Half an hour later.
The flush on Pachirisu's body gradually faded.
Turns out it was a natural reaction caused by not being able to digest such a high-quality Pokéblock.
At the end of the day, Pokéblocks are condensed energy from Berries, and their nutritional value is several times higher. Overdoing it can lead to this kind of situation.
"Still needs some tweaking," Caleb muttered.
If word got out that the Pokéblocks he made had the same effect as an aphrodisiac, what would happen to his reputation?
Just then, Pachirisu let out a little "Ji-pah."
"Hmm? What? You want more?"
"Ji-pah." Pachirisu nodded eagerly.
Caleb waved him off. "No way, you can't have any more. Your body can't handle it."
Faced with Caleb's refusal, Pachirisu's eyes instantly turned watery, looking up at him pitifully, muttering softly.
"Ji-pah…" (No more?)
"Ji-pah…" (Really no more?)
!
Too much—he's pulling the puppy-eyes plus sparkly stars combo!
How is anyone supposed to resist that?
"Alright, alright. You win." Caleb sighed in defeat and handed over the remaining Pokéblocks. "But remember, don't eat too many at once."
Pachirisu quickly nodded, acting all obedient and well-behaved.
Nodding on the outside, but clearly not listening at all.
Well, at least there didn't seem to be any side effects.
Caleb glanced at the squirrel rolling around on the ground. "Doesn't exactly look like the brightest bulb in the box…"
Can he really survive in the wild like this?
Still, even if he wasn't the sharpest, he was ridiculously cute. Keeping him at the Gym as a mascot might attract a lot of attention.
Besides, the Gym already housed plenty of Pokémon. One more mouth to feed wasn't going to make a difference.
Alright, decision made!
"Pachirisu, do you wanna stay at the Gym from now on?" Caleb squatted down and asked gently.
"Ji-pah?"
Pachirisu froze for a second, then tilted his head, deep in thought.
Stay at the Gym? That means working… and working means giving up freedom. No freedom? That's slavery!
Pachirisu, never a slave!
With that thought, he suddenly raised his arms dramatically, letting out a sharp cry.
Just for a few snacks, you expect me to trade away my life? No way!
These Pokéblocks—never mind, the food's innocent.
This place? Not staying!
With that, Pachirisu turned decisively, ready to bolt.
At that moment, Caleb, blessed with the Verdant Force: "..."
This little guy really had a lot going on in his head.
But since he knew what Pachirisu was thinking, it made things easier.
Caleb gave a sly smile.
"Aww, what a shame. I was just about to mention that Pokémon at the Gym get free food and lodging…"
He let out a deliberately dramatic sigh.
!!
Pachirisu, who had just stepped out of the storage room, froze and turned to look at Caleb, as if asking—seriously?
Caleb didn't answer directly, just continued casually, "And I was gonna say, we've got an unlimited supply of Pokéblocks like these too…"
!!!
At that, tears silently streamed down Pachirisu's cheeks.
What was I about to throw away just now!?
Sure, Pachirisu never becomes a slave, but… free food and a place to live…
"Ji-pah~"
Pachirisu rushed over and hugged Caleb's leg tightly, like he was afraid of being too late.
Boss, I joke around sometimes, but you know I'm loyal, right? Please don't take that seriously, sob sob…
Caleb stood there like a victorious king.
Hah, thought you could say no to me?
He grabbed a Luxury Ball from the warehouse. "If you've made up your mind, hop in."
Seeing the Pokéball, Pachirisu's eyes lit up and he slammed his paw on it without hesitation.
Click!
The Pokéball wobbled three times, and just like that, Caleb had successfully captured Pachirisu.
When he opened the ball, a blue-and-white squirrel popped out, still clutching three colorful Pokéblocks in its arms.
As soon as it hit the ground, Pachirisu scampered up onto Caleb's shoulder and affectionately rubbed his cheek.
"Ji-pah."
"Well then, let's work together from now on." Caleb held Pachirisu in his arms and gave it a gentle pat.
In Caleb's eyes:
A free Gym mascot.
In Pachirisu's eyes:
A long-term meal ticket.
Both of them thought they scored big.
...
The next day.
Caleb finished packing and stepped out of the Gym.
"Man, it's windy today." Autumn had arrived, and the weather was starting to get chilly.
"Caleb."
A sweet voice called from a distance.
Caleb turned around to see Fiona walking over in a white short skirt.
"You're not in uniform today?" In Caleb's impression, the Joys were always in uniform.
"Don't I get days off? Besides, it's not even my shift today." Fiona glanced at the backpack on Caleb's shoulder. "You heading out?"
"Yeah, I—"
Before he could finish, Fiona interrupted.
"You're not planning to take off like your dad and ditch the Gym, are you?" She grabbed his arm tightly, like she was afraid he'd vanish the second she let go. "You can't! The Gym just passed inspection. You can't abandon it now."
Seeing her clinging so tightly, Caleb couldn't help but laugh.
"Relax. Do I look like the kind of guy who'd abandon the Gym and run off?"
Fiona didn't reply right away. Instead, she fell into deep thought.
Normally, she wouldn't suspect Caleb of doing something like that. But after yesterday—when he used those underhanded tricks to beat her cousin—she felt like Caleb was capable of just about anything.
Even her usually serious cousin had gone off in the family group chat, posting over twenty rants in a row, furiously calling out Caleb's absurd behavior.
"Hey, hey…"
Caleb twitched at the corners of his mouth.
Your silence is so loud.
"Haha, just messing with you." Fiona let go and waved it off casually.
But you totally were thinking it, weren't you?
As the mood started to shift, she quickly added, "So, where are you going?"
"I was thinking of strengthening the Gym's battle capabilities… didn't think someone would assume I was skipping town," Caleb sighed dramatically.
"You're going to catch Pokémon!" Fiona lit up, completely ignoring his teasing. "Take me with you, take me with you!"
With new Pokémon, they wouldn't need to use Chansey in battles anymore.
After all, Chanseys were basically tied to the Joys. If Caleb kept using one, it might damage the Joy family's reputation.
"Got any particular Pokémon in mind?" Fiona asked.
"Yeah, I heard there's a Gliscor in the next town over," Caleb replied with a nod.