His response was simply a nod and a wave.
The sun had begun to set, and the evening glow slowly spread across the sky with an unusual beauty.
Eichi left the school gates and went to the tonkotsu ramen shop where he often ate.
The tonkotsu ramen there was quite good, so he came by for a meal every now and then.
As he sat in his seat eating noodles, a figure ran past the entrance.
Eichi did not get a clear look and paid it little attention.
A minute later, the shop owner came in from outside.
He sighed softly to the chef cooking the noodles. "It's such a pity about Xiao Duo."
"She could just buy a Pokémon from a breeding center. There's no need to go out there."
The chef replied with a smile, "That's not how you should look at it. I think it's great—using her own hands to catch a Pokémon that belongs to her."
"No matter whether its talent is good or bad, that's still an amazing thing."
Eichi happened to overhear their conversation. He had a favorable impression of the chef and strongly agreed with what he said.
It reminded him of when he had first entered Viridian Forest.
After finishing his noodles and paying, he walked along the street. He had not come out merely to eat a bowl of ramen.
He also needed to do some shopping. The Pokéblocks for his little ones had recently run out.
He also needed to buy Pokémon food. Although he was now an Intermediate Breeder and could make Pokémon food and Pokéblocks himself,
he had to admit that his skill still fell somewhat short of the products sold in major stores.
Speaking of that, he remembered that several judges from the Intermediate Breeder assessment had