"That's not true! Erika, don't say weird things like that!"
Jasmine immediately retorted, her face turning red upon hearing Erika's words. However, a voice even louder than hers echoed beside her.
"No, no, no, no, no!"
Maki's expression changed drastically as he shook his head vigorously.
This was not something to joke about! If word of this reached Sabrina's ears, Maki was almost certain he'd meet a terrible fate.
Seeing Maki's intense reaction, Erika looked at him with surprise and curiosity, as if to say, "Is this really such a big deal?"
Meanwhile, Jasmine pouted in mild displeasure. Even though they weren't in that kind of relationship, Maki's frantic denial still stung a little. At the same time, she looked slightly self-conscious—was it because her style was too outdated? If it were Erika instead, would he have reacted the same way?
Erika, however, had a better grasp of the situation than Jasmine. After noticing the sheer panic on Maki's face, she quickly made a deduction.
"You have a girlfriend, don't you?"
"Uh… you could say that."
Maki was briefly taken aback. No one had ever asked him this before. Lance, that guy, only ever cared about Pokémon and never paid attention to things like this.
After a brief moment of hesitation, he decided to respond this way.
"Mhm~ I knew it."
Erika nodded confidently, as if she had expected this outcome all along.
As for Jasmine, she let out a small sigh of relief. Maki's earlier reaction had been hurtful, but if he already had a girlfriend, then there was no issue.
"Why?"
Maki was confused. Was his reaction really that obvious? Besides, he and Sabrina weren't exactly in a formal relationship yet, right?
"Hmph~ Let's call it experience."
Erika smirked, tilting her head up slightly with a confident expression.
"But Erika, you've never been in a relationship yourself, have you?"
Jasmine interjected, breaking Erika's composure. As her close friend, she knew full well that Erika didn't have a boyfriend. Her days were spent either tending to her Grass-type Pokémon or practicing floral arrangement. Where would she find time for romance?
"You don't have to experience something firsthand to understand it."
Erika puffed her cheeks slightly, clearly unwilling to back down.
"Besides, Jasmine, you still haven't introduced me to this gentleman."
Jasmine, realizing her oversight, quickly recounted her recent ordeal and how Maki had stepped in to help.
"Thank you for helping Jasmine. My name is Erika."
After hearing Jasmine's introduction, Erika extended her hand toward Maki with a friendly smile, clearly wanting to formally meet the young man who had assisted her friend.
"Maki. I came to Celadon City to challenge the Gym. You must be Erika of the Celadon Gym."
Maki shook her hand lightly before quickly letting go, a gesture that slightly increased Erika's impression of him.
He didn't hide his intentions for coming to Celadon City and spoke honestly. Since he planned to visit the Celadon Gym later, they were bound to meet again.
As for Erika's name, it was fairly well-known in Celadon City. Though she hadn't officially taken over the Gym from her mother yet, she was already famous as a floral arrangement instructor. The perfumes she created were just as renowned.
By contrast, her abilities as a Trainer weren't as widely recognized. That might change once she formally inherited the Gym.
"Huh? You know me?"
Erika blinked. If Maki was here to challenge the Gym, that meant he must be from out of town. While she had some recognition in Celadon City, she wasn't so famous that outsiders would know her.
"If I'm challenging a Gym, of course I'd do my research. Erika, your reputation precedes you."
Maki explained with a smile. Erika nodded in understanding. Most Trainers did their homework before challenging a Gym.
Only those who didn't even know a Gym Leader's Pokémon type before showing up were either extremely confident or complete rookies.
"Huh, what a coincidence! Let's go for the Gym challenge now—I'd love to watch!"
Jasmine grinned as she picked up Cottonee again.
"Aren't you heading back to Johto today?"
Erika asked, but her attention quickly shifted to the Cottonee in Jasmine's arms.
"That can wait. I'm really looking forward to seeing Maki's Gym battle!"
"Jasmine, whose Cottonee is this? I don't remember you having one."
Erika asked, glancing at the Pokémon Jasmine was holding.
"Oh, this is Maki's Pokémon. Isn't it adorable?"
Jasmine gently patted Cottonee's fluffy cotton, causing the Pokémon to narrow its eyes in comfort. Even though Jasmine's embrace was a bit flat, it was still much more comfortable than Maki's.
After all, Maki had a habit of constantly fluffing Cottonee's cotton. Compared to his "manhandling," Cottonee's gentle touch felt like paradise.
"Can I take a closer look?"
After staring at Cottonee for a moment, Erika turned to Maki.
"No problem. You're something of a Grass-type expert, right? You probably know more about them than I do."
"Not at all. I've just spent more time around Grass-type Pokémon."
Erika shook her head before leaning in to observe Cottonee closely.
"Cotton?"
Cottonee fluttered its leafy appendages, seemingly confused as to why this woman was staring at it. They weren't even the same species, so why was she so interested?
"Is something wrong with Cottonee?"
Seeing Erika's careful scrutiny, Jasmine began to feel a little worried.
Although Erika had downplayed her knowledge earlier, Jasmine knew she was just being modest.
Among their age group, there weren't many people who understood Grass-type Pokémon better than Erika. And when it came to love for Grass-types, she wouldn't lose to anyone.
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