Chapter 41: Lao Junsha

Generally speaking, Officer Jenny dormitories are rather monotonous or austere. After all, what Jennys need are training grounds and compact, efficient quarters that allow them to respond to emergencies as quickly as possible, rather than large apartments. While grand apartments are luxurious, they are actually quite inconvenient to live in.

For a Jenny living on the top floor, for instance, one would have to issue orders minutes in advance just to assemble the team, and then take the elevator all the way down.

"This is a special privilege for us Jennys in the Indigo League; you'll understand once you go inside." Officer Jenny Jing seemed to sense Heath's confusion. She smiled, recalled her Arcanine, and pushed open the door to enter.

Heath followed close behind. Upon entering, he found himself in a spacious lobby. However, what puzzled him was that although the lobby was vast and filled with Jennys coming and going, there were no elevators to be seen.

"Teleportation arrays have been solidified here. With the corresponding identification badge, we can teleport directly to our assigned rooms. If you want to go to the cafeteria, it’s that location; for the training grounds, it’s over there," Jenny Jing explained enthusiastically. Heath’s mouth hung open in amazement; he truly hadn't expected the League to be so extravagant as to install so many teleportation arrays.

Heath’s arrival drew curious glances from the passing Jennys. Since the vast majority of Jennys are women, Heath’s presence felt like a monk falling into a land of daughters. He was surrounded by all sorts of Officer Jennys; although they all looked remarkably similar, Heath could still distinguish the subtle differences between them.

"That's the cafeteria over there. You can enter with your Jenny credentials—your honorary badge works too. I won't walk you all the way; I have a lot of work to attend to." Jenny Jing spoke quickly, waved at Heath, and hurried away.

Heath thanked her gratefully. After all, a captain is indeed incredibly busy—one might even say swamped. It was truly rare for her to spare so much time for him, which made Heath reflect on what a precious parting gift Sister Kaede had given him.

Heath walked cheerfully toward the cafeteria. With a familiar sensation of displacement, he found himself standing in a massive hall. This cafeteria was much larger than the one in Vermilion City, as it had to accommodate a great number of people. At this hour, the cafeteria was quite empty.

"Who are you?" came a suspicious and vigilant voice. Heath turned to see an older Jenny looking at him.

Heath quickly explained his identity. Once he produced his honorary Jenny badge, the elderly officer nodded and warmly invited him to sit down.

"Heh, I was wondering why that little girl Jing would suddenly contact me and ask me to host a guest. So it was you," the older Jenny said, smiling at Heath. Heath chuckled awkwardly.

"You want to ask about special local ingredients, right? You've come to the right person. I've stayed here at the Indigo League for a full forty-five years, and even after retiring, I've stayed on as a cook." The old Jenny’s smile was kind, giving Heath the feeling of returning home for the holidays and meeting his own grandmother.

And she could, in fact, be considered his grandmother; according to her, she was already seventy-three years old. Her hair had turned quite grey, but she was full of spirit—a very lively old lady.

"In the Indigo League, the most unique ingredient is naturally quartz. It sounds a bit strange, but that stuff is actually edible. I only heard some master chefs discussing it when I was young." The old Jenny’s gaze became distant, as if she were recalling the past.

Heath was surprised. Quartz could be eaten? He truly hadn't known that. In his view, quartz was just a mineral—hard, stony, and inedible. The Pokémon world was truly strange.

"Isn't quartz a mineral?" Heath asked in astonishment. He had expected something like a mushroom or a plant; he hadn't imagined it would be a stone.

"It is a mineral, but among these quartz deposits, there is a very special type that can serve as an ingredient. This kind of quartz is only found on the Indigo Plateau. It is very rare and difficult to distinguish. I heard a few old masters talk about it back in the day," the old Jenny said unhurriedly.

"Do you remember what kind of mineral it is, or how to identify it?" Heath asked, filled with anticipation. He hadn't even finished the first part of his quest, and heaven knew how difficult it would be to collect all the special ingredients of the Kanto region. But now, the first glimmer of light was right before him, and he was quite excited.

"Of course I don't remember. I had no interest in cooking back then; I just heard them talking about it while we were eating," the old Jenny said with a mischievous smile, deliberately shrugging her shoulders. Heath couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time—she really was becoming more playful with age.

Fortunately, Heath now knew what the special ingredient of the Indigo League was. He planned to spend some time searching for it. With his ingredient identifier, he felt his chances were quite high, even if he could only use it once a day.

"Young man, I'm feeling a bit hungry. Could you make me something to eat?" Just as Heath was about to say something, the old Jenny suddenly asked, looking at him with a smile that carried a hint of a test.

Heath paused for a moment, then nodded. Though he didn't know what this old Jenny was planning, he didn't mind cooking for a hungry guest, and it would also help him work toward completing his Chef's Eye mission.

"May I ask what you would like to eat?" Heath asked before heading to the kitchen.

"Me? What I like... I like things that are very sweet, preferably soft and chewy so my old teeth can handle them. But I also love meat—it's quite a dilemma," the old Jenny said with a twinkling smile, giving Heath a request that made his head ache.

Sweet, soft, chewy, yet meaty—this was a challenging combination. Heath’s mind raced, but for a moment, he couldn't think of a dish that would satisfy all her requirements.

"Understood. Please, may I use the kitchen?" Heath nodded. He had an idea.