Pokémon: Starting with Ash's Mom

Their lips finally parted in a lingering kiss, drawing the perfect conclusion to their union. After adjusting their positions, their breathing gradually returned to normal.

Nestled in Kazuki's arms, Cassandra's cheeks still glowed pink. She traced slow circles on his chest with her fingers.

"Kazuki, I'm really filled with you now," she murmured softly, her voice laced with drowsy contentment.

Kazuki chuckled, leaned down, and kissed her forehead. "The bedsheets are a mess."

At his words, Cassandra blushed again and playfully tapped his chest. "Geez! Don't worry, I'll just change them later! Right now, I just want to hold you like this."

Though her strength was nearly spent, Cassandra still clung to him, basking in the sweet afterglow.

As Kazuki stroked her gently, a familiar chime echoed in his ears.

[Ding! Perfect Romance Mission progression: Successfully won over Cassandra! Mission Progress: 6/10. Current Partners: Delia, Melanie, Officer Jenny from Maiden's Peak, Sabrina, Lara, Cassandra!]

Kazuki glanced at the system panel with satisfaction—already more than halfway there.

Now this… this was how the Pokémon world should be experienced!

Soon, he'd unlock the private estate he could access at will!

Wait a sec—he still needed to secure that aura from Suzie! Otherwise, while he was out sweeping through the Pokémon League, things might stir up back home. And that would be a real headache.

"Kazuki, what are you smiling about?" Cassandra asked, curious at the sudden grin on his face.

"Nothing much," he replied with a laugh. "Just thinking about how to keep you girls happy in the future."

"Girls…" Cassandra's expression shifted. Suddenly, she remembered Misty and Suzie. "Oh, right! We should go check on Misty and Suzie—they should be waking up soon."

Kazuki nodded and dressed quickly. The two of them stepped out of the room and headed to the other recovery room.

Sure enough, Misty and Suzie were already awake, stretching lazily on the sofa.

"Ahh… that was the best sleep I've had in ages," Misty said, rubbing her eyes, a satisfied smile on her face.

"Yeah, I feel like all my tension just melted away," Suzie agreed.

"That was a calming tonic," Cassandra explained. "You girls are always so high-strung—you never get proper rest. So this detox also helped soothe your spirits."

"Mhm! It really worked. Thank you, Grandma!" Misty beamed, then turned toward Kazuki with concern. "Kazuki, did you sleep well too?"

Before Kazuki could answer, Cassandra instinctively spoke up, "We… we also slept very well!"

Misty's brows furrowed slightly, and she looked at Cassandra in confusion. "You and Kazuki? You slept… together?"

A trace of panic flickered across Cassandra's face, but she quickly calmed herself. Might as well get it out now.

Taking a breath, she said steadily, "Misty, Suzie, there's something I have to tell you...

"I… I'm Kazuki's woman now."

The room fell silent. Misty and Suzie were stunned.

A few seconds later, Misty shot up from the couch and marched over to Kazuki, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him aside. She lowered her voice.

"Kazuki, are you insane? Her grandma's still at home, and you actually had the guts to sleep with her granddaughter?"

"You better take Cassandra and run. Suzie and I will cover for you!"

Kazuki burst out laughing and gently patted her on the head. "Relax, Grandma already gave her blessing."

He raised his voice deliberately and called toward the other room, "Right, Grandma?"

Cassandra's grandmother's voice echoed back, feigning indifference. "You young people, what business of mine is it? Just give me a great-grandchild soon!"

"Grandma!" Cassandra cried out in embarrassment, stamping her foot. "There are still people around!"

Misty and Suzie were momentarily stunned—then their expressions lit up with joy.

"Oh, so that's how it is!" Misty exhaled in relief, then walked over to Cassandra and took her hand with a smile.

"Welcome to the family! From now on, we can all travel together!"

Suzie nodded warmly. "That's right, Cassandra. We're sisters now."

Cassandra returned their smiles gratefully but hesitated. "But… I can't join you just yet."

"Why not?" Misty and Suzie asked in unison.

Cassandra explained, "I need to wait until my miracle potion is complete. I've missed out on years of Pokémon training—I'd only drag you down."

Just then, her grandmother walked out of the room, leaning on her cane, her face back to its usual stern expression.

"Then what are you waiting for? Get to brewing! Otherwise, if you start missing your man in the future, don't come crying to me!"

"Grandma!" Cassandra blushed furiously. "You're doing it again!"

Misty and Suzie exchanged glances, suddenly thinking of something. In unison, they asked, "Cassandra, isn't one of your miracle potion ingredients something produced only after Paras evolves?"

Cassandra nodded. "Yes. Once Paras evolves into Parasect, it produces a special powder. Combined with the herb from the cold spring, I can complete the potion."

Misty and Suzie immediately grabbed her hands, their excitement contagious.

"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go train Paras!"

"The sooner it evolves, the sooner the potion's done, the sooner we hit the road, and the sooner we can all travel together… hehehe…"

Though the youngest of the trio, Misty had all the air of a leading lady as she rallied the group.

Moved by their enthusiasm, Cassandra smiled and nodded. "Alright, let's go!"

The three girls dashed off happily, leaving Kazuki and Cassandra's grandmother behind.

Watching their retreating backs, the old woman smiled in contentment. She turned to Kazuki and said with a hint of admiration, "Kazuki, you're something else. You actually got three girls to get along so well."

Kazuki chuckled and waved his hand. "Standard procedure. All in a day's work."

She shook her head and sighed. "Cassandra's always been a lonely girl. Now that she has your big family, she won't be alone anymore. That puts me at ease."

Kazuki looked at her seriously. "Old witch, don't get all sentimental on me now."

"I'm not some punk who'll run off with your granddaughter and never come back."

"When I win the Indigo Plateau Championship, I'll figure out a way to separate the Giant Tangrowth from this mountain forest and help you leave this place."

A flicker of emotion crossed the old woman's eyes, but she quickly masked it, grumbling with a half-smile, "Stupid brat. Who asked you to worry about me?"

"I've lived in these mountains long enough. I'm fine."

"But… if you ever treat Cassandra badly, you've already seen what my witchcraft can do…"

Kazuki nodded with a smile. "Don't worry, sharp tongue and soft heart. I'll take good care of her."

The old woman huffed and turned to leave, leaning on her cane. But before she went, she called back over her shoulder, "Go help Cassandra train that Paras! Quit standing around wasting time with me!"

Kazuki watched her disappear into the distance, then shook his head with a chuckle and headed off in the direction the girls had gone, where training awaited...

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