"Spheal?"
"Bounsweet…"
When Bounsweet and Spheal heard Lin Feng's proposal, both of them froze for a moment. Then, their large and small eyes suddenly lit up. They nodded vigorously, clearly delighted by the idea.
As for Torchic, it was even more ecstatic, chirping loudly. "Chic-chic! Chic-chic!"
These three Pokémon had wandered together, sharing hardships, and were rescued together by Gardevoir. The bond between them was beyond question.
Perhaps one of the reasons Torchic didn't want to leave was also that he couldn't bear to part with his two good friends.
"All right then, let's go set up the barbecue."
Having decided on the arrangements for his Pokémon's living spaces, Lin Feng didn't linger in the orchard. He called out into the sky, and Pidgeotto swooped down at once. He also recalled Milotic, who'd been observing from the water, back into her Pokéball, and headed toward the cowshed.
Hosting a barbecue in the orchard was out of the question. The space was too small, and there was also the risk of damaging the plants.
Behind the cowshed, however, was a large cleared area that made the perfect barbecue site.
It also happened to be where Snivy and Alolan Vulpix were training their moves. Lin Feng gathered Miltank and Caterpie to join as well, making sure all his Pokémon were there.
"Snivy?"
Snivy and Vulpix stared blankly at the newcomers as Lin Feng led the Pokémon over.
Lin Feng grinned. "Heh, I'm throwing a barbecue tonight so everyone can hang out and meet our new friends."
A party like this was a major undertaking.
So even though it was only a little after four in the afternoon, Lin Feng got started right away. Otherwise, it might drag on late into the night.
First, he set up the barbecue grill and skewers he'd bought from Wang Wang Supermarket. He loaded the grill with charcoal and borrowed a spark of fire from Torchic to ignite it.
Then he sent Snivy and Gardevoir to the orchard to pick vegetables eggplants, cabbage, sweet potatoes, garlic chives all classic barbecue fare.
And of course, no summer barbecue would be complete without a chilled watermelon.
Lin Feng pulled out a metal bucket and had Alolan Vulpix create ice cubes roughly the size of small blocks, prepping for the cold drinks he planned to serve.
Feeling the heat, he also asked Vulpix to send a layer of Icy Wind across the ground, freezing it into a firm, slightly glossy sheet that gave off a refreshing, cool mist.
Meanwhile, Lin Feng got busy chopping garlic and chili peppers and preparing dipping sauces. He also pulled out various cuts of meat he'd bought earlier including pork belly.
He sliced the pork belly into thin pieces and threaded them onto skewers. Then he cleaned and prepared the vegetables Snivy had brought back.
By the time he finished prepping the food, it was already past five in the afternoon.
Torchic was staring eagerly at the spread of ingredients laid out before him.
He could sense Lin Feng was setting up something big but being able to see all that food yet not eat any of it was driving him half-crazy. He practically felt as though ants were crawling all over him.
Everything was ready to cook… so why wouldn't the "Trainer" let him dig in yet?!
At that moment, Lin Feng coaxed Bounsweet out from where she'd been hiding behind Gardevoir and carried her over to the grill. He wanted to ask for a bit of her juice for the barbecue.
But to his surprise, as soon as they got close to the grill, the little Pokémon panicked.
She started struggling frantically. "Boun-sweet!" (Don't eat me, please… don't…)
She squirmed and writhed so hard that tears welled up in her eyes.
≧ ﹏ ≦ "Boun-sweet…"
After all, she'd just watched Lin Feng peel apart heads of cabbage and chop sweet potatoes into chunks right there on that same grill.
"Huh?"
Lin Feng blinked in confusion.
Then he quickly explained, "I'm not going to eat you. I'm not, I swear. I just want a bit of your juice, that's all."
He apologized over and over, gently channeling his Verdant Force to calm Bounsweet's emotions. Only then did she finally believe him that he only wanted some juice, nothing more.
Still looking rather aggrieved, Bounsweet hopped into the metal bucket Lin Feng had prepared and began secreting her natural fruit juice.
But it was painfully obvious that the poor little Pokémon had been thoroughly frightened.
Lin Feng couldn't help scolding himself inwardly. He hadn't stopped to consider how terrifying his actions might have seemed to the tiny Bounsweet.
Instead of easing her wariness, he'd accidentally made it worse.
He silently berated himself a few times, then resolved to make amends. Once Bounsweet was finished, he got to work preparing icy drinks like freshly squeezed watermelon juice, lemonade, and rich Moomoo Milk, hoping to soothe Bounsweet's wounded spirit.
When the drinks were ready, Lin Feng released Milotic from her Pokéball.
"All right, everyone, come meet our new friends. These are the Pokémon who joined the orchard today."
With that, he lifted Bounsweet out of the bucket.
No sooner was she free than she bolted straight toward Gardevoir, casting panicked glances at the grill the whole time.
The other Pokémon mostly already knew each other. Only the three newcomers huddled close to Gardevoir, casting shy, hesitant looks around at everyone else.
Seeing this, Lin Feng shot Gardevoir and Snivy a playful wink.
The message was clear: I'm leaving the socializing to you two.
With introductions underway, Lin Feng focused his attention on the grill.
First up was the eggplant. He placed it on the rack and lightly brushed the surface with canola oil. Once it was thoroughly charred and golden all over, he snipped it open with scissors, brushed it again with oil, and sprinkled it with minced garlic and a splash of light soy sauce. The delicious aroma quickly wafted through the air.
And just like that, the simplest grilled eggplant was ready.
[Grade B Gourmet – Grilled Eggplant. The most delicious dishes often require the simplest methods. Trust me, this is a Fire-type Pokémon's favorite.
Dish Effect 1: Pokémon who eat it will experience a 30% boost in overall energy activity.
Dish Effect 2: Fire-type Pokémon who eat it will gain significantly increased insight and mastery over Fire-type moves.]
"Heh… barbecues really are the best…"
After grilling the first batch of eggplants, Lin Feng turned to glance behind him.
Thanks to Gardevoir and Snivy's gentle coaxing, the three new Pokémon seemed a bit less shy.
Torchic was following Pidgeotto closely, studying the reddish plumage on its wings. He seemed to be asking, "Why do your feathers look different from the Pidgeotto I've seen before? Yours are even redder than mine!"
Meanwhile, Spheal was gazing up at the long, elegant Milotic, his round eyes filled with admiration. "Spheal?" (You're so beautiful…)
It seemed like Milotic was a little flustered. This might have been the first time another Pokémon had ever complimented her looks so directly. She quickly replied, "Milo~" (It's thanks to our Trainer. He helped me evolve. You… you'll evolve one day too and become very beautiful.)
"Spheal…"
Hearing the word "evolve," Spheal suddenly looked a little downcast.
He couldn't help wondering whether he'd ever get to evolve at all.
After all, his natural talent was so poor that was why he'd been abandoned in the first place…
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