How Could a Pokémon as Cute as Gengar Exist? (Please Keep Reading!!!)

"Good morning..." Chen Yan emerged from the tent with a yawn. Glameow followed beside him, yawning too.

"Gengar-"

Morning!

Gengar had been swishing the Thin Bamboo Cane around, whipping the grass nearby. Seeing Chen Yan awake, Gengar stopped and turned to greet him and Glameow.

Chen Yan nodded, walked to the river, and crouched down to brush his teeth and wash up.

It had rained all night, leaving the soil around them muddy. After washing Glameow's paws, Chen Yan picked Glameow up, returned to the tent, and let Glameow rest inside.

"How about mushroom soup with the flatbread we bought at the supermarket for breakfast?"

Chen Yan looked at Gengar, who nodded in agreement, then at Glameow, who nodded too.

Chen Yan set up a small pot and added water. Once Gengar had washed the dried mushrooms, he put them into the pot.

"Let's go find some firewood." Chen Yan was about to get up and gather some when Gengar stopped him.

"Gengar-"

Gengar pointed in one direction. Chen Yan looked over and found a pile of firewood already stacked beside the tent.

"Did you... gather this early this morning?"

Chen Yan looked at Gengar and asked.

Gengar broke into a mischievous grin.

"Bidoof?"

Gengar nodded.

"Oh, you. Remember to gather some firewood with me later so we can return it."

"Gengar-"

Gengar indicated that the message had gotten through.

Chen Yan brought the wood over and placed it beneath the small pot. He snapped his fingers, and Gengar lit the wood with Will-O-Wisp.

Soon, a pot of delicious mushroom soup was ready.

After serving Gengar a generous bowl, Chen Yan filled one for himself, sat on a rock, and took a sip of the steaming soup.

"Phew~ This really is all thanks to you, Gengar. If you hadn't worked so hard drying those mushrooms, I wouldn't get to have such delicious mushroom soup today." Chen Yan's gratitude was heartfelt.

Gengar blinked at his words, then poured the entire bowl of soup into that wide mouth, stuffed the flatbread in after it, smacked those lips twice, and swallowed.

"Gengar!"

I'll go gather more right now!

Chen Yan froze for a moment. Looking at Gengar, who was getting ready to leave, he asked, "Isn't it a little too early to go now?"

"Gengar!"

Not at all. It just rained yesterday, so there'll be loads of mushrooms. If I go too late, the other Pokémon will have gathered them all.

"But don't we still have plenty? We haven't finished them yet," Chen Yan asked.

Gengar turned back and stared at Chen Yan. Helpless under that stare, Chen Yan could only say, "Then thanks for the hard work, Gengar and Kakuna."

Gripping the Thin Bamboo Cane, Gengar took out Grandmother's bamboo basket, strapped it on, hugged Kakuna tight, and floated away from the tent.

Gengar did not stray far from the tent, needing to keep an eye on Chen Yan at all times so wild Pokémon would have no chance to hurt him.

Meanwhile, Chen Yan sat on a rock with Glameow in his lap. He tore up the flatbread, placed the pieces in his palm, and fed them to Glameow.

Glameow's tongue was surprisingly soft. Every lick across Chen Yan's palm sent a little tickle straight to his brain.

After feeding Glameow the flatbread, Chen Yan served another bowl of mushroom soup and held it up for Glameow to lap at.

As he fed Glameow, Chen Yan watched Gengar gathering mushrooms nearby.

Gengar's mushroom-gathering technique was seriously cool. Whenever Gengar found a mushroom, the Thin Bamboo Cane pressed against its base, then flicked upward, sending the mushroom flying neatly into the bamboo basket.

So cool...

Chen Yan marveled sincerely.

Before long, Gengar returned with a basket full of mushrooms.

"Thanks for the hard work."

Chen Yan helped Gengar take off the bamboo basket as he spoke.

Gengar grinned.

Chen Yan tipped out the mushrooms and began picking out the poisonous ones.

Once he had finished sorting them all, Chen Yan looked up to find that Gengar had gathered all the poisonous mushrooms into an armful.

Chen Yan looked at Gengar curiously and asked, "Gengar, those are poisonous mushrooms. You can't eat them."

"Gengar-"

I know. They're for me.

Even more puzzled, Chen Yan asked, "Why eat poisonous mushrooms? We have so many other mushrooms, don't we? We can just share them. I couldn't eat all of them by myself anyway."

Gengar shook that head firmly.

Chen Yan stared at Gengar. "Then why?"

"Gengar-"

Because you said we'd be staying here for ages, and the food we bought might not last. You and Glameow can have the mushrooms. I'll just eat the poisonous ones. I used to eat poisonous mushrooms anyway. I'll be fine.

Chen Yan: ...

Chen Yan smiled and beckoned Gengar over. Once Gengar floated up to him, Chen Yan reached out, tugged those cheeks, and said:

"How could a Pokémon as cute as Gengar exist in this world?"

ヾ(´∀｀.ヾ)

Heehee.

Chen Yan made a face at Gengar, who refused to be outdone and made one right back.

Chen Yan himself didn't know whether to call Gengar innocent or silly.

Perhaps Pokémon were simply such innocent creatures?

After breakfast, Gengar was still outside the tent holding Kakuna and "pestering the greenery." Several Oddish and Budew had already come to complain to Chen Yan.

After Chen Yan called out a warning, Gengar took Kakuna off to catch fish and dig into Bidoof's burrow.

An absolute little menace.

Those wild Pokémon couldn't win a fight. And complaining? Chen Yan simply zipped up the tent.

Dinner was grilled mushrooms and fish Gengar had caught in the river.

Chen Yan hadn't expected Gengar to actually catch any fish.

Out of Chen Yan's sight, Bidoof and Bibarel sat in their burrow on the verge of tears.

In all their lives, they had never encountered such an unreasonable Pokémon.

First their food had been stolen, then they had been forced to go into the river and catch fish, or they wouldn't get their food back.

Where was the justice in that?! Was this even a Pokémon? This was a bandit!

Fortunately, their food had eventually been returned.

Bidoof and Bibarel took their food and left the river that very night.

Chen Yan had no idea that was how Gengar had gotten the fish. At that moment, he was crouched beside the blue-violet flames, grilling mushrooms.

Returning from a bath, Gengar was startled to discover that Chen Yan was grilling poisonous mushrooms.

"G-Gengar!"

Th-those are poisonous mushrooms!

Gengar pointed at the mushrooms in Chen Yan's hand in alarm.

Chen Yan turned back, smiled, and said:

"I know. I'm grilling them for you. You can't just eat them raw, can you?"

Gengar: !!!

Gengar smiled.

Heehee.

"Come over and give me a hand."

At Chen Yan's words, Gengar promptly floated to his side and helped him out.

"How many do you want?"

Gengar counted those fingers, then held up both hands.

(Ten skewers! I want ten skewers!)

"Got it. Turn the grilled fish over."

(Okay~)

"Want them spicy?"

(Hmm... just a little.)

"All right. Give me a moment."

After dinner, Gengar sat beside the river with Kakuna as usual, telling stories.

Chen Yan walked over, sat beside Gengar, and took Kakuna into his arms.

Gengar looked at Chen Yan curiously, and Chen Yan winked.

"It's been ages since I told you a story. Let me do it today."

Gengar: !!!

Chen Yan was the best!

"Now, after Hero Guo had his arm chopped off, he fell off a cliff, stumbled upon an extraordinary opportunity, and learned unparalleled martial arts..."

"Gengar-"

"Why did he find an opportunity? He just did. That's how these stories work."

"Gengar-"

"Huh? You're asking me? It should be..."

"Gengar-"

"Are you telling the story, or am I? Why don't you tell it instead?"

"Gengar..."

At the edge of the forest.

Many wild Pokémon began running deeper into the forest.

Outside the forest, Pokémon were also making their way in under the moonlight, one after another.

Though there were many of them, they moved in orderly fashion.