Early the next morning, Ash and his group arrived at the Twilight Sea Town Pokémon Center. After calling Luther, he led them to the restaurant.
On the way, Luther explained that he was staying at the Kihara Restaurant and working for its owner, Mr. Kihara.
Ash clicked his tongue in amazement and immediately decided to stay at the restaurant himself. His purpose for coming here was to find Luther, and there was no point in being far away.
Having skipped breakfast, Ash and his friends sat down in the restaurant. Mao, dressed in his work uniform, approached with menus.
After serving the trio ice water, Mao asked curiously, "Your friends?"
Luther suddenly remembered to introduce Ash and his companions to Mao and Etorre.
After Ash gave his eternally unchanging self-introduction, "I'm Ash, and this is my partner Pikachu," Luther couldn't resist adding, "And they're working here at the restaurant!"
"He's traveled through several regions, has immense Strength, and vast Experience. Besides the six Pokémon he carries, he has a whole team of excellent Pokémon back home."
Etorre stood nearby, commanding his Pokémon as they cleaned the restaurant. Hearing Luther's description, he quickly approached Ash to chat.
These two were classic examples of people who only cared about Pokémon battles and would put everything else on hold for them.
Dawn, unable to watch any longer, tugged Ash's ear and shoved the menu into his hand. "Eat breakfast! Order for yourself!"
Mao also stepped on Etorre's foot. "Save the chatting for later."
When Kihara returned with the washed photos, he was surprised to see Etorre and Ash chatting animatedly, while Etorre's Pokémon had taken over the restaurant duties, tidying up everything with remarkable efficiency.
Upon learning that Ash was also a participant in the Lily of the Valley Conference, Kihara glanced at Luther.
"He's a friend of mine. He's very strong."
The simple description conveyed a wealth of information.
The words "very strong" alone were enough to pique Etorre's interest.
"Interesting," Etorre said, his blood beginning to boil with excitement.
Meeting someone who suited his tastes naturally meant a challenge was in order. What kind of Pokémon Trainer would he be otherwise?
Etorre instinctively gripped the Poké Ball at his chest, but two hands clamped down on his, squeezing hard.
He winced in pain, looking up to see Mao's face pressed close to his, each word enunciated with deliberate emphasis: "Read the room!"
Watching Ash and his friends examining the photos Kihara had taken the previous night, Etorre held back his challenge.
Kihara taped a photo of Marill drinking juice to the glass door, studied it for a moment, and then walked inside, satisfied.
Marill stood outside the glass door, seeing herself through someone else's eyes for the first time.
"Is that really the expression I make when I drink juice?" Marill wondered, looking perplexed.
Marill was outside with Espurr and Chikorita, trying to attract customers.
Kihara's daughter, Wakaba, though only nine years old, had a strong will of her own. She had told her father that the restaurant's low customer traffic was entirely due to his Pokémon.
Years ago, for convenience in both raising and traveling, Kihara had captured three Machop. They had since evolved into one Machamp and two Machoke.
A room full of hulking, muscular figures exuded overwhelming pressure.
Just having these three brothers working in the restaurant made half the customers feel like they had wandered into a gym.
In the only aquarium in the restaurant, a Huntail grinned foolishly with its mouth wide open.
Last night, Luther woke up to use the bathroom. As he passed the aquarium, he noticed the light was still on, the only illuminated spot in the otherwise pitch-black restaurant.
In the pitch-black room, the sleepless Huntail pressed against the glass, grinning foolishly at Luther.
That scene, that terrifying feeling...
Luther considered it a remarkable feat that he hadn't screamed in terror on the spot.
Kihara insisted the restaurant's low popularity stemmed not only from his lack of promotion but also from the Pokémon.
Though he felt bad for Huntail and Machoke, a restaurant needed to provide a relaxed and pleasant dining environment.
Wakaba had asked Luther and the others to demonstrate to her father the impact visually appealing Pokémon could have.
It was an easy task. The Pokémon were idle anyway; they were relaxing before the competition, refraining from training, so doing something different would be a welcome change.
As lunchtime neared, the streets grew crowded.
Kirlia, with Jumpluff perched on its head, made quite a striking pair. Many passersby stroked Jumpluff, glanced at the restaurant's entrance, and, drawn by the enticing aroma, casually strolled inside.
Marill and Espurr formed a perfect duo, leveraging their inherent charm. Espurr, with her past as a stray, knew exactly how to use her cuteness to attract attention.
Floating in the air, she held Kihara's hastily made menu, gently tapping passersby on the shoulder, blinking her eyes and gazing at them with a pitiful look.
This tactic proved remarkably effective. Espurr became the most efficient member of the team, a true fortune cat. Every person she selected entered the restaurant without a single refusal.
Marill, meanwhile, stood quietly by the glass door plastered with photos, holding a glass of juice and gulping it down. As mealtime approached, Kihara Restaurant's signature dishes were brought right to her lips for her to savor.
Marill devoured her food with ferocious gusto, face pressed to the plate, tearing through the dishes until they vanished.
Once finished, she would lick the plate clean, polishing it until it gleamed like a mirror reflecting her own image—a true embodiment of the clean plate movement.
One plate was never enough to satisfy Marill's appetite, so Etorre's Jellicent floated over to deliver another helping.
Marill had no idea why Luther wanted her to eat in front of so many people, but she didn't care—as long as she got to eat.
"What are you staring at? Never seen someone eat before?"
Marill licked the sauce from the corner of her mouth, too lazy to pay attention to the crowd of onlookers and their drooling Pokémon. She picked up another set meal and continued eating.
Luther's "mukbang" strategy was a resounding success. Marill's influence far surpassed that of Espurr and Kirlia combined.
A long line began to form outside Kihara Restaurant, with the Pokémon even more impatient than their Trainers.
Kirlia distinctly overheard some Pokémon discussing why it wasn't their turn yet.
Luther watched for a while before realizing he'd overlooked a crucial point: if he could attract the Pokémon of the Trainers first, the Trainers themselves would surely follow.
For the first time in its nearly seven years of operation, Kihara Restaurant was packed to capacity. Etorre, who had been idling around that morning, eager to sneak off and battle Ash, now had no time to even think about battling.
He and his Pokémon scurried through the restaurant, carrying trays, wiping tables, and memorizing table numbers and orders.
Kirlia and the others no longer needed to attract customers outside; except for Marill, they had all returned to the restaurant to help.
With such a massive influx of people, customers were naturally drawn in. Everyone wanted to know why there was such a long line, and many held the preconceived notion that crowded restaurants must serve better food.
The kitchen was completely overwhelmed. Mai transitioned from serving to assisting in the kitchen, while Ash and the others, feeling indebted after their free breakfast, spontaneously joined the ranks of the servers.
For some inexplicable reason, people entering the restaurant instinctively reached out to stroke Slowpoke's head as he stood motionless by the entrance.
This behavior seemed contagious; once the first person did it, subsequent patrons followed suit.
This development fell completely outside Luther's plans. He stared at Slowpoke, his gaze filled with bewilderment.
Is this one of Mai's tricks?
Yet Mai had said nothing to Slowpoke. He had simply wanted a quiet place to zone out. The restaurant was packed, and the path to the courtyard was swarming with busy Pokémon.
Unable to find a suitable spot, he gave up trying to think and stood rooted to the spot.
As for why people kept touching him...
'Heaven only knows.'
(End of Chapter)
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