After a long day playing under the sun, the sunset gradually descended, painting the horizon sky with hues of red.
Alex returned to the villa he had rented along with his two beloved Pokémon.
It was the only villa in the private beach area, ensuring absolute tranquility, with no one to disturb.
At the same time, the villa was under the management and service of the hotel, so any necessary services could be promptly and conveniently provided.
"Fire Punch and Thunder Punch—if Rocky learns these two moves, his offensive power will increase significantly," Alex thought as he browsed the Silph company website, resting his left hand on his chin while controlling the laptop with his right.
"And to counter moves like Aurora Veil that reduce damage, I'll have Rocky learn Brick Break as well."
"First, let's get Rocky to learn these three moves."
Each Pokémon can learn many different skills, but mastering each one requires a long time of practice.
Although Alex now had a considerable amount of money—enough to buy dozens of technical machines—cramming them all at once wouldn't be effective.
Instead, he carefully selected a few skills to focus on training.
After finalizing skills for Lucario, Alex continued searching for suitable moves for Kirlia.
"Luna is good at energy-based attacks, so I'll choose Thunderbolt, Mystical Fire, or Energy Ball for her," Alex thought and quickly placed the order on the website.
In total, six TMs, excluding Brick Break, were all common moves with a total cost of about 650.
He confirmed the shipping address, completed the payment, and waited calmly.
Although Silph Company's headquarters were in Kanto, their stores were everywhere.
"Ding dong~ ding dong~" The doorbell rang outside the villa.
Alex closed his laptop and walked to open the door.
A beautiful young woman in office attire appeared, accompanied by several neatly dressed staff members.
"Good day, Mr. Alex. I'm your exclusive VIP service consultant from the hotel," she said politely, bowing.
"The ingredients you ordered have arrived. Would you like us to help carry them to the kitchen?"
"Yes, please," Alex nodded gently.
Once Alex opened the door, the staff carefully carried two boxes of ingredients into the kitchen and quietly left.
"Rocky, Luna, come help me cook," Alex called, and Lucario immediately jumped down from the sofa.
Kirlia even used Teleport to appear quickly right in front of him.
Unlike normal people, Pokémon were not just "cooked for" but also served attentively right before their eyes.
Alex preferred to do it himself.
Moreover, he was confident that his cooking skills were not inferior to professional chefs.
"Rocky, help me slice the ham into thin pieces," Alex ordered.
Lucario excitedly got to work immediately.
Though he didn't know how to cook or understand the process, Lucario could still handle some basic tasks effectively.
"Luna, pick out the shrimp shells, please," Alex continued.
Kirlia immediately used Teleport and disappeared from Alex's sight to quickly complete the task.
Allowing Pokémon to participate in simple daily chores helped deepen the bond between trainer and Pokémon.
Just like training skills, these small tasks made Pokémon feel valued and more conscious in their relationship.
They would feel ashamed if they failed to fulfill a request, and joyful when praised by their owner.
These little stories gradually formed a strong connection between the two sides.
With the help of his two Pokémon, Alex's cooking time was greatly shortened.
The long dining table was already filled with delicious dishes, pleasing to the eye.
The ham was crispy on the outside but still hot inside.
A layer of cheese on top was baked until slightly caramelized, easy to cut into small pieces.
A simple sauce made from sesame oil and fish soy sauce was mixed and garnished with fresh chopped scallions to create a fragrant steamed fish dish.
The red fish meat was sliced thinly into sashimi, sterilized at low temperature for safety.
Finally, a dessert made from high-quality kelp, rich in fiber and cooling effects, combined with sweet mung beans.
All the food and drinks were perfect, creating a luxurious and complete seafood dinner.
Lucario had already started drooling, holding his knife and fork, ready to enjoy.
Kirlia, more reserved, had eyes shining with eager desire she could no longer hide.
"All right, let's begin," Alex poured a glass of champagne, blowing a cool ocean breeze across the glass, ready to savor the seafood feast.
As soon as he finished speaking, Lucario quickly began to eat using his knife, fork, and his thick shrimp claw.
He wasn't used to using utensils, so though he moved fast, his mouth wasn't very skillful.
Alex smiled and gently said, "It's simple, don't overthink it, just bite into the meat and shell together."
The crunching sound of teeth breaking the shell rang out.
Kirlia, although a Psychic-type Pokémon and quite smart, wasn't yet used to utensils, so she carefully used chopsticks to pick out small bones from the fish.
"Let me help you," Alex casually took a peeled shrimp with only the tender meat left and handed it to Lucario.
He skillfully used chopsticks to remove the fish bones, drizzled some sauce on top, and placed it beside Kirlia.
"Luca~"
"Lalu~"
The two Pokémon immediately began to enjoy their meal.
Alex's patience and dedication in every gesture made them feel cared for and cherished.
This feeling is truly wonderful!