Chapter 154

Chapter 154: Chapter 154

Mike rolled over in bed, opened his eyes, and nearly had a heart attack.

Four pairs of eyes were staring directly at him from close range.

"What are you guys doing?!"

He jerked upright so quickly that his messy bed hair became even worse, then sat there for several seconds trying to calm his heartbeat before glaring at the four Pokémon gathered around him.

"Why were you all just standing there staring at me?"

None of them answered.

After exchanging looks, Snivy extended a Vine Whip, picked up Mike’s phone, and gently lowered the screen in front of his face.

6:12 a.m.

Mike stared at the time.

"It’s barely six. Why are all of you awake already?"

Then his eyes settled on Glameow.

"Especially you. Since when do you willingly wake up this early?"

Snivy blinked, quietly put the phone back down, then returned to her hammock and settled in as though nothing had happened.

Mike watched her lie back down.

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Well, since everybody’s awake anyway, how about we wash up early, grab breakfast, and head to the beach?"

Snivy’s head immediately whipped around.

Her bright eyes locked onto Mike.

"Want to go together?"

Mike smiled.

Snivy’s expression instantly brightened.

She hopped out of the hammock and hurried into the bathroom with an unmistakable spring in her step.

Mike laughed, then caught Glameow halfway through a graceful leap off the bed and pulled her straight into his lap.

The Soothe Bell around her neck jingled rapidly as he began vigorously rubbing her fur.

"You little traitor. You joined the others in trying to scare me too."

Glameow hissed repeatedly and struggled in his hands, but Mike completely ignored the warning and kept petting her until she finally lost patience, bit him, and escaped from his grasp.

"Sni."

Snivy called from the bathroom.

Mike yawned, climbed out of bed, and headed toward her.

As he passed Gengar, however, he deliberately bumped him hard with his hip.

Gengar landed on the floor with a soft thump and stared after him.

’???’

A moment later, Gengar dropped onto all fours and crawled after Mike.

While Mike was brushing his teeth, Gengar suddenly lunged, grabbed the waistband of his pants, and yanked them down.

Mike: Σ(°∀°ﾉ)ﾉ

Then:

Mike: (｀へ´メ)

Gengar immediately ran for his life!

...

By breakfast, the human and Ghost-type had escalated into a silent leg-strength contest beneath the table, kicking and shoving at each other while pretending nothing was happening above it.

The entire table nearly flipped.

Snivy’s small fists tightened.

She drew several slow breaths, clearly attempting to control herself, before two Vine Whips extended from beside her neck.

Mike and Gengar were promptly lifted into the air, thrown onto the bed, and given a thorough whipping across the backside.

...

After breakfast, Mike left the hotel rubbing his sore rear while Gengar and the others followed him out of Floaroma Town toward the coast.

Their route took them past the Gracidea field again.

Mike stopped beside the sea of unopened flower buds and looked across them.

"I wonder if we’ll get to see them bloom before we leave."

Gengar floated beside him.

"Gar?"

[Are they pretty?]

"No idea. I’ve heard they’re incredible, though. Supposedly prettier than any of the other flowers around Floaroma."

Gengar considered that.

"Gar?"

[Then should we wait until they bloom before leaving?]

Mike shook his head.

"No. There’s no need to stop our journey just because we want to see one particular thing."

He looked over the closed flowers.

"If they don’t bloom while we’re here, then I guess our timing just wasn’t right. We can always come back another year when they are."

Gengar nodded as though he more or less understood.

"Gar—"

[Then next time we should pick some for Grandma and Growlithe. And Nicole and Marill too.]

Mike looked at him.

"You already said everything. What am I supposed to add?"

Gengar stuck out his tongue.

"Gar—"

[Bleh.]

Mike laughed.

"Come on. Let’s keep moving."

With his camera hanging around his neck, he continued toward the coast.

The ocean gradually grew larger in his field of view until, at last, Mike stepped across the natural boundary where the flower-covered land gave way to pale sand.

The early morning sea breeze washed over him.

Mike instinctively narrowed his eyes, enjoying the cool air and the faint salty scent carried from the water.

He spread his arms.

"Finally."

Then he looked down.

Snivy was gripping the fabric of his pants and silently staring out across the ocean.

She didn’t say anything.

She didn’t need to.

Nearby, Gengar had already thrown himself onto the sand and begun rolling around until his round body was thoroughly coated.

Glameow, meanwhile, stepped carefully across the beach, leaving a trail of tiny flower-shaped pawprints behind her.

Mike looked back toward Snivy.

"We’ll see a lot more oceans after this."

Snivy finally turned her head.

Mike was already looking at her.

"Sni~"

She nodded, eyes curving happily.

A moment later, Mike noticed Gengar doing something strange farther down the beach.

The Ghost-type had his rear sticking into the air while frantically digging a hole in the sand.

By the time Mike understood what he was doing, Gengar had already excavated something large enough to lie in.

He inspected his work, nodded with satisfaction, then jumped straight into the hole and stretched out.

"Gar—"

He called Beedrill over.

Beedrill obediently flew across and began pushing the excavated sand back into the hole.

Within moments, Gengar had been completely buried except for his head.

He turned toward Mike and displayed his trademark grin.

"Gar—"

[Want to try?]

"No."

Mike rejected the invitation without hesitation.

"You have fun."

Gengar gave a satisfied cry and closed his eyes, perfectly content to spend the morning buried like an oversized purple beach ornament.

Mike chose a spot not far away and started building a sandcastle.

Snivy was in an exceptionally good mood and happily helped him shape the walls and towers.

Glameow sat nearby watching.

Once the castle had taken shape, she hesitated, raised one paw, and lightly tapped the side.

The entire structure collapsed into loose sand.

Mike slowly looked at her.

Glameow tilted her head and blinked back with an expression of perfect innocence.

"Meow?"

[What?]

Mike stared at her adorable face.

"Nothing."

He sighed and started rebuilding.

Out over the water, flocks of Wingull flew back and forth searching for food.

Occasionally, a Finneon would leap from the surface only to be snatched up by one of the hungry birds.

Mike glanced toward the ocean, then returned his attention to the sandcastle.

At some point, Gengar had disappeared from his burial pit.

Mike didn’t notice immediately, although he did become aware that the temperature around him had suddenly dropped slightly.

His sandcastle was almost finished.

Mike was just about to place the final piece on top when the ground beneath his rear abruptly vanished.

He dropped straight down and landed flat on his back, one leg kicking through the castle and destroying the entire thing.

Mike climbed out of the hole, looked around, and quickly reconstructed what had happened.

While he had been absorbed in building the castle, Gengar and Beedrill had quietly dug a tunnel from behind him until they reached the sand supporting his weight.

Once enough of it had been removed, the thin layer left beneath Mike had collapsed.

Mike dusted sand from his backside.

Then he charged.

Gengar and Beedrill immediately scattered.

Mike’s fighting ability was apparently respectable enough that even taking on the two of them at once didn’t leave him completely helpless, and soon all three were wrestling and chasing each other across the sand.

For once, Snivy made no attempt to stop them.

She simply sat nearby and watched them play.

By the time the roughhousing ended, the sun had fully risen and the beach was becoming uncomfortably hot.

Gengar immediately produced an enormous beach umbrella, planted it in the sand, opened it, and spread a blanket beneath the shade.

Mike stared at the umbrella.

He recognized it.

"That’s Grandma’s."

Gengar froze.

Mike sat beneath the shade and slowly looked toward him.

"How much stuff did you steal from Grandma’s house before we left?"

Gengar put one finger against his mouth and thought seriously for several seconds.

Then he brought his thumb and index finger close together.

Just a tiny gap.

"Gar—"

[Just a little.]

Mike stared at him.

"Whatever. I don’t even want to know anymore."

He pulled out his melodica and began playing.

The familiar melody of Clearwater Bay drifted across the beach while Snivy rested her head on Mike’s lap and closed her eyes.

...

By noon, all of them were still sitting beneath the umbrella.

Mike looked down at the cards in his hand and scratched his head.

"This makes us look really stupid."

Gengar, Beedrill, and Snivy looked toward him, unsure what he meant.

"It’s the middle of summer, at noon, and we’re sitting on a beach playing cards."

Mike casually threw down his remaining hand.

"Three of a kind plus one. I’m out."

Gengar stared at the cards he still held—including his precious pair of Jokers—and angrily threw them down before scratching his backside in frustration.

He had lost again.

Mike leaned back.

"So what are we eating for lunch?"

Gengar immediately answered.

"Gar!"

[BARBECUE!]

"All right. Let’s pack up and go back to Floaroma Town for—"

Gengar shook his head before Mike could finish.

He pointed directly at the sand beneath them.

"Gar—"

[I want barbecue here. The kind we grill ourselves on skewers!]

Mike stared at him.

"Are you insane, or am I?"

He gestured toward the blazing sun.

"It’s noon. In summer. On a beach. And you want me to sit beside burning charcoal and grill meat for you?"

"Gar—"

Gengar grinned.

Mike stared at his huge white teeth.

Eventually he sighed.

"I swear, you’re unbelievable. Fine. If you can somehow get the ingredients quickly, I’ll grill them."

Gengar’s grin widened.

Then he reached into the backpack and pulled out a tray of meat skewers.

Already prepared.

Mike fell silent.

He looked at the neatly threaded meat.

"When did you buy those?"

"Gar—"

[Last night. While you were sleeping, me and Beedril went shopping.]

Mike slowly turned toward Beedrill.

"So you planned today’s lunch last night?"

Gengar nodded.

Mike rolled his eyes.

Apparently they had been ten steps ahead of him the entire time.

Gengar wasn’t finished. 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ

He brought out a compact barbecue grill from Grandma’s house, placed charcoal inside, and lit it using Will-O-Wisp.

An eerie flame flared across the coals, and a wave of heat immediately struck Mike’s face.

He stared.

"You brought charcoal too?!"

Gengar ignored the accusation and instead pulled out seasonings, holding them toward Mike as though asking what to do next.

Mike sighed.

"Give them here. I’ll handle the marinade. You keep an eye on the charcoal."

Gengar and Beedrill managed the fire while Mike and Snivy seasoned the skewers nearby.

Glameow had taken her red ball of string farther down the blanket and was happily entertaining herself.

Once the meat was marinating, Mike suddenly looked toward Gengar.

"Wait. Where did you get the money for all of this?"

Gengar continued fanning the charcoal without looking back.

"Gar—"

[My allowance!]

"You still have that much allowance left?"

Mike was genuinely surprised.

At this point, he had completely lost track of how much money Gengar and the others possessed.

Every Bug Catcher, Youngster, Schoolgirl, and traveling Trainer they had defeated along the road had contributed prize money, and Mike had always handed those winnings over to his Pokémon as spending money.

Apparently Gengar had built up quite a respectable emergency barbecue fund.