After successfully roping in the Galarian Meowth, the cat and dog didn't linger long at the Cat's Nest.
Taking advantage of the early hour, they brought this somewhat simple-minded cat along and headed towards the school.
Many Meowth followed them partway, as if seeing them off for a long journey, only reluctantly stopping their pace near the boundary between the school and the mountain.
"If it experiences any discomfort, you must bring it back as soon as possible." Perrserker said seriously to Incineroar.
"I know." Incineroar replied with a hint of helplessness. This group leader really had no poise, acting like a nagging little old man.
No wonder the Iron Cats Gang had always been suppressed by the Savage Hounds Gang. Just be a bit more domineering and decisive! It's already the leader of the cats.
Incineroar really didn't know what else to say.
They agreed to bring the cat back to the arena in the evening.
The three leaders crossed the wire fence with the Galarian Meowth and headed towards the villa district. A bunch of Meowth watched longingly from the other side of the fence. The holes were large enough, but not a single one crossed over.
For these Pokémon, Mist City University was a forbidden place best avoided, not out of fear, but because it was troublesome. A large group of Pokémon wandering around campus would easily get reported.
Only when the backs of the three could no longer be seen did these Meowth finally leave.
Absol patted the worried Perrserker on the shoulder.
On the other side, the deep in thought Lucario was interrupted by Incineroar.
"You're not thinking of giving up, are you?" Incineroar glared at the dog, with an expression that said, "How could you just give up like that?"
"Well..." Lucario scratched its cheek, looking at the Galarian Meowth following behind, seemingly unaware of anything.
Indeed, as Incineroar had said, Lucario felt a slight twinge of regret. A Pokémon that couldn't communicate much with its trainer wasn't worth much in terms of development. Perhaps its individual combat ability was high, but a battle was never just about the Pokémon alone.
Greninja appeared quietly, whispering slyly, "You almost ended the Li family line back then, and Li Xiang never gave up on you."
"Ah! We agreed never to mention that!" Lucario instantly became enraged, turning and throwing a punch, but missed.
"It's the truth!" Greninja left those words and vanished again.
Humans have many blemishes in their lives, and so do dogs. Among the various blemishes in Lucario's life so far, the one that stung the most was the fact that it had almost ended the single-child Li family line. It was deeply ashamed of it.
Incineroar laughed loudly from the side, but in its heart, it knew that it too had once been a cause for worry. In fact, there was hardly a Pokémon on the team that hadn't caused trouble for Li Xiang at some point. Each had their own flaws, but through Li Xiang's efforts, some of these flaws were remedied, and others were concealed.
For an ordinary trainer, the Galarian Meowth might be a major headache. But as far as Incineroar was concerned, Li Xiang wouldn't see it as a problem at all. In fact, it might even be a plus.
Look at everyone else; their shortcomings eventually turned into strengths. What's a flaw? These are all talented fellows!
Although Incineroar had never tasted the Galarian Meowth's cooking, the fact that it dared to say "no" to its own grandfather was enough. A real man takes responsibility for his actions and makes his own decisions. How could it be right to always let the family decide for you? It's not a minor kitten anymore!
The group returned to the villa.
At home, only the slacker Pokémon left behind by Mewtwo and the three Pokémon training outside were there. Rotom and Li Xiang were absent; it seemed they had gone to class.
"Oh? You're back?" Metagross, who had been observing the battle between Aegislash and Corviknight, greeted the trio as soon as it noticed them. Then, it spotted the simple-minded Galarian Meowth following behind them.
When the Iron Simpleton met the other Iron Simpleton, one fake and one genuine, the two stared at each other for a long time. Then, naturally, they each looked away.
Metagross asked, "Who is this?"
"A great chef from the group, very interested in those fruits." Incineroar replied casually. "You guys continue. We're heading inside."
With that, it slid open the floor-to-ceiling window and walked in.
The Galarian Meowth's nose twitched slightly, and its eyes lit up. As if it had caught a scent, its scattered attention focused as it began searching for a target.
Without needing Incineroar or the others to guide it, this guy found the ingredients it wanted in the kitchen itself. It pulled a long scarf from under its chin, dexterously wrapped it around its forehead, and the dullness in its eyes completely vanished.
"Good water! Good fruit! Good ingredients! Excellent, excellent, excellent!" The Galarian Meowth excitedly held a head of cabbage, looking at it as if it were a work of natural art. Carefully, it pinched off a small piece with its claws and popped it into its mouth.
In an instant, the few Pokémon at the kitchen entrance felt as if a holy light had descended upon the Galarian Meowth.
"In this world, there are actually such delicious vegetables and fruits!!" Its eyes brimmed with tears of passion as it hugged the cabbage tightly, as if facing a beloved lover.
As a cat with exceptional culinary talent, the Galarian Meowth not only possessed a powerful sense of smell, but its sense of taste was also extremely acute. It could even taste the emotions embedded within the food.
Inside this cabbage was contained a vibrant, thriving sanctuary that had nurtured countless Pokémon. A place where the mountains were green, the waters were clear, the birds sang, and the flowers bloomed. The resources there must be extremely abundant; otherwise, it couldn't possibly produce raw materials of such high quality!
Holding the cabbage, the Galarian Meowth looked at the other ingredients and the well-equipped kitchen, inexplicably itching to get to work.
But just as it was about to fetch a stool and start doing something, Incineroar stepped forward to stop it. "I can give you a little bit of the ingredients, but don't bother cooking. This is our trainer's kitchen. Please don't mess with it."
This remark made Lucario and Greninja glance sideways. Since when did you ever care about Li Xiang's kitchen? What do you mean by saying that now?
Both were puzzled.
The Galarian Meowth also wiped the exaggerated smile off its face and frowned. "Isn't it okay to just borrow it?"
"Of course not! You're not even our family's Pokémon. How can you mess with it?" Incineroar said, crossing its arms.
The two other Pokémon simultaneously groaned inwardly. Your persuasion skills are way too poor! Putting aside the issue of politeness, such a clumsy provocation is just foolish! If this actually worked...
"Must I become your family's Pokémon to use this kitchen and these ingredients?" the Galarian Meowth asked quite seriously.
Lucario and Greninja were both taken aback.
"Mm, that's right. After all, these ingredients are quite precious; you can't even buy them outside." Incineroar showed a slightly ferocious smile, as if its prey had taken the bait.
"...Let me think about it." The Galarian Meowth pretended to be deep in thought.
Wait, does the aura indicate something is stirring? Is it actually tempted? Really? You actually fell for that!
Lucario looked at Greninja, who was completely dumbfounded, clearly thinking the same thing.
They had thought that once the Galarian Meowth transformed into a culinary cat, its intelligence would reclaim the high ground... They had overthought it. Way overthought it.
A simpleton is a simpleton; that doesn't change. An elementary school student wouldn't fall for this!
Lucario couldn't bear to watch any longer. Bullying such an "innocent" cat made it feel guilty. It decided to leave the matter to Incineroar and ran outside to train. Greninja followed.
Unable to contain its urge to complain, it planned to go outside and talk with the not-so-simple Iron Simpleton, to let intelligence reclaim the high ground.
Back in the kitchen, only the Galarian Meowth remained, tasting various ingredients with Incineroar's permission.
With each thing it tasted, its eyes grew a little brighter. By the end, its eyes were practically no different from a high-powered flashlight. Such delicious food, even without much processing, could make people want to swallow their own tongues!
The Galarian Meowth opened the refrigerator, completely ignoring the cold air inside, and searched for the next "prey." Suddenly, its nose twitched. It saw a plate on the top shelf.
"What's that?"
"That's the leftover sandwich from this morning... Lucario's snack." Incineroar clicked its tongue in disdain. Among the perfectly happy breakfast options, Lucario was the only one that didn't finish.
That pretentious shorty kept saying eating too much would make her fat. Fat, my foot! The amount you eat can't even keep up with the rate you burn it!
Besides, Li Xiang's meals are all portioned out! A few bites of this sandwich would be gone after a short run. She just wanted it as an afternoon snack, to eat it secretly when no one was around.
"Want a taste?" Incineroar raised an eyebrow. "It might taste slightly worse after being cold, but I guarantee it's absolutely delicious!"
The Galarian Meowth's interest was piqued. "Alright!"
The modest sandwich fell into its hands. Looking at its color, the freshness had faded after being chilled, making it look rather dull.
Smelling its aroma, there was a hint of plastic wrap, but the original ingredients were bold enough, still enticing even when cold. The Galarian Meowth couldn't resist taking a small bite.
"---!!!"
This! This is!
The Galarian Meowth savored the blend of bread, vegetables, fried egg, and sauce in its mouth. The proportions weren't well-adjusted; there was too much sauce.
The tomato juice had seeped into the bread, affecting the pure wheat flavor. The stored bread wasn't soft enough either.
But…. The Galarian Meowth tasted happiness in it.
The happiness of finally breaking free from a long-lost cage, like returning home!
The creator of this dish had infused all of their emotions into it! The pinnacle of a chef's skill, as seen in comics! An aphrodisiac! I've sprinkled an aphrodisiac in it!
It kept muttering to itself, even voicing its thoughts aloud, startling Incineroar. Had this cat gone crazy?
Suddenly, "Who made this sandwich!" the Galarian Meowth shouted excitedly, not out of reverence, but out of a rising competitive spirit.
It wanted to compete head-to-head in culinary skill with the creator of this dish. Just like those Pokémon on TV competing in the Chef Championship!
"It must have been made by our trainer. Who else could it be?" Incineroar looked at the Galarian Meowth with surprise, as if unable to fathom its train of thought.
"The trainer..." The Galarian Meowth was momentarily stunned, then recalled the young man whose scent had been so complex that day.
It was him! In just one short month, his cooking skill had advanced this much!?
Just then, the sound of a door unlocking came from outside.
"I'm back! Is anyone here to welcome me!" A familiar voice echoed throughout the villa.
The Galarian Meowth and Incineroar looked at each other. The former stuffed the remaining sandwich into its mouth and then rushed wildly towards the outside!