A/N: Well, yesterday I posted an announcement saying I'd take a short break to rewrite some older chapters during my vacation. But after giving it some more thought, I decided it's probably better to write new chapters and edit the old ones simultaneously. Honestly, there's really no better time to write than right now, so why wait? Hope you guys enjoy the chapter!
Btw, since this chapter is too long, I had to split it into two, lol.
…
…
…
A few days had passed since the night Cedric received his latest rewards.
The hospital no longer felt like the same place it had been when he first opened his eyes there. Back then, every sound had seemed to carry a sharp, suffocating edge.
The hurried footsteps in the corridor, the muted, urgent conversations between nurses, the soft rattle of medical carts, and even the steady beep... beep... beep... of the monitors had all blended together into one constant, blaring reminder that his life was still hanging by a thread.
Now, that tension had completely bled out of the room.
The sharp scent of antiseptic still hung in the air, but it had long lost its sterile bite, fading into the background like white noise.
The distant chime of an elevator, a nurse's quiet laughter, and the faint rattle-rattle of a metal cart rolling over a seam in the floor—these ordinary, familiar sounds wove together into a peaceful, mundane tapestry.
And perhaps that was exactly what made today feel so surreal.
Cedric was leaving.
He sat on the edge of the hospital bed, slowly packing the last of his belongings into the black duffel bag resting beside him.
His movements were steady and deliberate, lacking the painful hesitation that had accompanied even the simplest actions just a few days ago.
His right arm was still encased in a thick plaster cast, and heavy bandages remained strapped tightly around his torso. His body was still littered with the fading, bruised evidence of the Hollow, but the difference was unmistakable.
He could sit upright without feeling as though his ribs were collapsing inward. He could walk without needing to pause for breath, and he could finally dress himself without a nurse immediately ordering him back to bed.
The doctors had finally accepted that keeping him here any longer would accomplish very little. He was recovering. And today, he was being discharged.
[Are you going to keep staring at that bed all day, or are you actually leaving?]
The System's familiar voice drifted through his mind, its dry amusement barely hidden beneath a layer of artificial impatience.
Cedric glanced at the bed.
'I'm leaving.'
[Good. I was starting to think you'd gotten attached to the mattress.]
Cedric ignored the remark, reaching out to grab the last item on the bedside table.
Across the room, Wise was going over the discharge paperwork one final time, her brow furrowed in deep concentration. And Belle stood beside her, checking Cedric's belongings against the hospital inventory with an almost unnecessary level of thoroughness.
In the corner, Ellen had claimed the visitor's chair by the window, bathed in the morning light as she quietly scrolled through her phone.
"You still have follow-up appointments."
Wise said without looking up from the documents.
"I know."
"Medication on schedule."
"I know."
"No strenuous activity."
"I know."
Belle lowered the paper in her hands, her expression turning serious.
"No heavy lifting."
"I know."
"No fighting."
"I know."
"No doing anything stupid."
Cedric paused for a fraction of a second.
"I'm not planning to."
Ellen finally looked up from her glowing screen.
"You were."
"I wasn't."
"You were absolutely thinking about it."
Cedric considered denying it, but ultimately decided there was no point in arguing.
Shuffle~~
Before anyone could press the matter further, a faint, suspicious rustling came from the duffel bag.
Everyone's attention instantly shifted toward it. Cedric calmly placed one hand over the zipper, but the canvas fabric shifted again.
Just slightly this time.
"Gii..."
Belle's lips twitched in suppressed amusement.
"Haa... You really brought him here?"
Ellen crossed her arms and looked away, her tail giving a slow, irritable swish.
"He wouldn't let me leave without him."
That was the undeniable truth. Gible had become incredibly attached to Cedric ever since hatching.
Whenever Cedric disappeared from his sight for too long, he wanted to follow. Whenever someone tried to keep him away from Cedric, he protested with the absolute stubbornness of a creature that had never once accepted the concept of being told 'no'.
Ellen had unfortunately been the one stuck watching it, which meant she had inevitably been dragged into smuggling him into the hospital.
Until today, whenever staff entered the room, Gible stayed hidden beneath clothes and blankets at the bottom of the bag.
Ellen glanced toward the bag, then gave a small shrug.
"Though, we don't really need to hide him anymore, do we? Cedric's being discharged today anyway."
Cedric looked at the bag for a moment before unzipping it.
Gible immediately poked his head out, looking around as though he had been waiting for permission.
"Gyu!"
The door suddenly swung open.
Swish!
Billy strolled into the room, his metallic hands resting casually on his hips. He came to a halt near the foot of the bed, his optics scanning Cedric.
He took in the heavy, restrictive medical gauze and the thick plaster cast with genuine, unfiltered awe.
"Man..."
Billy murmured, leaning in slightly.
"I kinda wish I could get bandaged up like that."
Nicole had walked in right behind him. Hearing that, she stopped dead in her tracks.
And stared at the back of the android's head, taking a deep, exasperated breath as if seriously questioning her own life choices.
She didn't say a word. She just stepped forward and swung her arm.
CLANG.
Her heavy metal briefcase struck the side of Billy's head with a resonant ring.
Billy froze, his entire chassis stiffening in place.
"Ugh... Ow."
Nicole lowered the briefcase, glaring daggers at him.
"Do you ever think before you speak?"
Billy rubbed the side of his head defensively.
"I did! It just sounded way cooler in my head!"
Nicole raised the briefcase again, narrowing her eyes.
"Do you want another hit? Keep talking, and I'll make sure you actually need those bandages."
Billy flinched and quickly held up both hands.
"Okay, okay! Message received!"
Belle covered her mouth to hide a giggle, while Wise just shook her head with a tired sigh. Ellen looked out the window, though Cedric could easily catch the faint, amused curve of her lips.
Billy looked at Cedric, silently pleading for backup.
For a moment, Cedric was actually a bit curious.
"But… why did you want bandages?"
Billy immediately recovered his boundless enthusiasm, stepping closer.
"Oh! Because of the movie trope! You know the scene. In the action movies, when the hero is completely healed, right? They don't just take the bandages off normally."
He struck a dramatic, exaggerated pose, puffing out his metallic chest.
"They stand up, clench their fists, flex their muscles, and—bam!—the bandages just explode right off! It visually shows the audience they're back at one hundred percent!"
Cedric stopped what he was doing.
He looked at Billy. Then, he looked at the heavy, restrictive medical gauze tightly wrapping his chest, and the thick plaster cast encasing his right arm. A strange spark of genuine curiosity flickered in his dark eyes.
"So you just tense your muscles?"
Billy's optics brightened with pure excitement.
"Yeah! Exactly! Come on, you should try it!"
"Billy."
Nicole warned, her tone dropping dangerously low.
Billy ignored her entirely, stepping right up to Cedric like a highly invested coach.
"Just copy me step by step. It'll be really cool, I promise."
The System's voice cut into Cedric's mind sharply.
[Cedric.]
'What?'
[No. Whatever you're thinking, don't. Just... don't listen to him.]
Cedric ignored the warning. He stood up, squaring his shoulders as he faced Billy.
"What first?"
Billy grinned, demonstrating the stance.
"Okay, first, turn to the side and plant your feet."
Cedric adjusted his footing, standing sideways on the hospital tiles.
"Good. Now, bend your front arm at a right angle and clench your fist tight."
Cedric raised his arm, closing his hand firmly.
"Now bring your other hand across your stomach and grab your wrist. Yeah, exactly like that!"
Cedric gripped his own wrist.
"Now, take a deep breath, puff out your chest, and..."
Billy thrust his arms out dynamically, mimicking an explosion.
"FLEX!"
Cedric did exactly that.
But in that brief, fleeting moment, Cedric had simply forgotten just how fundamentally different his body had become.
He forgot that beneath skin as soft as a baby's, his new body held a terrifying amount of power.
He just took a breath, puffed out his chest, and tensed his arms.
BOOM!!!
The sound cracked through the confined space like a suppressed gunshot.
The reinforced medical gauze wrapping his torso surrendered instantly, tearing apart under the sudden, violent expansion of muscle.
The loose hospital shirt split straight down the seams, and the heavy plaster cast encasing his right arm gave a sharp, resonant crack before violently detonating into a cloud of white powder.
A chaotic blizzard of fabric and chalky debris filled the air.
A strip of gauze slapped Wise directly in the face. A chunk of plaster bounced harmlessly off Belle's shoulder. Another stray ribbon of fabric drifted through the haze, landing perfectly on top of Ellen's head.
Billy stumbled backward in absolute shock.
"MY EYES!!!" Nicole shrieked.
Nicole flinched as a blast of dust flew into her eyes.
And Gible disappeared completely under a mountain of shredded bandages on the bed.
For a second, the room fell into stunned silence.
"Ugh, my eyes. Where did I put my eye drops?"
Nicole groaned, squeezing her eyes tightly shut while her hands frantically patted her pockets.
"I know I have them here somewhere."
…Almost deafening silence.
Then the System spoke.
[...Okay, I have to admit.]
A short pause.
[That was pretty spectacular.]
Cedric stood in the middle of the room, white dust settling quietly across his bare shoulders. He looked down at his ruined shirt. Then at the shattered pieces of the cast littering the floor.
Finally, he looked at the people around him.
Nobody else screamed. Instead, they just stared, muttering their own completely different reactions in the settling dust.
Wise calmly pulled the gauze from her face. Her eyes were wide with a rare, quiet astonishment.
"What in the world...?" she murmured under her breath.
Belle brushed the plaster from her shoulder, staring at Cedric with her mouth slightly open in pure, undisguised shock.
"H-How did you..."
Billy stood frozen for a second before his optics flared with a wild, vibrating mix of awe and unrestrained excitement.
"Holy shit... that was awesome!!!"
Ellen casually pulled the strip of cloth from her head, her brow furrowed in deep, absolute confusion.
"The hell?" she muttered, dropping the cloth.
Anby had been at the nurse's station collecting the final discharge paperwork when the explosion shook the corridor.
She appeared in the doorway a moment later, merely blinking as she took in the scene.
Her expression remained completely unchanged.
"Fascinating."
"I can't find them!" Nicole finally gave up, leaning down toward Anby and trying to pry one tearing eye open just a fraction. "Anby, quick, blow the dust out for me!"
Anby stared at her boss calmly for a second, then leaned in.
"Fuuuu... Fuuuu…"
Nicole blinked furiously.
"Ugh. I feel better now. Thanks."
Cedric looked back at Billy.
"...Was that supposed to happen?"
Billy threw his metallic hands up in the air.
"I didn't know it would actually work!"
A muffled, pathetic voice came from underneath the pile on the bed.
"Gible..."
Cedric turned and immediately reached into the mess and pulled Gible out.
The little Pokémon emerged completely coated in white powder. He sneezed violently.
"Pshh!"
Cedric carefully brushed the dust off his round head.
"Are you alright?"
"Gii."
[Yeah... I'm pretty sure he's saying, "I trusted you."]
'That sounds about right,' Cedric thought.
He looked around the room.
His Aura Perception was still rough. He could sense the presence of other life around him, but fine details remained difficult to grasp.
But Emotion Aura was different, even when another person's Aura itself was still faint or indistinct, the emotions carried through it came through to him with surprising clarity.
He could feel the bright, buzzing energy carried through Billy's Aura, dancing easily alongside the steady, maternal warmth carried through Wise's.
Nicole's mild annoyance came through her Aura just as clearly, blending with Ellen's deep, quiet amusement.
It was an unusual imbalance.
His ability to perceive Aura was still developing, yet when an Aura carried emotion, that part of it stood out almost immediately.
But as his awareness brushed against Belle's Aura, the smooth current hit a subtle chill mixed with warmth.
There was caution beneath it.
She wasn't frightened, nor was she hostile, only quietly guarded. And that puzzled him.
It wasn't just because of what had just happened with the cast.
Ever since he had first opened his eyes in this hospital room, he had felt it lingering beneath her every action.
Day after day, an odd, persistent contradiction—her warm, genuine concern always existed side by side with a faint, unyielding wariness.
He didn't know what was causing it, nor did he have any way of asking.
His eyes returned to Belle.
And she noticed him looking.
For a fleeting moment, neither of them said a word.
Cedric didn't try to probe further, nor did he offer an excuse to put her at ease.
Whatever was keeping that distance between them, it wasn't something he could force away.
He simply reached up, calmly plucking a stray piece of plaster from his shoulder.
Belle hesitated, then gave a slow, small nod.
"...That was unexpected."
"Yeah."
Neither of them felt the need to add anything else before the door suddenly burst open again.
This time, the doctor rushed in with two nurses, their eyes wide with alarm.
The doctor took one look at the chaotic room, the white dust still hanging in the air, and the shattered cast on the floor. He seemed to age a decade on the spot.
"You," the doctor said, pointing a trembling finger at Cedric. "Did you do this?"
Cedric glanced toward Billy.
"He told me how."
Billy immediately pressed his back against the wall.
"No, no, don't put this on me!"
The doctor rubbed his forehead with a heavy, exhausted sigh.
"Haa... I don't want the story."
He knelt beside the broken cast, examining the thick fragments before stepping up to inspect Cedric's bare arm.
"Fortunately, this wasn't a complete disaster. We were planning to remove this rigid cast today anyway and replace it with a lighter support wrap."
Cedric looked at the broken pieces on the floor.
"So I didn't damage it?"
"No."
The doctor examined the arm once more, shaking his head in disbelief.
"You were incredibly lucky."
Billy let out a massive sigh of relief.
"See? Everything worked out perfectly!"
CLANG!
Nicole smacked the back of his head again.
"Don't learn the wrong lesson."
The doctor ignored the interruption. He thoroughly checked Cedric's arm, then briefly looked over his other fading injuries. His gaze eventually settled on Gible.
He paused.
"And what exactly is that?"
Gible looked up at him.
"Gyu."
Cedric answered as though the question were perfectly ordinary.
"He's my pet. Gible."
The doctor studied the little creature for a moment.
"I've never seen a species like this before."
The doctor gave Gible another brief look, then apparently decided it was none of his business and turned back to Cedric.
"Your recovery continues to be unusually fast, but do not misunderstand what that means," the doctor said sternly, looking up from his notes.
"Even if the outside looks almost completely healed, that doesn't mean everything underneath the surface has recovered."
Cedric nodded.
"No heavy lifting?"
"No heavy lifting."
"No fighting?"
"No fighting."
"Understood," Cedric answered calmly. He had no intention of going out of his way to find trouble anyway.
The doctor stared at him over the rim of his glasses for a moment, seemingly satisfied by his flat, honest response, before letting out a quiet breath.
"Good."
After the final examination, the heavy plaster was replaced with a light, flexible support wrap.
The last of the paperwork was signed, and Cedric finally received official permission to leave.
He picked up the duffel bag. Gible immediately waddled over to his side.
Cedric took a step toward the door. Then, he stopped.
His eyes drifted back toward the empty hospital bed.
For a moment, he thought about the first time he had ever been hospitalized—in his previous life. Back then, the room had felt cold and unfamiliar, and leaving it had meant stepping into a future he had no idea how to face.
This time, the feeling was different.
He was still injured, still recovering, but the room no longer felt like the end of something. There were people waiting for him outside. People he could leave with. People he could return to.
Cedric adjusted the strap of his bag and looked toward the open door.
The first time, he had left a hospital alone.
This time, he didn't have to.
Something tugged at his jacket.
Swish swish~
He looked down. Gible was staring up at him expectantly.
"Gible~."
Cedric looked back toward the open door, where the others were waiting for him in the corridor.
"Okay, let's go."
"Gii!"
This time, the little Pokémon followed immediately.
…
…
…
The automatic doors slid open, and the afternoon air of New Eridu rushed to greet him.
It was a stark contrast to the sterile quiet of the ward. Cars rumbled along the sunlit asphalt, pedestrians chattered in overlapping waves, a delivery drone hummed overhead with a low whrrr, and somewhere nearby, the savory scent of street food mixed with the metallic tang of the city.
It wasn't peaceful. It wasn't quiet. But as the warm breeze brushed past his face, Cedric found that he didn't mind it at all. The city felt vibrantly, undeniably alive.
Wise clapped her hands once, drawing everyone's attention. Her eyes were bright, a warm smile gracing her features.
Plap! Plap!
"Alright. Now that we're finally getting you out of here, there's one more thing. Tonight, we're having a party at Random Play."
Cedric blinked.
"A party?"
"Hell yeah!"
Billy cheered, pumping a fist into the air.
Belle's face instantly lit up.
"Oh! I'll get the decorations!"
Wise smiled warmly.
"And since it's a special occasion, I'll be covering all the party supplies today out of my own pocket. So let's head to the Mall."
Nicole's green eyes widened, practically turning into glowing Denny symbols.
"Wait, really? Your own money?"
Wise nodded.
"Yes. My treat."
Anby gave a slow, approving nod.
"A celebratory feast paid for by someone else is the most logical step for morale recovery."
"Gyu!"
Gible chirped loudly, throwing his short arms up in the air in imitation.
Ellen, who had been standing slightly apart from the group with her hands shoved deep in her pockets, spoke up.
"I'll pass."
Wise looked over at her.
"You sure?"
"I don't like parties."
Wise didn't press her. She just smiled softly.
"You've spent the last few days coming to the hospital to check on him, Ellen. You can stay for one evening."
Ellen hesitated.
Cedric stood a few steps away, watching her.
He let his awareness brush against the Aura around her, and the emotional impression carried through it reached him clearly.
It wasn't annoyance. It was simply the quiet discomfort of someone who didn't know how to navigate being part of a group, mixed with a very subtle reluctance to leave.
Gible waddled over, stopping right at her feet and staring up at her with wide, unblinking eyes.
"Gii."
Ellen stared down at the creature with a flat expression.
"You're not helping."
"Gyu."
Wise met her gaze calmly.
"You don't have to stay long."
Ellen held her stare for a moment before letting out a long, defeated sigh.
"Haa... Fine."
"YES!"
Billy fist-pumped in victory.
Ellen immediately shot him a lethal glare.
"Don't make me regret it."
Billy lowered his hand instantly.
"Understood."
They made their way to Lumina Square, blending into the lively weekend crowds.
Their destination was Lumina Galleria, the massive, multi-level shopping complex in the heart of the district.
Inside, the atmosphere was a dazzling bombardment of consumerism. Bright holographic advertisements floated mid-air beneath expansive glass ceilings, and the polished tile floors reflected the endless rows of high-end storefronts, arcades, and sprawling supermarkets.
It was loud, bright, and utterly chaotic.
They grabbed a pair of shopping carts at the entrance of the mall's mega-supermarket section. It took less than a minute for the group to stop behaving like they had a plan.
Billy grabbed a cart by the handles, his optics gleaming.
"Starlight Express, ready for deployment!"
He immediately picked up Gible and set the little dragon squarely into the child seat of the cart. Gible stood up, raising his stubby claws like a conquering general.
"Hold on, little buddy!" Billy cheered, instantly taking off and speeding down the aisle before Wise could even try to stop him.
Belle made a beeline for the party aisle and started throwing streamers, colorful napkins, balloons, and entirely unnecessary party hats into her cart.
Nicole, however, caught Cedric's attention. He paused, his eyes narrowing slightly as he observed the Cunning Hares' leader.
While Wise was distracted checking prices on bulk snacks, Nicole was casually, yet methodically, slipping items into the second shopping cart.
A premium pack of heavily quilted paper towels. Two boxes of expensive rechargeable batteries. A high-end set of ceramic coasters. And, inexplicably, three large cans of premium tuna.
"Nicole."
Wise's voice was deadpan. She had turned around.
Nicole flinched slightly, but instantly recovered, offering a brilliant, entirely innocent smile.
"Yes, Wise?"
Wise pointed a finger at the premium household goods buried under a bag of chips.
"What is that?"
"Party supplies!" Nicole declared without missing a beat. "You said you were paying for the party needs, right?"
"How are rechargeable batteries a party need?"
"For the gaming controllers! Obviously!" Nicole lied flawlessly.
"And the premium paper towels?"
"Spills happen, Wise! You want your floors to get sticky? Because I don't!"
Wise then stared at the cans of tuna.
"...And the premium tuna?"
"A great party appetizer. Very rich in Omega-3. Good for Cedric's recovery."
Cedric simply watched them. Nicole's Aura gave off a distinct emotional impression, and Cedric caught the sheer, unadulterated financial ambition carried through it, burning brighter than the mall's neon lights.
Then, Wise let out a long, deeply exhausted sigh while rubbing her temples.
"Just... don't go overboard."
"You're the best, Wise!"
Nicole beamed, immediately reaching for a ridiculously expensive cheese spray can.
After that, Cedric and Wise moved toward the massive beverage aisle, an intimidating wall of glowing coolers.
Cedric stood silently in front of the glass, his dark eyes scanning the endless rows of sodas and energy drinks.
Wise stepped up beside him.
"What do you want?"
It was a simple question.
[Don't say 'anything is fine'.]
"Anything is fine."
[...We're going to have to work on that habit.]
Wise stopped. She turned to face him fully, her expression softening into something incredibly gentle, yet entirely firm.
"No."
Cedric looked at her in mild surprise.
"What?"
"You're choosing."
Wise pointed toward the glowing cooler.
"It's your party, Cedric. What do you want?"
Cedric turned back to the shelves. There were dozens of vibrant, colorful options reflecting under the fluorescent lights.
There were so many choices that, for a moment, he almost wished Wise would simply pick one for him. He wasn't trying to avoid the question. He just honestly didn't know what the answer was supposed to be.
But what did he want?
His eyes moved from one bottle to another. Bright colors. Familiar labels. None of them meant anything to him.
Then a bright blue sports drink caught his eye. He didn't know why, but he simply reached for it.
"...This one."
Wise smiled.
"Okay."
Cedric watched the cans disappear into the cart. For a few seconds, that was it. One choice. Nothing more.
Then his eyes drifted back to the cooler.
A citrus-flavored soda near the bottom shelf caught his attention.
Cedric picked it up and looked from the citrus can in his hand to the blue sports drink already sitting in the cart.
But he hesitated, not because he disliked either one, but because he could not quite decide which he wanted.
Twitch!
For a fleeting moment, a strange sensation brushed across the back of his neck.
Cedric turned almost at once, his fingers tightening around the can in his hand with just enough restraint not to make it burst.
The feeling was faint, already slipping away, but it was enough to put him on edge.
Before he could even think, Weapon Mastery already took over.
For a split second, Weapon Mastery had already identified the can as something he could use if the strange sensation turned into a real threat.
He scanned the aisle behind him.
But there was nothing there—only the quiet hum of the fluorescent lights and a few shoppers browsing in the distance.
Cedric slowly loosened his grip on the cold aluminum, his gaze lingering on the empty space.
'...What was that?'
Wise, the only one who seemed to notice the sudden change, glanced at him.
"Something wrong?"
Cedric looked back at her. The strange sensation was already gone.
"Nothing… I'm fine."
He lowered the can but kept holding it.
Wise glanced at the extra can, then at him.
"You want that one?"
Cedric looked down at the citrus can.
He still wasn't entirely sure why he wanted it, he only knew that he wanted to know what it tasted like.
"…Yes."
[Oh. There you go.]
She nodded and added the citrus soda beside the blue sports drink in the cart.
[You picked another one all by yourself.]
'…Don't make fun of me.'
[I'm not making fun of you. I am proud of you.]
Just as Cedric placed the citrus soda into the cart, Wise's deadpan voice cut through the aisle.
"Nicole."
Nicole froze, her hand hovering over the cart. In her grasp was a very small, incredibly expensive jar of luxury anti-aging night cream.
"Party supplies?" Wise asked dryly.
"Of course!" Nicole lied flawlessly, gesturing toward Cedric.
"For Cedric's cellular regeneration! The kid just recovered from the hospital! Do you want him to have dry skin on his big nig—"
"Whoa, whoa, WHOA! Brakes are unresponsive! Move, move, MOVE!" Billy yelled from down the aisle.
Before anyone could react, he came drifting around the corner way too fast.
CRASH!!!
The heavy cart slammed directly into Nicole's back.
"Gyahh!"
Nicole pitched forward, face-planting spectacularly onto the polished supermarket tiles. The jar of luxury night cream bounced out of her hand.
Gible, meanwhile, hopped smoothly out of the cart, landing on his feet entirely unharmed, and gave a cheerful chirp. "Gyu!"
Nicole remained on the floor for a long, terrible moment. After that, she slowly pushed herself up on trembling arms, clutching her lower back.
"Ugh... my back..." she groaned.
Then, she slowly turned her head, her messy pink hair shadowing her face as she locked onto the android.
Her single visible green eye was filled with pure, unfiltered murderous intent.
"You are DEAD," she hissed venomously. "You piece of junk."
Billy instantly abandoned the cart and dove behind Wise, clutching her coat like a terrified child.
"Wise, protect me! She has those debt-collector eyes!"
"Get off me, Billy," Wise sighed, futilely trying to pry his metallic fingers from her sleeve. "And stop using me as a shield."
Nicole pushed herself up, clutching her aching lower back with a furious grimace.
"After all the money I've spent on your maintenance for who knows how long" she fumed, pointing an accusing finger at him. "And this is how you repay me?!"
"I'm definitely cutting ninety percent of your salary!!!"
"That's a human rights violation!" Billy shrieked.
"You're not even a human!"
After that, they quickly moved on before Nicole could actually dismantle him.
Further down the aisle, a fierce standoff was taking place.
Gible was standing on his tiptoes, his short arms wrapped desperately around a massive, family-sized bag of extra-spicy potato chips.
"No."
Ellen said, pointing a stern finger at the creature.
"Gible."
"Absolutely not."
"Gii!"
"Let go of the chips. You don't need that much."
Gible hugged the bag tighter, burying his face into the crinkling plastic and growling softly.
Cedric walked over.
He looked at the price tag on the shelf. Then, he looked down at Gible.
The little dragon stared back, his wide eyes full of unwavering determination.
Cedric sighed.
"Huu... We'll take it."
Ellen spun around, staring at him in disbelief.
"Are you kidding me? You're spoiling him."
"He likes them."
"That's exactly how you spoil something."
Gible looked absolutely delighted as Cedric picked up the giant bag.
[Well, aren't you two just adorable when you bicker over parenting duties.]
Cedric ignored the voice.
The shopping trip only grew more chaotic from there.
Gible was an absolute menace. He chased after a floating balloon, got his head stuck inside an empty cardboard box, and blindly rammed into Billy's shins.
When he became utterly fascinated by a basket of fake plastic fruit near the bakery section, he didn't just look. He unhinged his jaw and prepared to swallow a bright orange plastic fruit whole.
Cedric finally had to intervene, prying the fake fruit out of his mouth.
"Don't eat that."
"Gyu."
"It's plastic."
Gible stared at him. And Cedric stared back.
After a brief standoff, the Pokémon huffed, crossed his arms, and looked away stubbornly.
"Gii."
"I'll buy you some fruit later, there's no need to eat plastic."
"Giblee."
And only when Cedric saw that Gible was well-behaved, he head to the checkout lanes.
"..."
But little did Cedric know, as he turned to lead them toward the checkout lanes, Gible had already cast a long, lingering look back at the basket of fruit.