After a bout of noisy banter, the group of one human and two Pokémon set off once more.
It had to be said that Pallet Town truly lived up to its reputation as a place defined by "purity." Although most of the houses had been reduced to ashes by last night's attack, the vast grasslands and forests beyond the town remained untouched. They stretched quietly along the road, displaying nature's unspoiled beauty to every traveler who passed by.
If he could, Luke would have loved to lie down in the grass and take a nap in a world without mosquitoes. Unfortunately, this was no time for rest.
Aside from the first Youngster, Luke and the girls encountered a few other wild humans along the way. Most of them were either Youngsters or even smaller children. When these humans appeared, they either hid cautiously in the grass or fled in panic. None of them rushed in to fight the moment they made eye contact, unlike in the games.
Considering the vast gap between humans and Pokémon in this world, Luke found their reactions perfectly understandable.
Kid, there is no reason to face an enemy you cannot possibly defeat.
What Luke did not know was that these children were actually very lucky. Both Kirlia and Brionne had witnessed Luke's power firsthand. Because of that, Kirlia did not do what most rookie trainers would do and send her human to battle wild children just to gain combat experience.
Luke did not consider himself a particularly good person, but if Kirlia had really ordered him to transform and chase after first or second graders to beat them up, his conscience would not have allowed it. Especially when those kids were not troublemakers and had not provoked him in any way. Of course, if Kirlia truly gave the order, Luke would have no choice but to bully children while feeling deeply apologetic.
After walking for a while longer, both Kirlia and Brionne suddenly stopped. Before Luke, who was behind them, could figure out what was going on, the two exchanged a glance and ran toward a large tree by the roadside.
"Mr. Luke, over here, over here."
"Please come. Letting one's human become exhausted is a trainer's failure."
While the two Pokémon called out to him, Kirlia had already spread a tablecloth over the grass and sat down on it with Brionne. Seeing their setup, Luke looked up at the blazing sun overhead and more or less guessed what they were planning.
"Is it really okay to stop and rest?" he asked.
"It's fine, it's fine. Lulu and I have been to Viridian City a few times before. Even walking there only takes half a day. We have plenty of time to eat before setting off again," Brionne replied calmly.
After saying that, she glanced sideways at Kirlia, who was pulling items out of her satchel, and the corners of her mouth curved upward slightly.
"And besides, Lulu thinks so too, right?"
"…Compared to us Pokémon, humans are far weaker in both stamina and health. Proper rest and meals are necessary," Kirlia said without lifting her head.
She took out a water bottle that looked taller than the satchel itself and continued laying out the picnic items one by one. Seat cushions, teacups, a disposable cup for Luke. Just as Kirlia reached for the lunch, her movements finally paused.
Noticing the hesitation, Brionne, who had already poured floral tea for all three of them, looked over in confusion. When she saw what Kirlia was holding, she immediately understood.
In Kirlia's hands was a bag of human feed.
Staring at it, both Pokémon fell into silence. Their quiet finally pulled Luke out of his stunned state, which had started the moment Kirlia produced that oversized water bottle.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Because of his angle, Luke could not see what Kirlia was holding. Out of politeness, he asked the two of them.
"Well, um, Mr. Luke… do you have any foods you cannot eat?" Brionne asked awkwardly, lifting her head. Her smile looked a bit forced.
"Foods I cannot eat? As long as it's not wasabi, I should be fine."
Luke did have a few dislikes, but considering the Pokémon world, wasabi seemed like the only realistic concern. It was not that he hated it. A little bit mixed with soy sauce and seafood was great. But if you accidentally squeezed out a whole lump…
His nose and the top of his head still remembered that pain very fondly.
Still, why were they suddenly asking about his diet?
Watching Kirlia hurriedly stuff something back into her satchel after exchanging a glance with Brionne, Luke raised an eyebrow. Since coming to this world, the brain he had nearly lost to endless overtime suddenly felt more important than ever.
If their positions were reversed, and this picnic were between a Pokémon trainer and their Pokémon…
Luke recalled the food Pikachu and the others ate in the anime. His expression stiffened.
In the real world, cats had cat food and dogs had dog food. In the Pokémon world, trainers prepared special food for their Pokémon. Then what did humans eat in a world where they could be captured by Pokémon?
Luke forcefully cut off that train of thought. Even if he already knew the answer, he absolutely did not want to picture it in detail.
Roll, roll.
While all three were silent over the issue of human feed, a round object was squeezed out of the satchel as Kirlia hurried to hide things away.
Luke caught it as it rolled over. When he lifted his hand, a familiar red and white ball rested in his palm.
"That is… Lulu, is that the human ball you used to capture Mr. Luke?" Brionne asked.
Only then did Kirlia realize that the human ball had fallen out.
"…Thank you."
She carefully took it back and placed it into her satchel. It was obvious that she treasured it greatly.
"That human ball took Lulu forever to save up for. Seriously, why are human balls designed to be single use?" Brionne complained.
As Kirlia finished packing the ball away and started taking out bread and jam, Brionne muttered that line. It was unclear whether she was speaking to Luke or just venting to herself. Kirlia simply smiled and said nothing.
Luke, sipping his floral tea in silence, had already guessed the reason.
In games, Poké Balls being disposable enhanced player involvement and showcased different ball designs. But in reality, that kind of setting could only point to one thing.
A deliberate flaw designed by shameless capitalists, all to make Pokémon buy more human balls.
Most humans in this world were already weaker than Pokémon. If a failed capture still left the ball usable, that would be terrible for business.
Even though Luke felt confident in this conclusion, he had no intention of sharing it. Darkness that served no purpose other than adding to one's worries was best shouldered alone, especially by someone who had already spent years swimming in it.
Compared to ranting about capitalism with Pokémon, Luke was far more curious about the quality of bread and jam in this world.
"Fly higher!"
Just as Luke was about to start lunch, a strange cry suddenly rang out near his ear. Before he could react, a dark shadow swept past him, snatched the satchel from the ground, and shot up into the sky.