Chapter 451:
"Ninetales...!" (That's not true, we didn't lose... it was a draw, a draw! And, I didn't even go all out!)
The Alolan Ninetales waved its paws, looking at Kaede with an expression that clearly said, "You're slandering me!"
They totally weren't incapable of beating that big bear; they just couldn't use their full arsenal!
"Alright, alright, I misspoke. Let's go home, then." Kaede patted the Alolan Ninetales's head, chuckling good-naturedly.
(〃＞＜): "Ninetales..." (I'll get stronger and come back to fight it again!)
The Alolan Ninetales struggled somewhat to prove its point.
It felt Kaede was humoring them, but in reality, their fur was genuinely messy and dirty.
"Then wait until winter, and you can come find it again."
Kaede didn't dismiss its determination.
After all, this was the same Pokémon who had once brazenly vowed to challenge even Rayquaza.
With that, he returned them one by one to their Poké Balls, took a look around, and took to the skies.
Not long after he flew away, in the now-bright forest, a massive figure descended from the sky, landing on the ground with a heavy *thud* that shook the surroundings. It sniffed the air, seemingly puzzled as to why the scent that had just been there had vanished.
But it was gone. It began wandering aimlessly through the forest again.
After this figure disappeared, the entire forest seemed to fall into silence. Yet this silence didn't last long either, as two small shadows also landed in the same spot.
Their playful, chattering voices echoed around, as if discussing something. After a moment, one of the figures suddenly began to change, transforming into the likeness of the first, massive creature...
...
By the time Kaede brought all the Pokémon back, it was already half-past eight in the evening.
At this hour, by Alola's daily rhythm, there were very few customers left, with only the occasional two or three people coming or going.
When he entered, Mallow was already doing the final cleanup.
Just as she finished putting away the last of the dishes, Mallow spotted Kaede stepping into the restaurant. "Oh, Mr. Kaede, you're back?" she greeted.
"Do you close up this early here?" Kaede asked curiously.
In the Eastova region, in some big cities, this time might just be the start of nightlife.
The city Mallow was in was no small town in Alola.
"Mhm, usually it's a bit later, but with Mom not here right now, we're closing a little early. Let me just take these to the kitchen, and I'll be right with you."
Even though they were closed, Mallow still had a few things to finish up, but she soon emerged from the kitchen.
"Come on, Mr. Kaede. Your room is the same as before. Oh, is this Meowscarada the Pokémon you went to pick up?"
Mallow, now without her apron, said spiritedly.
While helping out earlier, she had received a message from the hospital at home, saying that in tonight's check-up, her mom's vital signs had improved immensely compared to yesterday's. If this progress continued, the probability of a successful treatment was even greater.
This news was delivered to both her and her father simultaneously. The two of them had been so overjoyed in the kitchen they almost forgot the restaurant was still open, until customers outside reminded them.
But honestly, their minds were already far away from the restaurant. Her father, after finishing the last orders, immediately hailed a taxi to visit her mom at the hospital.
She had already visited in the afternoon, so she stayed behind to tidy up.
Even so, her mood had instantly brightened.
The hospital had never proactively sent this kind of positive news to the family before; they had only discussed treatment plans and medications, their serious eyes hinting at gravity.
But now, there was this good news.
She knew clearly.
All of this happened after Kaede arrived!
This mysterious Trainer from the Eastova region...
"Uh... no, Meowscarada has been with me all along. The Pokémon I picked up were others," Kaede explained as they walked towards the room. "They don't get many chances to go out while with me, and I rarely travel, so I wanted to let them stretch their legs a bit."
Hearing this, Mallow became interested. "Ohh, so just how many Pokémon have you caught, Mr. Kaede? It seems like you have a lot."
"How many? Ahem..." That question really stumped Kaede for a moment.
Because honestly, he couldn't immediately calculate how many Pokémon he was raising.
Twenty-one Pidgeot, thirteen Alcremie, three Miltank, a Vespiquen and ten Combee, plus the recent additions, thirty-two Flabébé and Floette...
Uh... not easy to say off the top of his head.
"Ahem, quite a few, I suppose. But I only brought ten with me on this trip," Kaede deflected the topic.
In the Eastova region, there was no rule about Poké Balls automatically sending extra Pokémon beyond six back home.
However, the Eastova region also generally believed that when journeying, it was best to carry only around six Pokémon, with ten being the absolute maximum.
On a journey, it was easy to neglect Pokémon care, and all sorts of things could happen. Bringing too many increased the risk of accidents.
But even ten Pokémon made Mallow's eyes widen in surprise. "Ten?! Wow, wow, that's amazing! Besides Dragonite, what others do you have?"
The layout of Mallow's family restaurant and home was somewhat similar to the old Breeding House setup: the shop in front, with a small yard in the back. The yard was planted with many vegetables used as ingredients for the restaurant.
Just then, her Pokémon, a Bounsweet, spun out from the vegetable garden on its leaves and perched on her shoulder.
Bounsweet also knew Mallow had been in low spirits and very busy lately, so these past few days, it had been diligently helping tend to the garden.
But today, when it came over, it saw Mallow's face lit up with a happy smile, and... that human from before who gave it tasty Energy Cubes!
Instantly, Bounsweet's expression brightened, but then it remembered Mallow's mom was still in the hospital and reined in its excitement, simply perching on Mallow's shoulder and peeking curiously at Kaede.