Originally, I intended to enjoy dinner directly in the dining room, but seeing the current situation, I feared that I would indeed be watched as if I were on display.
I quickly packed food for the three Pokémon, making sure to prepare something Gastly could eat.
I let Slowpoke use his psychic powers to carry the boxes of food as I headed back to the room.
However, just as I was about to leave the dining room, a weak and pale-looking young man, accompanied by two bodyguards dressed in black, stood in my way.
The young man, thin-bodied, looked about twenty years old. With a somewhat sinister expression and pale skin, it was clear he had indulged excessively in the pleasures of life. Although he wore branded clothing, his overall appearance betrayed his lack of vitality.
Noticing someone blocking the way, Slowpoke instinctively positioned himself in front of me, a blue glint in his eyes, prepared for anything. Having grown up on the Trial Island, Slowpoke didn't care about the identity of intruders, only sensing latent hostility.
The young man's eyes lit up at the sight of Slowpoke, as if he had found a new and fascinating toy.
"Hey, I want to discuss something with you!" the young man said arrogantly, addressing me directly.
Cain's expression turned cold instantly. He looked at the young man and his two bodyguards, and without saying a word, walked forward.
Since I hadn't given the order to attack, Slowpoke didn't act.
"Tap! Tap!"
The young man's two bodyguards blocked my path again.
Cain's eyes flashed with fury as he looked at the young man. "Move aside!"
"You...!" Accustomed to a life of luxury, the young man had never been treated with such contempt. He wanted to order his bodyguards to act but remembered where he was, and his pale face showed a mix of anger and embarrassment, not knowing what to say.
Cain continued walking, completely ignoring the bodyguards blocking him. Slowpoke used his psychic powers to push them aside, allowing us to pass.
After all, they were just humans; no matter how strong, they couldn't resist Slowpoke's power.
As Cain and Slowpoke headed for the stairs, the young man, his face trembling, shouted, "If you have the guts, don't leave the Pokémon Center!"
Being a known local playboy, his hobby was collecting special Pokémon. Only such Pokémon could reflect his status. After hearing about Slowpoke, he had rushed over, intending to buy it with money. But without even being able to make his offer, he was met with a cold response.
This was the Pokémon Center, so the young man couldn't use force, so he would have to wait for Cain to leave.
Cain went up to the fourth floor with Slowpoke, opened the room door with the card, and after making sure the door was securely closed, released Murkrow and Gastly.
"Caw!"
"Kekeke, Kekeke!"
Murkrow and Gastly, who had been confined in their Pokéballs for quite some time, chirped excitedly. On the Trial Island, they had always lived outdoors, and the small space of the Pokéballs was not to their liking.
"Gastly, from now on, you can stay in my shadow. As for Murkrow, I'm sorry, but you'll have to remain in your Pokéball a little longer."
Cain apologized to them.
However, Slowpoke wasn't entirely happy, remaining lost in thought.
Cain crouched, patted Slowpoke on the back, and smiled. "Don't worry, he's just a despicable clown. He's not worth paying attention to."
Slowpoke felt guilty because he thought he had caused Cain trouble.
Cain took out the food that Slowpoke had carried and placed it in front of each Pokémon.
Despite how tempting the food was, none of them started eating immediately; they all waited for Cain to signal them. This was a habit they had developed on the Trial Island, a form of mutual respect between companions.
"It's okay, you can start eating now. This is something you haven't tried before." After distributing the food, Cain sat on the floor with his own meal and joined his Pokémon to enjoy it.
For Slowpoke, he had prepared canned food made from various types of fish, its favorite due to the strong fishy smell. For Murkrow, he had prepared chicken and fish meat since, even though it was a bird, it loved meat.
Gastly's food was a bit more scarce at the Pokémon Center; it consisted of pellets specially prepared for ghost-type Pokémon, each with a rich essence of death, which Gastly loved.
After hearing Cain's words, the three Pokémon began eating immediately.
What Cain told Slowpoke wasn't just to comfort him; he really didn't take the young man seriously.
If Cain wanted, he could take off the mask, put Slowpoke back in its Pokéball, and that young man would never recognize him.
Even if the young man managed to find Cain, he would show him that not everyone can be manipulated at will. If pushed to the limit, Cain could eliminate the young man and disappear without a trace, relying on the skills acquired in his past life.
In the worst case, he always had Slowpoke's Teleport move; no one would be able to find him.
However, when not necessary, Cain preferred not to reveal that Slowpoke could teleport, as that would only exponentially increase the number of people interested in it.
So Cain didn't let the incident affect him. It was now time to enjoy time with his Pokémon.
This time, without the constant threat of an attack in the wild, there was no rush to finish the meal. Murkrow and the other Pokémon ate slowly, savoring every bite.
Although the Pokémon Center's food was good, it wasn't exceptional. But for Slowpoke and the others, used to living on Trial Island and eating raw foods, these meals with spices were the best they had ever tasted.
Although the roasted meat and fish Cain prepared were also good, these were different types of meals, and it was the first time Cain's Pokémon had tried them.
For Cain, seeing his Pokémon enjoy their food made him feel happy.
In his past life, Cain used to see Pokémon as mere tools, but in the end, Murkrow made him realize the truth.
Now, he valued more than anything the bond with his Pokémon. Over time, he had come to understand that Pokémon are living beings with thoughts of their own. When you're good enough to them, they'll risk their lives to help and protect you.
Cain could despise the lives of others, even other Pokémon, but when it came to his own Pokémon, they were his only weakness.
(End of chapter)