[A cassette stove, bowls, chopsticks, napa cabbage, scallions, chives… my god, streamer, are you sure you're here to popularize Pokémon and not to be an outdoor food streamer?]
[At first I was wondering—since Mo-baby isn't planning to stay overnight here, why is he carrying such a huge backpack? Now I finally understand…]
[I don't know whether Butterfree are foodies, but the streamer definitely is.]
[There's even tofu! Walking all this way, aren't you afraid it'll get smashed to bits?]
[I've been watching since the stream started and still haven't had lunch—seeing this made me smile stupidly.]
[The person above… are you sure you're smiling?]
After neatly placing all the ingredients and seasonings into the pot, Chen Mo took out a bottle of purified water from his backpack and poured it in. He then lit the stove, started the pot, and cradled a cup of hot tea he'd just boiled and brewed for himself. At last, a blissful smile appeared on his face.
"Before Pokémon came to this world, I didn't really have any grand ambitions in life—just to eat well and drink well. People shouldn't forget their roots. So for lunch today, let's keep it simple and make some hotpot."
[You're already having hotpot—how is that 'simple'?!]
[I only ate a cup of instant noodles for lunch… I'm crying.]
[It's fine, instant noodles with a sausage and a braised egg aren't worse than hotpot. Trust me, no need to be jealous.]
[You're doing an outdoor stream—can't you learn from those wilderness survival guys next door? (heartbroken)]
[Feels like Brother Mo would really enjoy camping. Once I'm better, how about we go camping together sometime? With a Pokémon expert like you, we wouldn't have to worry so much.]
"Thanks to Ah Hui for the gift and the highlighted message. Camping, huh—if there's a chance, I wouldn't mind giving it a try."
Sitting in a small pavilion inside the park, Chen Mo watched the comments drift across the screen. Looking at the blue sky ahead of him, he took a sip of tea, smiled faintly, and quietly hid his merits and fame.
With nothing pressing to do—
Chen Mo quietly activated his aura power once again.
"Huh?!"
At that very instant, with the cheat-like vision granted by aura, Chen Mo immediately discovered a very special little fellow hiding in the nearest patch of grass just outside the pavilion.
"This is…"
The sound of boiling water came from the pot.
Chen Mo wasn't in a rush—but the chat sure was.
[Streamer, what are you spacing out for?]
[The food's ready—why aren't you eating?]
[Eat it while it's hot! Hey, hurry up and eat!]
[Damn it! Why isn't the streamer eating?!]
[Mo-baby, as a fellow foodie, I'm very disappointed in you. The greatest respect for food is tasting it immediately. You have failed in your duty.]
What kind of nonsense is this…
Chen Mo felt a headache coming on.
"I'm not being disrespectful to food. I just noticed a very interesting little guy earlier. I don't know when it arrived here, or whether my presence disturbed it."
As soon as he said that, the chat filled with question marks.
[What's going on? What little guy?]
[Did we run into another Pokémon?]
[Let me see!]
[Since the streamer's so relaxed, it probably isn't something like Rhyhorn, right?]
[Why can't I see anything at all?]
"I'll try to see if it's willing to come out. If it doesn't want to, I'll finish lunch quickly and leave this place."
Turning off the stove, Chen Mo thought for a moment, then took an apple out of his backpack and stood up, walking toward the patch of grass.
"Hello. Sorry for disturbing you. I don't mean any harm—this apple is an apology for interrupting your rest."
He placed the apple in front of the grass, then stepped back several paces and waited quietly.
For quite a while, the grass didn't move at all.
[Is the streamer sure there's a Pokémon hiding in there?]
[Hahaha, the streamer just standing there looks hilarious.]
[It's just a monster—why make such a big deal? Just flip the grass open and take a look.]
[Didn't Mo-baby already say it? If you want to get along with Pokémon, the first thing is to correct your attitude. You keep calling them monsters—you clearly didn't listen to him.]
[Idiot. I'll call them whatever I want. Who are you to lecture me?]
[Feels like Mo-baby really needs a mod. The chat is way too messy now—all kinds of people. If they don't agree with him, why even stay in the stream?]
Ignoring the heated argument in the chat, Chen Mo focused intently on the grass.
With aura active, he could clearly see every movement of the little fellow inside. The way its small eyes were fixed on the apple was impossible to hide.
It was tempted.
Heh.
If one isn't enough, then two.
With that thought, Chen Mo went back to the pavilion, picked out a bigger, better, more tempting apple from his backpack, and placed it beside the first one.
"Pichu…"
Not long after, a small yellow figure cautiously emerged from the grass. Its jet-black, bright eyes were locked onto the apples on the ground.
"No need to be polite—they're all yours. If it's not enough, I've got more over there."
Looking at this Pokémon that resembled a tiny mouse, Chen Mo's face was full of smiles.
And at that moment, once the chat saw the Pokémon clearly, it instantly erupted.
[Streamer, streamer! What's this Pokémon called? It's so cute!]
[Holy crap, a yellow-skinned rat!]
[Those little eyes—this is lethal. How can a Pokémon be this cute? My old man's maiden heart can't take it anymore!]
[Let it eat! Mo, stop worrying about your apples and give them all to it!]
[I'm convinced—he only took out two. I clearly saw there are a bunch more in his bag.]
As expected.
People really are fickle.
One second it's Mo-baby, the next it's straight to Mo.
Chen Mo felt helpless—but seeing the little guy cautiously hugging an apple, tilting its tiny head and staring at him with curiosity, his heart melted along with it.
Too cute.
Still, Chen Mo didn't forget his real task.
[Eye of Detection] activated.
[Species: Pichu]
Type: Electric
Ability: Static
Base Stats: 205
(HP: 20, Atk: 40, Def: 15, Sp. Atk: 35, Sp. Def: 35, Speed: 60)
Known Moves: Tail Whip, Thunder Shock
Current Emotion: Cautious, happy
Physical Condition: Perfect
Affinity: 23 (Friendly attitude; it has a certain curiosity toward you)
Lowering his voice slightly to make sure he wouldn't scare Pichu while talking to the audience, Chen Mo began another round of popularization.
"First of all, let me correct something. This little guy isn't called a yellow-skinned rat. Its proper name is Pichu. As you can see, it's a very cute small mouse-type Pokémon."