"All right, all right!"
Shiko was getting itchy from Buneary's long fluff rubbing against him, so he quickly lifted her down from his body.
Buneary's eyes narrowed into a happy little slit. She looked delighted.
She pressed her small head against Shiko's chest and nuzzled him again.
Watching the two of them acting so intimately, Himeko felt a sour twinge in her chest.
She'd spent an entire afternoon just to finally get Buneary to be a little closer to her.
She'd been feeling pretty pleased with herself, thinking the progress was great.
But now, compared to Shiko…
All that happiness evaporated.
Comparing people really was enough to make you mad.
Damn it!
Why the hell was Shiko so charming and popular?
Could it be that this guy…
was actually a handsome pretty-boy even among Pokémon?
"All right, all right—stop fooling around!"
Shiko moved Buneary off to the side, and casually used the Lying Flat System to check her current status.
Tch!
Himeko really did deserve the title of former Champion-level Trainer.
In just one afternoon, she'd raised Buneary's level from 2 to 4.
No choice—she really did have some skill.
Sure, low-tier Pokémon leveled up faster…
but this speed was still ridiculously efficient!
Two levels in a single afternoon—at this rate, by the time the Pokémon tournament started, Buneary would've long surpassed Entry-level.
While Shiko was marveling at it over here…
Himeko had already tied on an apron on the other side and started busying herself with dinner in front of the rack.
As usual, it was Pokéblocks.
But this time, she cooked two separate pots.
It looked like one portion for Shiko, and one portion for Buneary.
Buneary stayed pressed close to Shiko, acting spoiled and clingy.
"Chubi, chubi," she kept calling nonstop, sharing what she'd seen and done today.
A rich aroma quickly spread through the camp.
Himeko's cooking really was no joke.
Even something as complicated and difficult as Pokéblocks—she handled it with practiced ease, smooth and confident.
Today's Pokéblocks were made in two batches:
One batch was red—Shiko's Fire-type Pokéblocks.
The other was a deep brown—Buneary's Normal-type Pokéblocks.
Himeko filled two big bowls.
Shiko and Buneary hugged their bowls and started eating.
Seriously.
Finding a trainer really was a great choice.
If he'd still been stuck back at the Pokémon Academy, even if he had plenty of freedom…
there was no way the meals would be this good.
It would've just been bulk Pokémon feed every day.
How could that compare to carefully mixed Pokéblocks?
Shiko finished his bowl fast.
He patted his slightly bulging belly in satisfaction.
The moment Shiko lay down, he could feel the Fire-type energy he'd absorbed surging through his body, rapidly circulating inside him.
It merged with the Fire-type energy already within him, compressing and piling up without stopping.
"Chubi, chubi!"
Buneary noticed Shiko was done.
She pushed her bowl—she'd only eaten a little over half—right up in front of Shiko.
"No, no—eat it yourself!"
Shiko shook his head.
If he ate Normal-type Pokéblocks, he wouldn't be able to digest and absorb the energy inside.
His body would react badly.
"Chubi!"
Buneary nodded, pulled the bowl back, and started eating again in small bites.
All of this was clearly seen by Himeko.
She stared at Shiko, her brows knitting slightly.
In Shiko's portion today, she'd added two Spicy Berries.
Those were the berries with the richest concentration of Fire-type energy.
Forget a newly hatched Pokémon like Shiko—
even Professional-level or Elite-level Pokémon above Entry-level…
after eating that portion of Pokéblocks, they'd probably be forced to vent a bit, simply because they'd absorbed too much Fire-type energy.
Shiko's bloated belly was obvious proof he'd taken in a massive amount.
But then…
why did his belly flatten again so quickly?
Did he really digest all of it?
Himeko's eyes were full of suspicion.
The more she watched Shiko, the less she could make sense of it.
Shiko didn't pay attention to Himeko's stare at all.
He lay back, using the soft grass as a pillow, watching the sun slowly sink in the distance.
He felt nothing but comfort and satisfaction.
"Chubi, chubi!"
Buneary snuggled up beside Shiko and obediently started kneading his shoulders for him.
Her long fluff swept over him.
Shiko felt inexplicably comfortable.
This was what life was supposed to be!
A dedicated cook making delicious food…
and someone waiting on you with a massage.
It was pure bliss.
Himeko watched Shiko's indulgent posture, one brow lifting.
Anger surged up out of nowhere.
That look—there wasn't a trace of how a Pokémon was supposed to behave.
He looked like some pampered young master here on vacation!
(End of Chapter)
If I see that this fanfic has support, I will upload 20+ chapters to Patreon!!
[[email protected]/Zukooo]
[Thanks for your support!]