Chapter 51
Gengar looked at Snivy sleeping beside Mike and blinked before turning toward him.
"Gar."
[So... she’s my little sister now too?]
Gengar kept his voice low because he was afraid of waking Snivy, but Mike could still hear the excitement in his tone.
"That’s right. I guess that makes her your... fourth younger sibling?"
Gengar’s eyes widened.
[Little sister!]
He looked at Kakuna in his arms.
[This guy is my brother.]
Then he glanced at Glameow, who was playing with the Poké Tail Grass.
[That’s another sister.]
Finally, he looked at the sleeping Snivy.
[And she is my new sister!]
A powerful sense of pride welled up inside Gengar.
[I’m the oldest!]
"That’s right, Gengar. You’re the oldest."
As though he had seen straight through Gengar’s thoughts, Mike smiled.
"So life might be a little harder for you from now on. You’ll have to help take care of your younger siblings."
Gengar puffed out his chest, set down the bamboo staff, and slapped himself proudly.
"Gar!"
[Leave it to me!]
"But you don’t have to force yourself or put up with everything either."
Gengar looked at him curiously.
Mike grinned.
"Because you’re still a child to me too. I’ll take good care of you."
Gengar immediately shook his head.
"Gar—"
[I don’t want that!]
Mike stared at him in confusion.
"???"
Gengar raised his chin—or at least the part that might have counted as one—and looked down his nose at Mike.
"Gar!"
[I’m the eldest, not you! So I’m the one who has to take care of everyone!]
Hearing Gengar proudly declare his authority, Mike burst out laughing.
After a while, he wiped the tears from his eyes.
"Are you really that serious?"
Gengar picked up his bamboo staff and snorted.
’I don’t care. I’m still the eldest.’
"All right, all right. You’re the eldest."
Mike smiled.
"Then Kakuna, the others, and I will be counting on you from now on, Boss Gengar."
Gengar grinned.
He waved his bamboo staff, formally accepting Mike’s request.
Mike quietly explained Snivy’s situation to him.
Gengar glanced at Snivy and stopped talking so he wouldn’t wake her.
Then he took out his Toxic Orb, sat inside the tent, and used Kakuna to drill a hole through it.
The small tail behind him couldn’t stop swaying from side to side.
’He said I’m the eldest. I have a brother and two sister. Hehe. I’m the eldest!’
’And he actually called me a child! I’m not a child! I’m clearly the eldest!’
While happily thinking about his new position, Gengar drilled into the Toxic Orb and quietly hummed a song he had secretly learned from Mike.
Mike watched him for a long time.
When he noticed the little tail behind Gengar wiggling nonstop, he smiled.
’He’s really happy.’
"Gengar," Mike called softly.
Gengar glanced up at him, then lowered his head and continued working.
Mike: "?"
"Gengar."
Mike called again.
This time, Gengar didn’t even look up.
"Gengar."
When Mike called for the third time, Gengar finally raised his head.
Before Mike could speak, Gengar pressed one finger to his lips.
’Shh.’
Mike fell silent.
"Don’t worry. Talking quietly won’t wake her."
"Gar—"
[We still shouldn’t talk.]
Mike had no choice but to ask, "Then can you at least tell me why you’re drilling a hole through the Toxic Orb?"
Gengar didn’t answer.
He took a chopstick, pushed it through the hole in the Toxic Orb, and lifted it.
Then he opened a jar of honey, dipped the Toxic Orb inside, pulled it out, held it in his mouth for a while, and dipped it into the honey again.
Gengar’s Toxic Orb candied skewer was officially complete.
"So you learned Toxic after eating a Toxic Orb?"
Gengar nodded while licking the honey-covered Toxic Orb.
"You can learn Toxic just by eating one? That’s amazing."
Gengar blinked at Mike curiously.
’What kind of stupid question is that?’
’I was already close to learning it before I ate the orb!’
Mike kept asking him questions until Gengar finally stared at him.
"Gar—"
[You’re too noisy. I’m going outside before you wake Snivy.]
Mike watched Gengar leave with Kakuna in his arms, his eyes turning blank as his entire body seemed to petrify.
Glameow, who had finally grown tired of playing and was preparing to rest, suddenly heard the sound of stone cracking.
She looked up at Mike.
"Meow?"
Mike turned toward her with a shattered expression.
"Glameow... Gengar... Gengar said I was annoying..."
He opened his arms while speaking, clearly seeking comfort.
Glameow looked at his heartbroken face, rolled her beautiful eyes, and gracefully stepped aside to avoid his embrace.
"Meow."
[Nice try.]
She walked out of the tent with elegant steps.
The moment she left, Mike’s expression returned to normal.
"Damn it! When did Glameow get so smart? A few days ago, I could still trick her into my arms!"
Mike muttered under his breath, then looked at the sleeping Snivy with gentle eyes.
"You’ve worked hard, Snivy."
He reached out and stroked her head.
"Sni~"
Snivy let out a soft, adorable cry in her sleep.
...
After a while, Gengar floated back into the tent with a skewer of mushrooms.
"Gar—"
[Try these. I grilled them for you and covered them in honey. They’re really tasty. I already ate a lot.]
Gengar offered the honey-covered mushrooms to Mike.
Mike accepted them and gave Gengar a suspicious look.
"You’re sure these aren’t poisonous mushrooms?"
"Gar!"
[You don’t trust me!]
(.・ˇ_ˇ・.:)
Better safe than sorry, Mike carefully examined the mushrooms.
After confirming they were normal, he apologized to Gengar and ate the top one.
"Mmm! These are surprisingly good."
Mike didn’t hold back his praise.
Gengar’s grin widened.
"Gar—"
[Give me a bite too.]
Mike laughed and pushed the mushrooms into Gengar’s mouth.
"You can have all of them. I ate plenty at lunch."
Gengar shook his head.
"Gar—"
[I grilled them for you!]
"But I can’t eat any more right now."
Mike thought for a moment.
"How about you grill fish for me tonight instead? I don’t think I’ve ever tried fish you cooked."
Gengar blinked, then finished the rest of the mushrooms.
"Gar—"
[Okay~]
Mike nodded.
His throat suddenly felt dry, so he picked up his water bottle and took a drink.
Then he noticed a large amount of foam inside it.
"That’s strange. Why are there so many bubbles?"
Mike wondered aloud.
The moment he spoke, several bubbles floated out of his mouth.
"Oh. I can blow bubbles now."
"Meow?"
Glameow entered the tent and stared at Mike as bubbles spilled from his mouth.
"Meow!"
[What did you feed him?!]
"Gar—"
[The mushrooms weren’t poisonous—]
Gengar suddenly remembered something and looked toward the jar of honey beside him.
Gengar: "!!!"
Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ノノ
[I forgot that was the honey I used for dipping my Toxic Orb!]
Mike raised one hand and pointed at Gengar.
He tried to speak, but his vision went dark, and he collapsed.
"Gar!!!"
[Mike, don’t die!!!]
"Meow!!!"
[Don’t die!!!]
Snivy was startled awake.
She jumped to her feet and stared blankly at the chaos before finally noticing Mike unconscious from poisoning.
Snivy: Σ(゚∀゚ノ)ノ
"Sni!"
[Where are the Pecha Berries?!]
"Gar—"
[I have some! I have some!]
Gengar pulled out more than a dozen Pecha Berries and desperately stuffed them into Mike’s mouth.
---------
Read Chapters ahead and support me on patreon.
patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator