Pokémon Breeder's Story

Chapter 21: Serving Guests

The Pokémon needed time to produce an egg, so Kenji didn't disturb them, allowing the Quagsire and Swampert to move about freely in his backyard. In the evening, he would have Bewear deliver their food, and that would conclude their day.

At 5 PM, Kenji was thinking about the information the Taillow had provided at noon—the mass outbreak of Clefairy at Meteor Falls. He was planning to close up early and go with Bewear to check out the situation. However, just then, someone knocked on the breeding center's door.

"Hello, is anyone here?"

Kenji went to open the door and saw two young men with travel backpacks standing outside, looking dusty and travel-worn. They weren't very old, looking as if they had just turned ten and were in the novice trainer stage.

"What service can I help you with?" Kenji welcomed the two into the building and asked.

"We'd like to stay here for one night!" one of the boys replied.

Kenji was slightly taken aback. This was the first time someone had come to stay at the inn. But he quickly recovered and nodded, "Of course, no problem. The inn has a total of six rooms, and they're all empty right now. You can pick any room you like."

"Besides lodging, we also offer some simple food. If you need anything, just let me know, and I'll prepare it for you."

The two boys stood at the counter, looking at the small blackboard hanging on the wall. It listed the various service fees for the inn.

[The Bewear Inn]

[2000 Pokédollars/Night]

[The Bewear Restaurant - Current Menu:]

[- Ramen: 800/bowl]

[- Congee: 300/bowl]

[- Berry Juice: 100/cup]

[- Sandwich: 500/serving]

[- Pokémon Food: 500/serving]

The two boys breathed a sigh of relief. The price for a room wasn't expensive. They nodded while taking out their money, saying, "We'll stay for one night! Also, could you please prepare two bowls of ramen, two cups of Berry Juice, and two servings of Pokémon food!"

"Please wait a moment." Kenji smiled and nodded. "Growlithe, don't run around, be careful not to bump into the guests. Bewear, please take these two guests to their room first. I'll go prepare their food."

"Kyuu~" Bewear readily agreed.

The two boys looked at the "big guy" in front of them and couldn't help but swallow hard. They had never seen a Pokémon like it before...

The method for making ramen was quite simple. Just bring water to a boil, add the noodles and cook for a few minutes, then pour in the pre-prepared bone broth. Finally, sprinkle with chopped green onions, shredded nori, and top with a soft-boiled egg cut in half. And just like that, a bowl of ramen that, while not luxurious, was incredibly delicious, was ready.

The bone broth was fragrant and rich, the soup a clear yellow that shone under the light. The golden yolk of the soft-boiled egg was runny. It looked incredibly tempting just by sight. Now that the breeding center was officially open and making money, the ingredients Kenji prepared were a bit more plentiful.

Finally, he poured two cups of Berry Juice and prepared two servings of food that Pokémon love.

When Kenji arrived at the dining area, the two boys and their Pokémon were already waiting there. One Poochyena and one Zigzagoon.

They looked as if they hadn't eaten a proper meal in a long time. When they saw the ramen in front of them, their eyes lit up instantly.

"Please, enjoy!"

"Well then, time to dig in!" The two boys swallowed their saliva and then began to eat with gusto.

Kenji noticed the Poochyena and Zigzagoon at their side. The two dirty, dusty Pokémon were devouring the food before them just as ravenously as their trainers.

"Waaaah, this feels so good!" one of the boys couldn't help but shed tears. "It's been so long since I've eaten such a delicious meal!"

The other boy didn't speak, just frantically shoveled the food from his bowl into his mouth.

Kenji: "..."

Is it really that dramatic? Although his cooking was good, it wasn't so amazing that it would make people cry.

But in the next second, Kenji saw a small sun, representing "happiness" and "joy," appear above both boys' heads. Immediately after, familiar text appeared before his eyes.

[Sato's mood has improved. Joy Value +60. Received Sato's gift: Habitat of Axew (Meteor Falls).]

[Habitat of Axew: The specific location of the Dragon Pokémon Axew in Meteor Falls. Sato discovered traces of a Haxorus colony there while traveling. Your delicious food moved him, and he has given this information to you as a gift.]

[Shu's mood has improved. Joy Value +70. Received Shu's gift: Location of Clefairy Sighting (Meteor Falls).]

[Location of Clefairy Sighting: The specific location where the Fairy-type Pokémon Clefairy is appearing in large numbers. Shu stumbled into the area while passing through Meteor Falls and saw a large number of Clefairy there. Your delicious food moved him, and he has given what he saw to you as a gift.]

The moment the two lines of text appeared, Kenji felt two new pieces of information being added to his mind. The environment of Meteor Falls flashed through his brain. He had clearly never been there, yet everything about it felt incredibly familiar. And within the vast Meteor Falls, there were two particular places that were now deeply etched in his memory. If he went to Meteor Falls, he could definitely find those two spots based on this memory!

Without a doubt, this was the memory of the two boys before him!

Kenji's face was filled with astonishment.

What's going on? Didn't my special ability only give rewards when a Pokémon's mood improved? Why does it work on humans too?

Wait! Suddenly, Kenji thought of a certain theory. That humans in the Pokémon world were, in fact, a type of Pokémon. Could it be?

After a moment of contemplation, Kenji started a casual conversation with the two boys. "Where are you two from?"

The boys, having satisfyingly drunk the last drop of soup from their bowls, rubbed their stomachs, let out a burp, and replied, "We're trainers who just started our journey from Rustboro City two weeks ago!"

Rustboro City, southwest of Meteor Falls, Steven Stone's hometown.

"We were originally planning to pass through Meteor Falls, go through Fallarbor Town, cross Mt. Chimney, and then head over to Lavaridge Town to take a look."

"But we didn't expect to run into a dangerous Pokémon at Meteor Falls. We got lost while being chased and were stuck in there for a week before we got out."

"We ran out of food, and we almost ran out of water. Luckily, we saw your shop on the road. Otherwise, the two of us, plus our Zigzagoon and Poochyena, would never have made it to Fallarbor Town."

Kenji: "..."

No wonder these two trainers were in such a sorry state.

"Meteor Falls is a very dangerous place for new trainers who have just started their journey." They only had one Pokémon each, and very weak ones at that—Poochyena and Zigzagoon—yet they dared to run into Meteor Falls.

For a moment, Kenji didn't know what to say.

"But, since you're here, please rest well for the night!"