Pokemon: Rising From The Dark

After Aoki and the others returned to the camp, the sun in the west finally cast its last reluctant rays, and the fiery red on the horizon disappeared.

The moon that had risen early in the east now fully displayed its glow, casting a faint halo over the land, while the forest outside Saffron City was enveloped in the quiet of night.

With the assistance of Miltank, Aoki cleaned all the ingredients with lake water. He then retrieved the cooking tools from his ring, setting up a special barbecue grill over the bonfire. The seasoning bottles were neatly placed beside it, and Slowpoke deliberately positioned itself on a stone stool using its psychic powers.

Aoki neatly arranged the hares and pheasants and began cooking them. The meats that required longer cooking were placed in the center of the grill, while those that cooked quickly and were prone to burning were arranged along the edges. Skillfully, he sprinkled cumin, salt, and pepper in different proportions across the sizzling meat.

Because this area was untouched by humans, the wild game was exceptionally plump. After only a short while, the meat turned a rich golden brown, with glistening droplets of oil sliding down onto the bonfire, producing a satisfying "hissing" sound.

The scent of roasted meat gradually filled the camp, carrying waves of enticing aroma.

Murkrow and Slowpoke, who were always eager when it came to eating, had taken full advantage of the abundance of prey in the forest. Besides wild Pokémon, they had also managed to catch a variety of animals, a portion of which was now being cooked over the fire—only about a third of the total haul.

They all stared at the barbecued meat with shining eyes, holding perfectly still as if afraid the food would vanish the moment they moved. The only exception was Gastly, who floated indifferently.

Miltank was the most serious about eating. Though usually shy and timid, when it came to food, she became the most aggressive Pokémon in the group.

However, Aoki had not yet given the signal, so none of them dared to act rashly, leaving them to do nothing but stare at the feast before them.

Gastly had it the worst. It could smell the barbecue, see the hunger in its companions' eyes, and desperately wanted to taste it—but it couldn't.

Fortunately, it had spent the entire day in battle, absorbing Ghost Energy from fallen opponents. The energy had left it completely full. Under normal conditions, it wouldn't need to feed for several days. If used for training, the energy would sustain it for an entire day.

Since it couldn't eat, Gastly simply turned away, opting to focus on its duty as a sentry.

Aoki glanced at the perfectly roasted meat before him. As the chef, he had to taste it first.

Using a clean knife, he sliced off a piece of rabbit meat and placed it into his mouth under the envious gazes of Murkrow and the others.

With just a few chews, the juices burst forth, mingling with the carefully blended seasonings to create the perfect balance of flavor.

Nodding in satisfaction, he acknowledged the skill he had developed over two lifetimes—his grilling abilities had reached the peak of an ordinary chef.

Noting the eager expressions of Miltank and Slowpoke, Aoki chuckled and said, "Alright, you can eat now. Just don't fight over it. There's plenty, and you can keep eating as long as there's food left."

Aoki knew that, given their appetites, they could devour everything on the grill in an instant. His own grilling speed wouldn't be able to keep up with them.

Thus, he had to limit their eating pace so his cooking could barely keep up.

Between grilling, he occasionally grabbed a piece of meat and ate. Soon, he was full.

But his Pokémon had an especially large appetite today. Even the last fish that Slowpoke had caught was eventually eaten.

Miltank proved to have the biggest appetite, consuming nearly half of the entire feast on its own.

As they ate, the rich aroma of the barbecue drifted through the forest, drawing the attention of various wild Pokémon. Pairs of glowing red and green eyes peered out from the shadows, watching the camp from the underbrush.

Aoki wasn't concerned about these Pokémon, who were drawn by either the firelight or the scent of cooked meat.

With Gastly keeping watch, no Pokémon could launch a surprise attack. And if a battle broke out, Aoki's team—fully fed and at peak strength—was more than ready.

In the wild, simply running away could be useless—or even counterproductive. It could make hostile Pokémon or other dangerous creatures more determined to attack. To survive, one had to bare their fangs and instill fear in others.

After a full day of battle, Aoki's Pokémon had not held back. Their decisive combat style left them carrying a faint scent of blood and a subtle yet menacing aura. Most humans wouldn't notice it, but other Pokémon could sense the latent danger emanating from Murkrow and the others.

Because of this, although the barbecue's aroma was tempting, most wild Pokémon hesitated to approach.

Murkrow and Slowpoke had been with Aoki the longest, and under his command, they had developed unwavering confidence.

They firmly believed that with Aoki leading them, there was no enemy they couldn't defeat.

Despite the threatening presence of Aoki's team, as more and more Pokémon gathered, the bolder ones eventually made a move—especially those too tempted by hunger to resist.

Just as the last portion of food was about to be eaten, a wild Ariados finally lost control and leaped from the trees.

Descending from the branches, it used its silk to drop rapidly, resembling a red fireball falling from the sky.

Its two sharp front claws gleamed with a faint purple light as it lunged straight for Aoki.

From its perspective, the human in the center seemed the weakest of the group. Although Aoki had a strong presence, Ariados' instincts told it that if the human was eliminated, it could claim the delicious-smelling food for itself.

Unfortunately for it, every movement had already been detected by Gastly.

Moments before the attack, Gastly had already alerted Aoki to prepare.

Murkrow and Slowpoke, still seated beside Aoki, were also ready to counter.

Aoki smirked slightly, set down his knife, and said, "Looks like it's time for some post-dinner exercise. Murkrow, use Wing Attack! Slowpoke, control it with Confusion!"