The World Of Pokemon 2.0

Eric and Melanie quickly made their way in line, and luckily it didn't take long for them to be seated at a table. It truly felt as if they were at a restaurant with waiters taking orders and bringing out food to people who ate as if they were starving for several weeks. Some were even crying tears of joy after they tasted the food.

A little too dramatic.

Soon after being seated, a young man assumed to be a waiter stopped by their table, "Hello! And welcome to Mishal's Booth. Here are the menus." He said as he handed out two elegant-looking menus. "And just call me when your ready or have any questions ok?" He smiled before busying himself with other tasks.

"So-Huh?" Eric raises an eyebrow while looking at the menu. "So only three options... Normal, Mild, and Spicy? But of what, though?"

"I'm not sure...Let me call the waiter back." Melanie said before calling for the waiter that handed out the menus. "Um...excuse me, sir?"

"Yes? Are you two ready to order?" The waiter asked with a warm smile as he pulled out a notepad.

"Not yet... But we were wondering. What are these options were for?"

"Oh? You two must be new here. I'll explain it to you. Mishal is a world-renowned chef and owns several restaurants that spread all around the world. So, therefore, he has many great recipes being used at all these restaurants. However, he has one particular hobby. He likes to create a lot of new dishes no matter how strange, and he comes to our festivals to try them out before adding them officially to his restaurants." The waiter explained with a look of fascination.

"...But that didn't explain the options?" Eric said, still confused.

"Well, the thing is...It's always a surprise! However, there is a different kind of heat level for each one! Isn't that amazing? One time he-" The waiter continued to talk about their experiences for what seemed like hours until Eric suddenly spoke up.

"Alright! I'm ready to order. I'll have Spicy!" Eric said, rubbing his temple. 'Jeez, this guy can talk...'

"Are you sure? Mishal likes making things spicy, so he's-"

Eric suddenly puts his hand up, motioning the waiter to stop, "Yes! Spicy is fine."

"Ok...What about you, ma'am?" The waiter said, turning to Melanie.

"Oh?...I'll just have the normal option..."

The waiter quickly wrote on their notepad, "Alrighty then! I'll just let him know." He then bowed slightly before walking over to the kitchen.

Eric didn't pay much attention at first, but now he could see a handsome black-haired man hard at work in the kitchen as it was set up to let people see him cook. He looked to be around his late 20's with bronzed colored skin and a fit body, odd for someone in the profession of a cook. His red eyes focused solely on his craft as he moved with such grace and dexterity that it looked like he was putting on a performance. The man looked like he took cooking quite seriously, and it made Eric respect him a little. However, respect quickly went out of the window after Eric saw their waiter tell Mishal something.

"Finally! Someone wants to try Spicy?! Hahaha! No one ever wants to try that option!" Mishal was practically jumping for joy as he continued to cook and even managed to flash a mischievous smile at Eric.

(A/N: It was at that moment he knew he f.u.c.k.e.d up...)

"Now, I'm not too sure about my choice.." Eric muttered with a hint of fear.

[Pikaa...] Pikachu shook its head as it shrugged its shoulders. It didn't know what to tell its trainer.

"Maybe it isn't that spicy? You also don't have to finish it." Melanie replied with a slight smile.

Thirty minutes later, Mishal himself carried two dishes to Eric's table. "Hello! My name is Mishal, and I have brought you your order." He smiled as he places two serving plates on the table, quickly removing the lids on both of them.

The first one was a bowl of soup filled with various vegetables that made it look colorful and appetizing at the same time.

"This is tomato soup mixed with the finest ingredients found only on this island. It's a simple dish, but I managed to add a bit of something that I hope you'd enjoy." Mishal said.

The second one is...

"Is that mine?..." Eric pointed at what looked like to be spaghetti and meatballs. Everything about it made it look delicious with its eye-catching red pasta sauce and meatballs the size of a child's fist. (No comment on where the meat came from)

But something was very off about it!

"Yes! I present to you my version of spaghetti and meatballs! I hope you'll enjoy it, sir." Mishal said with his eyes practically gleaming with joy.

"But..."

The entire thing was glowing red!

Yes, you did not hear wrong! The spaghetti and meatballs were, in fact, glowing red.

'Food isn't supposed to glow like that!' Eric shouted in his mind. His gut was telling him not to eat it, but with Mishal staring him down made him feel like he had to at least try it.

(A/N: Haha...He's in danger!)

Melanie couldn't even touch her food as she was too focused on Eric's situation. She has seen a lot of different kinds of food, but never she has seen one that glows. It looked like it was ready to take revenge after seeing its most beloved being killed in front of it.

In other words, it looked quite sinister.

"Well...uh here it goes," Eric said, gulping dryly as he picks up the fork placed near the plate. It only took seconds for him wrap a good amount of the noodles around his fork and bring it close to his mouth. However, in his head, it seemed like it an eternity, and he swore he could hear the food laughing at him menacingly.

And then...

*Chomp*

It was hot from it being recently cooked. The noodles alone were delicious and coupled with what Eric assumed to be Mishal's own pasta sauce made it even more so. "Its...good?" He was surprised.

"Is it not spicy? Let me try some..." Melanie reached for the fork that was coupled with her spoon. However, she suddenly noticed something.

He was sweating quite a lot.

"Eric?"

"Ye-ah?" Eric answered as he continued to eat his food with gusto. He was beginning to feel the heat of the supposed spicy option of spaghetti and meatballs, but it was something he could manage.

'Delicious! Too delicious!' Eric thought.

"Are you feeling o.." Melanie couldn't finish her sentence as she noticed Mishal was still standing in front of their table!

And he was smiling!

"Mel-" Eric suddenly started to cough, his entire face red from how hot his body was getting. He felt like a volcano that was ready to erupt, but something was keeping it from doing so.

The heat from the spiciness didn't want to leave Eric's body.

No... It wanted to make him burn and suffer for daring to ingest the food!

"W-whats going on?..." Eric asked, wiping the sweat that poured from his forehead. "W-what did you p-put in this?"

"Trade secret! I have my own mixture of spices that I like to use." Mishal said as he started to laugh.

"B-bastard!"

*Ding! Trainer is suffering from unknown substances and must recover. 5-*

*Ding! The unknown substance has been evaluated and deemed beneficial to trainer*

*Trainer has gained ???*

'What?! That means I have to suffer through this?!' Eric thought, tears now falling from his eyes. He progressively started to cough louder as he gripped his c.h.e.s.t "W-water..."

"Where is the water?! Why isn't there anything to drink around here?!" Melanie quickly got up and scrambled for anything that Eric could drink. She rarely every loses her calm, but in this situation, she was anything but.

[Pika!!] Even Pikachu got up to look for water for its trainer. It didn't know how it was going to bring it to him, but it sure was going to try!

Mishal watched Eric suffer for quite some time for finally speaking up.

"Alright...I suppose I have had my fun. Here. " Mishal pulled out what looked like a blue piece of candy. "It's made out of a Rawst berry."

Eric immediately swiped it from Mishal's hand, removing the wrapper before tossing it into his mouth. He instantly felt a cooling sensation along with a bitterness that made him want to spit it out. However, he manages to swallow it, and several minutes later, he was back to normal.

"...Were you trying to kill me?!" Eric shouted at the top of his lungs as he glared at Mishal.

Everyone currently in the area stopped what they were doing and looked in the direction of the disturbance.

Mishal seemed unfazed by Eric and simply patted his shoulder, "Hahaha! Of course not! Why would I try to kill my customers that love my food? Wasn't it good?"

"It was...But that's not the point! Y-"

"I have to get back to the kitchen as I have many more orders to take care of. Thank you, and don't forget to pay when you're finished." Mishal said, interrupting Eric. He then walks back to his kitchen, laughing out loud as he continues to cook.

"Grrr..." Eric didn't want to make a scene, so he decided to bury his anger for the moment, paying for the meal before leaving the booth area.

Soon after, he was met with Melanie carrying a giant bottle of water and Pikachu, who somehow obtained a bottle of ketchup.

"Eric?... You're alright?" Melanie asked in between breaths. She had run quite a distance to get the bottle of water and honestly looked like she needed it way more.

"Yeah...I don't want to eat at any of his restaurants." Eric g.r.o.a.n.e.d.

The two decided to take a break on a nearby bench, and Melanie drank the entire bottle of water. Pikachu, however, seemed to hold on the bottle of ketchup as if it was family and refused to let go of it.

How odd.

-------

Eric and Melanie had their fun for quite a while, and it was getting close to night time.

"It's getting a bit late now... Did you manage to see a hotel or Pokemon Center around?" Eric asked.

"Hmm...I think there was a Pokemon Center not too far from here." Melanie looked around for a moment until she caught a glimpse of the signature red-roofed building several blocks away. "There!"

"Ah, I see it. Come on, Pikachu."

[Pika...] Pikachu squeaked sadly with tears in its eyes.

"Come on, buddy. It was just a bottle of ketchup. The guy said he was sorry for bumping into you."

[Pika!!] Pikachu seemed to be offended by what its trainer said.

It was not just ketchup!

Soon after, Eric booked a room for him and Melanie at the Pokemon Center. The two took turns taking a shower before settling down in their soft, cozy beds.

"That was the most fun I've had in a while," Melanie said as she snuggled under her blanket. She's been living in a forest for several years before now, and despite being surrounded by people, she enjoyed her time at the festival. 'However, I'm certain that Eric was the main reason I had fun..'

"I still can't get over that Mishal guy. I just want to punch him in his face and see if he still laughs." Eric g.r.o.a.n.e.d, clenching his fist in the air.

"Hehehe..."

"You think that's funny?" Eric turned over in his bed and looked at Melanie in disbelief.

"Well...Not at first, but now when you look back at it. Hehehe... It is kind of funny." Melanie said, giggling softly with her hand over her mouth.

"Ugh... So tomorrow I'm thinking we grab some supplies and head towards the jungle. I heard some interesting things about it. And I want to take a look at Dragon Mountain."

"We just got here today. You sure you don't want to relax a bit more?"

"No... I need to get stronger in a week. " Eric sternly said. 'No more goofing off.'

[Pikachu!] Pikachu pounded its tiny c.h.e.s.t with its hand in agreement.

"Hmm... Ok." Melanie nodded her head with a slight frown on her face. "...I'll need to make a video call to my parents before we leave. If that's ok with you?" She asked with the slight hope of Eric denying it. However, she knew that he wasn't.

"Yeah? That's ok." Eric was a bit confused, but it didn't take a genius to know that Melanie had issues with her family. 'I shouldn't dive too deeply into it. Everyone has things they don't want to talk about...'

"Ah...O-ok. I'll sleep now. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight."

----------

Eric and Melanie woke up early the next day to get ready for their time in what is called Fautave Jungle. The trees there are massive three times the size as standard trees and is home to many different types of Pokemon. One could get lost in that place fairly quickly, so it was crucial to either have a guide or have a great sense of direction.

Luckily Eric had a good head on his shoulders...

That and a Pidgeotto!

The two decided to split up and meet at the Pokemon Center once again before leaving the city for Fuatave Jungle.

Currently, Eric was now in front of a shopping center staring at his Pokedex. "Only around twenty-five thousand poke dollars left... I have to use it a bit sparingly before I find out how to get more. I wonder if I could become an idol or something? " He sighed. Eric still had a lot of things leftover from weeks ago even the food was still good as they don't deteriorate in the inventory. However, he wanted to better prepare himself, and that meant spending more money.

[Pika...] Pikachu poked its trainer's cheek to get his attention.

"What is it?"

Pikachu then pointed to a suspicious-looking person who was standing a few inches away. It was a man wearing a black fedora hat coupled with sunglasses and an expensive-looking outfit.

"Oh? I've been spotted it seems. Hahaha!"

Eric quickly jumped back in shock, "You!-Wait! Mishal?" He knew that signature laugh as the mere sound of it made him want to strangle the guy.

"You are correct, my friend, but please be quiet about it. I'm trying to lay low for a while." Mishal said, placing a finger over his lips.

"What do you want?" Eric sneered, keeping his guard up against Mishal because of how easily he snuck upon him. 'Isn't he just a famous cook?'

"I am a famous cook with a few secrets as well," Mishal said, seemingly reading Eric's mind. "You know I can't help but notice that you look like someone I know..." He started to stroke his chin in thought.

"Huh?..." Eric quickly became nervous, his heart beating ever so quickly as his mind starts to race at a hundred miles per hour.

'He...He's joking, right?'

Mishal eventually shrugged his shoulders in defeat, "But... It's been so long that I can't even remember. Anyways that's not why I'm here. You're going to the jungle, aren't you?"

"O...oh yeah... Yeah! I am going to the jungle." Eric was still a bit stunned as Mishal may have proved one of his worst fears. 'Though it may just be a coincidence...Yeah..'

"Hmm?..." Mishal thought the boy was acting a bit strange, but he wasn't worried about that at all. 'This boy... I must have him!' He could barely contain his excitement as he finally found another person that can stay conscious while eating his spicy food!

"You're going to train or catch some pokemon? To what? To be some kind of Pokemon Master? " Mishal laughed, shaking his head. " You should quit and become my successor. How about it? You-'

"No thanks. I rather not be stuck with you." Eric immediately declined and started to walk away.

"W-wait! Don't you want to think about it more? I mean you'll be immediately famous! You'll never have to worry about money ever again." Mishal said, trying to get Eric to change his mind.

"I'll pass. Thanks." Eric said bluntly before walking into the shopping center leaving behind a stunned Mishal.

"Grr...Why that little brat! But...I mustn't give up! Hmm...That gives me an idea."

------

An hour later, Eric made it back to the Pokemon Center he didn't see Melanie anywhere, so he figured she was still in a video call in the room.

"Should I check on her? Or..."

"You just don't understand. I don't want you to interfere with my choices anymore. I'm going to become a Pokemon Ranger, and that's final!" A girl screamed, but Eric immediately knew that it was Melanie.

"That girl is your companion, right? Please tell her she needs to be quieter, or I'll have to kick her out..." Nurse Joy said with a frown.

Eric nodded his head and went to go check on Melanie. She was currently arguing back and forth with people who Eric assumed to be her parents.

"But sweety, we just want what is best for you... Please come back home. We miss you so very much." Melanie's mom said, wiping away her tears.

Melanie's dad nodded his head in agreement, "Yes, come back to us. We'll try to figure this out together."

Melanie bit down on her lip as tears flowed down her eyes, "It's like... It's like you two aren't even listening to me...Even now. I'm done. Goodbye."

"W-wait"

*Beep*

Melanie swiftly ended the call before they could speak, and immediately started to wipe her tears. However, no matter how hard she tried to dry her face, the tears kept on coming.

[Pika..] Pikachu hopped off Eric's back and ran over to Melanie, tugging on her overall pants.

"Ah...Pikachu..." Melanie weakly smiled before turning to Eric. "Did you hear any of that?.."

"Apparently, the entire Pokemon Center did." Eric sighed.

"Oh...I'm sorry. Just give me a moment before we leave... ok?"

Eric didn't know where to begin to cheer Melanie up, so he simply nodded his head.

-------

It took an hour for Melanie to return to normal, and even then, Eric knew that she wasn't completely fine.

'Should I say something?' Eric thought with a sigh, but he decided against it as he wanted to give her more time.

The two finally set off towards the jungle with an unlikely person tailing them from behind.

"I'll show him the wonders of being a cook, and then he'll never refuse my offer..." Mishal said as he chuckled.

The next day ended up being quite eventful with not one, but two unexpected visits. However, one made Eric's team close to being completed.