Chapter 111: Pokémon Restaurant

Yum Restaurant was one of the most renowned establishments in Lake City. Its fame stemmed from crafting gourmet Pokémon meals, distinct from the usual energy cubes commonly fed to Pokémon.

Instead of simple cubes, the chefs here created meals using fresh fruits, meats, vegetables, and a variety of intricate cooking methods.

Everyone knew that feeding human food to Pokémon regularly could lead to health issues, just as humans could suffer from an unbalanced diet of high-fat or high-sugar foods.

Because of this, professional Trainers were careful, rarely offering their Pokémon regular human meals.

However, despite the risks, it was no secret that Pokémon found human food far tastier than their typical fare or energy cubes.

As a result, a niche of specialized restaurants catering to Pokémon cuisine emerged.

Today, Julian had brought Metagross and the rest of his team to dine at Yum. Without the prestige of the Walker family name, securing a reservation would have been impossible—there was a six-month waitlist.

"Welcome, Young Master Walker," the waiter at the entrance greeted Julian respectfully as soon as he approached.

The management had obviously been informed that a member of the Walker family would be dining today.

"Your VIP room is ready," the waiter added, opening the door with a polite gesture.

Julian gave a small nod and glanced around the bustling hall. Trainers and their Pokémon filled the space, enjoying the gourmet food.

The Pokémon in the hall were all smaller species, given the limited space between the tables.

The VIP room, however, was a different story. It had only one large table, and the room's size was comparable to that of the main hall.

The space could easily accommodate even large Pokémon—there was enough room for ten Steelix if needed. The decor was elegant and understated, not overly luxurious, but it had a serene charm.

Once they were settled in the room, the waiter handed Julian a menu. The menu itself was quite short—just twenty dishes in total. Yet, each dish was so expensive that the average person's monthly salary wouldn't be enough to cover even one.

Julian took a quick glance at the menu and handed it back. "We'll have one of each," he said simply.

The waiter blinked, taken aback for a moment by the unexpected order. Then he quickly understood. Julian meant to order every dish on the menu.

"Right away, Young Master Walker," the waiter responded before slipping out of the room and closing the door quietly behind him.

Julian then released all his Pokémon: Metagross, Lucario, Meltan, Dragonair, Aron, and Steelix.

His current roster counted seven Pokémon in total, including Slowking, who was still with his Aunt in the capital for research purposes.

According to Drakoria's Trainer Association regulations, Trainers who weren't at pseudo-Elite rank could only carry six Pokémon. For pseudo-Elite it was eight and there was no limit for Elite and above.

But since Julian's Steelix was level 66, he qualified as a pseudo-Elite and was allowed to have eight Pokémon in his party.

Julian wasn't in a rush to evolve Meltan, even though he had collected the necessary 400 Meltan candies.

As Meltan lazily rested on Aron's back, it occasionally licked Aron's back armor.

Aron, though a little annoyed, seemed to have resigned itself to its tiny companion's antics. There was no use fighting it, especially when Meltan was higher-leveled.

"Make sure you hide when someone comes in, Meltan," Julian reminded.

Meltan nodded. Being small and capable of shifting into a liquid form, it easily camouflaged itself by blending into Aron's back, making it nearly impossible to notice unless someone looked closely.

It wasn't long before a soft knock echoed through the room, the waiter entered, carrying a tray of drinks.

"These are berry drinks," the waiter explained. "Each cup is labeled according to Type, so you can match them with your Pokémon."

The drinks had been specially tailored to suit the preferences of different Pokémon Types.

Just like different regions had unique culinary preferences—Drakoria's people preferred their food cooked, while those from the Babath favored raw delicacies—Pokémon of different Types had distinct tastes.

(T/N: probably talking about Shushi here)

Julian's tray featured drinks labeled for Steel, Dragon, Fighting, and other relevant Types for his team.

The waiter hesitated momentarily, noticing there were only five Pokémon visible, yet six drinks had been ordered.

Then, his eyes fell on Steelix's enormous form. He figured the second drink must have been meant for Steelix, given the Pokémon's size.

The drinks themselves were made from various berries, known to be safe and nutritious for Pokémon. Most of these berries weren't suitable for human consumption, as they often caused adverse reactions, including vomiting and stomach aches.

Julian had been served a blend of wild apple and Oran Berry. The tartness of the apple paired with the sweetness of the Oran Berry created a perfectly balanced flavor, enhanced by the refreshing touch of mint.

As Julian sipped, he noticed his Pokémon enjoying their drinks as well.

Steelix, however, looked somewhat dismayed. The cups, despite being designed for Pokémon, were all the same size. For a creature as massive as Steelix, even a full cup seemed to barely quench its thirst.

It gazed longingly at Meltan, who was casually dipping its entire body into its cup to savor the drink.

Steelix thought back to its days as an Onix—those days were simpler, though even back then, it couldn't have fit into a cup like that.

The food began arriving shortly afterward.

"Fried Platter"

"Waterside Herbs"

"Moo Moo Cheese"

"Toast"

"Onion Stick Thin Bone"

"Mushroom Sausage"

The dishes came in sets of six, corresponding to the Types of Julian's Pokémon. Though the dishes were the same, slight adjustments had been made to suit each Pokémon's taste.

For example, Aron's meal had been seasoned with flavors that complemented its Steel typing, while Dragonair's meal had been adapted for a Dragon's palate.

The same dish, when tasted by different Pokémon, could evoke vastly different reactions. Aron had already finished its "Waterside Herbs" and now eyed Dragonair's plate, which still had some left.

Dragonair, however, wasn't feeling generous. It swiftly scarfed down the remaining herbs. But Aron, stubborn as ever, managed to sneak a bite before Dragonair could finish.

Big mistake.

Aron spat it out immediately. Whatever taste worked for Dragonair's Dragon Type was certainly not suited for Aron's Steel Type.

Aron: What the f—

Before Aron could finish its thought, Dragonair flicked its tail, sending Aron crashing into the wall.

Julian sighed, looking at the cracked wall. Today's dinner might end up costing more than just the food bill—there would likely be repair fees added to the tab.

"You had to go for Dragonair's dish, didn't you?" Julian muttered, shaking his head.

"You're Steel-type. Dragonair's taste won't work for you, of course."

It was like someone used to mild soup suddenly deciding to try an extra-spicy hot pot. What did Aron expect?

"You should've gone for Lucario's food," Julian continued. "At least it's got some Steel-type influence. You might've actually enjoyed it."

Aron, now lying pitifully on the floor, silently lamented its fate.

It couldn't even compete with Lucario when it came to food—the Fighting-type wolf was far quicker at finishing its meals.

As the waiter brought in the next round of dishes, Aron's spirits lifted once more.

*****

Upto 30 chapters ahead on patreon :-

patreon.com/ReduxMagister