The cake was a hit!

To promote the dish, Hikaru left the recipe with the Striaton Trio, and even included their close friends in the sharing.

At the same time, Hikaru earned a special title:

[The Eccentric Chef]!

[Description: A title given to a cook who creates wondrous dishes using obscure culinary techniques. All of your cooking gains +100% to peculiarity. Peculiarity impresses both people and Pokémon, leaving a deep impression. You receive a 20% discount when sourcing ingredients and all of your culinary skills and knowledge are enhanced.]

Fennel’s eyes sparkled with admiration. “Excellent! I’ve decided—I’m going to develop an app based on the Striaton Restaurant that lets Pokémon interact with the menu and order food themselves! Then I’ll install it into the C-Gear!”

Truffle sighed, “Nee-san, stop trying to install everything into the C-Gear…”

But Hikaru actually thought Fennel’s idea had potential.

After all, Pokémon Sleep already featured lots of food and dishes that looked delicious. Adding something like Pokémon Café ReMix into the mix didn’t sound half bad.

“Right?! Even you think it’s a great idea! As expected of the future deputy director!”

Fennel was thrilled, slapping Hikaru’s arm enthusiastically, while Truffle’s expression already said everything.

Ever since her sister obtained Musharna, her fantasy episodes had only grown more frequent instead of calming down.

“…Let’s check the storage system first,” Truffle said, shaking her head.

Whenever Fennel couldn’t focus on serious work, it was up to her—just a little girl—to bear such a heavy responsibility.

Heaven truly burdens the destined…

“Oh right! The storage system!”

Fennel finally snapped back to reality. If the issue Hikaru had previously mentioned was true—that there was a flaw in the storage system—then the consequences could be disastrous.

Theoretically, all the world’s Pokémon Storage Systems were developed based on Professor Bill’s original system in Kanto. If anyone understood its vulnerabilities, it would be him.

“I won’t get in your way then,” Hikaru said. “I’ve got to get back on the road—there are still many important locations waiting for me to unlock them.”

“Unlock them?” Fennel tilted her head.

“That’s right,” Hikaru said. “The ancient kings are waiting in silence.”

“You make it sound like you’re a mythologist or something… Don’t tell me you actually moonlight as one?”

Hikaru stroked his chin.

“Mythologist? Well, not quite… but close.”

“Ehh?”

Fennel blinked, then shrugged dramatically.

“Well, I don’t mind if our deputy director is multi-talented! You’ve always been a mystery anyway! It’s gotta be something to do with the Entralink Tree, right? I’m a chosen one now too, so there’s no way I’m letting you outpace me!”

“Mm, good luck.”

Fennel made a fist pump, then she and Truffle waved Hikaru off. The Striaton brothers also came out to see him off.

“Speaking of which, that Pokémon…” Cilan suddenly changed into a shoujo manga-style expression, as if remembering something.

“That ancient Lilligant—it appeared in the broadcast of the Nacrene Music Festival a few days ago, didn’t it?”

Chili clapped loudly, “Ah! That’s right! I remember now!”

“Ugh! I should’ve asked for another autograph!”

————

“By the way, why didn’t you want me to teleport you? I do know Professor Oak, you know.”

Route 5, near the Performance Street.

Hikaru looked out at the ocean in the distance. Standing beside him wasn’t Aegislash—but Entei!

The Mirage Entei possessed all the same moves as the real one. So when Hikaru was preparing to travel back through Nacrene City and head to Nimbasa, the Mirage Entei suddenly offered to help.

And by help, it meant—

Extreme Speed!

Thanks to that powerful move, the Rainbow Guardians were able to race across Johto’s vast lands, arriving at any crisis site in an instant.

Back when it kidnapped Delia (Ash’s mother), Mirage Entei hadn’t even used Extreme Speed, and yet Ash couldn’t catch up. That was a subtle flex of power.

Though to be fair, Ash can chase trucks at full sprint… Maybe he hadn’t learned how yet during the Johto arc.

“Now that I’ve been truly born into the world… I want to see more of it with my own eyes,” Entei said.

“This scenery is completely different from Johto… Though honestly, I’ve only ever seen grassy plains.”

Its voice held both regret and a hint of fear.

It had been so happy upon escaping the Dream World, hoping to reunite with Mei.

But now that her real father had returned—and considering it nearly put Mei in danger…

It couldn’t help but feel a little ashamed.

“The Rainbow Guardians gallop across the land. I’m sure they’ve witnessed many people, stories, and landscapes.”

“I want to be like them. To step outside that sealed Crystal Tower and discover interesting things.”

“That way, I’ll have stories to tell Mei. Strange ones, mysterious ones—the kind children love.”

“After leaving Mei’s dream, I truly felt the rhythm of life. It’s something completely different from before. When that rainbow light came down…”

“This is what they call ‘reality.'”

Entei closed its eyes.

Hikaru understood what it was going through.

As an artificial being, experiencing real life for the first time could be disorienting. Mewtwo went through a similar phase.

“Living is a beautiful thing. That’s not something I said—it was Mewtwo.”

Hikaru glanced at Entei. “Too bad you didn’t meet it in the Dream World. You probably heard about it from Calyrex, right?”

The Mirage Entei nodded gently.

“A Pokémon created by humans. Gifted with incredible psychic power. Searching for the meaning of life… And just like me, it longs to reunite with someone it cares about.”

“I heard Mewtwo’s story. It’s now found its own path. I want to do the same. I don’t want to go back yet—I want to travel.”

“For me, the answer lies ahead. I’m searching for the right road to reach it.”

Entei now sounded like a philosopher. Perhaps crossing the boundary between existence and erasure had given it deeper insight.

Like Mewtwo, these Pokémon with complex thoughts always carried unique perspectives and profound ideas.

As they neared Route 5, Entei returned to its Poké Ball voluntarily, since passing through this road would bring them to Nimbasa City.

This area was full of performers—musicians, dancers, artists—and had such a vibrant atmosphere that even staff from the Pokémon Center, like Miss Yoko, would sneak out to watch.

A motorhome stood by the roadside.

Inside it… was the infamous “item maniac”—the hungry maid herself.

In Black/White, when you first visit this area, you face off against Cheren. After defeating him, Alder appears and arranges a double battle with Cheren against a pair of kindergartners.

This place absolutely radiated artistic spirit.

“Speaking of the item maniac…”

Lately, Hikaru had made a bunch of new tools—mostly machines. Some of them were patented, making them impossible to put on sale.

Especially the Silph Scope Viewer and the Signal Jammer Shield—if those were ever sold, Silph Co. and the International Police would probably sue for IP violation. Or worse, put him under surveillance.

Sometimes high-tech gear is too powerful…

So maybe the only safe ones to sell were the simpler items—like metronomes.

Goggles, Assault Vests, Heavy-Duty Boots—all viable, but each would need to be custom-fitted for the Pokémon that carried them.

Items like the Eject Button and Red Card had unique crafting methods. The latter was already on sale and had sold a few units.

Ring Target seemed useless at first glance… but who knows when it might come in handy?

Throat Spray, Covert Cloak, various charms and herbs, brand-new medicines, and even Linking Ropes…

Then there were the special balls—Strange Balls, Blue Poké Balls—too dangerous to sell. Even if crafted, they’d be non-tradeable items.

“If we’re selling mechanical items, maybe home appliances are more practical!”

Hikaru spotted the performers—infectious energy filled the area, lifting the spirits of all travelers.

Entei, now hidden in the woods, quietly watched the humans perform.

Even the local wild Pokémon joined in, playfully dancing and showing off tricks on the street. They looked like they were having a great time.

Sniff sniff… “You smell amazing!”

“Excuse me! Can I take a look?!”

Just as Hikaru entered Performance Street, a young maid burst from a nearby RV. She twitched her petite nose, sniffing Hikaru’s backpack like a bloodhound who found treasure.

“…You must be the ‘item maid’ I’ve heard about—the one who buys rare cooking ingredients.”

“Eh? You’ve heard of me? That means I’m finally famous!”

She was delighted and bowed politely. “I’m Fana. I’m gathering rare ingredients to cook meals for my master.”

“I have a special ability—I can sniff out culinary aromas. No ingredient can hide from me!”

Hikaru considered it. “Well, I do have some rare ingredients.”

Fana’s eyes sparkled. “I’ll pay a high price! Please let me buy them!”

“Of course, the price is negotiable… But I’d also like something from you in return. You collect rare foods for your master, right? So how about we trade rare ingredients?”

“Ehhh~!” Fana frowned, clearly not thrilled.

Hikaru couldn’t help but tease her.

Was she really collecting rare food for her master… or was she just a glutton herself?

“Not gonna lie,” Hikaru said, slipping on his Fancy Glasses and putting on a bookish act, “I’m also an eccentric chef. So I can’t overlook rare ingredients.”

Rare food is rare gear—and processed properly, it creates incredible effects.

Fana thought for a moment. “…Then I need to inspect your stuff carefully. Some ingredients are too precious to just hand over!”

“But if there’s a lot of it, can it really be rare?” Hikaru replied smoothly. “What I’ve got here is absolutely one-of-a-kind. You won’t regret it.”

“Hmm…” Fana folded her arms, speechless.

“…Fine! You can pick one. But let me see yours first—whoa!! What is that?!”

Hikaru took out a golden acorn. It gave off a pleasant scent—not overwhelming, but intriguing enough to make Fana sniff it over and over.

She was practically acting like a dog.

“A golden acorn?! I’ve never seen this before! It smells amazing! I’ll take it! Now you pick from my box!”

Fana excitedly pulled Hikaru into her mobile kitchen and lifted a secret compartment from the floor.

Inside were loads of rare Berries and herbs—even the Shallow Salt from Hoenn!

Hikaru immediately recognized the collection: “The five rare Berries…”

Fana puffed out her cheeks proudly. “So you do know them! These were gathered with help from nearby breeders. A super chef like you can’t miss out on these!”

“Haban Berry has a complex flavor and is often used as a valuable gift. Kasib Berry can be turned into sauces that elevate any dish!”

“Aguav Berry is perfect with salads! Figy Berry has a spicy peel and sweet-sour flesh—great as an appetizer! Tanga Berry looks like a Haban Berry but has a sweet-spicy-bitter blend that’s extremely popular!”

These five Berries were known to raise a Pokémon’s friendship while lowering their base stats.

In-game, they’re hard to come by—but as food, they’re delicious and precious.

“I’ll trade for a few of those.”

“Hah! Then you’ll need to cough up something even rarer!” Fana’s sly eyes sparkled—no way was she letting herself get swindled.

For the rich, money was nothing—but rare food? That was priceless!

“Oh? Then how about this?”

Hikaru pulled out a small vial of glistening salt.

[Ingredient: Diamond Salt]

[Description: A rare type of salt found coexisting with the crystals on Minior. Contains pure flavor and a power of purity.]

“Sniff sniff~ Ah! That scent! It’s such a rare salt!” Fana’s eyes lit up.

“I’ll give you two Berries—three of each.”

“Only two kinds? This salt is a unique ingredient formed with a Pokémon! It has purifying power. You can do better than that.”

“…At least three kinds. I’ll trade other stuff for more.”

“Ugh, fine! Deal!”

Fana caved. After a little thinking, she realized she wasn’t being ripped off too badly.

Hikaru obtained:

Kasib Berry: enhances flavor in sauces

Tanga Berry: spicy-sweet-bitter combo

Aguav Berry: great with salads

Two of each.

Salt wasn’t that special—it was the power it held that made it unique. Flavor-wise? Probably the same.

Just as Hikaru was about to hand over the golden acorn and take the remaining two types of Berries, he spotted something even stranger.

“Huh? What’s this?”

Hikaru’s eyes locked onto an unusual ingredient.

[Item (Ingredient): Mimic Herb!]

[Description: A strange-looking herb that gives off a bizarre aroma. A Pokémon holding this item can mimic an opponent’s stat boost once to raise its own stats accordingly.]

[Effect: Activates when an opponent raises a stat. Consumed after use. Outside battle, it can be used to mimic egg moves from other Pokémon the user could learn.]

[Bonus: As a food ingredient, it mimics the taste of vegetables it grows alongside. If cultivated with a specific plant, it copies that plant’s flavor.]

Hikaru pretended not to recognize it. “This herb looks odd. Where’d you find it?”

“Oh that? Some kind of mutated Marsh Herb, I think. It tastes the same though.”

“But! It’s unique looking, so it’s gotta be worth—”

Before she could finish, Hikaru handed her a golden acorn.

“Yay! Score! If I cultivate it right, it might gain a new flavor! It could be a whole new variety! Charging you one gold acorn isn’t too bad, right?”

“You’re wrong,” Hikaru said. “I want one more Berry too. That’s a golden acorn. Ever seen one before? Most people haven’t. If you give it to a Pokémon, it makes them happy and can even help make friends.”

“Eh?!”

“…Fine! Just one more. It does sound rare…”

Hikaru’s eyes went to the bottom of the box.

Beyond the Mimic Herb, there was an even stranger item. It looked like a sunflower seed, lying buried beneath the others. Hikaru could hardly believe it was real.

[Item (Ingredient): Mizzle Berry!]

[Description: The true appearance of this Berry is unknown. It contains the power of stars and looks like a sunflower seed. You can only learn its flavor by eating it.]

[Effect: Used to craft Bonfa. When ground into powder, it can be used in medicine. When held, restores HP when struck by a super-effective move.]

[Effect 2: If eaten by a Pokémon with celestial power, it enhances their stellar energy!]

(End of Chapter) For original chapters go to novelFɪre.net

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