The streets of Mauville City in the early morning were far from as crowded as they were in the afternoon; the air was permeated with the fresh scent of greenery, and the city was like an Electric-type Pokémon that had just awakened, accumulating vitality for the day.
Walking all the way toward the Food Court, the flow of people gradually became denser.
On both sides of the road, various shops had already opened for business, and brightly dressed Trainers were leading their Pokémon with confident smiles on their faces.
Their Pokémon all had glossy fur and were full of energy, clearly having been meticulously raised.
Ariel's gaze swept over them, his heart completely unmoved.
This was the prosperity under the League's rule—a prosperity built upon a high monopoly of resources.
The price an ordinary person had to pay to become an outstanding Trainer was far beyond imagination.
It was precisely because of this that Team Rockets could continuously grow in the shadows, as it gave those shut out by the League a chance to stand out through different means.
The closer he got to the Food Court, the more complex the smells in the air became.
The charred aroma of grilled meat, the milky scent of desserts, the salty fragrance of seafood, and the spicy tang of various secret sauces—countless odors intertwined, forming a torrent that stimulated the appetite and crudely assaulted the senses of passersby.
"Gurgle."
A protest came from his stomach.
Only then did Ariel remember that he hadn't eaten breakfast yet.
He walked into the bustling Food Court, which was simply a heaven for foodies.
Stalls were lined up one after another, the owners calling out enthusiastically, and the Pokémon beside them were their best helpers.
A Machoke used its four hands to flip skewers simultaneously, a Magmar precisely controlled the flame's temperature, and a Steenee was using her nimble toes to slice berries into exquisite thin pieces.
Ariel's gaze stopped in front of a stall.
A sign hanging on the stall read "Signature Farfetch'd Wraps." A Farfetch'd wearing a chef's hat stood proudly next to the owner, holding a leek stalk like a knight's sword.
"Boss, I'll take one Farfetch'd wrap."
"Coming right up!"
The owner deftly spread out the flatbread, brushed on the sauce, and laid down the sizzling roasted duck meat and fresh vegetables. Finally, the Farfetch'd itself stepped up, lightly tapping the wrap with the cut end of its leek stalk, and a unique spicy aroma instantly infused into it.
Ariel took the wrap and then selected food for each of his Pokémon at the neighboring stalls.
For Sandile, it was a portion of firm-fleshed steamed Magikarp; for Inkay, a portion of aromatic pudding emitting a strange fragrance; and Sneasel received a portion of cool and refreshing shaved ice snow cakes.
Finding a corner seat, Ariel took a bite of the wrap in his hand.
The flatbread was chewy, the duck meat was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the sauce was perfectly sweet and salty. The best part was the final touch from the leek stalk; a clear, sharp spiciness instantly exploded in his mouth, perfectly neutralizing the greasiness of the roasted meat and elevating the flavor of the entire wrap to another level.
"The taste is indeed not bad," Ariel thought to himself.
With the ingredients of the Pokémon world combined with unique cooking methods, the flavor was far beyond anything from his previous life.
However, the price was also quite impressive.
This single wrap alone cost him three thousand league coins.
Adding in the food he bought for his Pokémon, the cost of this breakfast was already equivalent to two months' salary for an ordinary office worker.
He looked around; most of the people who could afford to consume here were dressed extraordinarily, and their speech carried a sense of superiority.
"Prosperity is prosperity, but this kind of prosperity, in the end, has nothing to do with ordinary people." Ariel's thoughts drifted.
The League firmly controlled core resources such as Pokémon breeding, skill learning, and rare items. Even if a child from an ordinary family had talent, it would be difficult for them to go very far without family support.
Becoming a Trainer was already a luxury, and wanting to stand out was as difficult as reaching the heavens.
Just then, a voice full of disdain and mockery sounded nearby.
"Oh? Isn't this that guy? You actually still dare to stay in Mauville City?"
Ariel frowned slightly; the voice sounded somewhat familiar.
He turned his head, and a familiar face came into view.
With eye-catching yellow hair and an arrogant, overbearing expression, it was the young master of the Fumino Family he had met once before, Fumino Alec.
He hadn't expected to run into him again here today.
Fumino Alec had his hands in his pockets and his chin held high, glancing at the food on Ariel's table with the look one would give a country bumpkin, letting out a sneer.
"What? You can only afford this kind of roadside stall? Figures, a hick like you probably doesn't even know the name of my family's signature delicacy, right?"
He puffed out his chest with a smug look. "Let me tell you, my Fumino Family's electric three delicacies noodles is a favorite to win this Food Festival! That taste, those ingredients, are things someone like you couldn't imagine in a lifetime!"
Ariel looked at him expressionlessly, as if watching a clown.
He didn't even bother to speak.
Arguing with such a fool would only lower his own standards.
However, in Fumino Alec's eyes, Ariel's silence was a sign of cowardice and fear.
He got even more excited, stepping closer and lowering his voice, his tone full of malicious threats.
"Kid, I advise you to kneel down and kowtow to me right now, then immediately get out of Mauville City. Otherwise, when today's Food Festival is over, I'll tell my family. Guess what will happen then?"
A cruel smile appeared on Fumino Alec's face. "You'll just disappear without a sound, and eventually turn up in some street corner trash can, chewed into a pile of unrecognizable meat by a pack of Rattata!"
Hearing these words, Ariel's gaze turned cold.
A flash of icy killing intent flickered in the depths of his heart.
Beside him, Sandile and Sneasel were already staring fixedly at Fumino Alec. With just one command from Ariel, the two pokémon could tear him to shreds in an instant.
He really wanted to snap this guy's neck right now.
A waste raised in the greenhouse of his family dared to shout about life and death in front of him?
But reason told him no.
This was the Food Court, with many eyes and ears, and Officer Jennys and League agents were everywhere.
Once he made a move, regardless of the outcome, it would bring huge trouble and might even affect Team Rockets' entire plan.
It wasn't worth it for a piece of trash.
Instead, the corner of Ariel's mouth curled up into a barely perceptible arc.
He didn't want to dirty his own hands, but that didn't mean he had no way to deal with this nuisance.
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and looked at Fumino Alec with a calm gaze, as if looking at a dead man.
"Finished talking?"
Fumino Alec was stunned by Ariel's calm reaction, then became humiliated and angry. "What do you mean? Are you looking for death!"
"I didn't mean anything else," Ariel said faintly. "I just think you're very noisy."
He silently gave an instruction to the Inkay beside him.
Inkay, who was enjoying the aromatic pudding, had the light organs on its head flicker once. A Psywave so weak it was almost undetectable instantly enveloped the Fumino Alec, who was on the verge of exploding with rage.
The expression on Fumino Alec's face instantly froze.
His gaze became dull, like a puppet that had lost its soul.
Ariel watched him silently, sneering in his heart.
Inkay's use of Hypnosis was very good.
But this kind of Hypnosis depended on the strength of the opponent's mental power—in short, whether their will was strong.
This was the first time Ariel had seen someone hypnotized so smoothly.
"Go, find that most beautiful big sister in the blue uniform, tell her you think her Growlithe looks very unique, and then give her a warm hug." Ariel gave the second instruction to Inkay.
Under the control of the mental command, Fumino Alec stiffly turned around and walked with mechanical steps toward an Officer Jenny who was patrolling nearby.
The people around all noticed this yellow-haired guy with strange behavior and cast curious glances.
Ariel, acting as if nothing was wrong, leisurely finished the rest of his wrap and cleaned up the Pokémon's plates while he was at it.
Fumino Alec walked straight up to the valiant Officer Jenny, a smile more painful than crying squeezed onto his face.
"Your Growlithe... looks... very unique..."
Officer Jenny paused for a moment, her professional alertness making her frown. "Sir, is there something I can help you with?"
Just then, driven by the final step of the hypnotic command, Fumino Alec suddenly raised his foot and kicked hard at Officer Jenny's calf!
"Thump!"
A muffled sound.
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