Chapter Thirty-Four: To Capture a Man's Heart, One Must...

Heath gazed at Nazzy in confusion. For some reason, he thought he saw an emotion called jealousy flicker in Nazzy’s eyes at that moment, and the discovery left him feeling strangely unsettled.

“Miss Nazzy, what did you just say?” Heath wondered if he was simply experiencing auditory hallucinations from not sleeping well the previous night. After all, everyone warns that irregular sleep harms the body, and that staying up late increases the risk of sudden death.

“You—teach me how to make Mr. Sakaki happy.” Nazzy repeated calmly. This time, Heath heard her words clearly; it wasn’t a mistake or a hallucination.

His expression grew more peculiar. He didn’t understand why Nazzy would seek him out to learn how to make Mr. Sakaki happy. Was it because the meal he’d cooked for Sakaki yesterday had cheered him up?

Heath suddenly recalled rumors that Nazzy harbored a special feeling toward Sakaki. Considering Nazzy had come specifically to learn how to please him, Heath realized he might have uncovered quite the secret.

“Well… Miss Nazzy, have you ever heard this saying?” Heath flashed a bright, enthusiastic smile—so dazzling that, had Lady Lolly seen it, she’d surely have put away her Gengar in alarm.

Whenever Heath dug a pit for Gengar to fall into, he wore exactly this expression, and each time, Gengar willingly buried itself deeper, even shoveling in extra dirt.

Nazzy tilted her head, clearly puzzled by Heath’s words.

“There’s a saying: if you want to win a man’s heart, you must first win his stomach.” Heath spoke mysteriously. Nazzy paused, then her eyes lit up with understanding. She nodded happily to Heath, handed him all the money she had, picked up her food, and walked away.

Heath was stunned. What just happened? He hadn’t finished speaking, yet Nazzy was already trotting off, beaming with joy.

It felt like a lost youth climbing a mountain to seek wisdom from a master, only for the master to pour a bit too much tea, prompting the youth to shout, “I’ve understood!” and rush back down the mountain.

Heath scratched his head. Though he had no idea what Nazzy had grasped, at least she was no longer staring at him, and he felt a bit more at ease. Being watched by a psychic really was rather unnerving.

“That person just now was a psychic! She’s so powerful.” Zorua clung to Heath’s shoulder with its paws, eyes full of wary alertness.

“At least you know. I was worried you’d say something and give us away.” Heath breathed a sigh of relief. Nazzy had appeared so suddenly that he hadn’t had time to warn Zorua not to use telepathy. Thankfully, Zorua was clever enough not to make such a mistake.

[You entertained Nazzy and received two Bewitching Chewing Gums.]

[Bewitching Chewing Gum: After chewing, your words have a significantly higher chance of convincing others.]

Heath’s expression became strange. Was this a reward for his entrepreneurial thoughts about earning money from Nazzy, detected by his golden finger, which then gifted him the chewing gum as encouragement?

Regardless, he pocketed the two pieces. Their effect was incredibly strong. Though not absolute, the high probability of success meant they could be world-changing tools.

“By now, I’ve almost saved up ten thousand league coins.” Heath looked at the money in his hand and smiled brightly.

Nazzy truly lived up to her reputation as the Goldenrod Gym Leader—she’d handed over more than eight thousand league coins. Combined with what Heath had earned from Mr. Sakaki and other guests, he finally knew what it felt like to be loaded.

“Leek~” Farfetch’d hopped gleefully beside Heath, waving its leek as if performing some mysterious ritual.

“What’s with Farfetch’d?” Heath asked Zorua, puzzled; he couldn’t understand Farfetch’d’s cries but hoped Zorua could translate.

“Farfetch’d says he finally has enough money to buy a duck. Wait, do you actually use money to buy Farfetch’d?” Zorua’s gaze turned strange, as if looking at a scoundrel. Heath rolled his eyes.

He then explained to Zorua what BJ Roast Duck was. It seemed harmless, but upon hearing about it, Zorua started drooling as well.

“Hmph, foolish human, your roast duck surely isn’t that tasty. But if you use the finest methods to make me the world’s best roast duck, I might reluctantly try it.” Zorua turned its head away, feigning reluctance. Heath took a deep breath.

This little fellow was something else.

“Meow~” Just as Heath was about to discuss whether tsundere attitudes were worthwhile with Zorua, he heard a meow behind him.

Heath turned to see a stray Meowth from Evergreen City, eyeing him warily—or rather, eyeing the Caterpie on his shoulder, as if deciding whether Caterpie was an enemy.

“Meowth, this is my Pokémon. Are you here for a meal today?” Heath reached out to rub Meowth’s head. Meowth squinted in contentment, then glanced warily at Caterpie again.

Heath couldn’t help but smile. These little creatures’ alertness was remarkable—it must be what let them survive in Evergreen City.

Heath rummaged through his leftover food. It was the BJ Roast Duck Farfetch’d made yesterday. Two ducks were far too much for Heath and Sister Maple to finish, so he’d brought the rest, intending to treat the little ones to a good meal.

“Wow, you’re rather compassionate, aren’t you? Has anyone called you a saint for this?” Zorua teased, watching the stray Pokémon eat.

“What if they have? Still, you’re pretty knowledgeable.” Heath glanced at Zorua. This world’s vocabulary was similar to his old one; novels often used such terms.

“That’s just how I am.” Heath smiled, watching Meowth, Ekans, and Rattata devour the duck meat in front of him. He felt there was nothing wrong with living like this.