Chapter 11: Satisfaction
After bringing the water back, he went to check the fishing rod. The bait was gone, but there was no catch—another empty try.
He had expected this. It didn't matter if there were no fish; after all, they had more than enough food for the night.
When Ryan returned to the shelter with his fishing rod, Poliwag, who had eaten and drunk its fill, had already fallen asleep next to the fire. The little Pokémon had even dug a hole in the sand to rest in, snoring softly.
Not wanting to disturb Poliwag, Ryan took on the task of cleaning the conches alone. After all, Poliwag was still growing, and sleep would help its development.
Since picking out the conch meat from the shells was tedious, Ryan decided to just smash them all and stew the meat together later.
After washing the shells, he mixed them with seaweed to make a pot of seafood soup, while the conch meat was stewed separately.
While scavenging earlier, he had found a pan stuck under some rocks. It wasn't rusted since it wasn't iron, so he brought it back to use for the soup. The conch meat, on the other hand, was stewing in a metal cup that he had for drinking water.
The shells, conch meat, and seaweed were all from the sea, so he didn't worry about seasoning. After washing them with fresh water, they retained enough natural saltiness.
This meal was by far the most luxurious Ryan had eaten since arriving in the Pokémon world.
A dish of conch meat and a pot of seafood soup—just the sight of it made his mouth water.
He stared at the conch meat, shellfish, and seaweed rolling in the pot, his impatience growing, but he resisted the urge to eat too soon. If he ate it raw, there was a risk of food poisoning.
In his current situation, a bout of illness could be fatal. It was better to play it safe.
Reflecting on the day, he realized how lucky he'd been. Drinking raw water earlier hadn't given him a stomachache, a small mercy in an otherwise dangerous world.
He wasn't willing to take such a risk again, knowing that luck wouldn't always be on his side.
As the aroma from the soup filled the air, Ryan's stomach growled, and his impatience almost got the better of him. But once again, he held back, hugging his legs and staring at the bubbling pot.
"Poliwag, can you still eat?" Ryan asked, noticing his little companion watching the pot with curious eyes.
Poliwag, still full from its earlier feast, looked down at its round belly, the seaweed it had eaten earlier still visibly swirling inside.
Seeing this, Ryan couldn't help but laugh. Poliwag was already stuffed; there was no way it could eat more.
Ignoring Poliwag's curious gaze, Ryan used some large leaves as makeshift potholders to take the pan off the fire, letting the soup cool. The conch meat followed shortly after.
Once the food had cooled, Ryan was ready to dig in. The white oil glistened on the surface of the seafood soup, and he couldn't help but lick his lips. There would be no need to clean the pot later with a feast like this.
But before he started his meal, Ryan shared some of the conch meat and seaweed with Poliwag. There was plenty of food tonight, but Ryan wasn't sure if Poliwag could still eat.
It turned out Poliwag could indeed eat more. The little Pokémon was growing and could eat to its heart's content.
Seeing this, Ryan gave Poliwag more conch meat and a portion of the seafood soup.
It wasn't easy to describe the flavor of the boiled conch and seaweed soup, but it had been a long time since Ryan had tasted anything like it.
In his previous life, he wouldn't have been able to stomach a meal without oil, chili, salt, and other seasonings. But here and now, he found himself enjoying it immensely.
Hunger, after all, is the best seasoning.
Half an hour later, both Ryan and Poliwag were full. They had managed to eat through half the bucket of seafood they had gathered, though most of it had been devoured by Poliwag.
As they lay in their makeshift shelter, staring up at the stars, Ryan couldn't help but reflect on how productive the day had been.
Water, fire, food, shelter—the four elements of survival. With water, fire, and food taken care of, they were doing well.
There was enough seaweed on the reef to last them for months, not to mention the conches and shells, and Ryan could fish if needed.
The natural resources in this Pokémon world were truly abundant, much like the wilds of Africa in his previous life, where survival depended on the whims of nature.
With food and water no longer a concern, it was time to focus on gaining experience points for Poliwag and ensuring their safety.