Mid-Autumn Festival

Three days passed in the blink of an eye, and everything at the Pokémon Day Care was progressing in an orderly fashion.

During that time, the Petilil herbal tea sold extremely well among the elderly men and women, and two Pokémon Eggs were sold as well.

On the day of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Fang Yan got up bright and early to prepare for that evening's dinner.

He reached up and lifted Shauna off the shoulder of the Machamp-he wasn't sure whether it was Er Li or San Li-and made her a cup of honey water as usual.

Ever since Shauna had gone home that day, Fang Yan had Dali and the others take turns picking them up each day, starting the next morning, then taking them home before dinner to avoid any accidents on the way.

Sometimes her father or mother accompanied her, and sometimes both came along. If they weren't coming, they would message him in advance.

Today, Shauna happened to come alone, so Machamp had seated her on its shoulder and brought her to the Pokémon Day Care with the egg in her arms.

After several days of care, Shauna had started talking a little more at the Pokémon Day Care. Although she was still the same as ever around people outside it, Fang Yan and her parents all believed things would get better.

Fang Yan hadn't put out the open sign today. He patted her little head, then took her to the vegetable garden in the backyard to pick vegetables.

Plants grew very quickly in the Pokémon world. Berries, for instance, could bear fruit in just a few days, so with Petilil's help, the vegetables had soon grown.

Afterward, he had Gengar stay with Shauna to keep watering while he returned to the kitchen.

First, he prepared breakfast for everyone. After breakfast, Fang Yan began the advance preparations for that evening's food.

He first made a Gengar cake and put it in the refrigerator, then asked Gengar to borrow a little more Honey from Vespiquen.

After that, he returned to the backyard and began making molds for the mooncakes.

Gengar arrived at the hive and grinned at Vespiquen.

Hee-hee.

Vespiquen really couldn't stand having Gengar come rob her of her Honey every day, but life here was indeed comfortable, so she decided to have Gengar bring a container over. She would fill it all at once, and Gengar could return when it ran out.

Gengar nodded, then returned to the kitchen, looked around, and carried off an empty water vat.

Fang Yan was carving a mold with his head lowered. When he looked up, he saw Gengar staggering toward the woods with a water vat even bigger than itself.

You big idiot, what are you doing?

At the hive.

Vespiquen and several Combee stared at the huge water vat before them.

She turned to leave, ready to move away with the Combee.

Seeing Vespiquen turn her back without a hint of reluctance, Gengar cried out in a panic, then pulled a smaller ceramic jar from its mouth.

Vespiquen silently watched Gengar.

"Gengar-"

Hee-hee.

Vespiquen couldn't be bothered with Gengar anymore. She flew over, picked up the ceramic jar, and left.

Watching Vespiquen leave, Gengar sighed, then looked at the huge water vat on the ground and shook its head regretfully.

In the end, Fang Yan saw Gengar staggering back with the huge water vat, a little ceramic jar floating beside it.

He wasted no time making fun of Gengar. Gengar turned away in a huff, refusing to look at him, and took everything back to the kitchen.

After lunch, Fang Yan had Dali and the others take Shauna to the front to watch television for a while and stay out of the midday sun.

He hid away in the kitchen to make mooncakes.

The fillings he prepared were red bean paste, osmanthus, and lotus seed paste.

There was only half as much red bean paste as either of the other two, because a certain little chubby helper had eaten the other half while helping.

He swatted away the chubby little hand sneaking toward the spoon again, then planted his hands on his hips and looked at Gengar.

Seeing that Fang Yan was about to scold it, Gengar made a face just as the sound of a motorcycle came from outside, then floated through the wall toward the entrance.

Fang Yan shook his head helplessly and went on working.

Officer Jenny came into the kitchen and drank a glass of hand-mixed Fresh Water, ready to help. She looked around, then took a few glasses of Fresh Water out of the kitchen and went to watch television with Shauna.

After he put some of the mooncakes into the oven, Xia Lan arrived at the Pokémon Day Care too.

She came into the kitchen and chatted with Fang Yan for a while, complaining about the client on her current case while eating the osmanthus filling.

At first, Fang Yan comforted her, but when he saw the osmanthus filling dwindling, he chased her out too.

"Tch, what a cheapskate. Gengar, he's so stingy."

"Gengar!"

Hearing their conversation outside, Fang Yan rolled his eyes and shook his head helplessly.

Once the first batch of mooncakes came out of the oven, Fang Yan called for Gengar.

"Gengar-"

Whaddya want?

Gengar poked half its body through the wall and looked at Fang Yan, still looking angry.

Seeing that Gengar was still sulking, Fang Yan sighed helplessly.

"Ah, I was going to let a certain Pokémon try a freshly baked mooncake, but unfortunately, it's still sulking. I suppose it probably won't want any. What a shame. I'll just have to find another Pokémon. Dali and the others would probably agree, wouldn't they?"

"Gengar!"

No way!

Gengar appeared before Fang Yan and crossed its two chubby little hands in front of its chest, making an X to show with a solemn expression that this was unacceptable.

Amused by Gengar's solemn declaration, Fang Yan laughed and handed it a freshly baked mooncake. "Here, eat up."

"Gengar?"

Gengar looked at the Gengar-shaped mooncake in its hands, then looked up at Fang Yan questioningly.

"Go on. Where I come from, we always let the kids have a taste of freshly cooked food."

Fang Yan reached out and tugged at the corners of its mouth as he spoke.

Hearing this, Gengar opened its great big mouth in a grin, then swallowed the Gengar mooncake in one bite.

Munch, munch, munch~

"Gengar! *⁂((✪⥎✪))⁂*"

So yummy~

He flicked Gengar on the forehead, then told it to wait outside.

When Fang Yan wasn't looking, Gengar grabbed a few mooncakes and ran.

"Aren't you afraid of burning yourself?"

Fang Yan chided it with a laugh.

After making all the mooncakes, he began preparing that evening's dinner.

Dongpo pork, braised pig's trotters, salt-and-pepper prawns, fresh mushroom chicken soup, seasonal vegetables, a Berry platter, sweet-and-sour ribs, and cola chicken wings.

The Pokémon had various Pokéblocks.

The drinks were hand-mixed Fresh Water (Honey version) and Berry Juice.

That evening's dinner was so lavish that Fang Yan couldn't keep up on his own. It was only after Nurse Joy arrived and helped out with Blissey that he managed to finish all the food.

Fang Yan walked out of the kitchen. The seating area in front of the counter was full of people and Pokémon.

Among them was a penguin Pokémon he had never seen before. A single glance told him it had an extraordinary type combination.

That Empoleon must be Xia Lan's Pokémon, Fang Yan thought.

Then he looked at Shauna. "Shauna, I'll call your mom and dad and tell them you're having dinner here tonight. How does that sound?"

"Okay."

Her clear little voice rang out. Fang Yan nodded, then looked at Gengar, Xia Lan, and the others.

"It's time to eat, and you're still watching?"

He spoke in exasperation, and Gengar shot off from a standing start, floating toward the kitchen.

"Gengar-"

Yummy food, here I come~

The other Pokémon headed toward the backyard as well, those responsible for stools carrying stools, those responsible for tables carrying tables, and those responsible for dishes carrying dishes.

Everyone performed their own duties in perfect order.

Seeing this, Fang Yan nodded in satisfaction, then took out his phone and let Shauna's parents know.

Afterward, Xia Lan and the others handed Fang Yan the gifts they had brought.

"If you bring gifts the next time you come over for a meal, you're not getting through the door."

"Hahahaha, sure, next time."

"Let's eat, let's eat."

"Just a little something."

Fang Yan put the gifts away, shook his head helplessly, and followed them back to the backyard.