Chapter 805: The Mushroom Picker

As water naturally flows along its channel.

All All Baimu told Gragio what Lillie had asked him to pass on.

The middle-schooler paused slightly after hearing it, "... Hmm."

He nodded. Though he had not yet grown to a level that satisfied him, perhaps it was truly time to go back and take a look.

At the very least, to see his sister once.

"Thank you for the meal."

Gragio drained the MooMoo Milk.

As he set down the cup, he realized he had somehow been eating breakfast at All All Baimu's house nearly every day for a week.

Each time, he sat down as if it were perfectly natural.

So shameless!

A sudden surge of intense embarrassment during puberty made him hastily take his leave.

All All Baimu: "?"

Happiny, who came to collect the dishes, watched Gragio bolt out the door and was equally puzzled.

But neither paid it much mind, because today there was something far more important—

Miss Liza's trial.

The requirement was to prepare a dish using ingredients from Shadow Grove that would satisfy the Dominant Flareon.

All All Baimu instinctively drew a chibi version of Flareon, poking the tip of his pen against the white paper. "Fire- and Poison-type Pokémon that normally eat Cherry Berries? Total stereotype."

Yesterday, he'd specifically asked his Pokétech to ask the two wild Nightcrawlers what Dominant Flareon liked to eat, just to confirm its taste.

Otherwise, if he made something it disliked, even a perfect dish would lose half its score.

Not all Fire-type Pokémon like spicy food—taste trends toward type, but it's not fixed. Still, Flareon didn't escape this pattern.

Cherry Berries are spicy berries.

Add in the Poison type...

"What do you think of a spicy mushroom stew?" he asked Happiny.

The Alola region, with its tropical humid climate, is ideal for fungal growth. He trusted Shadow Grove wouldn't disappoint.

Happiny had no objections: "Happy!"

The advantage of Poison-type Pokémon is they can safely eat most poisonous mushrooms without fear of hallucinations or collapsing.

They also won't miss the moment when mushrooms are at their most tender.

As for Miss Liza's suggested Acala curry, on one hand, it's a sweet curry flavored with Mangosteen, with a bitter aftertaste from Miracle Seeds and Revival Grass—unsuitable for Dominant Flareon's taste.

On the other hand, personally, he had no interest in curry, so he dismissed it outright.

But it's undeniable that curry is extremely popular in the Pokémon world, especially in the Galar region, modeled after Britain, where their curry obsession rivals India's.

So All All Baimu drew a clay pot, then sketched many mushrooms and seasonings beside it. "Let's go with this method."

Adjust the details based on the types of mushrooms and other ingredients available in Shadow Grove.

A mushroom stew isn't just mushrooms.

"Let's go!"

He waved his hand, and Salamence immediately flew out the door.

—

Shadow Grove.

Located north of Akala Island, famed for its delicious ingredients, hailed as a treasure trove gifted by the forest.

Due to its dense canopy, little sunlight penetrates the woods, making the interior dim.

Fortunately, it didn't affect All All Baimu at all.

He recalled Salamence and called out his shiny Gengar, hidden in the shadows.

"Geng!"

Gengar excitedly stuck out its tongue, as if it had eaten a Paramecia-type fruit from One Piece, swimming through the shadows on the ground.

Dim environments are perfect for Ghost-type Pokémon.

Conveniently, it could also help store ingredients—carrying baskets would be too cumbersome.

"Oh! A great start!"

He suddenly crouched beneath a large tree, parted the thick undergrowth, and dug up a mushroom with a red, triangular, boomerang-shaped cap, examining it closely in the dappled sunlight.

【Danceblade Mushroom】—official scientific name unknown.

One of the ingredients for the 【Power Boost】 potion. Non-toxic, thick-fleshed, but its flavor ranks poorly among mushrooms.

Set it aside for now.

He handed it to Gengar, who grinned and swallowed it whole.

Shadow Grove isn't some remote, untouched place—collectors have trampled the ground into a narrow path where little vegetation can grow, but that also means precious ingredients are unlikely to be found along it.

So he naturally stepped off the path into the deeper forest.

Crushed grass crunched beneath his feet.

Fortunately,

Shadow Grove has no Snake-type Pokémon—but there is one Pokémon even more dangerous than snakes.

—PseudoMantis.

These Pokémon, resembling Fairy- and Bug-types, sleep in sunlight or hide in thick grass. If disturbed by noise, they launch fierce attacks.

In the anime, even Ash and Mallow's voices triggered their rage.

You can imagine how aggressive they are.

All All Baimu didn't want to provoke these "terrorists." He whispered to Gengar: "Just find the Fragrant Mushroom."

As a valuable item in the game that sells for a high price, its greatest value lies in consumption—like truffles in his past life, sold at exorbitant prices.

Just a single piece can perfume an entire pot of broth, making it the ultimate broth enhancer.

"Geng?"

Gengar tilted its head—it never cared much about ingredients.

All All Baimu said: "That soup we had on the cruise ship—the one you loved so much, the one with the black lumps."

Instantly,

Gengar's memory dribbled from its mouth: "Geng..."

Back when they sailed from the Orange Islands to Hoenn, they'd dined in the ship's luxury restaurant. That oddly named appetizer soup had made Gengar obsessed—it begged All All Baimu to order it multiple times.

That was a real delicacy!

It instantly became energetic, darting around like a fly, its chubby paws pressed to its eyes as if scanning the area.

A real character.

All All Baimu sighed helplessly, his peripheral vision catching a slender vine coiled around a tree. He thought: "Could this be...?"

He followed the vine down to its root and cautiously dug a bit with his tool.

"It's yam!"

Confirmed, All All Baimu's eyes lit up. He hurried to the lower ground and began using the Chaotic Wind Shovel Technique. Gengar, seeing this, rushed over to help.

The wild yam was long and thick—he dug a meter deep and still hadn't reached the end, so he quickly called in Bisharp.

Gigalith's hands were too clumsy—let it dig and the yam would turn to mush with the dirt.

Bisharp wasn't much better, but what else could he do? Digging alone was too inefficient.

After much effort,

A nearly two-meter-long wild yam was successfully unearthed.

All All Baimu didn't know if wild yams growing in Alola's tropical rainforest environment followed "natural laws," but he was delighted—feeling the joy of harvest.

"No wonder it's called a treasure trove!"

He shoved the root-like yam into Gengar's belly, filled the hole back in, and pressed onward.

Two ingredients secured in a short time—it felt as smooth as cooking itself, yet oddly gave him the thrill of shoplifting.

"Got it! Wood ear mushrooms!"

"Little brown mushrooms!"

"Morel mushrooms!"

"This wild vegetable looks great—crisp and tender."

"Finally! You're here! Big mushroom!"

"Eek! Red cap, white stem—eat it and you'll lie down for good~"

"Is there any wild tofu or sweet potato starch around..."

"Hey! Big root! Who left this here? What a waste—it's already rotten. Fine."

All All Baimu tossed aside the rotting root that resembled ginseng, then remembered the burrow he'd spotted earlier and wondered whether to investigate.

Maybe, like Ash and Mallow's case, it leads straight to the Dominant Lurantis's lair—

The Dominant must be fought!

The Grass Z Crystal is right there, waiting for you to take it—missing it would be a crime.

And the Dominant Pokémon's nest surely holds even more collectible ingredients—like precious mushrooms, precious mushrooms, or precious mushrooms.

A person must have dreams!

So.

All All Baimu swiftly found the mole burrow that required him to crouch low to crawl inside.

Fortunately, the interior wasn't so cramped—just bend your waist slightly.

"Geng!"

Gengar's cry for help made him turn his head, and he immediately saw the fat, gray bulk of it stuck at the burrow's entrance; he couldn't help but stare in disbelief.

Why not just slip straight into the shadows and sneak in?

Let's be honest, overacting is a defining trait of comedic Pokémon.

Snap!

The Multicell phone turned on its rear flashlight to illuminate the path ahead.

Although in the anime Ash's cave explorations never needed any light—always as bright as open air—in reality, a cave without external light would only turn you blind.

"Smells awful."

All All Baimu put on a gas mask; Gengar, as a Ghost-type Poison, didn't care at all.

It even volunteered to take point.

It's just a mole burrow.

Wild Alolan Diglett must be everywhere here.

These Pokémon, with strong territorial instincts, fiercely reject uninvited intruders—they burst from the soil and launched an attack—

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The flying clods of dirt were easily dodged by Gengar and All All Baimu.

"Hypnosis."

"Geng~"

Gengar dropped low, then surged upward, appearing behind the Diglett, yanking hard on its three hairs; as the Diglett startled and turned its head, it locked eyes with Gengar's glowing purple-red gaze.

"Dii…"

The Diglett fainted.

All All Baimu stepped up to the Diglett, touched its three yellow hairs, and said, "Strong, aren't you? These look like whiskers?"

Correct.

Whiskers growing from the top of the head.

Though All All Baimu didn't understand why they were called whiskers, since Pokémon Professors all said so, he chose to accept it.

Moments later.

The Diglett slowly woke up, facing a grin that looked downright eerie; it shuddered violently, burrowed back into the earth, and tried to flee.

But a dark glow held it in place.

【Black Gaze】.

"Hehehehe!" Gengar laughed like an elder of the Spirit Hall.

All All Baimu's smile was equally cruel; he thought: "Let you taste what it's like to be trapped."

One of the most annoying wild Pokémon in games is Diglett, because most have the 【Sand Veil】 ability—you can't run, only fight.

Of course.

Stopping the Diglett from leaving wasn't about revenge—it was for another purpose.

"You know where the Alpha Pokémon is, right? Take me there, and I'll give you this as payment." All All Baimu pulled out a Poké Block.

He was growing increasingly skilled at dealing with wild Pokémon, especially judging from their expressions whether his offer would tempt them.

And the Diglett's willpower was weak.

Or rather, it became weak the moment it saw the Z-Ring.

Island Challenge challenger.

Why didn't you say so earlier?

The Diglett's gaze carried a hint of disdain.

But even if All All Baimu had revealed his identity from the start, it wouldn't have let him pass easily—chasing Island Challenge challengers was one of the Diglett burrow's favorite pastimes.

"Dii!"

The Diglett took two Poké Blocks, then charged ahead with fierce determination.

As they walked.

The Diglett suddenly stopped, climbed onto the moss- and grass-covered ceiling of the cave, and flipped its body upside down.

Then it began digging.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Dust rained down.

It unearthed a pitch-black object, which plopped onto the ground.

Gengar showed no reaction; All All Baimu got excited first.

"Truffle!"

"Dii-daa!"

Who would've thought a truffle could be found in a Diglett burrow? These usually grow under trees… maybe there's a tree above?

Another rare ingredient!

He quickly pulled out Poké Blocks to trade, but was refused.

"Why? You're keeping it for yourself?" All All Baimu didn't know if Diglett even ate truffles—he was certain it didn't eat fungi.

The Diglett shook its head again.

Multicell: "It says it wants to trade it with someone."

"With 'someone'? Are you sure it meant human?"

"Yes. With humans."

Obviously, he wasn't the only one trading with wild Pokémon.

All All Baimu sighed. Though he normally wouldn't even glance at truffles—too expensive—in this moment of free loot, he'd missed out.

So painful!

But who else trades with wild Pokémon? Mountain foragers?

Very likely!

At this rate, aromatic mushrooms won't be left for him either—anyone who trades with wild Pokémon wouldn't stop at just one move; they'd surely have contacts among surface-dwelling Pokémon too.

All All Baimu followed the Diglett forward, soon reaching the end of a cave with an exit above.

Diglett: "Dii-daa!"

"Geng!"

Gengar eagerly pushed upward—and, unsurprisingly, got stuck again, its short legs flailing as its fat body jammed in the hole.

All All Baimu sighed, then shoved his head against its rear.

"Go!"

Pop!

The gray fatso finally broke free.

As All All Baimu turned to thank the Diglett, he realized it had already left.

So heartless.

Alpha's lair—

No different from other places; small mushrooms dotted the ground, and tree trunks were layered with large wood-lingzhi mushrooms.

All All Baimu glanced casually, spotting only a hollow tree stump filled with various berries.

"Variety's good, but nothing useful as ingredients."

He was disappointed.

He'd imagined the Alpha's lair would have aromatic mushrooms; now he realized it didn't even have a single large mushroom.

So… where's the Alpha?

All All Baimu waited for the Alpha, Lanturn, to appear.

But it seemed absent from its nest—he waited a long time, yet saw no sign of it.

This is awkward.

"Geng?"

Gengar was equally baffled, scratching its head and flying wildly around searching for the missing Alpha Pokémon.

With nothing else to do, All All Baimu wandered further, gathering edible fungi he could use in his pot—he'd already collected six edible mushrooms and three poisonous ones; enough for one meal.

But since he'd come all this way, was it fair to take only this little?

The Alpha, Flareon, had been eaten—his own family deserved a taste too!

As he crouched to dig up chicken-of-the-woods mushrooms, a blurred figure appeared behind him, catching Gengar's attention first.

"Geng!"

"Got it—the Alpha's back?"

He picked up the chicken-of-the-woods, turned around—and nearly dropped it in shock.

The figure was a white-clad girl, fifteen or sixteen, looking like a ghost in the dim forest; luckily, she carried a bamboo basket and stepped into the sunlight, giving her at least a semblance of humanity.

Who in their right mind walks through the forest in white?

"Island Challenge challenger?" the girl spoke first.