In the end, Kinsey gave in.
She sighed and waved her hand helplessly. "Fine, fine. Eat in peace."
Then she returned to the counter and resumed cracking sunflower seeds like nothing had happened.
Armin split the Pokémon food Mr. Mime had brought into two portions and placed them in front of Mimikyu and Dragonite.
Mimikyu happily reached out from under its rag disguise and began eating.
Dragonite tilted its head, squinting at the food suspiciously. It picked up a berry—
Crunch.
The berry burst in its grip, releasing a sharp, spicy scent.
Dragonite immediately covered its mouth with its other paw, its face twisting into visible disgust.
Armin reacted instantly.
"Boss! I'd like to report consumer fraud!"
Dragonite shot Kinsey a fierce glare.
For a split second, Armin genuinely thought it might fire off a Dragon Rage across the diner.
Kinsey rushed over, sniffed the plate, and slapped her forehead.
"Oops! Wrong berry! Sorry, sorry! I'll replace it immediately. This meal's on the house!"
Only then did Dragonite relax, looking down at its paw now covered in spicy juice.
Armin signaled to Mr. Mime for a wet towel and gently wiped Dragonite's claw clean.
Dragonite stiffened slightly.
It clearly wasn't used to this.
Just as it debated whether to shove Armin away—
Kinsey returned with a fresh plate.
Dragonite's attention shifted instantly to the food.
Kinsey leaned close to Armin and whispered, "Your Dragonite doesn't look very easy to get along with."
Armin had already finished his noodles. He watched Dragonite and Mimikyu eating contentedly and thought back to what Nurse Joy had said.
"It's probably related to its past," he said quietly. "It doesn't really know how to express itself. And you know how Pokémon survival works—if they don't become stronger, more intimidating…"
Kinsey's expression softened in understanding.
Armin recalled the image of Dragonite standing by the lake, gazing at the moon.
He smiled faintly.
"It just looks fierce on the outside. Deep down? It's actually pretty artistic."
Kinsey stared at him thoughtfully.
"First time I've met a Trainer like you."
Armin looked at her. "What's that supposed to mean? Understanding your Pokémon is part of the job description."
"No," she laughed. "I mean when you talk about your Pokémon, you look more serious than at any other time. Look—you're back to that dumb expression now."
Armin: …
She finally stopped teasing him.
"Formal introduction. My name's Kinsey. I own this noodle shop."
"Armin." He replied straightforwardly.
She froze.
"Wait—what did you say your name was?"
"Armin."
"Holy crap!" She dropped a curse elegantly. "Armin? The one who triggered the Achievement Thundercloud broadcast earlier?!"
Armin: …oh no.
He'd forgotten.
He sighed.
"Yes. That's me."
Her eyes widened.
"You're really a newbie? Swear you're not lying."
Armin raised his right hand and stuck up his middle finger.
"I swear."
Kinsey somehow produced a tiny stool from nowhere and sat down beside him with excitement sparkling in her eyes.
"Tell me! How did you get that many achievement points in one instance?"
Armin hesitated.
He hadn't done anything that outrageous.
Just… beat up a few dozen ten-year-olds.
Chatted with a couple of girls in the streets for intel.
Switched loyalties between Team Rocket and the Kanto League a few times.
You know. Normal Trainer stuff.
He had absolutely been gathering intelligence and improving as a Trainer.
Seeing him silent, Kinsey gasped dramatically.
"You didn't actually murder kids, did you? And don't think I missed that 'time-management king' energy. How many girls did you juggle in that run?"
"If you keep making things up, I'm sending you a lawyer's letter."
"Talk. Or I'm leaking everything to Black's fanbase."
Armin pressed a hand to his temple.
How did she know every meme in existence?
He sighed.
"I honestly don't know why I got that many achievements. All I did was challenge some kids around Ash's age to Pokémon battles."
She stared at him.
"And?"
"And what? Compared to them, I'm a rookie too! I might've had my Pokémon for less time than they did!"
She smirked mercilessly.
"Stop arguing. You've been Master Ball Tier in online Pokémon Sword and Shield battles for years, haven't you?"
Armin: …
He surrendered.
She grinned triumphantly and slapped his shoulder.
"You're interesting. I've decided—you're my friend now."
Armin chose silence.
When Dragonite and Mimikyu finished eating, he stood up to leave.
"Hey, where are you going?" she called.
"Commercial Zone. I want to take a look."
"Perfect timing. I'm heading into another instance soon and need to prepare. Let's go together!"
She flipped the shop sign to CLOSED in one smooth motion.
Armin watched her efficiency and couldn't help asking, "Why open a noodle shop here?"
"Boredom. Gotta find something to do between instances. You can open one too—only 1,000 Points."
Armin shook his head.
He needed to save for a talking Gardevoir robot first.
No time to be a shop owner.
They teleported to the Commercial Zone.
This area had a retro marketplace vibe.
A long straight road lined with stalls.
Poké Balls, held items, Rare Candies—everything imaginable.
Kinsey glanced sideways at him.
"Get anything good from your instance?"
Armin thought about Mewtwo Affinity MAX, but that was bound and mysterious.
Other than that—
"A Twisted Spoon. Boosts Psychic-type moves."
Kinsey's eyes lit up.
"Damn! Sell it to me? I'll give you 500 Points! I've got a Kadabra—perfect item for it! If not Points, we can trade."
Armin considered.
He didn't need it right now.
Then he asked calmly,
"Do you have the TM for Swords Dance?"
Kinsey froze.
Then slowly smiled.
"Oh. You're planning something big."
Armin's gaze sharpened.
"Mimikyu's going to need it."
The marketplace buzzed around them—
And somewhere in Infinite Space,
The next storm was already brewing.