[Even though Magikarp was lost, for Master Mo—exhausted after a long day—life must go on. Light the fire, boil the water, add the ingredients, and a delicious pot comes together. This one pot of soup is enough to soothe all of Master Mo's hardships today.]
[Hey, aren't you mixing up genres?]
[It's Magikarp, after all. If it were the old Pidgey, Mo-bao would've panicked long ago. No way he'd still be in the mood to cook.]
[Ding! The food streamer you follow is now live!]
Facing the barrage of comments, Chen Mo stood by the portable gas stove without saying a word.
There were countless Magikarp in this world. It wasn't hard to understand that one of them might behave differently from the rest.
Thinking back to the scenes he had witnessed at Red Leaf Lake—the Magikarp that quietly watched its kin leap toward the moon with all their might—Chen Mo understood.
It never cared about evolving in the first place, so why would it compete for a leap over the Dragon Gate?
Its interest in Pidgey evolving into Pidgeotto had merely been simple curiosity, nothing more.
His earlier words had, instead, stepped squarely into a pitfall.
Afterward, once he realized this, Chen Mo wanted to find Magikarp again and talk things through. But even after using aura sensing, he couldn't find it in the lake. What he did see, however, were plenty of other Magikarp—each one, at a glance, seemingly brimming with "wisdom."
Still, somewhere deep down, Chen Mo felt that he would meet that Magikarp again.
Before that happened, he decided to give himself something to do.
Since Pidgeotto had brought back so many berries—and since he was free anyway—he might as well try out the nutrition recipe he had bought for Pichu.
Speaking of which, that nutrition recipe—purchased from the system shop for a thousand Knowledge Points—was extremely practical.
It included all the ingredients and preparation steps for dishes ranging from low-tier to high-tier. Its applicability was also very broad: not only suitable for Pichu, but equally effective for Pidgeotto and its kin.
Truly a great deal.
The ingredient requirements were minimal. The basic version only needed a certain amount of Oran Berries and Honey, while the highest-grade version merely added an ingredient called Aurum Fruit.
The cooking process itself was also very simple—basically, as long as you had a pot, you could give it a try. Nothing as demanding as energy cubes. At this stage, it was practically the perfect way for Chen Mo to raise Pokémon.
"…Add another spoon of Honey, then cover the pot."
Chen Mo watched the iron pot as fragrant steam occasionally drifted up, carefully controlling the heat while waiting patiently.
As a long-term single man living alone, Chen Mo had developed fairly decent cooking skills since his previous life. At least when it came to simple dishes like this, he had no trouble at all.
"…Pi…"
Nearby, Pichu—who had been sleeping on the moon chair—suddenly twitched its nose. Its eyes were still half-closed, but its body had already followed the scent and sat up.
However—
There was a Pokémon even faster than Pichu.
A clear, high-pitched cry suddenly rang out from the sky. A gust of wind followed, and a huge shadow landed beside Chen Mo.
The commotion nearly made him flip the pot.
"Pidgeot?"
The newcomer was none other than Pidgeotto.
It tilted its head slightly, staring at the iron pot emitting that peculiar aroma, then glanced at Chen Mo, as if asking what was inside.
At the same time, Pichu deftly climbed onto Chen Mo's shoulder in just a few steps, curiously peering at the pot.
Perfect timing—everything was ready, and the two future "customers" were present. Chen Mo decisively took out two small bowls and served one portion each to Pichu and Pidgeotto.
"Give it a try. See how it tastes."
There was no need for further prompting.
Both Pokémon immediately began eating. The golden-yellow soup—blended with Honey and Oran Berry—slowly flowed into Pichu's and Pidgeotto's mouths.
Just from the utterly blissful expressions on their faces, Chen Mo knew this batch was a success.
[Grandma once said: if you want to capture a Pokémon's heart, first capture its stomach. Mo-bao really gets it.]
[That sounds kinda weird, but the logic checks out.]
[It's rare to see even Pidgeotto looking this happy. Mo-bao, can you tell us what this soup tastes like?]
[You're doing this in the middle of the night—I'm starving now. What do you suggest we do, huh?]
Ignoring the noisy comments, Chen Mo had actually already tasted the soup himself while cooking. Just like energy cubes—Pokémon food that humans could also eat—this nutritional soup was no exception.
As for the taste—
With Honey mixed in, it was naturally sweet. And thanks to the refreshing juice from the Oran Berries, it wasn't cloying at all—just enough to make you want another bowl.
"Maybe I'll just get by with this soup tonight."
Since he had plenty of ingredients, Chen Mo had prepared enough for himself as well as the two Pokémon.
Just as he was about to call it a night with this simple meal, a series of familiar, crisp calls suddenly echoed from the sky.
That sound made Chen Mo's expression change.
He turned to Pidgeotto.
"Wait—did you bring your whole flock too?"
Pidgeotto, still drinking its soup, instantly filled its head with question marks.
Wasn't this what you told me to do?
Very soon, one Pidgey after another—and several Pidgeotto—descended upon the shores of Red Leaf Lake. What caught their attention first wasn't the Magikarp occasionally flopping in the water, but the pot of richly fragrant soup.
"..."
Chen Mo fell silent.
The livestream, however, burst into laughter.
[Pidgey clan: Early thanks to the boss's trainer. Boss really followed the right human!]
[Pidgeotto: Didn't you say to bring everyone over for a meal?]
[Hahahahaha—I'm dying. Mo-bao, you can't play favorites. These are Pidgeotto's family—hurry up and cook!]
[Mo-bao, this is your destined calamity (manual doge).]
They were already here—what else could he do?
Looking at the large and small members of the Pidgey clan all staring at him, Chen Mo sighed helplessly.
Cook it is.
A few hours later, after high-intensity work, Chen Mo was completely drained.
Perhaps because the soup was just that tempting, many other wild Pokémon had shown up during the cooking process—most of them familiar faces from the forest, such as Bellsprout, Weedle, and Beedrill.
As long as they came without ill intent, Chen Mo served them all a bowl. That was precisely why he ended up in his current state.
But…
Sitting on the moon chair, chin propped on his hand, watching the Pokémon by the bonfire savor their food with blissful expressions, Chen Mo found himself smiling as well.
Suddenly—
Sensing something watching him, Chen Mo instinctively turned toward the source.
This time, he didn't even need aura sensing to spot it.
By the lakeside swam that Magikarp.
Still solitary as ever, it gazed toward the bonfire where different Pokémon gathered together.
"Good evening, Magikarp."
Chen Mo walked to the shore and greeted it with a smile.
However—
Magikarp didn't respond. It simply turned away, looking up at the gentle moonlight, no longer sparing the bright bonfire a glance.
"You know," Chen Mo said softly as he sat by the water, looking at the moon alongside Magikarp,
"in human society, everyone has their own way of living. Some love staying at home and avoid crowds. Some are naturally cheerful with lots of friends. And some, because of various reasons, are forced into a life they don't actually like."
"I respect every choice—whether it's shaped by circumstances or comes from the heart. So I want to apologize to you, Magikarp."
As he spoke, Chen Mo turned to look at Magikarp in the water. It still didn't move, as if it had fallen asleep—but Chen Mo could tell it was listening.
"I forced my own ideas onto you without considering how you felt. So… I'm sorry."
It was hard to imagine.
A human apologizing—to a Pokémon.
To a Magikarp.
That was something Magikarp had never expected.
It finally turned back around, looking at the young man whose expression was gentle beneath the moonlight.
If it wasn't mistaken, this strange human had already been very tired, hadn't he?
Then why did he suddenly seem like a different person now…
Magikarp stared at him, as if trying to see through his heart.
But Chen Mo didn't hide anything. He calmly spoke his true thoughts.
"Magikarp, I really like you. And Pichu likes you too—as a friend. That's why I've been wondering if there might be a chance for you to come live with us."
"It doesn't matter if you never evolve. We don't like you because of Gyarados. And if we ever run into trouble in the future, I—along with Pichu and Pidgeotto—will do everything we can to protect you."
"So, Magikarp… would you be willing to live with us?
As friends."
🌟 The story is already written… waiting to be unleashed.Part One is officially complete — and it's now available
Go check it out and dive into the full experience.
Claim early access here: [email protected]/plotwired
🔓 You hold the keys to bonus chapters:💬 10 reviews unlock 1 bonus chapter🔷 100 Power Stones summon another
🔥 Your power determines how fast the tale unfolds.