"Cin?"
Squatting beside the TV, Cinccino pointed at the screen and looked at Hayato Sora.
Where did Big Sister Diantha go?
"That was just a commercial," Hayato Sora explained, casually switching channels.
"Oh? There's even an animated show. Do you want to watch it?"
"Cin!"
"Olive~"
"Ghan!"
"..."
All the Pokémon immediately gathered around the television, their eyes fixed on the moving images.
Gentle music began to play.
Soon, four vivid characters appeared on the screen:
The Little Pony Crosses the River
The style resembled the fairy-tale animations Hayato Sora used to watch.
The sound of flowing water mixed with the clopping of hooves as a small white horse appeared on the screen, flames burning on its body.
The Fire Horse Pokémon — Ponyta.
A large sack of wheat rested on Ponyta's back.
"Neigh—neigh!"
Ponyta stamped its hooves while standing beside a small stream, hesitating and too afraid to approach.
Soon afterward, Rapidash and Fletchling appeared in the story one after another.
Hayato Sora glanced around.
The Pokémon were sitting quietly, all their attention focused on the TV.
He smiled.
Pokémon weren't much different from children—they loved cartoons too.
He slowly stood up and headed into the kitchen.
After running errands twice earlier and installing the air conditioner and television, it was now time to prepare lunch.
Besides, he had promised to make a new dish for Cinccino.
While Hayato Sora was cooking in the kitchen, the Pokémon watching TV began arguing over the story.
Cinccino: "Cin~"
(That river looks really deep. Ponyta is so small—if it goes in, it'll definitely drown. That's scary!)
As soon as Cinccino finished speaking, Cyclizar loudly objected:
"Graao—!"
(No, no! That river is shallow. You could fly over it easily!)
Led mainly by Cinccino and Cyclizar, the Pokémon split into two opposing sides.
Neither side could convince the other.
Finally, Kangaskhan stepped in to mediate.
"Ghan~"
(Let's go ask Mudsdale. They'll definitely know.)
A whole crowd of Pokémon rushed outside.
Hayato Sora poked his head out of the kitchen and blinked.
Lunch was almost ready—why had they all suddenly run out?
But the stove was still on, so he couldn't leave.
Nothing bad should happen… right?
At the Stream Crossing the Ranch
All the Pokémon from the ranch had gathered there.
Even the slow-moving Smoliv had come—Cinccino was holding it in its paws.
The little one loudly cheered for Cinccino.
Three Mudsdale lowered their heads and looked at Cinccino and Cyclizar.
"Dale?"
(Why did you call us here?)
Cinccino pointed at the stream.
"Cin~"
(Can you walk across this river?)
"Dale~"
(Of course. We bathe here all the time.)
As it spoke, the lead Mudsdale stepped into the water to demonstrate.
The flowing water washed the mud off its body, leaving it fresh and clean.
"Graao~"
(See? I told you the river is shallow!)
"Cin! Cin!"
(But Mudsdale are much taller than Ponyta! And this stream isn't very deep!)
…
Just as Hayato Sora finished placing lunch on the table, the Pokémon rushed back into the house.
Before he could ask anything, they surrounded him.
"Cin!"
"Graao!"
"..."
The Pokémon chattered noisily, explaining the situation and asking for the correct answer.
"Didn't you finish watching the cartoon?" Hayato Sora asked.
Kangaskhan replied:
"Ghan!"
(They started arguing halfway through.)
Hayato Sora looked at Cinccino and Cyclizar and gently rubbed their heads.
"In the story, Ponyta returns to the stable and says to its mother:
'Mom, I'm afraid to cross the river. Fletchling says the water is shallow, but Pikachu says it's very deep. I'm afraid I won't make it across…'"
While stroking the Cinccino hiding in his arms, Hayato Sora imitated Rapidash's motherly voice.
"'My child, what others say can only be a reference. Why not try it yourself? Fletchling can fly, Pikachu is very small, but you're a pony. Why don't you try crossing the river yourself?'"
"After hearing its mother's words, Ponyta suddenly understood."
Why don't I try it myself?
"In the end, Ponyta walked across the river easily."
"The water was neither as shallow as Fletchling said nor as deep as Pikachu claimed."
"Only by trying it yourself can you learn the truth."
Cyclizar immediately raised its hand, looking very proud.
"Graao~"
(I understand! Hayato Sora means we should think for ourselves. So I'll threaten the Pokémon in the water with electricity—if they don't carry me across, I'll shock them.)
Hayato Sora: "..."
He covered his forehead with one hand and sighed helplessly.
"At this point, it's probably safer to just say 'beware of anime logic.'"
After joking about it, Hayato Sora dropped the topic.
He called the Pokémon to wash their hands.
It was time to eat.
Since everyone in the house was a group of food lovers, the moment they heard "meal time," the earlier argument about Ponyta was instantly forgotten.
After washing their hands, they sat around the dining table.
Each Pokémon had a dish they liked in front of them.
"Let's eat."
Hayato Sora started first.
Kangaskhan and the others quickly followed.
Nom nom nom…
Afternoon
Hayato Sora let the Pokémon stay inside and watch TV.
Meanwhile, he went to the kitchen to prepare afternoon tea.
At the same time, he planned to make a new dish for Cinccino.
He mixed high-gluten flour, sugar, salt, yeast, eggs, and milk into dough.
After kneading it thoroughly, he added softened butter and continued kneading until the surface became smooth.
Then he set the dough aside.
Next, he prepared the molds for baking.
A small ring mold inside a larger one.
He poured batter between them.
Gently shaking the mold removed air bubbles so the final product would look better.
He placed the molds into the oven and set the timer.
While waiting, Hayato Sora took several Berries from the refrigerator and prepared some fruit juice.
Soon—
Ding!
The timer ended.
He took out the freshly baked rings.
After removing them from the molds, he sprinkled powdered sugar over the surface.
He also poured melted chocolate sauce on top.
How could donuts exist without chocolate sauce?
While they were still warm, he added sugar sprinkles and shredded coconut for extra flavor.
"Ghan?"
(Hayato Sora, what are you making?)
A head peeked into the kitchen doorway.
It was Kangaskhan.
Still working, Hayato Sora placed the finished donuts into the refrigerator to chill and set.
"Donuts," he answered.
"A food that makes people feel the spirit of freedom."
"Ghan?"
Kangaskhan didn't really understand—but it sounded impressive.
Ten minutes later.
Back in front of the television.
Hayato Sora brought over the fully chilled donuts.
Together with the Pokémon, they enjoyed the treats while sitting under the cool air conditioner.
Cinccino hugged a donut as large as its face and happily took a bite.
At that moment, information about the dish appeared in front of Hayato Sora's eyes.
[Donut (C Rank):
A dessert with dangerously high sugar levels. A holy relic for sweet lovers.
Cooking Effect:
Donuts are really delicious…]
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 .
complete fic (all chapters ) are already up on Patreon → patreon.com/Chakraflow789
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