A Pokémon Arcade in the Making (Please Vote!)

A little later, it was time for dinner.

With a large bump on her head, Iono quietly ate the delicious meal made from the Manor's vegetables. Her assistant, who had woken up nearby, had no idea what had happened, but she kept silent too.

"Sometimes it's better not to take a joke too far..."

"I know..."

Watching Iono meekly answer Akari, Mingyou wanted to say something but held back. Akari was genuinely gentle and dependable. She rarely got angry, but when she did, she was genuinely terrifying.

Carmine wasn't there, but Mingyou still apologized to Iono for what had happened at the hot spring that afternoon. An apology was only right.

"It's fine, it's fine. I'm not going to hold a grudge against a kid."

Iono smiled and waved it off. Beside her, the assistant broke into an awkward sweat. Who had been complaining the whole way back earlier? She couldn't remember...

After dinner, the two said goodbye and left. They had a flight to catch in Cerulean City tomorrow, so they needed to get back and rest early.

It wasn't snowing that night, and they soon returned to Verdant Town. The Christmas trees still lined the streets, and tourists enjoying barbecue were everywhere, but neither of them had an appetite for it.

"She really is scary... But I have to admit, Akari's cooking is incredible. And those special vegetables from the boss's place too."

Iono looked as though she could still taste the meal. Her assistant shook her head. If Iono hadn't kept teasing Akari and Boss Mingyou, why would Akari have gotten angry with her?

Looking after this nearly forty-year-old "kid" every day gave the assistant enough headaches. She glanced at the Momozawa Shop, which was still open at this hour, and asked, "Want to buy some sticky