Even though the craving in its stomach was urging Meowstic to taste the dessert before it, it hadn't forgotten its duties as a waiter.
Meowstic quickly located the cabinet where Lucas had just taken out the tableware. Its eyes glowed with a faint azure light—a sign it was carefully controlling its psychic power.
The cabinet opened automatically, a teacup floated out steadily, and the cutlery on the table began to move on their own, slicing the cake into bite-sized pieces and pouring Lucas a glass of honey lemon water.
Without Lucas needing to lift a finger, Meowstic handled everything neatly.
Lucas glanced at it in surprise, impressed by Meowstic's professionalism—and a bit envious of how easily it commanded its powers.
Lucas didn't know if he had the talent to awaken psychic abilities, but psychic power was truly convenient. In this real world, it could accomplish so many seemingly impossible things, such as Mewtwo's ability to teleport vast distances—just like a miracle.
If he passed the review, Pokémon with psychic powers would definitely rise in his personal ranking when he went to Pokémon Butler Academy. This ability was just too useful.
Watching Meowstic calmly cut the cake and feed itself telekinetically, Lucas couldn't help but fantasize about a life of luxury—where everything was done for him.
After the delicious dessert, Lucas looked at Meowstic as it wiped its mouth and asked curiously, "From the perspective of a waiter, could you comment on the dessert's flavor?"
"Meowstic~."
Meowstic paused, made a brief sound, and fell into thought.
Lucas looked at it expectantly. He wanted feedback on his cooking from both people and Pokémon, fully aware he was nowhere near the level of specialized pastry chefs.
Whether the feedback was good or bad, Lucas would take it all in and learn, just as he did as a trainer.
After pondering, Meowstic's psychic power wrote words in the air:
[Excellent ingredients, but too much craftsmanship, lacking a bit of inspiration.]
Lucas wasn't surprised. He knew his own limits: he couldn't compare to people truly devoted to pastry making. The overly crafted comment was spot-on—he always stuck to precise ratios, never improvising. The taste was stable, but lacked innovation.
Meowstic's verdict was similar to Kofu's: Lucas's ingredients were top-notch.
How could he not know? He and his Pokémon worked hard to grow them. These crops, nourished daily on Grassy Terrain, probably absorbed more nutrients than Lucas himself. Humans couldn't compare to plants, after all.
Well-fed, Meowstic didn't let Lucas's hospitality sway its judgment. It wrote its conclusion on the evaluation paper:
[This home environment is comfortable, relaxed, and features a spacious farm. Together with a variety of Pokémon, it forms a warm and close-knit family. The farm owner, Lucas, treats his Pokémon like family and can provide graduates with the best possible workplace environment. Overall rating: Excellent.]
With that, Meowstic breathed a sigh of relief. This unusual farm had shown it many new things, and it believed its successors would be happy working here.
Meowstic didn't announce the results on the spot, and Lucas didn't ask.
After seeing off Meowstic—whose face now wore a smile—Lucas was washing dishes when something soft suddenly landed on his shoulder.
It was Milcery.
Seeing Milcery urging him along, Lucas smiled gently and said, "Don't worry. Once I finish cleaning up, we'll go to Cortondo."
Seeing Milcery get excited, Lucas shook his head helplessly. This child had been looking forward to this day for so long. He wondered which form Milcery would evolve into in the end.
After tidying up, Lucas took Milcery to Thunder Lake, where Dragonite and the Dragonair were busy acting with the Dragonite leader.
They were sitting on the lake's shore, cooperating with the leader's imaginary trainer in an invisible roleplay—quite the test of acting skills.
Mewtwo had mentioned that only the Dragonite leader could see the phantom of the trainer it longed for. It wasn't a physical or energetic presence, but rather Mewtwo altering Dragonite's mind to let it see the person it missed most.
Only this person could pull the Dragonite leader out of its despair. This was now common knowledge among Lucas and his Pokémon. Until a solution was found, they could only keep the leader company.
Lucas briefly called Dragonite away from the group for a quick trip to Cortondo—Dragonite's mobility was essential.
He also asked Luxray to guard the farm while he was out. Glancing at the other side, he saw Moltres, Politoed, and Swampert still sparring energetically, so he boarded Dragonite and soared skyward.
Cortondo.
…
Entering the town, Lucas felt the leisurely, peaceful atmosphere familiar to every Paldea trainer. It washed away the tension of their hometowns—he felt himself relax.
"Milcery~!"
Milcery curiously observed the surroundings and the people passing by. Everything in Cortondo was new to it.
Walking on the stone-paved roads, Lucas looked at the buildings. They were just as he remembered—almost all made of stone, giving the town a unique charm.
He recalled that just outside Cortondo was the Olive Orchard, famous for the local olive harvest festival. Unfortunately, it wasn't the right season, or he would have brought Smoliv to experience it.
Lucas's destination was the renowned pastry shop "Patisserie Soapberry," run by Gym Leader Katy, a well-known spot in town with a constant stream of customers.
"Just follow the crowds and you'll find Patisserie Soapberry."
That was local consensus.
On the way, Lucas introduced the shops and environment to Milcery.
Suddenly, as they passed a building Lucas found familiar, he was surprised to see someone squatting by the door, lost in thought.