Chapter 49
"Good morning..."
Mike walked out of the tent with a yawn, while Glameow followed beside him, yawning as well.
"Gar—"
[Good morning.]
Gengar was swinging his thin bamboo staff at the grass around him.
When he saw Mike and Glameow wake up, he stopped and turned to greet them.
Mike nodded, walked to the river, crouched down, and began brushing his teeth and washing his face.
After an entire night of rain, the ground was muddy. Mike cleaned Glameow’s paws, picked her up, and carried her back to the tent to rest.
"How about mushroom soup and the flatbread we bought at the supermarket for breakfast?"
Mike looked at Gengar.
Gengar nodded, showing that he had no objections.
Mike then looked at Glameow, who nodded as well.
He set up a small pot and filled it with water. Once Gengar finished washing the dried mushrooms he had been sun-drying, Mike placed them into the pot.
"Let’s go gather some firewood."
Mike was about to stand when Gengar stopped him.
"Gar—"
[No need.]
Gengar pointed in one direction.
Mike looked over and saw a pile of firewood beside the tent.
"Did you gather that this morning?"
Mike looked at Gengar.
Gengar gave him a mischievous grin.
"Bidoof?"
Gengar nodded.
Mike sighed.
"You... Later, come with me to gather some firewood and return it to them."
"Gar—"
[Okay—]
Mike placed the firewood beneath the pot and snapped his fingers.
Gengar used Will-O-Wisp to light it.
Before long, a pot of fragrant mushroom soup was ready.
Mike filled a large bowl for Gengar, then served himself one and sat on a rock.
He took a sip of the steaming soup.
"Ahh~ This really is thanks to you, Gengar. If you hadn’t worked so hard drying those mushrooms, I wouldn’t be drinking such delicious soup today."
Mike sincerely thanked him.
Gengar blinked.
Then he poured the entire bowl of soup into his mouth, stuffed the flatbread in after it, chewed twice, and swallowed everything.
"Gar!"
[I’m going to gather more right now!]
Mike froze and looked at Gengar, who was already preparing to leave.
"Isn’t it a little early?"
"Gar!"
[No. It rained yesterday, so there’ll be lots of mushrooms! If I go too late, the other Pokémon will take them all.]
"But we still have plenty left. We haven’t finished them yet."
Gengar turned and stared at him.
Unable to resist that gaze, Mike finally said, "Then I’ll leave it to you and Kakuna."
Gengar tightened his grip on the bamboo staff, took out Grandma’s bamboo basket, strapped it to his back, hugged Kakuna tightly, and floated away from the tent.
He did not travel very far.
Gengar wanted to keep Mike within sight at all times so no wild Pokémon would have a chance to harm him.
Mike sat on the rock with Glameow on his lap.
He tore the flatbread into small pieces, placed them in his palm, and fed them to her.
Glameow’s tongue was surprisingly soft.
Every time she licked Mike’s palm, a faint tickling sensation traveled up his arm.
After feeding her the bread, Mike poured her a bowl of mushroom soup and held it while she slowly lapped it up.
As he fed Glameow, Mike kept watching Gengar gather mushrooms nearby.
Gengar’s technique was honestly very cool.
Whenever he found a mushroom, he placed the tip of his bamboo staff beneath it and flicked upward.
The mushroom flew into the air and landed perfectly inside the basket on his back.
’That really does look cool...’
Mike sincerely admired him.
Before long, Gengar returned with a basket full of mushrooms.
"Good work."
Mike helped remove the basket from his back.
Gengar grinned.
Mike poured out the mushrooms and began separating the poisonous ones.
When he finished, he looked up and found Gengar gathering all the poisonous mushrooms into his arms.
Mike stared at him curiously.
"Gengar, those are poisonous. We can’t eat them."
"Gar—"
[I know. I’ll eat them.]
Mike became even more confused.
"Why would you eat poisonous mushrooms? We have so many normal ones. We can share them. I can’t possibly eat all of these by myself."
Gengar firmly shook his head.
Mike stared at him.
"Then why?"
"Gar—"
[You said we might be staying here for a long time. The food we bought might not last.]
[Save the normal mushrooms for you and Glameow. I can eat the poisonous ones! I used to eat poisonous mushrooms anyway, so I’ll be fine.]
Mike fell silent.
Then he smiled and beckoned Gengar over.
Once Gengar floated closer, Mike reached out and pulled on his cheeks.
"How can such an adorable little creature like you exist in this world?"
ヾ(´∀`.ヾ)
Gengar grinned.
Mike made a face at him, and Gengar immediately made one back.
Mike didn’t know whether he should call Gengar innocent or simply foolish.
Perhaps Pokémon were really such a pure creatures.
...
After breakfast, Gengar continued carrying Kakuna around outside the tent while causing trouble among the plants.
Several Oddish and Budew had already come to complain to Mike.
After Mike shouted at him, Gengar took Kakuna to catch fish instead.
He even started digging into the Bidoof’s den.
He was a complete little tyrant.
The wild Pokémon couldn’t beat him.
As for complaining?
Mike simply zipped the tent shut!
Dinner consisted of grilled mushrooms and fish that Gengar had somehow caught from the river.
Mike had never expected him to genuinely return with fish.
What Mike didn’t know was that, inside their den, the Bidoof and Bibarel were sitting together on the verge of tears.
They had never seen such an unreasonable Pokémon in their lives!
First, he stole their food.
Then he forced them into the river to catch fish for him, threatening not to return the food unless they helped.
Where was justice?
Was that even a Pokémon?
He was clearly a robber!
Fortunately, Gengar returned their food afterward.
That very night, the Bidoof and Bibarel packed everything and moved away from the river.
Mike had no idea how Gengar had obtained the fish.
At that moment, he was crouching beside the blue-purple flames, grilling mushrooms.
When Gengar returned from his bath and saw that Mike was grilling poisonous mushrooms, he jumped in fright.
"G-Gar!"
[Th-Those are poisonous mushrooms!]
Gengar pointed at them in horror.
Mike looked back and smiled.
"I know. I’m grilling them for you. You can’t eat them raw, can you?"
Gengar’s eyes widened.
Then he grinned.
[Hehe.]
"Come help me."
The moment Mike spoke, Gengar quickly floated over and began assisting him.
"How many do you want?"
Gengar counted his fingers, then held up both hands.
[Ten skewers! I want ten!]
"Got it. Turn the grilled fish over."
[Okay~]
"Do you want them spicy?"
Gengar thought for a moment.
[Hmm... Just a little.]
"All right. Give me a moment."
...
After dinner, Gengar sat beside the river as usual with Kakuna in his arms, telling him a story.
Mike walked over, sat beside Gengar, and took Kakuna into his own arms.
Gengar looked at him curiously.
Mike winked.
"It’s been a long time since I told you a story. I’ll do it tonight."
Gengar’s eyes lit up.
[Mike is the best!]
"So, after the great hero Arthur lost his arm, he fell from a cliff, encountered an incredible opportunity, and learned a peerless swordmanship..."
"Gar—"
[Why was there an opportunity waiting beneath the cliff?]
"Because there just was. Stories are always written that way."
"Gar—"
[But why?]
"What are you asking me for? Probably because..."
"Gar—"
[And then what happened?]
"Are you telling the story or am I? Do you want to take over?"
"Gar..."
[You can keep going...]
...
At the edge of the forest, many wild Pokémon began moving deeper into the woods.
More Pokémon entered from outside beneath the moonlight.
Although their numbers were great, they moved in perfect order.