[Pokemon] Chapter 61: Making Curry

After their battle with Snorlax, Liko and the others managed to find the Cheri Berries they were looking for deep in the forest. Now back at the campsite, they were finally ready to begin making curry.

“We’ve gathered all the berries!”

“Time to make some delicious curry!”

“YEAH!”

“O-Oh… yeah!”

Liko and Roy were full of energy, excited for the curry-making session. Dot, on the other hand, was being dragged along by their enthusiasm. This time, she was the one in charge of cooking. It was her first time making curry—actually, it was her first time cooking anything.

“Do your best!”

“We’re counting on you!”

“Can’t wait to try it!”

The rest of the group, who had stayed behind at the camp, had already finished prepping and were eagerly looking forward to the meal. Even the members who had stayed on the ship had been contacted and were on their way. By the time everything was ready, everyone would be gathered to enjoy the curry together.

“Alright! Let’s get started!”

“There are five important things when it comes to making curry!”

“One, ingredients!”

“Two, berries!”

With practiced hands, Liko and Roy began slicing up vegetables and berries into the sizes they preferred, adding them to their pots as they went.

“Three, heat control! Fuecoco, use Flamethrower!”

“Fueee~!”

Fuecoco let out a blast of Flamethrower directly beneath the curry pot. The contents quickly came to a boil, and the aroma of spices began to fill the air, stimulating everyone’s appetite.

“F-Four… s-stirring…”

Next, Dot began to stir the curry in the pot. She wasn’t just inexperienced with cooking—she lacked the strength, and it was visibly a struggle. But she was doing her best in her own way.

They look like they’re having fun…)

Meanwhile, Jin was quietly chopping berries on his own, off to the side, watching Liko and the others enjoy themselves with a faint smile. However, the berries he was working with weren’t for curry.

“Snorrr…”

The Snorlax he had just caught earlier was watching him with hungry eyes, letting out a rumbling sound.

“…Don’t make that noise. I’m making it now.”

Jin looked away from the others and began stuffing the chopped berries into his portable Pokéblock Kit. After a few seconds of whirring and rotating, several pink Pokéblocks were dispensed.

“Here. All done.”

“Snorrr!”

Snorlax eagerly accepted one of the Pokéblocks and immediately popped it into its mouth. The moment it did, its huge belly began to expand rapidly, and it let out a deeply satisfied groan.

“Snorrr! Snorrrr!”

Apparently, the Pokéblock was a hit. Snorlax reached out with one hand, clearly asking for another.

“What? You’re still hungry? One of those should’ve been more than enough to fill you up…”

“Snor!”

“…Alright, fine. You can eat them all.”

With Jin’s permission, Snorlax grabbed the rest of the Pokéblocks and tossed them into its mouth all at once. Its stomach swelled to an almost alarming size, making Jin worry it might actually explode. But Snorlax simply plopped down and drifted into a blissful sleep, looking thoroughly satisfied.

I can’t believe it ate them all…)

The Pokéblocks Jin had made were specially designed for Pokémon with huge appetites like Snorlax. Just one of them had the same nutritional impact as a 300 kg meal. For the record, Jin usually carried these modified blocks as emergency rations.

What made them even more convenient was that they could be made with just a few berries—significantly fewer than the usual number used to feed most Pokémon—making them extremely cost-effective.

Maybe now Murdock won’t yell at me…)

If he admitted to capturing a glutton like Snorlax, he’d definitely get chewed out. But this time, he had a proper plan in place. With this solution, there shouldn't be any issue getting permission from Murdock to keep Snorlax on the ship.

“Well then…”

Having dealt with the Snorlax situation, Jin turned his gaze back to Liko and the others. The curry was reaching its final stages, the pot thickening and simmering nicely.

“What’s the final key to making curry?”

“Uh? Umm… how you cut the veggies?”

“Wrong! The correct answer is… love!”

“L-Love?”

“That’s right! Now, let’s do it!”

“Like this!”

Liko held her hands in front of her chest and shaped them into a heart, pointing it toward Dot. Roy quickly followed suit, also forming a heart with his hands and smiling as he leaned in toward her.

“…L-Like this?”

Dot, completely unaccustomed to this sort of thing, was overwhelmed by the pressure of the two. Blushing furiously, she mimicked their heart gesture and aimed it at the curry, injecting it with a dose of heartfelt love.

“C-Curry really is… a mystery…”

Click

“Eh?”

Startled by the sound of a shutter, Dot looked up. There stood Jin, grinning with his Rotom Phone raised.

“Wha—!? Did you just take a picture!?”

“Yeah… thought it’d make a good memory.”

“Delete it! Delete it right now!”

“…………Oops! The curry’s gonna get cold. Let’s eat!”

“HEEEEY!!”

What followed was an intense battle over the freshly taken photo. Despite Dot’s desperate struggle to erase one of what she’d now rank among her top ten most embarrassing moments ever, she ultimately won and the picture was deleted. For the record, Jin didn’t seem disappointed at all. In fact, he smiled and said it had been a while since he lost a proper challenge—and seemed genuinely happy about it.

---

Once the curry was ready, Murdock, Orla, and Diana arrived from the Brave Olivine, along with the Pokémon who had stayed behind on the ship. Everyone had their plates served with curry, and even the Pokémon were given their special Pokémon food topped with curry. With everything in place, they began to eat the curry Liko and the others had prepared.

““““Let’s eat!””””

On Jin’s plate, the curry made by Liko and Roy was served side by side with rice in the middle. First, he tried Liko’s curry. It had a mellow and easy-to-eat flavor—spicy with a tinge of sweetness from the Pecha Berries. In contrast, Roy’s curry was heavily spiced, the Cheri Berries giving it a bold, fiery kick.

“So, Jin… what do you think of our curry?”

As he silently savored the long-awaited meal, Liko, who sat next to him, asked with a slightly anxious look on her face.

“They’re both good, but personally, I prefer Liko’s curry.”

“Really!?”

“The level of spice is just right for me. I could eat bowl after bowl of this.”

“Phew… I’m so relieved…”

Hearing Jin’s response, Liko visibly relaxed, her face lighting up with relief. It was her first time cooking for someone she cared about, so she couldn’t help but worry—what if he didn’t like it? What if he said it wasn’t good?

“Good for you, Liko. You’ve got to win his stomach now, for the future.”

“G-Grandma!?”

“Listen to me. Jin’s a bit more mature than the average boy, right? I bet he’s popular with girls his age. If you don’t make your move before any rivals show up, you might regret it.”

The moment she heard the word rival, one face flashed through Liko’s mind—Coral, the Explorer they’d encountered at the ancient castle. From that incident, it was clear Coral had feelings for Jin. Most people would back off upon learning their crush already had a partner. But Liko couldn’t imagine Coral giving up that easily—not her.

“…Yeah! Grandma, I’ll do my best!”

“Haha! That’s the spirit—my granddaughter through and through!”

Jin, meanwhile, was listening to Liko and Diana’s conversation with a rather conflicted expression. Of course, he was grateful that Liko was so dedicated to him. But the way Diana was talking made it sound like he might flirt with another girl even though he had Liko as his girlfriend.

As if that would ever happen…)

“There isn’t a guy in the world who wouldn’t be happy to have a cute girl like you become their fan and develop feelings for them. Think of this as a small thank-you.”

“Don’t tell Liko, but if you ever want to call a Pokémon battle a ‘date,’ I’d be more than happy to oblige.”

“Well then… see you again, Coral.”

…Wait. Hold on.)

Reflecting on what he’d said back then, Jin realized… he might actually have a point. The excitement from the battle may have gotten to him, but looking back, it did sound like he was flirting. He hadn’t thought much of it at the time—but now he was starting to worry.

…No, it’s too early to jump to conclusions. I’ll need to keep a close eye on myself from now on.)

“Ahh… this is so good…”

While Jin was beginning to confront his hidden personality, Dot was tasting curry for the very first time. Her reaction was honest and full of surprise.

“Right? It’s thanks to the love you poured into it!”

“Y-You really think so…?”

Despite her doubts, Dot kept eating, spoon after spoon, until her plate was empty. Jin had finished his as well and stood up to get seconds.

“Dot, want another helping?”

“Y-Yeah. I think I will…”

“Here you go.”

“I used to think food was just about getting nutrients… but eating together like this makes it taste so much better. I thought I knew a lot, but there’s still so much I don’t understand. That thought alone is kinda scary…”

“Then just start learning now.”

“Huh?”

“If not knowing something scares you… that feeling is your first step forward.”

Being afraid of the unknown—that was something Jin had felt before. His parents had warned him to stay away from Pokémon, saying they could be dangerous.

But what scared Jin even more was not knowing how or why Pokémon were dangerous. That’s why he went against his parents’ wishes and studied Pokémon on his own, gradually becoming more and more fascinated. If he hadn’t disobeyed back then, the trainer named Jin probably wouldn’t exist today.

“Don’t worry. This world’s filled with more fun and fascinating things than you could ever imagine.”

If you’re curious about something and take a step toward it, you’re bound to discover its good side. Jin could say that with full confidence, because he’d experienced it himself.

“Jin’s right. You’ll be okay—there’s so much fun out there. Let’s go out and discover everything this world has to offer together.”

“Y-Yeah!”

Cheered up by Liko and Jin’s words, Dot began digging into her second helping of curry—only for her face to suddenly turn bright red.

“Ugh…”

“How is it? My special curry’s delicious, right?”

“I-It’s way too spicy…”

Over the past few days, Dot had locked herself in her room, searching for information on the Black Rayquaza. Her efforts hadn’t paid off in the way she’d hoped, but instead, by sharing curry with everyone, she’d ended up deepening their bond more than ever. Somehow, Jin and the others all felt the same thing.

***

Inside a room at the Explorers' headquarters, Amethio, along with fellow executives Spinel, Coral, Onyx, and Agate, had been summoned by Hamber. All eyes were fixed on the screen before them, which was displaying footage—first of Terapagos in its pendant form, then of the Six Heroes, and more.

“The pendant that Diana passed down to her granddaughter eluded our grasp and made contact with the Black Rayquaza in the Kanto region. In Paldea, it encountered Arboliva, and in Galar, Galarian Moltres. Through these events, the pendant awakened as Terapagos.”

“But that little Terapagos is with them now, right?”

Under normal circumstances, Coral would have jumped at the chance to mock Amethio and Spinel for failing their missions. But now… Jin was with the enemy. And if he was involved, then of course Amethio and Spinel wouldn’t stand a chance. That’s likely what she was thinking.

“Then our next move is to confront the Rising Volt Tacklers and take Terapagos back.”

“Let’s do it! I love that kind of stuff! Oh—but just to be clear, Jin-kun is mine, okay!?”

“Coral! How many times must I say this—missions are not a game!”

“Oh shut it! I have a date scheduled with Jin-kun, and I’m not giving it up!”

“Wouldn’t direct confrontation be too risky?”

As usual, Coral and Onyx looked ready to start bickering, but Spinel stepped in with a new proposal.

“How passive…”

“To battle that boy again, we’ll need proper preparation. And more importantly…”

“You’ve discovered something?”

“No… not exactly. But fortunately, they don’t yet understand the true value of Terapagos. However, if we act too carelessly and they catch wind of its importance, Friede and the boy might realize what they’re holding. So for now, it would be wiser to merely monitor them.”

“You make a valid point.”

Amethio was the first to express agreement with Spinel’s idea. The friction between those two was well-known to everyone in the room, so Amethio supporting Spinel came as a surprise—not just to the others, but to Spinel himself.

“Sir Amethio, may I ask your reasoning?”

“Arboliva and Galarian Moltres weren’t awakened by the pendant. It was the Black Rayquaza.”

This was a possibility Jin had also considered—albeit briefly—back in the Galar mines. The case with Arboliva alone wasn’t conclusive, but the Galarian Moltres encounter strengthened the theory considerably.

“Awakened through contact with Rayquaza…”

“Chasing Terapagos will only put us behind. To get ahead, we need to pursue the Black Rayquaza.”

“Speed is the soul of warfare. Agreed.”

“I also believe that is the most strategic course.”

“Well said. That just bought you some time to keep your head.”

Amethio’s argument was sharp and convincing. Even the notoriously difficult Explorers executives couldn’t help but agree with him.

“So in other words… we’re all going after it?”

“Do what you want. But I will be the first to reach Rayquaza.”

With that, Amethio turned and left the room. It was clear he intended to act alone, with no intention of cooperating with the others.

“Hmph. In that case, can Coral have free rein for a while too?”

“…What are you talking about now?”

“Well, if we’re all going to be hunting for info on Rayquaza for a bit, that’s more of a Spinel or Agate thing, right? Nothing for Coral to do in the meantime. So I figured I’d take care of some other things while I can.”

“‘Other things’?”

“Yup! I’m heading off to either Hoenn or Kalos!”

Hoenn and Kalos—two different regions. As Hamber pondered the connection between them, he glanced at the Glalie floating beside Coral. Then a possibility clicked.

“Coral… don’t tell me…”

“Hehe~ A girl always wants to look her best for the one she loves, you know? And for me to become stronger and more beautiful… I need that thing. So, can I go?”

Blushing and fidgeting, Coral gazed longingly into the air, clearly imagining her beloved. At that point, it was obvious—nothing was going to stop her. Hamber let out a heavy sigh and reluctantly gave his approval.

---

“Sir Amethio!”

“How did it go? The meeting?”

As Amethio exited the room, he was greeted by Zirc and Conia, who had been waiting outside. Clearly concerned for him, they looked relieved to see him returning without incident.

“Same as before. We’re going after the Black Rayquaza.”

The two visibly relaxed at those words. They had feared that Amethio’s past solo actions might result in punishment, but his composed demeanor now reassured them it had all been officially sanctioned.

“But now the others are moving too.”

“Huh? You mean… the other executives?”

“That’s right. But we’ll reach the Black Rayquaza before anyone else. Are you two ready for that?”

“Of course!”

“I’ll follow you to the ends of the earth!”

With Zirc and Conia by his side, Amethio walked away, his sights set on the Black Rayquaza—and also…

Jin…)

Amethio had not given up on his revenge. But he knew full well that he couldn’t win as things stood now. The power gap was already considerable, and now Jin had even captured the legendary Pokémon Darkrai. Charging in as he was would only end in defeat.

But…

If I can get the Black Rayquaza…)

A legend to challenge another legend. If he could obtain that power, it would also push his current Pokémon to new heights. That would be the moment to face Jin again.

Black Rayquaza… Jin… just you wait!)

//END