city; she had to seize this last chance!
"Then... then can our relationship be more than just friends?"
She mustered all the courage of her life to say these words.
After speaking, she immediately added, her voice getting smaller and smaller: "I mean, our relationship can... can change a bit..."
She looked up, her watery eyes full of expectation, cautiously observing Ariel's reaction.
The surrounding Trainers nearly dropped their jaws upon hearing this.
What was the situation?
This was a confession!
Nurse Joy was actually taking the initiative to confess to a man!
Countless gazes instantly focused on Ariel, the emotions of envy and hatred reaching a peak.
How they wished they could answer for Ariel—no, how they wished they were the man standing there!
However, the expressions of surprise, shyness, or emotion they expected from Ariel did not appear at all.
Meeting Nurse Joy's expectant gaze were Ariel's cold, deep, and even somewhat scrutinizing eyes.
The air seemed to freeze at this moment.
Ariel's brow furrowed slightly as he carefully weighed Nurse Joy's words.
Not just friends?
Relationship change a bit?
In his creed of life, relationships between people were clearly divided into several categories: allies, enemies, useful pawns, and insignificant passersby.
The word 'friend' itself occupied a blurry gray area.
And now, the other party actually wanted to change this relationship?
Ariel's mode of thinking instantly entered a combat state.
What would a changed friend be?
A step further as an ally? Or... was their stance about to become opposing?
He thought of his identity, thought of Team Rockets, and thought of Ariana.
The Joy Family was superficially neutral, but they held a pivotal position within the League.
Could it be that his identity had been exposed? Was this Nurse Joy here to test him, or even warn him?
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