Pokémon breeding takes time, and Kawaki didn't intend to rush it. He left Quagsire and Swampert to enjoy their freedom in the backyard.
In the evening, he planned to have Bewear bring them their dinner, and that would wrap up the day.
Around 5 p.m., Kawaki recalled the intel Taillow had given him at noon about Clefairy appearing in large numbers near Meteor Falls. He had planned to close the shop a bit early and head there with Bewear to investigate.
But unexpectedly, someone knocked on the door.
"Hello? Anyone here?"
Kawaki opened it and saw two young boys, backpacks slung over their shoulders, clearly weary from travel.
They looked around ten years old—brand-new trainers.
"How can I help you?" Kawaki asked, ushering them inside.
"We'd like to stay the night," one of the boys said.
Kawaki blinked in surprise—this was the first time anyone had asked to stay at the inn.
But he quickly collected himself and nodded. "Of course! The inn has six rooms, and all are currently available. You can pick whichever one you like."
"Also, we offer simple meals. If you'd like, just let me know and I'll prepare something for you."
The boys walked over to the counter and glanced at the chalkboard on the wall listing the inn's services.
[Bewear Inn]
2000 PokéDollars / night
[Bewear Café Menu]
Ramen: 800
Porridge: 300
Berry Juice: 100
Sandwich: 500
Pokémon Treats: 500
The two boys let out a breath of relief. The prices weren't bad. They nodded and fished out some money.
"We'll take a room for the night! Also, two bowls of ramen, two berry juices, and two servings of Pokémon food, please!"
"Coming right up," Kawaki said with a smile. "Growlithe, don't run around—you might bump into our guests. Bewear, please show them to their rooms. I'll head to the kitchen."
"Gu~!" Bewear replied happily.
The two boys gulped as they looked at the towering Pokémon.
They'd never seen anything like her before…
Ramen was easy to make: boil water, cook noodles for a few minutes, pour in pre-prepared bone broth, and finally garnish with scallions, seaweed, and a soft-boiled soy-marinated egg sliced in half.
The rich, golden broth shimmered under the lights, and the eggs oozed golden yolk—simple but delicious.
Now that the day care was making money, Kawaki had stocked up on more premium ingredients.
He poured two glasses of berry juice and packed two servings of Pokémon food as well.
By the time he arrived at the dining area, the two boys and their Pokémon were already seated and waiting.
They had a Poochyena and a Zigzagoon. Judging by their ragged appearances, it had probably been a while since they'd eaten a proper meal.
Their eyes lit up the moment they saw the ramen.
"Please, enjoy!" Kawaki said.
"Thanks for the meal!" the boys said in unison before eagerly digging in.
Kawaki noticed the two Pokémon devouring their meals just as hungrily—covered in dirt and grime, just like their trainers.
"Mmmph… this feels like heaven!" one of the boys said tearfully. "We haven't eaten anything this good in so long!"
The other boy didn't say a word—he was too busy shoveling food into his mouth.
Kawaki:
Was it really that dramatic?
He knew his cooking was decent, but was it good enough to make people cry?
And yet, in the next second, two little sun icons—symbols of happiness and joy—appeared above the boys' heads.
Then the familiar system message appeared before Kawaki's eyes.
[Ben's mood improved. Joy +60. You received Ben's gift: Axew's Habitat (Meteor Falls).]
[Axew's Habitat: A specific location in Meteor Falls where the Dragon-type Pokémon Axew can be found. Ben once spotted a group of Haxorus there during his journey. Moved by your food, he gifted you this intel.]
[Randy's mood improved. Joy +70. You received Randy's gift: Clefairy Sighting (Meteor Falls).]
[Clefairy Sighting: A precise spot in Meteor Falls where Fairy-type Pokémon Clefairy were seen in large numbers. Randy stumbled across them while lost. Touched by your meal, he shared this firsthand account.]
As the lines of text appeared, Kawaki suddenly felt a flood of knowledge enter his mind.
Scenes of Meteor Falls flashed through his consciousness.
Though he'd never been there before, it now felt strangely familiar—especially two specific areas that stood out clearly in his memory.
He was sure that if he went to Meteor Falls, he'd be able to find those exact spots based on memory alone.
There was no doubt about it—these were the boys' memories!
Kawaki stared in shock.
What was going on? Wasn't his system only supposed to work when Pokémon were happy?
Why did it work with humans too?
Wait… suddenly, he recalled a popular theory:
That in the Pokémon world, humans might actually be a type of Pokémon as well.
...No way, right?
After pondering for a while, Kawaki struck up a conversation with the boys.
"Where are you two from?"
The boys, now patting their full bellies, burped and replied:
"We set out two weeks ago from Rustboro City!"
Rustboro—located southwest of Meteor Falls, and home to Steven Stone.
"We were planning to cross Meteor Falls, pass through Fallarbor, and head over Mt. Chimney toward Lavaridge Town."
"But then we ran into a dangerous Pokémon in Meteor Falls, got lost while trying to escape, and ended up stuck there for a whole week."
"We ran out of food, nearly ran out of water, and just when we thought we couldn't make it… we saw your place. If not for your day care, we and our Zigzagoon and Poochyena wouldn't have made it to Fallarbor."
Kawaki:
"...…"
No wonder they looked so rough.
"Meteor Falls can be incredibly dangerous—especially for rookie trainers who've just started their journey."
With only a single Pokémon each—and ones as weak as Zigzagoon and Poochyena—they'd dared to head straight into Meteor Falls?
Kawaki didn't even know what to say to that.
"Well, since you're here now, just take it easy and rest up for the night."