Heath rarely returned early to the Officer Jenny dormitory area, and at this time, most of the Officer Jennys were still on duty. The dormitory area was quiet, with only a few off-duty Officer Jennys around.
Usually, the Officer Jenny dormitory area was not so quiet. Sister Maple was a disciplined person, and under her influence, Heath could hear the Officer Jennys training at night. Occasionally, there would even be real combat practice sessions to hone their fighting skills.
Heath sometimes joined in the training, and the one teaching the fighting techniques was Officer Maple. Her combat prowess was exceptionally high, and Heath believed she could handle two Officer Jennys simultaneously if she got serious.
For ordinary people, Heath estimated she could handle four or five, maybe even more.
What surprised Heath the most was that none of the Officer Jennys ever complained. He had worried that some might feel that Viridian City was so safe that they didn't need to train so hard, but there wasn't a single complaint.
Heath finally understood why the citizens of Viridian City had such extraordinary trust in the Officer Jennys. Whenever the Officer Jennys issued instructions, everyone complied without hesitation.
"It's so quiet here today," Zorua said, perched on Heath's head, curiously looking around. The familiar scenery was now very quiet, and Zorua could even hear the wind rustling the leaves.
The rustling sound of the wind in the tranquil woods made Heath close his eyes. A breeze blew past, and Heath stretched comfortably. The greenery in the Pokémon world was indeed impressive, with many trees giving Heath a sense of being in nature.
"What are you doing?" A strange voice made Heath open his eyes in confusion. He saw an Officer Jenny in uniform standing in the shade of a tree ahead, looking at him curiously.
Heath was puzzled by this Officer Jenny. Since his arrival, he had spent a lot of time with the Officer Jennys and could easily recognize each one's face. But he had never seen this Officer Jenny before.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Heath frowned, cautiously looking at the Officer Jenny and instinctively adopting a fighting stance.
"That's the starting move of the fifth set of Officer Jenny's combat techniques? Looks like you've mastered it well," the Officer Jenny immediately recognized Heath's stance. Heath was surprised; not many people knew the name of that combat technique.
Seeing Heath's surprised and wary expression, the Officer Jenny laughed even harder, to the point of tears. She wiped the corners of her eyes.
"It's rare to see a guy in the Officer Jenny dormitory area. We'll meet again, little brother," she said, waving cheerfully before darting into the nearby woods.
Heath quickly chased after her but soon lost sight of her.
"She runs fast... But is she really an Officer Jenny?" Heath frowned, looking in the direction she had disappeared. Due to genetic inheritance, all female Officer Jennys looked very similar, with only minor differences to distinguish them. This appearance was hard to replicate.
But it wasn't impossible. After all, there were some peculiar items in the Pokémon world, like human skin masks, or effects caused by Pokémon moves.
However, she recognized the fifth set of Officer Jenny's combat techniques just from the starting stance, indicating she was likely a real Officer Jenny.
For safety, Heath quickly reported the incident to the Officer Jenny on duty in the dormitory area. But after a thorough investigation, there were no results. It seemed as if that Officer Jenny had never really appeared.
Although puzzled, Heath still prepared a hearty dinner for the returning Officer Jennys and finished his and his Pokémon's meals.
"So, you saw an Officer Jenny this afternoon? And she recognized the starting move of the fifth combat technique?" Officer Maple asked, sitting across from Heath, eating braised pork with rice.
"Yes, I just instinctively assumed the stance, and she recognized it," Heath nodded.
"Strange, I haven't heard of any inspectors coming recently," Officer Maple frowned in confusion but soon dismissed it and focused on her meal, making Heath smile wryly.
The mention of inspectors made Heath think of other things.
Usually, each town had a fixed number of Officer Jennys unless there were casualties or new recruits. Otherwise, other Officer Jennys rarely appeared, except tourists who didn't wear uniforms.
Inspectors, however, often moved from city to city, conducting surprise checks on the Officer Jennys' conduct and dress code, earning them the 'loving' nickname of 'snitches.'
Heath thought the impressive Officer Jenny might be an inspector. Their job required them to be unpredictable, so appearing in the quiet Officer Jenny dormitory area in the afternoon wasn't unusual.
Moreover, the profession of inspector wasn't exclusive to the Pokémon world; it existed in his previous life too.
Resolving his confusion, Heath felt much better. He quickly finished his fried rice with eggs and stewed chicken legs, then hurried back to the dormitory with Farfetch'd.
Heath planned to check Farfetch'd's progress in strength training. The "Three Non-Stick" dish required less culinary skill but demanded high physical strength and endurance from the chef. As long as Farfetch'd met these requirements, making a good "Three Non-Stick" wouldn't be too difficult.
Farfetch'd seemed confident, and Heath's expectations were high. However, after a test run in the dormitory kitchen, Heath found Farfetch'd still struggled with the "Three Non-Stick." Even for Pokémon, consistent training was essential.
"Take your time. You've made great progress. I bet with a few more days of practice, you'll master it," Heath encouraged, patting Farfetch'd on the head. Aside from the mission rewards, Heath appreciated Farfetch'd's earnestness in learning culinary skills.
At the very least, Heath would have an extra helper in the kitchen, making cooking a bit easier.
(End of this chapter)