Chapter 142

Chapter 142: Chapter 142

Later that evening, Mike sank into the hotel bathtub with a satisfied groan.

"Ahhh... I can’t remember the last time I had a proper hot bath."

He leaned back against the tub, letting the heat soak into muscles that had spent far too many days walking between cities.

Gengar sat at the other end and copied Mike’s posture almost perfectly, spreading both arms along the rim and resting his back against the tub.

He didn’t understand why humans willingly soaked themselves in hot water during the middle of summer, but after several minutes, he had to admit that it felt remarkably comfortable.

The only problem was that the warmth was making him increasingly sleepy.

Gengar’s eyes gradually closed, his head drooped forward, and before long, he completely stopped responding.

Mike remained in the bath until his stomach began growling.

When he finally stood and climbed out, he reached over to wake Gengar, only to receive no response at all.

Mike stared at him.

"...Did you seriously pass out?"

He checked Gengar with the Pokédex and, sure enough, discovered that the idiot had actually overheated enough to faint.

Fortunately, the condition wasn’t dangerous.

According to the reading, all Gengar needed was cooler air and a little time.

Mike sighed, grabbed him by the ears, dragged him out of the bathtub, hauled him into the hotel room, and deposited him unceremoniously on the floor before leaving him there to recover.

When Gengar finally woke again, darkness had already settled outside.

He sat upright, scratched his thigh, and looked around in confusion.

’Wasn’t I taking a bath?’

’Why am I on the floor?’

Gengar floated toward Mike, who was lying on the bed scrolling through his phone, and demanded an explanation.

Mike looked over. "What do you think happened? You two really share a single brain cell, don’t you? Beedrill once ate enough leaves to put himself into a food coma, and now you’ve managed to knock yourself unconscious by taking a bath."

Gengar’s eyes widened.

’WAIT.’

’I PASSED OUT?’

That explained why he had suddenly felt so sleepy.

Nearby, Beedrill had once again had an embarrassing story dragged into an unrelated conversation, so he quietly covered his face with String Shot.

Mike put his phone down and climbed off the bed. "Since you’re awake again, let’s go get dinner."

He stretched.

Gengar immediately became energetic.

"Gar—!"

[I’M GOING TO EAT EVERYTHING!]

...

After taking everyone out for an enormous dinner, Mike spent the rest of the evening wandering leisurely through Floaroma Town.

At night, the town possessed a different kind of beauty from what he had seen during the day.

Under the glow of streetlamps and warm light spilling from windows, the flower beds took on a softer, almost dreamlike appearance, and along the quieter side streets Mike could hear faint rustling from Pokémon moving through the blossoms under cover of darkness.

Before long, he found what he considered an excellent post-dinner activity.

Without hesitation, Mike turned into a narrow alley with Gengar and Beedrill following him.

A short while later, several miserable cries echoed from inside.

Outside, Glameow sat beside Snivy and gave a tired yawn.

She had eaten far too much throughout the day and was struggling to keep her eyes open, so she simply rubbed one eye with her paw and waited.

Eventually Mike emerged from the alley with Gengar and Beedrill.

One of his hands remained tucked into his pocket, while the other repeatedly tossed a shiny golden coin into the air before catching it again.

"Damn Meowth," he muttered. "Can’t believe that little thief tried to steal my coin."

Then he noticed Glameow sitting on the ground and fighting sleep.

Mike’s expression softened. "Come on. Let’s go back to the hotel."

Cats were normally supposed to become more energetic at night, but Glameow had eaten enough that day to overwhelm even her natural schedule.

Mike pulled his free hand from his pocket, bent down, and easily lifted her with one arm before continuing toward the hotel.

Gengar floated on Mike’s right side and copied him by casually tossing a Nugget up and down in one hand.

Most of his body disappeared into the shadows beneath the buildings, while Beedrill flew on Mike’s left and used the darkness cast by the rooftops to conceal his own silhouette.

Snivy followed quietly behind.

None of them noticed the Persian that jumped down from a nearby roof.

Apparently it had been away during whatever happened in the alley and had therefore escaped the beating entirely.

It crouched low, stared after Mike’s group, and released an angry growl.

Then every hair along its body suddenly stood on end.

Persian froze.

Ahead, two pairs of crimson eyes turned at exactly the same moment.

Gengar and Beedrill looked back over their shoulders.

Neither attacked.

Neither even made a sound.

They simply stared.

Persian immediately let out a frightened yowl, lost its footing in its hurry to retreat, and scrambled straight back into the alley.

’They already beat everyone else up. If I stay out of this, maybe they won’t beat me too.’

Only after Persian disappeared did Gengar and Beedrill calmly turn forward again and catch up with Mike as though nothing had happened.

Inside the alley, one of the battered stray Meowth was sitting on the ground clutching its forehead when Persian returned.

"Meow."

[Boss! That horrible human stole my coin! Hurry up and teach them a—]

Persian smacked it across the alley before it could finish.

"PERR!"

[ARE YOU TRYING TO GET US KILLED?! DO YOU PICK FIGHTS WITH EVERYONE YOU SEE?!]

The injured Meowth stared up at its boss in complete confusion.

’What did I even do?’

’I don’t know those people at all...’

...

Mike woke with the distinct sensation that a Tiger tank had just driven across his body.

He opened his eyes in time to see Glameow step lightly off his stomach and hop down from the bed with all the grace of a cat that had absolutely no idea she had nearly crushed her Trainer’s internal organs.

He remained flat on his back for several seconds, staring at the ceiling and reconsidering some of his recent life choices.

’Have I been feeding Glameow too well lately?’

He could clearly remember her walking across him plenty of times before, yet somehow it had never hurt this much.

Since she had already stepped him awake, Mike reached for his phone and checked the time. It was a little after seven in the morning.

He had originally planned to sleep longer, but there was no point trying to fall back asleep now, so he yawned, sat up, greeted Gengar and the others, then wandered into the bathroom and picked up the toothbrush Snivy had thoughtfully prepared in advance.

"Gar—"

Gengar floated toward the door.

[I’m going to buy breakfast.]

Mike, with his mouth full of toothpaste, immediately called after him.

"I wah a shandwich!"

"Gar!"

[Got it!]

By the time Gengar returned with breakfast, Mike had finished washing up.

Once everyone had eaten, he tidied himself up, opened the hotel door, and led the team outside.

"Today we’re going to try that Poffin class we saw yesterday," Mike told them as they walked. "If you guys like them, I’ll make a bigger batch afterward and keep some around as travel snacks."

Gengar immediately threw both hands into the air.

"Gar!"

[YEAH!]

Using the address Mike had photographed from the notice board the previous day, they left Floaroma Town and followed the road until they reached what could only be described as an estate.

Several buildings stood throughout the property, one of them surrounded by enormous flower beds, while a broad Berry orchard stretched behind the compound.

Many of the trees were currently bare, however, with very little fruit hanging from their branches.

The moment Glameow spotted the flowers, she slipped elegantly into them and disappeared.

Mike continued along the narrow path between the blossoms until her voice made him stop.

"Meow?"

He turned and found Glameow staring curiously at a green Pokémon whose hands resembled elegant bouquets of red and blue roses.

’Roserade?’

"Rosa?"

Roserade watched the strangers warily.

[Who are you?]

"Hello, Roserade," Mike said, keeping his tone friendly. "We came because we heard there was a class here teaching people how to make Poffins. Is it all right for us to come in?"

"You’re here for the Poffin class?"

Another voice came from nearby.

Mike turned and saw a green-haired woman approaching with a Psyduck-shaped watering can in one hand.

"That’s right. I saw the notice in Floaroma yesterday and thought it sounded interesting, so I followed the address here."

"I see. Then come inside first."

The woman led them into the house.

At the entrance, Mike gave a polite nod. "Thanks for having us."

"Gar—"

"Bee."

"Sni~"

"Meow."

"You’re very welcome."

After pouring Mike a glass of water, the woman called toward the garden, "Lotad, Roserade, I’ll leave the watering to you two for now."

A cheerful cry from Lotad answered from outside.

The woman then sat opposite Mike and introduced herself.

"My name is Forsythia. I’ll be teaching you how to make Poffins today."

"I’m Mike, from Twinleaf Town."

"Before we begin, would you mind answering a few questions?"

"Of course."

Mike straightened instinctively in his chair.

For some reason, sitting across from her like this gave him the uncomfortable feeling that he had somehow returned to school and was waiting for a teacher to call on him.

Forsythia noticed his posture and laughed.

"You don’t need to be nervous. They’re only a few simple questions."

Mike relaxed slightly.

"First, do you already know what Poffins are?"

"Not much. I only learned about them yesterday, but from what I understand, they’re somewhat similar to Pokéblocks from Hoenn."

"That’s essentially correct. So you only recently learned about Poffins?"

"Yeah."

"All right. That’s everything I needed to know."

Forsythia stood.

"Now I’ll show you how to make them."

Mike stared.

’That was it?’

She noticed his expression and smiled.

"I told you they were simple questions. The important part is actually learning to make Poffins."

"Fair enough."

Mike followed her into the kitchen.

Forsythia stood at the counter and began washing several Berries.

"The first step is making sure your Berries are thoroughly cleaned. After that, you can peel them and cut them into small pieces."

She picked up a knife.

"Peeling them is optional. It depends on the Pokémon you’re preparing them for. Some enjoy the texture and flavor of Berry skins, while others don’t."

Mike listened carefully from beside her.

Snivy was equally attentive, watching every movement Forsythia made.

Gengar also appeared to be paying close attention, although Mike suspected he was mostly interested because food was involved.

Once the Berries had been cut into small, even pieces, Forsythia separated the different varieties onto individual plates.

"We cut them small because they cook down more easily. Once everything is prepared, the Berries go into the pot, where we heat them while stirring continuously so the flavors blend together properly."

She poured the chopped Berries into the pot and stirred them gently with a pair of long chopsticks.

As the heat rose, the pieces gradually softened and melted into a thick mixture.

"The way you stir matters too," Forsythia explained. "Even if you use exactly the same Berries, different stirring methods can create different flavors."

Mike looked surprised.

"The stirring alone changes the taste?"

"It does. Poffins are essentially cooked Berry confections, and once the Berries begin breaking down, the way heat is distributed becomes important. If you stir too quickly, some parts may not heat evenly, which affects the final result. Stir too slowly, and sections of the mixture can overheat and develop an entirely different flavor."

"I see."

After stirring for a while longer, Forsythia lifted the pot and poured the thickened Berry mixture into a mold.

"Then the final step is simply letting it set."

Having watched the entire process from beginning to end, Mike had to admit that it looked surprisingly straightforward.

"That’s the basic method," Forsythia continued. "You can also add other ingredients while the mixture is cooking, but once you start doing that, the maker’s experience matters much more."

By then, the demonstration Poffins had finished setting.

Roserade had somehow wandered into the kitchen without Mike noticing, and Forsythia picked up one of the finished treats and offered it to her.

Roserade ate it, then closed her eyes with obvious satisfaction.

Forsythia turned back to Mike.

"Want to try making some yourself?"

"Definitely."

Mike moved toward the stove, but just before starting, he remembered something and glanced toward Gengar.

Gengar immediately understood.

He pulled out Mike’s camera and began recording.

Forsythia looked curiously at the lens.

"What’s the camera for?"

"Just recording the day."

Mike smiled.

"Since I started traveling, I don’t get many chances to spend a quiet afternoon in a proper kitchen anymore. I’d like to keep the memory."

"You make it sound as though you enjoy being in kitchens."

"Of course. I’m an excellent cook you know?."

Mike selected several Berries with naturally spicy flavors, washed and peeled them, then picked up the knife and rapidly diced them into neat, evenly sized pieces.

Forsythia’s eyes immediately brightened.

’That knife work is incredible.’

Mike lit the stove, added the Berries, and began stirring with smooth, practiced movements.

His pace remained steady—neither rushed nor sluggish—and before long, he had poured his first batch into the molds.

Once the Poffins solidified, Mike picked one up and tossed it into his mouth.

He chewed thoughtfully.

"Not bad."

Then he distributed the rest among Forsythia and his Pokémon.

Forsythia tasted hers and immediately looked impressed.

"That’s a very distinctive flavor. Pokémon that enjoy spicy food would probably love these."

She looked at Mike in disbelief.

"Are you absolutely sure this is your first time making Poffins?"

"Yep."

Mike nodded without hesitation.

’Never underestimate Cooking Lv. 3!’

Glameow clearly disliked the flavor, while Snivy found it acceptable.

Beedrill disliked it almost as strongly as Glameow did, leaving Gengar as the only member of the team who genuinely loved Mike’s first batch.

Mike laughed at Glameow’s offended expression.

"I made the first batch around Gengar’s preferences. I’ll make something each of you likes next."

He went back to work, adjusting the Berry combinations one batch at a time.

Beedrill preferred sweetness.

Glameow liked a mildly dry flavor.

Snivy favored something slightly sour.

By the time each Pokémon had a Poffin suited to its tastes, even Beedrill’s normally restrained expression had softened into obvious satisfaction.

Mike dusted his hands together.

"Easy."

A system notification appeared before him.

{Cooking: Lv. 3 → Lv. 4}

Mike stared at it for a moment before grinning.

’Finally.’

After cooking for so long, the skill had finally leveled up.

Forsythia, meanwhile, was still staring at the results.

"You really are sure you’ve never made Poffins before?"

"Positive."

"You are... ridiculously talented."

"Maybe I’m just good enough at cooking that some of the skills carried over."

"Cooking and preparing Pokémon food overlap, but they aren’t exactly the same thing," Forsythia explained.

"Food made specifically for Pokémon has to take their physiology and emotional state into account, while ordinary cooking is an enormous field covering countless different goals and techniques."

Mike nodded, then glanced toward the kitchen supplies.

"Would you mind if I kept using the kitchen for a while? Gengar and the others seem to like Poffins, so I’d like to make more and experiment with different flavor combinations."

"Of course."

Forsythia readily gave him the kitchen and headed outside with Roserade and Lotad to gather more Berries.

Before continuing, Mike pulled out his Rotom Phone, took a photograph of himself with the team eating their Poffins, and posted it in the fan group.

The first reply appeared almost immediately.

[Gholdengo Is Number One: Are those Sinnoh Poffins? Are you preparing for another Pokémon Contest?]

[Mike: Nope. I happened to stop in Floaroma Town and found a Poffin class. Since I’m taking today off anyway, I figured I’d learn how to make them.]

[IDon’tWantOvertime: They look pretty good.]

[Fire Types Are Number One: Poffins, huh... Infernape likes them insanely spicy. Like Charizard-level spicy.]

Mike paused at the unfamiliar username and opened the profile.

The avatar showed a red-haired man with an explosive hairstyle posing beside an Infernape.

Mike stared.

’Isn’t that Flint?’

’When did HE join the group?’

[JordanD’souza: Poffins? What’s the difference between those and our Hoenn Pokéblocks?]

[Gholdengo Is Number One: These days, Poffins are used more heavily for Pokémon Contests, while Pokéblocks have broader use among both Contest participants and regular Trainers.]

[Gholdengo Is Number One: Gimmighoul likes eating Poffins as dessert, actually.]

[Mike: Really? Easy enough. Send me an address and tell me what flavors Gimmighoul likes. I’ll make some and mail them over.]

[Gholdengo Is Number One: Sent privately.]

[Mike: 👍]

[Juice Bro: ???]

[Juice Bro: What about OURS?]

[Mad Silence: Apparently we don’t qualify.]

[Professor Purple: Mike: "You want some too? I can send you one of Gengar’s poisonous specialties."]

[Mike: ...I never said that.]

Mike sighed before typing again.

[Mike: Fine. Privately send me your addresses, contact information, and what flavors your Pokémon like. I’ll make everyone a small batch.]

[Mike: I’m not paying the shipping.]

[Gholdengo Is Number One: Collect the orders first. I’ll cover the shipping afterward.]

[Mike: Gholdengo Is Number One coming in clutch!]

[Mike: I might go fishing offshore in a few days. There’s a decent chance I’ll livestream it. GengarHehe.jpg]

[Gholdengo Is Number One: Do you need me to arrange a boat?]

[Mike: Nope. Already handled.]

[Mat_tokki: I knew it. You never cared about us in the first place. If we hadn’t complained, you wouldn’t have offered to make any!]

Mike stared at the message.

[Mike: ...Where’s the group admin? Who has permissions in this group? Mute him please! GengarWavingBambooStaff.jpg]

{Group notice: Mat_tokki has been muted for five hours by Gholdengo Is Number One.}

Mike smiled in satisfaction.

[Mike: Much better. I’m going back to experimenting with Poffin flavors.]

He put his phone away and continued working with the fresh Berries Forsythia brought inside, mixing multiple varieties and adjusting the proportions to see what combinations worked best.

---------

Read 30 Chapters ahead and support me on patreon.

patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator