Chapter 267:
In the kitchen.
As noon approached, Hayashi Kaede took out both the fragmented Silver Feather and the complete one.
Two Silver Feathers—one half-damaged, one perfectly intact.
The one thing they shared was the dense Flying-type energy that surrounded them.
Only, the incomplete feather's aura seemed far more turbulent.
*Maybe the complete one's energy is just more restrained…* That thought flashed briefly through Kaede's mind.
Come to think of it, wasn't this Silver Feather something Mew had brought back from Lugia?
It even promised to bring Lugia something delicious the next time they met.
He wondered if Mew, while out playing, would actually go looking for Lugia.
"Let's start with the incomplete one first."
Just like last time, Kaede enlisted Gardevoir's help—mainly to prevent strong winds from tearing through the kitchen later.
"Gardevoir?" (Who's it for this time?)
Looking at the Silver Feather in Kaede's hand, Gardevoir tilted its head curiously.
Kaede smiled. "It's for the Pidgeot and his flock. This ingredient seems related to weather. I think once they eat it, they'll be able to control air currents better. That way, I won't have to worry so much when they're out delivering."
It was something Kaede had been mildly concerned about.
Delivering "takeout" within Aogiri City wasn't a problem—after all, the city wasn't large, and it was close to Aogiri Town.
If a Pidgeot didn't return for a while, Kaede could always have Dragonite follow its route to find it.
During the early days of their delivery service, a few Pidgey did get lost. Mostly, they just couldn't locate the correct address.
But now, after evolving into Pidgeot, they rarely lost their way.
Sometimes, Trainers passing through would spot a Pidgeot carrying a delivery box and be amazed, thinking it must be an exceptionally smart one—so they'd try to challenge and catch it.
But of course, the Pidgeot never paid them any mind.
Most Trainers simply couldn't keep up with their speed and could only watch helplessly as the little courier vanished into the sky.
Kaede had even overheard customers at the breeding house talking about it with admiration.
If such incidents happened even within Aogiri City, it would be even riskier for provincial deliveries.
"I should probably make some kind of identification badge," Kaede murmured. "That should stop most Trainers from trying to catch them."
Setting that thought aside, he nodded to Gardevoir, who enveloped the kitchen with a soft Psychic barrier.
Then Kaede began cooking.
Since there were so many Pidgeot, he didn't ask each one about its preferred flavor. Instead, he used common berries to make a standard batch of Energy Cubes.
Before long, twenty-one glittering cubes lay on the counter.
[SSS+ Grade Ocean Current Energy Cube – Created by the breeder using a fragmented Silver Feather as the main ingredient. After consumption, the Pokémon can master the power of ocean currents.]
[Culinary Effect 1: Weather Master – Wind: Greatly enhances a Flying-type Pokémon's control over wind and weather.]
[Culinary Effect 2: Tailwind: Increases flight speed by 50%.]
[Culinary Effect 3: Ocean's Favor: When flying above the sea, receives the ocean's blessing.]
Three distinct culinary effects.
The grade was SSS+.
Perhaps because the Silver Feather was fragmented, or maybe because Kaede had divided it among so many cubes.
Still, the primary effect—Weather Master: Wind—piqued Kaede's curiosity.
In the Pokémon world, there wasn't an official weather condition specifically called "wind."
He'd find out what it meant soon enough after the Pidgeot tried them.
The secondary effects, increased flight speed and Ocean's Favor, were both highly practical.
Maybe this was laying the groundwork for future overseas deliveries.
Without overthinking it, Kaede carried the freshly prepared lunch to the garden.
It was mealtime now, and most of the Pokémon were already gathered, waiting expectantly.
"Vulpix~" (It's here, it's here!)
"Alcremie …"
"Goodra…"
"Eevee…"
"Alright, alright, don't rush. It's coming."
Kaede smiled warmly as he and Gardevoir used Psychic to distribute each Pokémon's preferred dish.
With Gardevoir's help, he truly felt like a professional chef, providing daily meals for his Pokémon family.
Seeing them eat so happily filled him with satisfaction.
"Serperior…"
Serperior glided up beside him, nudging him lightly with its tail.
"Okay, okay…"
Kaede chuckled and took out a Pecha Berry–flavored alcoholic chocolate, offering it to Serperior.
As he expected, Serperior loved the chocolates infused with Pecha Berry pieces.
Three or four were just the right amount to enjoy without getting tipsy.
Of course, that limit was strictly three or four.
But today, after finishing its usual portion, Serperior still looked unsatisfied and nudged him again.
"Serperior~"
"If you eat any more, you'll get drunk, you know."
Kaede raised a brow at its expectant expression.
"Serperior…"
Serperior's tone instantly turned frosty.
"Fine, fine—eat them and go rest afterward."
With a helpless smile, Kaede handed over a few more chocolates.
After indulging, Serperior's cheeks flushed slightly. Satisfied, it nodded and slithered back to its room, preparing for winter hibernation.
Kaede sighed in relief, ready to distribute the Energy Cubes to the Pidgeot—when Alolan Vulpix trotted up to him.
It looked up, eyes glimmering, and cooed sweetly, "Vulpix~" (I want some too, I want some too~)
Clearly, it had seen Serperior being fed earlier and wanted in on the treats.
"Alright, alright…" Kaede couldn't refuse.
He brought out a large bowl of alcoholic chocolates—because behind Alolan Vulpix stood the Eevee squad, Sprigatito, Milotic, Primarina… and the Indeedee siblings, all staring at him hopefully.
After feeding Alolan Vulpix, Little Nine and Little Three hurried over.
(●ˇ∀ˇ●): "Eevee~"
"Eevee…"
"Okay, okay—everyone gets some."
Kaede distributed the chocolates one by one, patiently feeding them all.
Some Pokémon were a bit shy at first—like Milotic and the newly evolved Primarina.
Others, like Blaziken, Butterfree, and Dragonite, accepted them boldly and without hesitation.
Finally, Kaede even approached Salamence, who reluctantly opened its jaws, allowing Kaede to toss a few chocolates inside.
After making sure everyone was taken care of, Kaede exhaled deeply.
He was just about to head toward the Pidgeot when he turned and noticed Gardevoir standing quietly behind him.
His expression shifted.
"Gardevoir… do you want some too?"