Castform fell into deep thought.
From what Chingling had said, every member of this family was doing their part in their own way.
So here came the question—what could she do to help?
Chingling wasn't sure either.
It thought for a moment, then asked, "Ching ching?" (Do you have any special moves you're good at?)
Castform shook her head. "Cast…"
She had no idea.
Seeing her confused face, Chingling nodded in sudden realization.
"Ching ching!" (You were just born today! You haven't grown up yet! Once you grow a little, you'll know what you're good at. That's how I figured it out too!)
Chingling puffed up with pride.
"Ching ching…"
Or, if all else fails, they could just ask Kawaki!
With that decision made, the two Pokémon returned to the daycare and found Kawaki, who was currently fiddling with the berry mixer, working on some Pokéblocks.
With a new member joining the family, and the occasional visiting trainer staying over, the berries grown in the backyard orchard were no longer enough.
To help cover the shortfall, Bewear had gone out to the wilds to gather more berries.
Kawaki, following the recipe carefully, dropped berries into the mixer one by one, all while planning how to expand the orchard's size and plant more trees.
That way, Bewear wouldn't have to leave the daycare so often.
Noticing Chingling and Castform float in, Kawaki raised an eyebrow and asked, "What's up? Finished your tour of the daycare?"
Chingling cheerfully responded, "Ching ching!"
"In that case, take Castform to get some rest," Kawaki said.
Newly hatched Pokémon needed plenty of sleep to grow strong and healthy.
When Growlithe was first born, it spent most of its time either sleeping or drinking milk to replenish energy.
Even though Castform was a different species, the principle likely still applied.
But instead of leaving, the two Pokémon floated in place.
"Ching ching!"
It looked like they were trying to say something.
Kawaki blinked. "You two… want to tell me something?"
Chingling nodded eagerly.
Kawaki scratched his head—this was a problem. He couldn't understand Pokémon speech!
In the Pokémon world, humans and Pokémon generally didn't share a language.
Only a few gifted individuals or telepathic Pokémon could bridge the gap.
Oh, and of course, that one Meowth from Team Rocket who learned to speak human language…
But unfortunately, Kawaki's "cheat skill" didn't come with that feature.
Watching their gestures, he began to guess.
"You're hungry?"
Chingling shook her head.
"Don't want to nap? Want to keep playing?"
More head-shaking.
Chingling looked frustrated now.
Kawaki began to worry. "Wait—is there a thief in the backyard? Is someone trying to steal the Pokémon?"
He immediately set aside the half-finished Pokéblocks and rushed out.
But when he arrived, the backyard was calm and quiet.
Kawaki: "..."
Troublesome…
"Ching…" Chingling sighed as Kawaki clearly didn't understand.
Castform hovered behind, unsure of what to do.
Just then, Bewear returned from foraging.
But instead of bringing back berries, it was carrying something else—something that looked like a small raccoon Pokémon.
Zigzagoon?
"Gu!" Bewear quickly set the Zigzagoon on the ground.
Kawaki rushed over and realized—the Zigzagoon wasn't moving.
"It's passed out?" he muttered.
He knelt and checked its condition.
The Zigzagoon was burning up. It had a severe fever.
Kawaki activated his cheat to inspect it.
[Pokémon: Zigzagoon]
[Gender: Male]
[Ability: Pickup]
[Moves: Tackle, Growl, Tail Whip]
[Status: Severely Injured, High Fever]
[Mood: 😖 Pain]
[Friendship: 0 (It doesn't know you yet)]
[Entry: It hurts… —Zigzagoon]
Just as he suspected.
Kawaki quickly applied healing spray to its injuries, then retrieved some herbs he'd bought earlier in Aogiri Town.
They didn't treat wounds directly, but they were excellent for reducing fevers.
The same herb was used in over-the-counter fever reducers for humans—so it worked on Pokémon too.
He ground the herb into a paste, mixed it with Moomoo Milk, and gently fed the concoction to Zigzagoon.
A few minutes later, Zigzagoon's furrowed brows relaxed a bit. The pain seemed to ease, and it slowly opened its eyes.
Then it saw Kawaki.
"You're safe now," Kawaki said softly.
Too tired or too weak to respond, Zigzagoon soon drifted off to sleep again.
Kawaki carefully moved it to a soft Pokémon bed in the corner of the room.
"You found it outside?" Kawaki asked Bewear.
"Gu!" Bewear nodded.
It had gone out for berries but stumbled across the injured Zigzagoon instead.
It didn't hesitate and brought the poor creature back to the daycare.
"Probably attacked by wild Pokémon and left untreated, leading to infection and fever," Kawaki guessed, recalling the wounds.
It would likely be days before Zigzagoon fully recovered.
"Stay home today, Bewear. Take a break. Once things settle, we'll expand the berry orchard," Kawaki added.
Behind the inn, there was still a large unused plot of land. The previous owners had only planted a small patch of vegetables.
"Gu." Bewear nodded, settling down on the couch to rest.
"Oh, right! You two!" Kawaki turned to Chingling and Castform. "If you have something to say, just tell Bewear. I'm sure it'll help."
Hearing that, Chingling's eyes lit up.
She immediately turned to Bewear and explained what they were trying to figure out—what Castform could do to help around the daycare.
Bewear scratched its head. After glancing at Kawaki, then Castform, it suddenly remembered something he had said a while ago:
[Once Castform hatches, we can use Rain Dance to help water the herb garden!]
It knew the answer now!
Kawaki, meanwhile, returned to his Pokéblock project.
The process wasn't complicated. By following the recipe and using the machine properly, he soon had a handful of glittering cube-like treats.
[Pokéblock (Basic Type): Suitable for Normal, Flying, and Fighting-type Pokémon. Enhances coat shine with long-term use.]
Oh, so it was one that boosted beauty!
Kawaki inspected the Pokéblock in his hand.
It still had visible impurities—clearly, the quality was on the low side.
Since Bewear was a Normal/Fighting-type, he handed it one and asked, "Try this—how's it taste?"
Bewear popped it in and chewed thoughtfully. Meh... it had definitely had better Pokéblocks before.
But looking at Kawaki's eager face, it just couldn't bring itself to say so.
This was his first batch, after all. No way it would crush his spirit!
A second later, Kawaki watched as Bewear's eyes lit up like it had tasted heaven itself.
"Gu!"
Kawaki: "..."
Liar.
There was no change in Bewear's mood or joy value—no glowing sun above its head.
Which meant… it was just being nice.
Still, Kawaki appreciated it. He didn't call it out and instead went back to refining his recipe, determined to improve.
But just then, a familiar chirping came from outside.
Kawaki looked up and saw a small, proud figure land on the windowsill.
It peered in through the glass—Swellow, his informant Pokémon, had returned!
Kawaki smiled as he glanced down at the Pokéblock in his hand.
Perfect timing.