Soon, the four of them followed the route marked on the travel guide and arrived at the entrance of Munchlax Home.
Seeing how it was packed with guests, Serena couldn't help but exclaim, "As expected of the number one recommended spot in the guide. It's so popular!"
With the delicious food at Munchlax Home and the Royal Family's promotion, it had long since become a must-visit destination for tourists in the Azoth Royal Capital.
Bonnie took a deep breath and said, "It smells so good!"
"Dede dede~" From the small bag at her waist, Dedenne poked its head out. After taking a deep sniff, it wore the exact same expression as Bonnie.
At that moment, Serena noticed the sign nearby and said in surprise, "Oh, they're opening a noodle shop here in a week? I really want to try it!"
However, a look of regret quickly crossed her face. "It's a pity we won't be staying here for a whole week."
Ash couldn't help but complain, "Can we go in now? My stomach is sticking to my back."
"Pika~ Pika~" Pikachu, perched on Ash's shoulder, also clutched its stomach while crying out piteously.
Serena hurriedly said, "Sorry! Let's go in, let's go in!"
With that, she took the lead and stepped into Munchlax Home, followed closely by Ash, Bonnie, and Clemont.
"Ralts~ Ralts~" Welcome.
As soon as the four entered, they saw a Ralts wearing the Munchlax Home staff uniform, greeting them with a face full of smiles.
"Wow~ So cute! What Pokémon is this?" Bonnie asked with stars in her eyes.
"This is Ralts," Ash introduced. "Miss Diantha's Gardevoir is the final evolved form of Ralts."
Seeing Ralts made him recall the time he traveled through the Hoenn region with Brock, May, and Max. They had encountered this species back then, and Max had even made a promise with a Ralts to travel together in the future.
Hearing Ash's introduction, Bonnie looked at Ralts with even greater wonder. "Ralts is amazing!"
Serena also couldn't help but point her Pokédex at Ralts.
Pokédex: [Ralts, the Feeling Pokémon. The pre-evolved form of Kirlia. It has the ability to sense human emotions using the horns on its head. It rarely shows itself before humans, but it will actively approach when it senses positive emotions.]
"That's so wonderful," Serena said after listening.
"Ralts~ Ralts~" Guests, please follow me.
Under Ralts's guidance, Ash and the others sat down at an empty table. Ralts then handed them the menu.
Serena took the menu and asked, "What should we eat?"
Ash urged impatiently, "Anything is fine, just hurry up!"
"Then... four buns of each filling, plus four Milky Mantou and four bowls of Eight-Treasure Porridge."
Today, the porridge prepared by Munchlax Home was Eight-Treasure Porridge.
"Ralts~ Ralts~"
At that moment, Ralts pointed at the Salted Duck Eggs on the menu and cried out twice.
Serena asked in surprise, "Ralts, do you mean you recommend ordering these Salted Duck Eggs?"
"Ralts~ Ralts~" Ralts nodded.
"Then add four Salted Duck Eggs as well," Serena said without hesitation.
"Ralts~"
Seeing that Serena and the others had finished ordering, Ralts walked away with the menu, smiling broadly.
Watching Ralts's departing figure, Bonnie couldn't help but say again, "It really is so cute!"
Serena also nodded repeatedly. "It truly is!"
Before long, Ralts used its psychic powers to carry a pile of food over, placing them steadily onto Ash's table.
"Wow, Ralts, you're so incredible!" Bonnie couldn't help but praise.
"Ralts~" Thank you.
Ralts looked at the four of them with a smile.
As soon as the meal was set, red lights flashed simultaneously from Ash, Clemont, and Serena. A Froakie, a Chespin, and a Fennekin popped out of their Poké Balls.
"Quill quill~"
Looking at the table full of food, Chespin's mouth began to water.
"Then let's dig in!" Serena said with a smile.
Seeing that the four were new faces, Ralts stayed behind to give them some pointers on how to eat the dishes before taking the menu to attend to other guests.
Bonnie picked up a bun and took a bite, immediately exclaiming, "This is so delicious! It's so soft!"
Ash and Clemont ate in large mouthfuls. Their mouths were so stuffed that they couldn't even speak.
While eating, Serena spoke mysteriously to Ash, Clemont, and Bonnie. "I'll tell you a secret. They say the owner of this shop is a member of the Azoth Royal Family. Furthermore, he's a prince who has lived for five hundred years."
Bonnie's mouth fell open in surprise. "Eh? The owner is a prince?"
Ash and Clemont were also greatly shocked.
"Lived for five hundred years... Does such a person really exist?" Clemont couldn't help but say.
At that moment, a local Azoth guest from the neighboring table leaned over and said to the four, "That's not a rumor. Our Young Boss really is the Prince of Azoth from five hundred years ago!"
"Eh? Is that true?" Now it was Serena's turn to be surprised. She had thought it was just a legend!
Meanwhile, Ange, who was busy in the kitchen, suddenly heard a System notification. He took a moment to click it and found that Diancie had accepted a mission for him.
[Temporary Mission: Get to know Ash's group — Pending.]
Oh? Ash and the others are here? Are they in the shop or nearby?
Closing the System, Ange spoke to the Drizzile who was cooking porridge. "Drizzile, keep an eye on the kitchen. I'm going out for a bit."
"Driz driz~" Drizzile nodded in agreement.
Ange walked out of the kitchen and immediately spotted Ash's group of four chatting and laughing in the hall.
"Oh, Young Boss, why are you out of the kitchen today?" A guest saw Ange coming out and greeted him warmly.
"I came out to see how everyone is enjoying the food," Ange replied with a smile.
The guests began giving Ange thumbs-up one after another, praising him all at once.
"Number one!"
"The Young Boss's cooking never disappoints us!"
"I could eat at Munchlax Home for another hundred years!"
...
Ange's appearance quickly caught Ash's attention.
"Is that the owner of this shop?" Serena asked.
The guest next to her replied, "Yes, he's the Young Boss of our Munchlax Home. He's practically our Azoth national treasure. I can't even imagine how I'd survive if Munchlax Home ever closed down."
At this point, Ange walked over and said with a chuckle, "Uncle, don't you worry. Munchlax Home will never close!"
The man laughed loudly. "Then we have a deal!"
"Definitely," Ange promised with a nod.
After saying that, he looked at Ash's group and asked with feigned surprise, "These guests seem to be new faces. Is this your first time at Munchlax Home?"
"Yes... yes!" Seeing Ange suddenly strike up a conversation, Serena became a bit nervous. This was a Prince of a nation, a high-ranking figure she had never interacted with before.
Ash was much more natural. He took the initiative to introduce himself. "I'm Ash from Pallet Town. I'm currently challenging the Kalos League. We're passing through the Azoth Kingdom on our journey."
Then, he introduced his partners. "These are my partners, Pikachu and Froakie."
"Pikachu~"
"Froakie~"
Pikachu and Froakie followed suit and greeted Ange.
Clemont also introduced himself. "My name is Clemont. My partner is Chespin."
"Quill quill~" Chespin greeted Ange while eating, his cheeks bulging.
"And me, I'm Bonnie!" Bonnie couldn't wait to raise her hand, then held up Dedenne to introduce it. "This little one is Dedenne."
"Dede dede~" Dedenne greeted Ange while holding a bun.
"I... I'm Serena," Serena said, still nervous. "This child is Fennekin."
"Fenne~" Fennekin gave a polite cry toward Ange.
After listening to the four's introductions, Ange introduced himself as well. "I'm Ange. As you can see, I'm the owner of this shop."
At that moment, Bonnie asked with a face full of curiosity, "Mr. Ange, are you really a Prince?"
"I used to be. Not anymore," Ange replied with a smile.
Seeing this, Clemont also asked with immense curiosity, "Have you really lived for 500 years?"
"To be precise, I slept for 500 years," Ange explained. "I only woke up again last year."
"Amazing! So amazing!" Clemont muttered to himself, his eyes shining.
After chatting with Ash and the others for a while and answering some of their questions, Ange returned to the kitchen to get back to work.
Ash and the others left Munchlax Home after finishing their breakfast.
Both sides thought they wouldn't see each other again anytime soon. However, things always develop in unexpected ways.
Seven days passed in the blink of an eye. Finally, the day of the Munchlax Home Noodle House opening arrived.
As soon as evening came, Ange stood at the entrance to welcome guests, accompanied by two Poliwhirl and one Poliwrath. They and Ange were all dressed in the uniform Munchlax Home staff attire.
Today was the noodle house's first day of business, so Ange, as the owner, naturally had to be present.
The two Poliwhirl and the Poliwrath were staff members he had transferred from the fishery to act as waiters; they had been in training for several days.
The Poliwag family was a large one with many members. Transferring three members to the noodle house to work as waiters wouldn't have any negative impact at all.
When they were chosen as noodle house waiters, the Poliwhirl and Poliwrath couldn't have been happier, as the wages for waiters were much higher than those for fishery guards.
To compete for these positions, the three Pokémon had gone through Ange's rigorous selection process, standing out among many of their kin.
Not just anyone could be a waiter. Ange had chosen the three most meticulous, patient, and good-tempered individuals from the Poliwag line.
The three Pokémon were a bit nervous on their first day of work. Looking at the crowds coming and going on the street, the two Poliwhirl even felt a bit dizzy.
It was their first time seeing so many humans.
Noticing their nervousness, Ange patted their shoulders.
"Don't be afraid. See how Meowstic and the others help out here every day? As long as you do exactly what I taught you before, it'll be fine!"
With Ange's encouragement, the three Pokémon indeed calmed down a lot.
Soon, the first guests arrived, but the first wave turned out to be old acquaintances.
"Your Highness, we're here!"
Jeremy waved to Ange from a distance, followed by Lila and Fiona.
"Jeremy, Lila, Fiona, you've come!" Ange said happily.
"Your Highness's new shop is opening. How could I not come to show my support?" Lila said.
"Exactly, exactly!" Jeremy nodded in agreement.
Fiona just nodded without speaking, remaining as taciturn as ever.
"Then please, come in!" Ange said.
With that, Ange led the three inside, while Poliwrath quickly handed them the menu.
Lila scanned the menu. The contents were very rich: Chicken Noodle Soup, Sparerib Noodles, Tomato and Egg Noodles, Sauerkraut Noodles, Fatty Intestine Noodles, Dry-tossed Noodles, Stir-fried Noodles, Cold Noodles... it was almost enough to make her eyes glaze over.
It was the same for Jeremy and Fiona.
After hesitating for a long time, Lila finally spoke. "Then I'll have the Tomato and Egg Noodles. The tomatoes grown by Your Highness are delicious, and I assume the eggs in here were laid by the chickens you raised yourself?"
Ange nodded. "Exactly. You have a good eye."
The chickens Ange raised had already begun laying eggs. After the first batch of chicks grew up, he had bought another batch of hatchlings and released them into the coop. Now, the total number of chickens had surpassed one thousand.
The Chicken Noodle Soup on the menu was made using chickens raised by Sawsbuck and Bunnelby. The flavor was indescribably fresh; even Ange himself was extremely fond of it.
"Then I'll have the Sparerib Noodles," Jeremy said. "I can't live without meat!"
"I'll just have a portion of Cold Noodles," Fiona said.
"Alright. Please wait a moment," Ange replied.
One of the Poliwhirl ran into the kitchen and told Gengar the guests' orders. Gengar immediately got to work.
Under the control of its psychic power, three lumps of dough quickly twisted and shook in the air. Before long, they turned into strands of noodles of uniform thickness.
Every single noodle in the Gengar Noodle House was handmade by Gengar!
Soon, the steaming Tomato and Egg Noodles, Sparerib Noodles, and the Cold Noodles—garnished with cucumber, chili, and green onions—were served by Poliwhirl and Poliwrath.
Jeremy took a deep breath and couldn't help but praise, "It smells too good!" With that, he grabbed his chopsticks and impatiently stuffed a mouthful into his mouth.
Slurp slurp~~
"It's too delisiouth!!!" Jeremy said with his mouth full.
The noodles were chewy and bouncy. The sparerib meat was fragrant, melting in the mouth.
Taking a large gulp of the soup, it was fresh and rich, blending the essence of the ribs with the core of various seasonings.
With the addition of Ange's special Bean Paste and Rock Salt—top-grade seasonings—the unique flavors of the ribs and noodles were infinitely magnified. Jeremy's taste buds were fully satisfied.
Lila and Fiona felt the same way; both were obsessed with the noodles Gengar made.
While Lila and the others were immersed in the food, other guests began to arrive one after another. Most were regulars of Munchlax Home.
Seeing Ange's outfit, they joked with a laugh, "Oh, Young Boss, you're playing the waiter today?"
Ange nodded with a smile. "Yes! I'm switching roles today."
"Then who's the head chef in the kitchen today? Munchlax?"
Everyone knew Ange's apprentice, Munchlax, and had tasted its cooking. They recognized its skill, though there was still a bit of a gap compared to the Young Boss.
Ange shook his head. "It's not Munchlax. It's my other apprentice, Gengar. When it comes to making noodles, even I am not as good as it."
Ange was telling the truth. Making noodles was indeed not his forte, and he hadn't gone out of his way to practice it.
Every profession has its specialists. Ange felt it was quite good to have Gengar specialize in noodles and Magearna specialize in desserts in the future.
By handing these two areas directly to them, he could focus on researching other things.
After all, a person's energy is limited.
Hearing Ange's words, a guest said with a laugh, "Then I'll be looking forward to it!"
"I guarantee you won't be disappointed," Ange said. "And please, everyone, look after my little apprentice in the future."
"Of course, of course," the guests said one after another.
At that moment, someone noticed Lila. "Oh, the Princess is here today too!"
Lila had just finished a bowl of noodles completely. After wiping the corner of her mouth, she said, "The noodles here are top-tier. Everyone, feel free to order!"
Lila's words undoubtedly ignited the guests' enthusiasm. They placed orders one after another, leaving the Poliwhirl and Poliwrath incredibly busy.
Lila then waved again. "Poliwrath, please pack a portion of Sparerib Noodles for me. I'll take it back for my father to taste as well."
Hearing that the King was going to eat the same thing as them, the guests' enthusiasm for ordering grew even higher.
In the kitchen, Gengar was multi-tasking. The noodles in the air were practically being performed like a show. No matter how many guests ordered at once, it didn't show a hint of panic.
Whenever Ange had a spare moment, he would check Gengar's situation in the kitchen. Seeing that it was handling everything with ease, he couldn't help but feel relieved.
Today was also Gengar's first day of work!
At around eight o'clock in the evening, Munchlax Home closed on time. After seeing off the last wave of guests, Ange and the Pokémon cleaned up the shop and went home together.
Seeing Ange return, Diancie asked, "Are you tired?"
Ange collapsed onto the sofa, saying weakly, "I'm exhausted. This was more tiring than my own cooking!"
Diancie took Ange's hand and pulled him up from the sofa. "I've drawn some hot water for you. Go take a hot bath first."
Ange went back to his room reluctantly.
When he came out after his bath, he saw Munchlax waving at him with a smile.
"What is it?" Ange asked in confusion.
"Munch~" Master, come, have a midnight snack.
Munchlax led Ange downstairs. There, he saw Diancie, Magearna, Komala, Drizzile, Gengar, Pawmi, and Metagross all gathered around a table.
Volcanion couldn't easily sit at the table, so it lay on the floor. Poliwrath and the two Poliwhirl were also there. Next to Diancie were Mareep and two Spinarak.
Ange was pushed by Munchlax to sit between Diancie and Magearna. Then, Munchlax trotted off to the kitchen.
Diancie said with a smile, "Munchlax said you must be very tired today, so it specially prepared a midnight snack for you."
Ange was deeply moved. "My Munchlax really knows how to look after me."