I Had Cynthia Digging Up Bamboo Shoots?!

Several days passed in the blink of an eye.

That morning, Fang Yan sat up in bed and looked out the window.

It had rained all night, so the morning air was a little cold.

Fang Yan walked onto the balcony, shivered, then looked toward the distant forest.

He remembered seeing a bamboo grove on his last visit, and suddenly felt like eating bamboo shoots.

"Gengar-"

Good morning.

Gengar rubbed his sleepy eyes and floated over to Fang Yan.

"Gengar, how about we go take a look around the forest today?"

"Gengar?"

Gengar looked into the distance. He knew Fang Yan meant not the Pokémon Day Care's forest area, but the larger forest beyond it.

"Gengar-"

What are we going there for?

"It rained all night yesterday. Let's see if we can pick some mushrooms to bring back and make soup."

Seeing Gengar's eyes light up, Fang Yan added something else.

"And I remember there's a bamboo grove there, isn't there?"

Gengar nodded in puzzlement.

"Have you ever eaten bamboo shoots? The tender ones that sprout just after the rain can go in soup, rice, or stir-fried meat. We can even pickle them. They're all delicious, with such a satisfying crunch... hey, why are you pulling me?"

Before Fang Yan could finish, Gengar reached out with both hands and dragged him outside, his two stubby legs kicking furiously in midair.

"Gengar-!!"

Hurry up! I wanna eat bamboo shoots!! (Extremely loud)

"I know, don't rush."

Fang Yan really couldn't handle him. Gengar stared fixedly at him the entire time he washed up and brushed his teeth. Even when Fang Yan spaced out while looking in the mirror as he brushed, Gengar reached out and tugged him back.

Once everything was ready, Fang Yan stopped as they passed Cynthia's room.

"Gengar, do you think we should ask Cynthia if she wants to come with us?"

Gengar nodded.

"All right, I'll leave this mission to you. Go ask Cynthia."

Fang Yan patted Gengar's shoulder.

"Σ(ﾟ∀ﾟﾉ)ﾉ"

Me?!

Gengar hurriedly shook his head.

As they tried to push the task onto each other, Cynthia's door opened, and Garchomp stared intently at them.

"Garchomp!"

What do you want?

Fang Yan and Gengar shuddered at the murderous aura radiating from Garchomp. Only then did Fang Yan cautiously speak.

"We wanted to ask if Cynthia would like to come into the forest with us to pick mushrooms and dig up bamboo shoots."

Garchomp stared at them for a while, then shook his head and moved to close the door.

"What is it, Garchomp?"

Woken by the noise outside her door, Cynthia sat up and asked groggily.

Garchomp looked at Fang Yan, then nodded to signal him.

Understanding what Garchomp meant, Fang Yan stood outside the door and asked Cynthia.

After receiving an affirmative answer, Fang Yan took Gengar to the backyard.

Shauna was spending the day at home with her parents, so she wouldn't be coming to the Pokémon Day Care today.

He had Er Li and San Li stay at the Pokémon Day Care to help Mime Jr. and Petilil with the work, while he set off with Dali and Gengar.

He put a basket on Gengar's back and shouldered one himself. Cynthia had also finished getting dressed and came down from the second floor.

Her long golden hair hung loose, and her pink, cherry-like lips gently parted.

"I'm ready."

Fang Yan looked over and saw that she was still wearing a black coat and wide-legged trousers.

Watching her put on her crystal high-heeled sandals, Fang Yan nodded. As expected of Lady Cabbage, she really was gorgeous.

Then he looked at Garchomp behind her.

Now he really felt completely safe.

Fang Yan put several small hoes in Gengar's basket, hung an instant camera around his neck, and gave Mime Jr. and the others a few reminders before heading toward the forest with Cynthia.

Now at the forest entrance, with Cynthia beside him, Fang Yan felt an inexplicable sense of reassurance.

They hadn't gone far into the forest before Gengar ducked into the bushes with his basket to look for mushrooms.

"Gengar-"

Gengar emerged from the bushes and came up to Fang Yan, holding out both hands with several Fresh Mushrooms resting in them.

"That's right, these are the ones."

Fang Yan nodded and put them in Gengar's basket.

Cynthia nodded earnestly beside them.

He led them toward the bamboo grove, picking plenty of Berries and Fresh Mushrooms with Gengar along the way.

When they reached the bamboo grove, Fang Yan looked at the pointed tops of the bamboo shoots and let out a breath.

Taking off his basket, Fang Yan pulled out the small hoes, handed one to Gengar, then gave Cynthia a questioning look to see whether she wanted one.

A little curious, Cynthia reached out and took a hoe too.

"Watch what I do."

Fang Yan found a bamboo shoot, twisted it a little with his hand, then slowly dug away the soil around it with his hoe. Finally, he snapped it off by hand, and a fresh, tender bamboo shoot appeared in his grasp.

"Gengar?"

Does that thing really taste good?

Gengar looked curiously at the bamboo shoot in his hand, still wrapped in its outer layers.

It was so ugly.

"Then don't eat any later."

Fang Yan replied with a smile.

"Gengar! Σ(ŎдŎ|||)ﾉﾉ"

No way!

Gengar then found a bamboo shoot of his own and began digging, copying Fang Yan's movements.

Crack-

"Gengar!"

Holding a bamboo shoot in his arms, Gengar grinned.

Fang Yan took out his instant camera and snapped a picture of Gengar.

"Want to give it a try?"

Fang Yan turned to Cynthia and asked.

Seeing that Cynthia seemed puzzled, Fang Yan chuckled. "Of course, using a Pokémon's abilities to help would make the digging much faster. We could even dig up everything here in no time. But we're here to enjoy the happiness of reaping what we work for by digging up bamboo shoots ourselves. That way, they'll taste even better when we cook them."

Cynthia nodded and took off her coat. Fang Yan was just about to reach out for it when Garchomp beat him to it.

"Garchomp?"

Garchomp looked at him and asked in puzzlement.

"Ahem."

Fang Yan rubbed his nose, indicating that it was nothing.

Seeing Cynthia copying Gengar's movements, Fang Yan walked over.

"Let me teach you."

After getting her permission, Fang Yan came to Cynthia's side. Her scent drifted into his nose, sweet and fragrant.

He shook his head, focused his attention, then guided Cynthia's hands as he taught her to dig up bamboo shoots.

Crack-

Cynthia snapped off a bamboo shoot.

"Cynthia, give me a smile."

Cynthia looked up and found Fang Yan pointing the instant camera at her. With no time to react, she could only give him a smile as refreshing as a spring breeze.

Looking at the developed photo, Fang Yan suddenly remembered something.

If Cynthia's fans found out I'd brought her here to dig up bamboo shoots, would they beat me to death?

At that thought, Fang Yan looked up at Cynthia and found that she had already started digging up her second bamboo shoot.

She seemed to be enjoying the process quite a bit.

With that in mind, Fang Yan handed the photo to Garchomp to hold, picked up his hoe, and joined in.

As time passed, the forest gradually began to wake, with Pokémon scattered among the nearby trees.

Starly, Staravia, and Aipom.

Burmy also hung upside down, watching their movements in puzzlement.

After watching for a long time, an Aipom came over above the basket in puzzlement and hung upside down, hoping to sneak away with a bamboo shoot.

Just as he picked up a bamboo shoot, he turned his head and found a Garchomp staring coldly at him.

Feeling the aura radiating from Garchomp, Aipom's eyes rolled back, and he fainted.

Garchomp put the bamboo shoot back in the basket, then picked up Aipom and tossed him onto a nearby tree, leaving him hanging there without paying him any more attention.

Seeing this, the other Pokémon abandoned any thoughts of sneaking over to take bamboo shoots.

"All right, we can't fit any more."

Seeing Cynthia and Gengar still digging, Fang Yan hurriedly called for them to stop.

Cynthia stopped, still wanting more. Fang Yan handed her tissues and water, then looked at Gengar and found him gazing longingly at the remaining bamboo shoots.

"We already have enough to eat for a long time. We need to leave some for the other Pokémon too."

Fang Yan walked over to Gengar, tugged at the corners of his mouth, and comforted him.

"Let's head back early so I can make you all something delicious."

At those words, Gengar nodded. Then, holding several bamboo shoots in his arms and carrying a large basketful on his back, he floated unsteadily into the air.

Fang Yan tapped the bamboo, selected two fresh, tender stalks, and asked Dali and Garchomp to cut them down.

Dali and Garchomp swept their hands across them, and two bamboo stalks as thick as Dali's arms fell to the ground.

Dali first shouldered Fang Yan's basket, then hoisted the two bamboo stalks onto his shoulder.

"Let's go. We'll head home, and I'll make you all something delicious."

Fang Yan said, holding his small hoe.

"I want ice cream."

"Sure~"

"Gengar-"

"Sure~"

"Garchomp!"

"No problem."

"Machoke!"

"Leave it to me!"