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Since it was already past six o'clock, by the time Sato arrived at the public cafeteria with Growlithe, many Trainers had already gathered for dinner. Combined with their Pokémon, the entire cafeteria was quite crowded.
The saying "At home, rely on your parents; outside, rely on friends" holds true. Being a Trainer is a high-risk profession, and traveling alone can be very dangerous, especially for new Trainers. That's why, in most cases, young Trainers prefer to travel with friends who share their interests and who they trust. It not only reduces risks but also adds helpful allies for their future journeys.
At the public cafeteria in the Pokémon Center, almost every table was filled with Trainers dining together, chatting and laughing with their Pokémon. The atmosphere was very harmonious.
Growlithe, being a popular Pokémon, immediately attracted the attention of many Trainers when Sato entered the cafeteria. Thanks to Growlithe's charm, Sato also garnered quite a bit of attention.
Growlithe, with its keen senses, noticed the many eyes on it, but being naturally brave and outgoing, he didn't mind at all. His thoughts were completely focused on the food Sato was about to prepare.
Since Growlithe wasn't bothered, Sato, a Trainer who had been through countless battles in the wild, naturally wasn't fazed either. After scanning the cafeteria, he quickly noticed a table by the window where some people had just finished their meal and were leaving.
Before anyone else could claim it, Sato swiftly took the spot near the window.
As soon as Sato sat down, he began preparing dinner for his Pokémon. Aside from Zubat, who didn't like regular Pokémon food, he prepared high-quality, nutritious food for the other three.
Growlithe sat patiently by Sato's side, not touching his food until Sato had finished preparing meals for his companions, showing remarkable discipline.
The high-quality food was canned, making it very convenient. Sato didn't take long to prepare dinner for all four Pokémon.
"Come on out, it's dinner time." After finishing the preparations, Sato released the remaining three Pokémon from their PokéBalls.
With three flashes of white light, Zubat, Nidoran, and Gloom appeared before Sato. After receiving full treatment at the Pokémon Center, all three, like Growlithe, were in excellent spirits.
Releasing three Poison-type Pokémon drew even more attention from the other Trainers in the cafeteria. While Zubat and Nidoran didn't cause much concern, the sight of Gloom made several Trainers' faces show signs of disgust.
Some of the female Trainers sitting near Sato's table looked particularly annoyed, but when they noticed their Pokémon showing signs of fear towards Zubat and Gloom, they had no choice but to cut their meal short and quickly leave with their Pokémon.
In reality, most of the Trainers in the cafeteria were only operating within the safety zones set up by the Pokémon League, without going through life or death battles and facing true survival hardships. So, you could imagine the strength of their Pokémon. From Sato's perspective, along with his Zubat and Gloom, apart from a few exceptions, most of the others were quite weak.
This was evident when Zubat and Gloom were released. Most of the Pokémon dining in the cafeteria visibly trembled, their lingering wild instincts warning them of the danger posed by Sato's Pokémon.
On the other hand, Gloom wasn't in a great mood. Although she had become much more cheerful after spending time with Sato and the others, she was still a sensitive Pokémon. The disdainful glances from the surrounding Trainers and their Pokémon were keenly felt by Gloom, causing her mood to plummet.
"Don't mind them. Just enjoy your dinner with your companions," Sato crouched down and gently patted Gloom's flower bud, comforting her as he noticed the Pokémon looking downcast.
"Zzzzz~"
"Nido, Nido~"
"Woof, woof, woof~"
At that moment, Zubat, Nidoran, and Growlithe immediately offered their encouragement to Gloom, showing they didn't care about the reactions of others. Nidoran, being the closest to Gloom, even handed over a high-quality PokeBlock he had hidden in his ear.
Hearing Sato's comforting words and receiving the support of her companions, the sadness on Gloom's face faded, replaced by a touched smile. She nodded to her friends and happily resumed enjoying her meal with them.
To Gloom, her companions were the most important. As long as they didn't dislike her, the opinions of strangers didn't matter. She was no longer alone—she had good friends now, and there was no longer a need to fear loneliness.
In fact, after spending a week together, Gloom had learned to control the release of her unpleasant odor quite well. Under normal circumstances, unless she was startled or felt threatened, the odor was barely noticeable anymore.
Gloom's effort to suppress her odor was largely out of consideration for her treasured companions. Although they didn't seem to mind, she still felt guilty. To avoid inconveniencing or harming them, she had become the most hardworking member of the team.
"Gloom's self-esteem issues are still too severe. I have to address this quickly, or it will affect her long-term development," Sato thought to himself, feeling slightly relieved to see her mood improving, but still concerned about her well-being.
Pokémon, like people, have emotions, and their emotional states greatly impact their performance. So, in addition to training their Pokémon, Trainers must ensure their Pokémon's mental and emotional health.
Judging by the current situation, Gloom's mental health was far from ideal, and this could impact her future battles and growth. As a result, Sato was already considering how to obtain a Sun Stone as soon as possible so that Gloom could evolve into a Bellossom. The transformation might help her overcome her insecurities.
Besides helping Gloom overcome her self-esteem issues, Sato was also excited about the prospect of her evolving into a Bellossom. Pokémon evolution meant gaining greater strength, and an evolved Gloom would be a significant asset for his upcoming tasks.
However, Sato was troubled by the fact that Sun Stones were not cheap. In Team Rocket's internal points exchange system, they were even more valuable than Moon Stones, requiring a staggering 12,000 points—2,000 more than a Moon Stone.
Fortunately, with his steady income from selling PokeBlocks, Sato was confident about being able to acquire a Sun Stone. The main problem now was that he couldn't return to the base, meaning he couldn't access Team Rocket's internal points exchange system.
That left only one option for obtaining a Sun Stone: purchasing one with League currency. However, given how expensive it was even in the Team Rocket exchange system, it was bound to be even more exorbitant on the open market.
In the world of Pokémon, evolution stones were incredibly rare and valuable treasures, often difficult to find. Besides major powers that might have some reserves, they were hardly ever available on the market.
Thus, in addition to plenty of money, Sato would need a fair bit of luck to get his hands on a Sun Stone.