Chapter Six: Fried Rice with Egg and Squinting Eyes

"Hey, seriously, haven’t I told you this a hundred times? Once you spread the batter, you only need to wait a few seconds before adding the other ingredients. Why do you insist on frying it until it’s smoking black?" Heath stared at the leek duck before him, feeling as if his head might split open.

He’d thought that learning from Maple, his own cooking instructor, was already a trial by fire. But teaching the leek duck to cook was a true disaster movie come to life.

Thanks to this leek duck, Heath was burning through ingredients at a frightening pace. If he hadn’t already paid off his debts, he suspected he’d be bankrupt by now.

"Hey, Heath, what’s this? Teaching the leek duck how to cook?" came a familiar voice. Heath looked up and saw a cheerful young man with his eyes practically closed, grinning at him.

"Brock, long time no see. Are you here in Evergreen City for a visit?" Heath tossed the burnt pancake into a nearby bag, which was already filled with the leek duck’s failed experiments.

The leek duck hugged its cherished leek, bristling with indignation and clearly itching to have another go.

"Visiting? Not even close. My old man’s planning to retire, and he wants to recommend me as the next Gym Leader in Slategrey City. It’s been rough lately." Brock sighed, his eyes looking half-shut as always.

Heath knew this look well; Brock’s eyes were simply small, so much so that even wide open, he always appeared to be squinting—a bit like Li Ronghao from his previous life.

From the moment he’d met Brock, Heath had known he’d inherit his father’s position as the Rock-type Gym Leader. But later, during his journey with Ash, Brock discovered his true calling and chose to become a breeder. Heath vaguely recalled that Brock eventually aspired to be a Pokémon Doctor, too.

It made him wonder if Brock’s ambitions weren’t inspired by his fondness for the lovely Nurse Joy.

"Wait, hang on, do you have your own Pokémon now?" Brock suddenly paused, looking at him with genuine surprise.

"Only just noticed? I’ve paid off my parents’ debts, so naturally, I have my own Pokémon now." Heath was in high spirits as he tidied up his pancake stand.

He knew Brock’s tastes by heart—pancake wraps were never Brock’s food of choice.

"That’s great! Such good news—shouldn’t you treat me to some egg fried rice to celebrate?" Brock grinned, stroking his chin as he eyed the leek duck. He had Pokémon of his own—a giant Onix and a Geodude. His father had even helped him catch another Pokémon, just to make his succession as Gym Leader smoother.

"You must be dreaming. It’s not even dinner time—come on, don’t kid yourself." Heath rolled his eyes. Perhaps because of his past as a debtor, he was quite particular about money.

By the standards of his previous life, Heath was the kind of person who would go back for a single coin if the grocer short-changed him.

That enormous debt had weighed on him terribly. If not for Officer Jenny’s help, he might have been tempted to join Team Rocket just to make ends meet.

"You cheapskate. Fine, just give me a bowl of egg fried rice... By the way, now that you’re debt-free, what are your plans for the future?" Brock asked, still grinning. He was only half-serious—he knew all about Heath’s financial situation.

Heath took out his wok, hesitating for a moment.

He hadn’t really thought about the future before. The pressure of that massive debt had left him gasping for air, and back then, the future was a luxury he couldn’t afford. Each day, he meticulously calculated how much he could save to buy ingredients and pay off what he owed.

Now, the word "future" felt like something he could say out loud again.

"I suppose I’ll save up to open a restaurant," Heath replied, lighting the stove and fetching yesterday’s leftover rice, which he scooped into a bowl.

"Oh? Then all those dishes you talked about—braised pork, yellow stewed chicken, spicy chicken—will you finally be able to make them?" Brock’s excitement was palpable as he looked at Heath with anticipation.

Heath’s cooking skills were well known to Brock—calling him a master chef wasn’t an exaggeration. But because Heath only ran a street stall, Brock had only ever heard about these legendary dishes, never tasted them.

That never stopped him from imagining their flavors. If Heath’s egg fried rice was this delicious, what wonders would those other dishes hold?

"Of course," Heath said with a practiced hand, pouring oil into the hot wok. After a moment, he added in the beaten eggs mixed with a pinch of salt.

The sizzling oil instantly released a mouthwatering aroma, the eggs blending with the scent of the oil. Passersby couldn’t help but glance his way.

Heath quickly stirred the eggs, then tossed in the rice. When the dish was nearly done, he sliced a bit of leek and added it to the mix.

"Wait... Is that the leek duck’s own leek?" Brock sniffed the air, swallowing hard, curiosity getting the better of him.

"Exactly. The leek duck’s leek is far superior to ordinary ones, so charging you ten coins for that little extra isn’t unreasonable, right?" Heath said with a cheeky grin, deftly flipping the fried rice.

"Sheesh... You really are ruthless... Fine! Ten coins it is!" Brock winced, his face a picture of pain, but he handed over twenty-five league coins to Heath.

"Thank you for your patronage!" Heath beamed as he handed over the steaming bowl of egg fried rice, wondering what reward he might earn for serving Brock.

But then he noticed the leek duck beside him, eyes shining with anticipation. Heath hurriedly stopped it—after wasting five batches of pancake ingredients, he couldn’t risk losing his precious fried rice. If he did, his dream of opening a restaurant would be delayed indefinitely.

Meanwhile, Brock cradled the bowl with satisfaction. It was a generous portion, but the real draw was the rich, tantalizing aroma.

With the first mouthful, he couldn’t resist diving in for more. The warm eggs and rice melded together, the fragrance of the egg, the flavor of the oil, and that irresistible hint of leek made it impossible to stop.

It was still just egg fried rice, but Heath’s version was simply on another level. Brock had to admit, not even his own mother’s cooking could compare.

"Maybe I should learn to cook," Brock mused between bites. "Whether for daily life or traveling, it would surely come in handy."