Chapter 107: The Tundra Bear Forest, Abundant with Food

"Muzi, where are you heading next?"
"To the next gym, of course."
"I see. Have you challenged the Castelia Gym in Castelia City yet?"
"Not yet."
"In that case, let's make Castelia City our next destination," Muzi proposed.
"Sounds good! I haven't earned the Castelia Gym badge either, so let's go together."
"It's a deal."
Muzi was overjoyed, but Chengcheng was even happier.
Thus, Chengcheng and Muzi embarked on their journey toward Castelia City.
The path from Nimbasa City to Castelia City required passing through a forest. Chengcheng and Muzi were currently deep within it.
This was the Beartic Forest, home to many Beartic and their various packs, making it a fairly dangerous place. However, as long as one didn't provoke the Beartic, passing through safely wasn't an issue.
"Muzi, what kind of Pokéblock do you think you'd get if you mixed one-half Lum Berry, one-third Golden Grape, and one-sixth Spicy Pepper, then processed it for seven minutes?"
"Hmm, let me think. In terms of flavor, the slightly astringent Lum Berry, the sweet and sour Golden Grape, and the hint of heat from the Spicy Pepper... the combination probably wouldn't taste very good. But since the Lum Berry has medicinal and anti-sleep properties, and the unique pungency of the Spicy Pepper helps boost a Pokémon's energy, it might actually be an excellent stimulant."
"Really? Then I absolutely have to try it."
As they traveled, Chengcheng and Muzi searched for topics to discuss. They eventually discovered a shared passion: researching Pokémon food and Pokéblocks. Consequently, they spent much of the following period debating various recipes, many of which resulted in culinary disasters.
Chengcheng’s Gardevoir and the Goomy cradled in Muzi’s arms were far less enthusiastic. Every day, the two Pokémon lived in fear, terrified they might be the first to taste-test these concoctions.
"Alright, it's about time. Let's start preparing lunch."
"Sure. I'll leave our food to you, and you can leave the Pokémon's food to me. I've been wanting to try that recipe we just discussed; I hope some of them like it."
Chengcheng began cooking their lunch, while Muzi took responsibility for the Pokémon's meal.
There were only two humans, but sixteen Pokémon. Beyond the Goomy, Dragonair, and Altaria that Chengcheng had already seen, he also noticed Muzi’s other Pokémon: a Deino, a Vibrava, and a Charmeleon.
Another pseudo-legendary.
"Charmeleon? Charmeleon isn't a Dragon-type, is it? Why do you have one?"
Chengcheng was puzzled, knowing Muzi aimed to be a true Dragon-type master, not a Flying-type master like Lance.
"Well, 'Charmeleon' has the word 'dragon' in its Japanese name, and Dragon-types are severely weak to Ice-types, so I wanted to find a Fire-type to compensate."
"I see. As a starter from the Kanto region, Charmeleon is a pretty great Pokémon."
Chengcheng accepted the presence of this "pseudo-dragon."
Soon, Chengcheng finished their lunch. Seeing that Muzi hadn't finished the Pokémon's food, he went over to assist.
"Let me help you with that."
Chengcheng chose his most reliable recipe and prepared several portions.
"Alright everyone, you can start eating now!"
Each Pokémon found a portion they enjoyed, and they seemed quite fond of the new Pokéblock recipe that Chengcheng and Muzi had developed together. Everyone ate happily.
Seeing the Pokémon enjoy his new recipe brought Chengcheng great satisfaction, and he resolved to keep working hard.
"Alright, dig in, everyone!"
As soon as Chengcheng spoke, all the Pokémon began to eat eagerly. They looked very content.
Suddenly, Chengcheng sensed something approaching. The presence wasn't very strong, and it didn't seem malicious, so he didn't pay it much mind.
Soon, a snow-white Pokémon appeared before them—a Cubchoo.
Cubchoo is the pre-evolved form of Beartic; it is relatively weak and has little offensive power.
The Cubchoo rushed toward the food and began to eat.
Chengcheng hadn't expected their Pokémon food to attract other wild Pokémon. While it proved their cooking was delicious, it could lead to trouble if not handled properly.
After the Cubchoo finished one bowl, it moved toward the others. At that point, all of Muzi’s Pokémon backed away.
Chengcheng understood why: Dragon-type Pokémon generally didn't like being too close to Ice-types.
Neither Chengcheng nor Muzi moved, watching their Pokémon to see how they would react.
The Cubchoo sat on the ground eating, with Muzi’s Pokémon standing aside and Chengcheng’s Pokémon ignoring it. However, the Slowpoke sitting opposite the Cubchoo was quite displeased.
Slowpoke usually finished its own food in one gulp and then tried to steal from the others. It found it outrageous that this newcomer was stealing food right in front of it.
Furious, the Slowpoke used Water Gun, blasting the Cubchoo away. The Cubchoo hit a tree and tumbled to the ground.
"Slowpoke, how could you do that? Why are you attacking it for no reason?"
Chengcheng picked up the Cubchoo and tended to its wounds.
"Achoo!"
The Cubchoo sneezed, and Chengcheng shivered as the air suddenly turned frigid.
Muzi stood nearby; she wasn't particularly fond of Ice-types either.
The Cubchoo hopped out of Chengcheng’s arms, returned to the food, sat down, and resumed eating.
What a glutton.
"Muzi?"
"Yes?"
"Should we make some more food for the Pokémon?"
"Of course!"
Chengcheng and Muzi took out more ingredients and began preparing food. This time, Chengcheng attempted to make a batch specifically for Ice-type Pokémon, wondering if the Cubchoo would like it.
Once they distributed the food, Chengcheng handed the special Ice-type meal to the Cubchoo. Seeing the dish, the Cubchoo pounced on it and began eating rapidly; it clearly loved the food.
Suddenly, Chengcheng sensed a powerful presence approaching and immediately went on alert. Soon, he saw a tall Pokémon—a Beartic, the evolved form of Cubchoo.
"Beartic!"
Muzi’s Pokémon became even more tense upon seeing the Beartic. This time, instead of retreating, they watched the Beartic warily.
The Beartic walked over, snatched the food from the Cubchoo's hands, and shoveled it all into its mouth, appearing very satisfied.
"Cub!"
The Cubchoo suddenly stood up and glared fiercely at the Beartic.
"Choo!"
A cold gust of wind erupted from the Cubchoo’s mouth, striking the Beartic. The Beartic didn't seem to mind, simply rubbing its stomach.
Chengcheng hadn't expected the Beartic to steal the Cubchoo's food.
"Beartic, Beartic!"
"Beartic, would you like some more food?"
"Beartic, Beartic!"
The Beartic nodded.
Chengcheng gathered more ingredients and prepared two more portions—a large one for the Beartic and a smaller one for the Cubchoo. Both bears ate, looking delighted.
"Beartic, Beartic!"
The Beartic suddenly let out a loud roar toward the sky.
Soon, Chengcheng sensed multiple powerful energy signatures approaching. Sure enough, it was a pack of Beartic.
The Beartic beat their chests, and Chengcheng understood their intent: the Beartic wanted to share the food with its companions.
Chengcheng didn't mind making more, but he was running low on ingredients.
"Beartic, I can help you make food, but I need more berries."
Chengcheng showed the Beartic the berries he needed. The Beartic immediately dashed away at high speed.
At that moment, Chengcheng noticed Muzi wasn't looking well.
"Muzi, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, just feeling a bit cold."
Chengcheng took a jacket from his backpack and draped it over her.
"Muzi, you should recall your Pokémon for now."
"Okay."
Muzi recalled all her Pokémon except for her Charmeleon. Having the Charmeleon nearby made things feel much warmer.
"Everyone, you come back too."
Chengcheng kept only his Mr. Mime and Gardevoir out, recalling the rest.
Feeding such a large number of Beartic would require a massive amount of food, so Chengcheng had Gardevoir and Mr. Mime assist him.
Before long, the Beartic returned with a large haul of berries. Along with the ones Chengcheng requested, they had brought many others.
Chengcheng had Mr. Mime control the berries while Gardevoir used its blade to slice them into pieces. They then used their psychic powers to mix the berries with the edible flour.
Soon, a large pot of Pokémon food was ready. Chengcheng knew it wouldn't be enough, so he repeated the process.
He served the food to the Beartic, who ate happily. Seeing the Pokémon enjoy themselves, Chengcheng worked even harder.
Muzi walked over.
"What's wrong?"
"Let me help too."
"Are you sure?"
"Of course. I can't let you be the only one winning the Pokémon's affection."
"If you can help, that's great."
With Muzi’s assistance, their pace quickened, and soon the Beartic were full. Chengcheng had used up most of the berries they brought.
"Alright, Beartic, it's time for us to leave. You should head back, too. Until next time!"
"Beartic!"
The Beartic walked over one by one to hug Chengcheng. Muzi initially backed away.
In truth, the Beartic’s bodies were quite warm, not cold at all.
Chengcheng encouraged Muzi, and eventually, she hugged one of the Beartic.
Afterward, the Beartic left, taking the Cubchoo with them, and returned to their territory.
Before they left, they gave the remaining berries to Chengcheng, enough to last him for quite some time.
"Alright, Muzi, let's continue our journey."
"Okay, let's go."
The pair packed their things and continued toward Castelia City.