These past few days, the young lady hadn't been in the brightest of moods.
The main reason was that both Hayashi and Hisako had received their Starter Pokémon. The two of them were like newly-in-love fools, constantly doting on their Pokémon and exuding an atmosphere that made the single (meaning without a Starter Pokémon) young lady (referring to Erina) grind her teeth in frustration.
Fortunately, this "only I don't have a Starter Pokémon" situation lasted only about a week before Professor Oak delivered the young lady's very own Milcery to her.
"Mii—"
When Erina opened the Poké Ball with trembling hands, a small white blob appeared before her, letting out an adorable, kitten-like cry.
'This, this is Milcery, my Starter Pokémon...' Erina extended her shaking hand toward Milcery, who slowly floated over and gently settled onto her palm.
"What does it feel like?"
Hayashi and Hisako immediately crowded around Erina. Hayashi studied the tiny creature in her palm with curiosity and asked in an intrigued tone—from his observations, Milcery's body seemed like an amorphous, flowing substance, somewhat resembling an all-white, softer version of a slime! It also emitted an incredibly enticing milky fragrance that made Hayashi salivate uncontrollably.
"It feels cool, soft, and smooth..." Erina gently poked Milcery's body with her finger and said, "It's like poking a blob of liquid! Pokémon are such amazing creatures!"
"Mii—"
Milcery seemed to feel a bit ticklish. She let out another "mii" sound while wriggling cutely, making Erina break into a dazed smile—now she finally understood why Hisako and Hayashi had been wearing those silly grins these past few days!!
How could they not? These little creatures were so adorable, they could melt anyone's heart!!
"Eve eve!"
"Ah—"
As if recognizing a new companion, Eevee and Florges immediately approached Milcery, making friendly sounds.
"Mii~"
Milcery's body wiggled a few times, its two tiny eyes curving into adorable crescents as it responded to Eevee and Florges's calls.
"Looks like they're getting along quite well—" Hayashi squatted by the coffee table, wearing a happy expression as he said, "Ah, just watching their interactions feels so healing."
Beside him, Hisako nodded dreamily and said, "I feel the same way—it's like I could watch them for hours without getting tired!"
If this were Eevee before she got Milcery, she'd probably be watching the two "showing off their babies" with a sour, lonely expression. But now, she simply cradled her Milcery with a silly grin—if her affection could be converted into combat power, it'd easily surpass Super Saiyan 3.
"Ahem—"
At that moment, Professor Oak, who had been leaning against the wall, gave a light cough and said with a smile, "Everyone satisfied?"
"Absolutely! How could we not be?"
"Couldn't be happier!"
"Thank you so much, Professor Oak—"
Seeing the trio's overflowing love for their Pokémon, Professor Oak chuckled and said, "Looking at your expressions now, I'm even more convinced I made the right decision."
"Hehe, Professor Oak, don't you worry!" Hayashi said, holding the tail-wagging Eevee in his arms. "We'll definitely take good care of our Pokémon!"
Hisako also cradled Florges in her palms, her expression serious as she declared, "I'll treat Florges with all my heart! She'll be my lifelong partner!"
"Yaa—"
Florges's eyes narrowed happily as it flew to Hisako's cheek and nuzzled it gently—I like you so much too!
As for the young lady? Her attitude—wanting to hold Milcery in her mouth and keep it in her heart—was proof enough of how much she adored this Pokémon. She was so afraid of dropping Milcery that she even stood up with extreme caution.
Seemingly forgetting entirely that Milcery had been floating above the table when it first emerged from its Poké Ball.
"Alright, you three—" Professor Oak clapped his hands lightly. "Now that you've all received your Starter Pokémon, it's time to think about your journey!"
"Journey?"
Hayashi and the other two exchanged glances before realization dawned—that's right! They were planning to experience life as Trainers and travel the Pokémon world for a while!
"As I thought, you'd forgotten." Professor Oak shook his head helplessly. "Luckily, I've already prepared everything you'll need for your journey—follow me!"
In the Pokémon world, children preparing to become Trainers would typically embark on a journey around the age of 15, so Professor Oak was already well-practiced in packing travel essentials.
"These are Running Shoes—they'll lighten the burden on your feet so you won't feel tired even after walking all day—"
"This is a Space Backpack—it already contains sleeping bags, tents, cooking utensils, and other necessities—"
"And here are the Pokédexes and Poké Balls I promised you. Given your special circumstances, I've upgraded your Pokédexes to the National Pokédex—"
"Inside, there's also a Mach Bike Exchange Voucher prepared for you. You can exchange it for a bike of your choice at any Mach Bike chain store—"
"And here's some travel money for your journey. If it's not enough, just ask me for more—"
"Oh, and this is..."
Hayashi and the other two stood obediently by the table, listening to Professor Oak's endless stream of instructions. A strange feeling welled up in their hearts—like a mother worrying over her child traveling far from home. How odd—Professor Oak was clearly a man, wasn't he?
"Did you all understand everything?" Professor Oak gave them a concerned look and muttered, "You're not from this world, so there's a lot of common knowledge you don't know... Ah, what if something happens?"
"Professor Oak, I'm already in my twenties!" Hayashi raised his hands helplessly, laughing despite himself. "Kids as young as fifteen travel around this world without any issues!"
"You're in your twenties, yet you can't even cook—" Professor Oak glared at Hayashi, grinding his teeth. "Need I remind you of what you did just two days ago?"
"Ahem—"
Hayashi, Erina, and Hisako all coughed in unison to suppress their laughter.
Two nights ago, Hayashi—having apparently seen some bizarre meme—had enthusiastically declared he would showcase his cooking skills for Professor Oak. Then, under the horrified gazes of Erina and Hisako Arato, he marched into the kitchen.
Erina shot Hisako a questioning look with her eyes: 'He can cook?'
Hisako replied: 'If instant noodles count.'
Erina shook her head firmly. As a chef hailing from the world of Food Wars!, she refused to acknowledge instant noodles as cooking! At the very least, you had to turn on the stove, right?
Wait—no, scratch that. Anyone who claims boiling water for instant noodles counts as cooking should be thrown out immediately!
Soon, Hayashi proudly placed a dish on the table. Professor Oak glanced at it, smiled, and picked up a bite. "I thought it was something special, but it's just shredded potatoes... I #%&^$&!"
Watching Professor Oak's expression morph into something dangerous, Hayashi grinned innocently. "You're wrong, Professor! This dish is called Minesweeper—it's potatoes stir-fried with ginger!"
What kind of nonsense was Minesweeper? And potatoes stir-fried with ginger? Couldn't he have made something normal?!
After such a traumatic experience, how could Professor Oak ever trust Hayashi's cooking skills again?
Forget it—he was worse than me! At least I could make instant noodles!
"Alright, alright!" Professor Oak waved his hand irritably. "Just be careful on your journey. If anything comes up, call me using the Little Genius Smartwatch—"
"Got it, got it—"
As Professor Oak launched into yet another lengthy list of warnings, Hayashi exchanged helpless glances with Erina and Hisako. The three of them nodded obediently.
What else could they do but listen?
...
...
"Phew, we finally escaped." Hayashi wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his black backpack slung over his shoulders, and an Eevee perched on his shoulder. "I never knew Professor Oak could talk so much!"
Erina glanced at Hayashi and said, "Perhaps it's because you're so unreliable that Professor Oak feels worried and can't help but give you extra reminders!"
"Hey, that's slander! Pure slander—" Hayashi turned to Hisako beside him and said, "Hisako, you know I'm a mature and dependable adult man, right?"
"Uh..."
Hisako hesitated for a few seconds. Just as she was about to nod to save Hayashi some face, she caught Erina's sharp glare—the next moment, she quickly shook her head and declared righteously, "I can't even begin to imagine Mr. Hayashi being reliable!"
"?"
Hayashi shot a look at the smug Erina beside him, then grumbled, "You two are in cahoots, birds of a feather!"
"Ah, yes, yes—"
Erina spread her hands—say whatever you want, she'd just shrug and agree. What could he possibly do about it?
"Wow, this hurts—" Hayashi felt as miserable as drinking flat Sprite. Clutching his chest, he lamented, "Shaking with rage, this world is full of oppression against honest people. Can honest folks ever catch a break?"
"Ah, yes, yes—" Erina, who was distractedly browsing Pokémon data on her Pokédex, nodded absentmindedly and muttered to herself, "Hmm, which Pokémon should I catch?"
Hisako chimed in with advice, "I think you should at least have one Electric-type, Fire-type, and Water-type. That way, you won't lack electricity, fire, or drinking water in the wild!"
Erina's eyes lit up, and she smiled. "You're right! Hisako, you're so clever!"
Hisako immediately flushed bright red, entering a state of ecstatic loyalty so intense it seemed like her nose might start gushing blood.
Huh? What about Hayashi?
He was currently squatting in a corner, drawing circles on the ground. The little Eevee on his shoulder sighed and patted his back, comforting his wounded heart.
Hayashi: Angry. At least five minutes of ignoring you guys!
----------
For advance chapters join my Patreon.
[email protected]/Aarvan