Chapter Twenty-Six: Cold Weather and Hot Pot Are a Perfect Match

The Snowman Snorlax clearly hadn’t expected so many Pokémon to gather around it, and for a moment, Heath could see that it was visibly flustered. For some reason, watching the Snowman Snorlax like this reminded Heath of scenes from an anime he had once seen.

“So that’s how it is...” Heath paused briefly, then chuckled. He recalled an episode from the Pokémon anime where Ash and Pikachu built a Snowman Snorlax, which then came to life and played with them.

At first, everyone thought it was just a one-time, peculiar event in the Pokémon world. But soon, they realized something was amiss when, at the end of that episode, a whole group of Snowman Snorlaxes appeared.

Eventually, it was widely believed that the Snowman Snorlax, much like Alolan forms, was a regional variant unique to certain areas. What Heath hadn’t expected was to encounter a Snowman Snorlax near the Quartz Plateau.

One had to admit, the way Pokémon became friends was remarkably simple. At first, the Snowman Snorlax was somewhat uneasy, but it soon grew accustomed to the little ones around it, even allowing them to rest on its massive body, all the while smiling contentedly.

Yet, the Snorlax never made a sound. It seemed aware that its voice was overwhelmingly loud, and if it were to call out, it might cause trouble.

Heath, too, abandoned his plans to work today. After all, with the snow falling, few customers were likely to come. So he took the opportunity to play until the early afternoon. When his phone showed just past two o’clock, he reluctantly stopped, still feeling reluctant to leave.

“Snorlax, we’re leaving now.” Heath looked at the Snorlax. After spending this time together, he had come to understand its character— a solitary Pokémon, but gentle.

The Snorlax lingered, unwilling to part, watching Heath. Heath waved to it, hesitated briefly, then silently gathered his Pokémon and headed back toward the food truck.

“Trainer, aren’t you going to catch Snorlax?” Zoroark lay atop Heath’s head, clearly delighted today. Even as Heath called them back, she was still having a snowball fight with Snorlax.

But it was obvious that no matter how much Snorlax tried to keep up, the gap was huge. The snowballs Zoroark crafted with her tiny paws were dwarfed by the massive ones Snorlax could effortlessly form.

“I did think about it, but since it’s the first time I’ve met Snorlax, I don’t know if it’d be willing to join me.” Heath scratched his head. Though he could simply throw a Poké Ball and catch it outright, he preferred that Pokémon willingly choose to be his companions.

“You won’t know unless you ask, right? That big guy seems pretty slow-witted. If you don’t ask, it might never tell you what’s really on its mind.” Zoroark wagged her tail. She really liked Snorlax — cold and able to create ice. With that, summer wouldn’t be so bad; they’d have their own shaved ice machine.

Heath frowned. Zoroark had a point. How could he know what Snorlax truly thought if he never asked?

It was like becoming friends with someone you liked—though asking might ruin the friendship, not asking would leave a lifetime of regret.

“Snorlax!” Heath called out, turning back. Snorlax was still standing at the edge of the woods, watching him. He ran over quickly and stood before the solitary giant, looking up and slowly extending his hand.

“Would you be willing to be my partner?” Heath asked nervously, eyeing Snorlax. The Pokémon squinted at him, and Heath couldn’t read the emotions behind those eyes.

Then Snorlax shook its head. Heath felt a pang of disappointment. So it seemed he couldn’t rely on the loneliness of this Pokémon to win it over.

But then Snorlax opened its mouth, as if to say something, then quickly closed it without unleashing that deafening roar. Instead, it waved its hand at Heath and turned away.

“Rejected,” Zoroark sighed, still perched on Heath’s head.

“Forget it. Let’s go back and have hot pot.” Heath watched the Snorlax’s retreating figure in silence. As expected, capturing a Pokémon was always difficult. At first, he thought playing together might persuade Snorlax, but it appeared not.

Still, Heath wasn’t too disheartened. Smiling, he gathered his Pokémon and returned to the food truck, pushing open its door.

Inside, the warmth hit him instantly, and Heath breathed a sigh of relief. He shed his heavy down jacket and placed it in his suitcase, then turned to prepare the meal.

When it came to cold weather, nothing seemed more fitting than hot pot. Eating a steaming hot pot on a bitterly cold day was truly a blessing. Plus, it was simple to make.

Mix the base seasoning, add water to boil, then drop in the sliced ingredients once boiling. Use chopsticks to dip and eat. The process was delightfully straightforward.

With the help of Leek Duck, the preparation was faster. Leek Duck took charge of cutting the ingredients swiftly, while Heath only needed to prepare the broth and dipping sauces.

Soon, a steaming hot pot was set on the table. Leek Duck, Zoroark, and Charmander sat obediently on stools, eyes fixed eagerly on the boiling meat slices.

“...Do you guys know how to use chopsticks?” Heath hesitated, looking at their ‘hands.’

Judging by their troubled expressions, he knew his question was pointless. Obviously, these three had no idea how to handle chopsticks. After all, with their paws and wings, it was quite difficult.

Heath twitched his mouth. Great, so he’d become their caretaker, even had to feed them now?