"Pika..."
Pikachu watched its fellow Pokémon vanish in an instant, then plopped onto the ground with a long sigh. Its pointed ears drooped, making it look utterly dispirited.
It looked up at the sky, no longer sure why it had come out here at all.
Sometimes, what you yearned for in your dreams was not something you could actually face.
Then it hurriedly gave the Vibrava overhead a very polite bow. "Pika, Pikachu!"
"Vii."
Vibrava returned the greeting lazily, then drifted down.
Just then, having finished grooming her jaws, Mawile came over through the grass. She pointed at Pikachu. "Maw?"
Food?
Vibrava had even learned to bring back wild game?
Mawile still remembered Miss Misdreavus saying that wild Pokémon made an especially flavorful soup, particularly when simmered slowly right in front of them.
Catching a pair was best. That took the flavor to another level.
As a Pokémon who trusted her seniors, Mawile had always wanted to follow Miss Misdreavus's example and catch a Pokémon herself to make soup.
Apparently, her Trainer liked that sort of thing too.
Whenever this came up, though, Ralts would steal a glance and snicker, only to get a flick from Dian's finger.
"Vii? Vii!"
Hearing that, Vibrava glanced back at Pikachu, looking distinctly uninterested.
Sorry, but it was vegetarian. Besides, anything covered in fur was bound to have a strong flavor. Eating Berries was so much easier.
And an electric mouse did not look particularly tasty anyway.
Most importantly, of course, they had no pot and did not know how to make broth.
At present, only Miss Misdreavus possessed such advanced skills.
Boss Misdreavus was the only domesticated Pokémon among them to have reached the pinnacle of maturity: entirely self-sufficient and even capable of training her Trainer.
"Maw!" Mawile tapped her lips and tilted