Chapter 68:
"popplio?"
"Bounsweet…"
When Bounsweet and popplio heard that, both froze for a heartbeat. Then their eyes—one bright and round, one small and shiny—lit up. They nodded, shy but clear, showing they agreed to the plan.
Torchic, on the other hand, let out a delighted chirp. "Torchic! Torchic!"
The three of them wandered side by side, rescued together by Gardevoir; a friendship had already begun to take root. Perhaps Torchic stayed not only because of the food prospects, but because it didn't want to leave these two newfound friends.
"All right, let's go set up the barbecue," Hayashi Kaede said.
After making a simple arrangement for the three newcomers, Hayashi Kaede left the Plantation. He whistled; Pidgeotto swooped down immediately. Kaede recalled Milotic from the water with a quick throw of a Poké Ball, then headed toward the cowshed with the rest of the group.
The Plantation itself was too cramped for a proper barbecue, and Kaede didn't want to risk smoke or stray embers near the fruit trees. The open space behind the cowshed was perfect: wind-sheltered, flat, and far enough away from the crops.
It just so happened that Servine and Vulpix were practicing nearby, so they brought along Miltank and a Caterpie; with those additions, every Pokémon was present for the celebration.
"Servine?" Kaede called.
Servine and Vulpix looked up at the arriving group and blinked; they stood there, slightly dazed, as if surprised the whole Plantation had become a party venue so quickly.
Kaede laughed. "Hey, we're having a barbecue tonight so everyone can get together and make friends."
It was going to be a proper grand dinner—a real project—so even though it was only four in the afternoon, Kaede started prepping right away. If he left things until later, the party could easily run past midnight.
He set up a portable grill and skewers he'd bought at HappyMart, piled the charcoal, and borrowed a spark from Torchic to get the coals going. Then he asked Servine to escort Gardevoir back to the Plantation to harvest vegetables: eggplant, cabbage, sweet potato, scallions—good, sturdy ingredients for grilling. Of course, no summer barbecue would be complete without a watermelon for ice-cold slices.
Next, Kaede handed an iron bucket to Alolan Vulpix and asked it to freeze large ice cubes for drinks. Alolan Vulpix breathed a shallow swirl of cold air across the bucket; the ground chilled, forming a smooth patch of frost and a faint, refreshing mist.
While the ice set, Kaede started chopping garlic and chilies, mixing a dipping sauce, and unwrapping the pork belly he'd bought at HappyMart. He sliced the meat thin, speared pieces onto bamboo skewers, and cleaned the vegetables Servine had brought.
He deliberately left beef off the menu—he didn't want to make the Miltank uncomfortable, and besides, many of the Pokémon didn't eat meat at all. The menu leaned toward shared, Pokémon-friendly dishes.
By five o'clock the ingredients were ready. Torchic paced nearby, eyes bright with hunger. It was hard for the little bird to watch food being prepared and not be allowed to taste it, as if ants had started crawling under its feathers.
Kaede reached for Bounsweet, who'd been clinging to Gardevoir's side, and carried it over to the grill—planning to extract a little juice for the drinks. But as soon as Bounsweet neared the cooking area, it panicked.
"Boun-boun—don't eat me! Don't—" it struggled, tears welling up in its eyes.
"Bounsweet…" it whimpered pitifully, trembling as Kaede handled the vegetables and yams.
Kaede froze. He hadn't expected such a frightened reaction. He hurried to explain, apologizing in a rush: "No, no—I won't eat you. I only want some juice for the drinks. Promise."
To calm it, he briefly channeled a gentle pulse of Aura's power through his hands. The warm, soothing sensation eased Bounsweet's raw fear just enough for it to trust him. With a still-worried look, it hopped into the bucket Kaede had prepared and secreted a small amount of juice.
Kaede felt guilty—he'd meant to remove any resentment, but his clumsy approach had only frightened the little Pokémon more. He mentally scolded himself, then set about making reparations: iced watermelon juice, freshly squeezed lemon water, and a little Moomoo Milk to restore Bounsweet's spirits and show care.
When the drinks were ready, Kaede released Milotic and announced, "All right, time to meet everyone—these are the new Pokémon who joined the Plantation today."
He lifted Bounsweet out of the water and set it on the grass. The newcomer darted back to Gardevoir and kept glancing nervously at the grill. The other Pokémon gathered in a loose ring, intrigued but polite, leaving space for the new trio.
Kaede shot Gardevoir and Servine a quick look—meaning, you two take it from here—then turned his attention to cooking.
He started with eggplant: whole slices onto the grill, brushed with rapeseed oil so the skin would blister and the flesh would become silky. When the outsides browned, he snipped the surface with scissors and brushed another light coat of oil, then sprinkled minced garlic and a little light soy sauce. The aroma rose immediately. The simplest grilled eggplant, done right, was irresistible.
[B-level delicacy — Grilled Eggplant]
Description: The most delicious dish, requiring only the simplest method. A known favorite of Fire-type Pokémon.
Cooking Effect 1: After eating, a Pokémon's energy activity increases by [30%].
Cooking Effect 2: After eating this, Fire-type Pokémon gain a significant boost in their understanding of Fire-type moves.
It was BBQ after all—celebration food.
As the first batch of eggplant came off the grill, Kaede glanced back. Gardevoir and Servine's presence had already helped the newcomers relax. Torchic trailed Pidgeotto and examined the bigger bird's plumage with a mixture of awe and envy, as if thinking, Your feathers are even redder than mine.
Popplio stared up at the long-haired Milotic and couldn't help a soft, admiring squeak—its voice full of praise.
Milotic, who had once been a simple sea creature watched by the water, now received compliments from the other Pokémon and brightened. It swam up to chat with Pikachu, murmuring happily, "Milotic~ Trainers helped me evolve like this—one day you'll evolve too and be beautiful."
Popplio listened when they talked about evolution and felt a small, familiar knot of doubt. Could it evolve? Had poor aptitude sealed its fate? It remembered being left behind before because of its talent—or the perceived lack of it—and the memory still hurt.
Hayashi Kaede sensed the vulnerability and, without fanfare, slid a skewer of grilled eggplant toward Popplio and another small piece toward Bounsweet. "Try this," he said softly. "It'll make you feel better."
The smell, the warmth, the gentle insistence of the trainer—these were small salves. Under the autumn-red tree by the Reservoir, the makeshift barbecue became more than just a meal: it was a first step toward trust, toward a shared life that might repair a few quiet wounds.