After dinner, before the sky had turned completely dark, Ange looked at the food Ata had delivered. After a moment of thought, he said to Arven:
"Arven, let's give this food to the wild Pokemon."
The Veluza were not around today, and leaving this food here would be a waste.
"Great! Great!" Arven replied.
"Then let's go," Ange said.
So, Ange and Munchlax carried the boxes containing the food and went outside with everyone else.
The Upper Layer of Area Zero consisted of different regions, each inhabited by various species of Pokemon.
For example, the grassy plains were home to Raichu, Venomoth, Jumpluff, Girafarig, and Espeon.
Near the water, there were Golduck, Vaporeon, Masquerain, and Flamigo. There were even rare Pokemon like Dreepy and Drakloak.
The rocky terrain housed Donphan, Phanpy, Gogoat, Hawlucha, and Lycanroc.
In the caves lived Dugtrio, Sneasel, Sableye, and Umbreon. Rare Pokemon like Gible and Gabite also resided there.
If a Trainer were to come here, they would likely be driven wild with joy.
When Ange and his group reached the plains, they saw several Pichu, Pikachu, and Raichu playing and frolicking from a distance.
Noticing Ange's approach, the Raichu immediately quieted down. They shielded the Pichu and Pikachu behind them, eyeing Ange with a slightly wary gaze.
Ange opened a box, took out a container of rice balls, and said in a gentle voice, "Don't be afraid. We just want to give you some food."
The Raichu did not approach recklessly, but the Pichu and Pikachu couldn't help but gulp as they looked at the rice balls in Ange's hand.
They looked delicious.
Dolliv~
Dolliv~
At that moment, the two Dolliv each took a rice ball from the box and cried out softly to the Pichu and Pikachu.
One Pichu couldn't resist. it ran forward cautiously, quickly snatched a rice ball from Dolliv's hands, and then struggled to run back to a distance with the food in its arms.
Its tiny body was about the same size as the rice ball. It held the rice ball clumsily in its arms, its little bottom wiggling as it moved, looking incredibly cute.
Once it reached what it considered a safe distance, the Pichu impatiently took a bite.
(ˊˋ)* Pi~~ So delicious!
The taste of the rice ball conquered it instantly.
The Treasure Eatery was not famous in Paldea for nothing; even Ange's own cooking wasn't necessarily vastly superior to theirs.
The main reason the professors liked Ange's food so much was that they had grown tired of eating from the Treasure Eatery every day. Suddenly tasting fresh, home-cooked food felt novel to them.
Of course, the prerequisite was that Ange's cooking was indeed excellent.
Pi~~
Holding its rice ball, the Pichu waved frantically to its companions, describing how delicious the food was.
With the first Pichu as a model, the other Pichu and Pikachu gathered around Ange and the others, reaching out to ask for food. The Raichu couldn't stop them and eventually joined in themselves.
"One at a time, everyone. Don't rush."
Ange, Arven, and the Pokemon took turns distributing the food.
Attracted by the Pichu and Pikachu, Floette, Girafarig, and Corviknight soon gathered around Ange. Even an Espeon and a Volcarona appeared.
Before long, the food was all handed out. The Pokemon ate to their heart's content, their little bellies bulging.
Paw~ Paw~
At that moment, a Pawmi ran over hurriedly, looking at Ange with great expectation as it reached out its hand.
"You want to eat too?" Ange asked.
Paw~ Paw~
The Pawmi nodded expectantly.
"But the food is all gone!" Ange turned the box over to show it; it was long since empty.
=(*) Paw?
The Pawmi instantly froze. It had heard there was good food here and rushed over as fast as it could, only to find it was too late.
The Pawmi curled its body, its expression so dejected it looked as if it would crumble with the next breeze.
Ange patted its head and said, "Alright, alright, don't be sad. Take this."
As he spoke, Ange took a tomato from his System Backpack and gave it to the Pokemon.
() Paw!!!
Seeing the tomato, Pawmi's sorrow turned to joy. It excitedly hugged the large, round tomato and took a bite. The sweet and sour flavor immediately conquered its taste buds.
Paw~ This is bliss!
After quickly finishing the tomato, Pawmi reached out its hand to Ange again.
"More?" Ange asked.
Paw~ Paw~
Pawmi nodded quickly, its mouth glistening and its eyes full of hope.
"You really aren't shy around strangers." Ange laughed and took out two cucumbers for it.
Paw!!!
Seeing the new food, Pawmi excitedly pulled them into its arms.
Crunch~ crunch~~
It nibbled on the cucumbers as fast as a hamster, its cheeks bulging. It was incredibly adorable.
After finishing the two cucumbers, Pawmi patted its stomach and lay down on the grass, completely satisfied.
By now, the sky had darkened. However, with Volcarona nearby emitting a bright and warm light, one couldn't feel even a hint of fear from the darkness.
The research station was a place for the professors to work and lacked special entertainment facilities. Ange and Arven didn't want to go back too early, so they lay on the grass chatting, spending this leisurely time together.
Ange rested his head on Munchlax's belly, holding Komala in his arms. Diancie and Drizzile leaned against the other side of Munchlax's belly.
Espathra lay on the ground with its eyes closed, resting. Arven leaned against it, with Mabosstiff's chin resting on his leg.
The two Dolliv and Floette chased each other, playing hide-and-seek in the grass. Their bell-like laughter echoed in the night sky.
The two Charcadet each rode an Oinkologne, acting as pig knights. They held wooden sticks and played at war, seemingly possessing inexhaustible energy.
Espe~
Espeon let out a lazy yawn and unconsciously moved closer to Volcarona. It lay on the grass and closed its eyes for a nap, enjoying the light from Volcarona's body.
"Arven, have you thought about what you want to do in the future?" Ange asked. "Will you be a Trainer, or will you devote yourself to scientific research like the two professors?"
Arven fell into silence upon hearing this. After a long while, he whispered, "Can I choose not to be a Trainer? I don't want to be a scientist either."
Ange nodded and said, "Of course. Life doesn't have just one choice. I'm not a Trainer either, yet I feel very happy."
Ange's words encouraged Arven. He sat up abruptly, his eyes sparkling as he looked at Ange, his tone full of longing.
"I want to be a chef! A chef as amazing as Brother Ange! Then I'll make food that can make both people and Pokemon smile!"
Ange also sat up and said encouragingly, "That's a great ambition. I'm sure you can do it!" It was such a pure and simple dream.
Then Arven added with some worry, "Will Mom and Dad object to me being a chef?"
Just as Ange was about to speak, Mabosstiff spoke first.
Ruff~~
It raised a paw and patted Arven, its kind eyes full of encouragement.
Ange smiled and said, "See? Mabosstiff is encouraging you too. The two professors love you so much; they will surely support you."
A smile returned to Arven's face. He affectionately hugged Mabosstiff's neck and nodded vigorously at Ange.
"Mhm! I'll do my best!"
Snore~ snore~
At that moment, Munchlax's loud snoring drifted over. Ange said to the group, half-laughing, "It's getting late. Let's head back."
Dolliv~
Honk honk~
Chaka~
...
The Pokemon responded one after another.
After Ange, Diancie, and Drizzile got up from Munchlax, Ange gave it a nudge. "Munchlax, we're going home!"
Munch~
Munchlax sat up dazed, rubbing its eyes in a half-asleep state.
Ange shook his head and helplessly took its hand to lead it back.
"Everyone, we're leaving now." Ange looked back and waved goodbye to Pawmi and the others.
Arven also waved. "Goodbye."
Espe~
Paw~
Rai~
Pi~~
The wild Pokemon waved back to say goodbye, watching them disappear into the night.
Munchlax was led back by its master in a daze. It didn't fully wake up even when it got home and lay down in bed. When it woke up the next morning and found itself in its own bed, it was still confused about how it had returned the previous night.
After returning to the research station, Ange and Arven went to their respective rooms.
Before going to his room, Ange went to the professors' area to call Romeo back, telling him to get some rest early as children shouldn't stay up late.
Romeo looked reluctant as he left the laboratory.
In the room at the research station, Ange washed up with his Pokemon and said to everyone, "Goodnight, everyone."
Sizz~ Goodnight.
Honk honk~ Goodnight.
Dolliv~ Goodnight.
Chaka~ Goodnight.
The Pokemon responded to Ange one by one.
Ange had spread blankets on the floor. Espathra lay on them, with the two Dolliv snuggled under its wings.
The Oinkologne couple lay head to head. Right after saying goodnight to Ange, they were already snoring lightly.
The two Charcadet slept in each other's arms beside them.
Ange tucked Komala into the covers and then opened the System. He had to collect his mission rewards before sleeping.
Because he hadn't participated in cooking training, he only had one daily mission reward today.
[Congratulations, Master, you have received the reward: 1 bag of Premium Rice.]
It was an ordinary reward, but the rice rewarded by the System was indeed delicious.
Next were the rewards for the [Ingredient Collection Mission] and [Seasoning Collection Mission] he had just completed today.
First, he collected the reward for the [Ingredient Collection Mission].
[Congratulations, Master, for completing the Ingredient Collection Mission: Capture at least 10 Veluza. Reward obtained: Advanced Recipe—Fish Food Recipe (Special recipe for fish Pokemon, can promote the growth of fish Pokemon).]
[Mission exceeded. Additional reward obtained: Physique +2, Intelligence +1.]
An Advanced Recipe! He had actually unlocked an Advanced Recipe!
Ange looked delighted. An Advanced Recipe meant more Happiness Points. Although it was only a special recipe for fish Pokemon, it was better than nothing!
Fish food could be used not only to raise Veluza but also for the Magikarp, Feebas, Goldeen, and Seaking at home. It was like killing two birds with one stone.
And as for the second notification—there were extra rewards for exceeding the mission? This was truly an unexpected surprise!
With excitement, Ange collected the reward for the [Seasoning Collection Mission].
[Congratulations, Master, for completing Seasoning Collection Mission 1: Capture at least 1 Smoliv, Dolliv, or Arboliva. Reward obtained: Advanced Recipe—Green Dumpling Recipe (Special recipe for herbivorous Pokemon, has a special effect on milk-producing Pokemon).]
[Mission exceeded. Additional reward obtained: Physique +1.]
Another Advanced Recipe?
Ange was so happy he almost jumped out of bed!
Although it was still a specialized recipe, speaking of herbivorous Pokemon, the Gogoat and Skiddo on the Nebel Plateau were the largest group besides the Poliwag line.
This specialized recipe was perfect! Furthermore, it had a special effect on milk-producing Pokemon, which seemed tailor-made for Gogoat.
He wondered what that "special effect" actually was.
Ange checked the Recipe interface of the System. Sure enough, Fish Food and Green Dumplings had been added.
He then checked his personal information interface.
Ange
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 16 (+500)
Physique: 39
Intelligence: 19
Cooking Evaluation: A little rookie who just barely qualified in culinary skills.
His Physique was almost 40, and his Intelligence was nearly 20.
Feeling the power surging through his body, Ange felt wonderful.
Time to sleep. Tomorrow will be another beautiful day! Ange pulled the covers over himself, tucked Komala into his arms, and soon fell into a deep sleep.
The next morning, Ange got up early and, with Charcadet and Dolliv, prepared breakfast for the two professors and the researchers. There were buns and congee.
Because he used Dolliv oil for the bun filling, the aroma was exceptionally fragrant once they were steamed. The juices soaked into the bun skin, and the flavor blended with the scent of wheat. Even Ange himself felt he had never eaten such a delicious bun.
The congee was made with the Premium Rice he had received last night. It tasted mellow and had a soft texture, making it a top-tier congee.
Professor Turo took a bite of a bun and a sip of congee, his face full of enjoyment. "With Ange here, we are truly in for a treat!"
"Yes, it would be great if Her Highness could stay here for a lifetime and cook for us," a researcher sighed.
One of the researchers from the Azoth Kingdom immediately retorted upon hearing this, "What are you thinking? Her Highness is our Prince of Azoth. He must return. How could he possibly cook for you forever!"
The researcher muttered, "I was just saying. Why get so worked up?"
The Azoth researcher glared at him. "You shouldn't even say it!"
Not long after breakfast, Ata arrived again with breakfast for the professors and researchers.
The two professors really wanted to tell Ata that he didn't need to deliver food for the next few days. However, Ata told them that their meals were arranged by the League and were the full responsibility of the Treasure Eatery. He had no authority to stop the deliveries. Even if he didn't deliver them, the Treasure Eatery would still make them.
The professors could only give up helplessly.
After Ata and his group left, the professors had to go to work.
At that moment, Professor Sada said, "Ange, can you lend us Diancie today? We have some research we'd like its help with."
"Of course."
This was the reason Ange had been invited in the first place, and Diancie had agreed to it itself.
With that, Ange summoned Diancie.
"Diancie, we'll be in your care today." Professor Sada reached out a hand toward Diancie.
"Very well, Professor Sada," Diancie replied, shaking the professor's hand.