Victor dreamed he was Ultraman, fighting Godzilla. He was knocked to the ground, and Godzilla stepped on him.
The red light on his chest was flashing. He couldn't breathe.
He opened his eyes. His chest was warm. He moved the Vulpix off him.
"Yip?"
What's wrong?
The Vulpix poked its small head out, looking at Victor with sleepy eyes.
Victor rubbed his eyes and looked at the somewhat dim, azure sky.
It was morning.
He rubbed the Vulpix's small head, signaling that everything was fine.
Victor sat up.
Gengar and its underling Misdreavus were nowhere to be found. Mime Jr. was in a comical sleeping position, fast asleep next to Gothita. Lilligant and Roselia were sleeping elegantly, snuggled up together like best friends.
Dali and the others were already patrolling the backyard.
When they saw Victor wake up, they gave him a thumbs-up.
The Vespiquen had long since returned to its hive.
The surrounding Oddish, Budew, and others were still asleep.
Just then, a gust of wind blew past, scattering a few fallen leaves onto Victor's face and onto the head of the Vulpix, who was shaking its head as it struggled to stand.
"Yip?"
Why can't I see?
Victor took the leaves off his face, smiled at the baffled Vulpix, and then helped it get the leaves off its head.
He picked the Vulpix up and held it.
He looked at the yellowing leaves in his hand, and at the many trees in the distance whose leaves were also turning.
"It's autumn," Victor murmured.
"Lili?"
Lilligant was a light sleeper, and the movements from Victor and Vulpix had already woken it.
"Good morning, Lilligant."
"Lili~"
Lilligant came to Victor's side and gently hugged him.
"Goth~"
Gothita woke up next, smiling and greeting Victor, then wiping a bit of drool from Mime Jr.'s face.
"Mime Jr.?"
Mime Jr. was startled awake. It looked around, then wiped its own drool and jumped into Victor's arms.
"Mime Jr., you're so cute. You were dreaming of delicious food, weren't you?"
Hearing Victor's teasing, Mime Jr.'s little face turned bright red, and it buried its head in Victor's chest.
The other Pokémon laughed, joining Victor in teasing Mime Jr.
The laughter also woke up Roselia and the nearby Oddish and Budew.
"Roselia's awake, too."
"Roselia~"
Seeing that all the Pokémon were awake, Victor stretched his neck.
"Alright, let's get up then."
The Vulpix and Mime Jr. hopped out of his arms.
Victor stood up and was about to fold up the sleeping mats.
"Gengar—"
Victor turned. Gengar was floating back with its little underling Misdreavus, its arms full of berries.
"Gengar—" It came over and put the berries down, then handed two to Victor.
Victor smiled and accepted them. He took a bite.
A bit sour.
"Let's just have the berries Gengar found for us for breakfast. I'll make you all something delicious for lunch."
"Gengar—"
"Lili~"
This drew a round of cheers from the Pokémon. Victor put his arms behind his head and stretched.
A gust of wind blew past, and the cold made him pull his neck in.
Sinnoh's autumns really are cold.
Gengar, Mime Jr., and Gothita folded up the sleeping mats, and Gengar took them back to the room.
Gothita then took Mime Jr. to Shana's and Gary's old rooms to strip the bedsheets, as well as Cynthia's.
Back in the yard, Victor connected the hose and brought out a large tub.
He put the bedsheets and pillowcases in and soaked them with water.
Gothita and Mime Jr. then began to wash them.
Victor watched them, especially Mime Jr., who was scrubbing away with a small brush, taking its job very seriously.
Once they were clean, Gothita used its psychic powers to wring out the water, then levitated a rope between two points and hung the sheets up to dry.
...
At the front counter, Lilligant and Roselia had opened the Breeding House door, hung out the "Open for Business" sign, and were now sitting on the counter, waiting for customers.
Gengar was sweeping the main hall.
Seeing that there wasn't much for him to do, Victor went back to the lounge area, sat down, and held the Vulpix.
He sent the picture he had just taken of the yellowing leaves to Cynthia.
Victor: It's autumn now.
Cynthia didn't reply; she was probably still asleep.
Victor put his phone away and suddenly remembered a trend from his past life.
He went to the kitchen and checked. He was almost out of sugar.
"Gengar, I'm going to Twinleaf Town. Want to come?"
"Gengar—"
What for?
"To buy some brown sugar. I'm going to make you all something good to drink. Want some?"
"Gengar?!"
For real?!
"Gengar—"
I'm coming!
Gengar dived into Victor's shadow.
Victor shivered. It was a good thing he was holding the Vulpix, which gave him some warmth.
"Lilligant, I'll leave the Breeding House in your and Roselia's care."
"Lili~"
"Roselia~"
Just then, Mime Jr. ran out.
"Mime~"
I want to go too!
Victor smiled and brought Mime Jr. and Gothita along as well.
Arriving in Twinleaf Town, Victor felt that his stamina had really improved. He wasn't tired at all from the long walk, and he had kept a good pace, all while carrying Vulpix and with Mime Jr. on his shoulders.
He looked at the Vulpix in his arms.
"When you grow up, I won't have to walk so much."
"Yip~"
At the general store, Victor picked out some brown sugar and then bought some tapioca starch.
He then stopped by Grandpa Yuba's house and knocked on the door.
No one answered.
A person came out of the house next door. It was Grandpa Muji.
"Owner Victor, are you here to see Yuba and the Teddiursa?"
"Yes, Grandpa Muji."
"He took the Teddiursa fishing early this morning."
"When do you think he'll be back?"
"Should be soon. Ah, speak of the devil, here they come."
Victor turned and saw Grandpa Yuba carrying a small bucket and a fishing rod, with the Teddiursa walking beside him, peeking into the bucket from time to time.
Grandpa Yuba was watching the Teddiursa with a fond smile.
"Grandpa Yuba!" Victor greeted him as they walked up.
"Well, Owner Victor! Are you here to check on Teddiursa?"
Victor nodded, then looked at the Teddiursa.
"Ursa-ursa."
The Teddiursa ran over, hugged his leg, and then pulled him over to Grandpa Yuba, gesturing for him to look in the bucket.
Victor looked. A few fish were splashing around inside.
"I caught these for Teddiursa's lunch," Grandpa Yuba said.
Victor looked at the Teddiursa, who was scratching the back of its head shyly.
He crouched down and patted its small head. "Do you like your new life, Teddiursa?"
The Teddiursa nodded happily.
Victor smiled, then checked its physical condition.
It was almost fully recovered.
He finally felt at ease.
He declined Grandpa Yuba's and Grandpa Muji's invitation to stay, and then headed back to the Breeding House with Gengar and the others.
On the way, Victor suddenly thought of his great-aunt's Ninetales friend, Vulpix's father.
He also thought of the Staravia that had left with Paul, and this Teddiursa.
Will they one day return to the Breeding House to live? Or, will they meet some other relative of mine, see them inheriting this Breeding House, and come to visit, as if they were meeting her all over again?
Thinking of this, Victor suddenly smiled.
It's true. When life meets life, a unique spark is always created.
Back at the Breeding House, Victor dove into the kitchen.
He took out some black tea, and then got milk from the refrigerator.
"Do you have any Moomoo Milk?" he asked his system.
[?]
"Alright, I know you don't."
[...]
Victor ignored it and began to roast the black tea.
Then he added the brown sugar, caramelizing it.
He poured in the milk.
Gothita and Mime Jr. watched with rapt attention.
Victor explained the process to them as he went.
Finally, he stirred it and let it heat.
He then kneaded the tapioca starch into small pearls and boiled them until they were translucent.
He poured the pearls into the milk tea.
The first pot of autumn milk tea was officially complete.
Victor thought for a moment, then took out the Vespiquen's special honey and added a little.
He stirred it evenly.
Instantly, the aroma of milk, tea, and honey filled the air.
Victor was surprised. Does the special honey make it smell even better?
"Gengar! Everyone! Come and get your first cup of autumn milk tea!"
"Gengar—"
I'm coming!
Gengar phased directly through the wall and appeared in front of Victor.
Dali and the others also came over.
Victor picked up cups and filled one for each of them.
Gengar looked at the bubble tea in its hands and sniffed.
Its crimson eyes narrowed in pleasure.
It took a sip.
"Gengar—"
Gengar felt as if it were in a blissful paradise.
It chewed the pearls.
The texture was strange, but the taste was incredible.
"Gengar—"
So yummy!
The other Pokémon also took a sip and closed their eyes in bliss.
Victor, seeing this, clapped his hands in his mind.
It seems the bubble tea is a great success.
He poured a cup for himself.
The tea was rich and fragrant. The special honey optimized the taste, making it smoother and sweeter.
"This is amazing!" Victor himself was shocked.
[Gourmet 1: You have successfully made four types of snacks. It seems your passion for snacks is greater than for gourmet meals. Fortunately, your great-aunt also liked snacks, so you have received a gift she left for you.]
[Great-Aunt's Gift: Moomoo Milk x50]
"..." Victor was speechless.
[As a not-quite-qualified gourmet, you have shown great promise in the snack department. You can create your own snack menu. The snacks you make will receive your great-aunt's blessing.]
[Great-Aunt's Blessing: Your snacks will now gain a "Culinary Crit" effect.]
[Cat's Ears & Golden Fruit Sticks 'Culinary Crit': Slightly increases satiety, slightly increases physical defense, slightly increases physical attack.]
[Spicy Strips 'Culinary Crit': Slightly increases efficiency in learning Fire-type moves.]
[Bubble Milk Tea (Special Edition) 'Culinary Crit': Greatly increases the understanding and use of one's own type-energy. Greatly increases a Pokémon's happiness and friendship.]
[It seems Moomoo Milk is more suitable for making bubble tea? —Great-Aunt]
[Snacks are delicious. Snacks are also a part of gourmet food. —Great-Aunt]
"You had Moomoo Milk? Why didn't you give it to me earlier?!" Victor questioned his system.
"You wait until I'm finished, then you reward me? What's the big idea?"
"Did you think I wasn't trying to develop recipes? I've made so many dishes that didn't get added to my recipe book and didn't trigger a crit! And you have the nerve to call me a 'not-quite-qualified gourmet'?"
"If I'm not a gourmet, are you?"
Victor continued to rant internally.
He then turned to pour himself another cup of milk tea.
But the pot was empty.
"..."
"So, can any of you tell me what happened? Where did my entire pot of bubble tea go?"
Victor turned and looked at the group of Pokémon trying to sneak away.
He rubbed his forehead and asked again.
"Gengar—"
Hehe.
Gengar couldn't reach the back of its head, so it just patted its stomach.
The Vulpix had drunk so much its fur had turned white.
And Mime Jr. was still chewing on pearls.
Victor's teeth ached. In the end, he just brewed another pot, warning them not to drink so much.
He then had Gengar deliver a few cups to the Vespiquen.
He himself began to prepare lunch.
...
After lunch, Victor lay in the lounge area.
Cynthia had replied to his message.
Cynthia: Yes, autumn is here.
Victor: [Image]
Cynthia: What's this? Milk tea?
Victor: Yes, but the pearl version.
Victor: Bubble milk tea. Everyone who's tried it loves it.
Victor: [Image]
Cynthia looked at the picture of Gengar and the others drinking happily.
A smile touched her lips.
Cynthia: The things you make are usually very delicious.
Victor: Usually? They're the best, okay.
Cynthia: ?
Cynthia: In that case, next time you should make me a bubble-tea-flavored ice cream.
Victor: ?
Cynthia: ??
Victor: ???
Cynthia: You send one more question mark and see what happens.
Victor: Is bubble-tea-flavored ice cream even a thing?
Cynthia: You just said the bubble tea is delicious. So why can't I try it as an ice cream?
Victor: I guess it's not impossible... Alright, fine. Next time you visit, I'll try.
Cynthia: You promise.
Victor: I promise.
Closing his phone, Victor lay back in his rocking chair. Vulpix, stuffed from the milk tea, was dozing on his lap.
"If you don't start exercising, I'm telling you, you'll regret it when you get fat," Victor said, pretending to be stern.
"Yip?"
The Vulpix was instantly awake. It leaped from his lap and ran towards the backyard.
Victor watched it go, a knowing smile on his face.
Lilligant covered its mouth and giggled from the side.
Gengar sat next to Victor, holding its milk tea, with the Cat's Ears and Golden Fruit Sticks on the table.
"Gengar—"
Victor looked at Gengar and reached out to pull at the corners of its mouth.
"Gengar, let's go fishing tomorrow, okay?"
"Gengar?"
Fishing?
"That's right, fishing. I haven't been fishing in a long time. I want to give it a try."
"Gengar—"
Okay.
Whatever Victor wants to do, I'll go with him.
Thinking this, Gengar took another happy sip of its bubble tea.
It closed its eyes in bliss.
So delicious!
...
Get 10 chapters ahead on - P.a.t.r.e.o.n "RoseWhisky"