Chương 89: There's Something Off About My Pokémon [89]
Soaked from the log flume ride, Lu Cheng complained, "That Poliwag just kept blasting me with Water Gun!"
Mu Mei, on the other hand, had donned a thin raincoat. Her long black hair was damp and smelled faintly of milk and mint. She laughed, "Well, who told you to poke at that Poliwag as soon as you got on the boat?"
"I just wanted to see if it was real or not…" Lu Cheng sighed. The Poliwag was slick to the touch, kind of like a spineless pufferfish, or maybe a tadpole that hadn't fully developed, flapping its little tail as it played in the water. Seeing a Poliwag up close was a first for him, and he'd been curious. Who could have guessed that as soon as he reached out, its evolved buddy Poliwhirl would spray him with Water Gun? Thankfully, it wasn't a battle-trained Poliwhirl; the water pressure was barely above that of a kid's squirt gun.
"How about we find a place to sit down and grab a bite?" Lu Cheng suggested.
"Sure." Mu Mei smiled.
"Welcome!"
They entered a shop where a staff member, wearing a white headscarf, greeted them with an enthusiastic shout that made Lu Cheng jump. This place was called "Hawaiian Meowth LS-da," and it was bustling with customers. Being in the heart of the amusement park meant a bit of a wait before they could order. Lu Cheng glanced around, taking in the orange walls decorated with posters—steamy fried bread, a Meowth with wide eyes staring longingly at the bread, holding back tears.
Even Meowth next door is jealous!
"Hi, I'll take two red bean, one vanilla," he said, remembering how his Grovyle preferred spicy food. He double-checked with the server, "Do you have anything spicy?"
"Of course!" The server nodded proudly. "We've got a blend of Laoganma chili and bird's eye peppers!"
"Perfect, I'll take that!" Lu Cheng said, deciding on the spot.
"By the way, did you bring Marveil with you today?" he asked Mu Mei.
She nodded. "Yeah, Marveil loves sweets too."
At some point, his little Vulpix had leaped out of its Poké Ball, perched by the counter and pointing a small paw at the corner of the menu, looking up at Lu Cheng with pleading eyes.
"Alright, add three more red bean buns, and two Pecha Berry parfaits!"
Hearing that, the little fox happily rolled over, wrapping itself in its fluffy tail like a cozy ball.
This shop's bread was made for both people and Pokémon, and the place was known for the way it welcomed trainers and Pokémon to dine together. Scanning the room, Lu Cheng noticed several people enjoying a meal with their Pokémon. There was a massive Raticate with dry, cracked brown skin that looked like brickwork, constantly shedding tiny grains of sand as it gnawed on a fried bun. Beside it, a Clefairy with the figure of a three-hundred-pound sumo wrestler sucked on its paw with an ecstatic expression.
And then there was the Caterpie. Covered in purplish fuzz, its giant red eyes turned towards Lu Cheng, cold and unblinking.
Why… why would anyone bring a Bug-type in here?
Taking a deep breath, he turned his gaze back to Marveil, who was sitting there with a shy expression, its blood-red eyes seeming oddly endearing by comparison.
"Marveil, this red bean bun is for you!" Lu Cheng handed her the warm, fragrant pastry. Marveil blinked in surprise, gingerly tearing a piece off with her bony fingers. The soft bread gave off a sweet aroma, and as Marveil broke it open, a dollop of piping hot red bean filling oozed out. She extended the bun back toward Lu Cheng, her wide, crimson eyes brimming with anticipation.
Good things are meant to be shared!
Lu Cheng chuckled, patting Marveil's head. She squinted her eyes shut in delight, letting out a soft little sound. Meanwhile, his Grovyle, seated in a high chair, was carefully eyeing the dark red, intimidating bun in front of him, all the while nervously clutching his Cheri Berry prize. Taking a deep breath, he finally summoned his courage and took a hearty bite.
"Grovyle, when did you learn Ember?"
"Quick, water! Someone get water!"
---
"This... is what they call a challenge?" Mu Mei asked seriously. "We're here to test our courage!"
Equally serious, Lu Cheng nodded back.
In front of them, a Gengar stood with its gaping mouth open wide, grinning. It was the entrance to... the haunted house! No trip to an amusement park is complete without one. Lu Cheng had scoured through guides and knew that while roller coasters were optional, the haunted house was an absolute must for anyone going with a date.
"Alright, as soon as we're ready, let's head in together."
Lu Cheng nodded, and the attendant pulled aside the rope barrier, smiling as they said, "Hope you enjoy yourselves!"
Staring down the dark corridor and hearing the distant screams echoing from within, Mu Mei instinctively shifted a bit closer behind Lu Cheng. Gritting his teeth, Lu Cheng took the first step inside.
With a low whoosh, eerie blue flames flickered into life around them.
An ominous face appeared out of nowhere, grinning with a ghastly, oversized red tongue sticking out as its bulging eyes seemed to pop from their sockets.
"Ah!" Mu Mei let out a small yelp, burying her head against Lu Cheng's back. "You go first!" she whispered.
At the same time, the magnifier in Lu Cheng's mind automatically zoomed in on the ghostly face.
Gastly | Nature: Naughty | Ability: Levitate
Moveset: Lick, Confuse Ray
Analysis: An experienced haunted house employee with mastery over a dozen terrifying expressions.
Having faced off against Marveil in all her spooky glory, Lu Cheng wasn't fazed by this ghost-type Pokémon. The Gastly, its entire body hidden in gaseous haze with only its two pallid eyes showing, seemed disappointed as it exchanged looks with him, eventually floating back into the shadows, seemingly bored.
"Nothing to worry about, Mu Mei," Lu Cheng reassured with a chuckle. "It's just a Gastly."
What Lu Cheng didn't realize was that this was the perfect moment to pull her closer—it was practically the unwritten rule of haunted houses! But oblivious, he turned to face forward, only vaguely noticing her cough in the dim lighting as she nodded.
Unconcerned, Lu Cheng continued down the hallway with confidence. Ha! If Marveil couldn't spook me, what's a haunted house going to do?
"Holy—!" Lu Cheng froze mid-step, his body covered in goosebumps, hair standing on end.
"What is it?" Mu Mei, startled, quickly closed her eyes and asked, "What's up ahead?"
In front of him stood a filthy, bandaged-covered mummy, surrounded by flickering ghostly flames. Its stiff body extended two massive, unnatural hands, but the most disturbing part was its face—or rather, its lack of one. From a gaping hole in its chest, a single, blood-red eye stared directly at Lu Cheng.
Then, the mummy's bandages split into a horrifying grin.
Move: Scary Face!
A chill ran down Lu Cheng's spine, from the top of his head to the very soles of his feet. Just then, he felt someone poke him from behind.
Turning, he saw Mu Mei standing there, her hair hanging loose as she stared at him—two ghostly blue flames hovering just over her shoulders like spirits of the night.
---
Exit.
"So, Mu Mei, you weren't even scared at all, were you?!" Lu Cheng shouted, exasperated.
Mu Mei burst out laughing, clutching her stomach. Tilting her head playfully, she replied, "I never actually told you I was scared!"
Lu Cheng glared at Vulpix, who had just used its newly learned Will-O-Wisp move to help Mu Mei set the mood. Vulpix innocently looked away, pretending not to notice his glare.
"Alright, alright, don't be mad," Mu Mei coaxed, still smiling. "Ice cream's on me!"
The sky was turning a soft orange as dusk settled in. They found their way to the carousel, which was nearly empty. The attendant kindly offered to start it up just for them.
Mu Mei chose a flaming horse and leaned against the rail, her face soft with a quiet smile, lost in thought. The sunset painted her profile with a warm, golden light, and Lu Cheng simply watched, captivated by the moment.
The carousel spun gently, enveloped in a peaceful silence.
Finally, Mu Mei murmured, "The amusement park… really is fun."
Brushing a stray lock of hair behind her ear, she smiled, radiant.
Lu Cheng stared, momentarily speechless, as a notification chimed in his mind, suddenly far less important than the scene before him.
Ding—Mission 'Amusement Park Date' complete. Completion level: Perfect…
---
T/N: I realized the format sometimes becomes off when I paste it from Patreon so from now on we shouldn't have that mistake because I will look it over! (i probably should've been doing that from the beginning smirking cat emoji)
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
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