Chapter 34: To Capture a Man's Heart, You Must

Heath stared blankly at Sabrina, feeling strange because he seemed to catch a glimpse of jealousy in her eyes. This discovery made him feel uneasy.

"What did you say, Miss Sabrina?" Heath wondered if he hadn't slept well last night, causing auditory hallucinations. After all, it's said that irregular sleep can negatively impact health and increase the risk of sudden death.

"You, teach me how to make Mr. Giovanni happy." Sabrina repeated calmly. This time, Heath heard her clearly. It was neither a mistake nor an auditory hallucination.

Heath's expression grew more peculiar. Why would Sabrina come to him to learn how to make Giovanni happy? Was it because the meal he cooked for Giovanni yesterday made him happy?

Heath suddenly recalled rumors about Sabrina having special feelings for Giovanni. Coupled with her coming to learn how to make Giovanni happy, Heath realized he had stumbled upon a significant secret.

"Um... Miss Sabrina, have you ever heard this saying?" Heath put on a bright, enthusiastic smile. If Miss Lori saw it, she would undoubtedly be wary and put away her Gengar.

Whenever Heath cheerfully set a trap for Gengar, he had this expression, and Gengar always willingly fell into the trap, even helping to cover itself with more dirt.

Sabrina tilted her head slightly, completely baffled by Heath's words.

"There's a saying that goes, to capture a man's heart, you must first capture his stomach." Heath said mysteriously. Sabrina was stunned for a moment, then her eyes lit up. She happily nodded at Heath, handed him all her money, took her food, and left.

Heath was left dumbfounded. What just happened? He hadn't finished explaining, yet Sabrina left looking pleased?

It was like a confused young man seeking wisdom from a master on a mountain. The master accidentally poured a bit too much tea, and the young man suddenly shouted, "I understand!" and ran down the mountain.

Heath scratched his head. Although he didn't know what Sabrina understood, at least she wasn't staring at him anymore. He felt a bit relieved; being watched by a psychic was indeed unsettling.

"That person was a psychic. She's very strong." Zorua said cautiously, clutching Heath's shoulder.

"Good that you know. I was worried you didn't realize and might expose yourself." Heath sighed in relief. Sabrina had appeared so suddenly that Heath didn't have time to warn Zorua not to use telepathy. Fortunately, Zorua was smart enough to avoid that problem.

[You entertained Sabrina and received two pieces of Bewitching Gum.]

[Bewitching Gum: Chew it, and your words will likely become more convincing.]

Heath's expression grew strange. Was his desire to profit from Sabrina noticed by the system, which then rewarded him with Bewitching Gum as encouragement?

Heath put the gum away. Its effect was incredibly strong. Although it didn't guarantee absolute trust, the high probability of persuasion made it a powerful tool.

"Looks like I've saved up about ten thousand League coins." Heath smiled brightly, looking at the League coins in his hand.

Sabrina, as expected of Saffron City's Gym Leader, had given him over eight thousand League coins. Combined with the money earned from Giovanni and other customers, Heath finally understood the feeling of being wealthy.

"Leek!" Farfetch'd happily danced around Heath, waving its leek like it was performing some mysterious ritual.

"What's up with Farfetch'd?" Heath asked Zorua, unable to understand Farfetch'd's cries.

"Farfetch'd says it finally has money to buy duck meat. Wait, do you buy Farfetch'd meat with money?" Zorua gave Heath a strange look, as if he were a scoundrel. Heath rolled his eyes.

Heath explained what Peking roasted duck was to Zorua. But as soon as he started, Zorua began to drool.

"Hmph, foolish human, your Peking roasted duck can't be that good. But if you use the best techniques to make me the best Peking roasted duck in the world, I might be willing to try it." Zorua turned her head, pretending to be reluctant. Heath took a deep breath.

This little creature was quite something.

"Meow~" As Heath was about to discuss whether being tsundere was desirable with Zorua, he heard a meow from behind him.

Turning around, he saw a stray Meowth in Viridian City watching him warily, or rather, watching the Caterpie on his shoulder, as if judging whether it was a threat.

"Meowth, this is my Pokémon. Are you here for breakfast too?" Heath reached out to pet Meowth's head. It closed its eyes contentedly, then looked warily at Caterpie again.

Heath couldn't help but smile. These little creatures were incredibly vigilant. This alertness must be what allowed Meowth and its friends to survive in Viridian City.

Heath checked the leftover food from yesterday, which Farfetch'd had made—two Peking roasted ducks. Even if Heath and Sister Maple ate as much as they could, they couldn't finish it, so he brought it along to give these little ones a good meal.

"Wow, you're quite kind. Has anyone ever called you a saint?" Zorua teased, watching the stray Pokémon eat.

"So what if they have? You sure know a lot." Heath glanced at Zorua. Some terms in this world were similar to his previous life, often used in novels.

"That's just how I am." Heath watched the Meowth, Ekans, and Rattata munching on duck meat in front of him and smiled. He didn't think there was anything wrong with what he was doing.

(End of this chapter)