At the Pokémon Day Care, after preparing the ingredients, Fang Yan had a sudden idea and went out to the backyard. Gengar had already set up the table there.
He looked around and found the stones he had asked Gengar to deal with that morning piled in an inconspicuous corner. He walked over and picked out some large ones.
Then he found a relatively open spot, retrieved the materials the moving company had left behind, and roughly stacked the stones into a stove.
"Shame I'm missing a big pot."
Fang Yan glanced at the oddly shaped stove, then said to Gengar, "Gengar, could you buy a big pot for me? About this big will do."
Fang Yan gestured over the stove.
Gengar floated over and gestured too, then nodded. Next, Fang Yan hung his phone on a cord around Gengar's... neck, presumably?
"Come straight back, and stay safe."
"Geng~"
Gengar waved without looking back.
Then Fang Yan returned to the kitchen, found a dessert in the recipe book, studied it for a while, and got to work.
Before long, a grinning Gengar cake was finished. Fang Yan had just put it in the fridge when he heard Gengar outside.
"Geng~"
Fang Yan walked out and saw Gengar carrying a big pot on his back.
"Whoa... a Teenage Mutant Ninja Ghost?!"
Gengar took the pot off his back and placed it on the stove, then handed Fang Yan his phone. Fang Yan checked the transaction history.
"I need to open soon, or I won't even be able to afford food."
Fang Yan sighed. He had almost spent all his money before even opening.
He put his phone away and asked Gengar to return to the kitchen and bring out the ingredients. Then he found a pile of old wooden fencing and some broken furniture and put them into the stove.
"Gengar, sorry for the trouble."
He picked up a piece of firewood and spoke to Gengar.
"Geng-"
Gengar reached a little hand toward the wood, blue flames rising from it. Then the wood was lit and placed inside the stove.
"Good thing I have you here, Gengar. You make so many things easier."
Watching Gengar light the fire with Will-O-Wisp, Fang Yan spoke.
"Geng~"
The next second, Gengar pressed himself against him and started licking him.
"Hey, stop licking, stop licking! I need to cook. Do you want dinner or not?"
After finally pushing Gengar away, Fang Yan wiped the saliva off his face, poured oil into the pot to heat, and added the various ingredients. Soon, an enticing aroma filled the backyard.
"Geng-٩(º﹃º٩)"
"Just wait a little longer. It'll be ready soon. Go bring out the rice and soup, and we'll be about ready."
Fang Yan spoke to Gengar while the spatula in his hand kept flying.
Drooling, Gengar floated into the kitchen and saw soup simmering over low heat in a clay pot on the stove, giving off an enticing aroma.
"Geng~٩(º﹃º٩)"
Gengar sneaked a glance at Fang Yan outside, then took out his own little bowl, served himself some soup, and drained it in one gulp.
"Geng-((ᵒꈊᵒ᷅ू‖))՞"
Delicious!!!
Then he served himself another bowl, and another, and another...
"Gengar, aren't you ready yet?"
Fang Yan's voice reached him. He hurriedly covered the clay pot, carefully turned off the heat, and carried out both the rice and the clay pot.
Using psychic power.
"Put it here. I'll get you a bowl of... soup?! Gengar, you'd better tell me where the soup went."
Fang Yan opened the clay pot Gengar had placed on the table, then closed it again. Looking at Gengar, who was trying to sneak away, he demanded an answer.
"Ge... Geng?"
Gengar raised a little hand, trying to scratch the back of his head. Finding that he couldn't reach, he could only grin foolishly.
"Acting cute won't get you out of this."
"Geng-"
Gengar was a little shocked that Fang Yan wasn't falling for it, then lunged at him.
"Hey, your mouth tastes like soup! Stop licking. Fine, I forgive you."
Helpless, Fang Yan spoke. Only then did Gengar release him and open his little mouth in a smile, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.
"Sit down and eat."
Gengar took Fang Yan's bowl, filled it to the brim with rice, and offered it to him. Fang Yan rolled his eyes helplessly and accepted it.
Only after seeing Fang Yan accept his dinner did Gengar fill his own large bowl with rice. Just like that, one human and one Pokémon leisurely ate dinner in the evening breeze.
"Geng-(✧∇✧)"
This is delicious, and this is yummy too-
Stars shone in Gengar's eyes as he dug in. Fang Yan took a bite of food.
"Mm... not bad."
[The "old duck soup" you cooked triggered a Gourmet Critical Hit. Gengar's mood reached an unprecedented high, increasing his efficiency at handling tasks by fifty percent.] [I have always firmly believed that the dinner table is the best way to communicate-Great-aunt]
"That triggered a Gourmet Critical Hit?"
Fang Yan glanced at Gengar, who was eating heartily, but couldn't see any change.
Still, as long as Gengar was enjoying his food, that was enough, Fang Yan thought.
"Champ-"
A Machamp looked at the Pokémon Day Care nearby, recalling what that person had told them a few days ago.
"If you need anything, come find me."
She looked back at her two companions, then led them onward toward the Pokémon Day Care.
As she approached the Pokémon Day Care, she smelled an extremely enticing aroma. Judging by the direction, it seemed to come from the grounds out back.
She took a detour and stood outside the fence, looking at Fang Yan and Gengar inside, then at the food on the table.
"Champ-"
She couldn't help drooling.
Fang Yan thought he heard something behind him. Turning around, he saw three Machamp staring intently at the food on the table.
Fang Yan recognized them at a glance as the Machamp Xia Lan had brought that time.
He glanced at the status panel:
[Machamp] [Sex: female] [Type: Fighting type] [Ability: No Guard] [Known moves: Low Kick, Leer, Focus Energy, Low Sweep, Knock Off, Brick Break, Mega Punch.] [Mood: dejected, worried] [Condition: so hungry] [Friendship: 60 (I remember that kind person)] [Description: the leader of the three Machamp. She believed that human's words and came to him for help, but they are currently hungry.]
After reading the description, Fang Yan quickly stood and greeted them. "Come on in. I'll open the... gate..."
Before he could finish, the three Machamp leaped high into the air and cleared the fence.
Is there even any point in having this fence...?
Fang Yan suppressed the urge to complain and said, "You must be hungry. I'll get you something to eat."
Hearing this, Gengar glanced at the pot in his arms, then tapped Fang Yan. He curled his tongue around the rice at the corner of his mouth, swallowed it, and offered Fang Yan the pot.
"It's fine, you eat. I'll make them something else."
Fang Yan pushed the rice cooker back, then turned to the three Machamp. "How about I make you some noodles?"
"Champ-"
The three Machamp nodded furiously.
"All right, sit down for a bit. Gengar, go get a few chairs."
With that, he went into the kitchen, took out a large bag of noodles, some meat, vegetables, and Berries, and walked over to the stove outside.
Gengar poured all the rice in the rice cooker into his mouth, then passed through the wall into the house.
Fang Yan also directed one Machamp to fetch some water from the kitchen, and began cooking noodles in the backyard.
Before long, a large pot of steaming noodles was ready, with plenty of meat inside.
Fang Yan served each of them a large bowl. Glancing at Gengar drooling nearby, he helplessly served him a bowl too.
"Geng~"
Gengar happily cradled his bowl and began eating.
"Champ...(┳◇┳)"
The Machamp put the noodles into their mouths, unafraid of the heat, and tears of gratitude began to flow.
So... so delicious...
"I'll serve you more when you finish. If there isn't enough, I'll make more."
Fang Yan sat nearby, watching them wolf down their food. The friendship values on their status panels kept rising, reaching 100 in the blink of an eye.
Before long, they finished their noodles, then patted their stomachs to show that they were full.
Seeing this, Gengar picked up the big pot and poured all the remaining noodles and broth into his belly. After putting down the pot, he even stuck out his large tongue and licked it.
"Champ..."
The female Machamp leading them kept thanking Fang Yan.
Looking at them, they seemed to have been hungry for a long time. Fang Yan thought of how his Pokémon Day Care was currently short-staffed, then spoke:
"Machamp, since you've been helping out in exchange for payment, and my Pokémon Day Care needs help too, why don't you stay and work for me? Food and lodging included. What do you say?"
The female Machamp looked at Fang Yan's gently smiling face, glanced back at her two companions, then turned around and nodded firmly.
"Champ!!"
"Welcome aboard!"
Fang Yan held out his fist. Seeing this, the female Machamp held out her fist too and bumped it against his. A little chubby purple hand also joined the two hands.
"Geng~"
Looking at the Machamp who had joined his Pokémon Day Care, Fang Yan suddenly remembered something. He returned to his room, took out the hard hats he had received as rewards, and brought them to the backyard to hand to the Machamp.
Only after seeing the Machamp put them on did Fang Yan nod.
Now that's more like it.
"For now, your job will be to patrol the grounds of our Pokémon Day Care and prevent thieves from stealing anything."
Though there was practically nothing outside the house, Fang Yan continued, "Then there might be some physical work I'll need your help with too."
The female Machamp thumped her chest firmly.
"Champ!"
Patrolling and physical labor were things they were already good at.
"Then, from this moment on, you're joining the glorious security team!"
Fang Yan nodded and pointed to them one by one. "From now on, you're Dali, you're Er Li, and you're San Li."
Indulging his mischievous sense of humor, Fang Yan saluted them. They didn't know what was happening but saluted too, and then... their four hands started fighting each other.
Oh, right, there was also a little chubby fellow beside them whose hand couldn't reach his forehead.
"Ge... Geng?! Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ"