Chapter Twelve: The Second Step of the Pokémon Chef and New Dishes

“Green onions?” The Farfetch’d poked at the pork in front of it with the large green onion in its hand, curiosity gleaming in its eyes. Watching the pork sink in and bounce back, it seemed to have discovered a fascinating new toy.

Heath swallowed hard. Previously, Farfetch’d had triggered a long-term quest, the first part of which was to teach it how to make a Chinese pancake wrap. Thanks to Heath’s hands-on instruction, some progress had been made.

But after completing the first task, the second had yet to be issued, making Heath wonder if his golden finger had broken down.

Now, looking at Farfetch’d before him, a strange thought crept into Heath’s mind. Could it be eyeing the dish he was about to prepare?

If so, would it trigger that bizarre quest? If it did, Heath would have to seriously consider whether he might go bankrupt—after all, pork was much more expensive than other vegetables.

Pushing his little food cart with a sense of unease, Heath made his way to his usual spot, set up shop, and began preparing for the day’s business.

Since there weren’t many customers yet, Heath decided to make the dish he’d planned for today. With that in mind, he took out the pork, chopped it into small pieces with his cleaver, and set it aside in a bowl.

Next, Heath fetched his wok. Today, he was planning to make braised pork with fried tofu—a delicacy from his previous life.

That was why he had bought pork. Once the wok was hot, he tossed in the chopped meat—no extra oil was needed, since the pork fat would render down nicely.

As he patiently stir-fried the small cubes of pork, Heath reflected that making braised pork was a simple process: just sauté the meat until it turned yellowish and was nearly cooked through.

“It’s a relief that this world has spices too,” Heath mused as he poured the purchased spices into a large pot. He set the fried tofu aside and added the sautéed pork as well.

After adding water, soy sauce, and other seasonings, Heath covered the pot to let the braised pork with tofu simmer, and started cooking rice as well.

“Green onions!” Farfetch’d hopped excitedly beside Heath, waving its green onion enthusiastically. Heath was a bit confused—the braised pork wasn’t even done yet.

What was Farfetch’d so excited about? The aroma shouldn’t even be wafting out yet.

[Pokémon Chef Step 2: Train Farfetch’d to independently prepare a serving of braised pork. You will receive a special reward.]

Upon seeing the familiar quest window pop up, Heath couldn’t help but cover his face with his hand. Just as he had feared, Farfetch’d truly was interested in braised pork, and the next quest was, indeed, to teach it to make the dish.

“This is going to be the death of me…” Heath looked at the excited Farfetch’d with a headache. Feeding it braised pork was one thing, but teaching it…

Recalling Farfetch’d’s “accomplishments” from the previous day, Heath could almost see his hard-earned money growing wings and flying merrily out of his wallet.

“Heath, two pancakes with egg… Do you have green onions today?” Just as Heath was pondering how to make up for his losses, Mr. Yaning hurried over.

“Of course! Special green onion, just ten coins extra per order. Would you like both with green onion, Mr. Yaning?” Heath instantly put on a genuine smile.

“Yes, two orders—with extra green onion and egg.” Mr. Yaning cheerfully paid, rubbing his hands together against the morning chill.

Heath deftly spread out the batter, letting Farfetch’d stand by to observe. Even though it had learned how to make pancakes, its technique still left much to be desired.

“Today’s the day for new trainers to receive their first Pokémon, isn’t it, Mr. Yaning?” Heath chatted as he worked.

Mr. Yaning was a League official, responsible for many things, but today he was overseeing the distribution of the starter Pokémon—the so-called “big three.”

Unlike Ash and his friends, who began their journeys in a different way, many wealthy families preferred to pay the League so their children could receive well-bred Pokémon: Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur.

But the price of these starters was steep, so only families of means could afford them. For those from less privileged backgrounds, the League provided more common options.

Rattata, Nidoran, and Pidgey were among them. Growlithe, however, was almost entirely monopolized by the Officer Jenny clan, making it hard for any other trainer to choose it as a starter.

“That’s right. We’ve been preparing since early morning. Another batch of trainers is about to set out—feels like watching your own children grow up,” Mr. Yaning said with a hearty laugh.

“Last night, we reserved several exceptionally well-bred Pokémon from Professor Oak—all already spoken for by the wealthiest families in Viridian City,” Mr. Yaning added, rubbing his hands together against the cold.

Heath nodded. Every year, when it came time for new trainers to receive their starters, the Pokémon bred by Professor Oak were always the most sought after.

Professor Oak was a legendary trainer, and even after retiring, his breeding skills were exceptional. Ash’s ability to catch so many strong Pokémon, ready for battle at any time, was largely thanks to Professor Oak.

Of course, top quality meant top prices. The starters bred by Professor Oak were far beyond what an ordinary family could afford.

“Here are your pancakes, Mr. Yaning.” Heath handed over the freshly made pancakes, accepted the payment, and returned the change.

After watching Mr. Yaning leave, Heath poured the fried tofu into the pot. Now it was just a matter of letting the braised pork simmer to perfection.

Heath took a cardboard sign from his cart, wrote “Today’s Special: Braised Pork with Fried Tofu and Rice / 25 League Coins per serving,” and hung it up.

He wasn’t sure if the people here would like such a unique dish, but he was willing to give it a try. If it proved popular, he could save money much faster.

As the sky grew lighter, Viridian City came alive. Most people were on their way to work; parents taking their children to receive Pokémon were just getting up.

With the growing crowds, Heath’s stall grew livelier. Some people inquired about the new dish, but Heath regretfully explained it wasn’t ready yet.

As time passed, the savory aroma of braised pork with fried tofu gradually filled the air, making many office workers swallow hungrily.