Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle—
In front of a massive iron griddle, a bright red Octillery used its six tentacles to frantically prepare teppanyaki, swinging its spatulas with dizzying speed.
Fortunately, it didn't do anything terrifying like accidentally slicing off one of its own tentacles and tossing it into the mix. In the anime world, people generally don't eat octopus tentacles anyway. Usually, Takoyaki is made from flour balls shaped to look like Octillery.
The large restaurant housed four or five hard-working Octillery. Kashiwagi sat directly in front of one, admiring its culinary flair while savoring the shop's delicacies.
"Your signature Octazooka Frenzy Fried Rice is ready."
Clap.
A mountain-sized plate of fried rice suddenly appeared before Kashiwagi, delivered by a waitress in summer attire who gave him a charming smile.
He blinked. "...Isn't the portion size a bit of a mistake?"
"Not at all, this is our standard serving size~"
"Alright then."
Kashiwagi nodded silently amidst the wide-eyed stares of the surrounding patrons. He hadn't expected to run into a Contest fan and Mawile enthusiast just by going out for lunch. There was no way he could finish this much alone, but luckily, he had Galarian Corsola.
She was a secret glutton; no matter how much food was put in front of her, she could vacuum it all up without hesitation.
"I'm counting on you..."
He placed Galarian Corsola on the counter beside him. Lured awake by the aroma of the fried rice, she prepared to extend a tentacle toward the plate, but she froze when she saw Kashiwagi holding a spoon.
Why are you calling me just to watch you eat?
Corsola looked at him gloomily. She was already depressed from the sun earlier, and watching someone else eat made her even more despondent.
"We're sharing. Haven't you ever shared a bowl with someone before?" Kashiwagi arched an eyebrow.
Sharing...
Corsola's brain, which had been stagnant for who-knows-how-many years, truly didn't comprehend the concept. Kashiwagi didn't elaborate; he scooped up a spoonful of rice and took a bite.
In an instant, an uncontrollable sweet and savory flavor spread from the tip of his tongue. The fragrant rice mixed with crisp vegetables created a beautiful symphony of tastes.
But a second later, an incredibly intense sensation hit him. It felt as if Octillery had stood right in front of him and fired an Octazooka straight into his mouth.
The rapid rise in temperature and the stinging sensation in his oral cavity momentarily paralyzed Kashiwagi. He gasped for air to cool the "heat"—
"Wait?" He paused. "It's not spicy?"
The intense sensation came and went quickly. It wasn't the terrifying heat of a Tamato Berry, but a more complex, layered flavor.
Kashiwagi took another spoonful to analyze it. "Liechi Berry?"
At those words, the Octillery—who had been focused on its spatulas—looked up and gave him a surprised glance. It hadn't expected its secret technique to be identified so easily.
"The rumors were true... the reviews didn't lie. Want a taste?"
Impressed, Kashiwagi scooped up a portion and brought it to Corsola's "mouth." After five or six seconds of hesitation, she tentatively extended a tentacle and enveloped the spoon. When the tentacle retracted, the rice was gone.
"What do you think? Extend one tentacle if it's good", Kashiwagi whispered.
She seemed to be savoring it, her usual downturned mouth remaining unchanged. Suddenly, her face stiffened as if feeling the "Octazooka" kick, before returning to normal.
"...Sola." (Not bad.)
She silently poked out one tentacle.
Wait—!?
Corsola froze.
Why am I suddenly so accustomed to communicating with this human?
She realized with a shock that, without even noticing it, she was reflexively responding to her trainer. She wasn't maintaining her habitual state of resistance or ignoring everything he said anymore.
Come to think of it, how long have I been with him?
Having no real concept of time, Corsola fell into deep confusion.
"If it's good, eat more."
Unaware of her inner turmoil, Kashiwagi offered another spoonful. She reflexively finished it.
!
Why is my body acting on its own again!
Corsola realized with a sense of tragedy that her body had already been fully domesticated by the man in front of her.
This can't go on. If this continues, I'll eventually become... diligent.
She couldn't imagine the horror of becoming a hard worker, it felt like a living nightmare. Thinking it over, she watched Kashiwagi eat spoonful after spoonful and decided she would stop responding to him...
Right. After the meal was finished.
Corsola looked at the rice being placed before her and made a secondary decision to postpone her rebellion.
The portion was so large that Kashiwagi was soon full, feeding the remainder almost entirely to Corsola. As he prepared to pay the bill, the waitress brought over a layered ice cream packed with nuts, fruit, and cream.
"I don't think I ordered this?" Kashiwagi asked.
"This is on the house from our head chef. He appreciates customers who truly understand food", the waitress replied, pointing to the Octillery at the griddle.
"Oktiii!" The Octillery waved its spatula at him with a grin.
"Oh, thank you for the treat" Kashiwagi was slightly flattered. He then accepted a notebook the waitress had secretly slid toward him, asking for an autograph.
How could he refuse such a small request? He quickly signed his name, and after a moment's thought, used a quick-sketch technique to draw a simple Mawile. The sketching memories from Smeargle rarely got a chance to shine.
"Kyaa!" The waitress took the book back and squealed with delight at the drawing.
Kashiwagi ate the dessert, occasionally giving Corsola a bite. She ate it with a sense of humiliation.
"..."
Why is there always something unexpected interrupting my plans? Dammit!
------
Full and satisfied, Kashiwagi walked along the coast, looking out at the people and Pokémon playing on the beach.
While Littleroot and Rustboro were also coastal, they lacked the beautiful sandy beaches of Dewford. He decided that once he found a place to stay and has booked his Gym challenge, he would come back here to relax. Learning to enjoy life was just as important as training.
He followed the signs to the Dewford Gym, only to find the doors shut tight.
A sign hung there: The weather is too good to miss! The Gym Leader has gone surfing.
No doubt about it. While city folk were "surfing" the web, Brawly was out catching real waves. Sometimes, if the swell was good enough, he didn't even care if challengers showed up.
This was the most criticized aspect of his reputation online.
However, since Gyms now used a reservation system, Brawly shouldn't be as elusive as he used to be.
Beep.
Reservation successful.
Kashiwagi checked the time: 8:00 AM tomorrow. He then checked the number of challengers waiting ahead of him: Zero.
I really don't get surfing fanatics, he thought. Don't they work in the afternoon?