"Hiss—"
Upon landing, Lance couldn't help but shiver.
"The temperature in Twin Dragons City is a bit low, has it dropped?"
Lance rubbed his hands together.
Whether it was Dragon-type or Flying-type Trainers, Lance was not particularly fond of cold weather.
In this regard, he's quite similar to Alice, who also comes from the Land of Dragons.
Of course, just because they dislike it doesn't mean they can't adapt.
"Yes."
Natsuhiko responded.
He looked westward, furrowing his brow slightly.
When he left earlier, the temperature in Twin Dragons City wasn't this low.
Dragonite quietly moved closer to Charizard.
Even being as strong as it was, it wasn't particularly fond of the temperature in Twin Dragons City.
"Roar?"
Charizard glanced at Dragonite and Lance, quietly increasing the flame on its tail, making them feel a little more comfortable.
"Mission completed; you're not leaving?" Natsuhiko realized.
Lance was quite straightforward.
"The planned mission time was a week; who knew it would end so quickly? The remaining time can be spent freely."
Natsuhiko shrugged.
Alright then.
All the same.
"By the way, Natsuhiko, there's still some time left, how about a match? We didn't get to have one last time." Lance looked at the sky, asking with some excitement.
"No way."
Natsuhiko rolled his eyes in exasperation.
What he feared most about Lance was his constant request for battles.
The other things Lance brought along seemed less troublesome in comparison.
Lance was already used to being rejected by Natsuhiko.
"Alright." He quickly added, "Then can I at least ask for a meal since I'm hungry?"
Natsuhiko's cooking was quite tasty, a fact recognized in their circle.
He sighed quietly.
"Hungry..."
Meanwhile, the Genesect cautiously gathered together after landing, warily eyeing the skyscrapers not far away, indicating they were also hungry.
"Alright."
For Natsuhiko, dinner for just two people plus Pokémon wouldn't take much time.
In the living room.
Lance, disregarding his status, gobbled down his food, while Natsuhiko, eyeing the waning rice in the pot, also sped up.
It had become an unspoken battlefield.
Natsuhiko's big appetite was well-known, but apparently Lance was particularly famished today.
After dinner.
Looking at the empty pot and completely empty plates.
"I say, you're supposed to be the face of the younger generation of the Dragon Taming Race, could you at least pay attention to your image?"
"If I have to worry about my image while eating with my best friend, life is too tiring."
Lance nearly collapsed into the chair.
That's true enough, but in this state...
Saying he would be the future Elite Four of the Kanto Region or the Champion Dragon Master Lance of the Johto Region, not many would believe it.
"Alright, then please don't bother with your image and go wash the dishes," Natsuhiko said.
"Rock-paper-scissors." Lance immediately sat up straight.
"Are you a three-year-old child?"
Although he was teasing, seeing Lance already getting into stance, Natsuhiko's body was ever so honest.
"Best-of-three!"
Lance looked at his opened palm and Natsuhiko's scissors, trying hard to make a comeback.
"Get lost!"
Eventually.
Lance obediently went to wash the dishes.
Natsuhiko opened his computer and started drafting his paper.
"Beauty" was something that, with the "Affinity" topic as a reference, wasn't too hard to write.
When Natsuhiko recorded Feebas evolving into Milotic, he had already collected some data, now he just needed to write the paper based on these data.
The specific values weren't easy to test.
But using Tree Fruits like the "Jade Maize Fruit" and "Coconut Fruit," which increase beauty, as test items, and combining them with the evolution point of Feebas to reverse calculate using precise values, was feasible.
"Eevee~~"
Having finished eating the Energy Block, Eevee trotted over to Natsuhiko and snuggled into his lap.
Its four paws kneaded his leg for a while like it was making dough.
The soft pads acted like little massagers.
Once thoroughly kneaded to a comfy softness, it contentedly curled up on Natsuhiko's lap.
"Eevee~~"
It let out a soft yawn.
"Ow~~"
Seeing the spot taken by Little Six-tailed, it didn't insist but curled up beside Natsuhiko's hand.
Its tail gently swayed.
The soft fur brushed against his palm, and on this cold night, it didn't seem chilly at all.
"This is an Alola Region Vulpix, so there really are Ice-type Vulpix."
Having washed the dishes, Lance looked at the Vulpix dozing comfortably on the table, smacking his lips.
He's quite relieved that Kona hasn't focused on these Ice-type Pokémon yet.
Just thinking of Kona gives Lance a headache.
That "Dragon Slayer Shell" really annoyed him last time.
Previously, he just felt a bit uncomfortable going all out against Kona, but with the "Dragon Slayer Shell," if he didn't get serious, he'd really lose.
Gradually, their relationship became somewhat intense.
Natsuhiko lifted his head, his gaze passing over the computer screen.
If Lance knew that the Alola Six-tailed was not only Ice-type but also Fairy-type, who knows what his reaction would be.
"The Alola Region is opening soon, you better hope Kona doesn't encounter it, or... tsk tsk."
Natsuhiko's expression was inevitably gleeful.