Still stirred up by yesterday's tea gathering with his friends, Hu Bin couldn't calm down for hours. He lay awake all night and only drifted off when the sun was about to rise.
Hu Bin forced himself to stay alert, packed his luggage, and brought an incredibly excited Vulpix over to Liu Yi's house.
Wu Jin and Liu Yi were already packed and ready to go. Once the three had gathered, they climbed into Liu Yi's luxury SUV with their Pokémon and set off for the campsite!
West Mountain was a tall mountain in Spring City, home to many Pokémon and guarded by powerful Trainers. Its outer reaches had also been developed into campsites so people could enjoy its natural surroundings.
The sun shone brightly that day. As Hu Bin and his friends drove along, they sang wildly off-key songs, assaulting their Pokémon's ears.
"No matter how you fly, you can't escape this dazzling world. Turns out you're just a drunken Butterfree."
"There's a Pokémon in our village called Gardevoir, lovely and gracious!"
Hu Bin, Wu Jin, and Liu Yi sang at the tops of their lungs. Their lethal singing nearly finished Vulpix and the other Pokémon off on the spot. The racket pouring out of the car sent sunbathing Pidgey scattering in fright, leaving feathers all over the ground.
Hu Bin and his friends' singing was remarkably effective!
After reaching the camping area, they unloaded their camping gear from the trunk. Behind them, Vulpix and the others were barely hanging on—not because of carsickness, but because the trio's demonic singing had done far too much damage.
But the thick-skinned Hu Bin and his friends remained completely oblivious!
Many people at the campsite had already pitched their tents and set up grills outside, enjoying delicious food with their families and Pokémon.
Quite a few powerful Pokémon had accompanied their Trainers on the trip. A Salamence even descended from the sky, and its Trainer jumped off its back and started pitching a tent.
The sight left Hu Bin and his friends green with envy. A Flying-type Pokémon! It saved you the cost of plane tickets, and you never had to worry about traffic jams.
Then Hu Bin led the others and their Pokémon in setting up the tents.
"Vulpix, come help me!"
"Vul!"
"Machop, come help me drive this peg into the ground!"
"Chop!"
"Come on, Munchlax, let's pull this tent together. Uh, what are you doing? No sneaking food! Munchlax!"
"Munch, munch!"
After a great deal of effort and teamwork, Hu Bin and his friends finally got their tents pitched. They also set out the grill and the large pot.
After all that work, their stomachs were protesting. Vulpix and the others were already lying limply on the ground from hunger, and Vulpix's little ears had drooped.
Hu Bin took out some Pokéblocks to tide Vulpix and the others over.
Nearby, Wu Jin and Liu Yi began grilling the meat they had bought. Well, even without a Fire-type Pokémon, a lighter was perfectly convenient.
Without hesitation, Hu Bin brought out his specialty, Curry Rice, ready to show the others what he could do.
As he grilled the meat, Wu Jin couldn't help asking skeptically, "Bin, is your Curry Rice even going to be edible? Just don't set this place on fire."
Beside him, Liu Yi nodded, looking equally doubtful.
Seeing his friends question his cooking skills, Hu Bin gave a little huff. "Just you wait. I'll show you Spring City's own Little Master Chef!"
With that, Hu Bin seemed possessed by the god of cooking. He placed the ingredients on a cutting board, grabbed a kitchen knife, and unleashed a full Embroidered Spring Blade Technique on them, chopping everything into neat, even pieces.
His display left Wu Jin and Liu Yi dumbfounded. What a resounding slap in the face!
Hu Bin said no more. He shot his friends a smug glance, heated some oil in the pot, and began making curry. The entire process was a delight to watch, every movement smooth and effortless. The aroma even drew the attention of the other campers and their Pokémon, making them swallow eagerly. Some were outright drooling, including Liu Yi's Munchlax.
"Oh, that young guy's Curry Rice smells amazing!"
"I want a bite so badly!"
Before long, Hu Bin brought the food to the table under the eager gazes of Wu Jin, Liu Yi, Vulpix, Machop, and Munchlax.
Without wasting words, everyone grabbed a large bowl and dug into the Curry Rice like mad. Vulpix was relatively composed, having eaten it every day at home, but Machop and Munchlax were another story. They frantically stuffed food into their mouths, shedding tears of joy as they ate.
It's so delicious! I've never eaten anything this good in my whole life. Machop and Munchlax were deeply moved.
Wu Jin and Liu Yi, their mouths glistening with grease, asked between bites, "Bin, where did you learn to do this? You're incredible!"
Wearing an expression that practically begged for a punch, Hu Bin replied, "What's there to learn? Anyone with hands can make this."
After the meal, Hu Bin and his friends cleaned up the table with their Pokémon. There wasn't really much to clean, though—they had licked the plates spotless.
As the saying went, wanting to sleep after a full meal was only natural! Liu Yi and Munchlax yawned and returned to their tent to rest. Eat until you're full, sleep until you're rested, then eat again—that was the life!
Meanwhile, Hu Bin and Wu Jin took Vulpix and Machop to the lake to have some fun, look around, and do a little fishing.
A gentle breeze swept over the lake, sending ripples across its surface. Every now and then, a carp jumped out of the water to make a brief appearance. Hu Bin and Wu Jin cast their lines into the water and began the long wait.
Vulpix cautiously touched the surface with a little paw. Feeling the cool water against it, Vulpix broke into a sweet smile.
Soon, Vulpix and Machop were playing on the grass nearby, their cheerful laughter ringing out.
Before long, Wu Jin's hook twitched. He hurriedly reeled in his line, caught a Goldeen, and then released it.
Wu Jin turned to glance at Hu Bin, his eyes full of smug triumph.
Hu Bin could only grit his teeth and grumble inwardly, Are you a little kid? You even have to show off over this?
A man's competitive streak really was that easy to ignite. The desire to win was written all over both their faces, and somehow, a contest began!
Soon, Hu Bin caught a Remoraid and shot Wu Jin a challenging look.
Neither was willing to concede to the other.
By the time the sun was about to set, Hu Bin and Wu Jin had each caught quite a few Pokémon, but there was still no clear winner. They looked at one another and shared a smile.
Their inexplicable fishing contest ended amid their laughter. The only ones who had suffered were the Pokémon that had been caught, then tossed back into the water.
Who am I? Where am I?
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