Eevee jumped down from Shali's arms, clung to the edge of the table, and stared at the dazzling array of food on the table, its little tail wagging like a pendulum.
Ralts, nestled in Xinhai's arms, and Mudkip beside Yingnan, were already too enticed by the aroma wafting from the table to sit still, their eyes filled with anticipation as they looked at the food.
Xinhai smiled and placed Ralts on a chair next to the dining table, then released Torchic from its Poké Ball.
A flash of red light, Torchic emerged from its Poké Ball. Even with the sight of a table full of delicious food, its head remained lowered, clearly still reeling from the defeat.
"You gave it your all in that morning's match; I was amazed by your performance! Besides, how can you train hard and surpass them if you don't eat enough?"
Xinhai reached out and touched the Torchic's little head. Its feathers were still charred black, completely unlike their usual fluffy and smooth appearance.
"Chamo~" The Torchic rubbed against Xinhai's hand, finally slowly raising its head, blinking its bright black eyes, and looking at Xinhai.
Xinhai smiled at it, gently picked up the Torchic and placed it on the edge of the table, soothingly saying, "Alright, what we need to do now is eat properly! But as Punishment, once you've recovered in a couple of days, your training will increase."
The Torchic, placed on the edge of the table, with the " Coba Berry Energy Porridge" on the table, its charred feathers trembled slightly, and it gently sniffed the sweet aroma of honey.
Xinhai pushed the bowl of porridge in front of it, scooped out a spoonful and held it to its mouth. "Try it first? There's Beedrill honey in it, it's delicious."
"Chamo--" the Torchic let out a short cry and tentatively took a peck.
The sweetness of honey explodes on the tip of the tongue, mixed with the refreshing sweetness of Coba Berry, and slides down the throat into the stomach.
Its eyes brightened a little, and then it took a second and a third peck, eating faster and faster.
Yingnan, standing to the side, exclaimed, "That's right! You need to be well-fed to have the energy to train, and then you can win the next match!"
The Mudkip had already started eating, immediately chimed in with a "Crunch!"
Shali placed Eevee on the table and said with a smile, "Good job, keep up the good work, and win it back next time."
Hearing the encouragement from the others, the Torchic called out to Xinhai, its voice full of fighting spirit.
Seeing that the Torchic had regained its spirits, Xinhai picked up his chopsticks and began to eat a small steamed bun.
The savory broth and tender beef melted in his mouth, and he nodded in satisfaction. "These xiaolongbao are really well made; the taste is very authentic."
Hearing this, Yingnan also picked up a piece and ate it, saying indistinctly, "Mmm, it's really delicious."
Mudkip grabbed the grilled meat that Yingnan had picked up and threw it into his mouth. After finishing, he picked up his fish scale soup and gulped it down, looking like a starving ghost reincarnated.
Shali smiled and shook her head, picking up a spoon and scooping up a mouthful of beef and matsutake rice. "Why are you two like Pokémon, eating so fast? Nobody's going to take it from you." As she spoke, she placed a piece of grilled beef on Eevee's plate.
Eevee lay beside the plate, eating heartily, its ears twitching every now and then; it looked incredibly cute.
Xinhai smiled and placed the roasted meat on the small plate in front of the Torchic. The Torchic immediately pecked at it and Swallow it in one gulp.
The aroma of roasted meat mixed with the spiciness of spices invigorated it, causing it to eat the porridge much faster.
Seeing this, Ralts controlled its cake to come closer and eat with Torchic. The two little guys occasionally let out cheerful Growl, completely dispelling the previous gloom.
The private room was filled with a harmonious atmosphere as the three of them and their Pokémon enjoyed the delicious food. The aroma of the food mingled with laughter, creating a truly delightful ambiance.
As he finished the last sip of Berry Juice, Xinhai gently placed the glass back on the table and let out a satisfied sigh, "This meal was really good; I feel completely recharged."
The Mudkip lay sprawled on the table next to Yingnan, its round belly adorned with a few bits of fallen roasted meat.
The Yingnan poked it, saying, "It's almost finished eating. If it keeps eating, the Mudkip's belly will burst."
"Crunch~" The Mudkip raised its little hand, indicating that it couldn't eat anymore!
Shali smiled and hugged the bloated Eevee, whose paws were still smeared with berry jam. "It's really time to go back. Everyone's Pokémon have been very tired these past few days. Let them rest well today!"
Xinhai stood up, said something to the two little ones, and then put them back into their Poké Ball: "Let's go down now."
The three of them got up and tidied themselves up a bit. Xinhai picked up the key to the private room and walked to the door, while Yingnan casually stacked the empty plates on the table together to make it easier for the waiter to clean up.
After Xinhai paid at the front desk, the three of them walked out of Delicious Pokémon Theme Restaurant together. The scorching sun was still high in the sky, baking the earth.
" Xinhai, the Trainer School starts the day after tomorrow, and there will definitely be many powerful trainers coming to observe!" Yingnan wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, her tone full of anticipation. "It's a pity you're not a student at the Trainer School, otherwise we could go to school together."
Xinhai looked at Yingnan and laughed, "Don't worry, even if I'm traveling abroad, I'll still beat you to a pulp."
Yingnan smiled and stared at Xinhai, saying, "Then let's have a match after you finish the Ever Grande Conference!"
Xinhai didn't hesitate and said with a smile, "Alright, let me see how strong you are then!"
Shali shook her head as she looked at the two combat addicts, and the three of them soon arrived at the fork in the road.
After saying goodbye to the two, Xinhai rode the bicycle that Shali had returned and headed towards the Pokémon Center.
The buildings lining the street swayed slightly in the Heat Wave, and occasionally a trainer would hurry by with their Pokémon.
Soon after, Xinhai arrived at the Pokémon Center.
After putting the folding bicycle into his backpack, Xinhai went into the Pokémon Center and returned to his room.
Back in his room, Xinhai released Torchic and Ralts from their Poké Ball.
Ralts used Teleport to appear next to the air conditioner remote, turned on the air conditioner, and then appeared next to Xinhai.
As soon as the Torchic appeared, it happily ran to Xinhai's feet, but a soreness in its leg made it stop.
Seeing this, Xinhai took out the Pokédex and looked at the massage technique diagrams sent by Joy Luo. After carefully studying the steps, he put the Torchic on his lap.
He first took out the ointment that Joy Luo had given him from his Spatial Backpack, squeezed out some, and applied it to the Torchic's legs, then gently pressed it in.
The Torchic felt the warmth coming from its legs and made a comfortable "chamo~" sound, relaxing its body.
"How is it? Is it comfortable?" Xinhai asked softly, his movements becoming increasingly gentle.
The Torchic raised its head and crowed happily, "Chamo! Chamo~" Its voice was filled with contentment.
Xinhai smiled slightly, then gently pinched and kneaded the muscles on both sides of the Torchic's thigh with his thumb and forefinger.
The Torchic, relaxed and languid from the massage, lay sprawled on Xinhai's lap. The three feathers on its head twitched occasionally, indicating Torchic ease and comfort.
After the massage, Xinhai gently rubbed the Torchic's head. "Does your leg still feel uncomfortable?"
The Torchic shook its head and let out a satisfied cluck. "Chamo~"
"Go back to sleep and get some rest!"
Seeing that Torchic was in good condition, Xinhai gently placed Torchic on the Limber mat and then picked up Ralts and put it on his lap.
"It's your turn, little guy." Xinhai gently stroked Ralts ' back, feeling its smooth skin and its slightly rising and falling breaths.
"Ralts~" Ralts happily lay on Xinhai's lap, waiting for his massage.
Xinhai smiled and gently pressed on the little guy's temples, then gently pressed down along his neck to the soles of Ralts ' feet, and finally to his abdomen and limb joints.
As the massage continued, Ralts ' breathing became more relaxed, and it murmured softly, "Ralts~" as its body gradually relaxed.
Xinhai smiled slightly and continued to gently massage Ralts ' pressure points. His movements had a rhythm, as if they were in sync with Ralts ' breathing.
For a moment, the room was extremely quiet, with only Ralts's shallow breathing and Torchic's occasional murmurs in its sleep.