"Alola."
"Alola…"
"This is really troublesome."
Sitting in the restaurant, Lin Feng felt a little embarrassed.
The reason was simple. When Mallow noticed his somewhat helpless expression, she came over to ask what was wrong. After learning about his situation, she invited him inside and even offered to prepare a room for him to stay in.
"It's fine, really, Mr. Lin Feng. Bounsweet told me today that she really liked your energy cubes."
Mallow placed a pot of creamy stew on the table. Steam curled up from the surface, where slices of carrot and lettuce rested on top, with ribs faintly visible inside.
"Didn't you have a male Pokémon that could fly with you, Mr. Lin Feng? Where did he go?"
She glanced around the restaurant. Since there were not many customers at the moment, she sat down across from Lin Feng and observed him with curiosity.
This trainer had come from the Huadong League.
There was something mysterious about him.
Whether from the perspective of a trainer or a breeder, he seemed extraordinary.
Lin Feng looked at the full pot of stew and could not help swallowing.
Aside from a few slices of berries, he had not eaten anything else all day.
Still, he replied,
"A flying male Pokémon… he's not an ordinary one. He's Mewtwo, a Psychic-type Pokémon."
There was nothing to hide about that.
To avoid drawing strange attention, Mewtwo usually transformed into a human form.
"A Pokémon?"
Mallow exclaimed in surprise.
No wonder he could fly. It seemed the person she had spoken with yesterday had been right after all.
"Maybe he's a battle enthusiast. He went off to challenge other Pokémon," Lin Feng said while eating.
Speaking of which, Mallow's cooking was quite impressive. Although the stew had no special cooking effects, eating it filled him with a warm and comforting feeling.
"May I call out my Pokémon as well?"
Lin Feng thought of Dragonite. It had been staying in its Poké Ball all day, only eating a few slices of berries.
However, Dragonite was extremely tolerant of hunger. The fat stored in its belly allowed it to go days without food.
Mallow nodded. "Of course."
Lin Feng immediately took out a Poké Ball and pressed the button gently. Dragonite appeared at once.
Then he took out another Poké Ball and released Tsareena.
"Oh, chir?"
"It's getting late today, and we've traveled too far. Let's rest for now. I'll take you back tomorrow," Lin Feng said gently.
He clearly understood how eager Tsareena was to see her daughter, but for the moment, this was the only reassurance he could offer.
"Have something to eat first."
Lin Feng took out some Bounsweet energy cubes from his storage Poké Ball.
"Oh… chir…"
Although Tsareena seemed distracted, she still followed Lin Feng's suggestion and began eating the energy cubes.
"Is that the queen Pokémon you caught, Mr. Lin Feng?" Mallow asked curiously from across the table.
"Well, it wasn't exactly a capture. It's a bit complicated," Lin Feng said with an embarrassed smile. "What I said earlier on the beach wasn't entirely true."
"Actually, I caught a Bounsweet a long time ago. For various reasons, she was not properly separated from her mother and even ended up coming with me to the Huadong League.
That's why I hurried here this time, hoping to help her find her mother."
"Alola!" Mallow showed a surprised expression. "So this Tsareena is Bounsweet's mother, and you actually flew all the way here, Mr. Lin Feng?"
Lin Feng gently patted Dragonite beside him and said softly, "Without desire, nothing can be accomplished. But if you truly desire something, you must give it your all, right?"
"Hm?"
Dragonite looked around at the surroundings in confusion for a moment.
Fortunately, the restaurant's ceiling was high enough to accommodate its size.
Lin Feng served himself a bowl of rice and some dishes, then handed the large pot of stew to Dragonite. "The rest is yours."
"Mmm!"
At the sight of food, Dragonite's eyes lit up instantly. It glanced at the chair, decided it might not support its weight, and simply sat on the floor, hugging the pot of stew in its arms.
Lin Feng took out more energy cubes from his storage Poké Ball and handed them to him.
Dragonite's smile grew even brighter.
Seeing this, Mallow could not help but show an expression of admiration.
"Mr. Lin Feng really treasures his Pokémon."
Lin Feng watched Dragonite happily eating the stew.
"They're all easily satisfied beings. I truly like them very much…"
Before he could finish speaking, a woman's voice called out from behind him, "Mallow! Hurry and serve the dishes!"
"Coming, coming!"
Gradually, two or three more customers entered the restaurant, so Mallow naturally could not stay any longer.
She apologized to Lin Feng and ran toward the back.
"It's fine, it's fine…"
Lin Feng waved his hand as he watched her leave.
He could not help thinking that, in terms of harmony between humans and Pokémon, the Alola region might truly be the best place.
There was no shortage of Pokémon food here, and both the people of Alola and their Pokémon believed in their guardian deities.
After the history of the ancient saints had been translated, this faith had reached its peak.
Both Pokémon and humans were willing to express gratitude and make wishes to those who had lost their radiance.
If Calyrex were the king here, it would surely be able to maintain its peak state.
He shook his head. These thoughts did not linger long in Lin Feng's mind.
Instead, his attention shifted to the voice he had just heard.
It had been a woman's voice.
But according to the later storyline of the Sun and Moon anime, Mallow's mother had died of a serious illness before Ash's arrival.
Bounsweet had been a Pokémon she captured together with her mother.
It was also a keepsake her mother had left behind.
Yet now, it seemed her mother was still alive.
…
Perhaps because he was hungry, Lin Feng and Dragonite ate quickly.
After finishing the meal, Lin Feng felt somewhat embarrassed and wanted to help in the kitchen, but Mallow pushed him out.
Even though he showed his advanced breeder certificate from the Huadong League and expressed great confidence in his cooking skills, Mallow's mother still insisted that he be escorted out.
She asked Mallow to prepare a guest room for him instead.
With no other choice, Lin Feng stayed there for the night.
Early the next morning, Mewtwo appeared before Lin Feng with an excited expression.
"Nothing serious happened, right?" Lin Feng asked.
Mewtwo replied, "No. Their strengths differ, but none of them could match me."
"Mm."
Lin Feng was not surprised by this.
Although the guardian deities were powerful, in a one-on-one battle they were absolutely no match for Mewtwo.
Still, that night must have been chaotic.
The current professors of the Alola region, or certain people in Alola, had probably been unable to sleep at all.
"Mr. Lin Feng, are you leaving already?"
Mallow, who had woken early to prepare ingredients, could not help asking when she saw Lin Feng, who had risen just as early.