Chapter 64: Grew Up

Heath covered his face, feeling foolish. He regretted not suggesting something simpler like egg fried rice when Farfetch'd showed such confidence. Although challenging, it was far easier than the "Three Non-stick" dish. Heath would rather teach Farfetch'd to make egg fried rice, as it was relatively straightforward.

"Three Non-stick? What's that?" Maple asked, even more curious. She had never heard of it before, and Heath had never mentioned it.

Heath chewed on some boiled bean sprouts, pondering how to explain it.

"Basically, 'Three Non-stick' is scrambled eggs. The main ingredients are eggs, starch, sugar, and water," Heath summarized.

"Then why not just call it scrambled eggs? It sounds more fitting," Zorua, having finished a piece of meat, asked in confusion.

"Because once made, it doesn't stick to the plate, chopsticks, or teeth, hence the name 'Three Non-stick'," Heath sighed. While the dish wasn't extremely difficult, it was very tiring—so much so that one might need a day off after making it. Additionally, it didn't stick to the pan or hands.

These qualities meant that the dish required continuous flipping and stirring for about twenty to thirty minutes. Holding a heavy iron pan for that long was exhausting, which made 'Three Non-stick' challenging.

Seeing Farfetch'd's confident look, Heath sighed again. He thought he might end up building some serious arm muscles from all the practice sessions. Who knew how many attempts it would take for Farfetch'd to master it?

After enjoying a hotpot dinner with Maple, Heath cleaned up, washed the dishes, and retired to his room. Although he had the ingredients for 'Three Non-stick,' he was too tired after a long day. He planned to teach Farfetch'd the next day.

"Trainer, it's so boring here. Don't you have any good books?" Zorua was lying on Heath's desk, flipping through a book titled "Pokémon Encyclopedia."

"I mostly have textbooks. If you want to read novels, you'll need to go to Snowflake Bookstore in Viridian City, but I don't know if they allow Pokémon," Heath replied, glancing at Zorua while hanging his clothes in the closet.

"Strange. Isn't it said that teenage boys' rooms are filled with magazines featuring big * and giant *?" Zorua jumped off the desk and peeked under Heath's bed.

Heath's mouth twitched. What kind of books had Zorua been exposed to by Gorm, that old rogue?

"What else did you read at that old man's place?" Heath felt it was necessary to correct Zorua's bad habits.

"Before I escaped, I read 'The Marvelous Story of Lickitung and Victreebel.' It was great! The author's writing is superb, and the scenes and actions are vividly described," Zorua said enthusiastically.

Heath covered his face, regretting asking. The books Zorua read were far from normal.

Thinking of Lickitung and Victreebel, Heath could almost imagine the novel's descriptions of these Pokémon, but he didn't want to dwell on it.

"I feel like I'm going to have nightmares again tonight. Please, Arceus, let Darkrai stay away," Heath thought as he lay in bed, dreading sleep for the first time.

Darkrai's nightmare-inducing ability was terrifying. One nightmare had left Heath mentally exhausted.

With a nervous heart, Heath slowly drifted into sleep. Perhaps because Darkrai had visited before, Heath slept deeply without dreams and woke up refreshed.

The next morning, Heath felt a weight on his chest. Opening his eyes, he saw Zorua sleeping on him, curled up like a cat—adorable but heavy.

Helplessly, Heath picked Zorua up, shaking her head to wake her.

"Sorry, Trainer. I can't go out with you today. My bed is calling me. It seems to have sealed me with a move," Zorua struggled to crawl back to bed but was carried out of the room by Heath's firm grip.

In the bathroom, after letting Farfetch'd out, Heath began his morning routine. However, something unusual happened today.

"Did you... lose a tooth?" Heath asked Zorua, bewildered, seeing a sharp tooth on the sink.

"I didn't! You did! I didn't lose a tooth!" Zorua instantly got defensive, but Heath noticed a gap in her mouth.

Scratching his head, Heath realized he wasn't a Pokémon Professor and the Indigo League had no data on Zorua. He speculated it might be a teething phase, meaning Zorua was growing up.

"What's wrong with growing up? Losing teeth is a sign of growing up," Heath said with a smile.

"Growing up? Are you happy about me growing up?" Zorua asked, puzzled. Heath nodded unknowingly.

Zorua's tail instantly covered her, and she looked at Heath with horror. Could he be a legendary Pokémon in disguise, planning something once she grew up?

Heath didn't notice Zorua's reaction. After finishing his routine, he took Zorua and Farfetch'd outside.

"Zorua, can you explain why your tail tucks in when I hold you?" Heath asked, confused. Overnight, Zorua had suddenly changed.

Could Darkrai have visited again? But Heath found that unlikely since he hadn't had any nightmares.

(End of Chapter)