Chapter 15
While they waited for a fish to bite, Gengar wandered off to bother the local wild Pokémon again.
No matter where he went, though, he always kept Mike within sight and never moved too far away.
Mike sat beside the lake, listening to the cicadas and the many sounds of the forest. Somewhere nearby, a group of Kricketot and Kricketune were playing a peaceful little song.
"Gar—"
[Mike, look!]
Gengar’s voice pulled Mike from his thoughts.
He turned and saw Gengar floating back with an armful of colorful mushrooms.
Gengar placed them on the ground and proudly pointed at his collection.
"Oh? You went mushroom picking?"
Mike looked them over.
"Grilled fish and mushroom soup... That actually sounds pretty good."
Gengar’s eyes immediately lit up.
"Gar!"
[Mushroom soup! I want mushroom soup too!]
"All right. I want some too. Let me sort through these first."
With the help of Cooking Lv. 3, Mike quickly picked out the poisonous mushrooms and threw them away.
Once he had finished sorting the safe ones, he prepared to wash them at the lake.
When he looked up, Gengar had returned with another pile of mushrooms and was staring at him expectantly.
Mike was about to tell him they already had enough when he noticed something familiar.
Those were the poisonous mushrooms he had just thrown away.
"Why did you bring those back?"
"Gar?"
[Why did you throw them away?]
"Because they’re poisonous! We can’t eat them."
"Gar!"
[We can! I’ve eaten them before, and nothing happened!]
Mike stared at him.
"Gar."
[If you don’t believe me, let Weedle try one.]
Before Mike could stop him, Gengar called Weedle over and placed a red mushroom with white spots in front of him.
Weedle occasionally ate wild mushrooms, so he happily swallowed the whole thing.
Gengar pointed at him with a proud smile.
"Gar!"
[See? No poison! It’s perfectly safe! You humans are too picky. Grandma said picky eaters are bad!]
He looked at Mike as though Mike had just wasted the last piece of food in the world.
Mike slowly rubbed his forehead.
"Have you ever considered that both you and Weedle are Poison-type Pokémon?"
Gengar blinked.
"That might be why neither of you gets poisoned."
Gengar’s serious, slightly angry face instantly broke into a wide grin.
"Gar—"
[Hehe. I forgot.]
He quickly threw the poisonous mushrooms away again, then smiled innocently at Mike as though nothing had happened.
Mike sighed.
"I can’t believe you doubted me."
He placed a hand over his chest.
"Maybe I’m just not worthy of your trust. My heart hurts."
Gengar: !!! "(oДo*)
"Gar!"
[No! Your heart can’t hurt!]
"I was going to wash the mushrooms, but now my heart hurts too much."
"Gar!"
[I’ll wash them! I’ll do it! You rest!]
"We’ll also need to wash the dishes after dinner..."
"Gar!"
[That’s my job! Don’t steal my job!]
(.・ˇ_ˇ・.:)
"I’m so hungry. I wish the mushroom soup were ready already..."
Gengar immediately grabbed the mushrooms, floated to the lake, and began washing them with his huge backside sticking into the air.
At that moment, one of the fishing rods moved.
Mike quickly grabbed it and pulled, as a Magikarp flew out of the lake.
Mike and Magikarp stared at each other for several long seconds.
Then Mike kicked it back into the water.
Seriously.
He was trying to catch dinner. Why did Magikarp have to show up and waste everyone’s time?
Thankfully, his luck improved over the next half hour.
Using a little over a dozen earthworms, he managed to catch four large fish.
With Cooking Lv. 3, Mike cleaned and gutted them, removed the scales, and made several cuts across the flesh.
He pushed sharpened bamboo sticks through the fish and planted them around the fire pit.
"Gengar, light the fire."
"Gar~"
[Coming~]
A blue-purple flame appeared in Gengar’s palm.
He tossed it onto the firewood.
Whoosh!
The strange flames burst to life, and the fish began to sizzle almost at once.
Mike left them roasting and moved over to the stove to prepare the mushroom soup.
While taking out the seasonings, he rubbed his sore legs.
This was probably the most exercise he had done since arriving in this world.
They had been walking for almost the entire day.
Gengar noticed and floated over.
"What is it?" Mike asked.
"Gar—"
[I’ll cook. You go rest.]
"You?"
Mike looked at him with clear doubt.
"Do you even know how to cook? Can you tell salt from soy sauce?"
Gengar: (.・ˇ_ˇ・.:)
"Gar!"
[Don’t insult me! I survived before you came to the courtyard! And I’ve helped you cook plenty of times!]
Gengar looked truly offended.
Mike could not tell whether he was pretending—or whether he really believed helping with dinner a few times made him a chef.
After thinking about it for a while, Mike reluctantly nodded.
"Fine. You can make the mushroom soup. I’ll watch the fish."
Gengar proudly nodded.
"Gar—"
[Leave everything to me. Go rest!]
Mike walked away, looking back every few steps.
After turning the fish over, he carried Weedle beneath a nearby tree and used String Shot to make a simple hammock.
Mike lay down but kept his eyes fixed on Gengar.
The moment Gengar tried adding anything strange to the soup, Mike planned to sprint over and stop him.
Weedle rested nearby and yawned.
"Wee—"
[I’m full... So sleepy...]
Mike got up to turn the fish again.
As he returned to the hammock, a rustling sound came from a nearby bush.
It sounded like two Pokémon whispering.
Roughly translated, the conversation went like this:
[You came to see me. They won’t find out, will they?]
[What’s wrong, darling? Are you scared?]
Mike’s eyes widened.
’What kind of drama is happening over there?’
There was no way he could hear something like that and not investigate!
Mike hurried back to the tent, took out the drone, and quietly flew it above the bushes.
He lay in the hammock and watched the live video on the Rotom Phone.
A Wurmple was resting on top of a Pinsir.
"Wurmple and Pinsir? Now that’s an unusual couple..."
Pinsir’s voice came through Mike’s earphones.
"Pinsir—"
[Don’t worry. I already sent it flying.]
"Wurm—"
[Thank you. Now I don’t have to worry about being eaten anymore...]
Mike fell silent.
’Oh.’
’So this wasn’t a secret affair.’
Still, the scene was worth recording.
Pokémon romance...
This was the first time Mike had ever seen it in person.
A smile appeared on his face as he moved the drone and filmed their quiet little date.
Poor Pinsir and Wurmple had no idea that the secret meeting place they had worked so hard to find was now being recorded in full detail.
When Mike finally brought the drone back, he felt slightly disappointed.
They were only cuddling and sharing their feelings.
Wurmple had already laid an Egg recently, so she would not be laying another one anytime soon.
Mike suddenly sniffed the air.
Something smelled wrong.
’Oh no.’
He rushed over to Gengar.
Gengar was standing beside the stove, stirring a pot of thick soup.
The liquid was filled with strange colors. The mushrooms had melted into a lumpy paste, and large bubbles rose to the surface with horrible gurgling sounds.
That alone might still have been acceptable.
Then Mike saw the blue-purple fire beneath the pot.
"Gengar, are you making soup or brewing a witch’s potion?"
"Gar—"
[A potion? What’s that? Does it taste good?]
"I don’t know. I’ve never tried one!"
Mike pointed at the pot.
"But that isn’t the point, you idiot! What is this?!"
"Gar—"
[Mushroom soup...]
"What kind of mushroom soup looks like that?"
Mike leaned away from the bubbling mess.
"If you told me it could turn someone into a Slowpoke, I’d believe you!"
"Gar—"
[It tastes really good!]
Mike watched in horror as Gengar emptied an entire packet of salt into the pot.
His mouth fell open.
"How much salt did you put in there?"
Gengar began counting on his fingers.
"Gar—"
[One, two, three, four... Three packets.]
Mike: !!!
Mike bit his thumb and took several deep breaths.
Then he forced a smile.
"Taste it."
He glanced at the pot.
"Assuming that thing is still soup."
Gengar picked up the spoon, scooped out a mouthful, and drank it.
Σ(`艸´;)!!
Mike smiled sweetly.
"Is it good?"
Gengar’s entire face twisted so badly that it looked blurred.
He forced himself to swallow, then nodded with tears gathering in his eyes.
"Gar—"
[Delicious!]
"Great."
Mike nodded.
"Then the whole pot is yours. You’re not leaving until you finish every drop."
Gengar: ......Σ(°△°|||)_
He froze like a statue.
A second later, Gengar dropped to his knees, slid across the ground, and hugged Mike’s leg.
"Gar—"
[Noooo! I’m sorry!]
The mighty Demon King Gengar knew exactly when to throw away his pride!
"You should be thankful we still have grilled fish."
Mike crossed his arms.
"I’ll deal with you after dinner."
He told Gengar to pick up the pot so they could pour the ruined soup somewhere safe.
Gengar lifted it.... and the soup immediately poured through the bottom.
The pot had melted.
Mike stared at it in complete silence.
Then his voice shook the entire forest.
"GENGAR! FROM NOW ON, YOU ARE NEVER TOUCHING MY COOKING POT AGAIN!"
Every Starly resting in the nearby trees panicked and flew away.
Mike angrily tore into his grilled fish while glaring at Gengar.
Gengar sat with his head lowered, too scared to look up.
By the time Mike finished eating, most of his anger had faded.
He sighed and looked at Gengar.
"Hurry up and eat. When you’re done, wash the pot..."
Mike looked at the hole in the bottom.
"Never mind. There’s nothing left to wash. Just clean up the table."
"Gar~"
[Okay~]
"Stop smiling at me, or I’m going to punch you!"
"Gar—"
[Hehe. I know you won’t.]
"You little brat!"
The grilled fish had not filled Mike up, so he tossed two sweet potatoes into the hot charcoal and covered them.
He leaned closer and gently blew on the embers.
Wanting to make up for ruining the soup, Gengar took a huge breath and blew with all his strength.
Ash exploded everywhere.
Gengar stared blankly at Mike.
Mike’s entire face was now covered in black soot.
Without changing his expression, Gengar picked up the Bamboo Blade and solemnly handed it to Weedle.
"Gar—"
[Weedle, I’m leaving my most precious treasure with you.]
He placed one hand over his chest.
"Gar—"
[Take care of it, finish our journey, and become a great hero in my place.]
Gengar looked toward the darkening sky.
"Gar—"
[I think I may already be dead...]
Weedle: ???
A second later, Mike grabbed Gengar’s cheeks and stretched them in opposite directions.
"GENGAR, YOU’RE ALREADY A GHOST! NOW COME HERE AND DIE AGAIN!"
"GAR!"
[STOOOOP!]