Zoroark and her little one worked together with Eevee, their sharp claws flashing like silver streaks as they sliced through meat with incredible precision. Thin, translucent slices of beef and lamb fluttered through the air like falling petals.
"Eevee~!"
Eevee leapt gracefully, catching a slice of meat on the tip of its nose before balancing upright on its hind legs and trotting proudly over to Peter.
"That needs to be cooked first," Peter chuckled, ruffling its fur. He picked up the slice with his chopsticks, dipped it into the spicy broth, and after a quick swish, fed it back to the little fox.
"Eevee~~~ (′∇`〃)"
Its whole body trembled with delight, completely enchanted by the flavor. Surprisingly, it had quite a taste for spicy food.
…
Nearby, Chansey eagerly tossed in spices and cracked eggs directly into the rich, simmering tomato broth.
Splash!
Soup splattered everywhere.
Thankfully, Rufflet reacted instantly, flapping its wings to create a gust that swept the droplets back into the pot.
"Lucky~ (So fun! o(*≧▽≦)ツ)"
Chansey giggled mischievously—only for a hand to press down gently on its head.
"Mi~lo…"
Lopunny shook her head with a calm but firm look.
Chansey immediately straightened up, sitting obediently like the most well-behaved child imaginable.
Peter couldn't help but laugh. Who would've thought that a Pokémon known for healing and kindness could also be this playful?
…
He casually picked up a perfectly shaped carrot and held it out.
"Mi~lo~ (Thank you, Master~)"
Lopunny leaned against his arm affectionately, nibbling the carrot in small bites. Even at over 1.7 meters tall, she still loved acting spoiled.
"Love~"
Indeedee took dishes from the waiter and began placing ingredients into the pot one by one.
Beside her, Arboliva stood quietly, releasing a gentle fragrance while purifying the air in the restaurant—ever devoted to protecting the environment.
Meanwhile, Miltank distributed fresh Moomoo Milk to everyone, and Clefairy bounced happily across the table.
The newly caught Minccino teamed up with Indeedee—one serving drinks, the other cleaning—busy and cheerful.
…
Peter, on the other hand, focused entirely on feeding Whitney.
Bite after bite, he filled her plate—and watching her cheeks puff out as she ate gave him a deep sense of satisfaction.
The meal lasted a full two and a half hours.
It only ended when Slaking casually lifted the pot… and drank everything in one go.
"Argh… I'm sooo full…"
Whitney stretched lazily, her figure curving beautifully as she leaned back.
Peter smiled. "Let's walk to the arena. Good way to digest."
"Okay~"
…
After a leisurely stroll, they arrived at the battle arena.
They registered smoothly and entered the waiting room, where a match was already underway on the big screen.
And the contestants?
Familiar faces.
Nessa—still in her signature swimsuit—and Draak.
On the field, her Seadra faced off against Crawdaunt.
Nessa stuck to her classic strategy—boosting speed, weakening her opponent with Scald, then slowing it further with Icy Wind, gradually kiting while dealing damage with Dragon Breath.
But Draak had a plan of his own.
He opened with Whirlpool to trap Seadra, then used Dig to approach from below. After taking the stat drops, Crawdaunt unleashed Payback—
Double power thanks to its stats being lowered.
With Adaptability boosting it further, the hit sent Seadra sliding back several meters.
The crowd thought it was over.
But then—
Poison Point triggered.
Crawdaunt was poisoned.
Moments later, Dragon Breath paralyzed it.
Double status conditions locked it down completely.
Unable to fight back, Crawdaunt collapsed.
Draak… lost.
…
"Hey, Peter!"
Nemona walked in through the player tunnel, grinning, with Paul beside her—clearly annoyed.
Peter blinked. "You two…?"
"We battled," Nemona said proudly. "I won! He's strong though—I almost lost my promotion match!"
"…Tch."
Paul shot her a cold glance before turning to Peter.
"Same time tomorrow. You better make it to Silver."
Then he left.
…
Watching his slightly lonely back, Peter called out, "Don't take it too hard. Winning and losing is normal."
Paul paused briefly.
"…Mind your own business."
Whitney giggled. "Still as stubborn as ever."
"Wait—you guys know him?" Nemona asked.
"Yeah. His name's Paul. He's strong," Peter replied.
They chatted for a bit until Nessa returned from the battlefield.
"Peter! Whitney!"
She greeted them warmly, though her eyes lingered on Peter just a moment longer before she composed herself and sat beside Whitney.
She shared updates—she'd caught several new Pokémon for her rain team, including Seadra.
"Oh right, Peter—look at this."
She raised her arm.
A sleek Dynamax Band rested on her wrist.
"You've mastered Dynamax already? Congrats!" Peter smiled.
"My dad knows Chairman Rose," she said lightly. "He's been helping me."
Then she added with a grin, "I'd love a rematch someday."
"Anytime. Actually—there's a Tag Battle Competition in a few days. You guys should join."
"Doubles? Sounds fun!" Nemona lit up.
"I'm in!" Nessa agreed immediately.
With plans set, Nemona left to train, and Nessa politely excused herself, leaving Peter and Whitney alone.
Soon, Peter's match began.
His opponent used a Vibrava at level 33.
Ironically, its pre-evolution Trapinch had higher attack, but Vibrava's stats were mediocre—and its Ground/Dragon typing gave it a crippling 4× weakness to Ice.
Peter sent out Teddiursa.
After a Belly Drum boost—
Two Ice Punches.
Battle over.
Simple. Clean.
And utterly dominant.
--------------
MPHFics's Note:
Hello, readers,
Thank you all for your continued support!
Feel free to check out my latest Pokémon fanfic release and read it alongside this story:
✦ Pokémon: Endless Genesis of the Chosen One ✦
Feel free to follow both stories in parallel, and I hope you enjoy them both!