Morning seemed to come especially early by the sea. After sleeping in comfortably at Bill's lighthouse, Gary was woken by the sea breeze and sunlight.
Rubbing his tousled hair, Gary padded into the kitchen in Pikachu slippers, yawning.
He first made two cappuccinos, shaping the milk foam into Chikorita's leaf.
Then came buttered toast and an egg and ham salad, and breakfast for the humans was ready.
Next, he opened Bill's storeroom and carried out the highest-grade canned Pokémon Food.
"Come on out, everyone." He casually opened the Poké Balls, and all his Pokémon, big and small, lined up to watch the cans in his hands.
Scyther nearly drooled before suddenly catching himself. That didn't fit his aloof-warrior image. He quickly closed his eyes and pretended to doze, looking as though he might kill someone in his sleep.
Eevee, Growlithe, and Rhydon lined up like the bars of a Wi-Fi symbol, their tails swaying from side to side in perfect sync.
Only Charmeleon behaved normally, sitting on the floor and banging his food bowl...
"This little brat..." Gary could only smile helplessly at Charmeleon's shameless I'm hungry, so I'm right attitude.
Each companion received three cans of premium food and two bottles of Moomoo Milk. Finally, Gary added two spoonfuls of protein supplement for the injured Growlithe, while Rhydon got a whole heap of supplements dumped into his meal.
With a food bowl set before each Pokémon, everyone gazed at Gary expectantly.
Gary nodded in satisfaction. "Dig in, everyone!"
In an instant, the household's three biggest gluttons-Charmeleon, Scyther, and Rhydon-switched into bulldozer mode and demolished their food.
Eevee ate much more gracefully, taking dainty little bites and even finding time to give Gary a sweet smile.
Compared with these old companions, Growlithe lowered his head, took one bite, and immediately teared up.
Could I eat food this delicious every day? Gary even treated my wounds, brushed my fur, and petted my head.
"Awooo!" Growlithe threw back his head and howled, then plunged into Gary's arms. That affection was impossible to fake.
"All right, all right. Eat your breakfast properly. Your wounds haven't fully healed yet." Gary stroked Growlithe, gently soothing him.
Eevee shook his head and went back to eating. He understood that feeling. When he had first been sent from the lab to Gary, his reaction had been even more dramatic than Growlithe's...
My Trainer is a softhearted god! That's why I have to help him achieve his dream. Little Eevee silently psyched himself up, then went back to eating with determination.
"Gary, you made breakfast... Thanks for the-holy crap! My premium Pokémon Food?! And my Moomoo Milk! Help! Your whole family might as well eat me out of house and home!" Fresh out of bed, Bill rubbed his hair in disbelief, his eyes wide.
"Oh, come on. What's wrong with eating a little? You're loaded. As if we could eat you broke." Gary didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"What do you think? My doctoral stipend has stayed the same all this time. Local researchers have it rough, okay..." Bill opened his mouth and promptly delivered a public-relations disaster.
"Oh, give it a rest. If your stipend hasn't gone up, maybe look at your own shortcomings. Have you actually worked hard on your research these past two years? Why haven't you gotten a raise?" Gary curled his lip.
"I just want to ask... You're leaving today, right?" Bill slumped over the dining table in resignation.
"Uh-huh. I'll let everyone play by the sea this morning, then we'll leave after lunch." Gary shrugged.
"Good. Off you go, then!"
Whoosh! Gary suddenly felt weightless. As Bill tossed him out of the lighthouse, chair and all, his mouth twitched. "Are you asking for a beating...?"
Fortunately, Bill finally saw the error of his ways and let Gary back in for breakfast.
After all, with Scyther's blade held against his neck, Bill knew what mattered.
After breakfast, perhaps spurred on by Gary's remarks, Bill shut himself in his laboratory bright and early to look up references and write his paper.
Gary packed his luggage and brought his Pokémon down to the beach.
"All right, everyone. Relax and play for a while. After lunch, we'll keep heading toward Vermilion City." Gary clapped his hands.
Eevee ran around the beach for a while, then seemed to tire and embarked on the grand undertaking of digging in the sand.
Before long, only a fluffy tail could be seen wriggling adorably out of the sand pile.
Charmeleon yawned lazily and basked comfortably in the sun with Growlithe, his fellow water-shy companion.
Scyther worked as hard as ever, standing in the surf and trying to cleave the waves.
What surprised Gary was that Rhydon, despite his massive size, wasn't afraid of water at all.
After doing a couple of stretches by the shore, Rhydon plunged straight into the sea!
"This guy!" Gary stood up in delighted surprise.
Being able to swim meant this Rhydon definitely had a strong affinity for water. In that case, he might well have mastered a move that utterly defied expectations for his species!
Splash! Just as Gary had suspected, a huge wave rose along the shoreline a moment later.
Atop that towering wave, Rhydon rode toward shore, looking magnificent.
"He really knows Surf!" Gary's eyes shone. As a Rhydon who could swim, his usual quadruple weakness to Water-type attacks could practically be ignored.
If he learned Flamethrower too... Oh, that would be quite a sight.
"Rrroar!" As he neared the shore, Rhydon's expression suddenly changed.
Gary took a closer look. Scyther was still in Surf's path.
"Scy!" Facing the approaching wave, Scyther neither dodged nor retreated. He raised his blades.
White light swirled around him as he drew both scythes behind his back and crouched slightly.
Shing! A moment later, a massive crescent-shaped slash cut across the wave and flew straight into the sky.
Thump! Rhydon landed on his rear, staring at Scyther in surprise.
The corners of Scyther's mouth lifted in a smug smile.
He had just tried swinging Cut using the same approach as Sonic Boom. He hadn't expected it to work so well!
"Well done." Gary walked over to the two Pokémon. "You two really know how to surprise me."
Rhydon scratched his head sheepishly. He simply found swimming comfortable. Back when he was a Rhyhorn, he had often sneaked off for a soak. Now that he had evolved and gained powerful limbs, he had promptly developed the ability to swim.
"Scy!" Scyther waved his blades. He was a blade warrior. Gary had always told him to slash faster and farther, and he had done it.
Watching Gary praise Scyther and Rhydon, Charmeleon yawned lazily, then tilted his head toward Growlithe. "Bro, wanna train?"
Growlithe nodded eagerly. The two little Pokémon moved apart and began trading Flamethrowers.
Charmeleon's flames leaned toward deep crimson, while Growlithe's were a bright orange.
Boosted by the sunlight, both of their Flamethrowers packed considerable power.
Boom! An explosion brought the clash of flames to an end.
Gary nodded in pleased surprise. Growlithe's level was lower than Charmeleon's, but he was clearly very skilled at using fire.
Looking at his talented Pokémon, Gary let out a contented breath. "Time to head for the next Gym."
"Vee?" Eevee emerged from his sand pit with a face full of grit. What happened? Did I miss something?
"Come here, you little messy-face. Time for a brushing." Lifting Eevee out of the pit, Gary began their daily bonding session.
Every Pokémon needed a different cleaning routine, but brushing fur, bathing, and polishing their bodies were all good ways to grow closer to a Pokémon partner.
Under the sunlight, Gary sat on the beach and gently brushed Eevee's fur while the other Pokémon sat obediently around him.
Watching the scene on the beach through his window, Bill couldn't help nodding. "This kid might really win a championship or something."
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