Back in the room.
Everyone was chatting and laughing.
Hoopa curiously looked behind Baimu and asked, "Xiaobai, where are those people?"
"They're off work."
He casually replied, smiling as he changed the topic, "Hoopa~ do you want something delicious?"
Upon hearing about food, Hoopa instantly forgot about the Rocket Team trio, eyes shining brightly, "Yes, yes! Let's go eat donuts!"
"I never said anything about donuts."
Baimu shook his head decisively; this guy has a donut obsession, no matter how many good things he eats, he always thinks donuts are the best.
He said loudly to everyone, "Folks, it's getting late. How about we find a restaurant to eat and chat?"
As soon as he said this, Ash Ketchum and Pikachu's stomachs let out a thunderous growl.
The two scratched their heads simultaneously, apologetically saying, "Sorry, after a battle we always get hungry really fast, haha..."
"Pika~"
"Hahaha!"
The group laughed kindly, then followed Baimu's suggestion to head to the main store of [Golduck's Smile].
Exiting the room.
Hitron slowed his steps slightly, asking quietly and worriedly, "I remember that restaurant needs to be booked in advance, right?"
"I booked it a few days ago, and it's all reserved. I booked under the pretense of a celebration dinner for the Lumiose Conference champion." Baimu looked at Hitron's incredulous expression and replied with a light laugh.
A few days ago?
Wasn't the conference just starting back then?
Is Baimu too confident in Ash Ketchum?
Hitron couldn't help but ask himself if he could trust Ash's skills to such an extent. After pondering, he looked back at Baimu with admiration in his eyes.
To trust a friend so much is indeed quite remarkable!
Elsewhere.
Baimu recalled the Dragapult that had finished surveillance. The Rocket Team trio turned out exactly as he thought—they're geniuses at acting, but terrible planners.
After being warned not to tell Giovanni, they really didn't consult him at all.
Is the Rocket Team trio not loyal enough?
No.
They just happen to be dumb.
The Rocket Team trio has its own peculiar logic, and this is evident from making their own white Rocket Team uniforms and chasing a single Pikachu across so many regions.
"Even being dumb has its perks."
Baimu smiled, patting Dragapult on the head, "Thanks for your hard work."
Dragapult: "?"
Is the trainer calling me dumb? He should be referring to those two people and those two Pokémon.
With some doubts, it returned to its Pokeball.
——
The main store of [Golduck's Smile].
Located in the first half of Winter Avenue in Lumiose City.
This place is home to many of Carlos's most renowned three-star restaurants, thus earning the nickname "Gourmet Avenue."
To survive here, one either needs a long history beloved by locals or a few legendary dishes that conquer gourmets' palates.
Without a doubt, Golduck's Smile is the latter.
The owner and head chef Lokomoko's shining dishes captivated many gourmets' tastes upon their release, and some enthusiasts even dubbed them "divine delicacies," leading to tremendous success in a short time.
The main store he serves as chef still has all reservations fully booked to this day.
The reason Baimu was able to book the place was mainly by using the title of the conference champion—"Ash Ketchum"—to make the reservation.
Though by then Ash hadn't won yet, Lokomoko, having once competed in the League Conference and aimed to challenge the Four Heavenly Kings Siebold, found this bold-talking guest intriguing.
He even waited specially at the door.
"Hahaha, so you're the one who booked, Ash? I thought you were just a boastful little ghost, but you actually won the championship!" A handsome young man with shoulder-length brown hair and a styled stubble laughed heartily, patting Ash heavily on the shoulder.
"Huh? But I…"
"Pika?"
Ash and Pikachu turned to look at their friends, highly certain they hadn't communicated with the other party.
Baimu quickly stepped forward, raising a hand, "Sorry, I'm the one who made the reservation, Mr. Lokomoko. I apologize for using my companion's name."
"You?"
Lokomoko looked him up and down, his peripheral sight catching Hoopa playing with Youx Lijia, suddenly saying, "Have you tasted my cooking before?"
The latter nodded: "Yes, just last month."
"Hahaha, no wonder you seemed familiar, but it's not right to randomly use someone else's name for a reservation…"
Lokomoko's gaze flitted among the varying expressions of the crowd, suddenly smiling, "How about this, little brother, I planned to have an intense battle with the champion, but since Ash isn't the one who booked, let you stand in!"
"A one-on-one match; winner takes all. If you win, I'll use all my skills to serve you and waive the fee, but if you lose, then sorry, you'll have to find another restaurant."
Lumiose City's Winter Avenue.
Also known as [Battle Avenue].
Consumers there can have Pokémon battles with the restaurant owner for a discount.
Ash, hearing Lokomoko's words, got excited immediately, turning instinctively to look at Sarina next to Xiaoguang, only to find the latter had just turned to look at him as well.
The two said in unison, "Lakefront Hotel Seven-star Restaurant!"
The others showed puzzled expressions, Xiaogang explained with a smile, "There's a restaurant by Lake Verity in the Sinnoh Region that requires a double battle victory for diners to enter."
Double battle?
Sarina, hearing this, looked at the eager Ash, seeing the look of wanting to participate on his face, strangely felt relieved yet a bit sorrowful.