Pokemon: The Legendary Trainer

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Unfortunately, Mudkip's blank expression didn't change one bit; in fact, his eyes grew even emptier, looking as though he hadn't understood or heard a single word Sato had just said.

"Fine, keep pretending if you want. Let's see how long you can keep it up," Sato said, the Hall of his mouth twitching slightly in exasperation at Mudkip's total disregard.

Next, Sato pulled out a light blue plastic bowl and a can of premium Water-type Pokémon food. Opening the can, he poured the food into the bowl, filling it with fragrant, high-quality treats.

He then placed the bowl about a meter in front of Mudkip and, using a small fan, wafted the enticing scent of the food toward him.

No Pokémon can truly resist the allure of delicious food, and this seemingly clueless Mudkip was no exception. Though he tried hard to keep up the indifferent act, the smell of the premium Water-type food kept drawing his eyes back toward the bowl.

Every time he glanced at Sato, who was watching with a smirk of satisfaction, Mudkip would quickly look away. But the enticing aroma was too much; his gaze drifted back repeatedly, each time giving in a bit more.

Grrrumble...

After about two minutes of determined resistance, the sound of Mudkip's stomach rumbling broke the silence.

A faint blush appeared on his face, only to vanish as quickly as it had come.

"Alright, alright, I'll stop teasing you. You can tell, right? I mean you no harm. Go on, eat it while it's still fresh."

Seeing how hard Mudkip was struggling to hold back, Sato couldn't help but chuckle. He recalled Golbat, then moved the bowl closer to Mudkip and encouraged him with a smile.

Mudkip looked from the food bowl to Sato, a hint of life appearing in his eyes. Suddenly, with a quick "sniff," he sucked back the snot dribbling from his nose, shuffled closer to the bowl, and began taking small bites of the fragrant, premium food in front of him.

Mudkip's eating habits were similar to Sato's—slowly and carefully, he chewed each bite before swallowing and then closed his eyes, savoring the taste.

Seeing Mudkip finally start eating, Sato let out a sigh of relief; he'd genuinely worried Mudkip might be too stubborn and refuse to eat, even while hungry.

"Alright, everyone, come out! We've got a new member in our team, so let's all get to know each other!"

Sato then prepared food for each of his four other Pokémon still in their PokeBalls, releasing them one by one.

However, the moment Golbat, Nidoran, Bellossom, Growlithe, and Ditto (who dropped down from Sato's shoulder) appeared, Mudkip, who had been happily enjoying his food, quickly created some distance, returning to his blank, unfocused look.

"Don't worry about it, everyone. Mudkip's a bit shy; go and help him warm up!"

Seeing Mudkip revert to that same distant demeanor, Sato let out a wry smile. He understood that Mudkip still hadn't fully let down his guard around them.

From his expression, he could tell that the time he had spent in captivity hadn't been kind to him, and he was reluctant to trust humans or their Pokémon companions.

Golbat, with his reserved nature, wasn't bothered by Mudkip's wary behavior and simply landed by his meal, eagerly diving into his food.

However, Nidoran, Growlithe, Bellossom, and Ditto, who were more social, exchanged eager glances upon hearing Sato's suggestion to help Mudkip feel at ease.

Ditto, the most outgoing of the bunch, immediately transformed into a perfect replica of Mudkip and approached to try to befriend him.

Mudkip, surprised by this sudden doppelgänger, blinked in shock as Ditto's over-the-top enthusiasm quickly overwhelmed him. Eventually, he begrudgingly acknowledged Ditto's greeting just to ease the attention.

With that, Nidoran, Bellossom, and Growlithe took the cue and came forward to introduce themselves as well. Since he had already broken his silence with Ditto, Mudkip responded to each of their greetings in turn.

Bellossom crafted a tiny leaf crown from the leaves beneath her and presented it to Mudkip as a welcoming gift.

Nidoran pulled out a high-quality PokeBlock he'd stashed in his big ears, offering it for Mudkip to try. Meanwhile, Growlithe, always generous, shared a favorite meat bone from his collection (since Growlithe is a fluffy good boy).

As for Ditto, it impressed Mudkip by showing off a series of transformations—from various Pokémon it remembered to everyday human tools—leaving Mudkip wide-eyed with wonder.

What followed was an entertaining scene. Mudkip happily joined the four Pokémon to finish dinner, then engaged in a game of catch after the meal.

In no time, Mudkip had relaxed, putting aside his initial wariness around the four Pokémon and even warming up slightly to Sato and Golbat. Ditto's unique skills as a "friendship master" were invaluable for helping newcomers settle in quickly.

"This is your welcome treat. Try it out—it's a gem-level PokeBlock I just made from a blend of Lum and Sitrus berries, favorites among Water Pokémon. It's great for restoring energy and will definitely satisfy you."

(Lum Berry, a Water-type berry, has the special effect of curing a Pokémon's sleep status.)

Sato placed some newly-made, gem-grade PokeBlocks on Mudkip's now-empty plate with a friendly smile.

After bonding with Ditto, Nidoran, Bellossom, and Growlithe, Mudkip had begun to sense that Sato and his team were different from the humans and Pokémon he had encountered before. Seeing the sparkly blocks on his plate, Mudkip couldn't resist taking a curious peek.

Grrumble…

Encouraged by its new friends, Mudkip finally mustered the courage to taste the gem-grade PokeBlocks.

The moment he took a bite, letting the six glittering gems dissolve, an overwhelming flavor flooded his senses, evoking a satisfied hum.

Mudkip swore these shiny treats were the most delicious things he had ever tasted, far better than the premium Water-type food from earlier.

"Welcome to the team, Mudkip."

Watching Mudkip's delighted expression, Sato felt a sense of accomplishment. All his efforts had paid off, and he couldn't have been happier.

Just like winning over a girlfriend, when it comes to Pokémon, the way to their hearts is through their stomachs—or rather, by "conquering" their stomachs.

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