Luo Mu looked around. He was seated at the judges' table, alongside Katy and Nurse Joy from the Porto Marinada Pokémon Center. They had all been invited by Hai Dai to sample his new dishes.
Upon hearing that Hai Dai was going to compete against a chef from another region who had traveled to Paldea, many diners chose to remain in the restaurant after finishing their meals, hoping to witness the outcome.
Luo Mu's gaze fell on Zhi Mi, who stood at the cooking station with a calm, focused expression as he prepared his ingredients. He was using a clean cloth to polish cookware so spotless it easily reflected the overhead lights.
More than as a chef, Luo Mu remembered Zhi Mi in another role—the Kalos Region Elite Four's Water-type Elite Four, Zhi Mi.
And Zhi Mi Elite Four's most memorable accomplishment to Luo Mu was commanding a Mega Evolved Blastoise to crush Alain's Mega Charizard X, which had yet to develop its Water Absorb Ability.
It was simply so satisfying. Ahem. It demonstrated the Elite Four's strength.
Apparently, the preparations were complete. At the announcement of one of Hai Dai's apprentices, the two master chefs began handling their ingredients with what looked like flashy displays of skill.
No, might as well say that their blisteringly fast chopping and ingredient preparation were simply routine for them.
After a dazzling blur of activity and inexplicable waves of gasps from the surrounding crowd, two refreshing fragrances gradually spread through the restaurant. The two chefs had completed their dishes.
Feeling as though he was in prison, Luo Mu only felt that he had somehow wandered onto the set of Food Wars!, utterly out of place amid the heated atmosphere around him.
The Poliwag on Luo Mu's lap, on the other hand, was watching