Haruki proactively put down his backpack and pulled out his cookware to prepare a meal.
He then turned to the Hoppip that was once again about to float away.
"I apologize for my earlier rudeness. Stay and have a meal with us, think of it as my apology."
'No matter what, first he had to get it to stay,' Haruki thought silently.
Hoppip hesitated, wanting to refuse.
But then, the usually silent Marowak spoke up.
"Maro~ Maro~ [This guy's cooking is amazing. You should stay and try it.]"
"Bel!"
Beldum didn't care about the situation. At the mention of food, it immediately began swaying happily… even though it had stuffed itself just that morning.
"Beldum, if you can persuade Hoppip to stay, I'll add a chicken drumstick to your meal," Haruki whispered.
"Bel!"
Beldum got excited. Why didn't he say so earlier?
It had been quietly debating whether letting Hoppip join the team would mean more competition for food.
Especially after witnessing Hoppip's performance in battle… it had left even reckless Beldum feeling a bit intimidated.
Strong... and dirty fighting!
Task in hand, Beldum immediately zipped over to Hoppip, nudging it gently toward the dining area.
Hoppip seemed a little embarrassed for interrupting earlier and, half-reluctantly, half-willingly, floated down and settled in.
Haruki shot Beldum a thumbs-up, then got busy cooking.
Considering Hoppip's taste, Haruki prepared lighter dishes, but the abundance of food still caught everyone's attention.
---
Half an hour later, one Trainer and three Pokémon sat side by side, waiting for Haruki's signal.
"Alright then, let's eat!"
"Maro~"
"Bel!"
"...Hop?"
Hoppip imitated Marowak and Beldum, blending in quickly.
And so, the feast began.
Among the dishes, a salad made with eight types of Berries became Hoppip's favorite.
Luckily, that was one dish Beldum didn't particularly like.
Now Beldum truly welcomed Hoppip into the team.
After a satisfying meal, Marowak and Beldum collapsed nearby.
Haruki, their trainer -and caretaker-, dutifully cleaned up.
What else could he do? Marowak had strong arms but hated water, and Beldum didn't even have hands.
As for Hoppip... Hoppip tried to help, but its tiny leaf-like hands were basically useless at this stage.
And so, three Pokémon happily lay around doing nothing.
Haruki, the pitiful one: (:зゝ∠)
Finishing the cleaning as quickly as possible, Haruki promptly flopped down next to them. He hadn't forgotten his real goal.
"Hoppip, becoming my partner wouldn't be so bad, right?"
Hoppip lay there silently. After a long while, it finally floated back into the air.
Haruki immediately sat up, eyes locked on Hoppip.
With headstrong fighters like Beldum, direct battle and capture worked best. But with emotionally sensitive Pokémon like Hoppip, forcing a capture would only backfire.
More importantly, given the strength Hoppip had shown so far, Haruki knew he couldn't force it to stay even if he wanted to.
It wasn't about winning or losing, Hoppip's mobility was too high. If it truly wanted to escape, even after capture, a single gust of wind would help it flee easily.
Haruki had already done everything he could.
If Hoppip still refused to open its heart for an honest conversation, then their paths simply weren't meant to cross.
"Hop~"
Fortunately, Hoppip finally moved.
It began spinning its jagged-edged leaves, scattering sparkling pink dust into the air.
But before the dust could form a gust, it all drifted away.
Aside from looking pretty, the powder had no effect.
Hoppip wasn't done. After gathering strength, it opened its mouth and fired a dozen seeds shimmering with green light.
But the seeds lost momentum midair and dropped weakly to the ground.
Haruki racked his brain and managed to guess, "That was Fairy Wind... and Bullet Seed?"
Hoppip looked at Haruki, nodded, then shook its head.
"Hop~ Hop~"
It was trying to explain something, but Haruki hadn't caught on yet.
Meanwhile, Marowak and Beldum, who had been lying lazily nearby, suddenly snapped upright, looking at Hoppip in shock.
"Maro?"
"Bel Bel?"
Hoppip's expression turned awkward, but after a moment of hesitation, it closed its eyes and nodded.
At that moment, Haruki finally understood.
This Hoppip probably didn't know how to use any move that could directly deal damage.
In short, it couldn't attack!
Thinking back on the battle against Staravia, it made sense now why Hoppip had relied on Poison Powder so heavily; it had no other way to harm its opponent.
Leech Seed too, it only drained health indirectly.
And all its remaining moves were purely support or recover moves.
Thus, Haruki realized something else.
It was very likely that Hoppip had been abandoned by its previous Trainer because it couldn't learn offensive moves.
Understanding all this, Haruki lowered his head and forced down every trace of pity, regret, and sorrow.
When he lifted his head again, his eyes were filled only with admiration and respect.
"Hoppip, you're incredible! Become my partner. Let's show everyone just how strong you really are!"
"Hop! Hop!"
Hoppip cried out anxiously, trying to explain something.
"I know. It's just that you can't use offensive moves, right?"
"Hop..."
Hoppip froze. If he knew... why would he still want it?
"I see a Hoppip that outmaneuvered a Staravia, a natural predator.
I see a Hoppip that can use dual moves and has incredible battle instincts.
I see a Hoppip that inherited Grassy Terrain and Aromatherapy, an elite-level support Pokémon."
Haruki paused and continued:
"And I also see a Hoppip with the heart of a warrior… one who would stand up to protect its companions!
So please…
join our team!"
"Maro!"
"Bel!"
---
Clink!
The button on the Poké Ball stopped flashing.This time, Hoppip chose to believe.
Haruki picked up the Poké Ball, and with a smile, released Hoppip once again.
"Let's introduce ourselves. I'm Haruki, and this is Marowak and Beldum! We'll be relying on each other from now on, Hoppip!"
"Hop~"
Hoppip happily responded.
Then, the next second, a dazzling blue light burst forth, completely enveloping Hoppip.
Haruki took two steps back, watching in delighted surprise as Hoppip began to evolve.
Perhaps it was the first time it had ever been affirmed so openly.
Perhaps it was the heart's long-held burdens finally being released.
At that moment, Hoppip's long-suppressed evolution finally erupted forth.
Thus, the transformation began!
When the brilliant blue light faded, the pink Hoppip was no longer there. In its place stood a round, chubby Skiploom.
Sensing Skiploom's strength, Haruki's excitement surged even higher.
Mid Veteran…
Even higher than Marowak!