Roughly half an hour later, a curious scent began to waft through the Mystery Zone air—a rich, sizzling aroma of boiling broth, herbs, and meat that floated temptingly toward the underbrush.
The trio of fainted Pokémon—Oddish and the two Poochyena—twitched.
Sniff sniff…
"Oddish?" the plant mumbled groggily, its leaf-ears twitching.
"Rrrr?" one of the Poochyena whined, drool forming on the edge of its lip.
All three sat up at the same time, their noses twitching like tiny aroma-detecting radars. The heavenly smell had lured them out of unconsciousness like some kind of savory necromancy.
They blinked—and spotted David.
He was sitting comfortably at the edge of the camp, surrounded by bowls, chopsticks, and a massive pot bubbling on a portable burner. Next to him was Tom, who was crouched like a starving scavenger, already fishing noodles out of the pot with his bare chopsticks. Ralts sat beside David like a content little prince, nibbling on something green and suspicious.
The moment Oddish and the Poochyena locked eyes with David, they flinched as if hit by a Thunderbolt. In perfect terrified harmony, they clung to one another like traumatized survivors, slowly scooting backward toward the bushes.
[+30 negative emotion value from Poochyena...]
[+30 from Oddish...]
[+40 from Poochyena...]
[+40 from Oddish...]
David, hearing the familiar chime of emotion points being farmed, turned casually and spotted them trembling like damp puppies in the grass.
"Oh hey, you're up!" he grinned, waving a skewer of tofu at them.
His hand paused in mid-air, hovering over the hot pot.
Oddish and the Poochyena tried to run. They really did. But one painful step was all it took for their bandaged wounds to scream in protest. They yelped, sat back down in terror, and stared at David with eyes full of suspicion and cabbage-based trauma.
Just then, Luna strolled up, arms crossed, her brow furrowed.
"David, why do they all look like they've just come back from war? Did you scare them or something?"
David scratched the back of his head with a sheepish grin. "What? Me? Nah. I just saved them from their own bad life decisions and… maybe knocked them out a little. You know, justice and all that."
Luna arched an eyebrow. "Justice?"
David nodded solemnly. "Yeah. Pokémon-on-Pokémon crime. Very serious stuff."
Then he casually dipped a ladle into the pot, scooped out a mix of mushrooms, meat, and greens, and turned toward the recovering trio with the enthusiasm of a deranged chef.
"Come on, Oddish! I'm sorry for kicking your butt earlier. Have some cabbage! It's steamed to perfection!"
Oddish blinked.
David spun around to the Poochyena.
"And you two! Freshly blanched dog meat for you!"
There was a beat of stunned silence. The kind of silence that falls when someone says something so casually horrifying, your brain needs a moment to process it.
[+50 negative emotion value from Luna...]
[+30 from Poochyena...]
[+30 from Oddish...]
Luna stared, mouth slightly open. "…Did you just offer the Poochyena dog meat?"
David nodded proudly. "It's symbolic. Like, honoring the canine spirit or something."
"And cabbage to a plant Pokémon?"
"Fiber is important!" David protested.
Oddish looked on the verge of tears. One of the Poochyena turned and tried to dig a grave for itself with a stick.
At this point, Luna finally put the pieces together.
Ah. That's why they're terrified of him.
Meanwhile, Tom saw an opportunity.
While David was distracted trying to emotionally repair his reputation via misplaced cuisine, Tom began sneakily scooping out every delicious thing in the hot pot. Beef rolls? Gone. Meatballs? Vanished. Even the corn cob section? He slurped it like a vacuum cleaner.
By the time David turned back to refill his bowl, all he found were suspicious floating vegetables and sadness.
"Hey! Where's the beef rolls?!" he barked.
Tom sat with his cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk, looking up innocently.
"Don't know what you're talking about," he mumbled through a mouthful of meat.
David's face twisted. "I'll beat your Pokéballs into dust, Tom!"
"Self-defense," Tom declared, chewing faster.
— — —
Just like in the human world, there was plenty of good food in this Pokémon one. The only catch? Mystery Zones didn't grow normal plants, so all the hot pot ingredients had to be imported from outside. That meant vegetables were a luxury—and meat, even more so.
Of course, the Pokémon Alliance had strict laws about what was legal to eat.
Certain Pokémon like Farfetch'd had nearly gone extinct in the past because humans had the culinary sense of cavemen. The Alliance now strictly banned consuming Pokémon—especially intelligent or endangered species.
Some ingredients were exceptions though: Slowpoke tails, which grew back naturally, and Moomoo Milk, which was widely farmed and even sold in cute cartons. As long as it didn't kill or traumatize the Pokémon involved, the Alliance allowed "limited culinary exploitation."
David called it "sustainable snacking."
Everyone else called it "legally skating on thin ice."
Still, nothing in the current hot pot was illegal. Technically. Unless someone dug too deep into what exactly that "dog meat" was.
Oddish, looking pale for a plant, slumped back down on the grass. The Poochyena were silently swearing off cooked food forever.
***
While David and Tom were still in the middle of their chopstick duel over the last fish ball, a dark presence emerged from one of the nearby tents.
It was Ling Qi.
His face was gloomy, his eyes dull and lifeless—the expression of a man who had been spiritually wounded.
He stared at them from the tent entrance like a ghost who had once known joy.
And now, he knew only hunger.
What made it worse was that David and Tom weren't just eating—they were thriving. Surrounded by the savory steam of a bubbling hot pot, their cheeks full, their hands busy dunking meat slices and vegetables like life was perfect.
David even had the audacity to hum a little tune as he stirred.
Meanwhile, the rest of the adventure team, who had been surviving on dry military rations, watched from inside their tents in quiet agony. The kind of agony that came from seeing someone eat a juicy steak while you gnawed on a cold, sad protein bar that tasted like compressed regret.
Nobody dared come out.
Because they knew—the second they stepped out and saw that golden soup glistening in the firelight, they might not be able to stop themselves from committing a felony.
[+100 negative emotion value from Ling Qi…]
[+100 negative emotion value from Ling Qi…]
Ling Qi's eye twitched as he watched David dip another piece of marbled meat into the hot pot with the grace of a professional chef.
He swallowed his saliva with bitterness.
His voice finally broke the silence, dripping with a kind of polite rage. "The Pokémon around here are too weak. It's not good for training. Tomorrow, we'll head deeper into the Mystery Zone."
David, still chewing a mushroom, looked up, blinking.
"Huh? Uncle Ling, didn't you say we should hang around the outer area for a few days to get used to it?"
A visible hashtag-shaped vein popped up on Ling Qi's forehead. The corner of his mouth twitched.
Without another word, he turned around and zipped himself back into the tent like a man locking himself away from temptation.
Why doesn't this kid understand anything?
We've been eating dry crackers and jerky like desperate forest hermits while you sit out here having a Michelin-star meal? If we stay another day, I'm either going to steal your pot or lose my mind!
Inside his tent, Ling Qi sat in the darkness, chewing his ration bar like it had personally wronged him.
David, of course, remained blissfully unaware.
After polishing off the last of the broth, he turned his attention to Oddish and the Poochyena, who were now looking much healthier—and slightly less traumatized.
He gently removed their bandages and inspected their wounds. "Oh! You guys recovered fast, huh?"
Turns out, Mystery Zone energy had a healing effect on Pokémon. Injuries that would take days to heal in the real world were nearly gone in under an hour out here.
David gave a little whistle. "Dang, y'all bounce back faster than my GPA in second grade."
Oddish tilted its head, unsure what that meant but vaguely offended anyway.
Tom and Luna were also finishing up. After their meal, they started prepping food for their Pokémon.
Luna carefully pulled out a glossy, compartmentalized container from her bag and presented it to her Charmander with both hands like it was a sacred offering.
Inside?
An advanced energy cube—clean, multi-colored, and shaped like it came out of a five-star PokéBakery.
David's eyes widened.
"Whoa... that's the good stuff," he muttered, half-impressed, half-jealous. "That thing's worth like, what, thirty grand in Alliance coins? You could buy a secondhand bicycle and a bag of Pokébeans for that!"
Luna didn't reply. She just watched Charmander nibble on it happily, a faint smile on her face.
Tom, meanwhile, wasn't quite that dramatic. He fished out a different kind of cube and casually handed it to his Squirtle.
"Here ya go, buddy. One cube to rule them all. Advanced level, obviously."
David leaned over for a better look.
The cube wasn't customized for a specific type, but it was high quality—packed with nutrients, good for comprehensive growth. It was a jack-of-all-trades energy cube. Not as specialized as Luna's, but definitely not something you bought from a gas station vending machine.
Squirtle gobbled it down with a burp and gave Tom a happy thumbs-up.
David, watching all this, looked down at his own Pokémon.
Ralts stared back at him.
David awkwardly pulled out a crumpled snack bag from his jacket and offered a stale Pokécookie he found in his other pocket.
"…We'll get you one of those cubes someday, alright?"
Ralts sighed and ate it anyway.
Everyone was full now, both humans and Pokémon alike. The stars above the Mystery Zone twinkled brightly, and the forest settled into a peaceful rhythm.
But deep inside one tent, a man named Ling Qi stared at the ceiling, chewing dry jerky with dead eyes, haunted by the smell of beef broth and betrayal.
Tomorrow, they would go deeper.
Not for training.
But because if he had to watch David make another hot pot, he might commit a felony in front of witnesses.
***
David was lounging lazily by the fire, full from his last bite of meatball stew, when his eyes casually drifted to the bowl in front of Squirtle.
A glint sparked in them.
That wasn't just any bowl.
It was a glorious, glittering treasure trove of high-grade energy cubes—the kind of stuff rich trainers gave their Pokémon. The cubes sparkled faintly under the firelight like rare candies. David squinted at the sheer abundance of them.
"Hmm…"
He glanced around, made sure no one was watching too closely, and shuffled over to Squirtle with all the subtlety of a cartoon villain in slippers.
Leaning in with his fakest warm smile, he said, "Hey there, my lovely little turtle buddy. Mind if I borrow some of your energy cubes?"
Squirtle paused mid-chomp and slowly turned his head with a look that said, "Excuse me?"
His eyes widened in horror as David's grin widened.
[Squirtle: ∑(-|||) [Turtle Shocked.jpg]]
"SQUIRTLE!! SQUIRT!!"
The poor turtle immediately complained, throwing his stubby arms in the air and ranting in fluent Squirtlish. Unfortunately for Squirtle, David had already gone full raccoon-mode.
His ears twitched as soon as Squirtle squealed.
"Thanks, you're the best!" David beamed—and with lightning speed, snatched the entire bowl of luxury cubes right out from under Squirtle's nose.
Squirtle stared at his empty plate in mute despair.
David whistled casually as he placed the loot in front of his own Pokémon: Pikachu and Ralts. They were joined moments later by the two Poochyena, who were visibly trembling but still eyeing the glowing cubes like hungry gremlins.
David gave them a fatherly smile.
"Come on, don't be shy. I know I may have... sort of... nearly electrocuted you earlier, but this is my peace offering. Pikachu and Ralts can't finish this alone."
"Treat this as a gift! An apology! A new chapter in our friendship!"
For a second, the Pokémon hesitated.
Then the smell hit them.
And all their fear melted like butter on a hot pan.
They leapt forward with glittering eyes and joyful squeals, diving into the bowl like it was Black Friday and someone just opened the door to the toy aisle.
If David had a heartwarming meter floating above their heads, it would've been dinging like a slot machine.
+1 Friendship
+1 Respect
+1 "I still don't trust you but this food is amazing"
Meanwhile, Squirtle stood frozen behind him, staring at the scene like a man who'd just watched his house get repossessed.
His head turned slowly toward his trainer—Tom.
"SQUIRTLE... squirt..."
It was the sound of betrayal.
Tom, munching on a late-night cracker, glanced down. "Hmm? What happened, buddy?"
Squirtle pointed accusingly at David and mimed the theft with a theatrical pantomime of horror.
Tom gasped.
He immediately jumped up and marched over to David, dragging Squirtle behind him like a lawyer storming into court with his wronged client.
"DAVID! That's too far! First the meatballs, now my Squirtle's energy cubes? You've turned into a food burglar!"
David didn't even flinch. Cool as a cucumber, he pointed behind him like a smug politician at a press conference.
"Tom, I'm simply nourishing my sweet Ralts. Would you deny her basic nutrition?"
Tom blinked and looked where he was pointing.
Ralts, sitting demurely on a patch of grass like she had just walked out of an etiquette academy, was nibbling at a cube with dainty hands, legs tucked to the side like a noble lady attending tea.
A soft breeze ruffled her skirt.
Sparkles may or may not have been imagined.
Tom's jaw dropped.
"I—uh—Ralts… wow…"
He recovered almost immediately.
Turning to Squirtle, he snapped, "Look! I didn't mean you! You said it was okay to share, remember?"
Squirtle looked betrayed. Deeply. Eternally.
Tom leaned down, whispering in a serious tone, "Be a better tortoise. Share with the poor. Also, let's be honest—you're kind of chubby. Missing a few cubes won't kill you. Think of it as a health plan."
Squirtle's mouth fell open.
His shell rattled in indignation.
This is how it ends… sold out for one compliment from a psychic fairy in a maid dress.
As if that wasn't enough, Tom pulled out another secret stash of energy cubes from his backpack—clearly one he'd been saving for emergencies.
With the most suspiciously fake smile plastered on his face, he approached Ralts and offered them like a tribute to royalty.
"Well, Ralts, if you're still hungry… don't hesitate to ask! Don't hold back! Uncle Tom's got you covered!"
Squirtle collapsed backwards in shock.
That's my ration for ten days!!!
At this point, Luna couldn't take it anymore. She facepalmed and muttered, "The dog's not the only one licking boots now."
David, hearing this, looked up in confusion. "Wait, licking dog? But there's only one of…"
He followed Luna's gaze.
And stopped mid-sentence.
Because right behind Ralts, the two Poochyena had now transformed into something between bodyguards and fanboys.
Hearts in their eyes, tails wagging furiously, they were trying to outdo each other in impressing her.
One was even doing backflips.
Ralts, of course, didn't even spare them a glance.
She gave the coldest hmph in psychic history and turned away with aristocratic disdain.
David slowly nodded, wide-eyed. "...Wow. She's got a whole fan club now."
Tom, still offering snacks like a desperate salesman, blinked in confusion.
"Wait, what do you mean 'the licking dog suddenly became three'… there's only two dogs—right?"
The group stared at him.
Then slowly turned toward him in unison.
Silence.
Then Luna deadpanned, "Exactly."
And Tom's brain short-circuited for a solid five seconds.
***
After a satisfying feast of stolen luxury energy cubes, grilled meat, and sheer chaos, the Pokémon trio—Pikachu, Ralts, and the emotionally scarred Squirtle—were now flopped over the lawn like lazy cats in the afternoon sun.
They looked completely blissed out.
Ralts had somehow pulled a leaf over her face like a sleep mask. Pikachu was belly-up, feet twitching from a food dream. Squirtle just stared at the clouds, whispering faintly, "My cubes… my ten-day ration…"
David, meanwhile, was lying nearby with one eye half-open, scratching his stomach and enjoying the peaceful moment—until something bounced onto his chest.
"Lulu!"
Oddish.
It had jumped up and was now hopping around David's face like a caffeinated radish, pointing repeatedly at his jacket pocket.
"Huh? You hungry again?" David blinked, sitting up. "Wait—oh! You mean… this?"
He reached into his coat and pulled out the shiny blue Water Stone he'd picked up earlier in the Mystery Zone. The thing glowed faintly in the sun, like a gemstone that wanted to be noticed.
Oddish's eyes practically popped out of its round head. It pointed again, hopping excitedly in place.
David looked at the stone. Then at Oddish. Then back at the stone.
"…Isn't this, like, your rent? You're paying me with this thing, right?" he said with mock seriousness. "This is your tab for all the meat you ate!"
Oddish froze mid-hop.
Pikachu and Squirtle stopped dozing and slowly turned to look.
Even the two Poochyena, who had been lounging nearby and doing synchronized tail-wagging to impress Ralts, exchanged a very knowing glance.
This guy… has some conscience. But not much.
Oddish stared at David, visibly conflicted. It knew deep down it couldn't actually use the Water Stone—it was a Grass-type, after all. Totally incompatible. But the way the stone glowed… the sheer energy it radiated… it just seemed like something that could buy a lot more energy cubes.
It had only wanted to trick David into a few more gourmet snacks.
Now, it silently gave up. This trainer was a clown, but an unmovable one.
With a defeated little hop, Oddish turned away from the stone and sighed. Fine. No free lunch this time.
David watched it go and nodded to himself.
"Smart weed," he muttered. "Knows when it's outmatched."
Still, he wasn't completely heartless.
Seeing Squirtle curled up and still mentally mourning his lost treasure trove, David dug into his bag and pulled out one of his own homemade energy cubes—less luxurious, a bit lumpy, and slightly undercooked on one side, but still made with effort.
"Here, turtle boy. I know life's been rough. Have a consolation snack."
Squirtle looked at the cube like it was an apology letter written in chocolate. It sniffed, wiped a nonexistent tear, and accepted the gift.
David sat back again with a smirk.
Ralts was now flanked by the two Poochyena, who were desperately performing every trick they knew to impress her—picking up twigs, rolling on command, even forming a conga line. She, of course, ignored all of it with the icy calm of a pop idol dealing with obsessive fans.
David chuckled.
He'd already accepted that the Poochyena were basically her entourage now.
Not worth catching—he didn't care much for their stats, anyway—but they were obedient, entertaining, and occasionally brought him firewood.
Win-win.
Just then, a thought crossed his mind.
"Hey," David said, looking at Oddish and the Poochyena. "You guys live here, right? Know this Mystery Zone better than any GPS?"
They all looked up.
"You seen any strong Pokémon nearby? Something worth training against?"
Oddish hesitated.
Poochyena #1 nodded.
Poochyena #2 barked.
Then they looked at each other with a serious nod—some silent mutual agreement was formed—and turned to face David.
"WOOF!"
And just like that, they took off at a run, tails high and ears perked.
David blinked.
"…Guess that's a yes."
He scrambled to his feet, motioned for his team, and followed them into the forest with a goofy grin.
"Alright, adventure time. Let's go see what kind of boss fight these furballs are leading me into."
****
David glanced nervously at the large tent set up by Luna's uncle, and then slowly shuffled over to where Luna was by the lakeside, training her Charmander with precise commands like a drill sergeant. She didn't even glance up as he approached, but that only made David more sheepish.
"Uh… hey Luna," he said in the most casual tone he could fake. "I'm, uh, heading out for a bit. Just a quick stroll into the forest, you know? Tell your uncle Ling not to worry if I'm not back for dinner or if I scream dramatically in the distance."
Luna raised an eyebrow without looking away from her training. "Again?" she muttered.
David scratched the back of his head awkwardly. The truth was, this whole Mystery Zone camping trip had been Luna's idea. She'd invited David and Tom along to train for national exam, bond with their Pokémon, and study the area's rare species. She'd even had her dad set up the whole expedition.
David's job?
Not to screw things up.
So far, he'd injured three wild Pokémon, looted a Water Stone, and convinced two stray Poochyena and an Oddish to follow him around like a discount mafia. And now, here he was again, planning to sneak off into the woods like a raccoon with a criminal record.
"I mean," David said quickly, "the Pokémon around here are all scared off by your uncle and his mega-powered team. No one's gonna come near camp, so… I gotta go out there and find opportunities, y'know?"
Luna finally looked at him, her face a complex combination of tired disbelief and secondhand embarrassment.
She didn't say anything. She just stared.
David withered a little under the silence. "Look, I'm not trying to destroy the ecosystem. Just trying to level up my guys."
Luna took a slow breath and gave Charmander a break. "Do you remember," she said, folding her arms, "when we entered the Mystery Zone, and you said—and I quote—'I'm a man of peace. I come in harmony, not conflict.'?"
David coughed. "Yeah, about that…"
"In under six hours," Luna continued, "you've caught zero Pokémon, injured three, and bribed your way into a mini-zoo."
David waved her off with a dramatic gesture. "Please, Luna, let's not call it bribery. Let's call it… emotionally-driven nutrition exchange."
Behind him, Pikachu, Ralts, and Squirtle were sitting under a tree. Upon hearing David try to defend himself, they simultaneously turned their heads and spat on the ground in synchronized disgust.
David turned around, shocked. "Oh wow, really? After I fed you? After I risked my dignity and my wallet to keep you three well-fed?"
The trio avoided his gaze. Pikachu casually picked at its ear. Squirtle whistled innocently. Ralts turned her back and crossed her arms like a betrayed diva.
David felt the betrayal deep in his soul.
[Negative emotion points acquired: +30… +40… +50…]
He knelt down like a medieval peasant offering tribute and whispered, "Alright, alright. I'll buy more energy cubes."
Suddenly, the three Pokémon perked up like sales reps spotting a premium customer. In a flash, they were rubbing against David's legs affectionately, tails wagging, eyes full of adoration.
David gave them a blank stare. "And the Academy Awards go to…"
Luna sighed audibly. "You guys know I'm right here, right? I'm not deaf."
But still, she didn't stop him.
For all his questionable tactics, Luna couldn't deny David had a weird sort of charm. Most rookie trainers wouldn't survive after taking food from a Pokémon, much less rob it and walk away best friends.
And yet, here was David, who'd stolen their prized cubes and somehow ended up with three loyal tag-alongs.
Oddish, okay—Luna could see that. It was a Grass-type, gentle and simple, usually easy to please.
But the Poochyena?
Those things held grudges like angry old neighbors.
Luna shuddered, remembering her own childhood trauma—back in her hometown, she'd once stepped on a Poochyena's tail. Once. From that day on, every time she went home, she got chased around the yard like a chew toy at a dog show.
And now, those same species were acting like lovesick groupies around Ralts?
"I don't know if this is the power of love or if David somehow unlocked some glitch in the trainer system," Luna muttered.
She stared at David again, deep in thought.
There was an old legend she'd read once in a textbook. It said that someone with a pure heart could walk freely in the Mystery Zone, and the wild Pokémon would sense it—protecting them, guiding them, even befriending them without a battle. The Rainbow hero, chosen by Ho-oh.
For a brief moment, Luna wondered if maybe—just maybe—David was that kind of person.
Then she looked at him again. Really looked.
He was now trying to high-five Ralts while doing a bad impression of a ninja, tripped over a root, and faceplanted into the grass.
Luna rolled her eyes so hard it hurt.
"Nope," she said. "I'm just losing my mind."