I opened a restaurant in the Pokémon world.

"You want to watch?" Heath looked at Zoroark suspiciously. Zoroark wasn't very brave. Heath remembered that Zoroark used to scream when playing horror games. If Zoroark were a game streamer, he would be quite entertaining. However, Heath didn't plan to let Zoroark become a game streamer, at least not right now.

"Hehe, a little bit." Zoroark scratched her head sheepishly. She admitted that she was indeed a little tempted. After all, it was a very well-known horror movie. Zoroark had heard some of her friends from the game talk about the movie before, and they highly recommended it.

Although Zoroark can't speak while playing games—after all, her telepathy isn't powerful enough to freely travel vast distances and influence other players—she has her own solution: using onomatopoeia, like "um," "oh," and "ah." Surprisingly, this has successfully created a persona of a quiet, aloof beauty, making Zoroark quite proud of herself.

Most importantly, Zoroark isn't afraid of face-to-face meetings or video chats. Even if someone video chats with her, they'll be affected by Zoroark's illusion abilities. It's unclear how Zoroark manages to do that. Face-to-face meetings are even simpler, but thankfully, no one has met Zoroark in person or video chatted with her yet. These were all tests conducted by Heath to see if Zoroark would backfire. And it has to be said, Zoroark is, in some ways, a perfect lover, much like Mystique. She can create any look you desire.

She can be both elegant and sweet, and can even transform into a man, or perhaps someone with unusual tastes.

Heath consulted the other Pokémon, and Charizard and the others were quite indifferent. They naturally wouldn't mind such a thing, so Heath took them to see the movie. Because there was a big one like Snorlax, Heath had to choose a very large private cinema. Fortunately, the Pokémon world is quite developed now, so finding such a cinema wasn't a problem.

After watching the movie, Heath stretched. Well, the movie was pretty scary, but for a seasoned viewer like Heath who had seen countless movies in his past life, it was still too childish. The plot was too common, and Heath could guess the rest of the story. So Heath simply took a nap.

Today, Heath had already made plans. His food truck was going to be upgraded, and since Heath didn't have any relatives to visit, he planned to take his Pokémon around to play, which would also be a way for the Pokémon to have a good New Year. Zoroark was almost ecstatic, happily taking them around to play, and Heath quietly followed along, acting as a ruthless card-swiping machine.

"Ah, I don't know why, but it always gives me the feeling of shopping with my girlfriend..." Hiss looked at the various items in his hands, and his lips twitched involuntarily. He had just told each of the little guys that he would give them a spending limit of two thousand League Coins, and then Zoroark went completely crazy. Even Charizard, who usually had no interest in shopping, got a treadmill. Hiss was both amused and exasperated. These things didn't seem like much individually, but when they were accumulated, they were quite frightening.

"Oh? So Heath has a girlfriend~" A playful voice said. Heath paused for a moment, then turned his head to look, and then saw Cynthia with a shocked expression.

Cynthia was dressed casually and wearing a sun hat that partially obscured her face, so she wasn't very noticeable, but Heath still recognized her.

"Cynthia?" Heath was somewhat surprised. He rushed over, took a closer look, and confirmed that it was indeed Cynthia. Cynthia was standing in front of him, smiling sweetly at Heath.

“…Welcome, Cynthia.” Hiss smiled slightly. Although he didn’t know why Cynthia was here, Hiss was still quite happy. Moreover, Hiss had to admit that he felt a little impulsive, an urge to confess his feelings. Perhaps it was because spring was approaching? Or perhaps it was because the atmosphere was just right, plus the new year and the fresh start, and so on.

“Cynthia, I like you. Will you go out with me?” Heath said.

Chapter 740 Young Man's Admiration

Cynthia was stunned for a moment, her mouth agape slightly, her face filled with surprise. Clearly, she hadn't expected Heath to make such a direct statement.

Cynthia originally came here today to celebrate the New Year with Hiss. After all, back in Sinnoh, Cynthia sensed that Hiss's attitude towards her was different. But what's infuriating is that Hiss hasn't contacted her much lately. He only sent her a message to celebrate the New Year, which left Cynthia confused. She didn't understand whether Hiss liked her or just considered her a friend.

However, thinking of Hiss, who was so focused on cooking, Cynthia gritted her teeth, stomped her foot, and came to celebrate the New Year with Hiss. Of course, her real excuse was that she was visiting Vermilion City.

However, to Cynthia's surprise, Heath confessed his feelings to her so abruptly, which left her somewhat taken aback. She had prepared herself for Heath to only see her as a friend, since this annoying guy rarely contacted her, and their relationship was more accurately described as friends. But she never expected that Heath would also like her, and this time he even confessed to her directly, leaving Cynthia somewhat at a loss.

At this moment, Heath was actually under more pressure than Cynthia. After all, he had just confessed his feelings under the influence of various factors such as atmosphere and emotions. This confession made Heath feel uneasy. He didn't know what Cynthia was thinking. At this moment, a series of events flashed through Heath's mind, which made him even more nervous.

Heath felt as if decades had passed before Cynthia finally spoke with a smile.

“Sure,” Cynthia said to Heath, her face flushed. Cynthia’s skin was naturally fair, and her blonde hair made her even more adorable. Her rosy cheeks momentarily stunned Heath, but then a surge of joy overwhelmed him. Cynthia had actually agreed! Heath was overjoyed and speechless. This was Cynthia! Heath had just confessed his feelings, and she had already agreed. Heath was at a loss for words.

"Well... then please take care of me." Hiss scratched his head and put down the bag in his hand. Zoroark and the others were still shopping at the Pokémon Mall, and Hiss's eyes were only on the girl in front of him. The girl's face was very red. Under Hiss's gaze, Cynthia's uneasy eyes were somewhat evasive. She gently bit her cherry-colored lower lip, tiptoed nervously, and twirled on the ground. Her hands were behind her back, and her sky-blue dress made her look very girlish.

"Please take good care of me~" Cynthia was much calmer now, but her face was still red, showing that her inner emotions were not as calm as they appeared on the surface.

Heath and Cynthia sat together, each holding an ice cream cone. Heath had just bought it from the nearby Snowboy Ice Cream Shop. The taste was pretty good, and it was even made by Pokémon, which was quite novel. However, it was rather expensive. A regular ice cream would cost around two or three dollars, while this one was priced at fifteen. But compared to the Ice Cream Assassins of his previous life, this wasn't that expensive. After all, the most expensive Ice Cream Assassins in his previous life might have cost two or three hundred.

"You guys, how can you confess so suddenly?" Cynthia had calmed down a lot by now, but she still pouted and asked again when Heath's confession came up. Heath smiled shyly. He had actually thought about asking him to go to a movie and relax afterward, since many cinemas offer that service now, and some even provide editing services, which is very convenient. However, after thinking about it, Heath felt that kind of confession method was too old-fashioned, so he planned to think of a new one. But he never expected that before he could come up with anything, he would confess today due to various reasons, and thankfully, he succeeded.

"Ahem... How about we make it up next time?" Hiss asked Cynthia softly. Cynthia was very pretty. At this moment, she was not the Champion Cynthia that Ash became after embarking on his journey. Although she was already the Champion, Cynthia at this moment had a more girlish feel and was more youthful and cute.

"Okay, I'll wait for you to confess... nine hundred and ninety-nine times!" Cynthia said sweetly. Heath gasped. Good heavens, Heath exclaimed, good heavens, nine hundred and ninety-nine times? Even if he confessed once a day, it would still take three years, right? He would feel like he couldn't live without proposing at the same time.

Soon, Seath's Pokémon returned. Seath cheerfully introduced his Pokémon to Cynthia. Cynthia's gaze fell upon the timid Ralts standing to the side. Cynthia had seen all the other Pokémon before, but this was the first time she had seen Ralts with Seath. It seemed that it was her...

cough cough.

Cynthia blushed slightly. Although she had accepted Heath's confession and was quite happy about it, the thought of those three words made her a little shy.

It's only natural for a young man to be attracted to a young woman, and while Cynthia was initially just curious about Hiss, as she got to know him better, she developed feelings for him. The trip to see the meteor shower made her even more excited, and now that they've officially become a couple, Cynthia is overjoyed—this is the first time she's ever felt this way.

"Eh? Trainer, isn't this Cynthia?" Zoroark asked curiously. She always felt that there was some kind of inexplicable relationship between her trainer and the beautiful girl in front of her.

"Yes, it's Ms. Cynthia, but she's my girlfriend now too." Hiss touched his nose. Hmm, a champion girlfriend. If Hiss were a trainer, the pressure on him would definitely be immense, but luckily he's not a trainer, he's just a cook, so he can still rely on his girlfriend.

"Oh, right, Heath, this is a gift I brought for you this time." Cynthia suddenly remembered something, then smiled and pulled a box out of her suitcase, handing it to Heath, who took it and glanced at it.

Oh, this is it.

Chapter 741 The Mountain Guardian

The Mountain Guardian is a brand, not very well-known, but you can find it by searching for the highest-priced mountain delicacies. This brand is very rare and uncommon. It mainly sells various top-quality mountain delicacies. Some of the top mountain products in the Pokémon world come from the Mountain Guardian. However, this brand is currently basically under the control of the League, after all, it is very profitable, and also because of the story behind it.

"The mountain guardian... this stuff is hard to buy, even with money you can't get it." Heath clicked his tongue. As a chef, Heath knew a lot about various ingredients, and he was very envious of many of the mountain products from the mountain guardian. One of them was the Spirit Pearl Wood Ear, which was unique to the Pokémon world. Although it was wood ear, it was very nutritious and tasted extremely delicious. Heath thought it could be listed as a delicacy in a gourmet encyclopedia, but it was too difficult to obtain. This kind of wood ear was different from other wood ear; it looked like wood ear, but its color was like jade, which was very beautiful.

"Hehe, my grandma gave it to me." Cynthia smiled shyly. Hiss didn't expose her. This kind of thing wasn't something ordinary people could have. For example, some special-supply teas in China in her previous life were something that ordinary people couldn't buy even if they had money, and they wouldn't even know that such teas existed. Although the brand "Guardian of the Mountain" was fairly well-known, it was still this type of rare mountain product. Cynthia probably got it because of the League Champion's benefits. The League provides very good benefits to top trainers like the Champion and the Elite Four. Guardian of the Mountain is hard to come by for others, but for Cynthia, it was an item given to her by the League.

However, Heath didn't expose him, but instead accepted it with a smile. This gift was really good for Heath. Heath really wanted the mountain delicacies from the Guardian brand, and it was a good thing to be able to get them.

"Huh? Is this brand very famous?" Zoroark asked curiously as he approached.

"It's not exactly well-known, it's just a story..." Heath shook his head. The Mountain Guardians have never advertised since their inception, but they've never had trouble selling their products. The Alliance's control has made the Mountain Guardians brand incredibly valuable, but it has never been listed on the stock market.

The Mountain Guardians—this is a story, and also a plaque. But originally, it referred to a group of people, a group admired by countless people, and for whom the Alliance decided to erect a monument. That was a long time ago, and Heath only heard about it from the most knowledgeable Sister Ling.

Back then, the League was in its infancy, with many things to do. For many, Mount Coronet was still a forbidden zone, given its high altitude and harsh climate, where hypothermia was a serious threat. However, Mount Coronet was a very important place, so the League leaders arranged for a small team to go there, including Officer Jenny, Nurse Joy, trainers, and other support staff, totaling 137 people. Although it wasn't a large number, it was a huge effort at the time.

Normally, they should have been rotated, but unfortunately, an earthquake occurred near Tianguan Mountain, which triggered a massive avalanche, and the official in charge of liaison went missing. The Alliance searched the area but found no signs of life, so they posthumously honored them as martyrs.

The story should end here, but the children of those martyrs who were said to have disappeared—in reality, their bodies were never found—one after another went up to Mount Tianguan, generation after generation, continuing to this day. A Pokémon Center and a rescue station were even built on Mount Tianguan to help travelers who encounter difficulties. They asked for neither money nor fame, just silently persisting. Therefore, this spirit has become a cultural symbol, a legacy, and they have become the guardians of the mountain.

"...The tradition of guarding the mountain has been passed down to this day. Three hundred and seventy people have died on Tianguan Mountain, and two hundred and twenty-eight have gone missing. They pass on the torch from generation to generation. The older ones die of old age on the mountain, and the younger ones continue to take their place, without any regrets." Heath sighed. Such pure-hearted people are too rare. Heath felt that he could not do what they did. These mountain guardians all said that because of a promise and oath made by their fathers, they vowed to protect Tianguan Mountain with their lives, so they have persisted until now.

Zoroark was stunned. When she first heard her trainer tell the story, she thought it was a story, a very touching story. But now, it seemed that her trainer was serious about it.

“Yes, the last remake even won the Pokémon Mew Gold Award.” Cynthia nodded seriously. Zoroark blinked. So it’s true? Is there really someone so persistent that they’ve kept going all this time?

Zoroark felt that even novels wouldn't dare to write something this outrageous. This was too outrageous! And the fact that such an outrageous story was actually true made it even more outrageous. However, after learning that it was true, Zoroark also had some respect for those people. It felt that it couldn't do such a thing. It was too difficult, really too difficult. So many people, persisting for such a long time—what kind of spirit was that?

"Thank you, Cynthia. These things inside... you can't buy them on the market." Heath clicked her tongue. The Psyduck Merchant Guild had a New Year's gift box that contained this Mountain Guardian, but it was a limited edition of one, obtained through a lottery. Even so, it caused the sales of that New Year's gift box to skyrocket, but no one had won it. Heath bought one too, but she didn't win it either; the probability was too low.

A single Spirit Pearl Fungus, along with some renowned wild mushrooms and a type of White Jade Vegetable that has been protected by the Alliance, all these items are quite expensive. The Alliance is cultivating this White Jade Vegetable, but the current cultivation results are not very good, with only a few plants produced per year.

"I'm glad you like it~" Cynthia was very happy that Heath liked it. Luckily, she remembered that Heath was someone who had been through an accident, and thought that Heath would like this, so she specially chose it.

"It's a pity my food cart is still under upgrade. Once it's finished, I'll cook you a delicious meal." Heath patted his chest and belly confidently. He planned to check if his gourmet encyclopedia included these delicacies. Heath thought it should.

But right now, it's more important to watch a movie with Cynthia. Heath plans to watch a movie and have a meal with Cynthia, since it's going to be a formal date, isn't it?

Chapter 742 An Awkward First Promotion

The next morning, Heath got out of bed and yawned. He felt a little tired today, but that was probably just his imagination, because he had meditated the night before, which had helped him recover a lot. However, he was indeed quite tired last night. Heath and Cynthia watched a movie, ate, and went shopping together, and also attended a Lunar New Year celebration, which was quite fun, although it took too long. The only thing that Heath regretted was that he didn't get to hold Cynthia's hand—he wanted to, but he was too shy.

After all, that's Cynthia, someone who looks like a celebrity. Her smile is so lovely, and she's incredibly beautiful. In her previous life, she would definitely have been a goddess-level figure admired by everyone. It's understandable that Heath would be a little nervous.

"Good morning, Trainer~" As soon as he got up, Hiss saw Zoroark as if he had seen a ghost. Hiss even rubbed his eyes, wondering if there was something wrong with his eyes, but he had no proof. After all, Zoroark, that little rascal, never got up this early before. Most of the time, Hiss had to drag Zoroark out of bed. But he didn't expect that the little rascal would get up so early today.

Well, that's as absurd as someone who always sleeps in suddenly getting up one day and saying they'll get up early to exercise every day.

"Good morning, Zoroark. Why are you up so early today?" Heath yawned. He planned to go to Goldenrod City today. Goldenrod City wasn't far from Vermilion City. Originally, Heath wanted to stay in Vermilion City for a while, but considering the opening date of the exhibition in Goldenrod City, Heath decided to leave Vermilion City early. Anyway, Heath had already seen this novel international metropolis in the Kanto region, and there was nothing more he wanted to see.

Last night, Hiss and Cynthia went to a Monster Hunter-themed restaurant in Vermilion City. This restaurant is only available in Vermilion City and the Kanto League capital in the Kanto region; it's not open in any other cities. This led many players to speculate that there might only be two such cities in the Kanto region.

However, upon closer examination, these issues are not so unacceptable. After all, merchants need to make a profit from spending so much money. There might be some players in other cities in the Kanto region, but how many? So it's more convenient to choose the two largest cities in Kanto. Thinking this way, Hiss calmed down.

"Hehe, I couldn't sleep all night reading novels, and then I was trying to go to sleep, but I accidentally ate one of these, and I instantly couldn't sleep anymore, I'm super awake!" Zoroark said in a slightly nervous tone, while also uniquely taking out something. Heath glanced at it in confusion; it was a mint candy with the words "refreshing and invigorating" written on it. Heath happened to know this brand because this brand of mint candy was indeed very refreshing. Holding one in your mouth would make you feel the cool scent of mint candy all over your nose, and holding it in your mouth for too long would be a little uncomfortable.

It's like having Chinese medicine in your mouth.

"Trainer, want one? It's super delicious and incredibly refreshing! I ate one and instantly fell in love with it. You really have to choose the 'Explosive' brand of mints!" Zoroark continued, and Hiss's expression grew even stranger. He felt something was off about Zoroark, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. Something was just off. Zoroark gave Hiss the feeling of a 'rookie star advertising for a brand for the first time'.

"What's wrong with you?" Asking questions when you don't understand is one of Heath's good habits. Of course, this good habit is only suitable for when you are in school. After you grow up, having too many problems in society is not good. Teachers in school don't mind to teach you, but seniors in society will happily watch you suffer.

It can only be said that although there are good people in this world, their numbers are not very large. Most people are indifferent to others, but this is normal. No one can expect others to have much goodwill towards someone they have never interacted with.

Zoroark became even more nervous when Heath asked her that question. She fidgeted nervously, and Heath then noticed that Zoroark had transformed into Betty beforehand. She looked very beautiful and was even wearing a very proper outfit, which Heath wondered where she had copied it from.

"Zoroark was stopped by a merchant yesterday. The merchant wanted Zoroark to help promote his products today, right where we were shopping yesterday," Farfetch'd blurted out. Heath raised an eyebrow, then glanced at Zoroark. No wonder he was like this; it turned out he was just doing this for a living. That's quite normal, since such a situation does exist in this world.

"Your lines were so stiff, I felt awkward listening to them, but maybe that's going to become your style." Heath stroked his chin. In his previous life, before giving up his original job to start a restaurant business, Heath had worked at an influencer company, which was basically one of those live streaming companies. They provided copywriting for girls and boys who wanted to become famous, designed live streaming styles, and even had people specifically managing the WeChat contacts of the big shots.

So you thought the person you were joking and flirting with was a cute female anchor? No, no, no, it could be a rough guy, or it could be a very ordinary woman, but it definitely wouldn't be that female anchor. Only occasionally would you let that female anchor reply to other people's messages.

However, Zoroark's situation is quite special. Heath thinks that this kind of stiff style may also become a personal memory point. For example, some internet celebrities in the previous life had a verbal tic or a very special style, and this style is what makes others remember them.

However, Hiss felt that this was still not quite right, so he decided to take matters into his own hands and improve Zoroark. Zoroark was not yet suitable for having too many memorable features, after all, she was not famous and was still an ordinary Pokémon.

“You can’t do it like this. Come here, I’ll teach you. You have to do it this way…” Hiss said patiently, and Zoroark nodded quickly.

However, Heath walked outside as he spoke, as he still needed to wash up.

Chapter 743 Time is Cruel

Zoroark did go to do promotions. The merchant offered a sky-high price of 3,000 League Coins for one appearance, which was an irresistible temptation for Zoroark. However, in order to prevent some unlikely but possible bizarre things from happening, Hiss went along anyway, and even brought Officer Jenny's certificate with him, just to prevent any trouble. If the merchant wanted to try to use underhanded tactics, Hiss would teach him what the iron fist of society was like.

Heath clenched his fist; he was quite strong. The last time he went to the amusement park to play the boxing game, Heath scored the highest score with a normal punch. This made Heath wonder if the machine would simply fly away if he went all out. It didn't seem impossible.

Fortunately, it turned out that Heath was overthinking things. In reality, the merchant was honest and upright and had no ulterior motives. Heath felt much more relaxed. He watched with a smile as Zoroark awkwardly promoted his product, standing there awkwardly for an entire afternoon. Heath also sold his own boxed lunches there, not making much money, but it was better than making nothing at all.

"Heath, what is Zoroark doing?" Ralts was sitting in Heath's arms, looking curiously at Zoroark in front of her. Ralts had been quite problematic lately, seemingly because she had finally come back to life and had become a problem child. However, Heath didn't seem impatient at all. He was just worried about another issue, a very important and unique one.

Hiss certainly remembered Ralts' mother. She was a Gardevoir and the person Ralts cared about most. Hiss had previously considered reviving Ralts directly instead of wishing for her last wish to be fulfilled, but ultimately, due to Ralts' deep affection for her mother, she went to the Reverse World. However, since being revived by Hiss, Ralts had never mentioned her mother again, which worried Hiss. He wondered if his actions had caused Ralts to forget her mother. There was a possibility, a fairly high possibility.

However, Hiss didn't want to ask directly. But this problem was solved last night. Hiss saw a Gardevoir looking at Ralts gently and gratefully at Hiss. Before Hiss could ask anything, the Gardevoir disappeared, leaving Hiss somewhat bewildered. He even wondered if he had imagined it, but now...

Heath pulled out his food analyzer, intending to see if he could detect anything.

[Ralts, non-toxic and edible, your idea is absolutely terrible. This is just an ingredient identifier, not a status identifier, but what can I do? You used it, didn't you? This creature's body is imbued with a powerful spiritual force; they are inseparable. Ralts's soul and Gardevoir's soul are fused together, one body, two souls. This means that this is a Pokémon with unlimited potential. When she grows up, she can use double the psychic abilities. Fortunately, you're not a trainer.]

Hiss's lips twitched, but through the ingredient identifier, he had learned some things. For example, regarding Ralts, it was obvious that the reason Ralts didn't mention her mother was because she was with her mother at the moment, which was a good thing. However, Hiss was curious as to why Ralts's mother didn't step forward to explain. Gardevoir should be a Pokémon with some social experience.

“Making money,” Heath said with a smile. Talking about money seemed vulgar, but the problem was that most things in this world required dealing with this vulgar thing. Perhaps in the future, we would enter an era that didn't need vulgar things, but at least Heath felt that he wouldn't live to see that day. That was too far away, and Heath didn't know when he would be able to live to see it.

"Oh!" Ralts nodded as if she understood. She had received a red envelope from Hiss yesterday, which contained money. However, Ralts was still young and did not know what money was or what it was used for. Her impression of money was that it was a piece of paper that could make people happy, at least Zoroark made her very happy.

Hiss's phone vibrated. He took it out and glanced at it, then fell silent. He rubbed his eyes, wondering if he was seeing things, but when he looked again, the message was the same. Hiss sat there blankly, staring at the phone in his hand. This made Ralts feel a little uncomfortable. She sensed the initial shock in Hiss's heart, which then brewed into a bottle of sorrow.

Heath put down his phone, rubbed his face, remained silent for a moment, then sighed deeply and looked up at the thick clouds overhead.

“Ms. Lori…” Heath stood up. He went to the florist to buy flowers, and then took the happy Zoroark, who had just received his salary, directly into the car. Heath then drove the food truck quickly to a place that Heath would rather only unconsciously visit once in his entire life—the funeral home.

“Trainer…” Zoroark looked at Hiss with concern. She had never seen Hiss like this before. Even Charizard had stopped training. She stood quietly beside Hiss, and Snorlax sat silently behind Hiss, allowing Hiss to lean on it.

"..." Hiss remained silent, while Ralts gripped Hiss's clothes tightly. She had never felt such intense sorrow from her trainer before.

Ms. Lori has passed away. That's the message Heath just received. Today is Ms. Lori's funeral. When Heath first heard about it, she thought it was an April Fool's joke. After all, Ms. Lori was an investigator in the Pokémon League, and a very skilled one at that. She was one of Heath's longtime clients, and her Gengar had played rock-paper-scissors with Heath for a long time.

But he still left.