That night, in Viridian Forest.
After starting a fire with flint, Hayashi and the two girls sat on portable chairs, enjoying a delicious dinner.
"As expected of Erina! Even in such a crude environment, you can still cook such a wonderful meal!" Hayashi swallowed the noodles in his mouth and sighed blissfully. "My first world being Shokugeki no Soma was absolutely the right choice! Totally worth it—"
"Eve eve!"
Though Eevee didn't understand the latter half of Hayashi's words, the first half was crystal clear! The little one immediately raised her head from her food bowl and let out an adorable cry, as if echoing Hayashi's praise for the young lady.
"Hmph, cooking at this level is only natural, isn't it?" The young lady snorted proudly, flipping her hair as she declared, "If the environment were better and the ingredients more plentiful, I could make something even more delicious!"
"Ooooh!"
Hayashi immediately clapped his hands enthusiastically. "Amazing, amazing!"
"Mii!" Nearby, Milcery lifted her head from her Moomoo Milk and let out a tiny, milky voice—she was still too young and could only consume Moomoo Milk for now. Once she grew a bit older, she'd be able to eat regular food.
Beside them, Hisako chimed in with pride, "After all, the young lady is one of only two people in the world with the God's Tongue! Of course she's the best!"
"Right, right, the best, the best." Hayashi nodded, then turned his gaze to the backpack nearby. "But honestly, this backpack and running shoes are seriously high-tech. If only we could bring the manufacturing tech to other worlds."
Hearing his words, Erina and Hisako simultaneously shifted their attention to the backpack, both nodding in agreement—today's journey had made them deeply aware of just how incredible these two travel essentials were!
First, the backpack: no matter how much was stuffed inside, its weight remained around two kilograms. Second, the running shoes: despite walking all day, their legs showed no signs of fatigue.
Wasn't that high-tech enough?
The young lady shook her head softly. "Replicating such miraculous technology in other worlds would undoubtedly be extremely difficult. And it might involve many other supporting technologies—learning everything would be too hard."
Hayashi pinched his chin and muttered, "Fair point... Well, might as well try! Worst case, we can just be resellers! Stock up in this world and sell in others!"
If the Hayashi from Chapter 1, who thought being an anime reseller was lame, could hear his Chapter 16 self saying such things, he'd probably time-travel just to slap himself: Look at how pathetic you've become!
Erina and Hisako exchanged a glance, but before they could say anything, a rustling sound came from the bushes beside them, instantly putting all three on alert.
Two seconds later, accompanied by a "Pika" sound, a yellow rodent poked its head out from behind the bushes and curiously glanced toward the table, as if searching for something.
"Ah, it's Pikachu!"
Hisako exclaimed in a hushed voice, afraid that speaking any louder might scare the adorable little creature in front of her.
Erina also wore an excited expression, looking somewhat flustered as she stared at the Pikachu, which was hiding its body in the shrubbery with only its head peeking out. "What do we do? What should we do?" she muttered.
Should they approach it? But if they went over recklessly, would they scare the cute little Pikachu away? But if they didn't say anything, would Pikachu just run off on its own? Ahhh, this was so frustrating!
Hayashi glanced at the two women, who were completely panicking, and shook his head helplessly before patting Eevee's head. "Eevee, go talk to that Pikachu and ask if it wants to come eat with us."
"!!"
Erina and Hisako immediately looked at Hayashi with eyes full of admiration, as if gazing up at a towering mountain. Then, they turned their hopeful gazes toward Eevee—Eevee, you've got to step up! Whether they could win over Pikachu depended entirely on you now!
"Eve!"
Eevee nodded, holding a piece of Pokémon food in her mouth before gracefully hopping off the table and walking toward Pikachu with elegant steps.
"Pi—"
Pikachu watched as Eevee approached, its expression hesitant. It shrank back slightly, as if wanting to flee, but the irresistible aroma wafting from the other side—like a thousand Meowth scratching at its heart with Fury Swipes—made its tiny feet refuse to move...
A few seconds later, under the trio's expectant gazes, Eevee slowly stopped just half a meter away from Pikachu! She gently lowered her head, placed the Pokémon food on the ground, then lifted it again with the poise of a young lady, giving her fluffy tail a light shake as she said, "Eve eve!"
This is for you—eat up!
"Pi… Pika?"
This is for me? Why!?
Pikachu stared at Eevee with confusion. In its understanding, food was an incredibly precious thing—why would it be given away so easily?
"Eve!"
Because you look like you really want to try it!
"Eve eve!"
Go ahead and taste it! If you like it, you can come over and eat with us!
"Pika!?"
R-really!?
Pikachu could hardly contain itself.
Cautiously yet eagerly, it hopped out from the bushes, scurried over to Eevee, bent down, and picked up the Pokémon food with both paws before taking a careful bite.
"!!"
Wh-what… what is this!?
In that moment, it was as if Pikachu had opened the door to a whole new world. Like an ancient person who had only ever eaten plain boiled meat suddenly tasting properly seasoned cuisine, its entire body felt as if it were floating in bliss.
"Pi… Pika…"
Pikachu stared blankly at the remaining Pokémon food in her hands. Her appetite urged her to quickly finish the rest and savor this unprecedented deliciousness, but her reason whispered...
"Eeeek, don't eat it all! Once it's gone, it's gone forever! You'll never taste it again!"
Wh-what should she do?
Pikachu gazed at the food in her paws, her expression a rich tapestry of conflict, struggle, reluctance, and agony—so vivid that Hayashi exclaimed this must be a drama queen Pikachu. If sent to Pokémon Hollywood, she'd undoubtedly become the next big star.
Eevee shook her head helplessly and called out softly, "Eve!"
What are you spacing out for? If you like it so much, come join us for more!
"Pi... pika!"
Oh! Oh right! I can mooch another meal!
Instantly reinvigorated, Pikachu tossed the remaining chunk of Pokémon food into her mouth, then cupped her cheeks and let out a blissful "Pii~kaaa~" that nearly made Erina and Hisako clutch their hearts in overload.
Pikachu might not be the strongest in battle, but their ability to be adorable is absolutely unparalleled! Too powerful—utterly unstoppable!
After relishing the deliciousness, Pikachu eagerly hopped over to Eevee and urged, "Pika pika!"
Hurry! Let's go!
"Eve—"
With a resigned sigh, Eevee turned and gracefully padded back to the table. She leaped lightly onto the surface and strode straight to Hayashi, looking up at him with proud yet expectant eyes.
I did a great job, didn't I? Praise me, quick! Pet me, quick!
As if hearing her thoughts, Hayashi grinned and reached out to ruffle Eevee's head and chin. "Ohhh, my precious Eve is so good! So clever! So capable! Amazing, amazing, amazing!"
"Eve eve eve~"
Eevee's voice took on a coquettish lilt as she nuzzled against Hayashi's hand, wagging her tail cheerfully—a sight that left Erina and Hisako burning with envy.
This Eevee is too smooth!
"Pi... pika?"
Meanwhile, Pikachu, who had followed Eevee over, hesitated as she eyed the table. She wasn't sure if she should jump up! Would it be too close to these humans?
Just as Pikachu wavered, Milcery peeked out from the edge of the table. She blinked at Pikachu and waved a tiny paw. "Miii—"
What are you doing? Come up and eat!
"Pika!"
Invitation secured, Pikachu's face lit up with delight. She clambered onto the table in a few quick motions, then glanced around nervously—oh, three humans, all staring right at her!
"Pi... pika..."
Pikachu flicked her tail uneasily, tiny sparks dancing across her cheeks as she slipped into alert mode—after all, as a wild Pokémon, she naturally harbored wariness toward humans.
"Pi... Pikachu—" Erina spoke in a voice so gentle, so tender that even Hisako couldn't help feeling a twinge of jealousy. "Would you like to try the food I made?"
After sensing Erina's kindness, the wariness in Pikachu's eyes gradually faded, and the electric currents on her cheeks vanished without a trace, instantly returning to her previous harmless, adorable form.
"Pika!"
I'm cute, please feed me!
Clearly, Pikachu's overwhelming cuteness effortlessly shattered Erina's nonexistent resistance to such charm. She stood up, her face brimming with excitement and enthusiasm, and declared, "Wait here, I'll make you an omelet rice right away!"
Seize the opportunity, Erina! Use your culinary skills to mold this Pikachu into your own! Heh heh!
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