"..."
Hoshino had a strange premonition, but was there still a way back now? There wasn't. He didn't have time to find a new place to stay today.
"Did you feel any strange gazes just now?" he asked, looking down.
"Cycli?"
Cyclizar suddenly snapped back to reality, its eyes returning to normal. Its expression was blank for a moment before returning to its cheerful face.
Seeing it like this, and recalling how it one-shotted the Crabrawler last night, Hoshino wasn't too worried anymore and breathed a sigh of relief: "It seems like it's something you can handle, so let's keep going!"
"Cycli Cycli~"
They ran along the middle of the road towards the depths of the Wanderer District. Logically speaking, this place should be where stray Pokémon reside.
But strangely, at this moment, no other Pokémon were seen, let alone humans who had also chosen to live here for free.
However, the streets were very clean, as if someone was cleaning them daily.
And there were actually many shops and billboards along the roadside, but they were all closed. Yet, the traces didn't suggest they had been closed for many years.
"What kind of street is this? I'd believe you if you told me everyone on this street took the day off today. It doesn't look abandoned at all; it's more like a night market that's closed during the day…"
Hoshino had been looking at the map, knowing there were scattered shiny spots inside some of the surrounding houses, but it still didn't show any small landmarks.
Just as he was wondering, Cyclizar suddenly stopped and looked at a building not far away that had no excessive, gaudy decorations.
Although it only had two floors, it covered a large area. There was a staircase on the side that led directly to the second-floor balcony, where there was also a door to enter.
The roof adopted a tiled, triangular, sealed structure, reminiscent of oriental architecture, which didn't quite match the tropical style of the Alola Region. However, placed on this street, it didn't feel out of place at all.
Hoshino gazed at the two-story building for a long time, then slowly spoke: "Have I seen this structure in some anime before…?"
"Cycli Cycli!"
Cyclizar called out towards it. Hoshino didn't understand what it was saying, so he got off its back and went over with it.
The map didn't show any shiny spots appearing in front of them. As for whether there were Pokémon inside the house, he wasn't sure. But upon getting closer, he could smell a faint fruity wine aroma wafting in the air.
"Is someone brewing wine?"
He was a little surprised. It seemed there were humans living here, not Pokémon. Cyclizar must have smelled this aroma and been attracted to it.
Then he looked up at a tiled eaves structure between the first and second floors. A wooden plaque was fixed there.
The writing on the plaque had gradually faded due to the passage of time, or perhaps erosion from rain, and could only be barely made out upon closer inspection.
"Slowpoke… Izakaya?"
Hoshino murmured the name. Indeed, this place had a shop. So what was the meaning of this phone map? Had it suddenly become even worse than a terrible map?
"Cycli Cycli!"
"Alright, alright, I know you're hungry. Don't try to ram the door. You should knock politely!"
He stopped Cyclizar and then gently knocked twice on the Izakaya door. It should still be before opening hours, so the door was closed.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
After three knocks, Hoshino waited patiently. Then, slow footsteps came from behind the door, a squishy sound that didn't quite sound like a human could make.
"Hmm?"
Just as he was wondering, the Izakaya door slowly opened, and a pink head, looking full of wisdom, suddenly poked out, then stared blankly at him.
The orange and white umbrella-like ornament around its neck, and the ruby-studded, crown-like hat on its head, already indicated this creature's identity: it was a Slowking.
"Slowking?"
"Excuse me…"
Hoshino immediately dragged Cyclizar away, not expecting a Slowking to be living here. No wonder it was called Slowpoke Izakaya.
However, after only taking one step, he suddenly realized that Slowking wasn't a very dangerous Pokémon.
On the contrary, Slowking has very high intelligence and is very good at helping others solve problems. There is even a saying in some regions, "If you get lost, ask Slowking."
So he immediately walked back, assuming a nervous posture, and said somewhat awkwardly: "Um… excuse me for a moment."
"Slowking?"
Seeing Slowking still with a blank expression, Hoshino didn't beat around the bush. He pointed upwards, leaned in, and asked in a familiar tone: "Boss Slowking, is anyone living on your upper floor?"
"Slowking~"
Slowking put its hands behind its back and shook its head, its meaning clear. Hoshino immediately became happy and asked: "Then it should be fine for us to move upstairs, right?"
"Slowking~"
This time, Slowking neither shook its head nor nodded. Instead, it tilted its head and stared blankly into his eyes. He didn't know what it meant, and they remained in a stalemate for several minutes, neither giving in.
"Are you trying to assimilate me and make me slow…?"
Hoshino said, narrowing his eyes, while Cyclizar behind him finally couldn't bear it and wanted to enter the Izakaya. At this point, Slowking's gaze shifted to it, and then they began to communicate.
"Slowking?"
"Cycli Cycli~"
"Slowking~"
"Cycli Cycli?"
"Slowking Slowking~"
"Cycli Cycli~"
"Slowking~"
Hoshino didn't understand a single word of what the two Pokémon were communicating.
If there was a talent that allowed him to understand Pokémon language, he would definitely need to get one.
However, after their conversation, Slowking suddenly turned and returned to the Izakaya with Cyclizar.
Hoshino wanted to go in but was stopped by Slowking's hand. Unsure of the situation, he could only wait at the doorway for the time being.
A moment later, Cyclizar came out carrying a pile of snacks and fruit juice he didn't recognize, likely Alola specialties, along with a set of keys.
He took all these items with a bewildered expression, then looked at the keys and at Slowking, who had also come out, and asked curiously: "Are these the keys to the second floor?"
"Slowking~"
Slowking, still looking full of wisdom, nodded and then returned to the Izakaya, closing the door.
Hoshino still didn't understand what had happened, but seeing Cyclizar's happy expression, he guessed it might have said something to Slowking earlier…
"Forget it, I can't figure it out. I'll go check out the room first, and then dinner will be settled!"
"Cycli Cycli~"
He and Cyclizar went up the side staircase, one after the other. Upon reaching the second floor, the hallway was quite clean, suggesting it was regularly cleaned.
"Keys…"
With a click, as the key turned, the lock was successfully opened.
The door on the second floor was the same kind of wooden sliding door as the Izakaya on the first floor. He didn't know what kind of wood was used for the raw material, but it looked quite sturdy.
The room was a bit dim, and a faint scent of air freshener lingered in the air.
When the lights came on, looking around, both the wood-like floor and the ceiling were very clean, making Hoshino hesitate whether to step inside.
After entering and checking around, he found that the space inside was quite ample, with a complete bathroom, kitchen, living room, and bedroom. It was just a bit empty, without furniture or even a bed, requiring him to prepare his own.
"It's clear no one has lived here for a long time, but it's still regularly cleaned. The house owner is quite diligent. However, I'll still clean it again later."
Overall, Hoshino was very satisfied. He didn't expect to move into such a house so easily, and the key thing was, it was free!
Indeed, his luck had turned. His mood throughout the day was truly like riding a roller coaster, but when bad luck reached its end, good luck would naturally follow.
He stood in the living room and pulled up the blinds. A dazzling light flashed, and it was already approaching dusk. The setting sun shone directly through the window, spilling onto the floor.
The house's entrance faced east, so he could see the sun every morning when he opened the door, and in the evening, he could sit in the living room with the blinds open and enjoy the sunset.
"Now this is living!"
"Cycli Cycli~"
"Alright, time to eat… Hey! Don't eat the packaging too! And that's not how you drink juice, a straw! A straw!"
Hoshino immediately went forward and hand-fed Cyclizar these things. He was hungry too, and thankfully the snacks Boss Slowking gave were quite substantial, enough for a full dinner.
After dinner, Cyclizar, full, wanted to lie down on the bedroom floor to sleep, but Hoshino still dragged it to take a bath.
After that, Hoshino cleaned the dirty floor again. Today was truly exhausting, but after everything was done, he could finally get some good sleep. Any problems could wait until tomorrow.
Since there was no bed or floor mat, he could only make do by lying on Cyclizar's back for the night.
"Good night~"
"Cycli~"
…
The sky gradually darkened. After an unknown amount of time, the noisy clamor from the street outside woke Hoshino from his sleep.
He blinked his eyes listlessly, glanced at the still-sleeping Cyclizar, then got off its back, left the bedroom, and walked through the living room.
From there, the sounds became increasingly distinct, not only from outside but also from downstairs.
He irritably opened the door and walked outside, about to ask what was happening, but upon seeing the scene on the street below, he froze in place.
"Did I transmigrate again?"
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