Lucas carried an assortment of items from the house, including shower gel, towels, combs, and brushes. Diancie followed behind him, dragging two very large bathtubs.
After placing everything on the grass, Lucas called out to the Pokémon: "Everyone, let's clean up first, and then we'll eat!"
Lucas's bathroom wasn't large enough to accommodate so many Pokémon, so they would have to bathe outside.
After setting up the bathtubs, Lucas turned to Diancie: "Diancie, you should go home and wash too. I can manage things here."
"Alright," Diancie nodded. "I'll come help you after I'm finished."
After Diancie departed, Lucas addressed Castform: "Castform, could you please fill the tubs with water?"
"Cast-form~ Cast-form~"
Castform nodded, floated to a position between the two bathtubs, and used Water Gun. Soon, both tubs were filled with water.
Lucas then looked at Litwick and asked, "Litwick, could you please heat the water?"
The climate of the Nebel Plateau was mild, with spring-like weather year-round. A cold bath would be tolerable, but a warm one would certainly be more comfortable after their hard work.
"Lit-wick~"
Litwick nodded and lightly jumped onto the edge of a bathtub. Two small flames floated from the candle on its head to the water's surface. Soon, the water in both tubs became pleasantly warm.
After testing the temperature and finding it suitable, Lucas sat on a small stool and turned to the Pokémon: "Alright, everyone, line up for a bath. Two at a time—who wants to go first?"
This was the first time these Pokémon had bathed in such a manner. For a moment, they pushed each other hesitantly, none wanting to be the first to step forward. Of course, part of their reluctance stemmed from their uncertainty about interacting with Lucas.
Seeing this, Lucas smiled and scooped up Komala. "Then we'll start with Komala."
As he spoke, he placed Komala into the water, applied shower gel to its body, and then gently brushed its back with a brush specially designed for grooming furry Pokémon while softly rubbing its belly with his hand.
"Ko-ma-la~"
Perhaps it was too comfortable, but the expression on Komala's face gradually softened, and it made a slight purring sound. Even the log pillow it never released was momentarily forgotten.
Pancham stared at the contented Komala and couldn't help wondering: Is it really that pleasant?
Lucas noticed its expression and asked, "Pancham, would you like to try?"
Pancham's expression twisted with indecision, its small paws fidgeting together.
Seeing this, Lucas didn't hesitate—he simply scooped up Pancham and gently placed it into the bathtub.
"Pan-cham~ Pan-cham~"
Pancham was startled by Lucas's sudden action and cried out in surprise, but after being enveloped by the warm water, it immediately stopped struggling.
It was indeed comfortable.
Lucas applied shower gel to Pancham and then brushed its fur.
He could clearly feel the tension in Pancham's body when he first touched it, but after a few strokes with the brush, it finally relaxed.
"Pan~ Cham~"
Initially, Pancham tried to restrain its reactions, but the sensation of the brush was so soothing that it finally couldn't help but sigh contentedly.
When it realized what it had done, Pancham immediately covered its mouth and glanced shyly at Lucas.
However, Lucas merely smiled at it gently.
Soon, Pancham and Komala were nearly finished with their bath. Lucas lifted them out and placed them in the second tub filled with clean water for rinsing, then turned to the other Pokémon:
"Who's next?"
The Pokémon nudged each other until finally Spritzee and Zigzagoon were pushed forward.
While Lucas bathed Spritzee and Zigzagoon, Komala hugged its log pillow in the other tub, eyes closed, floating leisurely on the water's surface. Meanwhile, Pancham submerged most of its body, leaving only its nose above the waterline.
It watched Lucas gently bathing Spritzee and Zigzagoon, and fell into contemplation.
This human was different from others it had encountered. He was remarkably gentle.
Recalling the tender, warm hands that had just bathed it, and the bright smile Lucas had given, Pancham's thoughts began to drift.
Pancham had once been a Pokémon kept by humans, but unlike Gulpin who had been abandoned, Pancham had escaped of its own accord.
The human who had raised Pancham worked for a construction company. Besides Pancham, he had also kept Machoke, Gurdurr, and other Pokémon.
But he had been cruel. To maximize profits, he forced his Pokémon to work day and night, reluctant to provide adequate food, and frequently resorting to beatings and verbal abuse.
Not only was Pancham's trainer like this, but its trainer's colleagues treated their Pokémon similarly.
These experiences had convinced Pancham that humans were terrible.
After enduring this mistreatment, several Pokémon finally couldn't bear it any longer and decided to escape. They managed to steal back their Poké Balls, destroy them, and flee under cover of darkness.
The Pokémon separated during their escape. Pancham wandered aimlessly and eventually found itself at the Nebel Plateau, where Litwick discovered and took it in.
As for the fate of its former companions, it had no way of knowing.
"All done!"
By now, Spritzee and Zigzagoon had finished their bath and were also placed in the rinsing tub by Lucas. The rippling water brought Pancham back to the present.
It shook its head, trying to dispel the growing goodwill toward Lucas, but soon found itself staring at him again as he bathed Scraggy and Skitty.
Skitty disliked water and consequently hated bathing. It began to struggle violently as soon as it entered the tub, splashing water everywhere and thoroughly soaking Lucas's clothes.
"Meow! Meow! Meow!"
Skitty wailed dramatically, adamantly refusing to let Lucas apply shower gel.
Suddenly, a blue light flickered around Litwick's body. In the next moment, the struggling Skitty seemed to freeze in place.
It was Psychic. Litwick was using the move to control Skitty.
"Lit-wick~ Lit-wick~"
Litwick scolded Skitty sternly, with the authority of an elder sibling.
Skitty looked at Litwick with an aggrieved expression but finally became compliant.
Lucas smiled gratefully at Litwick. "You're a tremendous help!"
Litwick appeared slightly embarrassed; the flame atop its head flickered more intensely, and a subtle blush appeared on its face.
With the exception of Litwick, who didn't require a bath, and Castform, who was naturally clean, all the other Pokémon were soon washed.
Lucas spread a large bath towel on the soft grass, placed the freshly bathed Pokémon on it, and used a hair dryer to dry their fur one by one.
Lucas's hair dryer was rechargeable and cordless, making it very convenient for outdoor use.
Holding Litleo's soft body and stroking its smooth fur, Lucas felt a profound sense of contentment.
After drying all the Pokémon, he put everything away and beckoned to them, saying, "Let's go! Time to head inside for dinner!"
Hearing this, the Pokémon cheered enthusiastically.
Following behind Lucas, Litleo nudged Pancham.
"Lit-leo~ Lit-leo~" You smell so nice.
As it spoke, it sniffed Pancham's fur appreciatively.
A gentle breeze passed by, and the fur on Pancham and Litleo fluttered softly, remarkably smooth. They had never felt so refreshed and comfortable.
Pancham leaned toward Litleo and sniffed lightly in return. "Pan-cham~ Pan-cham~" You smell nice too. Everyone smells wonderful!
The other Pokémon, hearing this, sniffed themselves and discovered that indeed, they all smelled delightful.
Entering the house, Lucas arranged for the Pokémon to sit down. "Please wait here. I need to shower quickly, and I'll be right back."
After working so hard, he was completely drenched in sweat.
The Pokémon nodded obediently.
Returning to the second floor, Lucas showered as quickly as possible, then hurried to the kitchen. When he entered, he discovered that steamed buns were already cooking.
Diancie had come to the kitchen to prepare food after her shower—otherwise, the small deception Lucas had told earlier would have been exposed!
Fortunately, when Munchlax and the others had visited earlier, Lucas had already prepared everything. Diancie only needed to place the buns in the steamer, a simple task within her capabilities.
Lucas gently poked Diancie's forehead and smiled. "You clever little thing."
Soon, a rich aroma wafted from the kitchen, and the Pokémon outside swallowed involuntarily while craning their necks toward the source of the tantalizing smell.
It was incredibly tempting.
"Dinner is served!"
Lucas and Diancie emerged, each carrying a pot of steamed buns. An even more enticing fragrance filled the Pokémon's nostrils.
Distributing the food to each Pokémon, Lucas said, "Everyone, please enjoy!"
The sound of eager eating soon filled the room.
Concerned that the Pokémon might choke if they only ate steamed buns, Diancie thoughtfully provided each with a glass of warm water.
Perhaps food tastes better after honest work. Lucas opened his system interface and noticed that the Happiness Points contributed by each Pokémon had increased:
+150
+150
+150
...
In total, the twelve Pokémon provided Lucas with 1,800 Happiness Points, bringing his total to 4,400.
At the same time, the taskbar updated:
Serve 50 Pokémon, deadline 10 days. (16/50)
At this rate, the second mission could likely be completed in just three or four days, well ahead of the ten-day deadline.
After eating and drinking their fill, the Pokémon sprawled contentedly in their chairs, bellies bulging and faces expressing complete satisfaction.
Burp~ Burp~ Burp~
The sounds of satisfaction continued.
After some time, Litwick jumped down from the table and approached Lucas, saying, "Lit-wick~ Lit-wick~" Thank you for your hospitality. We should be going now.
Upon hearing this, the other Pokémon also hopped down from the tables and chairs.
Diancie relayed Litwick's message to Lucas, who replied with a warm smile, "You're most welcome. Please visit again. If you feel uncomfortable accepting things for free, you're welcome to help me with more tasks."
Litwick hesitated momentarily, then nodded slightly.
Lucas and Diancie accompanied the Pokémon to the door.
"Be sure to come again!" Lucas called out, waving.
After Litwick and the others departed, Lucas decided not to seek additional customers for the day. He only needed to complete the system mission on time and didn't want to overexert himself.
He held Komala and sat beside Diancie on the front steps, chatting companionably. Though they discussed nothing of great importance, Lucas found profound peace in reminiscing about the past and imagining their future together.
Speaking of the future, Diancie suddenly asked, "Lucas, after the newbie period ends, the system will no longer provide ingredients. At that point, we'll need to fend for ourselves. Do you have any plans?"
"You're right!" Lucas smacked his forehead. "We should prepare in advance, or we'll definitely struggle when that time comes."
As he spoke, he opened the system shop and began browsing quickly.
"Why don't we grow our own ingredients?" Lucas suggested. "The climate of the Nebel Plateau is suitable for cultivating many things."
It was fortuitous that seeds were available in the shop.
Diancie nodded. "That's possible, but we have no experience. Can we really grow them successfully?"
Lucas replied confidently, "Let's try it. We'll start with some basic vegetables like green onions, ginger, and garlic—they'll definitely be useful in the future."
"Alright, let's do it."
"It's perfect timing, actually. Litwick and the others feel uncomfortable eating here for free, so we can ask for their help with farming."
"Great idea! I'll mention it the next time they visit."
The matter was settled.
Gradually, the sky darkened.
That evening, Lucas, Diancie, and Komala ate dinner together, then washed up and prepared for rest.
Before returning Komala to its little house, Lucas asked with a playful smirk, "Komala, little one, would you like to sleep with me tonight?"
Komala was completely covered in soft fur. Sleeping beside it would surely guarantee pleasant dreams all night.
Upon hearing this proposition, Komala promptly turned over in his arms, presenting its back to him—clearly refusing the offer.
Lucas pouted with exaggerated disappointment. "What a shame. My big bed is so much more comfortable."
Komala, too drowsy to entertain Lucas's banter, simply hugged its log and easily jumped into its little house. It burrowed beneath its blanket, pointedly facing away from Lucas.
"You ungrateful little thing. I've raised you for nothing," Lucas said with mock indignation, then turned and walked toward the house, muttering continuously. "Tonight will be another lonely night."
The following day, Lucas once again slept until late morning before rising to cook for the Pokémon.
Munchlax, Scatterbug, Litwick, and the others arrived one after another. Not only that, but they also brought their respective friends.
When new Pokémon arrived, Lucas still concealed himself in the kitchen to avoid frightening them, relying entirely on Diancie to greet and serve them.
When Gulpin and Pancham visited, they brought bouquets of flowers for Lucas. He replaced the previous arrangement, which had begun to wither, with these fresh blooms.
Thanks to these floral decorations, Lucas felt his restaurant had gained a touch of warmth and gentleness.
As the number of Pokémon visiting to eat gradually increased, Lucas's small establishment finally became truly lively.