Having had her hand held by Ash, Misty was initially a bit taken aback, but after hearing Ash's promise, her face turned red, and a bit of steam seemed to rise from her head, as if her forehead was hot enough to cook an egg.
She had never imagined that the usually dense Ash would say something like that. Even though they were now a couple, Ash had never spoken sweet words to her. His actions spoke louder than words, and even without flowery words, Misty still liked Ash.
Today, Ash unexpectedly made such a promise. To her, this kind of promise was more touching than any sweet talk because Ash was always someone who did what he said. Since he made such a promise, Misty believed it would certainly come true in the future.
Of course, another reason for Misty's blushing was Serena's presence by Ash's other side. If it were just the two of them, Misty might blush and be a bit shy, but she would be more delighted. But now, with Serena there, her shyness overshadowed her delight...
Serena naturally heard Ash's words, but she pretended not to hear, staring straight ahead as if there was some fascinating scenery. In reality, there was nothing in the distance; she was quietly envious in her heart.
She envied that Misty received Ash's promise and that Misty could be with Ash, while she could only stand by Ash as his companion.
To her, Ash's density was actually the best cover. Otherwise, if her feelings, which could be seen at a glance, were pointed out by Ash and explicitly rejected, she wouldn't even qualify to stand by his side.
So Ash being a bit dense was good... was it good?
...
After some sightseeing, the three returned to the inn. Ash sorted through his Pokemon and treated Snorlax's injuries.
Snorlax's injuries were quite severe. Despite his thick skin, he couldn't withstand multiple hits from Pikachu, especially with the level difference between them!
If it weren't for Ash having the Power of Viridian, they might not even be on the Seven Berry Islands but in a Pokemon Center on another island.
Even though a Pokeball can put a Pokemon's injuries into temporary stasis, it doesn't mean it can indefinitely freeze their condition; if left unchecked, it would still worsen inside the Pokeball.
After recovering, Snorlax wasn't angry at Ash anymore. His anger flares up quickly but fades just as quickly. Being interrupted while eating is the biggest taboo for Snorlax, but he could forget most of it in just ten minutes.
It's because that's how Snorlax's simple nature and naive mind are. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so carefree about eating other people's berries.
However, forgetting about Ash doesn't mean Snorlax's stomach was full. Now Snorlax was still hungry; the Sitrus Berries he ate didn't fill him up, and he used up all his stored Sitrus Berries during the battle.
Now, Snorlax was even hungrier than when he started eating the Sitrus Berries. The scent of Sitrus Berries outside tempted him so much that he almost went out to eat them again, but Ash pulled him back.
Yes, Ash pulled him back. The heavy Snorlax was effortlessly pulled back to the ground by Ash, making him sit down.
Snorlax showed a puzzled expression on his simple face, looking at Ash with questions in his eyes, seemingly not understanding why Ash's strength was so immense.
This skinny-armed, skinny-legged new Trainer had strength completely disproportionate to his appearance, able to pull back even someone of Snorlax's weight. It's simply unbelievable.
"If you want to eat, I'll make something for you later. I promise you'll be full. You must not touch those berries outside, understand? They are the result of others' hard work, accumulated over generations. If you eat them all, how will others live?"
"Snorlax~" Snorlax scratched his head and lowered it, seemingly absorbing Ash's words.
When his mind is calm, and he's not driven by hunger, Snorlax can understand human speech, but if he's too hungry, it doesn't matter who talks; it's useless.
Even though Snorlax was hungrier than before, after a battle, his intelligence regained control, so he could quietly listen to Ash speak.
But if Snorlax didn't get food soon, he might go wild again.
Thus, Ash released Lugia, Charizard, and other Pokemon to wait outside and keep an eye on Snorlax while he headed to the kitchen to prepare dinner.
The inn was well-equipped, and Nainai had given Ash the largest room, which included a kitchen.
Thirty minutes later—
Ash came out with a large pot and placed it on the table set by Misty and Serena outside. Not far away, Snorlax was restlessly eyeing the large pot Ash placed on the table, his nearly invisible eyes almost glowing with anticipation.
His nose is unimaginably sensitive—especially when it comes to food.
Even though Ash's cooking was covered by a lid, he knew how delicious the contents were. If Gardevoir wasn't using Telekinesis and Charizard's Dragon Claws weren't holding his shoulders down, Snorlax would have charged in already!
A single Elite Level Pokemon needing to be watched by two Gym Peak level ones—no one would believe it if they heard.
Seeing Snorlax's impulsive demeanor, Ash showed a wry smile and said, "Don't rush, Snorlax. Your food is ready too. Just wait a moment while I bring it out."
After speaking, Ash went back to bring out the other dishes.
First was Snorlax's special dish, Spicy Scallion Cakes. Ash made three of them, each the size of Snorlax's palm, seemingly not enough to even serve as a snack for him.
But if Snorlax ate it, he would surely be full. This was a special dish Ash made for Snorlax using berries, the cakes shining with a glimmering light, looking incredibly delicious.
Snorlax was salivating with greed. With a signal from Ash, Charizard and Gardevoir released their hold, and as soon as the telekinetic and Dragon Claw restraints were gone, Snorlax pounced like a famished wolf, grabbing the three cakes and stuffing them into his mouth in one go.
It took him nearly ten seconds to finish the three cakes.
Snorlax's eating could be described as devouring, hardly chewing as the food went straight to his stomach, but when eating Ash's dishes, he managed to 'savor' them slowly.
Here, 'slowly' is relative to Snorlax's usual pace; even so, his eating speed still far surpassed ordinary Pokemon.
After consuming the three cakes, Snorlax's pallid face turned rosy, and his body seemed redder—a sign of being spiced up.
The dish Ash made contained not only chili but also extremely spicy berries, layers of which created a new level of spiciness. However, this spiciness wouldn't cause discomfort to anyone or any Pokemon eating it; instead, it provided an intense feeling of fullness—by filling the stomach with spiciness, reducing appetite.
This was different from the formula of a regular Energy Block and was a dish specially created by Ash for Snorlax!