Bellsprout then sidled up to Barboach and Whiscash.
"Sprout~ Sprout~~" See? Didn't I tell you? Isn't Lucas's food especially delicious?
Its little form was particularly smug, as if it were the one who had prepared the delicious food.
"How about it? Would you like to trade the remaining lotus roots you have for meals at my place?" Lucas asked.
Barboach and Whiscash exchanged glances, momentarily unsure of what to decide.
"Sprout~ Sprout~" Trade, trade with him!
Bellsprout encouraged the two Water-type Pokémon from the side.
Barboach and Whiscash couldn't withstand their good friend's persistent urging, and ultimately had to agree. They really couldn't resist the delicious food before them.
Lucas was overjoyed. "Then it's settled! I'll go dig for lotus roots at your place later. From now on, come to my house for meals every morning."
While Lucas and the others were happily enjoying the lotus root feast inside the house, the parents outside were tormented by the tantalizing aromas wafting through the air.
"Taria~ Taria~~" Do they get to eat such fragrant food every day?
Swablu's father asked his mate.
"Altaria~~" Not this good usually.
Swablu's mother shook her head. Although the food had smelled appealing before, it had never been as enticing as today. Today's aroma was absolutely irresistible! She subconsciously swallowed.
"Talon~ Flame~" That human really has some skill. No wonder the children want to come every day.
Fletchling's mother, a Talonflame, remarked.
"Star~~" Hmph!
Fletchling's father, a Staraptor, snorted coldly. What was so impressive? He was just good at cooking. Nothing special about that.
Staraptor thought dismissively, but at that moment, an even more powerful aroma assaulted him, and he nearly choked on the saliva that kept filling his mouth.
Suddenly, Lucas's voice called out, "Hello, everyone! Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?"
"Star~ Rap~" Who wants to eat your food!
Staraptor responded with embarrassed anger, feeling somewhat undignified by his earlier reaction.
"Please, have some! It's free—you'll miss out if you don't try it," Lucas insisted.
As he spoke, Lucas waved toward the house, and Diancie and Munchlax emerged, each carrying a basin of steamed buns and a basin of vegetables. Lucas placed two food bowls in front of each Pokémon parent and began serving them.
The aroma emanating from the food was overwhelmingly enticing, penetrating directly into the parents' noses. Some were so stimulated by the scent that their eyes widened, and they repeatedly swallowed.
"Alright, enjoy your meal."
Concerned that the parents might feel uncomfortable if he lingered, Lucas led Diancie and Munchlax back inside, thoughtfully turning on the porch light before leaving.
By now, darkness had fallen. The porch light emitted a soft glow, dispelling the darkness around it and creating an unconsciously comforting atmosphere. Even the Pokémon parents felt subtly warmed by Lucas's considerate gesture.
Staraptor desperately shook his head.
Pah, pah, pah~~ What am I getting sentimental about!
"Altaria~" How is it? Want to try some?
Swablu's father brought his head close to the food bowl and took a deep breath, his mouth immediately watering uncontrollably.
So fragrant! So incredibly fragrant! It smells even better up close!
"Star~~" I'm not eating it!
Staraptor declared angrily.
"Flame~ Flame~" If you don't want it, I'll have it!
Talonflame couldn't resist any longer and began burying her beak in the food bowl, pecking away eagerly.
"TALONFLAME~" This... This... This is too delicious!
Talonflame immediately cried out to the sky.
Seeing Talonflame's reaction, Swablu's father and the Victreebel and Weepinbell couple subconsciously swallowed.
How delicious could it possibly be?
Talonflame didn't care about appearances anymore. She directly said to her mate, "Flame~" You're not eating, right? Then I'll take yours too!
As she spoke, she used her wings to pull both of Staraptor's food bowls toward herself.
"Staraptor~~" How dare you!
Staraptor was nearly apoplectic with rage at his mate's actions.
How can you be so spineless!
Finally, Swablu's father couldn't bear it anymore.
"Taria~~ Taria~~" I don't care what you think—I want to try it too.
With that declaration, he lowered his head and buried his beak in the food bowl, pecking away hungrily.
Mmm, delicious~ Mmm, so good~ Incredible!
"Taria~ Taria~ Taria~" I think that human really isn't a bad person. How could someone who makes food this good be bad?
Swablu's father muttered indistinctly while chewing.
WHACK!
Swablu's mother raised her wing and slapped her mate on the head. "Altaria~" You're being won over by a little food!
"Taria~" Ouch!
Swablu's father covered his head with a look of grievance. "Taria~ Taria~ Taria~~" I was just giving my honest opinion—why are you so angry?
The Victreebel and Weepinbell exchanged glances, ignoring the domestic disputes of the two couples. They silently extended their vine whips to lift the food bowls and poured the contents into their mouths.
Mmm, delicious~ Mmm, amazing~
The couple chewed thoughtfully, finally understanding why their children spent so much time away from home. This food was simply extraordinary!
"Star~ Star~~~" You... How could you also...
Seeing that the Victreebel couple had also surrendered to temptation, Staraptor was practically fuming with indignation.
The Victreebel couple remained silent, continuing to enjoy their meal without comment.
Inside the house, Lucas watched the Happiness Point balance on his system interface. The numbers were rapidly increasing, and a bright smile spread across his face.
+200
+200
+200
+200
A good sign! The parents' attitudes were beginning to soften.
Lucas's lotus root feast continued until around nine o'clock in the evening before concluding. After the Pokémon finished eating, they didn't leave immediately but stayed to help Lucas clean up.
They tackled not only the aftermath of the evening's banquet but also the cleanliness of the entire building.
Many hands made light work, so the cleaning didn't take long. Once completed, Lucas felt the house had become immeasurably brighter. Everything was spotless, and even the ceiling had been polished to a gleaming shine by Snubbull and the others.
This was the Pokémon's small token of appreciation for Lucas's hospitality.
After seeing all the Pokémon off, Lucas massaged his lower back. "That was exhausting! I'm never doing this again. I should stick to just making breakfast!" Overexertion wasn't his style.
He opened the system interface and checked his Happiness Point balance: 20,906.
That evening, a total of 32 Pokémon, including the parents, had dined at his home, contributing a total of 6,400 Happiness Points.
(Note: The currency in this story is the Alliance Coin, with purchasing power equivalent to RMB. While the original Pokémon games use a Japanese currency system, the author has simplified the conversion to avoid numerical errors. The purchasing power of Happiness Points in the system store is equivalent to Alliance Coins.)
Picking up Komala, Lucas said to Diancie and Munchlax, "Let's head inside."
"Alright."
"Munch~~"
Afterward, Lucas, as usual, went to the culinary training room with Munchlax for one hour of practice before washing up and going to bed.
That night, Lucas felt terrible, suffering from a splitting headache. He awoke groggily to find Diancie sitting by his bedside.
"What... what's wrong?" His voice was terribly hoarse when he spoke. "Cough, cough, cough~~"
Diancie quickly reached out to feel Lucas's forehead. "It's still very hot. You have a fever." As she spoke, she helped Lucas sit up against the headboard.
In the past, when Lucas's health wasn't good, his immune system had been particularly weak. He would get sick every few days, and colds and fevers were commonplace. Back then, Diancie, still a Carbink, had cared for him in the same manner.
Diancie poured Lucas a glass of water, then dispensed a fever reducer and held it to his lips. While busy, she chattered, "It must be because you stayed in the water too long yesterday and caught a chill. You're such a grown-up, but you still act so irresponsibly. Even if you're digging lotus roots, you don't have to wade into the water yourself..."
Watching Diancie bustling around, Lucas felt as if he had returned to five hundred years ago.
After taking the medicine, Lucas was helped to lie down as Diancie tucked him in. "Rest well, and call me anytime if you feel uncomfortable."
Lucas said helplessly, "I know. You should get some sleep too. It's so late." He glanced at the wall clock; it was two in the morning.
Diancie nodded and turned to leave the room, but she returned a moment later.
"What—" Lucas was puzzled, then noticed Munchlax following behind her.
"Munch~" So sleepy...
Munchlax wore a pointy sleeping cap and clutched its pillow, yawning incessantly as Diancie led it to Lucas's bedside.
Diancie tucked Munchlax under Lucas's blanket. "Let Munchlax sleep with you tonight. If you sweat it out while hugging it, you might feel better when you wake up."
Then, she instructed Munchlax, "Munchlax, I'm leaving your trainer in your care."
"Munch~~~" I'll take care of him...
( _ ) zzZZ Munchlax was still half-asleep. It mumbled in response, then rolled over and hugged Lucas. A warm, chubby, and soft sensation immediately enveloped him.
Lucas silently returned Munchlax's embrace, and sleepiness gradually washed over him. He drifted off to sleep.
Diancie shook her head, muttering softly as she walked out, "This family would fall apart without me."
"Fletch~ Fletch~~" Morning! Morning!
In the early morning, Lucas opened his eyes to the chirping of Fletchling. He felt incredibly heavy, almost unable to breathe. Turning his head, he saw Munchlax with an arm and a leg draped over him, sleeping soundly.
"Awake?" Diancie's voice came. "Do you feel better?" She walked to Lucas's bedside and pressed her forehead against his. "Hmm, not so hot anymore."
"I still feel weak all over," Lucas said pitifully.
"Rest well today. Don't worry about the kitchen. Leave it all to Munchlax!" Diancie said.
Lucas glanced at Munchlax, still sound asleep. "Are you sure it can handle everything?"
"It has to," Diancie said firmly.
Hearing this, Lucas could only nod. "Okay, but if it struggles, don't scold it. Just teach it what to do. Munchlax is very well-behaved and capable."
"Yes, yes, yes!" Diancie said with mock exasperation. "You're the loving father, and I'm the wicked stepmother, right?"
Lucas smiled ingratiatingly at Diancie. "Who said that! My Diancie is the best in the world!"
Diancie couldn't help but smile, amused by Lucas's charm. His sudden fever last night had truly frightened her. It had been a long time since Lucas had been this sick, and when illness struck, it hit hard.
"Are you hungry? There's some lotus root soup left from last night. I'll have Munchlax heat it up and bring it to you later. After you eat, take your medicine and get some more sleep." Diancie's tone unconsciously softened.
Lucas's refrigerator was a system-based piece of advanced technology, where food stored in the preservation chamber would never deteriorate.
Perhaps because of his illness, Lucas felt somewhat vulnerable. He appreciated Diancie's care and nodded meekly. "Okay, I understand."
Diancie got up and dragged Munchlax out from under the blanket.
"Munch~ Munch~" I want to sleep more, just a little longer...
Munchlax's eyes remained closed as it mumbled drowsily.
"Still sleeping? I told you to take care of Lucas, and this is how you're doing it? Sleeping even more soundly than he is!" Diancie rapped Munchlax lightly on the head, scolding it as they walked away.
"Munch~~" That hurt...
Munchlax clutched its head, looking aggrieved.
Watching them gradually retreat, Lucas shook his head and burrowed back under the blanket, drifting back to sleep.
He didn't know how long he slept, but Lucas was awakened again by Diancie. "Drink up." She helped him sit up, handed him the lotus root soup, and prepared medicine and water.
After Lucas took the medicine, she produced Komala from somewhere and quickly tucked it into Lucas's blanket. "Rest while hugging it for a while."
Komala nestled in Lucas's arms, snoring softly. Lucas gently stroked its back and looked up at Diancie, asking:
"How's the kitchen doing? Is Munchlax managing on its first day alone? Any problems?"
"Everything's fine. Everyone has already finished breakfast and left. Didn't you say Munchlax is very capable? What are you worried about now?" Diancie replied while cleaning up the dishes.
"That's good." Lucas breathed a sigh of relief. "Munchlax is indeed capable."
After Diancie left, Lucas sat up in bed, hugging Komala. He had slept too long and couldn't fall back asleep even if he wanted to. He didn't possess Komala's remarkable ability to sleep endlessly.
Lucas's gaze drifted through the balcony windows to the outside world. The weather seemed particularly pleasant today. The sky was a clear, vibrant blue, and the clouds were pristinely white.
Suddenly, three small dots appeared in Lucas's field of vision. Soon, three Pokémon landed side by side on the balcony railing.
It was Fletchling, Spritzee, and Swablu.
Fletchling, with its sharp eyes and keen vision, spotted Lucas sitting up in bed immediately. Its eyes brightened, and it flew into the room with excited chirps. Spritzee and Swablu followed closely behind.
The three Pokémon landed gently on the edge of Lucas's bed and presented him with gifts.
"Fletch~" This is for you.
Fletchling placed down a flower.
"Sprit~" To help you feel better.
Spritzee offered a medicinal herb.
"Blu~" Eat this to regain strength.
Swablu contributed a berry.
They had come representing all the Pokémon to visit Lucas during his illness. The flower was to lift his spirits, the herb to alleviate his symptoms (though it might not be effective for a fever), and the berry to help restore his strength.