C054 - The first date

AN: Would you read a OnePiece fanfic about an isekaid dude who ate the Nobi Nobi no mi (growth-growth fruit) and got caught on false charges at Water7 after selling one too many Adam Wood logs? Who awakened his fruit by dumb luck and could induce physical growth in others at the expense of his own? (he could quickly regain his original strength with good food and moderate exercise) Who starts a mini harem of 3 people: Robin, Perona (50:50 really, not sure yet) and [undecided, likely one of the women from Dressrosa arc], after getting recruited by Luffy after the buster call?

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Despite Vivian's and Sophie's best efforts, Jasmine and Pete didn't really spend a lot of time as just the two of them this past week.

That changed two days after Dragonite evolved and left to enact his revenge on the Kingdra, who apparently live near an island just outside the bay area of the lake. This past week, Pete decided to be extra creative and call the lake Evergreen Lake and the bay area Evergreen Bay.

He earned a few unamused stares, but nobody could convince him otherwise with their naming ideas. He did, however, like Vivian's idea calling the waterfall Ilex Falls, it rolled off the tongue much better than Evergreen Waterfall.

And that was where Jasmine and Pete finally decided to spend some time just the two of them. Well, the two and round about ten pokemon, but who counted between two trainers with over thirty pokemon between them?

"Are you sure you'll gift me this Dragonair fang? Sophie would probably push you to make a cool necklace out of it," Jasmine shyly rebuked when she held the precious gift in her hand.

Apparently, dragons usually gift a scale at best to people that they accept and respect. Dragonair, instead, had allowed Pete to keep one of his fangs when the young assistant professor helped him pull it out a few days ago before the evolution to Dragonite.

"No worries, the two cute Dratini gifted me a fang each like their dad. They'll serve me well enough for any fashion related endeavor," Pete brushed off when Jasmine wanted to give the tooth back.

"I've told you about Gligar's evolution condition, right? I think this fang would probably be sharp enough for it to work," Pete added with a warm smile.

The two of them were sitting on a blanket on the beach, enjoying the warm but fresh air near the waterfall. For a young girl trying to make it in the world as a gym leader, this was certainly the perfect gift.

Jasmine struggled to lean in for a kiss as thanks but chickened out in the hand and only laid her hand on top of Pete's as he rested it close to her on the blanket.

Pete wasn't quite as shy, so when he saw Jasmine looking away with a bright red face, he decided to be the one to break the ice.

"Jasmine?" He asked, and the future gym leader turned her head to Pete.

He didn't say anything else and simply leaned forward for a kiss. Jasmine stiffened, and her mind blanked as her eyes shot open.

The young assistant professor didn't do anything wild for the girl's first kiss and simply held up his free hand to brush her cheek. No french kiss, no intimate touching, no 'shady business' as Herbert had put so eloquently.

'Is it even a 'french' kiss in this world? Would a kiss like that be named after a region? Maybe a pokemon? Oh Arceus, please tell me it isn't named after Lickitung,' Pete idly thought mid kiss.

Inwardly shaking his head, he got back to enjoying his first kiss... well, in this world.

"Tastes like Rawst Berry," Pete whispered as he released Jasmine and leaned back a little. It was hard, but Jasmine's face turned even more red at that comment, but she didn't do anything else. Her mind was still a little too blank from her sudden first kiss.

"I quite enjoyed that, say nothing if you want to repeat that," Pete quipped when Jasmine stayed quiet even a few seconds later.

The girl gently bit her lower lip and looked at him, undecided on whether she should take the first step for the second kiss or glare at Pete for his teasing. She didn't have to decide because Pete leaned forward once more with a warm smile.

She closed her eyes in anticipation and felt the warmth of Pete's soft breath getting closer, but the blissful sensation on her lips never arrived.

Jasmine opened her eyes and saw Pete looking at her with the same warm smile as before, though his eyes held a glint of mischief.

Since their lips almost touched already, Jasmine only had to move a tiny bit for the kiss. She knew Pete did that, so she could claim to have had some form of initiative later on. She gave him the benefit of the doubt that was what he was doing and leaned forward by herself to 'initiate' a kiss.

In a moment of little selfcontrol, Jasmine wrapped both arms around Pete's neck and pulled him closer. Pete, in turn, reciprocated by placing a hand at the back of her head and the other on the small of her back.

Sitting on the ground like that next to each other wasn't very comfortable, so the kiss didn't last as long as Jasmine hoped. Steeling herself, she didn't say much as she repositioned to half-sit on his lap and started another kiss all on her own.

A few kisses later, with her arms still around his neck, Jasmine leaned back and stared in Pete's warm eyes. The two didn't say anything because Pete simply enjoyed the comfortable silence, but Jasmine was racking her brain on how to dispel the 'awkward atmosphere' now.

"Uhh, you explained that the fang would help Gligar evolve, but... how? Does she eat it?" Jasmine mumbled in barely a whisper. She immediately felt stupid for talking about pokemon right after THAT.

But Pete didn't mind. In fact, his smile only grew. Having someone to talk about pokemon was exactly what he hoped for in a partner in this world.

"No clue! I was hoping Gligar has some kind of instinct for that. Hopefully, a better one than that Feebas swallowing that pretty scale," Pete non-explained with a wide grin.

Jasmine was at first stumped hearing his reply but soon began to giggle as her head fell on his shoulder. All this exotic knowledge, but he was still trying to make sense of it all.

Combined with his warm smiles and the care he has for his pokemon, that was what got her interest raised like that in the first place.

The two of them stayed like that and talked about everything and nothing between a few more kisses until the sun was about to set.

Around that time, Pete's 'adventure group' came back out of the forest. Zorua, the three Farfetch'd, the shiny Miltank, Snivy, Growlithe, and since two days ago, Vibrava had started to search the forest for 'worthy' opponents and all sorts of loot. Most of the time, Nidoking followed along as a sort of protector, but Pete knew he just wanted a good fight.

"Hey guys and girls! How did your adventure go?" Pete asked with Jasmine sitting in his lap with her back leaning against his chest. They'd been sitting like that for quite a while, enjoying the scenic view.

Growlithe came over and placed a green stone down next to Pete and barked her name a little. She looked like she needed a good grooming before bed with some charred leaves and twigs in her fur.

"Oooh, you found a Leaf Stone? Good one, girl," Pete cooed as he scratched her behind the ears.

The three Farfetch'd were next to 'offer the loot to their boss'. It was quite fun how they made everything a sort of ritual, Pete loved the quirks of these three. Once done, they stepped back in perfect synchrony and saluted with one wing and a loud quack.

"At ease! Now, what have we here... that's a branch from a Leppa Berry tree, a branch from a... uh, sorry, I don't recognize these blue leaves... Is that from a Cheri Berry tree?" The Farfetch'd who brought the branch quacked with a nod.

"Great find, didn't know they grew in Ilex Forest! And what's this last one? Let's see... wow, those are Tamato Berries before they turn ripe! I thought they didn't grow in the wild in Johto! Nice job, Farfetch'd! We really could use a few more Tamato Berry trees and branches. I was thinking of using the entire first harvest for them up to plant new Tamato tree saplings," Pete praised with fervor. All three Farfetch'd puffed out their chests some more and saluted once more.

"I see you've lost your weapons in battle. Let's see if we can't find you a replacement later at home," Pete offered one of the Farfetch'd who didn't have a leek in one of his wings. The Farfetch'd in question almost teared up at the 'generous offer' and 'unquestioned care' from her boss.

The shiny Miltank and Nidoking were next. They both placed eggs in front of Pete.

"Hmm, what are these? I hope you listened and didn't steal them from any living parents," Pete asked with a raised brow as he opened his psychic link with the two pokemon so that they could properly explain.

In the meantime, he inspected the eggs. They were... colorful. Like Easter eggs painted by a grafiti artist. In his heart, Pete hoped he was right about his suspicions.

Nidoking was the most expressive in his thoughts as he showed Pete pictures of a battlefield with two eggs hidden under a fallen tree. The battle looked to have happened a few days before. Which meant they were either hidden away by likely dead parents or abandoned.

"Okay, good job finding these. They were quite hidden, weren't they? You did these two poor pokemon a solid by bringing the eggs over," Pete praised with a warm smile once he got the full picture.

"So Snivy, you've been fidgetting the entire time. What have you found?"

Snivy tentatively stepped forward and eventually held up a golden seed that looked more like a very thick, pointy leaf encased in ember than a seed. But Pete recognised it for what it was.

"Oooh, a Miracle Seed! Good job, buddy! Do you need my help making a necklace out of that for you?" Pete praised before asking with a warm smile. He wasn't sure why, but Pete thought that Snivy likely thought he would take the seed from him.

Snivy immediately confirmed with an overexaggerated nod. Pete reassured the pokemon while patting his head with a warm smile that Jasmine captured in a picture with her phone.

"Can't believe you guys brought such a big haul from a single outting! But I hope you also had some fun. Especially you, Zorua. Don't think I don't see and feel that you've been fighting and took a few hits. We'll have Duosion throw around a few Heal Pulses for you when we're back, okay?"

Zorua dispelled the illusion and showed Pete that he indeed had a deep but short cut just under his eye. Thankfully, the eye was okay, and the wound was no longer bleeding.

"Alright, then let's head back," Pete ordered as he began to pick up all the items his pokemon had brought and all the picnic items he had gotten out for his date with Jasmine.