In the semi-open kitchen.
The chefs and Pokémon who were divided into teams to make many dishes were all doing their work, casting sidelong glances at Baimu, who was holding a cookbook and silently reading, and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
A customer helping in the kitchen, is this sure not a TV show?
Where's the camera?
"What are you gawking at stupidly! Do your work!" Lokomoko was very dissatisfied with their whispering and not working.
While many ingredients were prepared in advance, some had to be handled on the spot to retain their original flavor.
The sous chef quietly walked up to Lokomoko and asked in a low voice, "Are you really going to let this young kid in? I feel something strange about this."
"Don't worry, I'm watching, I won't give him a chance to mess around."
He shook his head, wiping his palms with a white towel.
After bringing Baimu into the kitchen, the first thing Lokomoko did was toss him a cookbook and a list of dishes to be made for dinner.
"The most important rule in the kitchen, do not change the head chef's recipes arbitrarily, go open your own restaurant if you want to do that."
He had sternly warned the other party.
Originally wanting to make him back off.
Who knew Baimu would seriously hold the cookbook and read it till now.
Lokomoko couldn't help but regret his impulsiveness. The other party was obviously intending to genuinely learn cooking, so he should be teaching in a proper training ground.
Not a practical kitchen.
Putting someone eager to learn cooking here, it's disrespectful to the guests, to him, and to the whole kitchen.
Lokomoko hesitated for a few seconds and stepped forward, "Um..."
Bang.
Baimu closed the thick cookbook and respectfully said, "Mr. Lokomoko, I finished reading it. Your personal recipes have benefitted me greatly, I can't thank you enough."
"Finished reading?" Lokomoko frowned, pulling the cookbook from his hands, asked solemnly, "Then tell me, how many ingredients are in the Salt-Baked Rose Heart? What are they?"
"Including seasonings, there are eighteen types, namely rose essence, low-gluten flour..."
Baimu recited all the ingredients without missing a beat.
Lokomoko further asked, "And what about the Blazing Sun? What should the oil temperature be controlled within? What's the key point?"
"Within two hundred and forty degrees, the key point is the Shiduo Fruit Peel Powder added at the end."
They asked and answered each other.
Leaving the chefs who were watching them intently completely dumbfounded.
These dishes haven't been posted online or written in books yet, right? Did he really remember them in such a short time?
"Where did this crazy kid come from?"
Someone murmured.
The sous chef twitched the corner of his mouth,
On Baimu's side.
Lokomoko looked at him with a strange expression, "Are you very good at memorizing books?"
"These dishes have your unique style, so they're not hard to remember." He replied softly.
The simulation only imparted the memory of cooking stir-fry to Baimu, but he was excellent at more than just stir-frying; you could see from these recipes that he was no longer limited to one cooking technique.
Lokomoko rubbed his chin, "...Alright, why don't you make the appetizer tonight—Rainbow Egg Rolls so I can see."
He was startled, considered for a few seconds, then nodded, "Okay, but I request to add an assistant."
"An assistant? Who do you want as your assistant?"
Lokomoko didn't expect this boy to start bargaining again, but surprisingly he didn't feel much aversion.
Baimu took out a Pokeball, "My Pokémon."
Bam!
In a flash of white light.
"Happy~"
The appearance of Blissey left Lokomoko and others dumbfounded.
There were quite a few Pokémon assisting in the kitchen, but most were slim or smaller with human-like hands, unlike the plump Blissey.
To them, a Blissey was either a nurse or a provider of nutritious eggs.
Helping in the kitchen?
What a joke!
Yet the Blissey before them not only skillfully helped Baimu put on an apron but also started washing hands and wearing gloves very neatly and efficiently.
"May I ask for the ingredients—"
Baimu dried his hands and looked towards Lokomoko and the other chefs, Pokémon.
Ding—
A Keyring Pokémon emitted a slight glow, using invisible Telekinesis to open freezer doors and retrieve the appetizer's ingredients.
Lokomoko took a deep breath, glanced at the distant clock, "Ten minutes?"
"Ten minutes."
Baimu nodded.
The only type of dish he could reliably make glow was stir-fried, and the main cooking technique for the Rainbow Egg Rolls appetizer was frying, which might not glow.
But he really wanted this dish to glow.
After all, the rapid progress of Aggron and the others along the way owed much to these glowing dishes.
Baimu had no other way to repay the chef and didn't dare to call himself the student of the other party, only hoping to make a dish with his hands to express his gratitude.
If he guessed it right.
A glowing dish would surely please Lokomoko!
In the hall.
Everyone craned their necks to look towards the semi-open kitchen.
Ash Ketchum's eyes sparkled expectantly, "It must be delicious!"
"Pika!"
Pikachu nodded frantically.
They all recalled the meals at the Nibel Plateau, and with Baimu's culinary skills, this restaurant couldn't be bad.
Hitron, Youx Lijia, and Sarina looked eagerly, the first two being natives of Lumiose City, well aware of how valuable Golduck's smile was.
Shana, who had never tasted a glowing dish, wondered, "Why does Baimu want to work as a kitchen helper?"
Xiaoguang replied, "Because he's a super fan of Mr. Lokomoko! He's even learned to make glowing dishes."