Chapter 93: I am Unstoppable Worldwide!

After storing the Poké Balls containing Garganacl and Nacli, Andrew decided not to release them again, as their slow speed would make it impossible to return to the observation station before morning if they traveled together.

At that moment, Andrew asked Arven, "Arven, since you want to become a chef, why not capture a Nacli as a companion? Nacli is a valuable partner for a chef."

Although children in the Pokémon world are generally required to be ten years old to own a Pokémon, there is a method called fostering, where a Pokémon is temporarily registered under a parent's or older sibling's name and later transferred to the child when they turn ten.

Arven's Maschiff was acquired in this manner.

Arven was also approaching his tenth birthday.

Arven was taken aback by this suggestion, as he hadn't considered capturing a Pokémon yet.

"Can I… really do that?" Arven asked Andrew, looking up with uncertainty.

Andrew smiled and replied, "You'll need to ask the Nacli."

Arven then turned to the Nacli and asked, "Would any of you like to join me?"

After a brief silence, a small Nacli emerged from the group.

"Naacli~"

However, it wasn't going to be easily captured.

Andrew reminded Arven, "It's inviting you to a battle. Hurry up!"

"Oh, right!" Arven realized and pointed to his Maschiff, saying, "Maschiff, please help me out."

Maschiff nodded, jumped into action, and faced off against Nacli.

The battle's outcome was predictable. Nacli was just a young Pokémon, and Maschiff easily handled it.

Arven threw a Poké Ball, and Nacli was drawn into it with a flash of red light. With a "pop," the capture was complete.

Arven ran over, picked up the Poké Ball, and proudly showed it to Andrew and Maschiff. "Maschiff, Andrew, I've caught a Nacli!"

It was Arven's first time capturing a Pokémon, and he was thrilled, his cheeks flushed with excitement.

"Great job," Andrew said, giving him a thumbs-up.

Arven carefully released Nacli, took out a berry from his backpack, and fed it to Nacli. Soon, Nacli opened its eyes again.

Arven had learned to carry berries from Andrew. Different berries have different uses: some restore energy, some cure poison, while others heal burns, confusion, or paralysis. They can be crucial in critical situations.

Once Nacli woke up, it bounced around Arven's feet, clearly accepting him as its trainer.

At that moment, the leader of Nacli group approached Andrew and Arven, breaking off a portion of its body and offering it to them. The fallen part was precious Pure Salt, which serves as both a seasoning and an important healing material.

Nacli, Naclstack, and Garganacl's Pure Salt have been highly valued in the Paldea region for ages.

Andrew was surprised by Garganacl's action and asked, "Is it okay for you to be like this?"

Garganacl shook its head. As long as it ingested enough minerals, its body would regenerate quickly. If it learned to regenerate itself, the process would be even faster. As long as its vital parts were intact, it would be fine.

They often grind down excess parts of their bodies against rocks to avoid becoming too heavy or cumbersome.

The excess Pure Salt they shed is highly prized by people.

Garganacl is a very gentle Pokémon and often shares its salt with injured Pokémon to heal them.

By sharing its Pure Salt with Andrew and Arven, Garganacl hoped they would treat its kind well in the future.

Andrew accepted the salt and assured Garganacl, "I will take good care of Garganacl and the two Nacli. Don't worry."

Arven also took the rock salt and said earnestly, "I'll take good care of my Nacli as well."

Satisfied, Garganacl nodded, its eyes curving into crescent shapes.

As it was getting late, Andrew bid farewell to Garganacl, Naclstack, and the Nacli group. "Well then, Garganacl, Naclstack, and Nacli, we're heading out now."

Garganacl nodded and waved as they departed.

As soon as they left the rocky area, Pawmi eagerly extended its paw toward Andrew.

"Paw~ Paw~"

Andrew said, "I know, I haven't forgotten you!" He pulled out a cucumber and handed it to Pawmi.

Pawmi eagerly ate the cucumber.

One cucumber wasn't enough, and soon Pawmi had finished it.

Looking at his now empty hands and then at Andrew riding on Espartha, Pawmi looked disappointed.

No more...

When they returned to the Research Station, Diancie had already set up the table and chairs, ready for Andrew to start cooking.

Seeing Andrew return, Diancie greeted him with a sweet smile and a wave.

"Andrew, you're back!"

Andrew dismounted from the Espathra and asked, "You're back. Have the professors finished their research?"

Diancie shook its head. "Not yet, we should continue this afternoon."

Andrew nodded, asked a few questions about the research, and then summoned Munchlax and Drizzile from home.

"Munchlax, Drizzile, how was the restaurant today?" Andrew inquired.

"Munchlax~~" Very good, Master.

Munchlax affectionately came up to Andrew, holding his hand as it responded.

"Drizz~ Drizzile~" No problem with me around!

Drizzile proudly gave itself a thumbs-up.

"Thanks for your hard work!" Andrew patted the heads of his two Pokémon.

Munchlax closed its eyes in pleasure, enjoying the petting and feeling a sense of pride and satisfaction, while Drizzile blushed slightly with pride.

Next, Andrew released Garganacl and the two Nacli, introducing them to everyone.

The group gave the new arrivals a warm welcome, and feeling the friendly atmosphere, Garganacl and Nacli quickly settled in.

Seeing the Pokémons get along so well, Andrew said, "For lunch today, let's cook with the pure salt Garganacl gave us and see how it compares to regular salt!"

"Yay~~"

The Pokémons cheered, looking forward to lunch.

Andrew took out a container, put the pure salt in it, and began grinding it with a pestle to make fine salt.

At this moment, Diancie walked over and said, "Let me handle that."

Andrew nodded and handed over the container and pestle.

"What should we have for lunch?" Andrew asked.

"Munch~" Fish!

Munchlax was the first to speak up, as it loved fish.

"Alright, we'll steam a fish today, but we're out of fish here, so you'll need to fetch one from home!" Andrew said.

"Munch ~" No problem.

Happy that its suggestion was accepted, Munchlax hopped excitedly.

Andrew teleported Munchlax back home, and soon it returned with a fish almost as long as itself.

The fish was caught by the Water-type Pokémon from Nebel Lake outside the farm, as the fish from Andrew's secret pool on the fifth floor had long been eaten.

Looking at the large fish, Andrew thought for a moment and said, "We'll make a chopped chili fish head with the head, and a tofu and fresh fish stew with the body." Then he assigned tasks, "Munchlax, you handle the fish head, and Drizzile, you take care of the tofu and fish stew."

"Munchlax~~"

Excited, Munchlax took the fish to prepare it.

"Drizzile~"

Drizzile quickly joined in to help.

Andrew then said to Arven, "Arven, could you help me out?"

"Mm~ Okay," Arven eagerly replied.

Excited to contribute to the meal her parents would enjoy, Arven was full of anticipation.

"Let's prepare these vegetables," Andrew said, laying out a bunch of vegetables on the ground.

Dollivs and Charcadets immediately came over to help.

Andrew demonstrated while preparing the vegetables, "Just remove the roots and any old leaves."

"And for these, keep the tender parts and discard the tough ones."

With Arven, Dollivs, and Charcadets helping, Andrew quickly finished preparing the vegetables.

As time passed, the rich aroma of the food began to fill the air, growing stronger.

Andrew tasted a small green vegetable he had just stir-fried with pure salt, and his eyes lit up.

The greens, grown by Andrew himself, were already tender and juicy. Even with simple stir-frying, they were incredibly delicious.

Now, with the addition of pure salt, the freshness of the greens seemed to be enhanced many times over, making them even more delicious.

Moreover, the freshly stir-fried greens had a vibrant, eye-catching color. Whether due to the pure salt or Dollivs's oil, the dish had a more appealing appearance.

Andrew had never been able to make greens look so good with regular oil and salt.

As more dishes were finished, the fragrant aroma in the air grew stronger.

"Sniff sniff~"

"Sniff sniff~"

Two Oinkologne, noses twitching, excitedly circled Andrew's feet.

Andrew laughed and said, "Stop running around me, or I might accidentally step on you and spill the food I just made."

That would be awful!

The two Oinkologne quickly settled down to the side, lying quietly and watching Andrew cook, occasionally licking their lips.

Nearby, a Pawmi emerged from the grass, drawn by the delicious smell. It wiped the drool from its mouth, grabbed some grass, stuffed it into its mouth, and then spat it out with a "ptooey."

Just as lunch was nearly ready, two professors, along with Raleigh and the researchers, followed the scent and came out.

Everyone sat down happily at the table, chatting and eating, creating a lively atmosphere. Arven also introduced her newly caught Nacli to her parents.

The professors were very pleased for Arven.

On the grass, a picnic blanket was spread out for the Espathra, Garganacl, Naclis, and Oinkolognes, who weren't suited for sitting at the table, to eat together.

Andrew didn't sit at the table either. He joined Arven and Raleigh on the picnic blanket, enjoying the meal with the Pokémon in a casual picnic style.

Diancie and Munchlax were very gentle. One was carrying a bowl of rice, and the other a bowl of dishes. They were checking to see which Pokémon needed more food and would bring the bowls over when needed.

Seeing this, Andrew said, "Diancie, Munchlax, you don't need to keep working. Come sit down and eat with us."

Diancie responded, "Coming right away!"

Munchlax added, "Got it, Master!"

The three Garganacl and Naclis were trying human food for the first time, and it was so delicious that they buried most of their bodies in the rice bowl, eating with great delight.

No one noticed a small mound forming on the grass, moving quickly toward the picnic cloth.

The mound reached the edge of the cloth, and a Pokémon peeked out from under a piece of turf, showing only its eyes.

Nacli were happily eating and squinting with joy. At that moment, a short, chubby little paw extended from under the turf and quickly snatched a piece of fish from one of Nacli's bowls.

Since it was just one piece, Nacli didn't notice.

Under the turf, the Pokémon stuffed the fish into its mouth and happily licked its fingers.

"Paw~~!" it exclaimed, "So tasty!"

Enjoying the fish, the Pokémon lifted the turf again and reached out to grab another piece.

When Nacli looked down, it saw a chubby hand trying to pull back a piece of fish.

"Nacliii~~!"

Nacli, startled, instinctively used Rock Throw, hitting the chubby hand accurately. The hand swelled up instantly, but the Pokémon still held on to the fish and quickly pulled its hand back into the burrow.

"What happened, Nacli?" Andrew asked, hearing the noise.

"Nac~! Nacliii~!"

Nacli kept pointing at the piece of turf.

At that moment, the turf suddenly swelled up and started to move away like a small mound.

"What's going on?" Andrew exclaimed in surprise.

Before Andrew could react, Espathra darted out and used Peck to accurately hit the mound.

With a yelp, the mound was overturned, revealing a yellow Pokémon lying on its back, its mouth greasy from the food. It wiped its mouth and smacked its lips.

It was none other than Pawmi.

"Nac~! Naclii~!"

Nacli shouted angrily at Pawmi, accusing it of stealing its food.

Pawmi didn't care and tried to dig its way out, but Espathra had already grabbed it by the scruff of its neck with its beak. Despite its struggles, it couldn't escape.

"Pawmi~ Paaw~~!" Let go of me! Let go! Or else I'll get angry!

Pawmi protested.

Andrew, half laughing, said, "You're really in the wrong here. You stole someone else's food!"

"Nacli~!"

Nacli agreed loudly with Andrew.

"Paw~ paw~" What's the big deal with taking just a little?

Pawmi defended itself.

"Wow, you're quite bold!" Andrew chuckled.

At that moment, Pawmi said something surprising:

"Paw~ pawmi~~" If I'm going to be punished for stealing food, then why not just make me your Pokémon?

'If I become this human's Pokémon, I can eat delicious food whenever I want, right? Hehe~'

Pawmi thought, quite proud of its clever little scheme.

Andrew.....

"Are you serious about this?"

Why did he suddenly feel like this Pawmi had been plotting all along? Could it really be interested in him?

"Pawmi~ Pawmi~" Yes, yes, I'm reluctantly agreeing.

Pawmi nodded seriously.

"Since that's the case, forget it. I don't want to force you," Andrew said intentionally.

Pawmi became very agitated.

"Pawmi~ Pawmi~" No, no! I'm quite strong. You should be thrilled to have me as your Pokémon.

"You?" Andrew looked at Pawmi skeptically.

"Pawmi~" Of course!

Pawmi puffed out its chest with pride. It had defeated all its kind and set out on its own for training, but didn't expect the solo journey to be so difficult, often going hungry.

Hearing Pawmi's words, Andrew couldn't help but use his observation skills. Although he had traveled with Pawmi, he hadn't really checked its stats before.

Pawmi

Type: Electric

Ability: Iron Fist

Gender: Male

Level: 18

Moves: Scratch, Growl, Thunder Shock, Quick Attack, Charge, Nuzzle, Dig, Thief, Thunder Punch, Sweet Kiss.

[Individual Values]

HP: 29

Attack: 31

Defense: 31

Special Attack: 30

Special Defense: 30

Speed: 31

After reviewing the stats, Andrew was astonished. He had encountered a top-notch Pokémon! These individual values… this was the most impressive Pokémon he'd seen, except for Diancie.

And it had learned Thunder Punch!

Normally, Pawmi couldn't learn Thunder Punch in its base form; it could only learn it when evolving into Pawmo or Pawmot.

But this Pawmi had learned it early.

Andrew couldn't help but ask, "Are you really a prodigy?"

"Pawmi~" Absolutely!

Pawmi nodded with pride.

"Pawmi~ Pawmi~" Now you see how great I am, right? Hurry up and catch me!

It was clear he had to catch it! Andrew thought.

Although he wasn't a trainer, it was hard to resist such an impressive Pokémon, especially when Pawmi was presenting itself so eagerly.

Besides… Pawmi was really adorable, all fluffy and round. It would be nice to hold.

Andrew: "Alright then, I won't hold back!"

"Pawmi~ Pawmi~" Bring it on, bring it on!

Pawmi was held by the neck by the Espathra, its whole body swaying in the air like a pendulum, with a playful yet endearing expression as if to say, "Come at me!"

Andrew took out a Poké Ball and threw it at Pawmi. It was enveloped in red light and captured.

Thud, thud… The Poké Ball wobbled on the grass and finally, with a "click," it settled down.

Capture successful!

The cocky little genius Pawmi GOTCHA☆!

Releasing Pawmi again, Andrew said, "Pawmi, I'll be relying on you from now on!"

Pawmi immediately clung to his leg and eagerly said:

"Pawmi~ Pawmi~" I want something to eat, quickly!

"Alright, alright! I'll get you something to eat right now!" Andrew said, exasperated.

(End of the chapter)