In the end, he decided to make his two signature dishes... instant noodles and fried eggs...
The crescent moon quietly climbed into the night sky.
Caleb left the Pokémon Center with little Lily and headed to Oldale Town's only 24-hour supermarket.
Most people here followed a simple routine... rising with the sun and resting at dusk.
On the way, Caleb noticed that several shops which sold Pokémon food had already closed. This meant he would have to prepare dinner for Dragonite and Mimikyu himself.
Standing solemnly in front of the supermarket shelves, he studied the rows of oddly shaped berries...
To the left were red berries resembling cranberries, the same kind Dragonite had crushed at Hatsumi's noodle shop.
To the right were pink banana-like berries that exuded a sweet and refreshing aroma.
The scent reminded him of the berry salad Hatsumi had served later.
"Dragonite probably doesn't like spicy food but prefers sweets..."
After some thought, Caleb sent Lily to fetch a shopping cart, then he proceeded to clear out the entire shelf of pink berries.
Under the stunned gaze of the supermarket staff, he left with a giant bag of berries.
Lily trotted beside him, carrying instant noodles and eggs.
They walked down the straight street and stopped at a slightly worn two-story house on the outskirts of town...
Key in hand, Caleb turned the lock.
*Click*
The door opened. Little Lily dashed inside. She quickly flipped on the lights, eagerly set down the noodles, and rushed back to take the berries from Caleb.
"No, they're too heavy for you. Go watch TV. Dinner will be ready soon." As he spoke, Caleb headed to the kitchen.
He set the groceries on the table, lit the stove, and began washing, peeling, and chopping the banana-like berries, which were known as Nanab Berries.
Beneath the peel lay soft, fragrant flesh. Caleb took a bite.
The texture was crisper than a banana, but the rich, sweet juice bursting in his mouth was nearly identical.
It reminded him of fried bananas from his past life, especially when coated in melted cheese. Simply imagining it made his mouth water.
Swallowing hard, he heated oil in the pan and started frying. Soon, several unidentifiable yellow lumps popped up from the oil.
Caleb: "...."
This only strengthened his resolve to buy that Gardevoir housekeeping robot.
Hearing the noise, Lily ran in from the living room. Her eyes widened at the plate, "Onii-chan!! What IS that?? It looks scary!"
Caleb shot her a deadpan look, picked up a fried berry, and stuffed it into his mouth.
Lily was so freaked out, that she nearly fainted. Her expression screamed 'My brother just ate shit!'... She stood there blankly, not daring to speak.
Seizing the opportunity, Caleb also shoved one into her mouth.
Lily stumbled back... but instead of the expected disgust, a crisp, honey-like sweetness flooded her taste buds.
"Mmph! So good!" she mumbled through a full mouth.
Caleb smirked and handed her a few more before shooing her away. Then, he released Dragonite and Mimikyu.
Two flashes of white light later, the pair stood in the modest kitchen.
"Try these!" Caleb offered the plate to his Pokémon, then watched expectantly.
Mimikyu trusted him unconditionally. So tiny claws emerged from its rag, grabbing a berry immediately.
Seeing this, Dragonite followed suit, and popped one into its mouth...
The next moment, its teal eyes bulged, and it let out a satisfied sigh: "Wuuuu~!"
"Not bad, right? I made them myself. It's just… well... not the prettiest presentation." Caleb said happily.
Dragonite and Mimikyu nodded vigorously.
With its huge mouth, Dragonite devoured the berries at an alarming rate, leaving the plate empty before Mimikyu could finish its first.
Staring at the bare dish, Mimikyu looked ready to cry.
Dragonite's upbringing differed starkly from Mimikyu's. Most Dragon-types were born dominant and aggressive. Every powerful wild Dragon-type had clawed its way up from the bottom.
Before being caught, Dragonite had never needed to consider others... even now, its sole concern was Caleb.
Sensing Dragonite's attitude toward Mimikyu, Caleb pursed his lips.
"Don't worry, I'll make more!" he assured Mimikyu.
Internally, he sighed, 'I feel like a parent with two kids who don't get along...'
It would be wrong to be partial to anyone, more especially if the two 'children' were a little at odds with each other...
Mimikyu, ever perceptive, noticed Dragonite's indifference and Caleb's dilemma. Not wanting to trouble its trainer, it wordlessly pushed the second batch of fried berries toward Dragonite and retreated into its Poké Ball.
Once Dragonite finished eating, Caleb casually spoke, "Dragonite?"
Dragonite looked up, its eyes bright.
"Did you ever have companions before?"
"Wuu~?" Tilting its head, Dragonite seemed confused by the term.
Caleb clarified, "Companions... It's like the relationship between you and me... we look out for each other, grow together, and live together."
Dragonite pondered seriously, then shook its head, "Wuuu…"
Its memories were of perpetual solitude. There were no shared experiences.
Caleb pointed at the empty plate that Mimikyu had surrendered and said, "See? Mimikyu thought you were still hungry and gave you its share. It might go to bed hungry tonight."
Dragonite knew hunger well... back as a Dratini, it had often endured empty stomachs... Rubbing its full belly, guilt flickered in its eyes...
Leaning against the counter, Caleb continued, "Do you remember our first battle? The night I lost?"
Dragonite nodded. It remembered this human staying in the Dragon Holy Land and battling relentlessly, just as it once had.
Caleb continued, "That night, you were by Lake Milotic, watching the moon, right?"
Another nod. It remembered that the moon had been beautiful especially beautiful that night. Dragonite adored beauty.
"The you I saw then felt completely different from the you I see during the day." Caleb tried to articulate his meaning in simple terms, "How to put it… In human terms, nighttime you seemed like an artist..."
Dragonite didn't understand the meaning of 'artist', but it grasped Caleb's meaning... Loneliness.
After each day's battles, Dragonite dragged its exhausted body back to its nest. Followed by the sun setting, darkness swallowing the twilight, and the world falling silent... Truthfully, it had long wanted a human trainer.
But the challengers were all too weak, none even lasting three rounds. In Dragonite's mind, they weren't worthy.
Caleb sighed softly and said, "So… why not try accepting Mimikyu? Treat it as a companion. Unless something unexpected happens, the three of us will be together for a long time. If I'm ever not around, you can look out for each other."
With that, he produced another plate of golden-fried Nanab Berries and handed it to Dragonite.
Understanding dawned in Dragonite's eyes. Taking the plate, it pressed the button on Mimikyu's Poké Ball.
A flash of light later, Mimikyu materialized on the table, bewildered. Dragonite scratched its head sheepishly and pushed the plate toward Mimikyu.
At that moment, a notification popped up on Caleb's panel:
[Conditions met! Pokémon-exclusive mission unlocked!]
[Accessible during free days. No penalties. Zero danger. Completion rewards generous bonuses!]
Scrolling down, another message appeared:
[Pokémon-exclusive mission, "Dragonite's Wish", now available!]
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Read ahead on my P@treon...
[email protected]/MayaMatengele01