Chapter 15: Hilda! A Total Sense of Crisis!

"Hilda! You made it to the semi-finals too? That's wonderful, now we actually have a chance to face each other!"

A familiar, soft voice drifted over from the side. Hilda, who was mid-sip from her water bottle, tilted her head slightly. Her eyes immediately landed on the pigtail-clad girl whose own eyes were practically sparkling.

It was Rosa, the girl she had met just moments ago!

"Rosa! I figured you'd make the Top 4. Just so you know, if we get matched up, I'm not holding back."

"The feeling is mutual!"

The two girls shared a smile, neither willing to back down an inch in the competitive department.

However, Rosa, who had been brimming with energy a second ago, suddenly noticed the green-haired youth standing beside Hilda. She froze for a moment, her fingers instinctively reaching up to twirl the ends of one of her pigtails in a fit of bashfulness.

She couldn't help it.

While she could chat naturally with a fellow girl like Hilda, Rosa had never had much contact with the opposite sex growing up. She honestly had no idea how to act around boys. This was also the first time she had ever met a boy as unique and striking as N. Amidst her shyness, she couldn't resist stealing curious glances at him.

Though she thought her peeking was subtle, N caught her gaze immediately.

When N looked back at her with a gentle, warm smile, Rosa's expression stiffened. She quickly averted her eyes, her voice becoming uncharacteristically rigid as she tried to force a change of subject.

"Um..."

"H-hello! I'm Rosa from Aspertia City in the Unova region. I just debuted as a Trainer this year. P-please... please take care of me!"

Hilda's eyes widened in disbelief. Rosa, who had been laughing and joking with her just a minute ago, had turned into a fidgety, blushing schoolgirl the moment she faced N?

And she looked far too cute being all flustered!

Even as a girl, Hilda felt her heart skip a beat; it was like being struck through the heart by an arrow made of pure "moe." Coming to her senses, Hilda immediately shot a hostile, defensive glare at Rosa.

Darn it! Her figure is already cheating, and now she's playing the "pure and innocent" card?!

Even Hilda found herself liking a girl as gentle and shy as Rosa, never mind a young man. A guy would be hooked in an instant!

"Nice to meet you. I'm from Pallet Town in the Kanto region. You can just call me N."

"Pallet Town? You mean the town where Professor Oak lives?"

Rosa was curious about why someone would be named "N," but she was even more shocked to hear he was from Pallet Town. That was the home of the world-renowned Professor Oak! Living there meant he surely saw the legendary figure of the research world all the time.

"Yes, that's correct."

"I'm so jealous! To be able to see such a great Professor every day..."

Rosa's comment caused both N and Hilda's expressions to turn rather subtle. This wasn't the first time they'd heard someone say that. After all, not everyone grew up next door to the old man. Almost everyone pictured Samuel Oak as a dignified, calm, and erudite scholar.

They didn't picture a weird old man who cackled maniacally, recited nonsensical haiku, and chased Pokémon around with research tools larger than his own head just so he could rub and nuzzle them.

"Um... I won't lose in the upcoming matches. Please don't hold back either. Let's have a battle with no regrets!"

Rosa cleared her throat, nervously extending her right hand toward N. Only when talking about Pokémon battles could she maintain her composure, though she immediately regretted reaching out the moment her hand was in the air.

"I understand," N replied, looking a bit surprised. He politely reached out and lightly took the girl's hand.

It felt as soft as a marshmallow, with a smooth, delicate texture that made one want to keep holding it. However, he released it almost immediately.

"Wha..."

Rosa let out a small, muffled whimper. This was her first time shaking hands with a boy; her brain was so overwhelmed with embarrassment that it practically short-circuited! Wait, why did I reach out so naturally just now?!

"STOP!! That's enough! Rosa, we need to go prepare. We'll see you on the battlefield!"

Hilda had watched the entire interaction with mounting dread. The moment Rosa actually shook hands with N, a massive sense of crisis surged through her. She stepped between them without a word, terrified that any more contact would close the distance between them far too quickly.

"Ah... right. Well, I'll be going now!"

Rosa covered her face with both hands; she was so embarrassed she felt like she could curl up and die. Hilda's intervention gave her the perfect excuse to flee. The girl turned and bolted, terrified that they would see the deep crimson flush covering her face.

Once the "foreign threat" had been driven off, Hilda turned around, pouting at N with a hint of acidic dissatisfaction.

"N, were you just standing there enjoying the feel of Rosa's hand?"

"I was just thinking that she seems like a very talented Trainer," N replied, resting his chin in his hand thoughtfully. "She uses a Servine from the Unova region, and it's performed exceptionally well in the previous rounds."

Seeing him in his usual "analytical mode," Hilda breathed a small sigh of relief. For the first time, she felt that N's dense, wooden personality was actually a very safe trait for him to have.

In reality, N knew exactly what Hilda was thinking.

However, acknowledging it would only lead to a headache. Playing dumb was the simplest way to smooth things over; otherwise, once Hilda's little "vinegar jar" tipped over, it would be a nightmare to clean up.