Seeing how Plusle and Minun were playing in such an amusing and adorable way, Theo couldn't help but smile as he walked over. He reached into his backpack and took out a pack of Pokémon food, tore it open, and held it out toward the pair.
The two little Pokémon immediately chirped excitedly and swarmed around him, their round bodies squeezing together while they rubbed their cheek pouches, faint sparks flickering, against Theo's fingertips.
The sensation was indeed strange—tingly currents ran from his fingers up his arm, numb and feather-light, as if countless tiny feathers were brushing along his nerves.
It even resembled those octopus-shaped scalp massagers from his previous life, the ones that could send a "shiver straight to your soul."
Indescribable, oddly pleasurable, and the kind of feeling that made one want to try it again.
Theo continued letting the little Pokémon nuzzle against his palm, enjoying the pleasant shock-like sensation. Only after the food bag was completely empty did he wave goodbye to them.
After walking another hundred meters or so, the full view of the food street finally unfolded before him.
Food stalls lined both sides, steam rising into the air, and vendors shouting one after another.
Besides the roasted corn and sweet berry aromas he smelled earlier, the thing that stood out the most was Mauville City's specialty, "Electric Cotton Candy."
The vendor worked alongside his fluffy Mareep with practiced coordination. Every time the machine spun out a strand of snowy-white sugar floss, the Mareep would gently shake its tail and release a faint electric current. The tiny sparks caused the sugar to fluff up mid-air, forming a cloud of cotton candy that shimmered faintly with a soft blue glow.
Biting into it, one would first taste a clean, airy sweetness, followed by a subtle tingle on the tongue—sweet but not overwhelming, refreshing and addictive.
Not far away was a stall selling Thunder Tater Tots, golden potato spheres shaped like tiny Voltorb. They were fried to a crisp on the outside and soft on the inside. With a dip of the special sweet-and-sour sauce, it was no surprise many passersby stopped to buy some.
Theo even spotted a trainer sitting nearby with his Pikachu, both enjoying shaved ice. Pikachu lay stretched out at the edge of the table, holding a berry-flavored ice slush between its paws. Its tongue curled up and down as it licked, eyes narrowing into crescent shapes, its tail practically springing into the air from sheer bliss.
Theo's own appetite was stirred. He immediately began a large-scale food shopping spree—Electric Cotton Candy, roasted corn, Thunder Tater Tots, berry slushes…
Only when his hands could hold no more did he finally pick up everything with both arms and head toward the hotel he had booked.
He had chosen a tall high-rise hotel in the heart of Mauville City and booked a large suite on the top floor.
When he pushed open the door, Theo nodded in satisfaction. The room was spacious and bright, and at its center was a large, built-into-the-floor observation aquarium with crystal-clear water.
It looked exactly the same as the photos he had seen online.
Impressive indeed.
Next, Theo planned to take a few days in Mauville to rest and stock up things like desert-adapted tents, food supplies, medicine, and everything else he would need for his upcoming desert training plan.
"Come out, little ones."
Theo tossed out three Poké Balls one after another.
With a flash of red light—
Feebas immediately noticed the massive aquarium in the center of the room. It opened its mouth and released a thin stream of water, controlling the flow to lift its body through the air and float toward the tank. The moment it entered the water, it began swaying its body to familiarize itself with the new environment.
Tyrunt landed with a small thud, shook its head, and let out a curious "Tyrrr!" as it looked around the room.
As for Beldum, it timidly hovered at Theo's feet, its red eye whirling restlessly. When it saw Tyrunt and Feebas, it visibly froze.
The three Pokémon instantly fell into a silent standoff—staring wide-eyed at one another.
Tyrunt was the most curious of the three. It stared at Beldum's shiny metal body for a long time before suddenly opening its little mouth and leaning forward, clearly wanting to take a bite and see what this "shiny thing" tasted like.
Beldum was so startled that it immediately floated in circles around Theo's legs, scrambling to avoid the sudden "attack."
"Alright, alright."
Theo hurried forward and gave Tyrunt's head a small knock.
"This is Beldum. It's going to be your partner from now on.
Get to know each other properly. And don't bully it, especially no biting, got it?"
Then Theo turned to Feebas in the aquarium.
"Feebas, help me keep an eye on things. Don't let Tyrunt bully our new teammate."
Feebas understood and quickly flicked its tail, splashing a bit of water as it responded to Theo.
Only then did Theo turn around to set the food onto the table. But no sooner had he unpacked the snacks than he heard another strange sound behind him.
When he glanced back—
Tyrunt had already inched close to Beldum again. It was sniffing curiously at Beldum's metallic body, as though properly examining its new companion this time.
Beldum was initially uneasy and shrank back slightly. But then, as if gathering courage, it lifted its round head and gently bumped Tyrunt's forehead.
A soft "thunk" echoed.
Tyrunt recoiled several steps, its eyes widening into perfect circles. It shook its head vigorously, baring its little fangs.
It clearly never expected such a small-looking Pokémon to have such a hard head!
The dull pain from the collision left it momentarily stunned.
But the pride of a Dragon Pokémon flared instantly.
Tyrunt let out a defiant roar and moved forward again, lowering its head to ram Beldum in return.
Bang!
Bang! Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Beldum seemed to be having the time of its life, colliding more enthusiastically with each impact. Its red eye sparkled with excitement.
Tyrunt got fired up as well, ramming back wholeheartedly. The two Pokémon clashed head-to-head repeatedly, filling the room with crisp, metallic knocking sounds.
Feebas was immediately drawn to the commotion. It abandoned the aquarium it had just been exploring and controlled a floating ball of water to lift itself out, eagerly zipping over to the battling duo. Its big round eyes stared intently at their headbutting match, and its tail fin thumped lightly in rhythm—as if cheering them on.
Theo initially watched with amusement—
but the longer he looked, the more something felt off.
Was it just his imagination?
Beldum's metal exterior seemed noticeably shinier than it had been earlier—its reflective surface was brighter, almost glaring under the lights.
He squinted, then realization struck:
Unbelievable. This timid, shy little thing was actually a mischievous trickster!
It had been secretly using a move to raise its defense all along, no wonder it looked completely unbothered and was headbutting with such enthusiasm!
[Iron Defense: Hardens the Pokémon's body to increase its defense sharply.]
When he turned to Tyrunt… the poor little dragon looked much worse.
Its dragon pride would never allow it to lose, yet with every clash, it staggered visibly. Soon its steps grew unsteady, its head wobbled, and it swayed as it walked—but it stubbornly tried to charge again.
"That's enough! Stop headbutting!"
Theo rushed in and separated the two Pokémon, gently knocking Tyrunt on the head while scolding:
"You silly thing! It's made of steel! Why are you headbutting something like that? Keep this up and you'll knock your brain loose!"
Tyrunt whimpered pitifully and shook its dizzy head, still not quite understanding why it kept losing.
Beldum, upset that the game was interrupted, drifted toward Theo with its head lowered—as though inviting him to join the headbutting fun.
Theo almost jumped in fright and immediately scooped it into his arms.
"No way! I don't have Tyrunt's thick skull. If you headbutt me even once, I'll be finished!"
He leaned in closer, whispering so only Beldum could hear:
"Alright, that's enough playing. Stop using the move now. You little troublemaker… tricking Tyrunt so badly."
Beldum's red eye blinked rapidly in guilty surprise.
It quickly buried its head into Theo's chest and rubbed against his shirt, feigning innocence with a perfect "I don't know what you're talking about" expression.
Clearly, it planned to keep this little tactic a secret—
so it could continue playing the forehead-bumping game with Tyrunt in the future.
(End of Chapter)