Chapter 111: Cynthia and Caitlin
Sinnoh Region, Cynthia's Residence.
"Caw—"
Corviknight flapped its wings as it gracefully landed on the lawn, then cast a majestic glance around.
"Hop—"
Hayashi jumped down with Erina, giving Corviknight's leg an appreciative pat. "Good work, Corviknight."
"Caw!"
Corviknight flapped its wings cheerfully.
No problem—extra rations tonight!
"Got it! We'll have Erina cook you something special later," Hayashi laughed. "A big, delicious meal!"
"Caw!"
Corviknight's mood: Absolutely ↗ Fantastic.
"Hmm—"
Tropius landed shortly after, and Hisako hopped off, immediately shooting Hayashi and Erina a resentful look.
So unfair. So unfair.
"What do you mean, 'Hisako, don't you have a Tropius? If you never ride her, she'll be sad,' and then shoo me off to ride Tropius here!? Huh? Doesn't Erina have a Dragonair too!? Why not let her ride Dragonair instead..."
Damn it, you two backstabbing lovebirds! You just don't want me third-wheeling, do you!
"Yo, Hisako!" Hayashi enthusiastically waved at Hisako, saying, "Missed you after just a short while!"
'Hmph—'
Hisako stared expressionlessly at Hayashi, her accusatory gaze making him feel a fleeting 0.5 seconds of guilt. But then he recalled the wonderful sensation of Erina's plump, heavenly thighs during the flight, instantly tossing that guilt into oblivion.
...
...
Inside the mansion.
"Still as lively as ever." Cynthia leaned against the windowsill, watching Hisako angrily "chasing" Hayashi in the courtyard with amusement. Behind her, Caitlin walked to the window and looked down at the scene below. "Cynthia, are these the incredibly talented breeders you wanted to introduce me to?"
"That's right~ Exceptionally talented breeders." Cynthia nodded with a light chuckle. "You always ask how my Garchomp got so strong, right? It's all thanks to the Pokéblocks she provided, allowing my Garchomp to endure even tougher training."
"Oh—"
Now intrigued, Caitlin turned her gaze toward Erina, who was petting an Alolan Ninetales in the crowd, murmuring, "A top-tier breeder? Omoi shiroi!"
"Let's go." Cynthia turned toward the door. "The guests have arrived—as hosts, we should greet them properly."
...
...
"Long time no see, Hayashi, Erina, and Hisako."
Cynthia waved at the trio with a smile. "How have you been lately?"
"Heh, living the dream, living the dream." Hayashi grinned, clearly still savoring the memory of Erina's thighs—honestly, he felt like he could spend at least a year just playing with them, polishing them to a glossy sheen!
"Disgusting!" Erina shot Hayashi a sidelong glance. Just seeing that smirk told her exactly what this scoundrel was thinking.
'Damn it, I feel like I missed something again—'
Hisako bit down on her handkerchief, her eyes darting between Hayashi and Erina with frustration. She felt like she'd skipped a volume of a shoujo manga—where the fourth volume was missing, and by the fifth, the relationship between the male and female leads had undergone some shocking development, leaving her agonizing over what exactly happened in that lost chapter.
"Glad to hear you're doing well." Cynthia chuckled lightly before glancing behind her. "Let me introduce you—this is my friend, Caitlin, the Unova region's Elite Four member specializing in Psychic-types."
A slender girl in a dress, with long golden hair cascading past her knees, stepped forward gracefully. She curtsied toward Erina and said, "Greetings. I'm Caitlin. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"Good day." When it came to social interactions, Erina feared no one. "I'm Erina Nakiri. Miss Caitlin, your hair looks absolutely fabulous. Do you have any special care routine?"
"Miss Nakiri has excellent taste—" Caitlin's eyes lit up slightly as she chuckled. "After every hair wash, I always..."
"I see, I see—"
"Oh my, that method—"
"Noted and learned!"
Under Hayashi's admiring gaze, Erina, Hisako, and Caitlin effortlessly bridged their distance through the topic of "hair care," becoming fast friends within mere exchanges...
Well, at least it appeared that way.
"Is this what they call women's social diplomacy? Terrifying," Hayashi couldn't help clicking his tongue. "Weren't they complete strangers just a moment ago?"
If the old man were here, he'd probably explain to Hayashi—
For Erina and Hisako, Caitlin was one of the Unova region's Elite Four, standing at the pinnacle of the Pokémon world alongside Cynthia. Building rapport with her could bring substantial benefits to the Shokugeki world.
For Caitlin, Erina and Hisako were top-tier breeders endorsed by Cynthia herself, capable of producing ultra-high-quality Pokéblocks to strengthen her Pokémon.
Thus, for these three, given the right topic, rapidly closing the distance was almost inevitable!
"Speaking of which, Hayashi—" Cynthia quietly approached him. "That game console of yours..."
"Hmm?"
"I recently played 'The Witch's House' on it. The plot completely shocked me—I never expected that 'I' was actually the evil witch all along, while the 'witch' turned out to be an innocent girl."
"Indeed."
"After finishing that game, I was utterly stunned."
"And then?"
"I wanted to ask if you could recommend any similar games to 'The Witch's House.'"
'Games similar to The Witch's House?' Hayashi tilted his head in thought for a few seconds.
"Yes, Outlast."
"Outlast? Explain."
"First, like The Witch's House, Outlast doesn't have combat mechanics—instead, you have to evade monster attacks—"
"Hmm~"
"Second, while dodging monsters, you also need to gather clues and key items for puzzles—"
"Oh~"
"Then, there are a few jump-scare moments—"
"Ah~"
Judging by Cynthia's reaction, she seemed quite satisfied.
"But the most legendary part of The Witch's House is its final twist. Does Outlast have one?"
'A twist?' Hayashi tilted his head again, thinking for a few seconds.
"It does."
"Really?"
"Mhm! At the very beginning, there's a fat guy chasing you. Near the end, he sacrifices himself to stall the scariest enemy so you can escape."
"Whoa!"
Hearing this, the gamer soul inside Cynthia stirred. She decisively patted Hayashi's shoulder and said, "Thanks. Once I finish Outlast, I'll share my thoughts with you."
"Alright, I'll wait." Hayashi nodded reservedly, hands clasped behind his back as he turned to gaze at the garden in the distance, thinking to himself, 'This must be what they mean by "retiring after achieving greatness."'
I'm amazing.
...
...
Chop chop chop—
Under Caitlin's starstruck gaze, Erina effortlessly wielded her kitchen knife, swiftly slicing the vegetables before her into fine shreds—her speed made Caitlin feel like she was watching a Scyther at work.
"Is she a Ditto?" She turned to Cynthia beside her and said, "She's actually a Ditto, right? And now she's mimicking a Bisharp or Scyther's abilities."
"Caitlin, you're adorable." Cynthia smiled faintly, using this gentle method to remind her dear friend to face reality—her cooking skills were just that broken!
Caitlin was utterly bewildered. She couldn't help but exclaim, "No, I believed you when you said she was amazing, but this is beyond 'amazing,' isn't it?"
Have you ever seen someone chop vegetables so fast that the sliced pieces flew neatly into a plate on the other side, stacking up perfectly? Is this even chopping? Are you sure she's not using psychic powers??
Caitlin's eyes darted around before locking onto Dragonair, Ninetales, and the two Indeedees. With absolute certainty, she declared, "They must be using psychic powers to move the vegetables, right? There's no way something this absurd could happen in real life!"
Hayashi scratched his ear and deadpanned, "Don't you have psychic powers too? Just sense whether they're using them or not."
When Caitlin extended her psychic energy to scan the area, her expression gradually twisted—nothing! These Pokémon weren't using psychic powers at all!? Which meant… this stunt-level cooking skill was real?!
Under Caitlin's dumbfounded stare, Erina effortlessly prepped the ingredients for lunch, then fired up the stove, stir-fried the dishes, plated them, covered them, and served them—the entire process seamless, the work of a true culinary master!
"Oh, so that's the move?" Hayashi's face lit up with realization as he turned to Cynthia and Caitlin beside him. "You're in for a treat! Erina is really going all out this time!"
Hisako also wore a proud expression as she added, "Indeed! The young mistress rarely showcases culinary skills of this caliber!"
Under Hayashi and Hisako's deliberately mysterious teasing, Cynthia and Caitlin's curiosity was quickly piqued. The two sat at the dining table, eagerly awaiting the arrival of what was touted as "the young mistress's finest masterpiece" for lunch.