Chapter 62
"Gengar, once we reach Jubilife City, let’s book a room first, take a nice long bath, then go out and eat until we’re full. How does that sound?"
"Gar!"
[Sounds great!]
"Then we can walk around Jubilife City tonight and digest everything."
"And we also need to ask Professor Rowan for Snivy’s Poké Ball..."
After spending two weeks in the wilderness, Mike could hardly wait to return to civilization.
He spent the entire journey discussing their plans for Jubilife City with Gengar.
Just as they were about to reach the city, the sound of an argument nearby caught his attention.
Mike turned and saw a Trainer confronting a Marill.
The Marill wore a faded little shoulder bag and carried a bent watering can. She was also holding a jar of honey in her arms.
The longer Mike looked at the jar, the more familiar it seemed.
"That’s strange... Doesn’t that look like the honey Gengar brought back?"
As Mike muttered to himself, Gengar suddenly gripped his thin bamboo staff and floated over.
He moved in front of Marill, shielding her behind him as he glared fiercely at the Trainer.
"Gengar knows that Marill?" Mike asked in confusion as he followed.
"Sni."
[She’s a new friend Gengar met while you were sleeping.]
"Where did this Gengar come from?" the Trainer demanded. "What, are you two together?"
"Gar!"
Gengar shouted at him.
"I don’t care whether you’re together or not. Stop wasting my time and hand over the honey, or I won’t be so polite!"
The Trainer threatened Gengar and Marill.
"And just how exactly do you plan to be ’impolite’ to my Pokémon?"
Mike’s voice came from beside them.
The Trainer turned and found Mike standing there with an enormous Beedrill hovering at his side.
Beedrill’s stingers were aimed directly at him, their surfaces gleaming coldly beneath the sunlight.
The Trainer swallowed and began stammering.
"Th-This Gengar is your Pokémon?"
Mike gave a slight nod.
The Trainer pointed toward Marill.
"She stole my honey! I was only asking her to give it back."
Mike nearly laughed from anger.
He stared at the Trainer for a moment, then looked at Marill behind Gengar and asked softly, "Do you know him?"
Marill shook her head, wiped the tears from her eyes, and cried out.
"Marill!"
[He’s a bad guy! He tried to steal the honey Gengar gave me! I don’t know him at all!]
Mike nodded.
So the man had seen Marill traveling alone and decided to steal her honey.
He looked back at the Trainer.
"You said she stole your honey?"
"Since when did the honey my Gengar gave her become yours?"
The Trainer’s eyes widened.
Mike was a full head taller than him, and Beedrill beside him was radiating clear hostility.
The Trainer’s legs went weak, and he dropped to his knees.
After apologizing several times, he hurriedly stood and ran away.
Once he was gone, Marill stepped out from behind Gengar and looked at Mike.
"Marill."
[Thank you, Mike.]
Mike was surprised.
"You know me?"
Marill shook her head.
"Then how do you know my name?"
Hearing the question, Marill pointed toward Gengar.
"So that’s how it is."
Mike smiled, bent down, and asked, "Where are you going?"
"Marill."
[Jubilife City. My home is there.]
"Jubilife City? We’re heading there too. Why don’t we go together? We can walk you home along the way."
Marill hesitated.
"Marill?"
[Wouldn’t that delay you?]
Mike smiled and shook his head.
"Not at all. Besides, we don’t know Jubilife City very well. It would be great if you could show us the way."
Only then did Marill nod.
"Marill!"
[Leave it to me! Once we get home, I’ll cook for all of you.]
"Hahaha. Then we won’t hold back."
...
"Marill."
[This is Jubilife City.]
Marill looked up at the buildings ahead and called out.
Then she quickly entered the city.
Mike had only just raised his camera and taken a photograph when he noticed Marill had already gone quite far ahead.
He quickly lowered the camera and hurried after her.
"Marill."
[We need to move quickly. I still have to water the vegetables I planted.]
’Marill grows vegetables?’
Hearing that made Mike curious.
Her owner was probably an elderly woman or man.
Would bringing so many visitors disturb them?
Should he buy something first?
After all, they would be visiting someone’s home...
While Mike was thinking, Marill stopped in front of a house.
The entire building was dark.
’Is the owner not home?’
Mike wondered.
Marill turned around and raised her watering can.
"Marill."
[I’m home. Let’s go inside! Once I finish watering the vegetables, I’ll cook for all of you.]
Looking at the dark house with no owner in sight, Mike hesitated before bending down in front of Marill.
"Marill, we won’t eat here tonight. We’ll come back tomorrow."
Marill’s small head filled with confusion.
"Marill?"
[Why?]
"Because it’s already late, and we’re all dirty. It wouldn’t be polite to visit someone’s home like this."
"We also haven’t prepared a gift. We’ll go rest tonight, then come back tomorrow after getting cleaned up and bringing something."
Mike reached out and patted her head.
Her fur felt soft and pleasant.
"How about you cook for us when we visit tomorrow?"
"Marill?"
[Why do you need to bring a gift? We’re friends.]
Mike smiled.
"Precisely because we’re friends, we should pay attention to things like that."
He glanced back at Gengar.
"After all, apart from Beedrill and the others, you’re Gengar’s first new friend on this journey."
Marill felt a little dizzy.
She was still young and didn’t understand many of the things Mike was saying—gifts, manners, and all those details.
To her, friends were simply friends.
If they wanted to play together, then they played together.
"Besides, we still need to find somewhere to stay. You wouldn’t want us sleeping on the street, would you?"
Marill nodded and looked at Mike, Gengar, and the others.
"Marill."
[Then you have to come tomorrow! I’ll cook for all of you.]
"Of course."
Mike nodded.
"Gar—"
[I’ll come eat lots of delicious food, so make plenty. Hehe.]
"Marill."
Marill patted her chest, telling Gengar not to worry.
Mike straightened, waved goodbye, then turned and left.
After watching Mike and the others disappear, Marill took out a key and opened the iron gate.
She closed it behind her and hurried into the yard, first going to water the vegetables she had planted.
Once she finished, Marill returned to the front door and sat on her tail.
With a powerful spring, she jumped upward and grabbed the doorknob with both hands, hanging from it.
She released one hand, took a key from her shoulder bag, and inserted it into the lock.
She turned it, but nothing happened.
After trying several more times, the door finally opened.
Marill pulled out the key, carefully returned it to her bag, then released the handle and dropped to the ground.
She pushed the heavy door open and looked into the pitch-black house.
"Marill."
[I’m home.]
She didn’t know why she always had to say those words whenever she returned.
She had learned them from her.
That person had always said them when she came home, so Marill did the same.
Marill closed the door and ran upstairs.
A gust of wind blew past, making the shattered glass in the windows creak.