There isn't much useful information, but Oleander can basically confirm one thing.
Luther's parents' traffic accident was definitely not an accident.
Luther's parents noticed the Pokémon mutation phenomenon, and at first, they did not realize the deeper issues that would arise. After their first paper submission, they should have been reminded by their professor.
Realizing the gravity of the situation, they began to feel regret, so they directly burned the first paper and grew tired of academia, choosing to live a more ordinary life.
What documents would be thrown out that night during the accident?
The revised first paper?
Is it possible? They had already chosen to leave and sensed the potential danger behind them; why would they want to restore that paper?
If they were carrying that document out at night, there was no doubt someone wanted to meet them. Who was that person?
Oleander solved one mystery but was met with more questions.
For the first time in many years, Oleander felt she was so close to the secret of the amplification device Pokémon mutation incident. The joy and excitement made the drowsy Oleander feel much more awake.
The sky had begun to brighten slightly. Leaning against the engine hood, Oleander watched the ray of sunlight breaking through the horizon and moved her somewhat stiff limbs.
After a busy night, she no longer had the energy to continue working.
Oleander reported her day off on the internal network and returned home after a long time.
The two potted plants tied with fine strings at the entrance showed no signs of being moved, and the note wedged behind the bedroom door was still in place.
After checking that her previous arrangements were fine, Oleander poured Pokémon food into the feeding bowl and let the Pokémon out to move around.
Most of Oleander's energy was invested in work, so she hadn't captured many Pokémon; Beedrill, Ninetales, and Gastly were her entire lineup.
Capturing more would only lead to neglect, which would be irresponsible to the Pokémon.
The three Pokémon devoured the Pokémon food, but after chewing for a while, Ninetales' face turned a bit green.
"What's wrong?"
Saying this, Oleander picked up a piece from Ninetales' feeding bowl and tossed it into her mouth.
Oleander's expression also changed; it was so sour... how could it be this sour?
Ninetales lay on the ground, even her tail drooping down, pushing the feeding bowl towards Oleander as if offering it.
"Sorry, sorry, it seems I added too much sour lemon when I adjusted the flavor last time... I'll get you a new one right away."
Ninetales followed Oleander, watching her rummage through the kitchen cabinets.
"How could it be... the basic version for Ninetales is gone? When did it get eaten up?"
Ninetales' face twitched.
Oleander held a Frillish box, shook it, and found nothing inside.
"Ah... how about you eat canned food with me, or there's still plenty of the kind Gastly likes, want to try?"
Ninetales glanced at Gastly and stubbornly turned her head away.
It was clear she would rather eat canned food with Oleander; whoever liked Gastly's favorite flavor could have it.
This might be what happens when you follow a busy owner who works overtime; it happens from time to time.
Forgetting that there was no food at home, or rushing out late at night to buy ingredients. Forgetting that the prepaid utility bills were running low, returning home only to eat meals made with Flamethrower, which were quite undercooked.
Oleander was a good cook, but she rarely had the chance to use her cooking skills. When she was utterly exhausted, pulling out a can and eating it without heating it before collapsing into bed was all she could manage in a day.
Sometimes, the three Pokémon missed the Oleander who used to prepare delicious meals for them every day and returned home on time. But thinking of the man who once frequented this room, Ninetales looked at the can of fish in front of her and thought that canned food wasn't so bad after all.
At least Oleander was still with them, not lying in a hospital bed.
After taking a shower, Oleander sat on the sofa and stuffed a few bites of canned meat into her mouth, and the drowsiness came over her.
How long had it been since she could fall asleep so naturally? Oleander paused, did not resist, and slowly lay down on the sofa, drifting into a dream. Before falling asleep, she thought of the big gift that was about to be delivered to Luther, and a faint smile appeared on her face.
Ninetales was gulping down the can placed beside her, but noticed Beedrill and Gastly staring at her intently. She quickly curled her tail around the can to protect her food.
'You two are already full and still thinking about mine? Not giving it to you.'
But soon, Ninetales realized it wasn't quite like that.
Oleander's soft snores came from the couch, prompting Beedrill and Gastly to signal Ninetales to eat more discreetly.
Ninetales quietly finished her can, while Beedrill carefully used Twineedle to bring a blanket over to cover Oleander.
Gastly asked Ninetales if she was full, urging her to move aside if she was.
Ninetales shifted to the side, watching as Gastly controlled the can she had licked clean to float into the air, along with the trash on the floor, which was then tossed into the garbage bin. Gastly tied up the bag in the bin and placed it in front of Ninetales.
Just as Ninetales was about to grab the trash bag, a credit card and a shopping receipt were stuffed into a small tote bag and hung around her neck.
Beedrill began tidying up the lawn in the yard, while Gastly used a broom and mop to clean the house, leaving the errand work to Ninetales.
After disposing of the trash, Ninetales headed in the right direction to a large supermarket. The supermarket staff were familiar with Ninetales; upon seeing her with the tote bag, someone came over to take it, checking the shopping receipt.
Ninetales didn't need to do anything else, just wait at the supermarket entrance.
The staff placed a few freshly unwrapped jerky pieces beside Ninetales and happily petted her soft fur.
Ninetales chewed on the jerky, thought for a moment, and decided to keep two pieces.
After a while, a shopping cart filled with items was pushed out by the supermarket staff, who skillfully wrapped a rope around Ninetales' body.
The credit card and shopping list were hung back around Ninetales' neck, and she moved her body, tugging the shopping cart back home.
Dragging the cart into the yard, Gastly and Beedrill came out to greet her.
Beedrill cut the rope off Ninetales, while Gastly made the purchased items float into the house, organizing them by category.
The house had already been cleaned by Gastly, and a tired Ninetales lay beside the sofa, watching Beedrill and Gastly busy themselves.
Once everything was stored away, she weakly let the two take the jerky she had saved for them from the tote bag, yawning as she glanced at Oleander's sleeping face and the blanket that had slipped off her.
With her fluffy tail draped over Oleander, Ninetales found a comfortable position, stretched, and prepared to dream of playing with Oleander.
Before falling asleep, two crunching sounds echoed in the room.
'Who was it that just complained about my eating habits? I should be the one to enjoy it all.'
(End of Chapter)
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