Chen Yan followed Professor Rowan into the laboratory and sat down. He accepted the hot tea Professor Rowan handed him, thanked him, and took a couple of sips.
"Phew... I finally feel alive again..." Chen Yan breathed out.
"Life in the wilderness wasn't easy, was it?" Professor Rowan poured himself a cup as well, sat beside Chen Yan, and took a sip.
"Yeah, it was a little tiring, but pretty interesting too."
Chen Yan smiled as he thought back on his time in the wild. "After all, I got to see all sorts of cute Pokémon and play with them sometimes. It was pretty fun."
"Sit here for a bit. I'll organize the research reports I brought back, then join you for tea."
Professor Rowan stood up after speaking, leaving Chen Yan to sit by himself for a while.
"You can also take Gengar and Weedle around the laboratory. I won't be long."
Chen Yan glanced at Gengar, then said to Professor Rowan:
"Professor, since you're busy right now, I'll take Gengar and Weedle to find somewhere to stay, have a proper bath and a meal, and rest for the night. We'll come visit tomorrow when you're free."
"That'll also give us a chance to look around Sandgem Town and see if there's anything we need to buy."
Professor Rowan nodded. "That works. Come back tomorrow, then. I'll be at the laboratory all day, so just call me when you get here. Oh, what's your number? Let me save it."
Seeing Professor Rowan take out his phone, Chen Yan quickly took out his own Rotom Phone. Professor Rowan looked at the Rotom Phone floating beside Chen Yan and said:
"A Rotom Phone? Isn't that the phone they only recently developed in the Alola Region?"
"Huh? Is it?"
"You didn't know? I hear they're very expensive, too, because there are so few for sale. It might be a few years before they're sold on a large scale," Professor Rowan said.
Chen Yan looked at the Rotom Phone floating beside him. No wonder it was so expensive.
In that case, "Mr. Moneybags" really was a moneybags.
After exchanging numbers, Chen Yan said goodbye to Professor Rowan and left the laboratory with Gengar and Weedle.
Walking along the roads of Sandgem Town, Chen Yan looked at the bustling streets, stretched, and let out a satisfied sound.
"Mmm, ahh~"
Scratching his head, Chen Yan said, "Let's find somewhere to put our luggage first, then have a bath and a meal before heading out for a look around."
"Geng-" "Wee-"
Okay.
Chen Yan found a relatively comfortable inn and booked a room. Since he thought he might stay in Sandgem Town for a while, he told the owner he would settle the bill when he checked out.
Back in the room, Chen Yan headed straight into the bathroom, then lay in the tub and enjoyed a lovely soak.
Gengar stood beneath the showerhead nearby, scrubbing with a towel. Covered in suds, the big purple chubby ghost had become a big white chubby ghost.
Hearing the rustle of chewing from outside the bathroom, Chen Yan and Gengar exchanged a knowing look.
Gengar rinsed off the suds, then floated out of the bathroom.
"Wee?"
What are you doing?
Before long, Gengar carried Weedle in and tossed the little bug into Chen Yan's bathtub.
Weedle struggled to climb out of the tub, but Chen Yan's merciless hand pushed the little bug back down.
"Wee!"
Bugs don't take baths!
"Other bugs can skip baths, but not mine!"
Chen Yan squeezed out some body wash and rubbed it straight onto Weedle. After working up a lather, he tossed the little bug to Gengar.
Weedle tried countless times to escape Gengar's grasp, but every String Shot was burned through by Gengar's Will-O-Wisp.
"Ah... that felt good."
Chen Yan walked out of the bathroom with a satisfied sigh.
"It's been ages since I had such a nice soak."
After drying his hair, Chen Yan looked at Gengar and Weedle lying on the bed. He opened the door and said, "Stop lying around. We're going out to eat."
"Geng-" "Wee-"
Coming.
After making up for lost time with a huge meal, the human and the ghost leaned back in their seats, rubbing their bellies.
"I'm so full..."
"Geng-"
Me too... burp...
"Let's rest for a bit first. Then I'll pay the bill, and we can walk around Sandgem Town to help digest all that."
At the mention of Chen Yan paying the bill, Gengar sprang up and looked at him.
"Geng!"
I'll pay!
Chen Yan looked puzzled. "You'll pay? Sure, I'll give you my phone."
Chen Yan opened his payment code on his phone and handed it to Gengar.
Technology developed very quickly in this world. Online payments had been around for ages.
Gengar reached out a chubby little hand and pushed Chen Yan's phone back.
"Geng!"
Don't need yours. I've got money!
With that, Gengar took out the pocket money Chen Yan had given the ghost the other day. Clutching it in a chubby little hand, Gengar waved it at Chen Yan, as if to say, Look, I've got money.
Chen Yan couldn't help laughing.
So this chubby little ghost still remembered that promise from the other day.
The promise to treat him to something delicious in Sandgem Town.
As though afraid Chen Yan would insist on paying, Gengar floated toward the counter before he could say anything.
Watching Gengar hurry away, Chen Yan felt a little helpless.
Chen Yan shook his head, then turned and picked up Weedle from the chair. Feeling the hefty weight in his arms, he said, "Speaking of which, haven't you gotten fatter again?"
Weedle wriggled.
"Wee."
Have not.
"Nonsense. I can tell whether you've gotten fatter just by picking you up. You think you can fool me?"
"Wee-"
Leaves... yummy.
"As long as you like them. They're good for you anyway. Just remember to stop eating when you're full!" Chen Yan was afraid Weedle would slip into another food coma.
Weedle nodded with narrowed eyes.
Gengar floated back to Chen Yan with head bowed. Looking at the dejected ghost, Chen Yan asked:
"What's wrong?"
Gengar held up the pocket money and looked at Chen Yan.
"Geng..."
They said I don't have enough...
"How much more do you need?"
"Geng..."
I don't know...
"It's okay. I'll pay." Chen Yan raised his hand, and a server immediately came over.
"The bill, please."
The server nodded, went to the counter to fetch a scanner, and scanned the QR code on the Rotom Phone.
Wow...
Over eight hundred for one meal.
No wonder Gengar's pocket money wasn't enough.
After leaving the restaurant, Chen Yan glanced at Gengar, who was still hanging that ghostly head, and blinked.
"Oh? Candied hawthorn skewers? I haven't had one in ages. I wonder if someone might suddenly buy me one? If they did, I think I'd be happy all day. Sigh, what a shame. Looks like nobody..."
Before he could finish, a candied hawthorn skewer appeared in front of him. Chen Yan turned to find Gengar grinning at him.
"Geng-"
Hehe, here. I bought it for you.
Chen Yan accepted the skewer with satisfaction, took a deep breath, and bit off the top fruit.
It was sickeningly sweet.
Once the sugar coating melted, it was unbearably sour.
Spitting out the seeds, Chen Yan handed the skewer to Gengar. "Gengar, here, have some."
Gengar kept shaking that ghostly head.
"Geng-"
I'm not eating it. You eat it, you eat it. I bought it for you.
Looking at Gengar's expectant eyes, Chen Yan said:
"Gengar, you wanted to buy me something tasty, right?"
"Geng-"
Yep.
"Well, I want to share tasty things with you too. I'll be sad if you don't have any."
Gengar thought over Chen Yan's words for a moment, then took the skewer and bit off a hawthorn.
Gengar chewed it over and over.
Seeing how much Gengar seemed to enjoy it, Chen Yan looked puzzled.
"Is it good?"
"Geng-"
It's good. Sweet and sour.
Chen Yan stared at Gengar. That expression seemed genuine. Did the ghost really like it?
"Okay, then. If you like it, you can finish it."
"Geng-"
But I bought it for you...
Gengar held the skewer out to him again.
"Can't you just treat me to something tasty tonight instead?"
"Geng-"
That works too.
Before you continue