Seeing so many Pokémon walking around the streets like humans, Lillie completely lost her composure. But Hoshino wasn't about to let her leave just like that.
Tonight, they didn't run into Meowth and his gang, so Cyclizar carried them into Kabukicho effortlessly. But Lillie was already close to passing out from fear.
"You put on a brave act for so long, but in the end, this is all you've got? I thought you'd at least be scared to tears…"
Hoshino shook his head.
Still, it seemed like he could bring people into Kabukicho now. You could even see the district just by getting close to the entrance.
So what was up with those so-called Four Rulers of Kabukicho who never showed themselves?
How were they keeping this place hidden from the public?
It was completely ridiculous.
The more he thought about it, the creepier it got. No wonder Slowking warned him not to dig too deep…
Before long, they arrived at the izakaya.
Maybe because of the snowfall, the cold weather was perfect for drinking, and the place was pretty lively.
Hoshino took off his goggles and helmet, then turned to the trembling Lillie.
"We're here. Get off. And don't wander around—some wild Pokémon will chase you down and beat you up."
"!!!"
Hearing that, Lillie got even more terrified. She couldn't even pretend to stay calm anymore.
In the end, it was Cyclizar's tail flicking up that finally made her jump down in shock.
"..."
"See? The environment is great. If you stay here long enough, won't you naturally get over your fear of Pokémon?"
"Even if you say that…!"
Lillie clutched her Clefairy-shaped backpack tightly.
Right now, all she wanted was to go home.
This place was terrifying.
Why did Hau'oli City have a place like this?
And why did Hoshino live here?!
No wonder he always showed up to school covered in injuries.
Then she looked up and saw the sign above the izakaya.
"…Yorozuya hoshi-chan?"
"That's my house."
Hoshino answered casually.
The lights were off, meaning the other Tandemaus(male) must have run downstairs.
So he adjusted his gear and stepped into the izakaya.
Gengar floated in right behind him, still holding the unconscious Tandemaus(female).
Cyclizar, now free from his riding gear, also followed in.
Lillie stood outside, glancing around in hesitation.
In the end, she had no choice but to follow them inside.
The place was warm and bustling, with only a Decidueye sitting at the counter, drinking berry wine.
Behind the counter, the Slowpoke remained the same as ever.
And at the bar, the other Tandemaus(male) was carefully looking after a basket holding the Pokémon Egg.
Apparently, Braixen had woven the basket.
The moment Hoshino walked in, he called out, "Boss, one hot berry tea, and some recovery food while you're at it—oh, and—"
"This ain't a membership restaurant!"
Slowking grumbled through a lollipop, but still gestured for Braixen to prepare the food.
The Tandemaus at the bar perked up at the sound of his voice.
He turned toward the entrance—
And froze in shock at the sight of the unconscious Tandemaus in Gengar's arms.
The moment of confusion quickly turned into excitement.
Hoshino smiled.
"Found your partner."
"Eeeng!"
"If you're grateful, thank her. If she hadn't saved this little gray one, she probably would've fallen into the ocean."
Hoshino chuckled and pointed to Lillie, who was cautiously stepping inside.
As for the names—one had slightly grayish fur, so Little Gray(female) it was.
And the other one was Little White(male).
Not much of a naming sense, but hey, it worked.
Lillie was still a bit confused, but she saw Little White at the counter.
"Another Tandemaus…?"
Just as she spoke, Little White started panicking again, seeing Little Gray unconscious.
Hoshino patted its head.
"Don't worry, she'll be fine soon. She's been looking for you for days. Now that you're back together, be happy."
"Eeeng…"
"Gengar!"
"Cycli!"
As the Pokémon gathered around, Lillie—who was standing off to the side—watched in shock.
"…No way… he actually smiles like that? Am I hallucinating?"
Meanwhile, Slowking finally noticed her and turned to Hoshino.
"You keep bringing stuff home. What is it this time? …A girlfriend?"
After glancing at Lillie, he added,
"Doesn't seem like it. She looks scared out of her mind."
"Uh…"
Just as Hoshino was about to answer, Slowking's eyes suddenly sharpened.
"Wait… you didn't trick her into coming here, did you? You've finally fallen, huh, kid?"
Then—
A Mega Punch sent Hoshino flying into the wall.
The same move he had "experienced" two months ago.
"!!!"
Lillie jumped in fright, completely lost on what just happened.
Meanwhile, the other customers didn't even react.
Some even cheered at the scene.
Hoshino sat on the floor, clutching his face in pain.
"I didn't do anything!!!"
"If we wait until you do, it'll be too late."
Slowking sighed.
"Going after young Pokémon is bad enough, but now you're preying on little girls? We should just get rid of you before you commit a crime."
As he finished speaking, Ceruledge suddenly appeared, sword raised—
And swung down at Hoshino.
"What a fast blade! Wait—NO, HOLD ON!"
Just as Hoshino was about to be cut down, Lillie snapped back to her senses.
"It's not his fault! I chose to come with him!"
"Hm? Oh, then it's fine."
Slowking casually waved his hand, making Ceruledge stop mid-swing.
Then he continued explaining,
"This brat likes Pokémon just like you—especially young ones. He's always harassing my Braixen, touching her tail."
"And sometimes he even hunts down Kirlia in the entertainment district."
"I thought he finally changed targets and started going after humans instead."
Hoshino instantly panicked.
"STOP REVEALING SHOCKING TRUTHS SO CASUALLY! AND WHEN DID I EVER GO TO THE ENTERTAINMENT DISTRICT?!"
But Lillie, after hearing all that, simply took a step back with a cold expression.
Then, in a calm voice, she said,
"Yes. I was tricked into coming here. Go ahead and finish him."
"HEY!!!"
…
A while later, Lillie sipped her warm, sweet berry tea, finally feeling the warmth return to her body.
She put down the cup, thanked Slowking, and then let out a soft hum.
Then, glancing at Hoshino, she said,
"Congrats. You've hit a new low. No wonder you act like some shut-in loner at school. Turns out you were having the time of your life with Pokémon instead."
"..."
Hoshino and Slowpoke behind the counter both stared at the ceiling, unsure how to respond.
Meanwhile, Gengar gently poked the spot where Hoshino got punched.
Little White continued taking care of Little Gray, and Cyclizar had already run off to mess around with the drunk customers.
Lillie noticed something.
Despite being surrounded by Pokémon, she wasn't scared.
Instead, it felt… warm.
She glanced at Slowking and softly asked,
"Can I ask you some questions?"
"If it's about Kabukicho, ask the brat next to you. If it's about other things, don't dig too deep."
"Alright…"
She wasn't disappointed.
Just being here was already incredible.
Then, Little Gray finally woke up.
The first thing she did was jump onto Lillie in gratitude.
"!!!"
Lillie froze.
Hoshino quickly grabbed the mouse off her and placed her back at the bar.
"Ask before you jump on people next time."
"Eeeng?"
Lillie blinked.
"…Wait. You can actually talk with Pokémon?"
Then, after thinking for a moment—
She suddenly turned to Hoshino with determined eyes.
"Can I join Yorozuya too?!"
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[T/N: New format or old one, this one have less paragraphs but feels more natural, old one was easy to read]
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