Chapter 199:
Jirachi looked at Takagi Megumi with confusion.
Whenever it granted wishes for others, they always seemed so happy.
"Well..." The girl thought for a moment, chin in hand. "Hayashi Kaede said that granting wishes comes at a cost for you. It seems the bigger the wish, the greater the cost. If helping me fulfill my wishes means you have to pay an unhappy price, I'd feel guilty inside."
She wasn't foolish.
Although Hayashi Kaede hadn't explicitly stated the cost of Jirachi's wish-granting before, it was clearly not without its price.
She didn't know exactly what that price was. But rather than regretting it later because of the cost, it was better to exercise restraint now.
Besides, she didn't have any burning desires or major regrets.
Becoming a great Pokémon Trainer was her dream.
But it was a position she wanted to achieve through her own efforts.
She had already received so much help already.
In life, you eventually have to learn to rely on your own efforts.
Takagi Megumi looked at Jirachi sincerely. "Okay?"
"Okay."
Jirachi accepted this explanation readily and even smiled.
It would tell those who brought it joy about its wish-granting ability, but Akaze had also said on the fifth day that if it encountered someone unpleasant, it could refuse to grant their wish and leave them.
"Alright, stop standing around. Let's eat first."
Hayashi Kaede, who couldn't hear the story anymore, finally finished grilling the second batch of meat and brought it over using telekinesis.
This was the second and final batch.
Truth be told, it was mainly because Salamence, Goodra, and Blaziken had such big appetites. Otherwise, one batch would have been enough.
But it didn't matter.
Hayashi Kaede watched as Blaziken and the others started eating again, a smile tugging at his lips.
For a Breeder, watching the little ones grow up, mature, and become strong under his care... that was what he most wanted to witness.
Similarly, for a cook, seeing the food he made enjoyed by everyone was also something Hayashi Kaede loved to see.
"You're a lot like Akaze..."
Jirachi, interrupted by the food, didn't continue its story with Mew. Instead, it flew over to Hayashi Kaede.
"Huh? I'm like him?" Hayashi Kaede was a bit puzzled.
Jirachi explained, "Yeah, Akaze also loved watching the Caterpie eat leaves. You also love watching them eat."
"Is that so..."
Hayashi Kaede understood and chuckled. "It's because I find it really interesting to watch every Pokémon eat.
"Look, like that big dragon over there," he pointed at Salamence. "It eats very heartily. A whole plate of meat, poured straight into its mouth, chewed a couple of times, and swallowed."
Salamence, noticing Hayashi Kaede looking at it, paused its chewing, then sheepishly looked away.
The thing was, it really did eat meat quickly.
Its mouth was just that big...
So of course it took mouthfuls at a time.
Hayashi Kaede then pointed at Alolan Vulpix and the Eevees. "Now look at them. They're small, and I cut their meat into pieces beforehand.
"So they can eat in small bites.
"Actually, if I didn't cut it up, they'd have to use their claws to tear the meat apart, but that would get their fur dirty.
"At first, Alolan Vulpix didn't care about that. It used to run into muddy puddles right after watering, just to play in the water, and get all dirty..."
He remembered how Alolan Vulpix always got its white fur covered in wet mud, requiring a wash.
It only got better after it learned to use Ice-type energy. But before he could finish, Alolan Vulpix heard him. It immediately put down the food it was eating and pounced over, its face flushed with embarrassment. "Vulpix!"
Don't talk about my embarrassing childhood moments!
I'm the Vulpix Hero now! I have an image to maintain!
"Alright, alright, I won't say anymore. Sorry, sorry... saving your face..." Hayashi Kaede felt he might have gone a bit too far and apologized immediately.
Though the smile never left his face.
"I guess I got a bit off track. How should I put it?" Hayashi Kaede looked back at Jirachi. "I think he didn't just like watching those Caterpie eat, but... he liked the Caterpie themselves?
"Or maybe, because those Caterpie were valuable helpers to the tribe, and also his partners.
"Akaze must have cherished those Caterpie a lot, right?" Hayashi Kaede asked rhetorically.
Caterpie, whether in the past or now, were considered weak.
From Jirachi's description, Akaze's tribe wasn't particularly powerful either.
The weak bonding together naturally fosters stronger unity.
"Mhmm, Akaze cherished the Caterpie very much." Jirachi nodded vigorously.
Hayashi Kaede didn't ask further, just smiled.
The relationship between ancient Pokémon and humans...
If possible, he'd like to see it for himself.
...
After lunch on Apricot Mountain, Hayashi Kaede returned to the arena.
This time, the main targets were the Eevees. Blaziken and Goodra, after hearing about Alolan Vulpix's "glorious" deeds, also showed considerable interest.
Hayashi Kaede was happy to let them have some fun in the Junior Cup.
And so...
A peculiar scene unfolded.
A young man, occasionally with a few Eevees, battled for a while on one field—with mixed wins and losses—then brought out Blaziken to dominate another field.
Blaziken's speed was simply uncanny, already reaching gym leader-level. Often, the opponent's Pokémon would be knocked out before they even saw it move.
One might think that was already hard to top.
But surprisingly, after Blaziken, he brought out a... Goodra?
Goodra.
The referees were already wide-eyed after Blaziken reached gym leader-level.
Several Rotom drones conducted inspections, asked questions, and nearly resorted to blood tests to verify Blaziken's age before finally, reluctantly, allowing it.
But now...
When a Goodra stood before the referee, he instinctively gulped.
No way...
This Goodra...
He remembered it was a Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon, right?
A Dragon-type Pseudo-Legendary, no less.
Are you sure it's under one year old?
The referee, skeptical, had a Rotom take a picture of Goodra and sent it to the tournament officials.
"Goodra?"
Don't mention it, Goodra was a bit nervous in its first battle.
Mainly because there were so many people around. It couldn't help looking around, occasionally glancing back to confirm Alolan Vulpix's encouraging gaze and Mewtwo's presence before steadying itself.
But its opponent...
Well, the opposing Trainer was currently having a hard time voicing their distress.