"I give in, I give in. I'll buy them for you, but not too many. If it goes over 100 League Coins, forget it," Heath said, glaring at Zorua with a dark expression, wishing he could spank this mischievous fox.
Zorua nodded happily. One hundred League Coins should be enough to buy a few books. She had seen books by Gorm before, which were priced around twenty or thirty coins each, not too expensive, making Zorua quite pleased.
Zorua lay on her chair, contemplating which book to buy. Should it be "The Overbearing Machamp Fell in Love with Me" or "My Wonderful Days and Nights with Lickitung"?
It was indeed a dilemma worth deep thought. Zorua happily but agonizingly wagged her tail.
Heath watched Zorua's joy and shook his head helplessly. In comparison, Farfetch'd was much less troublesome. Heath glanced at Farfetch'd, who was training by holding a pot handle with both wings and refusing to let go.
This was Farfetch'd's way of training its strength and endurance. Heath approved of this method since being a chef required not only culinary skills but also physical stamina.
Typically, a chef's strongest muscles were in their hands. Heath believed that if Farfetch'd wanted to excel in this field, its wings needed to be powerful enough to handle prolonged cooking without tiring.
Just as Heath was about to correct Farfetch'd's pot-holding posture, he heard a melodious bird call from outside the food truck.
The sound was beautiful and intricate. Curious, Heath peeked outside and saw a colorful Pokémon flying away.
Heath was astonished. If he wasn't mistaken, that Pokémon was the legendary Ho-Oh, known as Ash's go-to photographer!
"What a beautiful Pokémon," Heath admired Ho-Oh's departing figure. Indeed, Ho-Oh was a stunning Pokémon, designed after a phoenix with rainbow-colored feathers that left a trail of rainbow light as it flew.
A bold idea suddenly struck Heath. He took out his ingredient identifier and aimed it at Ho-Oh.
[Ho-Oh: Edible. The meat is tender, juicy, and free of parasites. Eating it raw offers the best taste and grants the power of life, extending longevity. For the best dining experience, pluck the feathers and cook it in a chicken soup.]
Heath nodded in satisfaction. As expected of Ho-Oh, even its meat quality was exceptional. However, he doubted many in this world would have the privilege to enjoy it.
Heath retracted his head and returned to his driving lessons. However, he soon realized his vehicle had stopped, and the food truck echoed with the alert, "Obstacle ahead."
"Obstacle? On this road?" Heath muttered, puzzled, as he moved to the driver's seat and saw several large rocks blocking the road, causing his lips to twitch.
"Did the road collapse?" Heath looked around the woods, doubting a landslide had occurred here.
Heath scanned the area cautiously but found nothing unusual.
As Heath pondered this, he heard a joyful bird call. Looking up, he saw Ho-Oh happily dropping another large rock before flying away.
Heath stared blankly at Ho-Oh's retreating figure. Were these rocks dropped by Ho-Oh? Was that necessary?
Heath suspected Ho-Oh sensed him using the ingredient identifier, prompting it to retaliate by blocking his path with rocks. Staring at the boulders, Heath felt a headache coming on.
"Isn't Ho-Oh four times weak to Rock? Moving rocks and dropping them—aren't you afraid of accidentally hurting yourself?" Heath sighed, realizing he couldn't clear the rocks alone. After a moment's hesitation, he took out his phone and dialed a number from his blacklist.
"Hello... Oh my, it's Heath! Have you finally seen my messages and decided to join me at a love hotel?" Jana's excited voice came through, making Heath scratch his head.
If Jana weren't responsible for road issues, Heath would never have unblocked her number.
Since getting his phone and number, Jana had frequently sent Heath indecent messages, making his scalp tingle. To protect his mental well-being, Heath had blocked her.
"Sister Jana, the road from Viridian City to the driving school is blocked by large rocks. Can you send someone to clear it?" Heath sighed, deciding to get straight to the point.
"Oh? Large rocks? Are they soft, white ones? I have some big ones here too," Jana joked, but Heath rolled his eyes. She wasn't taking him seriously.
"Really, there are rocks. If you don't come, I'll contact Sister Maple," Heath said sternly, making Jana drop her playful tone and promise to come right away before hanging up.
Looking at the large rocks, Heath felt a headache brewing. He never expected Ho-Oh to be this kind of Pokémon. However, he decided to help Jana move the rocks when she arrived.
As for the culprit? Heath had no idea. Even if he said it was Ho-Oh, who would believe him?
Come on, Ho-Oh was a legendary Pokémon, a divine beast. How could it be so petty?
"Seems like I need to use the ingredient identifier more cautiously. Legendary Pokémon might detect its presence," Heath mused, scratching his head.
However, he couldn't deny that identifying the taste of legendary Pokémon was thrilling. He hoped to upgrade his ingredient identifier soon.
"Maybe I could host legendary Pokémon someday," Heath pondered, scratching his head. Though, he had already hosted Darkrai once before.
(End of Chapter 72)