Warning,
This Chapter contains content about eating pokemon.
The aroma of the stewed fish gradually wafted through the kitchen.
Meltan ran to the stove every now and then, pawing at the edge of the pot to sniff, letting out satisfied "purrs."
Jack saw that it was about time. He lifted the lid, and a rich, savory scent immediately surged out. The fish meat gently swayed in the broth, its bright red color making one's mouth water.
"Last step—high heat to reduce the sauce."
Jack picked up the spatula and gently nudged the fish, allowing the sauce to coat it evenly.
Bulbasaur quickly brought over some chopped green onions, and once the sauce had thickened, Jack sprinkled a handful over the fish. The vibrant green of the green onions against the bright red fish instantly made the dish look much more appetizing.
"Done!" Jack scooped the braised fish onto a plate.
Meltan had already brought over bowls and chopsticks and set them out. The two little ones sat in a circle around the dining table, their eyes fixed on the fish.
[Braised Fish (B+): Made with high-quality fish, fresh ingredients, and tender, flavorful meat. The sauce is perfectly balanced between sweet and savory, evenly coated with no fishy smell. Precise cooking time, though the taste is a bit spicy, which might be very popular with some Pokémon.
Cooking Effect: Water Blessing Lv1—slightly enhances comprehension of Water-type moves, 30 minutes.
Fire Blessing Lv2—significantly enhances comprehension of Fire-type moves, 60 minutes.]
"Don't rush. One fish isn't enough for all of us."
Jack took out a basket of berries, stir-fried them together, and finally added water to simmer. A large plate of berry soup was completed.
[Berry Soup (B-): Berries cooked soft but not mushy, perfectly balanced sweet and sour. The broth carries a refreshing herbal aroma, making it light and refreshing to drink. However, a few individual berries have a slight astringent taste, and it would be even better if the sweetness were reduced slightly. Overall, very delicious.
Cooking Effect: Status Immunity Lv2—randomly removes two abnormal status conditions from the body.]
A portion of the berry soup needed to be saved for Wooloo—his diet didn't include fish, so he needed to eat berries instead.
Jack took one-third of the berry soup to Wooloo's pen.
"Time for lunch."
"Meeh~"
Jack then added a little feed to Miltank's trough. She had been fed once two hours ago, so not too much was needed this time.
"Sandshrew, Mew—lunch is ready."
Jack only saw Sandshrew approach. There was no sign of Mew anywhere.
Sandshrew followed Jack into the living room.
One table, five chairs.
Mew was already sitting in a chair, ready to eat.
"Mew, at mealtime, she's more enthusiastic than anyone."
Jack served out rice and distributed it to the Pokémon. Meltan's was a bowl of metal scraps.
"Mew~" (I paid, of course I'll be here for mealtime!)
"Then what did you do today?"
"Mew!" (I saw a very interesting Pikachu today, but unfortunately, an old man caught him.)
Pikachu! Old man!
Oh my—wasn't that Pikachu and Professor Oak?
So they had met this morning.
Jack didn't know exactly how much time passed between the summer camp and Ash's first journey, but just based on how Pikachu was willing to shock anyone in the early episodes, Professor Oak definitely hadn't had time to build a relationship with him yet.
Soon. Very soon.
Ash should be going on his journey soon.
The glistening fish, coated in thick sauce, its savory aroma mixed with the fresh scent, wafted directly to Jack's nose.
Meltan climbed onto the table's edge, pawing at the side of the plate, his eyes wide and round.
"Eat slowly. Watch out for bones."
Jack picked out the small bones and distributed the fish meat onto their respective plates.
Meltan directly grabbed a piece with his claw and stuffed it into his mouth, not caring that sauce splattered on his face. His tail thumped happily on the table.
Bulbasaur chewed slowly, his vines carefully pushing any dropped bits of meat back onto his plate.
Sandshrew nibbled in small bites, his cheeks puffed out like little balls.
Mew delicately sipped at the fish, and after finishing a piece, she tilted her head to look at Jack's bowl, as if begging for more.
"Look at you—your face is all covered in oil."
Jack smiled and gave her another piece. The little one immediately hugged it with her paws, eating so contentedly that her tail wagged.
Before long, the plate of braised fish was empty.
Meltan licked his claws and burped. Bulbasaur's leaves rested on the table. Sandshrew curled up by Jack's feet, rubbing against his pants, and Mew lay on the edge of the table, her eyes half-closed, radiating satisfaction.
There were no Pokémon in the Ranch currently suited for the cooking effects, so Jack was too lazy to worry about what the effects were anymore.
"Hello? Is anyone home?"
A voice called out.
Jack had just finished tidying the dishes. Hearing the call, he quickly wiped his hands and walked out. Meltan and Bulbasaur followed behind him.
"Excuse me, are these your Slowpoke? They're blocking the middle of the road, and we can't get through."
A Trainer leaned over the fence and called out.
As soon as Jack reached the gate, he froze.
Over a dozen Slowpoke were sprawled haphazardly in front of the fence, completely blocking the road. They hung their heads low, their tails dragging on the ground.
It was the same group he had encountered while fishing by the river earlier.
"Aren't these the Slowpoke from when I was fishing?"
Jack squatted down and noticed that in front of each Slowpoke lay a severed tail, the cut end still damp with moisture.
"You guys are..."
Before Jack could finish his sentence, the foremost Slowpoke pushed the severed tail on the ground with his front paw. Then he looked up, his round eyes fixed on Jack. A "Goo" sound came from his throat, as if indicating something.
"Melo." (They still want to eat fish food, and they're willing to trade their tails for it.)
Meltan translated.
Jack hadn't expected Slowpoke, who seemed to have such low intelligence, to follow him all this way just to eat some fish food.
Jack suddenly understood. "You want to use your tails... to exchange for fish food?"
Slowpoke tails break off easily but have regenerative abilities, making them an easily obtainable yet precious ingredient. In the market, Slowpoke tails are considered a delicacy and have considerable economic value.
There were sixteen Slowpoke in total, and all of them had severed their tails in exchange for feed!
The Slowpoke seemed to understand, nodding in unison. One of them even pushed the severed tail closer to Jack's feet.
The Trainer next to him stamped his foot impatiently. "I'm rushing to town. Can you hurry up? This road is completely blocked."
Jack looked at the persistent Slowpoke and then at the anxious Trainer, sighing helplessly. "Alright."
"But I can't feed you outside, so come inside with me."
The Slowpoke immediately became excited, forming a crooked line and shuffling into the Ranch after Jack. The severed tails were carefully held by the Slowpoke with their front paws.
"Bulba~" (When did you encounter so many Slowpoke?)
"Melo!" (This morning, when we went fishing, these Slowpoke blocked our way, so Jack gave them some fish food. I didn't expect them to be so attracted to it.)
"Jiji—" (Does this mean we don't have to water anymore, with so many Slowpoke?)
Sandshrew, who was solely focused on work, had a different train of thought. His first reaction upon seeing the Slowpoke was that he and his colleagues could lighten their workload.
"Melo!" (Oh, right!)
"Bulba~" (You're so smart, Sandshrew!)
Sandshrew's little face flushed with embarrassment.