After spending an entire afternoon playing with his Pokémon, Heath finally returned to the food truck with the reluctant Zorua and company. He paid the parking fee at the nearby machine, set the vehicle to autopilot, and headed towards Officer Jenny's dormitory area.
Heath found his mobile food truck easy to use and operate, and the autopilot feature was fantastic. Since getting the truck, he hadn't encountered any problems. If it weren't for Sister Maple insisting that Heath get a driver's license, he felt he might never need one.
Inside the food truck, Farfetch'd was shaking a bottle of ink in front of Zorua, making her bare her teeth in annoyance. Heath was a bit worried that Zorua might bite Farfetch'd's tail out of frustration.
"Farfetch'd, how's your stamina training going?" Heath asked, trying to distract Farfetch'd from its mischief. He noticed that Farfetch'd seemed to have developed some peculiar habits.
He wasn't sure if it had something to do with that day at Little Adams' house, where it saw what Adams was doing inside the Poké Ball.
"Leek~" Farfetch'd chirped happily. Zorua, still angry, showed no intention of translating.
Heath scratched his head, realizing that Zorua was in a bad mood and probably wouldn't help with translation anytime soon. He'd have to rely on guessing.
"Are you saying you feel ready?" Heath asked Farfetch'd tentatively. Farfetch'd nodded confidently.
Heath scratched his head again. Farfetch'd had been training for two or three days, and despite the protein powder Heath had been giving it, the results seemed too impressive.
"Alright, give it a try. The same techniques as before; I won't repeat them," Heath said, stepping aside to let Farfetch'd take over the kitchen to make a dish called Three Non-Stick.
Farfetch'd looked relaxed and confident, but as it continued cooking, Heath noticed something off. Farfetch'd's movements were slowing down, following a fixed rhythm.
Heath raised an eyebrow but remained silent, observing quietly. Soon, Farfetch'd completed a decent-looking Three Non-Stick and proudly showed it to Heath.
Without a word, Heath picked up chopsticks and tested the dish. The Three Non-Stick stuck to the pan, leaving a yellowish mark.
"Failed. Though you found a way to save energy, your method doesn't work. The flipping speed and pan-tossing speed for Three Non-Stick need to match its name," Heath shook his head. Farfetch'd looked a bit dejected.
"But it's a good idea. Chefs need to be adaptable," Heath comforted Farfetch'd with a smile, taking the failed dish out and preparing to wash the pan.
"Fire?" Charmander curiously approached. Having just finished its workout, Heath could smell the sweat on Charmander.
Pokémon also had body odors, just like some pet dogs. The bigger the dog, the more noticeable the smell. Fortunately, Zorua didn't have a fox-like odor, and Heath's Pokémon were quite hygienic, so there were no unpleasant smells. This was a relief; being surrounded by bad smells every day would be terrible.
Heath recalled serving a special guest once, who worked at a bathhouse giving massages and scrubs. The most memorable thing about this guest was his Pokémon.
A Mankey.
Mankey itself wasn't rare, but this particular Mankey had a strong body odor, which was problematic.
When Heath first encountered the Mankey, he felt awful, suspecting that the guest had brought it out to stink up the place deliberately. Enduring the strong odor, Heath managed to make a breakfast crepe for the guest.
He even felt that the breakfast crepe smelled like body odor—Mankey-flavored breakfast crepe.
Unable to bear it any longer, Heath asked the Mankey's owner about it, learning that the owner had rhinitis and couldn't smell anything. Heath couldn't help but think that sometimes, having rhinitis had its advantages.
As dusk approached in Viridian City, the thick fog had cleared considerably, making the streets visible. Heath could see hurried pedestrians, occasional cars, and Officer Jenny riding her motorcycle.
Heath thought of the inspector he met today, Officer Jenny Kim, a unique woman. He wasn't sure how long she would stay, but he had already informed Sister Maple.
As a result, the usually friendly and kind Officer Jennies had become stern and efficient, exuding an unapproachable aura.
Although it seemed superficial, not even doing that much would be hopeless.
When Heath returned to the dormitory area, he got off the truck and looked around. He didn't see Officer Jenny Kim; she was probably off conducting another secret inspection.
Locking the break room door, Heath led his Pokémon to the cafeteria. He was responsible for dinner every evening. At first, he worried whether the head chef would mind, but he found that the head chef had no objections.
The head chef even seemed pleased, likely because he wanted to go home early to be with his family.
But as Heath entered the cafeteria, he paused. There sat a familiar figure: Officer Jenny Kim.
She sat with her chin resting on her hand, staring blankly out the window, seemingly lost in thought. Heath wondered if she was inspecting the cafeteria too.
"Sister Kim? Are you hungry? Want something to eat?" Heath called softly. Officer Jenny Kim turned in surprise, smiling when she saw Heath.
"The cafeteria hasn't started cooking yet, kid. If you're hungry, go eat somewhere else," she waved dismissively. Heath's mouth twitched.
"I'm the chef," Heath said calmly, walking over.
(End of Chapter)