Food No Longer a Worry

Actually, Yu Hai's ability to distinguish food wasn't very strong, but his nine years of compulsory education in his previous life weren't for nothing.

Even though the world was different, the principles were the same. When unsure if something was edible, one could tell by seeing if other animals ate it.

Seaweed, conch, and shells weren't just eaten by Kinglers after being crushed; Long-winged Gulls swallowed them whole.

Neither of these two Pokémon had a poison attribute, so eating poisonous things would definitely cause poisoning.

Since both Kingler and Long-winged Gull chose conch and shells as food, and they didn't get poisoned from eating them, they were definitely safe.

It was right that he and Poliwag would be fine eating conch and shells.

After picking up a large bucket of shells, conch, and seaweed, Yu Hai called Poliwag to return to the shelter together.

But the little Poliwag couldn't walk at all now. This little glutton was full for the first time.

With no other choice, Yu Hai put the little glutton in the plastic bucket, along with the collected conch and shells, and slowly carried it back.

He hadn't felt how heavy the little glutton was before, but now that it was stuffed, it was especially heavy, and he could barely lift it.

After they left, the tide rose again. They couldn't stay on the shallow beach for long; it wouldn't be pleasant if they were swept away by the waves.

Back at the shelter, before dealing with the shells, Yu Hai went to the water source again to refill the plastic bucket. Now he had half a bucket of fresh water, and cooking a pot of shell and seaweed soup was no longer a dream.

After bringing the water back, he also collected the fishing rod. The lures were gone, but the hook was empty. He had fished empty-handed again.

He was mentally prepared for this; it didn't matter if there were no fish, as they wouldn't lack food tonight anyway.

When he returned to the shelter with the fishing rod, Poliwag, who was already full and satisfied, had quietly fallen asleep by the campfire. Poliwag had even dug a pit in the sand and was sleeping in it, snoring.

He didn't disturb Poliwag's sleep but instead began to process the conch by himself. The little Poliwag was still growing, and sleep was conducive to growth.

Since eating conch was troublesome, picking them out one by one was too much effort. He directly crushed all the conch shells, and would stew the conch meat later.

After washing the shells clean, he mixed them with seaweed and simmered a pot of seafood soup. The conch meat was stewed separately.

During his previous foraging, he had also found a frying pan under a reef. It wasn't an iron pan, and it hadn't rusted.

Whatever the pan was, he brought it back. Now it was perfect for simmering soup, and the conch meat would be stewed in the iron cup he used for drinking water.

The shells, conch meat, and seaweed were all seafood, so there was no need to worry about seasonings. After being rinsed with fresh water, they all had a slight salty taste, so no salt was needed.

This meal was also the most abundant meal Yu Hai had eaten since arriving in the Pokémon World.

One dish and one soup, conch meat dish, seafood soup. Just looking at it made his mouth water.

He gazed at the bubbling conch meat and shell meat in the pot, as well as the vibrant green seaweed. He was already impatient, but he still swallowed hard, suppressing his impulsive appetite.

Pokémon could eat these ingredients raw, but he couldn't. If they weren't cooked, there was a risk of diarrhea.

He was already in a state of extreme survival. If he got sick, he might as well give up. It would be better to erect a tombstone early, to be reborn sooner.

He was lucky this morning to drink raw water without getting diarrhea; it was a blessing in disguise.

He wouldn't dare try drinking raw water a second time, as Lady Luck wouldn't always favor him.

"Gulp," Yu Hai watched the constantly churning delicacies in the pot and smelled the aroma wafting to his nose. He subconsciously swallowed, truly starving.

But he still suppressed his restless desire for food for the second time, hugging his knees tightly, and staring intently at the bubbling conch meat in the pot.

"Yoyo, yoyo," Poliwag, seeing Yu Hai staring at the frying pan on the fire, called out curiously twice.

Hearing Poliwag's voice, Yu Hai immediately snapped back to attention. He withdrew his gaze from the frying pan and turned to Poliwag. He reached out and stroked Poliwag's round belly, smiling, "Poliwag, can you still eat?"

"Yoyo, yoyo," Poliwag looked down at the black spiral on its belly, where it could still see the green seaweed churning inside.

Yu Hai saw this scene too. Poliwag's abdomen was transparent, and he could clearly see what Poliwag had eaten.

Against the backdrop of the green seaweed, Poliwag's originally black and white belly had turned black and green.

"Heh heh," Yu Hai couldn't help but laugh and cry. Poliwag was probably full.

He ignored Poliwag, who was curiously staring at his own belly, and used leaves to pad his hands. He lifted the frying pan off the fire and placed it beside him to cool. The conch meat was the same.

When the conch meat and seafood soup had cooled down enough, they were ready to eat. Looking at the crystal-clear white oil slicks floating on the surface of the seafood soup, he subconsciously licked his lips. He probably wouldn't need to wash the pot later.

But before eating, he also divided some conch meat and seaweed for Poliwag. Tonight, these two dishes were the most abundant, and he didn't know if Poliwag could still eat.

However, the result was that Poliwag could still eat.

Poliwag was in its growth period, so no amount of food was too much.

In response, Yu Hai gave Poliwag even more conch meat, and also half of the shell and seaweed soup.

It wasn't necessarily that the conch meat boiled in plain water and the shell and seaweed soup were incredibly delicious.

But for this pot of seafood soup, he had truly gone through a lot.

If it were in his previous life, without oil, chili, MSG, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and other seasonings, he really wouldn't have been able to eat it.

But now it was different. He was eating with great relish.

Nothing else, only hunger is the best delicacy.

Half an hour later, the person and the Poliwag were both full. The half-bucket of seafood they had collected today had all been eaten by them, but most of it was eaten by Poliwag.

At this moment, the person and the Poliwag were lying in the leaky shelter, looking at the stars, lamenting that another fulfilling day had passed.

Water, fire, food, and shelter—the four elements of survival. Water, the most crucial, along with fire and food, were all secured.

The kelp on the rocky beach was enough to last them for several months, not to mention the shellfish and snails. He could also fish.

It had to be said, the natural resources in the Pokémon World were truly abundant, just like the "Great Africa" of his past life; they could rely on nature to survive.

With food and drink no longer a concern, it was time to gain some experience points for Poliwag, making safety the top priority.

These past three days since crossing over, he had lived in constant fear, avoiding any other Pokémon he encountered, unless it was a fish that had beached itself, which he could still bully.

Now that the most important elements, food and water, were resolved, the shelter could wait. Safety had become the primary objective.

I received a short notice, which made me quite happy. But what came next was dire. I heard that "trial push" recommendations for fanfiction require several times more readership engagement than original works. I believe everyone here is an experienced reader and has heard more than one author lament how crucial readership engagement is. Without it, even veteran authors can fail miserably. Readership engagement is truly vital; whether you get a trial push depends on it. Fellow fans of Pokémon stories, please give me your support! I'll cry first as a sign of respect, sob sob sob. Lastly, I'm begging for your readership engagement, follows, and votes