Chapter 227

Chapter 227: Chapter 227

While Mike was busy preparing dinner, the fan group was still discussing his battle with Gardenia.

[Juice Bro: The procrastinator actually mastered Mega Evolution?!]

[hector lyng: WHY THE HELL DOES HE GET TO?!]

[Mineral Enthusiast: Haha, looks like the Mega Stone I sent him came in handy. No matter how many times I see it, Mega Beedrill still looks incredibly cool.]

[Professor Purple: So Steven was the one who gave him the Mega Stone.]

[IDontWantOvertime: Mega Beedrill really is pretty strong after Mega Evolving.]

[Juice Bro: IDontWantOvertime, you’re not working overtime today?]

[IDontWantOvertime: No. I’m sleeping today.]

[GholdengoIsNumberOne: Did he challenge the Gym again? I thought he’d already beaten Eterna Gym.]

[IDontWantOvertime: He probably just went there to test Mega Evolution.]

[ReallyWantIceCream: He succeeded at Mega Evolution on his first attempt? I knew I hadn’t misjudged him. It’d be even better if he became an Elite Four member.]

[IDontWantOvertime: ...]

[IDontWantOvertime: Should I talk to him and offer him my Elite Four position?]

[ApeLion: Why does it feel like nobody in Sinnoh actually wants to be in the Elite Four...?]

[GholdengoIsNumberOne: It’s not that nobody wants the position. IDontWantOvertime just wants to retire.]

[ReallyWantIceCream: Keep working.]

[IDontWantOvertime: ...]

[Juice Bro: I watched the video again. Mega Beedrill is SO COOL! I’m going to raise a Beedrill too, then Mega Evolve him!]

[Professor Purple: Maybe beat your first Gym before worrying about Mega Evolution...]

[Juice Bro: Screw you...]

[IDontWantOvertime: Oh, right. GholdengoIsNumberOne, thanks for all the support. Seriously, you’re a lifesaver!]

[GholdengoIsNumberOne: Haha. Sinnoh has always been one of my favorite regions, so I’m glad I can help. Besides, Professor Rowan and Mike helped me too. Without them, my Gimmighoul wouldn’t have evolved into Gholdengo.]

[GholdengoIsNumberOne: If the Sinnoh League needs anything else, just tell me. I’m sure our side can arrange more cooperation.]

[IDontWantOvertime: Absolutely! We’ll definitely be in touch!]

...

Mike knew absolutely nothing about any of this.

At that moment, he was standing in front of the stove, expertly tossing a wok.

"Wow..."

Gardenia stared at his cooking technique with her mouth hanging open.

No matter how many times she saw him cook, she still found it astonishing.

The way Mike handled the wok practically looked like an art form, and the most ridiculous part was that the food he produced actually tasted every bit as good as the performance suggested.

"Rotom, could you get into the microwave for me? Thanks."

"Rotom shall never be enslaved! Unless—"

A chubby little hand grabbed Rotom before the speech could continue and forcibly shoved the Pokémon into the microwave.

"Gar—"

[You talk too damn much!]

"Unable to comprehend, roto..."

Rotom’s voice now came from the microwave as the Pokémon reluctantly began doing the job.

Before long, the entire table was packed with food.

"All right, everyone. Dig in!"

"YES!"

"GAR—!"

...

That night, Mike lay on the hotel bed and yawned as he stared at the ceiling.

"Just thinking about sleeping outdoors again tomorrow makes me not want to leave."

He sighed.

"Have I gotten too used to living comfortably?"

Glameow stopped batting around her red ball of yarn and turned toward him.

After hesitating briefly, she padded over on light steps, the Soothe Bell around her neck chiming clearly with every movement.

"Meow?"

She lowered her head and looked at Mike.

"It’s nothing. I was just thinking about how we’ll be camping outside again for a while, and I feel a little guilty making all of you put up with it."

Mike reached up and gently stroked her head.

"Gar—"

[As long as Mike is there, anywhere is fun.]

Gengar always seemed capable of casually saying the exact words that struck Mike deepest in the heart.

The other Pokémon all nodded in agreement.

Mike smiled.

"Thanks, everyone. In that case, good night. Tomorrow, we’ll start another new journey."

Another yawn escaped him.

"Gengar, remember to turn off the light."

"Gar—"

The room went dark.

Mike reached out, gathered Glameow and Hatenna into his arms beneath the blanket, and closed his eyes.

The night passed peacefully.

...

The following morning, Mike opened his eyes and shifted around beneath the blankets.

Unfortunately, he accidentally rolled onto Glameow’s tail.

Her eyes snapped open.

Smack!

Without the slightest hesitation, one paw landed squarely against Mike’s face.

After receiving Glameow’s morning slap, Mike obediently climbed out of bed, washed up, headed downstairs, and checked out of the hotel.

He first made sure everyone had a proper breakfast, then went to the supermarket to purchase supplies for the journey ahead.

Mike had no idea how long they would remain on Mount Coronet this time, so he stocked up far more heavily than usual.

Besides food and other necessities, he also bought several thick blankets suitable for colder weather.

Once everything was ready, Mike headed to Eterna Gym with Gengar and the others.

Gardenia was in the middle of a Gym battle when he arrived, so Mike watched from the side until the match ended.

After saying goodbye to her, he finally left the Gym.

Gardenia had two separate Gym challenges scheduled for the day and couldn’t come to see him off.

Outside Eterna City, Mike stood on a dirt road with his camera hanging around his neck.

"Rotom, navigate us to Mount Coronet."

The Rotom Phone floated beside him.

"Navigation initiated. Optimal route calculated. Please continue straight ahead, roto!"

Mike followed the directions and smiled at the floating phone.

"Bringing you along really was the right decision. Having you around makes everything so much easier."

"Of course! You can place your complete trust in the great Rotom!"

Rotom’s voice practically overflowed with pride.

Following the navigation instructions, Mike continued toward Mount Coronet.

...

Several hours later—

"DO YOU ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING?!"

Mike glared at the Rotom Phone floating in front of him and pointed angrily toward a snapped branch nearby.

"I broke that branch myself earlier! We’ve been wandering around for half the day and somehow came back to the exact same place!"

He jabbed a finger accusingly toward the phone.

"Weren’t you supposed to be navigating?!"

"According to my analysis... there is a high probability that we have become trapped in a legendary supernatural spatial loop..."

Rotom deliberately lowered the voice into an eerie whisper.

Mike remembered how they had been walking in circles for ages.

Goosebumps instantly rose across his skin.

Then intermittent puffs of cold air brushed against the back of his neck.

Mike’s ass clenched.

"Snivy."

Snivy was sitting on a tree branch nearby.

Seeing Mike’s face turn white, she looked toward Gengar, who was quietly blowing cold air against the back of Mike’s neck, and called out to him.

Gengar flashed her an innocent, sunny grin.

"Gar—"

[The atmosphere was perfect. I couldn’t waste it...]

Mike: "..."

"GENGAR! YOU’RE SCARING ME AGAIN!"

He spun around and glared furiously at him.

One day, that damn ghost was genuinely going to give him a heart attack.

Mike angrily reached out and grabbed what would have been Gengar’s neck if he actually had one—which meant he was really just squeezing Gengar’s cheeks.

Gengar’s face changed shape repeatedly between Mike’s hands.

Realizing his situation was becoming dangerous, Gengar hurriedly grabbed Rotom, who had been watching the entertainment from the sidelines, and shoved the phone toward Mike.

"Gar—!"

[I’M REPORTING HIM! HE WASN’T NAVIGATING AT ALL!]

Rotom: ∑(〇?〇)!!!

’Oh no. RUN!’

Mike released Gengar and immediately caught the Rotom Phone before Rotom could escape.

He tapped the screen.

A map of Sinnoh appeared.

Upside down.

Mike stared at it.

"You HAVE a map!"

Rotom: "..."

"I couldn’t understand it, roto..."

Mike: "???"

Mike rotated the map into the proper orientation.

"What about now?"

Rotom: "???"

Rotom: "!!!"

Rotom: ∑(〇?〇)!!!

"Oh! The map was upside down, roto! No wonder I couldn’t understand it..."

Mike’s expression became increasingly dangerous.

"Why are you acting like that excuses you?!"

He raised the phone closer.

"If you couldn’t read the map, why didn’t you say something earlier? Answer me!"

"REPORT!"

Rotom immediately responded in a crisp voice.

"Because I looked extremely cool while giving navigation instructions, so I didn’t want to ruin my image!"

Mike: "..."

"Gengar."

Mike turned toward him.

"Pull him out. Give him the full Gengar Triple Combo!"

"GAR!"

[Roger that!]

Gengar shoved one chubby hand directly into the phone and yanked Rotom out.

"N-No! You can’t do this, roto! This isn’t accepta—n-numb... numb..."

"What are you even getting numb for?! You’re an Electric-type Pokémon!"

"Oh. Right..."

A moment later—

"You poisoned me?! That’s cheating! And now I’m burned too?! My head is spinning..."

Gengar looked at the poisoned and burned Rotom, then turned toward Beedrill and asked him for some Bug silk.

He tied one end of the silk around his thin bamboo staff and wrapped the other around Rotom.

A primitive Rotom Meteor Hammer was complete.

Gengar began spinning in circles.

Rotom whirled through the air at tremendous speed, and within moments, the surrounding grass and branches had been sliced apart.

Once Gengar had enjoyed himself enough, he rested the bamboo staff across his shoulder.

Rotom dangled miserably behind him from the strand of silk.

Snivy calmly stuffed a Pecha Berry and a Cheri Berry into Rotom’s mouth to remove the status conditions, then followed Mike as the group continued onward.

"I seriously thought bringing Rotom would make traveling easier."

Mike unfolded the map and began navigating properly himself.

"Somehow, my life has become harder instead. Rotom loses today’s snacks."

"Roto..."

[Noooo...]

"One more complaint and tomorrow’s snacks are gone too."

Mike’s tone turned vicious.

Rotom instantly shut up.

’Can’t afford to provoke him!’

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