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Luther, having finally untangled the knot in his heart, was in high spirits. Seeing the shopkeeper's family and Cynthia bustling around the barbecue grill, he stood up and decided to join them.
After all, the fun of a barbecue lies in doing it yourself.
Before heading over, Luther considered inviting Diantha as well, but she declined with a graceful smile.
The reason was simple: it has too many calories.
Diantha was meticulous about her diet, so it was clear she wouldn't be able to indulge in the barbecue spread like Luther and the others. Instead, she got up to check on her Pokémon.
The Pokémon that Mai and Luther had left out in the courtyard were already mingling and playing with Cynthia's and Diantha's teams.
Neither Cynthia nor Diantha was known for frequently catching new Pokémon. At their level, it wasn't about quantity, it was about synergy and personal connection.
So, with a group of energetic newcomers suddenly joining their seasoned teams, the courtyard scene now resembled high-level trainers mentoring a bunch of fresh recruits.
Mai's Pachirisu, in particular, had no sense of danger.
After Garchomp had finished eating, he sprawled out on the ground for a nap. Without hesitation, Pachirisu clambered up his body like it was a jungle gym, clearly enjoying the thrill of the climb.
Garchomp merely opened one eye to glance at the tiny Pokémon, then shut it again. He didn't even seem to notice the weight and let the little one play.
Compared to how he reacted to Ruiyan earlier, Garchomp now seemed downright serene, a side of him few would believe existed.
Eevee, on the other hand, wasn't nearly as relaxed.
He paced nervously nearby, calling out "bui bui," trying to coax Pachirisu down from the fearsome Garchomp. Clearly intimidated by Garchomp's appearance, Eevee wanted nothing to do with the dragon's massive claws and teeth.
Meanwhile, the ever-curious Goodra began to move, unaware that the tiny Eevee was right in his path.
Luckily, Togekiss, who had been licking frosting off her plate nearby, noticed just in time.
This sweet-loving Pokémon had scored a generous helping of cake. Roserade, not fond of sweets, had eaten just half and swept the rest into Togekiss's bowl with Vine Whip. So while most of the Pokémon had moved on, Togekiss was still waging a one-on-one battle with dessert.
Just as Goodra's foot was about to come down on Eevee, Togekiss sprang into action. She dropped her bowl, swooped in, and, with a swift slap of her wing, knocked Eevee out of harm's way before scooping him up and depositing him gently beside her bowl.
Togekiss then kindly offered Eevee a piece of cake to soothe him. But having just been wing-slapped and still a bit shaken, Eevee nervously declined with a shake of his head.
Togekiss didn't push it. She simply turned back to her dessert, unfazed.
Across from her sat Luther's Marill, who was also going to town on the cake.
Earlier, when the shopkeeper had given Marill only a modest slice, Luther had sheepishly explained that Marill had a very healthy appetite. The shopkeeper had laughed it off. Marill was so small, how much could she possibly eat?
Confidently, he'd patted his chest and told her to eat as much as she liked.
Luther had chuckled awkwardly and returned to his seat. He'd seen the way Marill's eyes lit up at the words "eat as much as you want."
Now, a growing stack of empty cake wrappers sat beside her. Marill's method was anything but delicate, as each of her bite devoured nearly half a cake.
Togekiss, still midway through her own slice, was wide-eyed at the sight. Even Garchomp cracked open a sleepy eye, his gaze drifting toward Marill, not out of hunger, but out of sheer disbelief.
It was as if her stomach defied the laws of nature.
After devouring most of the discarded cakes piled up beside her, Marill finally flopped onto the mountain of wrappers, now resembling a perfectly round, overstuffed ball.
Togekiss felt full as well, or at least, her mind did. The cake in her mouth had lost all flavor.
Eevee could clearly hear Marill humming contentedly, muttering about wanting to float on the pond's surface and relax. He nudged her gently, trying to encourage her to move, but she didn't budge an inch.
Instead of helping, his efforts only made her squirm uncomfortably. Too full to move on her own, the humming Marill finally called out to Jumpluff for help.
Jumpluff had been in the middle of a cheerful chat with Roserade. Initially, Luther had worried Jumpluff might feel awkward around Roserade's aloof nature, but surprisingly, the two clicked right away.
Roserade greeted her new acquaintance with a pleasant aroma, while Jumpluff responded with a polite fluff of her cotton puffs. After a brief exchange, they seemed to hit it off instantly.
Just as Jumpluff was getting into the conversation, Marill's pitiful call interrupted.
Wearing a metaphorical sweatdrop, Jumpluff floated over and saw that Marill's only issue was overeating, again. All she wanted was a soak in the courtyard pond.
Jumpluff tried lifting her, but Marill was unusually heavy now, who knew how much food she'd packed into her tiny body?
Jumpluff nearly tipped over, but Roserade caught her in time and, with an effortless flick of Vine Whip, sent the greedy little glutton sailing into the water.
With a splash, Marill rolled into the pond, flipped belly-up, and let out a long, satisfied sigh, gazing up at the glittering stars overhead.
A splash nearby caught her attention.
From the bottom of the pond, a creamy, elegant water serpent slithered upward, Milotic, watching Marill with quiet curiosity.
Milotic had been resting beneath the water after her meal. With her surfaced Gastrodon as well, following closely behind.
Milotic circled around Marill, stirring gentle ripples. Marill felt the subtle shifts in the current, and her eyes widened with distress. The sensation stirred her overfilled stomach, and she immediately regretted everything.
Thankfully, Milotic abandoned her method of "investigative swirling" before Marill lost control. Still, the poor thing reminded herself: Next time, stop eating before you're about to burst... But who could blame her? Her Trainer always stopped her at "half-full" state; she was just making up for it!
Elsewhere, Mismagius was locked in a silent stare-off with Gourgeist. Between them sat a ghostly, floating plant in a pot, caught awkwardly in the crossfire.
Mismagius was intensely curious whether the pumpkin section on Gourgeist's lower body was, in fact, a hidden pair of eyes. She drifted closer and stared unblinkingly, analyzing it like a scientist.
Gourgeist remained motionless. Internally, she sighed. 'What kind of weirdo is this...?'
The potted ghost between them also seemed at a loss, silently judging them both. These two are absolute weirdos. What a boring day.
Meanwhile, Goodra's slow, lumbering steps finally met resistance, thanks to Slowpoke.
Despite the momentum, Slowpoke didn't react at all.
She bumped into him like a boulder, but the unmoving Slowpoke just continued to blankly gaze up at the moon.
Even after being knocked over, Slowpoke showed no pain or emotion. He simply stood up slowly, returned to his original position, and resumed moon-watching.
Luther had long wondered whether Mai's Slowpoke was just... different. He'd witnessed Slowpoke move with surprising agility during private practice battles. But outside of combat, he reverted to a level of sluggishness that defied reason.
Goodra, unable to comprehend Slowpoke's thoughts, looked up at the sky, assuming he had seen something up there.
Then Togekiss, still full but curious, noticed them looking and floated over, tilting his head skyward as well.
Soon after, Gastrodon joined in. Having just crawled ashore, he extended his long neck to look at the stars too.
Mai's Corsola knew Slowpoke was just being Slowpoke, and there was probably nothing to see. But now, with everyone looking up so seriously, she couldn't help but widen her eyes and stare at the sky too.
Nearby, Diantha's Gardevoir stood watching the whole scene unfold. Quietly, she stepped away from the strange little group, thinking to herself: They're all acting way too weird...
(This chapter ends)