The little fox shook its head slightly.
"Do you want to buy something?" Selena asked.
Once again, it shook its head. Selena sighed, ruffling her hair in slight frustration. She had only been the fox's trainer for a few days, and their bond was still growing. Simple things were easy to understand, but anything slightly more complex left her guessing.
The fox's tail drooped as it appeared a bit downcast.
At that moment, Carl spoke up, "It's wondering why you're pushing the shopping cart and following me."
Really? Selena looked at the fox. The little creature immediately nodded.
"I agreed to be an apprentice at the gym," Selena explained, "I'll be in charge of meals, so I need to buy a lot of supplies."
The fox tilted its head, looking confused.
Selena sought Carl's help again.
"It's asking if you're planning to stay at my place for a long time," Carl translated.
"Yes." Selena replied.
The fox let out a surprised yelp. Selena quickly glanced at Carl and noticed his expression was a bit odd.
"What is it?" she asked, suddenly filled with unease.
Carl cleared his throat and mimicked the fox's tone, "Didn't you say this morning that this place is too dangerous and you wanted to leave quickly?"
It was repeating its exact words, he added.
Selena froze, mortified.
Oh no! How embarrassing!
"Did it mean my place?" Carl asked, puzzled. "Did something happen that made you uncomfortable?"
"No!" Selena denied swiftly. She couldn't possibly talk about those embarrassing dreams.
"I just felt bad about staying for free before, but now that I have a job, it's fine."
Carl nodded in understanding. He sensed there was more to the story, but he didn't press. As long as Selena was willing to continue being his chef, that was all he needed.
"Let's buy these for now and come back another day." Carl suggested, looking at the full shopping cart.
"Sounds good!" Selena agreed enthusiastically, feeling exhausted from the day's emotional rollercoaster. All she wanted now was to go home, take a hot shower, and relax.
Yet, ten minutes later, in a chocolate-scented dessert shop, Selena's demeanor changed entirely. She was leaning excitedly against the display case, her eyes sparkling as they lingered over the array of sweets, completely forgetting about her composure.
Her fox companion covered its face with its tail, seemingly embarrassed by its owner's lack of decorum.
Realizing her lapse, Selena wiped the corner of her mouth and asked with feigned calmness, "Carl, weren't we heading home?" Her tone was notably affectionate.
Carl chuckled, "I wouldn't let my companions go without a treat. After shopping with a lady, one must replenish some energy, right?"
Selena's three great loves were shopping, desserts, and fashion. Even though shopping didn't interest her today, she could never say no to desserts.
"Absolutely, desserts are a must after shopping!" she nodded eagerly, waiting for Carl to ask what she'd like. She was already mentally selecting which dessert to choose.
To her surprise, Carl directly told the server, "We'll have this, this, and the signature vanilla chocolate ice cream, two of each, to eat here."
Selena was stunned. Where was the gentlemanly inquiry? This man was...perfect! She exclaimed happily.
When the server brought over strawberry chocolate mousse, blueberry mille-feuille, and mango pancakes, Selena's eyes lit up. These were exactly the desserts she had been eyeing on the menu earlier. Carl had remembered them all.
"Enjoying it?" Carl asked with a smile.
"I love it!" she replied.
"Then dig in."
Carl picked up a fork first. This dessert shop, nestled in the heart of Fairfield, wasn't just any trendy spot. In a world where Pokémon existed, only shops with real skills thrived. Bringing Selena here was both to please the skilled cook and to make a comparison.
Perhaps the world's delicacies came with special effects, not necessarily due to Selena's exceptional cooking talents?
"Seems I overthought it," Carl mused.
After devouring three desserts, Carl's eyes sparkled with renewed enthusiasm as he looked at Selena.
"How about a raise?" he proposed.
"What?" Selena almost choked on her pancake. "What did you say, Carl?"
Her terms were already generous, yet within half a day, he was offering a raise? Could it be because of her eating manners, perfect for a food streamer?
"Take it slow," Carl, ever attentive, handed her a napkin, gently wiping the cream from her lips.
"Oh my, so handsome!"
"Such a gentle boyfriend!"
"I want a boyfriend like that!"
The shop buzzed with a chorus of admiration. This trendy spot was always crowded, especially with young women. Carl and Selena's attractive duo had caught many eyes upon entry, and their affectionate interaction now was melting hearts all around.
Selena was flustered by the unexpected intimacy, the surrounding chatter making her mind go blank.
She felt that Carl had misunderstood their relationship. They had only known each other for a day, far from being a couple—more like mentor and apprentice.
The server brought over the ice cream, easing the awkward atmosphere.
"Thanks!" Selena accepted the ice cream, handing it to Carl. "Try it."
Carl savored it slowly. These desserts, crafted from top-quality ingredients, were indeed tastier than those from his past life, but none could match Selena's sandwiches made from ordinary ingredients. Her culinary talent was astounding.
Reflecting on this, Carl realized his earlier suggestion of a raise might have been impulsive. He merely wanted to retain this culinary genius, but overly generous terms might lead to misunderstandings.
To break the silence, Selena turned to the fox, "Want to try some?"
The fox sniffed and turned away disdainfully.
"Strange, it loves my cream puffs," Selena mused.
"Do you understand the fox's personality?" Carl inquired.
"We've only been together for a week, so not really well yet," Selena replied, hoping Carl would help interpret the fox's thoughts.
"Really?" Carl chuckled. "You've studied the classification of Pokémon personalities, right? And how different personalities affect their abilities and food preferences?"
"Of course," Selena nodded eagerly. "I've studied those seriously."
"Then isn't determining a Pokémon's personality quite simple?"
Carl, supporting his chin with one hand, looked at her sideways, explaining leisurely, "Pokémon tastes are primarily divided into sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, and salty."
"Unlike humans, personalities have a more pronounced effect on Pokémon, with more obvious displays."
"Pokémon with diligent, straightforward, shy, hasty, or serious personalities have balanced ability development and no particular food preferences."
"But Pokémon with other personalities are different. They tend to enhance one ability while disliking another."
"They also have distinct food preferences, with strong likes and dislikes."
"You understand all this, right?"
Carl watched her staring blankly at him.
"What's wrong?"
"You seemed to be glowing just now!"
"Glowing?"
"Oh, no, I mean, I understood everything!" Selena blushed, lowering her head.
Carl's earnest explanation was captivating, entrancing her completely.
Is this the daily life of a gym apprentice?
Absolutely wonderful!
"Now that you understand, is determining a personality still difficult?"
Carl wasn't bothered by her reaction. After all, confidence was second nature to him.
"Huh?" Selena didn't catch on immediately.
"Seems you're a bit slow," Carl teased, flicking her forehead lightly.
Whoa—
The surrounding crowd immediately erupted in playful cheers.
Such an adorable scene.
Selena: ...
"Here's an example."
Ignoring her embarrassed glare, Carl continued, "Tell me, what impact does a calm personality have on a Pokémon?"
"More likely to enhance special attack, less likely to enhance speed, enjoys astringent foods, dislikes sweet ones." Selena answered fluently, proudly raising her chin.
Selena had always been a top student with excellent grades, even attending a renowned summer camp by Professor Oak. Yet, Carl's words struck her.
"You're just memorizing facts, not applying knowledge." Carl stated bluntly.
"What makes you say that?" Selena retorted, unwilling to back down.
"You don't even use basic reverse reasoning."
"Reverse reasoning?"
"A Pokémon with a calm personality likes astringent foods and dislikes sweet ones. Conversely, a Pokémon that likes both astringent and sweet foods can't have a calm personality."
"That's not necessarily true..." Selena wanted to argue, but couldn't find any counterexamples.
Unwilling to concede, she pulled out her phone to search for related information. Online, she found a detailed table matching Pokémon personalities with taste preferences.
After careful review, she realized that, aside from the five personalities Carl mentioned, the others did indeed correlate with taste preferences.
"Got it now?" Carl observed her enlightened expression, "By preparing fruits with a single taste and observing a Pokémon's preferences, you can quickly determine its personality and devise a suitable training plan."