Though Heath was curious about the type of Pokémon that would be deemed legendary by his system, he wasn't currently interested in the Indigo Plateau west of Viridian City. He directed his food truck to its usual spot and began his morning operations.
"Heath, you're up early as always," said Mr. Armin. He looked tired, with dark circles under his eyes, likely from being overworked by his wife.
Young men are generally full of energy, but with age, commuting, and daily work, maintaining that youthful vigor becomes challenging. This is why many married men find their stamina declining.
Seeing Mr. Armin rubbing his back, Heath sympathized. Despite having a daughter, his wife still wanted another child, putting him through a lot.
"I've just gotten used to waking up early," Heath smiled. His internal clock now woke him up at the same time each day, making it impossible to sleep in. He had adapted to this lifestyle.
"Ah, youth. Please get me a breakfast crepe with an egg," Mr. Armin reminisced about his younger days. Heath chuckled and began preparing the order.
While making the breakfast crepe, Heath noticed the bag Mr. Armin was carrying, likely from his trip to the market. It contained a lot of chives.
"Mr. Armin, although chives is good for us, they actually don't have any special effects in that regard," Heath said softly.
"Pfft~" Mr. Armin blushed, not even noticing the Caterpie on Heath's head making the sound.
"I didn't mean it that way!" Mr. Armin exclaimed. Any man would be sensitive about suggestions of inadequacy in that area.
"Of course, Mr. Armin, I know you didn't mean it that way," Heath laughed, handing over the breakfast crepe. Their relationship was good enough to joke about such matters without offense.
Mr. Armin accepted the breakfast crepe, paid, and left with his bag of vegetables. Heath then heard something drop to the ground.
Curious, Heath stepped out and found a small black bottle.
"Hmm, make you as strong as a Diglett… huh?" Heath stared blankly at the bottle of Diglett-brand Yanaime Extract, designed for a somewhat peculiar purpose.
"Mr. Armin, you dropped your medicine!" Heath called out. Mr. Armin froze but kept walking without looking back.
Heath's mouth twitched. Mr. Armin really didn't want to acknowledge the bottle. Back in the truck, Zorua was rolling on the floor with laughter, worrying Heath more about potential damage to the truck than Zorua herself.
"Is it that funny?" Heath rolled his eyes and tossed the bottle into the trash, making sure to hide it deep inside. He didn't want anyone thinking he needed such medicine at his age.
"Of course it's funny! Your conversation with that human reminded me of a novel I read," Zorua said eagerly, but Heath cut her off with a flick to the forehead, not wanting to hear anything strange.
Heath stretched his hand outside the truck. The humidity was still strong, but he expected more customers today as there was no fog. Foggy days made venturing out like walking into a hair wash.
"I wonder when this damp season will end. Once I start my journey, I won't be bothered by this weather," Heath yawned, feeling sleepy despite his body clock.
As Heath pondered when his next customer might arrive, he saw several Jenny officers speeding by on motorcycles, looking urgent. He was puzzled.
Last time, such urgency was due to the arrival of the League President. Yesterday, an inspector had caused a similar reaction due to a misunderstanding. Heath had clarified with Maple that the inspector had left, so why the excitement today?
"Ah, everyone is so well-dressed," a familiar voice said. Heath saw Jenny Kim approaching the truck with a smile.
"Sister Kim, you're up early today. Do inspectors work this hard?" Heath asked, feeling complicated emotions. Jenny Kim was a ghost, but Heath didn't know where she came from. There had been no records of a Jenny officer's demise in Viridian City. He only knew her name and her fondness for sour foods.
Heath was curious if ghosts could eat regular food. He wondered how Jenny Kim had eaten the West Lake vinegar fish yesterday and what happened to it afterwards.
"Of course it's hard work! We Jennys are always busy, waking up early for missions and fighting criminals," Jenny Kim said proudly, unaware of Heath's fleeting thoughts. She touched her nose and smiled.
"What would you like to eat, Sister Kim?" Heath asked, smiling warmly.
(End of Chapter)