Chapter 45: Daily Life

Back in the kitchen, Lucas began planning today's dishes.

With a bounty of cucumbers, eggplants, tomatoes, cabbage, and strawberries, there was plenty of variety, but these veggies usually played supporting roles in main courses.

Plus, with Pokémon that ate meat and some that were vegetarian, the menu had to be diverse.

After a flurry of activity, Lucas brought out several dishes to the Pokémon waiting eagerly after washing off the dirt.

Crisp, refreshing cucumber salad made from freshly picked cucumbers was a hit with the four Poliwags.

With the cucumber dish, it would be repetitive to do cold eggplant, so Lucas made hot, savory fish-flavored eggplant.

There was also the classic tomato and scrambled eggs, and braised fish bought from the market.

For dessert, there was a veggie and fruit salad with yogurt and some of the farm produce.

There were too many Pokémon to fit around the little table inside, so Lucas moved the feast outdoors.

The sweet and sour crunch of the cucumber salad, the savory and slightly sweet fish-flavored eggplant, the ever-dependable tomato and eggs, and the rich, tender braised fish—all left everyone's mouths watering.

The salad dessert was especially loved by the two Gossifleur, who planted one foot in the earth for stability and buried half their faces in their salad bowls, munching happily.

Eldegoss looked at its two little friends with a helpless but fond smile, occasionally nibbling some salad and savoring the flavor of strawberries it had grown itself.

It had been a while since Eldegoss had settled on the farm. Though life here wasn't as novel as wandering the wild, its simplicity and fulfillment brought a deep sense of contentment.

Perhaps this was the home feeling it had heard other Pokémon describe on its journeys.

After the happy lunch, the Pokémon, satisfied, either went for a nap or played and sparred to burn off energy.

Swampert swung its fists with force, while Ceruledge dodged like a calm swordsman, sidestepping or blocking attacks with its flaming blades.

When Swampert's fists or Ceruledge's swords missed and struck the ground, they left huge craters or deep furrows—ordinary Pokémon would be in trouble if hit!

Growlithe, closely watched by Moltres, observed the sparring seriously, its black eyes wide with attention.

At first, Moltres hadn't wanted to accept suddenly having a child, especially one who called it "Mom" and called Lucas "Dad."

But Growlithe's enthusiasm and persistence won it over. Having never had friends or felt such warmth, Moltres couldn't resist.

Perhaps the feelings from hatching the egg played a role, but now Moltres kept a close eye on Growlithe, even watching him during downtime.

Lucas, noticing this change, smiled with interest—things were bound to get even more interesting.

He watched the interactions among the Pokémon, enjoying the stories unfolding.

Suddenly, a wave of sleepiness hit. Lucas yawned, looked up at the sunny sky, and murmured, "It's been a busy morning. Perfect weather for a nap."

He looked around at the Pokémon still nearby.

Swampert and Ceruledge were busy sparring, so he didn't want to disturb them (plus, their tough bodies wouldn't be comfortable to nap on).

He wasn't close enough with Moltres to use her as a pillow, and Eldegoss, Gossifleur, and Mimikyu were all too small.

That left Luxray, dozing on the ground, or Dragonite, floating in the sky.

Lucas considered—did he want a fluffy bed or a soft, bouncy one? He quickly decided:

A nap with Dragonite today!

He called out to Dragonite, who swooped down like the wind. Lucas explained his request, and Dragonite happily lay on its back in a sunny spot, patting its round belly as an invitation.

Lucas grinned, picked the most comfortable spot, and lay on Dragonite's tummy; its soft, gently rising belly was as good as any luxury mattress.

Only a Snorlax might compete for comfort, but recalling Snorlax's legendary appetite, Lucas figured his small farm could never feed one—so it was just a fantasy.

Before he knew it, Lucas drifted off under Dragonite's gentle gaze. Mimikyu, playing in the shadows, darted inside the house and brought out a thin blanket with its shadowy claws.

Carefully, Mimikyu covered Lucas with the blanket, feeling content just to do these little things.

…

…

…

Lucas was awakened by a commotion and a wet, licking sensation on his cheek. He opened blurry eyes to see the Pokémon surrounding the two Gossifleur, seemingly up to something.

Growlithe, seeing it had finally licked Lucas awake, barked excitedly, drawing the others' attention.

Eldegoss hurriedly hopped to Lucas, trying to get his attention with its actions, as it had no hands.

"What's going on?"

All of Lucas's sleepiness vanished. He frowned and followed Eldegoss to where the Gossifleur was surrounded by the other Pokémon.

The two Gossifleur looked odd, curled up as if they were enduring some unknown burden.