Chapter 125: Pokémon Plans and Conflicts

Caldeon City. 

The kind of place where ambition and power go hand in hand. 

The clinking of glasses and low murmur of hushed conversations filled the air in the restaurant as I leaned back in my seat, observing the pristine white tablecloth, silver cutlery gleaming under the soft, ambient lights. 

I picked up my fork, spinning a bite of the pesto pasta salad with casual precision before popping it into my mouth.

"What's the plan now?" Erin's voice was soft but steady, her tone as calm as ever, like she wasn't sitting in a five-star restaurant or about to hear my next move. 

Her hand moved gracefully to her plate, taking a neat bite of her spicy tuna roll.

I watched her for a moment, taking in the way her hair fell over her shoulder and the slight furrow in her brow, which betrayed none of her inner thoughts. 

Even her notebook sat forgotten next to her, for once, as she focused on me.

Across the table, Shadow and Raichu had their own competition going. 

They were both hunched over bowls of Pokémon food, devouring it as if their lives depended on it, though Raichu, being the jolly trickster he was, tried to sneak bites from Shadow's bowl. 

He caught a quick Iron Tail to the face for his efforts. 

Raichu leapt, yelping, right into my lap, his wide eyes blinking up at me as if I could fix his bruised pride.

I set my fork down, eyebrows raised. "No fighting."

Shadow gave a half-hearted, lazy glare before stretching out, the sparks of blue electricity still flickering along his jet-black fur, and went back to eating. 

Raichu, undeterred, curled up in my arms with a contented sigh.

"We'll head to the department store after the Pokémon Center," I said, my voice relaxed, as if I hadn't just witnessed a Pokémon food brawl. "I need to swap Gyarados with Growlithe."

Erin took another slow bite of her sushi. "You don't have to catch Pokémon just because my grandfather said so." Her voice held that same calm clarity she always had. 

No judgment, just a statement, like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"I'm not catching it because of that," I replied, shrugging. 

My tone stayed light, as if I didn't already know where this conversation was going.

Her hazel eyes flicked up, a brief shimmer of interest before she took another bite, no further questions.

I turned my gaze back to Raichu, who, after failing to pilfer Shadow's food, had his sights set on mine now. 

His little paws reached up to grab a piece of my Caprese sandwich, only for Shadow to flick his ear, sending a half-hearted pulse of static through the air. 

It wasn't serious, but it was enough to make Raichu scramble back into my arms like a scared Rattata.

I glanced down, dumbfounded for a moment, and then sighed. "No fight," I repeated, the words practically an order this time. 

Erin chewed silently, watching the chaos with that calm, almost indifferent expression. 

Her patience always surprised me. 

I flagged down the waiter and ordered more food for Raichu, much to his delight. 

And, of course, Shadow gave me those wide red eyes of his—the ones that seemed to cut through anyone's resolve.

"Fine, you too." I relented with a roll of my eyes. 

Shadow's ears twitched in satisfaction, and he returned to his bowl with renewed energy, though laziness soon followed, as it often did.

I took a bite, savoring the richness of the sandwich before continuing. "After the department store, we'll stop by the Pokémon Perfume Center."

Erin blinked once. "Perfume?" she asked, her voice still carrying that same unshakeable calm.

"You might like it," I said, the corners of my mouth curling upward slightly. "We can try."

She nodded, accepting it without hesitation, and took another bite of her food. 

After another few moments of silence, I added, "And then we'll go for the gym. I need to get that badge."

Another nod from Erin, the same lack of concern on her face. 

Then again, it wasn't like she'd be battling. 

That was my job.

Shadow and Raichu's second round of food arrived, and I couldn't help but smile at how they dug in with fresh excitement. 

It was almost like nothing else in the world mattered to them in that moment—just food and the friendly rivalry that fueled them.

Once we finished, I stood up, tossing a few bills on the table, more than enough to cover the bill. 

Raichu jumped up into my arms again, his tail flicking happily. 

Shadow, always the cool one, leapt onto my shoulder with practiced ease, his dark figure casting an almost ominous shadow in the candlelight.

Erin pushed her chair back with a quiet scrape, adjusting her satchel, her movements as calm and measured as always.

As we walked out into the night, the city lights flickering around us, I felt the anticipation building inside me. 

The gym battle was looming on the horizon, but right now, I had everything I needed. 

Shadow, Raichu, Erin—they were all part of the plan, and everything was moving in the direction I wanted.

But as we headed towards the Pokémon Center, I couldn't help but wonder: what would happen when something didn't go according to my plan?