Chapter 233:Polteageist's Black Tea

"Mr. Natsume, come and try this."

In the castle's courtyard, Arthur clapped his hands, and a Polteageist floated into view.

The Polteageist poured a dark brown liquid into the teacup in front of Natsume, and the aroma of black tea immediately filled the air.

Polteageist is a fascinating Ghost-type Pokémon.

It enjoys residing in antique teapots with a sense of history.

Although it's a Ghost-type Pokémon, the black tea brewed through its body has a unique flavor and fragrance.

The tea made by Polteageist is incredibly delicious, but if you drink too much, it can cause discomfort.

If you ever get the chance to try it, remember to drink in moderation.

"Just like the rumors say, a peculiar aroma," Natsume commented.

"Gardevoir, you should try it too."

Gardevoir often helped Natsume brew tea at home, and over time, it had developed an interest in the art of tea.

Gardevoir took Natsume's teacup.

"How is it?"

"Hmm."

After a moment of thought, Gardevoir replied, "No bitterness, just a rich fragrance."

"It feels cool at first, but there's a warmth that follows after drinking."

Natsume chuckled, "Well, it is Polteageist's black tea, after all~"

Natsume then turned to the still-floating Polteageist and said, "Thanks for the treat~"

The lid of the teapot was pushed open from within, and a liquid-like Pokémon emerged, smiling at Natsume.

"Heracross~"

Heracross, accompanied by a few Clauncher, curiously approached.

Heracross also wanted to taste the black tea.

Arthur glanced at one of the orange-red Clauncher and said, "I heard that at the port today, a Heracross caught a shiny Clauncher. I wondered if it might be Mr. Natsume's."

"Turns out, your Heracross isn't just skilled in battle; it's quite the angler too."

Natsume laughed, "This guy is the Bug King of our farm, so of course, he has some hidden talents."

After finishing fishing, Natsume parted ways with Watanabe and came straight to the meeting.

Having caught quite a few Clauncher, and most importantly, a shiny one, Natsume was in high spirits.

After some casual conversation, they returned to the main topic.

Arthur gestured to the statue in the courtyard and said, "There are very few people like Mr. Natsume who still seek out the traces of King Arthur these days."

Natsume followed Arthur's gaze.

The statue was exquisitely crafted, with the patterns on its armor clearly visible.

The sword and shield in its hands were particularly ornate, even adorned with jewels.

The face of the statue bore a resemblance to Arthur, the gym leader.

Natsume guessed that when the statue was being carved, Arthur might have used his own likeness as the model.

"A hero like King Arthur naturally deserves respect. I'm also curious about the life He led."

Arthur, the gym leader, smiled at Natsume's words, but then his mood suddenly darkened, and he said with a touch of melancholy, "It's ironic."

"Even foreigners like Mr. Natsume believe in the legends of King Arthur."

"But the people of our own country have already relegated King Arthur to the realm of fairy tales."

Arthur's spirits lifted again as he continued, "However, I believe that soon, the people of this country will come to understand that the stories of King Arthur are more than just fairy tales."

"This country should belong to a true king!"

Hearing this, Natsume gave Arthur a slightly surprised look.

Arthur quickly composed himself and invited, "Please, follow me. Let me show you my collection."

Natsume stood up and followed Arthur into a storage room.

A Klefki flew over.

Klefki is a Steel- and Fairy-type Pokémon.

Its body resembles a keyring, and it enjoys hanging various keys on itself, with a pink charm dangling below its mouth.

Click~

The room was filled with books, paintings, and some swords and armor.

Natsume glanced at the titles of the books; they were all related to the stories of King Arthur.

The paintings also depicted King Arthur.

Arthur picked up a helmet and introduced it to Natsume, "This helmet was worn by King Arthur Himself."

"Honestly, I think it suits me quite well."

"Haha."

Natsume's expression grew increasingly peculiar as he looked at Arthur.

"It does suit you."

Arthur felt that he had hit it off with Natsume and proceeded to share many legends about King Arthur.

He even wanted to invite Natsume to stay overnight.

Natsume, of course, declined.

Natsume had hoped to learn more about Aegislash through Arthur, but instead, he ended up listening to Arthur's tales of King Arthur for hours.

This must be what it's like to meet a fervent fan.

Meanwhile, at the forest shrine on Lake Island.

"Let's set the teleportation array entrance here for now."

Natsume muttered to himself, glancing around.

The sky had darkened, and a mist was rising.

"Not much useful harvest, but oh well."

"Let's head home, Gardevoir."

With that, Natsume and Gardevoir stepped through the teleportation array and returned to the farm's cabin.

Unlike the night-shrouded Lake Island, it was just past noon at the farm.

"Indeedee~"

Indeedee came out of the room, asking if Natsume wanted lunch prepared.

"I've already had lunch," Natsume replied with a smile. "Though it felt more like dinner over there."

"Indeedee?"

"Because we were on the other side of the planet."

"Oh, and here, take this."

Natsume handed Indeedee the large claw that Heracross had knocked off.

"Indeedee~"

Indeedee took it; the claw looked almost bigger than Indeedee itself.

"Everyone, come on out."

Natsume took out his Poké Balls and released Infernape, Heracross, and the newly captured Clawitzer and Clauncher.

"Infernape~"

Infernape greeted Natsume and immediately dashed off toward the base of the mountain.

Natsume turned to Heracross and asked, "Aren't you going with Infernape?"

"Heracross~"

Heracross pointed at the Clauncher.

It wanted to make sure they were settled first.

"Oh~ That's very responsible of you, Heracross."

"Heracross~"