Chapter 364: An Abra for Potts, and an Early Morning Arrival
But the sound... that high-pitched, electric squeak was enough to make Lucifer's heart leap with excitement. A sound like that could only mean one thing.
Pikachu's arrival meant Ash was here. And if Ash was here, it meant the door to the Pokémon world was finally open to her.
Pepper Potts, however, was simply stunned. Her head snapped up from the menu, her expression a mask of confusion. What on earth was that sound?
The next moment, a flash of brilliant yellow bounded into the restaurant. A small, rodent-like creature with long, black-tipped ears and two perfect red circles on its cheeks surveyed the room with curious black eyes.
Potts's own eyes lit up, her professional composure melting away in an instant.
Oh, my goodness, she thought, completely captivated. It's adorable!
If she had a creature like that, she'd never need to buy another pet or toy again. It was a perfect fusion of both.
Pikachu, meanwhile, seemed to notice the changes in the restaurant's layout, tilting its head and scratching behind its ear in confusion. The place felt familiar, yet strangely different. It was only when its eyes landed on Lucifer that it seemed to confirm it hadn't made a mistake. A tiny, three-fingered paw waved in a cheerful greeting.
The simple gesture solidified Lucifer's resolve. She absolutely had to find a couple of Pokémon for herself. These little creatures were just too precious.
Before Lucifer could call out, the restaurant door swung open again. A young man in a blue jacket and a distinctive red and white cap rushed in, panting for breath. The door chimed softly as it closed behind him.
Lucifer looked him over. He was carrying a large backpack and looked utterly spent. "Ash, what's wrong?" she asked, a hint of concern in her voice. "You look like you're about to collapse."
Without a word, Ash dragged a nearby chair over and unceremoniously dropped into it, his backpack sliding to the floor with a heavy thud. He let out a long, drawn-out sigh of relief. "Because... it was really... really difficult," he managed between breaths, before his eyes widened as he took in his surroundings. "Wow! Mr. Ren, your restaurant has gotten so beautiful!"
"Ash... Xiao..." Potts began, trailing off as the pieces clicked into place. "Ah! You're the Ash that Tony was talking about! Which means..." Her gaze shifted to the yellow creature now perched on the table. "You must be Pikachu?"
Hearing his name, Ash's exhausted face broke into a wide, friendly smile. "That's right! I'm Ash from Pallet Town, and this is my partner, Pikachu! Miss, are you a friend of Mr. Tony's?"
Potts hesitated for a fraction of a second, considering her complex relationship with Tony.
Lucifer, however, chimed in with a knowing smile. "Ash, you could say Potts is the closest person to Tony there is."
A look of sudden understanding dawned on Ash's face. "Oh! Hello, Miss Potts!"
"Mm, hello! You..."
Before Potts could finish, Ash heaved his backpack onto the table. He unzipped the main compartment and began carefully setting out an assortment of items: neatly rolled bandages, small spray bottles filled with colorful liquids, and several blister packs of pills that Potts didn't recognize.
While rummaging for something specific, he grinned. "It's great that you're here, Miss Potts. This saves me the trouble of having to bother Mr. Ren. The reason I rushed over today is because I finally managed to fulfill Mr. Tony's wish!"
"Pika-pi!" Pikachu chirped in agreement.
Potts's breath caught. A hopeful smile spread across her face. "Ah! You mean... Abra!"
Ash nodded, finally pulling out an iconic red-and-white Poké Ball. He didn't activate it, however. Instead, he handed the sphere to Potts, along with the medical supplies.
Potts accepted them, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong? Why not just summon it?"
"Abra can teleport, which makes it almost impossible to catch," Ash explained with a patient smile. "But today, Pikachu stumbled upon something unusual. He led me to a spot where we found an Abra that seemed to be injured. It was running a high fever, and I think that's why it couldn't teleport away. I managed to get it to a Pokémon Center for treatment while it was delirious."
Potts nodded, processing the information. "So... why can't it be summoned right now?"
Ash chuckled. "Not just yet. It needs about another hour—an hour in my world's time. The doctors gave it some medicine, and it's sleeping soundly. Before it drifted off, it indicated that it wanted to come with me. But I had Pikachu explain that it would have a much better owner and a wonderful life here. It agreed to meet them after it wakes up from its nap."
A warm, grateful smile bloomed on Potts's face. "So we just have to wait a little while for the medicine to wear off before we can summon it? And these are the medications it will need? Ash, you've really gone to so much trouble. Thank you, on Tony's behalf."
"It's nothing!" Ash said, waving it off. "Mr. Tony is a friend, and I know he can give Pokémon a better life. If he were planning to use them for some kind of dangerous experiment, I would never have helped. But since it's to help more people, I'm more than willing. Besides, this little one seems to have been completely lost..."
Potts nodded, her heart touched by the young man's sincerity.
Ren's cooking wasn't instantaneous, which gave them the time they needed. In the interim, he prepared the hamburger Ash had been craving and a fresh batch of cookies for Pikachu.
Just as the aroma of the main dishes began to fill the air, Ash glanced at his watch and nodded decisively. "It's time, Miss Potts!"
With a nod of her own, Potts followed Ash's instructions and released the Pokémon. A beam of light shot from the Poké Ball, materializing into a small, yellow, fox-like creature with a brown patch on its torso. It was curled up, fast asleep. A moment later, its eyes fluttered open.
The Abra looked around, disoriented. Its body tensed, ready to teleport away in a flash, but then it heard a series of gentle chirps.
Pikachu had hopped closer, speaking to the Abra in a string of soft 'pikas'and'chus'. It said a great deal, its tone reassuring, before offering the newcomer one of its cookies. The Abra cautiously accepted the treat and nibbled on it. Once it was finished, it turned its head and stared intently at Potts.
After tilting its head and observing her for a long moment, it vanished in a faint shimmer and reappeared right beside her, gently hugging her leg.
Ash smiled. "This Abra is a female. It seems she has some trauma from her past, which is why she's a bit clingy."
Potts gently stroked the Abra's head, a wave of affection washing over her. "She really is cute," she murmured. "Mr. Ren! Can I..."
Before she could finish her request, Ren emerged from the kitchen carrying several plates. "The moment I saw Ash, I figured he'd caught the Abra," he said with a warm smile. "Her portion is ready, too."
After Potts expressed her thanks, she noticed the little creature on her leg had gone completely still again. She looked at Ash, puzzled.
"Mr. Tony probably already knows this," Ash explained, "but before Abra evolves into Kadabra, it sleeps for about eighteen hours a day. She's probably just fallen asleep again. It's best to recall her for now."
Potts nodded. After returning the sleeping Abra to its Poké Ball, she quickly paid for the meal. Juggling the take-out containers, the pile of medicines, and the precious Poké Ball, she left in a hurry, eager to get back to Tony.
Ash didn't linger either. He mentioned he had a Gym challenge the next day and had to prepare. He promised to bring his companions along the next time he came to compete.
Most, before he left, he officially granted them access to the Pokémon world. The moment the door closed behind him, Lucifer let out a squeal of pure joy and launched herself at Ren, wrapping him in a tight hug.
Ren chuckled, steadying her. "Someone's excited," he said, looking down at her beaming face. "Let me guess, you'll be heading to the Pokémon world tomorrow?"
"Mhm! I'm going to go scout it out first," she said, her voice buzzing with energy. "I can go anytime I want in the future, so there's no rush to catch anything right away. I can wait for Yuko to come, and we can go together! Aren't you going to the Glory Boxing Gym with Kaolan tomorrow anyway?"
"Mm, that's the plan," Ren confirmed. "I admit, I'm a little curious to see how that gym trains its fighters."
"I'll come find you later then!"
"In that case, just bring the two of us along."
The new voice, calm and feminine, made Lucifer startle. Ren, however, merely chuckled, his gaze shifting towards the entrance. "Shion," he said, his tone laced with amusement. "You really did drag Akemi here at the crack of dawn."
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