Pokémon: Helping Pokémon Pays Off [27]
"..."
With a puzzled expression, Hoshino suddenly stopped in his tracks behind Lillie. Though he didn't interact much with his classmates at school…
Over time, he had seen many students release their Pokémon while he was resting or admiring the scenery. But Lillie was the only one who never did.
"Wait, don't tell me…"
A possibility crossed his mind, and when he saw how desperate she was to grab the Clefairy plush, his suspicion was all but confirmed.
Isn't this just the feeling of wanting to catch a Pokémon? But since she couldn't capture a real one, she was using a plush as a substitute.
With that thought, he simply stood behind her, unnoticed, quietly observing for a while longer.
Then, he saw Lillie getting increasingly frustrated but stubbornly refusing to give up.
"Move the claw a little to the right."
"…Huh?"
Hearing a familiar voice behind her, Lillie paused briefly. But at this moment, she had no time to turn around and see who it was.
Still, she instinctively followed the instruction. The claw just barely hooked onto the bow on the back of the Clefairy plush—any further and it would slip off.
"Mm-hmm, when it's exactly five centimeters from the highest point, swing the joystick hard and let it go!"
"..."
Lillie really wanted to know who was guiding her. Her friends, like Mallow, who were on the same skill level as her, had already gone out to buy things.
But she made a quick decision. Watching the Clefairy plush dangle precariously on the claw, she knew it could drop at any moment.
She carefully judged the distance, then decisively swung the joystick. The Clefairy plush was flung outward and, as if by fate, fell right through the prize slot.
"This actually worked?!"
"Wait… I did it!"
Lillie retrieved the shiny Clefairy plush, hugging it tightly. Excited, she turned around—only to find that no one was there.
She looked around the store, then finally spotted Hoshino and his Cyclizar leaving in the distance. She blinked in surprise, then smiled softly.
Hoshino hadn't helped her out of kindness. He just didn't like owing favors. Since Lillie had saved him at the beach and taken him home, he figured returning the favor was only fair.
"Alright, back to slacking off… I mean, back to work!"
"Cyliii~!"
The day passed in a lazy haze. After clocking out at ten in the evening, Hoshino found himself back in front of the claw machine, staring at a certain Gengar plush.
Although new stock had been added at noon, several prizes had already been taken. The one constant was that mischievous, grinning Gengar plush.
"So where's the problem? There's no way my technique is the issue…"
Hoshino inserted a few more coins, determined to try again. But just like before, the Gengar plush refused to be captured—almost as if it were cursed.
"Cyliii!"
"You wanna try too? Go ahead, be my guest."
"Cyliii~!"
Cyclizar inserted a coin and took a shot. As expected, he failed.
Seeing this, Hoshino decided to call it quits. He had worked all day and needed to get some rest. The plush wasn't going anywhere.
Shortly after they left, the store emptied out. The owner turned off the lights and locked up, leaving the shop in total darkness. Silence enveloped everything.
But in that eerie darkness, inside the claw machine, a pair of crimson eyes suddenly lit up.
"Gengaaaar~"
—
The next day was Monday. After paying off his tab to the ever-patient store owner, Hoshino got through the day without trouble. His rent could wait until the end of the month.
As usual, he arrived at school, expecting everything to be the same.
Just as he was about to grab a random textbook to use as a pillow, Lillie, seated in front of him, turned slightly. Her fair fingers tucked a strand of hair behind her ear as she smiled softly.
"Um… about yesterday… thanks!"
"It's nothing to thank me for. Just focus on your class and don't disturb my nap…"
"..."
Lillie was momentarily speechless.
She had just started to think better of him, only for him to almost ruin it again.
Lillie's smile vanished. She huffed, cheeks puffing adorably, and spun back to face the front.
—
After school, Hoshino and Cyclizar rushed back to the store. Fortunately, the Gengar plush was still there, grinning as ever among the other Ghost-type Pokémon plushies.
That night, after work, he and Cyclizar exchanged some more coins, ready for another round with the claw machine.
Why, you ask?
It was simple.
There was just something about not giving up that was deeply satisfying—like fighting a Soulsborne boss.
Skipping class was never an option.
But this? This was personal.
Every time he watched the Gengar plush slip from the claw, Hoshino's expression grew calmer. He no longer felt like he was spiraling into frustration like before.
Keeping a steady mindset was key to playing games. And as someone skilled in this area, he just had to treat catching the Gengar plush as a breakthrough goal.
"Half my paycheck is gone again… Let's head home."
"Cyliii~"
"Gengar~"
"Hmm?"
Hearing that laugh once more, Hoshino froze for a moment. Instinctively, he glanced at the Gengar plush inside the claw machine, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary.
If a Pokémon didn't need help, the map wouldn't display its presence.
Besides, Gengar's usual size was around 1.5 meters—was there really a Gengar in this world that was less than 0.3 meters tall? Even a Gastly was bigger than that.
"It's obviously just a plush… No way. But if a gengar is hiding somewhere, pulling a prank? That, I'd believe."
With his hands in his pockets, Hoshino left with Cyclizar to grab dinner. Soon after, the store was once again swallowed by darkness. The plushies all lay quietly in their places inside the machine—except for one.
Those red eyes lit up once more.
"Gengar~"
The Gengar plush wobbled slightly, struggling to turn over. But instead, it ended up burying itself deeper among the other plushies. The eerie glow in its eyes faded…
—
From that day on, Hoshino and Cyclizar made a habit of stopping by every night after work to try their luck. The Gengar plush had become his goal.
It was strangely similar to Lillie's situation from before. The only difference was mindset—Hoshino wasn't using the game as an emotional outlet. If anything, he was just playing with a Pokémon in his own way.
As the days passed, the mysterious "Gengar~" that echoed from nowhere began to change. At first, it had sounded like mocking laughter. But gradually, it became… happy.
Hoshino was getting better at understanding Pokémon cries. And from what he could tell—this was a Pokémon laughing for real.
—
Time flew by, and before he knew it, mid-December had arrived. In just over a week, school would be out for winter break.
As winter set in, Melemele Island's temperature had dropped considerably. Some rumors even said it might snow, a rare occurrence in this region.
Though there was no snow yet, there was definitely rain—a heavy, sudden downpour.
On his way to work that weekend, Hoshino was ambushed by a group of Meowth, got knocked off his ride, and even had his pants stolen.
Left with no choice, he took the day off. At least now that he had a phone plan, he wasn't stuck living like a single-player character anymore—contacting people had become much easier.
Despite it being the weekend, the gloomy rain had dampened the mood. The streets were emptier than usual, and business at the claw machine store was slow. Whether he was there or not made no difference—the owner was probably happy to save on one less paycheck.
Inside the claw machine, the Gengar plush lay motionless. Halloween had long since passed, and Ghost-type Pokémon plushies were no longer in demand. Fewer and fewer people tried to catch it these days.
Still, it remained in the same pose, holding its belly with that mischievous grin. Through the glass, it stared outside. But today, the human who came to play with it every day… was nowhere to be seen.
That wasn't too unusual. As long as it waited until nighttime, surely…
But as the evening stretched on, the familiar figure still hadn't appeared.
Outside the glass, fewer and fewer people walked past. The Gengar plush could only keep smiling as it watched the world outside.
Finally, a few people approached the claw machine. But by now, the rumors about this particular plush had spread. Only a handful of stubborn challengers ever attempted to grab it—most weren't willing to waste their money.
Time continued to pass. Though the store wasn't closing anytime soon, the place had already emptied out. Half the lights had been switched off.
In the dim glow, the ever-smiling Gengar plush seemed to show a fleeting trace of loneliness. Even though it was surrounded by other plushies, even though every day had been the same…
But soon, footsteps echoed nearby. Someone was approaching.
Immediately, it snapped out of its thoughts, ready to greet like always.
"Gengar~"
The footsteps stopped right in front of the machine.
But reflected in the dim glass was a shadowy figure… holding a screwdriver.
The figure stopped before the machine. A screwdriver glinted in the half-light as its owner smirked.
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