While they waited for a bite, Gengar went off to pester the nearby wild Pokémon again.
But wherever Gengar went, it made sure Chen Yan stayed within sight and never strayed too far.
Chen Yan sat beside the lake, listening closely to the cicadas chirping and the sounds various Pokémon made, including the music played by Kricketune and Kricketot.
"Geng-"
Chen Yan, look.
Gengar's voice pulled Chen Yan out of his thoughts. He turned to see Gengar floating back with an armful of mushrooms in all different colors. It set them on the ground and pointed at them for Chen Yan to look.
"Oh? You went mushroom picking? Hmm... grilled fish with mushroom soup? That actually sounds pretty good!"
Chen Yan spoke with a smile.
Gengar's eyes lit up again.
"Geng!"
Mushroom soup! I want mushroom soup too!
"All right, I was craving some myself. Hang on, let me sort through these mushrooms first."
With the help of his lv3 cooking skill, Chen Yan picked out the poisonous mushrooms and threw them away.
After sorting them, Chen Yan was about to wash the mushrooms when he looked up and found Gengar holding another armful, staring at him expectantly.
Chen Yan was just about to say they had enough and there was no need to pick more when he noticed that the mushrooms in Gengar's arms looked familiar.
They seemed to be the poisonous mushrooms he had just thrown away.
"Why did you pick those back up?"
"Geng?"
Why did you throw them away?
"They're poisonous. We can't eat them, so I threw them away."
"Geng!"
We can eat them! I used to eat them all the time, and nothing happened!
Chen Yan: ...
"Geng."
If you don't believe me, let Weedle try.
Gengar called Weedle over and placed a red-capped, white-stemmed mushroom in front of it, urging it to take a bite.
Weedle occasionally ate mushrooms too, so it soon polished off the entire little red mushroom.
"Geng!"
See? Not poisonous! Totally edible! You humans are just too picky! Grandmother said being picky is bad!
Gengar pointed at Weedle and looked at Chen Yan, seemingly accusing him of wasting food.
Chen Yan stared at Gengar and said:
"Could it possibly be... because you and Weedle are both Poison-type Pokémon? You wouldn't get poisoned..."
Seeing Chen Yan's helpless expression, Gengar blinked. Its serious, slightly angry face instantly broke into a wide grin.
"Geng-"
Hehe, I forgot.
Gengar quickly threw away the poisonous mushrooms in its arms, then looked at Chen Yan with a big smile.
"Sigh, I never thought you'd misunderstand me like that. Oh well, maybe I never deserved your trust in the first place. My heart hurts."
Gengar: !!! "(ºДº*)
No! Your heart can't hurt!
"I was going to wash the mushrooms, but now my heart hurts so much."
"Geng!"
I'll wash them! Let me do it! You rest!
"And there'll be dishes to wash after we eat..."
"Geng!"
Washing dishes has always been my job! Don't you try to steal it!
(｡･ˇ_ˇ･｡:)
"I'm so hungry. I wish I could have mushroom soup sooner..."
Gengar immediately gathered up the mushrooms and floated to the lakeside, sticking its big butt out as it washed them.
Just then, the fishing rod stirred too. Chen Yan gave it a hard pull...
Chen Yan stared at the Magikarp in front of him for over ten seconds, then... kicked it back into the lake.
Seriously, I'm trying to fish here! What are you butting in for?
Over the next half hour, however, Chen Yan had excellent luck, catching four large fish with a dozen or so earthworms.
Using his lv3 cooking skill, Chen Yan deftly gutted and scaled the fish, scored their flesh, then skewered them on sharpened bamboo poles and planted them in the ground.
"Gengar, light the fire."
"Geng~"
Coming~
A ball of blue-violet flame appeared in Gengar's palm, which it then tossed onto the stacked firewood.
Whoomph!
The blue-violet flames blazed.
The fish immediately began to sizzle.
Leaving the fish to grill, Chen Yan went over to the stove to prepare the mushroom soup.
While gathering the seasonings, Chen Yan thumped his legs. This was probably the most exercise he had gotten in a single day since coming to this world.
He had walked for almost the entire day.
Gengar noticed what he was doing, so it came over and looked at him.
"What's wrong?" Chen Yan asked.
"Geng-"
I'll cook. You go rest.
"You? Can you even cook? Can you tell salt from soy sauce?"
Gengar: (｡･ˇ_ˇ･｡:)
"Geng!"
Don't slander me! I survived just fine before you came to the courtyard, didn't I?!
And I've been helping you cook for ages!
Looking at the seemingly angry Gengar, Chen Yan couldn't quite tell whether it was genuinely upset-or whether it genuinely... knew how to cook.
After wrestling with himself for a while, Chen Yan reluctantly nodded. "Then... all right. I'll leave the mushroom soup to you and go watch the fish."
Only then did Gengar nod in satisfaction. "Geng-"
Leave this to me. Go get some rest!
Chen Yan kept glancing back at Gengar as he walked over to the fish. He turned them over, then picked up Weedle and went beneath a tree. With its String Shot, he put together a few simple hammocks and lay down, keeping his eyes fixed on Gengar.
The moment he saw Gengar even think about adding anything strange, he would rush over.
Weedle lay nearby, yawning.
I'm full... so sleepy...
After getting up to turn the fish again, Chen Yan returned to the hammock, where a sound from a nearby bush caught his attention.
It seemed to be a conversation between two Pokémon.
Roughly translated, it went like this:
It won't find out you came to see me, will it?
Oh, you rascal. Are you scared?
Chen Yan's eyes widened.
What a scandal!
Who could resist taking a look?
Chen Yan returned to his tent, took out the Drone, and stealthily flew it above the bushes.
Lying in his hammock, he watched the screen, where a Wurmple lay on top of a Pinsir.
"Wurmple and Pinsir? Well, damn..."
Pinsir's voice reached Chen Yan through the Drone and into his earphones.
Pinsir: Don't worry. I already sent it flying.
Wurmple: Thank you. Now I finally don't have to worry about getting eaten anymore...
Chen Yan: ...
So it wasn't a secret affair?
Still, the scene before him was worth recording.
Love between Pokémon...
It was his first time seeing it.
The corners of Chen Yan's mouth lifted without him realizing it as he piloted the Drone, recording their entire date.
Our poor Pinsir and Wurmple had no idea that the secluded dating spot they had gone through so much trouble to find had been completely exposed to Chen Yan.
Chen Yan recalled the Drone, feeling a little disappointed.
What a shame. They were only cuddling and exchanging sweet nothings. Wurmple had already laid an egg, so it couldn't lay another anytime soon.
Chen Yan sniffed the air and felt a sinking sense of dread.
Oh no!
Chen Yan hurried over to Gengar, who was continuously stirring the thick soup in the pot with a spoon.
The soup was a riot of colors, and the mushrooms had been boiled into mush. Bubbles occasionally rose and burst on the surface. If that had been all, it might have been tolerable.
But then Chen Yan glanced at the blue-violet flames beneath it...
"Gengar, are you brewing some medieval potion?"
"Geng-"
A potion? What's that? Is it tasty?
"I don't know. I've never had one. That's not the point, you idiot! What is this?!"
Chen Yan pointed at the mush in the pot as he asked.
"Geng-"
Mushroom soup...
"No, whose mushroom soup looks like this?! People would believe you if you called it a potion!"
"Geng-"
It's really tasty!
Watching Gengar pour in an entire bag of salt, Chen Yan's mouth fell wide open.
"How much salt did you add?" Chen Yan asked in disbelief.
"Geng-"
One, two, three, four... three bags.
Chen Yan: !!!
Chen Yan bit his thumb and took several deep breaths before speaking. "Try your soup... if this even counts as soup..."
Gengar scooped up a spoonful and took a sip.
Σ(｀艸´;)!!
"Is it good?" Chen Yan asked, smiling at Gengar.
Gengar's big, round face scrunched up into a mosaic. It swallowed the mushroom soup, then nodded against its conscience.
"Geng-"
It's good!
"Okay, then you can have the whole pot. You're not leaving until you finish it."
Gengar: ...Σ(°△°|||)︴
Gengar turned to stone on the spot.
Then Gengar dropped into a sliding kneel and clung to Chen Yan's leg.
"Geng-"
Nooo! I was wrong...
Our mighty Lord Gengar certainly knew when to stand tall and when to bow.
"You should be grateful we still have grilled fish to eat. I'll deal with you after dinner."
With that, Chen Yan told Gengar to pick up the pot so they could take the mushroom soup away and dump it out.
The moment Gengar lifted the pot, all the mushroom soup fell out through the bottom.
The pot... had sprung a leak...
Chen Yan: ...
"Gen! Gar! From! This day! Forward! You are never touching! My! Pots!!!"
Chen Yan's voice frightened the Starly roosting in the forest into a panicked flight.
Chen Yan took huge bites of his grilled fish while glaring at Gengar.
Gengar kept its head lowered, not daring to look up.
By the time he finished his fish, Chen Yan's anger had mostly subsided. He looked at Gengar and said, "Hurry up and eat. When you're done, wash the pot... forget it, there's no need. Go clear the table."
"Geng~"
Okay~
"Don't grin at me, or I'll punch you twice!"
"Geng-"
Hehe, I know you wouldn't have the heart.
"You bastard!"
After finishing his grilled fish, Chen Yan found he was still hungry, so he took out two sweet potatoes and tossed them into the charcoal. He buried them in it, then gently blew on the coals to heat them up.
Beside him, Gengar wanted to make amends, so he sucked in a deep breath, then blew it out hard.
Ash flew everywhere.
Gengar stared at Chen Yan, who sat across from him with his face now black as coal. Keeping a straight face, he handed the Emerald Bamboo Sword beside him to Weedle, then declared with tragic resolve:
"Geng-"
Little brother, I now pass my most treasured possession on to you. Take good care of it, then carry on my dying wish and become a Martial Arts Hero!
I feel like I'm already a little dead...
Weedle: ???
A second later, a pair of hands grabbed Gengar's cheeks and pulled hard in opposite directions.
"Gengar, die!"
"Geng!"
Stop it!
Before you continue