Seeing so many Pokémon walking around like humans on the streets, Lillie's composure completely vanished, but Hoshino wouldn't let her leave just like that.
Tonight, they didn't encounter Meowth and those guys again. Cyclizar carried the two of them, and they easily entered. It was just that Lillie was almost scared senseless.
"You acted tough for so long, but in the end, that's all you've got. I thought you'd cry from fright…"
Hoshino shook his head. However, it seemed that he could indeed bring people into Kabukicho normally. In fact, as long as one approached the entrance to the district, they could see it.
So, how did the Kabukicho Elite Four, who still hadn't appeared, manage to keep others from discovering this place? It was too outrageous!
He couldn't figure it out, but the more he thought about it, the more terrifying it seemed. No wonder Slowking didn't let him inquire about it.
…
Soon, the Izakaya was reached. Perhaps because it was snowing today, the weather was perfect for drinking, and the shop was quite lively.
Hoshino took off his goggles and helmet, looked at the trembling Lillie, and shouted, "We're here, come down. Don't run around here, some wild Pokémon will chase people and fight them."
"!!!"
At that, Lillie became even more frightened. She couldn't even pretend to be calm. In the end, Cyclizar deliberately lifted its tail, which scared her into jumping down.
"…"
"Look how nice this environment is. If you stay long enough, won't you overcome your fear of Pokémon?"
"Even if you say that!"
Lillie clutched the strap of her Clefairy-themed backpack. All she wanted now was to go back.
This place was too terrifying. Why would Hau'oli City have such a place? And Hoshino actually lived here. No wonder he went to school with injuries every day.
At this moment, she looked up. After seeing the sign for Slowpoke Izakaya, she continued to look up, her expression slightly stunned: "Hoshino Yorozuya?"
"That's my home."
Hoshino responded. Seeing that the lights in his home were off, he knew Tandemaus must have come downstairs, so he tidied up and walked directly into the Izakaya.
Gengar, holding the unconscious Tandemaus, followed closely. Cyclizar, whose riding gear had been removed, also immediately followed. Lillie stood still, looking left and right, at a loss, and could only follow them inside.
It was quite lively inside, and as soon as they entered, it became warm. Fortunately, there was only one Decidueye sitting at the bar, drinking berry wine.
On the bar, that Slowpoke was still the same, and Tandemaus was taking care of a Pokémon egg in a basket. This basket was made by Braixen.
As soon as Hoshino entered, he shouted, "Boss Slowking, one hot fruit tea, and please prepare some restorative food, and also…"
"This isn't a membership-based restaurant!"
Slowking snapped, chewing on a lollipop, then told Braixen to prepare it. Tandemaus, hearing the voice, also looked towards the door and then saw the figure held by Gengar.
Watching it instantly transform from being stunned to excited, Hoshino was also very happy: "Your companion has been found for you."
"Maus!"
"If you want to, thank her. If she hadn't rescued this little grey one, it probably would have fallen into the sea."
Hoshino smiled, turning sideways to point at Lillie, who was cautiously following behind.
As for this Tandemaus, some of its fur was indeed slightly grayer, so it was called Little Grey. The other one was called Little White. He wasn't good at naming, so as long as they could be distinguished, it was fine…
Seeing him suddenly point at herself, Lillie was still a bit confused, not understanding the situation, but she still saw Little White on the bar.
"Another Tandemaus?"
Just as she was wondering, Little White looked at the unconscious Little Grey and immediately became anxious again. Hoshino stroked its head, comforting it: "It's okay, it will recover soon. It probably has been looking for you for several days. You should be happy to finally reunite."
"Maus…"
"Gengar!"
"Cycli!"
Watching them gather there, Lillie, who seemed completely isolated, showed a surprised expression and murmured, "It's fake, right… He actually shows that kind of smile? An illusion?"
At this moment, Slowking finally noticed her, then looked at Hoshino and asked, "You pick things up all day long, and this time it's… a girlfriend? Doesn't look like it, she seems very scared."
"Uh…"
Just as Hoshino was about to respond, Slowking suddenly noticed something unusual. Its eyes instantly sharpened, and it asked, "You didn't trick her into coming here, did you? You've fallen, kid!"
Saying that, it threw a Mega Punch, directly sending Hoshino flying into the wall. It was a familiar move he had experienced two months ago.
"!!!"
Lillie was startled, completely unaware of what had happened, while the other customers seemed unfazed, even cheering and joking.
Hoshino sat on the ground, covering his face and shouting in pain, "I didn't do anything!"
"It'll be too late once you do something. You won't even spare such a young girl. Just get rid of him… before he commits a crime."
As Slowking's voice fell, Ceruledge suddenly raised its sword and flashed in front of Hoshino, preparing to swing it down.
"What a fast sword! Uh… no, no!"
Seeing Hoshino about to be cut, Lillie snapped back to reality and quickly shouted, "It has nothing to do with him! I was worried and asked to follow him myself!"
"Hmm? Then it's fine."
Slowking waved its hand to pause, then slowly explained, "This guy particularly likes young female Pokémon like you. He often touches the Braixen in my shop, especially liking to touch her tails."
"He also occasionally goes to the red-light districts to hunt for Kirlia and the like… I thought he had finally changed his target and was preying on humans."
Hearing this, Hoshino suddenly became anxious and shouted loudly, "Don't reveal shocking facts so easily! And about going to the red-light district, how would I know? I've never been there!"
But after hearing the explanation, Lillie's expression darkened. She took half a step back, gave him a look of disgust, and then responded calmly, "Yes, he did trick me into coming here. Hurry up and do it."
"Hey!!!"
…
A moment later, Lillie sipped the sweet and sour hot fruit tea, feeling much warmer.
She put down the teacup and thanked Slowking, then closed her eyes, hummed softly, and said to Hoshino, who was sitting next to her, "Congratulations on hitting a new low. No wonder you act like you're self-isolating and don't interact with others. I didn't expect you to have such a blast playing with Pokémon in private."
"…"
Hoshino, like the Slowpoke on the bar, gazed at the ceiling, unsure how to respond. Gengar floated nearby, gently touching the spot where he had been hit.
Little White was taking care of the still-unconscious Little Grey, while Cyclizar had gone off to play with the drunkards.
Seeing that he didn't respond, Lillie began to seriously observe the Izakaya. Although there were so many Pokémon around, for the first time, she didn't feel scared; instead, it felt very warm and magical.
Pokémon living like humans, Braixen and Ceruledge working as servers, and Slowking, who could communicate telepathically…
These were all first-time experiences. She saw another side of Pokémon in everyday life, a life that belonged to them.
She looked at Slowking again and quietly said, "Um… can I ask some questions?"
"If you want to know about Kabukicho, you can ask that guy next to you. As for more things, it's better not to inquire."
"Alright…"
Lillie wasn't too disappointed, but she was still very curious, and being able to see and experience this place was already very satisfying.
Just then, Little Grey, who had been cared for by Little White for a long time, finally woke up. The food at Slowking's place had excellent restorative effects, and since it was merely cold and hungry, it recovered very quickly.
Hearing the commotion, Hoshino finally came back to his senses. Looking at the two Tandemaus hugging each other, he smiled and said, "You've recovered well. Don't get separated again. If you're dirty, go upstairs and take a hot bath later."
Gengar also went over to say hello.
"Maus?"
To these unfamiliar guys around it, the newly awakened Little Grey was clearly still bewildered.
But after Little White introduced them, it finally understood. Then it looked at Lillie, who had saved it, and out of gratitude, it immediately jumped onto her.
"!!!"
Lillie's body reacted instinctively, instantly bristling. Fortunately, Hoshino quickly caught Little Grey and put it back on the bar, saying, "Don't suddenly jump on her. It's better to ask first."
"Maus?"
"Yes, but don't rush. Take care of your body first."
Seeing this, Lillie said in surprise, "Is this… talking to a Pokémon?"
Slowking, from behind the bar, glanced over and explained, "Don't let this guy's casual demeanor fool you. He's always been working hard to understand Pokémon language and analyze its meaning to communicate."
"That amazing?!"
"So-so. After all, he runs an Yorozuya upstairs, doing business by helping Pokémon. He has to be able to communicate, though business is dismal."
"Yorozuya…"
Lillie thought of the sign she had seen outside earlier, and also about how someone hadn't come to the exam a week before the holidays, but the school had given that person an award. Was it because of this?
"Can I join you?!"
She suddenly looked at Hoshino, asking with an incredibly serious expression. She liked Pokémon, but due to psychological reasons, she couldn't touch them.
But if she could help Pokémon solve their problems, she would surely be very happy…
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