Chapter 187
Early the next morning, Mike climbed out from under the blanket and started preparing breakfast.
Once the food was ready, he went into the cave, woke Nidoking with a few firm pats, and told him to bring Nidoran♀ and Hatenna outside to eat.
After breakfast, Mike had Gengar begin packing their belongings while he set aside part of their food supplies, along with some of the Honey Vespiquen had given them, and left everything inside the cave.
He placed a hand on Nidoking’s shoulder.
"Take a good care of Nidoran♀, Hatenna, and your Egg."
Nidoking looked toward the food Mike had left behind and nodded seriously.
"I’m going to visit Vespiquen before we leave. When you have time, go check on the Amber City too. If other Pokémon try to raid their Honey again, help them out. I’ll tell Vespiquen to share some Honey with you afterward."
The moment Honey entered the conversation, Nidoking immediately began pounding his chest.
"NIDOKING!"
[Don’t worry! I’ll protect Vespiquen!]
Mike looked at how shamelessly enthusiastic he had become and smacked him on the head.
"You idiot. Are you seriously not even a little sad that we’re leaving?"
Nidoking waved one hand casually.
"Nidoking."
[Didn’t you say you’d come back?]
Mike paused, then smiled.
"That’s true."
Then he remembered something else.
"Oh, right. If you ever run into a young Kangaskhan living on her own, try not to beat her up too badly."
Nidoking nodded.
"Good."
Mike turned toward Nidoran♀.
"We’re heading out now, Nidoran♀."
Nidoran♀ rubbed herself reluctantly against Mike’s pant leg, her expression clearly showing that she didn’t want him to go.
𝒇𝒓𝒆𝒆𝙬𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝒎
Nidoking watched as Mike picked his mate up and immediately became annoyed.
’This damned single guy is hugging my wife again.’
Mike finished checking Nidoran♀’s condition and gently set her back down.
Then he looked toward Nidoking.
"Let her rest properly for a while before you two have another Egg. Catch more fish for her too instead of making her live on Berries all the time. She’ll stay healthier that way."
The moment Nidoking realized Mike had only been giving Nidoran♀ a health check, his mood improved dramatically.
He grinned and thumped his chest, promising that he would take care of it.
By then, Gengar had finished packing and returned to Mike’s side.
Snivy remained in the tree, watching Hatenna.
Hatenna clearly wanted to approach Mike, but instead of going directly to him, she kept inching forward little by little, stopping whenever she thought someone might notice.
Snivy’s eyes shifted thoughtfully.
Then she climbed down from the tree and walked to Mike’s side.
While he was still giving Nidoking instructions, Snivy extended one Vine Whip and lightly tapped Mike’s belt.
One of his Poké Balls fell to the ground.
Mike glanced down at Snivy and saw the ball in her hands, but since she didn’t seem to be doing anything dangerous, he paid little attention and continued talking to Nidoking.
Snivy enlarged the Poké Ball.
Then, holding it carefully in both hands, she walked directly past Hatenna.
Her foot caught on a stone.
Snivy fell forward.
The Poké Ball rolled across the ground, passed right in front of Hatenna, then was ever so subtly nudged backward by a Vine Whip until it came to a perfect stop directly in front of her.
Hatenna looked at Snivy.
Snivy made a soft little sound.
"Sni~"
[Oh no, I fell~]
Glameow, watching from the tree, rolled her eyes.
Hatenna looked down at the Poké Ball sitting in front of her.
She didn’t hesitate.
Her little hand pressed the button.
Red light enveloped her body and pulled her into the ball.
The Poké Ball chimed once, then it became still.
Mike immediately crouched beside Snivy and helped her up, checking her carefully.
"Are you all right?"
Snivy gave him one of her gentlest smiles and shook her head.
"Sni~"
[I’m fine. I just accidentally tripped over a stone.]
Beedrill looked down at the offending rock.
It was barely larger than Mike’s fingernail.
He wisely said nothing.
Then Mike heard the Poké Ball’s confirmation chime.
He looked over... Hatenna had apparently captured herself perfectly.
Mike stared at the ball.
Then he slowly looked toward Snivy.
Snivy blinked innocently.
After a moment, she placed one hand against her forehead and began dramatically collapsing sideways again.
"Sni~"
[Oh no~ I fell again. I’m so dizzy~]
Snivy deliberately made her voice sweet and fragile enough that Gengar visibly shuddered.
He stared at her in bewilderment.
For one terrifying moment, he wondered whether Mike had somehow possessed his fourth sister.
He nearly grabbed his thin bamboo staff and demanded to know who she really was.
Mike, meanwhile, took a slow breath.
This was the same Snivy who had once spent an entire day traveling all over the forest by herself just to gather information for him about the Night of Evolution.
And now she was pretending that a pebble had rendered her helpless.
Who would believe this?
"Get up. I’m not mad at you."
Snivy instantly stood upright.
She calmly brushed the dust from her body, picked up Hatenna’s Poké Ball, and handed it to Mike as though nothing unusual had happened.
Mike accepted it.
"But what if she doesn’t actually want this?"
Snivy tilted her head.
"Sni?"
[Why wouldn’t she?]
Mike paused.
Snivy continued.
"Sni."
[She kept wanting to come closer to you, but she was afraid you wouldn’t want her, so she couldn’t bring herself to ask.]
Mike fell silent.
After a moment, he looked at Snivy.
"Is that really what was happening?"
Snivy smiled.
"Sni."
[You can ask her yourself.]
Mike released Hatenna from the Poké Ball.
She appeared in a flash of red light, then immediately shuffled behind Snivy and hid there without daring to look directly at Mike.
Mike stared at her for a moment, rubbed his nose, then turned toward Gengar.
"Am I scary?"
Gengar, Beedrill, and Glameow exchanged no words.
They simply nodded together.
Mike’s eyes widened.
Σ(°∀°ﾉ)ﾉ
"How am I scary?!"
"NIDOKING!"
Nidoking immediately raised his voice.
[You hit me every day!]
"You shut up!"
"Nido..."
[Sob...]
Snivy ignored them and gently prodded Hatenna with one Vine Whip.
Hatenna slowly raised her head.
When her hidden eyes finally met Mike’s, she hesitated before speaking in a tiny voice.
"Haten..."
[I’m... sorry...]
Mike crouched.
"Why are you apologizing?"
"Haten..."
[I shouldn’t have gone into the Poké Ball by myself...]
Her voice became even quieter.
"H-Haten..."
Mike remembered what Snivy had just told him.
Looking at Hatenna hiding behind her, he finally understood.
She was afraid he would be angry.
Mike smiled.
"You don’t need to apologize. It’s okay."
Hatenna carefully looked up.
"Hatenna, can I ask you something?"
She nodded.
"Do you want to come with me?"
Before Hatenna could answer, Mike continued.
"I’d like you to travel with us."
He smiled gently.
"Do you remember what I told you yesterday? I said I wanted to show you the clouds and skies in other places, especially by the ocean."
"Originally, going to the coast was something I wanted to do with Big Sis Snivy. Now I have another reason to go, because I want to see that sky with you too."
Mike held out his hand.
"Hatenna, will you come with me?"
Hatenna stared at his smiling face.
Sunlight filtered through the leaves above and fell across him, and for a moment she thought his smile looked especially warm beneath the light.
She liked the way Mike took care of Glameow.
She liked watching him fool around with Gengar.
She liked hearing him tease Beedrill and seeing him talk with Snivy.
All of those little moments had quietly become things she wanted to stay close to.
Hatenna finally stepped out from behind Snivy.
She approached Mike and placed her tiny hand in his palm.
"Haten~"
[Okay~]
Mike gently closed his hand around hers and took out her Poké Ball.
Hatenna reached over and touched it willingly.
Red light enveloped her again.
Mike stood and raised the Poké Ball high, immediately striking an embarrassingly dramatic pose.
"Hatenna, I caught you!"
"Gar~"
"..."
"Meow~"
"Sni~"
"NIDOKING!"
"Nina~"
Mike released Hatenna again almost immediately.
Then he looked toward Nidoran♀ and scratched his head.
He had stayed here for a few days and somehow ended up stealing away her best friend.
That felt a little awkward.
Nidoran♀ seemed to understand what he was thinking.
"Nina."
[It’s okay. Take her with you. She doesn’t belong here.]
"Thank you."
Nidoran♀ turned toward Hatenna and said her own goodbye.
Once everything was settled, Mike waved toward Nidoking and Nidoran♀.
"We’ll come visit again next time."
"Nidoking."
Nidoking waved back.
He watched Mike and the others disappear into the forest, and an unfamiliar emotion quietly settled over him.
Nidoran♀ noticed.
She leaned closer and gently rubbed her head against Nidoking.
Nidoking lowered his gaze.
Seeing the concern in her eyes, he grinned, bent down, scooped her up, and carried her back into the cave.
...
For Hatenna, suddenly joining Mike’s team made everything feel new.
As they walked through the forest, she looked around curiously.
"Haten?"
[Where are we going now?]
"First, we’re going to see Vespiquen."
Mike adjusted the straps on his backpack.
"We’ll say goodbye, see if we can get a little more Honey for the road, then leave Eterna Forest and head toward Eterna City."
It didn’t take long to reach the entrance of the Amber City.
After they waited outside for a while, several Combee came out to escort them into the hive.
This was Glameow’s first time inside.
She immediately began looking around with obvious curiosity.
Then she saw Gengar stroll over to one of the Honey walls, swipe a little Honey with his finger, and eat it.
Glameow stared.
Curious, she walked over, rubbed her paw against the wall, then licked the Honey from it.
Her eyes visibly widened.
"Meow~"
[It’s delicious~]
When Mike saw that Glameow was already becoming addicted, he immediately scooped her up.
Glameow began struggling vigorously.
"Easy. Be good. That Honey isn’t even the best kind. I’ll get you something better."
Glameow immediately stopped resisting.
She allowed Mike to carry her while her crystal-blue eyes remained firmly locked on every Honey wall they passed.
...
When they reached Vespiquen’s chamber, Mike looked toward the queen seated on her throne.
"Vespiquen, we’re preparing to leave Eterna Forest. We came to say goodbye."
Vespiquen opened her eyes.
She glanced at Mike.
Then her gaze immediately moved to Beedrill beside him.
Snivy covered her mouth with one hand and used the other to tug Gengar’s tail.
Gengar understood instantly.
He took out the sunflower seeds, grabbed a handful for himself, then distributed the rest.
Glameow looked at Vespiquen.
Then at Beedrill.
Her mouth slowly fell open, and the tip of her pink tongue unconsciously slipped out.
She looked toward Snivy in confusion.
Snivy spat out a sunflower-seed shell and nodded.
Glameow blinked.
Then she pawed at Mike’s arm until he put her down.
Once free, Glameow found what she considered the perfect viewing angle, sat neatly on the ground, and began looking back and forth between Vespiquen and Beedrill.
Vespiquen’s eyes remained fixed on Beedrill.
Beedrill maintained his usual cool expression and simply returned her gaze without moving.
After a while, Vespiquen finally spoke in her slightly husky voice.
"Vesp?"
[You... are leaving too?]
Beedrill gave a slight nod.
Mike leaned closer to Gengar.
"He’s really laying the cool act on thick."
Gengar nodded deeply.
"Gar—"
[He’s nowhere near as good at it as you and me.]
"Agreed."
Snivy overheard them and rolled her eyes.
Compared with Mike and Gengar, who were both full of schemes from head to toe, Beedrill simply enjoying his aloof image was practically wholesome.
Vespiquen looked at him again.
"Vesp?"
[Will you... come back?]
"Bee."
[A knight follows his orders.]
Vespiquen’s gaze shifted toward Mike.
Mike blinked.
Beedrill had actually thrown the question to him?
Mike spat out the sunflower-seed shell in his mouth, stepped forward, and smiled.
"Of course we’ll come back. We’re friends, aren’t we?"
"When our journey eventually brings us back this way, we’ll come visit you personally."
Vespiquen’s eyes softened.
"Vesp?"
[Friends?]
"We fought together, didn’t we? Doesn’t that count?"
Vespiquen smiled and nodded.
"Vesp."
[Mike, we are friends. You will always be friends of the Amber City.]
Mike grinned.
At exactly the right moment, Gengar produced a sheet of drawing paper and handed it over.
Mike took it and walked toward Vespiquen.
"Would you leave your mark on this?"
Vespiquen looked down at the paper in confusion.
Mike explained.
"I’m going to meet a lot of people and make a lot of friends while traveling. I’d like to preserve their names, signatures, or marks somewhere."
"So someday, when I look through them again, I’ll be able to remember this journey and all the fun things that happened along the way."
Vespiquen understood.
She didn’t refuse.
Following Mike’s guidance, she gently pressed one claw against the paper, then used Honey to draw a small Combee beside the mark.
"Thank you."
Mike carefully handed the page to Gengar for safekeeping.
Then he took out a fresh sheet.
This time, Mike and his Pokémon left their own collection of marks on it before he presented it to Vespiquen.
"This one is from us. If you ever get bored, maybe you can look at it and remember us."
Vespiquen accepted the paper.
She studied the chaotic collection of pawprints, claw marks, and other signatures and laughed softly.
"Vesp."
[Thank you. I will keep it safe.]
Mike suddenly remembered one more thing.
"Oh, right, Vespiquen. I already spoke to Nidoking."
"If the Amber City ever runs into trouble, you can ask him for help. He’ll protect this place for me."
Mike smiled awkwardly.
"And, if possible, maybe share some Honey with him once in a while."
Vespiquen remembered Nidoking.
He was certainly strong enough to be useful in a fight.
She nodded.
"Vesp."
[Of course.]
Once Vespiquen agreed, Mike turned toward Beedrill and began waggling his eyebrows at him.
Beedrill hesitated.
Then he spread his translucent wings and flew toward Vespiquen.
He stopped directly in front of her.
Slowly, Beedrill leaned his head closer.
Then one of his spear-like stingers gently lifted Vespiquen’s chin.
Vespiquen’s crimson eyes went wide.
Mike: "???"
Gengar: "!!!"
Snivy: Σ(°∀°ﾉ)ﾉ
Glameow: ԅ(✧_✧ԅ)
Hatenna: "?!"
Beedrill looked directly at Vespiquen from only inches away.
Then he quietly spoke.
"Bee..."
[The Honey was really good. Do you have any more?]
Vespiquen nodded.
"Bee?"
[Could you give me some... honey?]
Vespiquen nodded again.
Beedrill immediately released her chin and flew back to Mike’s side.
Vespiquen remained still for a moment while visibly regaining her composure.
Then she called loudly.
"VESP!"
It didn’t take long before several Combee began bringing in Honey.
And then more.
And more.
The jars started piling up.
Mike watched in disbelief as the Honey steadily formed something resembling a small fortress in front of them.
"Enough! Enough, enough! We don’t need that much!"
Vespiquen looked at him in confusion.
Her expression seemed to ask why he was stopping them when they had barely brought anything.
Mike’s eyelid twitched as he stared at the enormous supply stretching across the chamber.
"Really, this is plenty. We don’t need any more."
He had only wanted Beedrill to ask for a little Honey to eat on the road.
Instead, Beedrill had casually made one move and nearly convinced Vespiquen to hand over half the Amber City.
Mike slowly looked toward Beedrill.
Apparently this guy had hidden talents.
Was this what people meant by irresistible charisma?
Mike’s thoughts returned to the way Beedrill had lifted Vespiquen’s chin with one stinger.
Why did that scene feel so familiar?
Then an unbearably cheesy line from one of the ridiculous romance stories he had once told Beedrill surfaced in his mind.
’Well, beautiful... you’ve caught my attention.’
Mike nearly covered his face.
’Oh no!’
He really needed to stop telling Beedrill stories like that!
Vespiquen finally gave another command, and the Combee stopped bringing Honey.
"Vesp."
[Take these with you. If you run out, come back and I will give you more.]
"This is already more than enough. Seriously. Thank you very much."
Mike hurriedly had Gengar begin storing the Honey.
For the first time, Gengar’s storage space filled completely.
Mike looked at the remaining half of the pile.
"We genuinely can’t take any more. Please keep the rest."
Vespiquen nodded.
Mike drew in a breath, then waved.
"Then we’ll be going now, Vespiquen. When we come back this way, we’ll definitely visit again."
Vespiquen remained seated on her throne as she watched Mike and the others walk away.
Her claws slowly tightened around the armrests.
For the first time, the thought became impossible to ignore.
She wanted to go with them too!
----
Damn pokemon romance is peak lmao
How about this, i release 30 Chapters vlogger, ranch owner and gourmet.. y’all read and then we do voting here and i delete the other 2.. sounds good ?