Date: February 12
Today was an unusual day.
Hayato Sora finished all of his work early in the morning so he could free up some time.
Now he stood beside the Mudbray shed, asking once more,
"Are you sure you three Mudbray don't want to come?"
The three Mudbray gathered around him. Their hooves and bodies were covered in mud—they had just crawled out of the mud pit.
"Mudbray—"
(You guys go ahead, Hayato Sora. We'll watch the ranch.)
The Mudbray lazily lay down, exposing their bellies.
"Alright then." Hayato Sora didn't force them. Mudbray weren't the type that enjoyed lively crowds—they were only interested in mud.
"I'll prepare your afternoon tea and dinner in advance and put them in the refrigerator. When you get hungry, just eat. No need to wait for us to come back."
At the mention of food, the Mudbray immediately perked up, their tails wagging with a whoosh whoosh sound.
"Mudbray~"
If there was good food, that would be perfect.
"Alright, alright. You want mud cakes, grass dumplings, and a fruit platter, right?"
Hayato Sora laughed and agreed to all their requests.
Thinking about the upcoming treats, drool almost flowed from the Mudbrays' mouths—they wished they could eat them immediately.
After leaving them for a moment, Hayato Sora went to prepare their dinner in advance.
But before that, he still had to cook lunch.
Everyone sat together to eat. After lunch, they would head to Shalour City and wait—there would definitely be a lot of people at the premiere.
While eating, Hayato Sora explained the plan to the other Pokémon.
When Cinccino heard this, it let out an excited cheer.
It enthusiastically explained things to Flabébé and Smoliv—they were going to support Gardevoir Sister and Diantha Sister's movie.
Nearby, Kangaskhan looked a little sour, clearly jealous.
With a pout, it acted like it didn't want to go at all.
Of course, it was only going for Hayato Sora's safety.
As for Cyclizar, it didn't care much about the movie. As long as it could be with Hayato Sora, it was already satisfied.
Taking advantage of Cinccino and the others chatting, its little claws sneakily reached into their bowls to steal food.
Soon its cheeks puffed up like two inflated balloons.
Gulp gulp.
It picked up a cup of water and drank before finally swallowing the food in its mouth.
"What about you Noibat? Do you want to come along too?"
Hayato Sora casually tapped Cyclizar as a warning before asking the Noibat.
Since it was daytime, the sleepy Noibat forced themselves to stay awake. But when they heard it was a trip outside, their eyes lit up.
"Bzz—"
"Don't worry. Bringing you along just means buying a few extra tickets. We'll go early."
Hayato Sora gently patted them. These considerate little Noibat simply didn't want to cause him trouble.
"Noibat~ (Then we want to go!)"
"So everyone except the Mudbray is coming." Hayato Sora did a quick count. "We'll leave the ranch in your hands, Mudbray."
"Mudbray~"
Fruit juice still clung to its lips as the eldest Mudbray pounded its chest confidently.
Leave it to them! Any strangers would be sent flying.
The second Mudbray declared it would trap enemies in a sandstorm, while the third said it would bury intruders inside cracks in the ground.
After lunch, the Cinccino were still chattering nonstop, overflowing with excitement about the movie.
Meanwhile, Hayato Sora finished preparing dinner for the Mudbray and told them exactly where the food was stored. They could simply take it out when they got hungry.
The Mudbray nodded, trying their best to suppress their greedy urges.
Just then, Cinccino ran over and tugged at Hayato Sora, urging him to hurry up and leave—if they were any later, there might not be a movie left to watch.
Hayato Sora laughed and gently comforted it.
"No rush, no rush. I've left plenty of time."
He scooped Cinccino into his arms. After reminding the Mudbray one last time, Hayato Sora mounted Cyclizar and headed toward Shalour City.
When they arrived in downtown Shalour City, they immediately noticed something different.
Cinccino excitedly tugged Hayato Sora's hair and pointed toward the side.
Looking in that direction, Hayato Sora saw a giant poster hanging on a skyscraper. The stars on the poster were Diantha and Gardevoir—advertising the very movie they were about to watch.
However, Hayato Sora didn't head straight to the theater.
Instead, he first went to the Shalour Gym.
From afar, he spotted someone waiting at the entrance. As soon as she saw him arrive, she ran over enthusiastically.
"Brother Hayato Sora, you're here!"
"Mm."
Getting off Cyclizar, Hayato Sora rubbed Korrina's head.
"I'm not late, am I?"
"No, no. I just finished lunch myself."
Under Korrina's invitation, Hayato Sora entered the Shalour Gym, where he saw Riolu in the middle of training.
The little guy was extremely serious, throwing punches at a wooden post with great force.
It had only been a little over a week, yet Riolu's strength had already improved.
"Hehe! That's all thanks to the dishes you made last time, Brother Hayato Sora. That's why Riolu improved so quickly."
Korrina looked at him with admiration. In her eyes, Brother Hayato Sora was the strongest trainer she had met—second only to her grandfather.
"That's your and Riolu's hard work. I only played a supporting role."
After saying that, Hayato Sora asked another question.
"Korrina, how have you and Serena been getting along?"
"Serena and I exchange letters all the time! We're already best friends!"
Korrina happily shared the news.
"That's good. You two should get along well. If there's a chance, I can bring Serena here to visit you."
Korrina's eyes sparkled.
"Really?!"
"Of course."
After chatting a little more—and briefly visiting Gym Leader Gurkinn—they finally headed toward the cinema.
By now, the premiere time was approaching, and a long line had already formed outside the theater. They were all Diantha 's fans.
Thanks to the recent promotional campaign, she had gained quite a bit of popularity.
Now it all depended on whether this movie could convert that popularity into real success.
After entering the theater, Hayato Sora released all the Pokémon he was carrying—except for Kangaskhan.
Flabébé and Smoliv shared one seat.
The three Noibat shared another.
Cinccino curled up in Hayato Sora's arms, its mouth never stopping as Hayato Sora continuously fed it popcorn.
"Is it good?" Hayato Sora pinched Cinccino's cheek with a smile.
"Cincci~ (It's sweet and fragrant—super delicious!)"
"Maybe someday I'll make some for you myself."
Cinccino nodded vigorously, but its attention was soon captured by the big screen as it lit up.
The movie had begun.
The entire theater quickly fell silent.
Humans and Pokémon alike watched with complete focus.
Meanwhile, back at the ranch…
The Mudbray had finished playing and went to the river to wash off the mud from their bodies.
They returned together to the shed—not because they didn't want to keep playing, but because they were hungry. Their stomachs growled loudly.
The eldest Mudbray opened the refrigerator and took out the food inside.
In just a few bites, the three of them devoured everything.
With their bellies bulging, they lay down on the grass.
But before long… they were hungry again.
There was no food left, so they had to think of another way to fill their stomachs.
Suddenly, two metaphorical lightbulbs seemed to pop up beside the eldest Mudbray's head.
It had an idea.
Let's all use Bulldoze on the ranch to till the land and make the pasture grass grow faster!
And so it began.
The more the Mudbray ate, the hungrier they became.
The hungrier they became, the more they ate.
The immense energy inside their bodies was finally released.
A pure white light began to shine from their bodies—
The light of evolution.
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
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