"Why would there be a cabin here…?"
Sato looked at the modest wood house in front of him, unable to suppress a quiet murmur of doubt.
The two of them had already ventured deep into the northwestern forests of Mt. Coronet, an area forbidden to humans, and along the way, there hadn't been the slightest sign of human activity.
And yet, the cabin had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.
Sato secretly activated Dark Energy to cover his eyes. But even then, he couldn't see anything unusual.
"Where's Hunter X?" Cynthia asked, since the one tracking him had been Sato's Gengar.
"Just past the cabin, not far. He's stopped for now. Looks like he thinks he got away."
With the enemy still within reach, Cynthia wasn't in a rush. Having lost four of his Pokémon, Hunter X was like an Incineroar without fangs, less threatening than a sick Skitty.
Still, the sudden appearance of the cabin was too strange to ignore.
"Forget it. Let's finish dealing with Hunter X first."
"Mm."
Cynthia nodded in agreement, and the two of them circled around the cabin to continue the pursuit.
Soon enough, they found the extremely battered Hunter X once again; this time with no aircraft to hide in.
As soon as Gengar saw them arrive, it launched a Psychic at Hunter X without saying a word, moving so fast he had no chance to react.
Looking at Sato approaching step by step, true despair finally appeared in Hunter X's eyes.
"Gengar, Hypnosis."
"Geng~"
After stripping all the Poké Balls off Hunter X and having Gengar completely put him to sleep, Sato and Cynthia finally let out a breath of relief.
They had caught him in the end…
"That cabin…"
"Let's go back and check it out."
"Yeah."
Soon, the two of them retraced their steps back to the cabin, and this time, smoke was rising from its chimney.
Someone was there!
For a moment, both Sato and Cynthia hesitated.
Creeeak…
The door opened…
An elderly man with white hair and a slightly hunched back slowly stepped out holding a wooden basin.
The next moment, the old man paused, visibly surprised to see two unfamiliar young people standing at his doorstep.
'Oh! Wait…' There was also someone suspended mid-air unconscious beside them.
"You kids… lost?" The old man had initially wanted to ask where they'd come from, but thought better of it.
Sato and Cynthia made eye contact, unsure how to respond.
But one thing was certain…
Anyone living alone deep in this primal forest was definitely not just some ordinary person.
"Good day, sir. We're Trainers on a training trip. We saw your cabin and got a bit curious. Sorry to disturb you."
Cynthia explained politely but didn't go into detail about why they were really here.
The old man didn't mind. He just smiled gently, casually dumped the water from the basin into the vegetable garden nearby, then waved them over.
"Guests from afar… fate has brought us together. Come in and have some Tea."
Sato and Cynthia looked at each other again, then at Hunter X still floating unconscious in Gengar's grasp. In the end, curiosity got the better of them, and they followed him inside.
"Sir, may I ask your name?" Sato asked as they stepped into the cabin.
The old man led them to the living room sofa, then walked off to make Tea on his own.
While making Tea, the old man said, "Hah~ You calling me 'sir' makes me feel young again. I'm probably the same generation as your grandpa. Just call me Fujin-ojisan."
"Here, have some Tea."
"Thank you, Fujin-ojisan!"
"Thanks…"
Sato and Cynthia stood up to take the Tea, and a strange, rich fragrance instantly filled their senses.
"Smells amazing!"
"Hohoho~ They're just some casually roasted leaves. Only the scent's good enough to fool people."
Fujin was humble with his words, but his hearty laughter betrayed how pleased he was with Cynthia's instinctive praise.
"It's not just the smell. The aftertaste is perfect, and after just one sip, I feel my fatigue fading. Fujin… ojisan, your Tea is extraordinary!" 'Like the one in Saffron City for the guards…'
Sato took a small sip and offered a sincere compliment.
"Huohohohuo! No wonder you landed such a beautiful girlfriend… you've got a silver tongue, young man!"
Fujin laughed even harder. But he had clearly misunderstood something…
"C-Cough! Cough! Sputter…"
Cynthia, who was drinking her Tea beside him, ended up coughing after hearing that comment.
"No rush~ Drinking Tea should be taken slowly."
An old man sharp as ever, Fujin instantly figured out their relationship!
More than friends, but not yet lovers…
"It's been a while since anyone's come by. Why don't you stay for dinner?"
"That wouldn't be right, we just-" Cynthia had been about to say they'd only just met, but Fujin cut her off before she could finish.
"Please don't refuse an old man living alone… Just keep me company, won't you?"
Cynthia hesitated and instinctively turned to look at Sato.
"…Then we'll take you up on that. We'll help out with the prep too."
"No need to rush. We'll wait for my partner to return first," Fujin said as he sat back down on the couch, clearly eager to keep chatting.
Sato guessed that living alone all this time meant Fujin rarely had anyone to talk to, which was why he was so talkative now.
And sure enough… Sato's guess was right.
Fujin began to chat non-stop, spilling everything from Tea roasting methods to dinner plans, to how couples should go on dates… ahem… local cuisine, cultural insights, Pokémon legends… Fujin spoke about whatever came to mind, not caring whether Sato and Cynthia could follow or not. He was just getting more and more energized as he went.
Sato and Cynthia didn't talk much themselves, making them excellent listeners. They quietly listened until the door of the cabin opened once again.
"Wah! Today flew by. My old partner's back!" Fujin finally paused and stood up to walk to the door.
What Sato and Cynthia saw was an unassuming Weavile.
But the next second, Weavile flashed straight in front of them, and its icy white claws were suddenly resting against their throats.
Then, Sato's Gengar and Cynthia's Spiritomb burst out from the shadows, staring tensely at Weavile.
Terrifying speed!
"Weavile, stand down! They're our guests!"
"Wea…"
Weavile looked back at Fujin. After confirming he wasn't under Hypnosis or being threatened, it backflipped off the table.
"You're alright? I apologize on Weavile's behalf. It's just… a little too cautious!"
"Weah!" 'Tch!' Weavile turned its head away dismissively.
Fujin let out an awkward laugh and quickly changed the subject.
"You must be hungry. I'll go cook. We've got plenty of great ingredients today!"
With that, Fujin quickly picked up the food Weavile had brought back and rushed toward the kitchen, while Weavile followed slowly behind.
Only then did Sato and Cynthia finally recover from their shock.
When Weavile had moved in on them, both of them had felt an overwhelming pressure bearing down on them.
That feeling was unmistakably… gulp…
Champion level!