Taking the navigator from the Spatial Backpack, Xinhai used the map to find a path leading to the riverbank.
After following the path for only a short while, he saw a remarkably clear river.
The little river was four or five meters wide. Soft, light Grass type grew thick along its banks, while several rounded, smooth stones, polished by the current, lay scattered by the water. Sunlight fell across the river's surface, breaking into drifting flecks of gold.
"This place is nice." Xinhai put away the navigator, set the Spatial Backpack on a flat patch of Grass type, and released all his companions.
After coming out, Blaziken looked around before walking to the Grass type by the riverbank and sitting cross-legged, its posture relaxed and unrestrained;
Haxorus found a rock warmed by the sunlight and lay down beside it, its dark-gold scales gleaming softly beneath the sun;
Milotic, meanwhile, slid straight into the water. Its cream-colored scales drifted beneath the surface, stirring up rings of delicate ripples.
Xinhai pulled a folded grill and a bag of charcoal from the Spatial Backpack, then found a flat stone beside the river and set up the grill.
Gardevoir came to his side, took the bag of ingredients he handed over, and skillfully began preparing the fresh meat and sweet potatoes.
Its movements were gentle and precise. Slice after slice of meat was cut into evenly sized pieces, threaded onto bamboo skewers, and arranged on plates. It then sprinkled seasoning over several of the prepared skewers.
It handled these tasks even more meticulously than Xinhai had taught it, clearly having considerable experience in this area as well.
Xinhai lit the charcoal and lined up the prepared meat skewers and sweet potatoes across the grill.
More than ten minutes later, fat dripped from the meat