Pokemon Regression

Chapter 12: A Small Snag

Day 21 at Professor Oak's Lab:

Things returned to the status quo after that, with no particular advances in the strategies of Battle between me and Chee. Each morning we would get up, have our daily battle, play in the enclosure or train with the kids in Pallet Town, and then play until bedtime. Sometimes even when Chee won she would decide to train more instead of playing.

Today marked the third week since I had started training at Oak's lab, and Oak had called me in to start doing camping/survival training-Since I would have to look after both Chee and myself on the journey to each location. As such, Oak and I were currently seated around a recently constructed campfire with various pieces of camping equipment-Most notably a large cast iron pot filled with soup that I was currently heating.

"...You're taking to this quite quickly. I thought you'd find it more difficult." The elder gentleman mused, rubbing the beginnings of a beard on his chin. "Even if you know how to cook already, most people have trouble adapting to the camping lifestyle."

It wasn't that surprising really, I'd spent a good proportion of my life living as a soldier in the army, so I'd needed to know how to cook, procure fresh water, and find shelter. If I hadn't been able to do that much, I never would have survived long enough to die in that frosty hellhole near Sinnoh.

"Maybe I have a talent for camping." I fibbed, not wanting to be too obvious about where my skills came from. The camping skills were a bit more focussed on maintaining luxury than the training I'd had to do in the army, but I wasn't having too much trouble adapting.

"Hm. I wonder..." Oak grumbled to himself. "How are things going with Chee, are you two still getting along?"

"I would argue so, we've been doing a lot of training with each other-And our secret hideout is getting pretty fancy at this point."

We'd even planted those pear seeds, after Chee had remembered she still had them. I was curious to see if we would genuinely get a pear tree to grow near our hideout or not. Ordinarily I'd just think the wild Pokemon would end up destroying it, but our hideout had been chosen because Pokemon didn't tend to go there.

The older man nodded thoughtfully as I dug a ladle into the pot of soup cooking on the campfire in front of me. The soup was simple and tasty, a creamy steak and potato soup with some chopped bacon and cheese. I ladled out a scoop full of the food into a bowl and gave it a taste.

...Needs more pepper.

"...Are you two still battling regularly?" He asked while I used the portable pepper grinder to add extra seasoning to the food. "Is she still willing to engage with Pokemon battles?"

"More than that-" I started, dishing out another serving of soup to try eating. "She's started battling with the other kids in town too. I don't even have to push her anymore, she's really gotten into it."

I took another bite of the soup. It was delicious, and I would more or less be happy to dish it out to Chee and myself, but personally...

...It could use more Pepper.

"Hmmm..." Oak thought aloud. "Well, that's good to hear. I'd actually like to ask you something."

"What's up?" I asked, shaking more pepper into my bowl of food.

"Could you grab Blue tomorrow and-Actually, how much pepper are you planning to use!?" Oak stopped mid-sentence to chastise me for my reckless pepper usage.

...

Carrying a soup-filled metal container and bowls, I walked briskly by the makeshift wooden sign stuck into the ground which read 'Chee and Cyan's Secret Hideout!', hopping onto the rough path made of flat rocks we'd stolen from the plateau. I wandered past the deck chairs out on the recently cut grass and pushed aside the curtain made from forest leaves that covered our stick house.