Looking at the freshly cleaned room, Haunter put down the mop and wiped the sweat from its forehead with satisfaction.
Truly, doing household chores is something that brings a sense of accomplishment!
Natsume, cooking in the kitchen, let out a long sigh.
Last time, the house caught fire. This time, it got flooded. What's next…
"There won't be a next time!" Natsume muttered fiercely as he peeled a potato.
Outside the kitchen, the three little ones were eagerly waiting for Natsume to finish cooking.
Squirtle, knowing it had messed up, lay on the floor, poking its head out of its shell and looking pitifully at Natsume-sensei.
I wouldn't dare say a word!
"Just kidding," Natsume chuckled. "Wait a little longer, dinner's almost ready!"
Eevee nodded, giving Squirtle a sidelong glance. "Eevee!"
You hear that? You're forgiven this time!
In that moment, Squirtle had an epiphany.
This must be a test arranged by my master!
But I foolishly trusted the whispers of my comrades.
I really shouldn't have!
Squirtle shook its head, sighing deeply, its eyes slightly moist.
To make up for my mistake, I'll aim to master an even stronger Water-type move!
Natsume wasn't really angry.
After all, for Natsume-sensei, this was just another day in the life…
With another sigh, Natsume focused on the cooking at hand.
This time, he was making curry braised pork belly over rice, a dish so enticing that even Natsume couldn't help but salivate.
He removed the gaminess from the pork belly, chilled it to firm up the meat, and then fried it in oil until both sides were golden brown.
As the oil bubbled, Natsume swallowed hard and placed the crispy pork belly into a pot of chicken broth to stew.
Star anise, ginger slices, green onions… the rich aroma filled the air as the pork belly became tender. He then removed the meat and added black pepper, bay leaves, and chili to the curry.
After reducing the sauce over high heat for a full hour, the rich fragrance permeated the entire house.
The three little ones outside were already entranced.
The golden, tender braised pork belly was placed over a bed of pearl rice, accompanied by blanched greens, and drizzled with a spoonful of curry sauce…
Natsume murmured, "This… is the real deal when it comes to comfort food!"
Eevee picked up a piece of pork belly, chewing it elegantly, before suddenly burying its face in the bowl.
Haunter and Squirtle extended their claws, frantically digging into the rice.
"No one's fighting you for it," Natsume said helplessly. "Take your time, there's more!"
Hearing this, Squirtle and Haunter paused for a moment, then sped up even more.
Whoever finishes first gets seconds!
Natsume shook his head, smiling wryly.
He picked up a bite of rice mixed with the savory sauce and couldn't stop.
A vivid image appeared in his mind:
The mighty Yangtze River flowed eastward, and Squirtle stood on a rock, gazing at the river. From the heart of the river, a bowl of crimson braised pork belly over rice slowly rose.
Eevee was rolling around on the pork belly, and as Natsume picked up a piece with his chopsticks, he accidentally picked up Eevee instead…
"Brilliant!" Natsume's eyes lit up.
At the same time, Squirtle slammed its bowl down, its body radiating a dazzling white light!
Haunter and Eevee were also stunned, staring blankly at their little buddy.
You've only been here… for two days, right?
This is way too fast!
But Squirtle remained calm. Under Natsume's astonished gaze, it pulled out an Everstone and put it on.
Instantly, the white light receded like a tide.
Natsume was dumbfounded.
Squirtle grinned and slowly gave a thumbs-up.
As the top Pokémon at Tokyo Metropolitan University's Pokémon Day Care, it's only natural that I'm about to evolve, right?
I figured out where the Everstone was kept yesterday, so this makes sense, right?
Besides, only Starter Forms make people underestimate you.
The cautious Squirtle had already thought of a foolproof plan.
I won't evolve until I'm sure I can protect myself!
"You even dug out an Everstone…"
Natsume's expression turned odd. "Fine… if you like it, keep it."
Although in battles, you can only carry one item…
In reality, as long as you can carry it, you can have as many items as you want.
Like Eevee, who carries both a Power Anklet and a Silk Scarf.
Who would've thought Eevee wouldn't evolve, but Squirtle almost did…
Glancing at the calm Squirtle, the shocked Haunter, and the unimpressed Eevee, Natsume sighed deeply:
"My Pokémon… are just too strong!"
"Natsume-sensei's Night Kitchen 02: Curry Braised Pork Belly Bowl" passed review on time.
"Do the reviewers have a grudge against us?"
"I'm starving! Natsume-sensei, are you even human?"
"My instant noodles suddenly don't taste so good anymore."
Natsume-sensei being inhuman isn't exactly new.
His food videos always drop at night, and the quality is so high that it's both love and hate.
This time, the curry braised pork belly over rice looked even more mouthwatering.
"Honestly, Natsume-sensei's cooking skills keep getting better."
"Wait, Squirtle evolved this time?!"
Natsume-sensei's last food video, where Gastly evolved, left a deep impression.
But evolution is something that can't be forced.
To make a Pokémon evolve just through food… that's definitely Master-level breeding skills.
This time, Natsume-sensei left everyone speechless.
"Squirtle evolved too?"
"How do all these Pokémon keep evolving?!"
"I get it now. Natsume-sensei's ability is to make Pokémon evolve through cooking!"
The quality of this video was explosive.
Even in the middle of the night, it garnered tens of thousands of views in just a few minutes.
While everyone complained, they were also captivated by Natsume-sensei's cooking and the heartwarming narrative style.
"I wish I could have a midnight snack with so many Pokémon…"
"This is so touching. It reminds me of family gatherings… Thank you, Natsume-sensei!"
"Nothing wrong with that. Pokémon are family too!"
Though it was just a simple late-night food video, Natsume-sensei brought unexpected warmth.
The chat was unusually peaceful, with everyone immersed in the joy of being surrounded by Pokémon.
But in the latter half of the video, viewers were stunned.
"Here's a quick ad… Natsume-sensei's game is now available. If you're interested, go check it out…"
A string of question marks flooded the chat.
"Give me back my emotions!"
"Shouldn't the focus be on the fact that Natsume-sensei makes games too?"
"Natsume-sensei: I'll make the game, I'll do the promotion, I'll be the spokesperson. You won't get a single penny from me!"
Even though it was a sponsored video, technically self-promotion, the sheer entertainment value couldn't be ignored. "Natsume-sensei's Night Kitchen 02" made it to the homepage.
At the same time, many realized that Natsume-sensei was also an independent game developer.
Curious, many clicked on the game platform link for "Plants vs. Zombies."
What no one expected was that this seemingly ordinary tower defense game would be so incredibly addictive.
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