Chapter 292:
"Charizard...." (ugh...)
Charizard seemed to be an experienced young adult dragon. It quickly shook its head and asked, "Charizard?" (So where is he?)
"I don't know, he left you with me and then took off..." Hayashi Kaede replied.
"Charizard!" (Dammit, that old coot! Just because I refused to...)
"Charizard!" (He just left me here without a word ...!)
Charizard started grumbling and cursing on the spot.
Flames even shot out of its nostrils.
This left Hayashi Kaede and the other Pokémon momentarily stunned.
They had never seen such a volatile Pokémon before.
Dragonite and Goodra moved away disdainfully.
"Charizard?"
Charizard looked at Hayashi Kaede. "Charizard?" (Did he say I was here to eat?)
Hayashi Kaede nodded. "That should be the case?"
He thought Charizard was going to yell at him.
But the next moment...
The previously grumbling Charizard immediately broke into a smile. "Charizard..." (Then I'm sorry to trouble you...)
"Uh..."
Turns out it was a Charizard that was tough on its own kind but polite to outsiders.
"Lunch is rice balls. Everyone, dig in."
Hayashi Kaede didn't say much else.
He tapped the storage capsule, and large basins of rice balls were placed on each table.
The group of Pokémon began eating in their own ways.
Although he made six hundred rice balls, there were simply too many Pokémon.
Pokémon like Alcremie and Steenee ate modestly.
Maybe two or three Alcremie could share one rice ball and be full.
Steenee had a slightly bigger appetite, one was enough.
Then Pokémon like Sprigatito, Eevee, and Indeedee needed about one or two each.
Alolan Ninetales might eat a bit more, maybe three or four.
Serperior, Primarina, Milotic, etc., needed a bit more, around seven or eight.
Then there was Gardevoir, Mewtwo...
Calculating it this way, these Pokémon probably only consumed about fifty or sixty rice balls per meal.
As for the others...
The Pidgeots alone would consume over two hundred.
Blaziken, by itself, would devour fifty or sixty.
Dragonite, Salamence, and Goodra were also not to be underestimated.
Plus Charizard... actually, Hayashi Kaede thought they could probably finish it all.
"My goodness, over two hundred pounds of rice per meal..."
Hayashi Kaede calculated silently.
Good thing he had psychic abilities now, plus help from Gardevoir and Indeedee, otherwise making so many rice balls every day would be quite unrealistic.
"Blaziken,Blaziken..."
Blaziken stuffed them into its mouth one after another.
"Charizard!" (So good, so good... How is it so delicious...!)
The Charizard beside it was no less enthusiastic.
In fact, it might have been eating the most vigorously, perhaps because it had never tasted such delicious rice balls before. It swallowed them one at a time, chewing just a couple of times before they went down.
'Good thing I made an extra hundred earlier.'
Hayashi Kaede sighed inwardly.
Otherwise, it really wouldn't have been enough.
After a while, barely any of the six hundred rice balls remained.
Charizard patted its belly, feeling its entire dragon life was now complete.
Last time, although it got to eat some, it only had about ten.
Although it wanted more, it felt too embarrassed to pester its Trainer in public to ask Hayashi Kaede for more.
This is great, Kaito should have done this sooner!
And he should do it a few more times.
The now-pleased Charizard couldn't help but think this.
Completely forgetting the complaints it was muttering just moments before.
[Congratulations, Host. Charizard's happiness value has increased from 10 to 75. Reward: 10 bags of High-Grade Fertilizer, 1 High-Grade Rare Candy, 1 SS-Grade Fire Stone.]
Hearing the system announcement, Hayashi Kaede was momentarily stunned, then looked curiously at Charizard.
Last time, although the happiness value increase was also significant, he didn't expect it to jump this much this time too?
A pleasure value of 75 isn't exceptionally high; what's remarkable is the increase.
From 10 to 75.
A full 65-point jump.
Such a large increase is quite rare.
In the plantation now, his Pokémon are rarely in a bad mood.
So, expecting large happiness value increases from them isn't very realistic.
Actually, last time when Wartortle returned, it also gave Hayashi Kaede a decent happiness value jump.
But Wartortle's strength isn't great now, so the rewards weren't that impressive—just an A-Grade Water Stone.
But today, the extra hundred rice balls weren't made in vain after all.
At least he got an SS-Grade Fire Stone from Charizard.
On the market, you definitely couldn't trade a hundred rice balls for that!
Hayashi Kaede looked at Charizard. "So, are you full?"
"Charizard!"
Charizard looked at Hayashi Kaede, its eyes filled with unprecedented tenderness.
This human is great.
Makes such delicious food!
Can't imagine what kind of life the Pokémon living here permanently get to enjoy!
I really wish I could live here every day...
Charizard couldn't help but think.
But the next moment, a Talonflame appeared in the sky.
It dove down into the garden, and when it was about five meters high, its whole body turned into red light and disappeared into a Poké Ball.
In its place, they saw Charizard's Trainer, Kaito.
He jumped down effortlessly.
'Heh, coming right after mealtime, he really was sending Charizard for a free meal!'
Hayashi Kaede couldn't help but think.
But the physical fitness of humans in the Pokémon world is really something.
Jumping from five meters without a second thought.
Kaito, after landing.
In that moment, he saw the Gardevoir sitting at the table, and the Dragonite, Salamence, and Goodra nearby.
He finally realized what Kazephyr meant by 'several Dragon-type Pokémon'.
And also...
He scanned the various Pokémon, finally settling his gaze on one he didn't recognize.
'Is that the Legendary Pokémon he mentioned?'
Mewtwo also cast its gaze over. Its vertical pupils, glowing purple, made Kaito instantly alert with just one look.
'So strong!'
He thought back to his recent conversation with Kazephyr and suddenly felt at a loss for words.
After holding back for a moment, he finally blurted out a traditional Eastova League greeting, "So, uh... have you eaten yet?"
Charizard walked over, nodding incessantly, and patted its Trainer's shoulder. "Charizard!" (We ate well. You finally did something good.)
Hayashi Kaede said, "We've all eaten. If you haven't, there are still two rice balls left..."
"No need, no need."
Kaito mounted Charizard and, despite its somewhat reluctant look, urged it to leave this place that made him feel exceptionally awkward.
In the sky, Charizard looked back at Kaito.
"Charizard." (When are we coming back?)
"Come back again, my foot!"