A week later, a plane landed at Vermilion City port. Ace, dressed in a trench coat, slowly disembarked.
"Winter is over?"
Ace looked up at the bright sunshine and pleasant temperature, finding it hard to believe it was still late winter. Spring had arrived early this year, making winter feel exceptionally short.
Leaving Vermilion City Airport, Ace arrived at Vermilion Port. He released his Aerodactyl from its Poké Ball, and it soared into the sky, carrying Ace towards his cottage.
After leaving Meteor Falls, Ace returned to Rustboro City and stayed there for a few days. First, he wanted to wander around and buy some local specialties. Second, he hoped to get his hands on the Key Stones from the Devon Corporation.
However, after a few days of trying, Ace couldn't find a way to infiltrate the Devon Corporation. Moreover, after the last incident, the corporation's internal defenses had been strengthened significantly. He finally managed to seize an opportunity to let Gengar sneak in, but the news he received was that Roxanne had already transferred everything, and those items could no longer be found within the Devon Corporation.
Realizing there was no hope, Ace could only give up. He bought a plane ticket and returned to Kanto.
As Aerodactyl flew, two hours later, Ace slowly landed in his own yard.
With the rise in temperature, the berries in the berry orchard had begun to bloom. A faint fragrance started to spread, attracting a large number of Butterfree and Beedrill to circle the orchard. However, Ace noticed that these Bug-type Pokémon didn't dare to enter the orchard, which made him nod in satisfaction. It was clear that Exeggutor and Tentacruel were protecting the orchard very well. Even though those Bug-type Pokémon desperately wanted to fly in, they didn't dare to step into the orchard due to the presence of Exeggutor and its companions.
Ace opened the orchard gate and then released all his Pokémon. The commotion immediately attracted the attention of Exeggutor and Tentacruel. Two Exeggutor immediately scurried over, while Tentacruel stretched out its tentacles, moving towards Ace and his Pokémon. However, once the Exeggutor clearly saw Ace, it immediately came to an abrupt halt, then nodded at Ace, and slowly walked towards him. Tentacruel also rose from the pond, waving its tentacles, and approached Ace.
"Well done."
Ace praised them without reservation, and at the same time, threw three Beginner Energy Cubes. The three Pokémon excitedly caught the Energy Cubes and stuffed them into their mouths. Although Ace didn't train them after catching them, as employees of the berry orchard, they still deserved their benefits.
Ace took his Pokémon to check the saplings and found that they were thriving, each over two meters tall. Now that spring had arrived, the saplings were sprouting new leaves and flowers were blooming in competition, indicating a promising outlook for the entire orchard. Ace also checked the food he had left for Exeggutor and its companions; most of it had been eaten, with only about a week's supply left. He opened the system store to replenish their food, then left the berry orchard and returned to his cottage.
As for the Bug-type Pokémon circling outside the berry orchard, Ace naturally wouldn't let them in. After the flowers were pollinated, they would bear fruit, but Ace had to ensure the growth of the trees. Therefore, for the next two years, he had to minimize fruit production, and if necessary, he would remove any accidentally produced fruit to ensure that all nutrients absorbed by the trees were supplied for their growth.
All the windows in the cottage were open. While ventilating, Ace began to clean the cottage with a mop and bucket. It had been a long time since anyone lived there, and the house was covered in a thin layer of dust, so it needed to be cleaned before it could be occupied. Ace's Pokémon also came to help. Even Gible, which had only recently hatched, was holding a broom and haphazardly sweeping.
The first floor was quickly cleaned, and Ace led his Pokémon to the second floor.
At this moment, Chansey did not go upstairs but looked towards the kitchen on the first floor. Ever since it tried to help last time and almost blew up the kitchen, Ace and his Pokémon had forbidden Chansey from entering the kitchen. However, Chansey had a dream: not only to help Ace in battle but also to take charge of his daily life!
With the flames of fighting spirit burning fiercely, Chansey stepped into the kitchen, one step at a time…
Half an hour later, Ace and his Pokémon rushed into the kitchen. At this moment, the kitchen was filled with thick smoke. Then, a black-faced Chansey emerged from the stove, holding a basin—yes, you read that right, it was indeed a basin—full of paste!
"What did you make?"
Ace's mouth twitched as he looked at the black-faced Chansey, asking helplessly.
"Noodles!" (Mewtwo's friendly translation)
Ace glanced at the colorful "noodles," finding it hard to equate the current pasty substance with noodles.
"Cough, since Chansey made food, everyone should try some. No wasting food."
As soon as Ace finished speaking, all the Pokémon shook their heads in unison. Mewtwo and Ninetales even used Teleport to disappear without a trace.
Ace picked up Gible and, seeing it shaking its head desperately, said with a smile, "Do you think I would harm you? Although Chansey's cooking is a bit unpalatable, it's still edible. Be a good boy."
As he spoke, Ace picked up a spoon, scooped a spoonful, and put it into Gible's mouth.
The next moment, Gible's eyes rolled back, its feet kicked, and it fainted straight away.
"Screech, screech. (Warrior, rest in peace.)"
Crobat raised its wings and saluted Gible.
As for the other Pokémon, they all took a step back, looking at Chansey in horror.
Chansey, looking annoyed, snatched the spoon from Ace's hand, then scooped a large spoonful and stuffed it into its own mouth.
"Gulp."
Chansey fell straight to the ground, its eyes rolled back, biting tightly onto the spoon in its mouth.
Seeing Chansey knocked out by its own cooking, Ace couldn't help but take a step back, then handed Gible to Blastoise, walked to the stove, and turned on the extractor fan.
"From now on, everyone, pay attention and don't let Chansey into the kitchen. Understand?!"
All the Pokémon stood up straight in unison, nodding frantically.
Chansey had personally proven that its cooking had far surpassed the realm of dark cuisine; even a strong Pokémon like itself was destined to be defeated when it came to cooking. Moreover, Chansey's cooking was extremely potent. Gible, after eating a little, was unconscious for more than two hours before recovering. The first thing it did upon waking up was to stay far away from Chansey.
As for Chansey, after eating a full mouthful, it remained unconscious until late at night before finally waking up. This made Ace wonder if, the next time he performed surgery, he should use Chansey's cooking as an anesthetic.
If Ace's Pokémon knew what he was thinking, Chansey would probably be very sad, and the other Pokémon would distance themselves from Ace as much as possible.
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