Chapter 59
"You’re welcome. Gengar shared this with all of you. He might look annoying, but he’s actually a very adorable Pokémon."
Mike spoke up for Gengar as he watched the Bug Pokémon enjoying the delicious honey.
While they ate, he raised his camera and pressed the shutter.
After finishing the honey, the Bug Pokémon took to the air, circled Mike several times, then flew away.
"Goodbye. Thank you again."
Mike stood on the ground and waved to them.
As soon as he returned to the tent, Gengar floated over with several fish in his arms.
"Gar—"
[Mike, I want grilled fish.]
"Didn’t you just finish breakfast? You’re hungry again?"
Gengar nodded.
"All right. Clean them first, and I’ll start the fire and grill them for you."
"Gar—"
[Okay~]
"Glameow, do you want fish too?"
"Meow~"
[Yes~]
"Raw or cooked?"
"Meow."
[Cooked.]
"Got it."
A while later, Mike picked up the finished fish and handed them out.
The grilled fish smelled so delicious that he couldn’t resist taking a bite himself.
"With skills like mine, even if I stopped traveling, I could work at a restaurant and still earn enough to feed all of you."
Mike praised his own cooking without the slightest shame.
"Gar~"
Gengar lowered his head and tore into his fish.
After eating a few bites, Mike looked up and asked curiously, "Gengar, how did you catch these fish today?"
Gengar looked toward Beedrill.
Mike followed his gaze and found Beedrill elegantly removing the fish meat with the stingers on his arms.
"Beedrill caught them... Then why aren’t there any wounds on the fish? Bloop—"
"Snivy, pass me the chili powder, bloop—"
Gengar seemed to realize something and stared at Beedrill.
Beedrill gestured toward the stinger on his abdomen.
Gengar: Σ(゚∀゚ノ)ノ
"That’s strange. Where are all these bubbles coming from, bloop—"
Mike watched the bubbles floating from his mouth in confusion.
Gengar stared at Mike, whose mouth was now practically using Bubble Beam, and opened his mouth wide.
Feeling parched, Mike prepared to stand and get some water.
The moment he rose, his vision went black!
"Gar!!!"
[MIKE, DON’T DIEEEE!!!]
Beedrill: "???"
Hearing the commotion, Snivy turned around and found Mike unconscious on the ground, still holding the grilled fish while bubbles floated from his mouth.
"Sni!"
Snivy was horrified.
She had only turned away long enough to fetch the chili powder. How had Mike managed to get poisoned again?
Before she joined the team, how exactly had he survived this long?
Glameow glanced at the grilled fish in front of her.
Without hesitation, she pushed it toward Gengar with her tail, then hurried to the backpack, searched through it, and returned with a Pecha Berry in her mouth.
...
"Snivy, maybe we should stop traveling. How about we go back to Twinleaf Town and look at the sea instead...?"
Mike lay inside the tent with a lifeless expression, speaking to Snivy beside him.
It was terrifying!
He had been poisoned twice in little more than a week!
If this continued, Mike was genuinely afraid those two Poison-type Pokémon would eventually kill him.
Snivy slipped one of her small hands into Mike’s palm and comforted him, though she felt helpless too.
Seeing how miserable Mike looked, Glameow hesitated before slowly walking over.
She rested her head against his chest and gently rubbed against him.
Mike released Snivy’s hand, wrapped his arms around Glameow instead, and began softly petting her.
Snivy shook her head speechlessly, then walked out of the tent.
She looked at the two enormous cocoons hanging from a nearby tree, ignored them, and turned away to prepare the ingredients for lunch.
From this day forward, she would never allow those two brothers to touch any food again.
When Mike left the tent with Glameow in his arms, his miserable expression had completely vanished.
All that remained was the joy of petting a cat.
He walked toward the two white cocoons hanging from the tree and looked more closely.
Gengar and Beedrill were trapped inside them.
"What are you two doing?" Mike asked curiously.
A gust of wind passed by, causing the two cocoons to swing through the air, bump into each other, then bounce apart again.
Only Gengar’s head remained visible outside the silk.
"Gar—"
[Snivy made Beedrill hang me up.]
Mike looked at Beedrill.
Beedrill had also wrapped himself in silk, leaving only his head and two arm stingers exposed.
"You wrapped yourself up too?"
Beedrill nodded.
"All right. Stay there and reflect on what you did."
Mike was very satisfied with their punishment and walked away with Glameow still in his arms.
Gengar watched his retreating back and made a face at him.
’Hmph! You used to call me the most adorable little creature in the world! Now you’re just leaving me hanging here! I swear I’ll never be friends with you again!’
Mike soon returned beneath the tree with the Toxic Orb in his hand.
"Were you insulting me in your head just now?"
Seeing the Toxic Orb, Gengar grinned and frantically shook his head, causing his entire cocoon to swing.
"Gar—"
[Of course not! Mike and I are the best friends in the world!]
Mike clicked his tongue.
It wasn’t as though he didn’t know Gengar. The little traitor could change sides in an instant.
"Open your mouth."
Mike dropped the Toxic Orb into Gengar’s mouth.
"Eat this for now."
He then walked over to Beedrill, took out the Silver Powder, and asked, "Do you want this?"
Beedrill’s eyes immediately lit up, and he nodded wildly.
"Open your mouth."
Mike poured the Silver Powder into Beedrill’s mouth and walked away.
The two cocoons hung beneath the tree, one chewing on a Toxic Orb and the other eating Silver Powder, both narrowing their eyes in bliss.
...
Once lunch was ready, Mike called toward the two cocoons.
"Come eat."
Blue-purple flames instantly burned away the silk around Gengar.
He flipped through the air before landing dramatically like a hero and running toward Mike.
Beedrill calmly sliced through his cocoon with his stingers and flew over.
"Gar—"
[Are we going to Jubilife City today?]
Gengar looked at Mike while chewing his food.
Mike nodded.
"We’ve spent long enough in the wilderness. It’s time to visit the next city."
"We’ll stay there for a few days, rest properly, and look around Jubilife City."
Gengar poured the rice into his mouth, nodded, then handed his bowl to Mike.
Mike accepted it and placed it aside.
"The rest of us are already full. Just eat straight from the pot. I’m not serving you another bowl. Remember to wash the pot when you’re finished."
Gengar happily accepted the pot Snivy passed over with Vine Whip.
He placed it in front of himself and began scooping rice with the serving spoon.
The sound of buzzing wings suddenly filled the air.
Mike, Gengar, and the others looked up and saw the Bug Pokémon from earlier returning.
They carried Berries, mushrooms, vegetables, and other edible items in their mouths or arms.
They landed near Mike, placed the food on the ground, then rose into the air, circled several times, and departed once more.
Looking at the mountain of food, Mike smiled.
’This should count as forming an emotional bond with them, right?’
’After all, we nearly died together.’
Mike shook his head at his own vanity, stood, and waved goodbye to the departing Pokémon.
"Goodbye! Thank you for the gifts. I really like them."
"The next time we pass through here, we’ll bring something for all of you too."
"Gar—"
[Goodbye—]
"Bee—"
"Meow."
"Sni."
Click.
The camera Mike had set up in preparation to photograph Mesprit happened to capture that exact moment.
In the photograph, mist had begun spreading across Lake Verity behind him.
...
After lunch, Mike asked Gengar and the others to pack their belongings.
They sorted the food brought by the Bug Pokémon, packed it away, and dismantled the tent.
Mike put away the camera and looked at Lake Verity, which had somehow become covered in mist.
"I really thought I might manage to photograph Mesprit."
"Gar?"
[Should we wait a little longer?]
Mike shook his head.
"No. Some things depend on fate, and you can’t force them."
"Let’s go."
Mike turned and began walking away from Lake Verity.
Gengar and Beedrill flew on either side of him.
Snivy traveled by swinging with Vine Whip, while Glameow walked lazily at the front, leading the way.
Mike suddenly stopped.
Sensing something, he turned around.
The mist above Lake Verity had grown even thicker, but he could still see a faint, transparent figure hovering over the water.
Mike stared for a moment before smiling and raising his camera toward the lake.
"Mesprit! smile for the camera."
Mesprit didn’t smile, but its form became visible long enough for Mike to photograph it.
"Thank you, Mesprit."
After taking several pictures, Mike watched Mesprit’s body become transparent and disappear.
He thanked the lake once more, then turned around and took a deep breath.
His goal had been achieved!
Next came...
"Everyone, let’s go! Our next destination is Jubilife City!"
"Gar—"