Nae-chan, I Want to Learn This!

Ignoring the Meowth pursuing him from behind, Xingye rode Cyclizar back just as the shops in Kabukicho were more or less closing.

Noble Pokémon was carrying the movable sign from outside the shop, preparing to take it in. When it saw Xingye appear looking rather unhappy, it calmly looked at him and said, "Didn't I tell you not to meddle in other people's business?"

"..."

Seeing that Xingye did not respond, Slowking continued, "You want to help the Pokémon on this street with their troubles. I don't know what your purpose is, but perhaps they do not need your help at all."

"From the very beginning, that plan was wrong. It's completely pointless. Whether you're here or not won't affect how this street operates in the slightest. Everything will remain the same."

"Is that so..."

Xingye finally spoke. He got off Cyclizar, removed his goggles, looked at Slowking, and then pulled out a branch he carried with him.

"This branch is..."

"It was dropped by a Pokémon that innocently believed the Trainer it trusted was taking it along on a journey, when in reality, it was going to be traded away like merchandise."

Xingye gave a simple explanation with a smile, then muttered to himself with a look of delight, "What luck. I actually picked it up. It seems pretty important to that Pokémon too. If I heard right, it was an heirloom from its mother? Think I could use it to extort some money?"

As he spoke, he waved the branch in his hand and headed toward the stairs. Cyclizar's gaze followed the branch as it moved, repeatedly reaching out to grab it, yet always missing.

Noble Pokémon's expression did not change upon hearing this. Instead, it turned around, glanced at Ceruledge wiping tables inside the shop, and continued carrying the movable sign back indoors.

Then, in an even tone, it suddenly scolded, "If you picked it up, then return it to them. Don't spend all day learning bad habits, brat!"

"..."

Xingye did not answer. He merely spun the branch around his fingers like a pen before putting it away.

He understood what Slowking meant. Returning the branch meant it was letting him go ahead and do it. That was different from its earlier lecture, and it showed that Slowking was not as stubborn as it seemed.

But Delphox did not need help, so naturally, he would not help it again. Besides, Trainers trading Pokémon with others was perfectly normal. It was not against the law.

But he was not going there to help. He was going to use this branch to extort something! Trading one branch for one chance to rub Delphox's big fluffy tail was not too much, right? As for whether anything unexpected might happen during the process... that was another matter.

"A big fluffy tail..."

"Cycli?"

After returning home, Xingye took a hot shower and changed his clothes.

When Hala had helped him handle his enrollment procedures yesterday, he had also brought over two sets of school uniforms, the kind with jackets and undershirts. They would do for now.

Afterward, Xingye headed out again with Cyclizar, making for Smile Restaurant. He would first mooch breakfast off Gardevoir, then prepare for other things.

Since he had arrived early today, there were still a few Pokémon in the restaurant. However, only Gardevoir was working in the kitchen. Whenever someone ordered, it would finish the dish and send it over with Psychic. That was one advantage of having few customers.

Xingye had come to learn, so he did not need to interact with the other Pokémon. He only needed to stay in the kitchen and watch Gardevoir control kitchen knives with Psychic as they flew everywhere.

It chopped Berries and the meat of some animal he did not recognize into a bowl in one smooth motion, then moved straight on to the next step. The sight made his eyes spin.

"Nae-chan! I want to learn this!"

He could not learn it, of course, but there was no problem with learning to recognize the ingredients.

Xingye was something of a versatile talent. In his previous life, he had frequently quit jobs and moved on, so he had worked in practically every legitimate profession. He had even dabbled in a few illegitimate ones.

That was why, after only a few days, he had nearly adapted to life here. Opening a one-stop shop suited someone like him perfectly.

Gardevoir was quite responsible as well. Although the language barrier meant it had never had any meaningful exchange with Xingye—

—it would use Psychic to draw marks in the air, writing out what the ingredients were and how each dish should be prepared.

Soon, it was time for Smile Restaurant to close. Xingye said goodbye to Gardevoir and left with Cyclizar, which had finished breakfast.

He had recorded everything he learned today on his phone. However, he had not gained Gardevoir's friendship, which was rather strange. He guessed it might be because their affection level was still not high enough.

"But it doesn't matter. It's only the first day. It's like pursuing a girl—you can't rush it. Though I've never had a girlfriend..."

"Cycli?"

"...Let's go. Next, we'll stake out Big Wave Beach!"

Xingye had not forgotten his task. Following the map, he rode Cyclizar toward the beach. As expected, the Meowth chased after him again when he left. Those guys really were persistent, though teasing them was pretty fun.

Big Wave Beach lay northwest of Hau'oli City, completely outside the urban area. However, it was a lively tourist destination where visitors could go Mantine Surfing. There were also clusters of shops along the beach catering to tourists.

After leaving the city, Xingye finally dared to pick up speed, following the coastal highway all the way toward Big Wave Beach.

Since it was still morning, the temperature had not risen yet. The sea breeze felt wonderfully fresh and comfortable, and he could take in the beautiful scenery of the Alola Region along the way.

There were still some other Trainers on the road, though. They were especially surprised when they saw Cyclizar.

After all, it was a very rare Pokémon in Alola. And paired with that riding outfit, it looked like a high-powered motorcycle being ridden by a biker gang member.

With Xingye's school uniform jacket flapping constantly in the wind and his black goggles, he practically had delinquent written all over his face. He looked like the sort who would greet people with "Yoroshiku" instead of "Alola" at any moment!

"Hm?"

Xingye suddenly noticed that the Trainers who had originally been traveling along the same road were now all keeping a certain safe distance from him, as though they were afraid of something.

He looked around and checked himself over but found nothing unusual, so he stopped paying attention to it...

Before long, he arrived at Big Wave Beach. Since it was still early, he noticed a sign advertising weekend temporary lifeguard positions with same-day pay.

So, relying on experience, he successfully passed the interview and began wandering along the shore with Cyclizar.

The job mainly involved watching over the children playing there, preventing them from drowning or being attacked by wild Pokémon on the beach. It was fairly easy.

Time passed quickly. At noon, Cyclizar caught fish for lunch. Xingye did not eat, instead continuously waiting for his target to appear. Along the way, he even taught a few brats a lesson for pulling the shovels out of wild Sandygast's heads.

At around five in the afternoon, his work for the day ended. His same-day wage was 300, about the price of a Potion. Not bad.

"My first pot of gold..."

Xingye looked at the bills in his hand. Until the one-stop shop opened, he would still have to support himself through part-time work. But with Cyclizar around, delivering food or packages would not be a problem.

As a tourist destination, Big Wave Beach also had a night market. There was a small town not far above the beach, so the area was fairly lively, though it could not compare to Kabukicho at all.

With his newly earned wages in hand, he immediately took Cyclizar out for dinner. They picked a restaurant near the edge of the market and began waiting.

While eating, he suddenly noticed several police officers patrolling the night market with Yungoos, greeting some of the people nearby.

"Why are there so many police officers? They'd better not arrest me later... Hm? Has he finally arrived!"

Xingye set down his chopsticks, his gaze falling on a man with a Toxicroak who had appeared not far away. The corner of his mouth slowly curled upward...