Both Satoshi and the pokémon continued walking in the dense forest, he kept glancing at the Zigzagoon out of the corner of his eye.
The little pokémon walk beside him, completely unfazed by his earlier rejection. It wasn't even trying to be sneaky about following him anymore.
Satoshi thought, pinching the bridge of his nose as he sighed heavily.
'I forgot about that system note... it said this thing has abundant curiosity, always zigzagging after anything that catches its interest. Of course it would latch on.'
After a while, the dense trees began to thin out, and up ahead, he spotted something promising—a small clearing space in the soft glow of the setting sun.
The ground was mostly even, surrounded by sturdy trees that could act as natural windbreakers. It even had a few large rocks that could serve as makeshift seats.
'This is perfect spot to camp.' Satoshi thought, exhaling in relief.
After the chaos of the day, falling from the sky, nearly drowning, getting spooked by a wild Zigzagoon, and now he got a freelancer leaching off him.
He needed rest.
The Zigzagoon noticed him slowing down and tilted its head. "Zigzag? (What's up?)"
Satoshi dropped his backpack onto the ground with a tired huff.
"We're stopping here for the night. This place looks safe enough to set up camp."
The Zigzagoon blinked. "Zigzagoon? (Oh? You're really staying out here?)"
"Yeah?" Satoshi raised a brow. "Where else am I supposed to go?"
The Zigzagoon scratched its ear with a hind leg.
"Zigzag zig… (Most humans head straight to towns, y'know. They don't just sleep outside like us wild Pokémon.)"
Satoshi sighed lightly as he pulled out a few supplies from his backpack.
"Well, I don't exactly have a home here, so the forest is my best option for now."
The Zigzagoon seemed to consider that, then nodded.
"Zigzagoon zigzag. (Huh. Alright then. Guess I'll stick around a little longer.)"
Satoshi rolled his eyes but didn't argue. He was too tired to deal with the little troublemaker right now.
Instead, he focused on setting up camp.
He pulled out a foldable camping tent, a sleeping bag, and a small lantern from his backpack—taking full advantage of his infinite tool storage.
As he worked, the Zigzagoon watched him curiously, occasionally sniffing at the supplies.
Once everything was set up, Satoshi finally allowed himself to sit down on the rock, stretching his legs with a relieved sigh.
"Man, today has been exhausting…"
The Zigzagoon hopped onto a nearby rock, watching him. "Zigzag? (So… what now?)"
Satoshi thought for a moment. "Now? Now I'll make a fire… and then I figure out what I'm going to eat."
The Zigzagoon's ears perked up. "Zig? (Food?)"
Satoshi narrowed his eyes. "Why do I feel like you're more interested in my food than whatever you usually eat?"
The Zigzagoon's tail wagged innocently.
"Zigzagoon~ (No idea what you're talking about~)"
Satoshi let out a tired and flat chuckle. "Yeah ha ha, sure. Whatever you say, freeloader."
As the sun dipped lower in the sky, he got to work gathering firewood, already planning his next steps for survival in this strange new world.
As the sky turned shades of orange and purple, Satoshi stood up and stretched, feeling the exhaustion settle in his muscles.
"Alright… time to get a fire going," he muttered.
The Zigzagoon perked up from its spot on the rock, watching as Satoshi went to work. Using his infinite tool backpack, he easily pulled out a fire-starting kit, including a lighter and some dry kindling.
Within minutes, he had a small campfire burning steadily, casting a warm glow across the clearing.
Satisfied, Satoshi dusted off his hands. "Lastly, food…"
He hesitated for a moment.
This was the Pokémon world. What exactly did people eat here to maintain diet? Were Pokémon considered food? He shuddered at the thought, quickly shaking his head.
"Nope. Not going there." The idea of eating something that could potentially talk to him made his stomach turn.
Instead, he focused on his backpack, closing his eyes and imagining a fresh cut of beef—from a normal cow, NOT a pokémon.
A moment later, he reached inside and pulled out exactly what he had thought: a raw slab of beef, neatly wrapped and ready for cooking.
Satoshi let out another relieved sigh. "Thank god for this backpack…"
The Zigzagoon, however, was staring at the meat with wide eyes. "Zigzagoon?? (Where the heck did that come from??)"
Satoshi smirked. "Magic."
"Zigzag. (Liar.)"
Satoshi ignored the raccoon's skepticism and moved on to preparing the meal.
He pulled out a portable grill, a cooking pan, and some seasonings—all straight from his backpack.
The Zigzagoon watched in fascination as he seasoned the meat with salt and pepper, then placed it onto the pan over the fire and slowly flip it repeatedly.
The sound of sizzling filled the air, and the rich, mouthwatering aroma of grilled beef quickly spread through.
Zigzagoon's tail wagged furiously. "Zig! (Okay, I really like this stinky human!)"
Satoshi glanced at the pokémon, raising an eyebrow. "You're drooling." Completely used to that nickname.
Zigzagoon wiped its mouth with a paw, looking unbothered. "Zigzagoon. (You act like that's my fault.)"
Shaking his head, Satoshi flipped the meat, letting it cook to a perfect medium-rare. Then he reached into his backpack again, this time pulling out some vegetables, rice, and a bowl.
After everything is done, he carefully plated the grilled beef, sautéed vegetables, and a side of rice. He set it up with practiced ease on the folded table besides the rock before finally sitting down on it.
Grabbing a fork and small knife, he prepared to eat, the simple meal feeling like a rare moment of calm.
Then as Satoshi cut the meat into a bite-size piece and was about to take his first bite, he noticed Zigzagoon staring at him.
Very hard. With big, expectant eyes.
Like a poor hungry raccoon.
Satoshi stare blankly. "Let me guess… you want some too?"
The Zigzagoon nodded enthusiastically. "Zigzag! (Duh!)"
Satoshi rolled his eyes but smirked. "Fine. But only If you stop calling me stinky."
"Zig! Zig! Zig! (Yeah! Yeah! Whatever!)"
He reached into his backpack again, pulling out a smaller portion of beef and grilling it up. Once it was ready, he placed it on a separate plate and set it down in front of the Zigzagoon.
The Pokémon's eyes sparkled. "Zig. zag. goon!! (Best. Human. Ever!!)" While dumping his face into the food, devouring like it has never eaten.
As the two of them ate their meal under the starry sky, Satoshi couldn't help but let out a quiet chuckle.
"Yeah, you better savor the food because that will be your last."
Then just as Satoshi was about to take another bite, a sudden realization hit him like a truck.
"Wait a second…" He slowly turned his gaze toward the Zigzagoon, who was happily munching on the grilled beef.
'Do pokémon even eat meat??' The thought sent a shiver down his spine.
'In his world, animals had specific diets, but pokémon? Some of them looked like real animals, but others were literal walking plants, ghosts, or even living piles of sludge.'
His mind raced. 'Is this normal? Did I just feed meat to a pokémon that shouldn't even eat it?!'
Panicked, he stared at the Zigzagoon, who paused mid-chew, noticing the weird look he was getting.
"Zig... Zagoon? (Uh… what are you looking at?)"
Satoshi swallowed hard before asking the pokémon a question. "Do yo–you sometime eat meat?" Trying to keep his tone casual.
The Zigzagoon blinked, then slowly looked down at the half-eaten beef in its paws before looking back up at Satoshi like he had just asked if water was wet.
"Zigzag. (…Yeah?)"
"And that's normal??" He said.
The Zigzagoon tilted its head. "Zigzagoon zig. (I mean, I mostly eat berries, but if I find something tasty, I'll eat it. Meat's pretty rare in the wild, though.)"
Satoshi exhaled in relief. "Okay, good. I thought I just made you a carnivore or something."
Thanks to that answer, he has confirmed the pokémon was an omnivore.
The Zigzagoon rolled its eyes. "Zigzagoon. (Relax. I'm not gonna start hunting Bidoof or anything.)"
Satoshi paused. "…Do pokémon hunt other pokémon?"
The Zigzagoon stared at him for a long moment, then smirked. "Zig. (You don't wanna know.)"
"I don't want to know about it anyway." Then Satoshi decided right then and there, to never ask that question again.
After finishing his meal, Satoshi let out a satisfied sigh and stretched his body again. The warmth of the fire, the fullness in his stomach, and the exhaustion of the day all hit him at once.
"Alright… I'm done. Time for sleep." he mumbled, standing up and dusting off his clothes.
Without hesitation, he slipped into his tent, zipping it shut behind him. The moment he lay down on his sleeping bag, his entire body practically melted into the fabric.
"Ugh… finally." he groaned, staring up at the tent ceiling. "What a day…"
Outside, the Zigzagoon sat near the tent entrance, watching as the fire crackled softly. It was still warm outside, but the night air carried a slight chill.
The little raccoon pokémon yawned, stretching its short legs. Then it turned its gaze back toward the tent.
It wanted to go inside, like really wanted to go inside.
The warmth, the cozy-looking setup, the safe enclosure—it all seemed way better than sleeping on the ground like usual.
But… it hesitated.
It was a wild pokémon. It had never slept inside anything before, let alone a human's tent. 'Was that even allowed?'
Its ears twitched as it debated with itself.
'Should I? No, I shouldn't… but maybe just for a little…? No, no, I'm a wild pokémon! I live outside! But it looks so warm…'
Then, suddenly—
"Zigzagoon?" Satoshi's tired voice drifted from inside the tent, muffled by the fabric.
"You still out there?"
The pokémon froze, caught in the act of inching closer to the tent flap.
"Zig?! Zigzagoon! (What?! No! I wasn't doing anything!)"
Satoshi sighed and flatly said. "If you wanna come in, just come in. You've been following me around all day anyway."
The Zigzagoon stiffened, eyes wide dramatic as always. "Zigzagoon! (No way, nuh uh!)"
For a few seconds, it just sat there, unmoving...
Then, slowly, hesitantly, it stepped forward, poking its head inside the tent.
Satoshi, already half-asleep, cracked one eye open to see the little pokémon awkwardly standing at the entrance, looking unsure.
He smirked lazily. "Make up your mind already. You either sleep inside or out. I'm not gonna carry you in."
The Zigzagoon huffed but finally gave in, stepping fully inside before curling up at the far end of the tent. It kept its back turned to Satoshi as if pretending it wasn't actually enjoying this.
Satoshi chuckled to himself, closing his eyes.
"Yeah, yeah. Good night, you stubborn raccoon."
"Zigzagoon. (Hmph. Whatever.)"
"Zig. (Good night.)" Despite its grumbling, the Zigzagoon's tail twitched happily as the two drifted off to sleep.
*
To be continue...
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