Pokémon: Starting with Ash's Mom

At that moment, Misty and Suzie were also fumbling through the hanging fabric, having already gotten themselves tangled up.

"Hey, hey, Suzie, help me out! My arms and legs are all stuck!"

Suzie turned to see Misty looking like a full-on mummy.

"Oh wow…"

"Don't move! I'll help untangle you!"

"Good thing you're here! Otherwise I'd be stuck here all day!"

"By the way, where did Kazuki run off to? Could he have gotten caught too?"

Even though Misty was still all wrapped up, she twisted around to try and catch sight of Kazuki. But as she shifted, she lost her balance and toppled toward Suzie.

"Whoa—Misty, don't move!"

They both ended up getting tangled together even worse.

Sensing the commotion through his Aura, Kazuki turned toward the sound.

"There's movement—this way! Should be your companions!" Duplica said excitedly, running forward, only to get her foot caught.

If Kazuki hadn't grabbed her in time, she would've gotten swept into the mess too.

Once she regained her balance, Kazuki let go of her hand.

"Take it slow. We're close now—no need to rush," Kazuki advised as he continued in the direction of Misty's voice.

Duplica pressed her hand to her chest, her cheeks flushing pink.

Actually, Duplica's performing career had always been secretly supported by her parents. 

Her mom would send a whole team of female stylists to check if her outfits were too revealing before every show. Her dad had even secretly assigned security guards to keep order around her theater.

The incident in the bathroom had been an accident, but that hand-holding just now—that was the first time a guy outside her family had ever touched her.

Was that… did Kazuki really just hold my hand?

It was my first time being held by a guy…

What a strange feeling.

But Kazuki acted so nonchalant about it…

He just held a girl's hand like it was nothing?

Am I really that unappealing?

Duplica tilted her head, frowning thoughtfully as she stared at Kazuki's back.

The reason Kazuki had acted so casually was simple—she'd already brushed off the fact that he saw her naked, so holding hands didn't even register as a big deal anymore.

After spacing out a bit, Duplica quickly caught up to Kazuki.

A moment later, Kazuki arrived to find Misty and Suzie wrapped up like rice dumplings.

He stared in disbelief, then burst out laughing. "What game are you two even playing?"

"Oh come on, Kazuki! Don't laugh at us—help us out!" Misty had only one eye peeking out from the fabric, but she still managed to send him a sharp look.

"Kazuki, are those your companions?" Duplica jogged up beside him.

Suzie and Misty, still struggling, stared in surprise at Duplica—her hair still damp, one bare shoulder exposed.

After a beat, Misty's lips curved up into a mischievous smile beneath the fabric.

"Kazuki, you're something else!"

"Takes you just minutes to reel in another beautiful girl. Suzie, looks like we've got another sister to welcome!"

"Wait, we weren't even separated that long!"

"Kazuki, how did you—"

Kazuki crouched and flicked Misty's forehead. "Even with your mouth wrapped up, you're still spouting nonsense."

"She's the owner of this performance house! She was just taking a bath earlier!"

"And you dare doubt me? Next time don't hide behind Suzie complaining your mouth is sore, you brat!"

Hearing Misty's teasing and seeing how close she was with Kazuki, Duplica quickly pieced together their relationship.

So… Kazuki already has two girlfriends?

No wonder holding my hand felt so normal to him.

He's used to being affectionate with girls like them.

Misty's face, even partially hidden, had a mature charm to it.

No wonder Kazuki was so calm after seeing me naked.

That must be his type.

And Suzie… she's got that elegant, older woman vibe…

Duplica felt a twinge of disappointment as she compared herself.

Still, after a deep breath, she knelt down to help Kazuki unravel the fabric.

"I'll help with this side!" she said, moving to Misty's end.

Kazuki shifted over to Suzie.

As Duplica unwrapped Misty's face, she froze for a moment.

Hmm? This girl… kind of has a similar vibe to me!

And she called herself Kazuki's girlfriend too…

So he likes this type as well?

That's great!

"Uh, is my side that hard to untangle?" Misty asked, noticing Duplica zoning out.

"No, not at all! Super easy!" Duplica replied quickly, picking up the pace.

Meanwhile, Kazuki had nearly finished unwrapping Suzie.

"Mmm~ ah~ Kazuki!" Suzie gasped as Kazuki mischievously brushed against her.

Blushing, she looked away as the last of the fabric fell away.

He whispered a few more things that made Suzie press her thighs together in embarrassment.

By then, Duplica had helped Misty to her feet.

With everyone freed, she smiled warmly. "You two must be Kazuki's companions. Welcome to my home!"

"I'm Duplica, owner of this performance house and a Pokémon performer."

"I'm Misty!"

"I'm Suzie!"

After introductions, Misty tilted her head and asked, "A performer? What kind of shows?"

With a soft smile, Duplica raised her hand. Ditto, responding to the cue, began to contort and shift.

Its body stretched and turned yellow, morphing in seconds into a perfect Psyduck.

"Huh? Psyduck… Wow! That's amazing!" Misty's eyes sparkled as she watched the transformation, clapping her hands in excitement—until something felt off.

"Wait… what's with its eyes?"

Frowning, she leaned in for a closer look.

Ditto's Psyduck form didn't have those classic vacant eyes—instead, it had two tiny black dots for eyes, giving it a comically weird look.

"I always thought Psyduck looked dumb because of those blank eyes."

"Turns out, with just tiny dots like that, it's even weirder!" Misty quipped, unable to hold back a laugh.

Duplica didn't take offense. Instead, she smiled and admitted, "You're right—that's Ditto's flaw."

"It can mimic the shape of any Pokémon, but it always messes up the details!"

"Especially the eyes. They're never quite right."

She turned to Kazuki with hopeful eyes. "That's why I asked Kazuki to help train Ditto—to fix this flaw."

Kazuki nodded, offering a reassuring smile. "I'll do my best."

Just then, the heavy rain outside began to fade. The clouds parted, and golden sunlight spilled through, bathing the air in a fresh, post-storm glow.

Duplica glanced out the window and suggested, "The rain's stopped. Let's go train on the grass!"

"I read that being close to nature is better for Pokémon training!"

Everyone agreed and followed her lead.

Misty lagged behind a little, sidling up to Kazuki and whispering, "You don't usually help people so easily, do you?"

"So why'd you suddenly agree to train Duplica's Ditto?"

"You've only known her for, what, an hour?"

Her tone was teasing, eyes gleaming with mischief as she smirked. "Did Duplica do something intimate to win you over?"

"Or did something else… happen?"

Kazuki smirked, eyes glinting as he reached out and pinched her cheek.

"Yeah, Duplica's lips were real soft."

With that, he strode forward to catch up with Duplica and Suzie, leaving Misty frozen in place.

"Huh?! What?! Are you serious?!"

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

"No way! You've only known each other for like, minutes!"

"Wait, even if something did happen—there wouldn't have been enough time! Doesn't it usually take you over half an hour with me?!"

She hurried after him and grabbed his arm.

"Kazuki, seriously—did you really mean that?"

"Did you guys really… do that?"

"You got fast all of a sudden?"

Kazuki flicked her forehead. "If your brain's not in use, maybe Psyduck could borrow it."

"I was messing with you, dummy!"

"You're the worst!" Misty stomped her foot, cheeks flushed red, but could only puff her cheeks and trail behind him.

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