Chapter 100: Preparations before Leaving
After a moment, the images faded away, and Naoki regained his focus, looking at Teddiursa and Mew with a mix of surprise and understanding.
He took a deep breath, thinking it all over, and then asked, "So, you want to go on a journey with Mew?"
"Ursa!" Teddiursa cheered, overjoyed that Naoki had finally understood.
'The hero is truly amazing'! Teddiursa thought. 'Naoki understood right away!'
Naoki watched Teddiursa's excitement and found himself at a loss for words. He reflected on the situation: Teddiursa had eaten a lucky pudding, and by the whims of fate, had met the legendary Pokémon Mew during its travels in the city. The two Pokémon had become close friends—at least, that's how it seemed now.
Thinking this over, Naoki turned his gaze to Mew, who was floating calmly in the air. The adorable Pokémon had a soft layer of light pink fur, big, clean blue eyes, and a gentle, swaying tail. Its small paws hung down naturally, adding to its charm.
Noticing Naoki's gaze, Mew tilted its head and made a curious sound, "Mew?"
'Hiss'! Naoki felt his heart skip a beat. 'So cute'!
'Can I touch it'? Naoki wondered, but quickly checked himself. 'No, what if Mew thinks I'm being a weirdo? This is our first meeting—I can't risk scaring it away'.
'Patience', Naoki reminded himself, forcing his hands to stay still. Focus on the long game here. He cleared his throat, trying to suppress the urge to reach out and pet Mew, and then shifted his attention back to the matter at hand.
"Have you decided where you want to travel?" he asked Teddiursa.
"Ursa." Teddiursa hesitated, looking unsure.
'I haven't thought about that yet', Teddiursa realized. 'I don't know much about the world beyond the ranch—just that it's vast and full of different people and things'.
Seeing Teddiursa's uncertainty, Naoki wasn't surprised. 'Of course it hasn't thought about that. Compared to humans, it's far more dangerous for Pokémon to travel alone—especially for a small, relatively weak Pokémon like Teddiursa. Unlike Mew, Teddiursa could easily run into all sorts of dangers'.
'What if it's attacked by wild Pokémon? Or it gets lost and can't find its way back? What if it falls ill with no one to care for it'? Naoki's heart tightened at the thought. 'If Teddiursa leaves now, I might never see it again'.
Part of him wanted to persuade Teddiursa to stay. 'Why leave? Isn't life here good? There's endless honey, no dangerous Pokémon, and plenty of safety'.
But then he paused, considering. 'Is this really the life Teddiursa wants'?
Naoki thought back to his own past, how he had given up on his dreams to become just another cog in the machine. 'Going out there, exploring the world—that's Teddiursa's dream. Can I really stand in the way of that'?
Naoki fell silent, lost in thought. After a while, he looked at Teddiursa's anxious, hopeful face and couldn't help but sigh. Turning to Mew, he asked, "Mew, if Teddiursa goes on this journey with you, can you take good care of it?"
"Mew!" Mew nodded firmly.
Of course! Mew's eyes sparkled with determination. 'Taking care of like-minded companions is what a true hero does'!
"Alright," Naoki said, finally coming to a decision. "I'll trust Teddiursa to your care."
Hearing this, Teddiursa's face lit up with excitement. "Ursa!"
Mew, too, showed its playful side, happily high-fiving Teddiursa. "Mew!"
'From today on', Mew thought, 'I have a companion'!
Watching the two of them, Naoki couldn't help but smile and shake his head. After a moment of thought, he added, "But I hope you can wait a few days before setting off."
I need to at least prepare some food for Teddiursa, Naoki thought, 'so it can take care of itself if it runs into trouble out there. And I need to find a way to help it find its way back home when the time comes'.
'This way, when it has traveled enough, it can come back here', Naoki thought as he finished explaining everything to Mew and Teddiursa. Both Pokémon nodded in agreement, understanding the importance of being able to return safely.
After completing his daily ranch duties, Naoki headed into town. He made his way to a jewelry store where he spent a significant amount of money to expedite the creation of a special bracelet for Teddiursa. This bracelet was designed to be waterproof, resistant to electricity, and able to withstand high temperatures—perfect for the adventurous little bear.
Once the bracelet was completed, Naoki went to the market and stocked up on a large amount of ingredients. When he returned home on Cyclizar, he spotted Teddiursa playing on the roof with Mew.
Naoki called Teddiursa down and carefully placed the bracelet on its wrist. The bracelet had a hidden compartment inside, where Naoki placed a note and several large Poke Dollars. The note contained the address of the ranch, 'Teddiursa's home', so that if it ever got lost, it could show the note to a human—perhaps Miss Junsha or Miss Joy—and ask them to help it buy a train or boat ticket back home.
'After all, all the Joys and Jennys in the world look the same', Naoki thought, smiling at the idea.
To make sure Teddiursa understood, Naoki took it to town to meet with a local Joy and Jenny, ensuring they would recognize the little bear if it ever needed help.
As Teddiursa looked at the bracelet on its wrist, it was deeply moved by Naoki's thoughtful gesture. Naoki smiled, gently patting its head, and then took it back to the ranch.
After sending the other Pokémon outside to play, Naoki stood in the kitchen, looking at the vast array of ingredients he'd bought. 'I hope I can make something truly special today', he prayed silently.
Reflecting on the honey pudding and honey bread he had made before, Naoki realized that ingredients related to honey seemed to have a significant impact on bear Pokémon. With this in mind, he decided to focus on cooking experiments that centered around honey for the next few days.
Noticing Teddiursa waiting patiently nearby, Naoki turned to the refrigerator, intending to give it some lucky pudding. However, upon opening the fridge, he realized that the pudding had all been eaten.
"Ursa." Teddiursa looked up, noticing Naoki's pause.
Naoki sighed. 'I guess I'll have to make more lucky pudding', he thought. 'After all, Teddiursa won't have it for a long time once it leaves'.
Just then, Naoki remembered that he had some black truffles left at home. 'What if I add black truffle, an advanced strengthening ingredient, to the lucky pudding? Could I create a dish that permanently enhances luck'?
Without hesitation, Naoki got to work. He took out the last small piece of black truffle, carefully ground it into powder, and mixed it into the pudding liquid. After pouring the mixture into a container, he placed it in the refrigerator to set.
After waiting patiently, Naoki eagerly retrieved the batch of pudding from the fridge. As he had hoped, the information about the dish had changed:
[Black Truffle Caramel Honey Pudding (A+): A dessert with a unique taste, made with black truffle, whipped cream, Moo Moo Fresh Milk, and honey.
Cooking Effect: Improved Luck. After humans eat this, their luck will increase significantly for a short period. After feeding this to Pokémon, it will increase their chances of picking up rare items while traveling.
Evaluation: A delicious dessert that makes people feel happy and brings good luck.]
'Stronger luck'? Naoki frowned slightly. 'It only further improves luck, but the duration seems to be the same. What a pity'.
Naoki divided the pudding between Teddiursa and Mew. As they enjoyed their treat, he noticed the remaining gelatin powder and sticky honey. An idea suddenly sparked in his mind. 'What if I try making a new dessert with these ingredients'?
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