Chapter Sixty-Five: Not Only Can He Eat, He Sleepwalks Too

"Miru, Miru!"
The little fairy milk, not even half an hour old, was bursting with energy. While savoring the last half bottle of nutrient fluid, she still found time to urge Zhuyuehan and Dragonite.
She was, as the saying goes, watching the pot while eating from the bowl.
She wanted the second bottle of nutrient fluid as well!
Zhuyuehan and Dragonite exchanged a glance, then shook their heads.
They had never seen anything like this—truly never!
Speed and vitality were one thing, and with a large enough population, there were always a few oddballs, but this appetite was simply outrageous.
"Looks like we've got another foodie on our hands,"
Zhuyuehan twitched at the corner of his mouth. He really didn't want everyone to end up describing him and his team as nothing but 'foodies.'
Or rather, if 'foodie' had already become a term used among friends, then normally the word should be 'glutton.'
"Here you go."
"Miru?"
The little fairy milk glanced at the bottle of pearl milk tea–flavored nutrient fluid in Zhuyuehan's hand, then took up the role of spring commander.
"Put it on the table?"
Both Dragonite and Zhuyuehan were puzzled by her intent.
Then, they understood.
As everyone knows, cats are liquid creatures, capable of morphing into all sorts of shapes to squeeze in and out of spaces.
The most famous example is the indestructible Tom.
Now, in front of Zhuyuehan and Dragonite, the little fairy milk demonstrated what a true liquid creature could do.
She slid through the bottle's neck, enveloped all the nutrient fluid and energy cubes within her body, digesting them slowly, her face radiating utter contentment.
"A slime?"
Zhuyuehan picked up the bottle to inspect her state, then gave it a gentle shake.
"Oo!"
Dragonite bumped into his trainer.
What are you doing!
"I just wanted to check her condition, but what I just did made me feel like a researcher shaking a test tube."
Zhuyuehan realized he still hadn't retrieved his phone from Dragonite's back.
"Thankfully, the whole process was captured clearly."
Apart from the latter part where the little fairy milk's flight was a bit odd, it was still a valuable video.
"Miru~"
She flew out of the bottle, and after landing, patted her tummy—or rather, her base.
Her little belly quivered like jellied dessert, looking as if it would feel delightful to touch.
"Ooo."
From now on, I'm your big sister!
"Miru!"
The little fairy milk beamed, flew onto Dragonite's head, and promptly shut her eyes.
Fast asleep.
"Well, at least that's typical for young Pokémon—she knows when she's tired."
Zhuyuehan said earnestly, "I'll leave her to you, Dragonite. Just hope she doesn't sleepwalk; if she accidentally falls into the water, it'll be a disaster."
Dragonite: ???
"Ooo!"
Shouldn't this be the trainer's responsibility? And if she really sleepwalks, there's nothing I can do about it!
"You're right, but the little fairy milk clearly prefers that spot."
No sooner had he spoken than she rolled across Dragonite's head in a graceful arc, landing on Zhuyuehan's chest.
"Miru~"

In her dreams, the little fairy milk smiled, and a drop of cream hung from the corner of her mouth onto Zhuyuehan's shirt.
Dreaming and drooling, this time Zhuyuehan witnessed it firsthand, and his shirt became the material for her magic.
?
Zhuyuehan glanced at Dragonite, "No licking."
Dragonite wanted to protest loudly that she wasn't that kind of dragon, but since the fairy milk was asleep, she didn't dare raise her voice.
Besides, after sniffing the scent up close, she hesitated.
So fragrant, truly fragrant!
"When she wakes up, all the cream you want, just open your mouth."
Zhuyuehan cradled the little fairy milk in his palm, set her on his shoulder, and swiftly wiped the drop of cream from his chest.
If he left it any longer, he feared Dragonite wouldn't be able to resist, and would pounce just to taste the cream.
"I shouldn't worry about you sleepwalking—it's the fairy milk who's the troublemaker."
In the time it took to say those two sentences, she had already rolled from Zhuyuehan's left shoulder to his right.
Thankfully she didn't roll off completely.
"Now, I think I understand why she hatched early."
Zhuyuehan and Dragonite came to an unspoken agreement; just from the fairy milk's behavior, it was clear.
She came out early thanks to these two foodies carrying her egg around, feasting every day, and preparing nutrient fluid.
It was as if parents booted up the computer, logged into the client for you, brought snacks and drinks, and said, "I've ordered takeout for you; when it arrives, I'll bring it in."
[Good kid, as long as you finish your homework and pass my check, you can play games. If you do well, I'll buy you a new one.]
Who could resist such temptation!
Thus, the little fairy milk broke through the barrier of life, arriving in the world to feast.
"At least this doesn't count as a hatching accident."
My apologies, President Lots; your group's incubator is indeed flawless.
The machine cannot detect a Pokémon's soul, only the crude kind of mental control.
Oh right, there's also that Mega Evolution Wave, likely a special version of a mental controller.
The technology of the Pokémon world is explosive. When Ash and Greninja experimented with Bond Form, Clemont could handcraft a wave detector with his toolkit.
When Ash and Greninja's wave synchronized, Greninja's Bond Form appeared.
The Mega Evolution Wave's principle is probably "forced synchronization."
It's like you're naturally curly, and the school insists on straightening your hair and cutting it short.
"Go ahead and sleep, I'll tidy up the living room."
Zhuyuehan waved at Dragonite, putting the clutter back on the table and restoring the sofa and other furniture to their places.
"Ooo?"
Are you sure Fairy Milk is going to sleep like that?
"It's fine. Worst case, I'll put her beside my pillow, or on the nightstand."
Fortunately, the little one finally settled down; otherwise, Zhuyuehan was prepared to get a giant hamster wheel as a bed for her.
"Good night, Dragonite."
"Ooo oo."
Good night, Trainer.
The next morning, Zhuyuehan opened his eyes and looked for the fairy milk.
Not bad, she was still on the nightstand—though last night he'd placed her beside his pillow.
At least there hadn't been any facehugger incidents; otherwise, given her constitution, it would have been akin to water torture.
"Let's sort out breakfast first."
He yawned, pushing aside all those thoughts.
Refreshed.
The scent of Miltank milk wafted through the air, as Dragonite carried energy cubes and turned on the television for the morning news.
"These days, the news is nothing but the Bottle Project—nothing worth listening to."
Zhuyuehan brought over milk and berry sandwiches, plus a steamed egg custard made from Chansey eggs.

"Miru."
Fairy milk floated sleepily in the air, squinting as she landed on Dragonite's head, pointing to her open mouth with a tiny hand.
"Miru!"
Hungry!
"Come here, I'll feed you."
Zhuyuehan beckoned, and the fairy milk obediently floated into his palm, nibbling at the steamed egg custard.
Today's breakfast was all hot; Zhuyuehan had no intention of letting her repeat last night's stunt—it wasn't safe.
"Ooo oo!"
"No, you're not a corporate slave; there's no need for coffee in the morning."
Zhuyuehan sipped his milk and glanced at the Rocket Group's internal store for anything interesting.
"Miru, Miru."
After finishing the egg custard, the fairy milk floated in the air, rubbed her hands together, and infused fragrant cream into Zhuyuehan and Dragonite's breakfast.
Even the berry sandwich received a dollop of cream, looking just like dipping sauce.
Dragonite:?!
"Ooo oo!"
She wants a bonus meal!
"No, eating regularly and in proper portions is good for your health. Besides, you're craving, not hungry."
People always assume they're eating because they're hungry, but it's really just craving.
Zhuyuehan drank the Miltank milk enhanced with cream—the delicate cream blended perfectly with the rich milk, making it smoother.
Delicious.
Dragonite's eyes flickered; she whispered to fairy milk,
There's tasty food in the trainer's incense burner—go grab it!
"Miru?"
Fairy milk floated over, raised a hand to lift it, but couldn't budge it.
"What are you thinking? Only I can open it. By the way, no matter how softly you speak, I can hear you."
Zhuyuehan broke off a piece of sandwich to feed the fairy milk.
"Dragonite, I'll take fairy milk to get familiar with the area today. If she wants, I'll leave her in your care to explore around."
Now that all the lake's owners had worked for him, safety was guaranteed.
"Miru?"
A bite of sandwich made her mouth twist, but she didn't quite understand Zhuyuehan's meaning.
So we do separate activities from the trainer?
"Ooo oo."
Dragonite explained with the wisdom of experience: the courses trainers attend are definitely not suited for Pokémon.
Boring, and boring!
"You're a true master of the art of pointless literature,"
Zhuyuehan said, "Morning is theory class, afternoon is battle class. After my morning class, I'll come to the lake, then we'll figure out how to earn some money."
With fairy milk's arrival, Zhuyuehan's "I'm so poor" mentality resurfaced.
It's like having a warehouse full of grain, and feeling satisfied every time you see your 'balance.'
Besides the warehouse, your daily income covers the original members' consumption, with enough left over to gradually accumulate more in storage.
But when a new member suddenly joins, that sense of urgency instantly returns.
Even if the new member's consumption is only a small fraction of the total,
For such people, every new expense must be offset, just to feel secure.