Curiosity

After all the brown sugar ginger tea was finished, Naoki poured out a dozen more cups.

He handed the cups to Sister Indeedee and asked, "Could you help me take these to the Miltank and Gogoat in the barn?"

"Ai ah!" Sister Indeedee cheerfully agreed.

Not only she, but other Pokémon also jumped in to help, taking the cups outside.

Watching their eager backs, Naoki smiled before turning his attention to the half basket of wild mushrooms he had gathered earlier.

He carefully separated the different types of mushrooms, marking which were suitable for stir-frying and which were better for making soups.

With some time left before lunch, Naoki wasn't in a hurry, so his focus shifted to the pile of unusual poisonous mushrooms he had found.

He examined them closely and realized that every mushroom in the pile could cause a Pokémon to become poisoned after consuming it.

Yes, literally poisoned.

This meant that although they were toxic, the effects could be countered with Pecha Berries or antidotes that had detoxifying properties.

"Well, they shouldn't... be deadly, right?" he mused, recalling the old saying, "red cap, white stalk—best lay down after eating that."

Naoki stroked his chin, unsure, but his curiosity was piqued.

"Eh, let's give it a try. If it turns out to be really toxic, I'll just throw it out."

Resolved, Naoki grit his teeth and set about cleaning the mushrooms. After that, he lit a fire and tossed all the poisonous mushrooms into a pot to make soup.

As time passed, the once calm pot began to bubble.

The red-topped mushrooms bobbed up and down in the pot, and Naoki stirred them carefully with a pair of chopsticks.

Watching this scene, he suddenly felt like some kind of evil witch from the Middle Ages brewing poison.

Naoki: "…"

Then again, he thought, food can be strange that way.

When combined in certain ways, ingredients can either heal or harm the body, depending on how they interact.

About half an hour later, the poisonous mushroom soup was ready.

Naoki poured the soup into a bowl and took a cautious look at it.

[Poisonous Mushroom Soup (B-): This soup is made from highly toxic wild mushrooms. Though it smells enticing, don't be fooled by its appearance! Beware, eaters!

Effect: ??? After consumption, both humans and Pokémon may experience visions of another world, possibly leading to unexpected outcomes.

Warning: The eater will fall into a highly poisoned state, and detoxification with a Pecha Berry or antidote is necessary within an hour!

Rating: Extremely dangerous food. Please consume with caution.]

Naoki: "..."

Sometimes humans are like this—the more you warn them not to do something, the more they want to do it.

And to be honest, the description of the dish seemed designed to tempt someone into tasting it.

'Seeing another world? Was that the reverse world where Ghost-type Pokémon roamed?'

And the part about "unexpected outcomes"... well, that certainly sounded intriguing.

Despite the crude means of making it, Naoki had to admit he was curious.

The "other world" in the Pokémon universe was clearly more than what met the eye.

But he needed to stay cautious—this dish could definitely be dangerous.

After thinking for a long time, Naoki took out a few Pecha Berries from the fruit storage.

He glanced at them, and information about the berries appeared in his mind:

[Pecha Berry: A magical berry that can cure poison.]

Naoki then called over Brother and Sister Indeedee to explain his plan.

After hearing his idea, Brother Indeedee looked disapproving, while Sister Indeedee seemed quite worried.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing," Naoki reassured them. "I'll only stay in for a minute, and then you'll immediately give me the Pecha Berry juice."

The description of the dish said the poison could be cured as long as it was treated within an hour.

To ease their concerns, Naoki promised he'd only try it for one minute—nothing bad would happen in that short amount of time.

Seeing how determined he was, the two Indeedees exchanged hesitant glances but reluctantly agreed.

So, Naoki sat down on the sofa, scooped a small spoonful of the mushroom soup, and took a sip.

The next moment, everything around him began to shift.

The room's decorations became vividly colorful, and blocks of color started peeling away, floating in the air. Naoki's head grew heavy, the world spun, and he felt like he was falling.

Gradually, as the colors faded away, they were replaced by an eerie, silent, and empty space.

It was a world unlike anything he had ever seen.

Floating islands of various sizes drifted in the void, with upside-down trees, waterfalls flowing upwards, and even bodies of water suspended in mid-air.

Nothing here seemed to follow the normal rules of gravity.

Naoki stood in awe.

Three words immediately popped into his mind:

"Upside-down world!"

At that moment, Naoki finally understood what the cooking effect meant by "seeing another world."

This is not a spirit world, nor is it an illusion caused by the poisonous mushrooms. It's the Distortion World—a reverse dimension that is opposite to the real world, yet balanced with it!

This is the domain of the legendary Pokémon, Giratina!

"So, this is what the Reverse World is really like!" Naoki thought, feeling that the trip was worth it.

He quickly glanced around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Giratina, the legendary dragon-ghost type Pokemon, banished here due to its violent temperament.

Unfortunately, there was no sign of Giratina nearby.

Naoki wanted to explore further, but just then, he felt someone gently feeding sweet juice into his mouth.

The world around him dissolved like a receding tide, and Naoki's vision refocused on reality. He saw Brother and Sister Indeedee beside him, their faces filled with concern.

"I'm fine!" Naoki reassured them quickly.

However, a wave of weakness soon washed over him, as though he had been working in the fields all day without rest.

Naoki realized that this was likely the effect of the poison.

He took the cup of Pecha Berry juice from Sister Indeedee and drank it. Slowly, the weakness subsided.

Sister Indeedee was still worried, and her concerned expression made Naoki wonder if the poisonous mushrooms had affected his brain.

The two Indeedees exchanged uneasy glances, their eyes filled with unconcealed concern.

Naoki noticed. "What's with the looks on your faces?"

"Ai ah..." Sister Indeedee said, hesitating.

Naoki absentmindedly took out a bunch of seeds and nibbled on it. Then he realized what Sister Indeedee was suggesting: maybe he should visit a human hospital for a full check-up. What if the mushrooms had some lasting effects?

The concerned stares from his two Pokemon made Naoki, who had been eager to take another sip of the mushroom soup, start to second-guess himself.

Seeing his hesitation, Brother Indeedee began considering whether to inform Koraidon and the others.

If that happened, whether it was Koraidon, Dragonite, or Pawmot, they'd probably rush over and cling to Naoki's legs to stop him from trying anything risky again.

Naoki: "…"

With a sigh, Naoki gave in. "Alright, alright. I promise, no more mushroom soup."

But in truth, he was dying to see Giratina.

Meanwhile, in the Reverse World.

A massive figure glided swiftly through the void.

It was a dragon-like creature with a golden half-ring circling its neck, black and red stripes running horizontally across its body, and blood-red eyes silently observing the void ahead.

It sensed an unfamiliar presence had just intruded into its domain.

...

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