Cord and Braised Pork

"Oh~ my darling little Heath, what delicious food are you making~?" At that strange voice, Heath couldn't help covering his face. How had this guy found the time to come out?

"Mr. Cord, how come you have time to come out for a meal today?" Heath looked up helplessly and, sure enough, saw the fellow who always gave him a headache.

"Oh, my old friend, you surely don't know that today is the post office's day off. I swear, if that damned supervisor dares make me work overtime, I'll teach him a lesson with my psychic powers." Cord stroked his golden mustache and chuckled.

Heath felt a headache coming on. Mr. Cord was one of his regular customers, but his identity was a little unusual.

A yellow body, a golden mustache, three fingers, and spoons held in his hands. Yes, Mr. Cord was a Pokémon-an Alakazam, to be precise.

Heath admitted that the first time he'd seen an Alakazam come to eat at his stall, he'd been rather dumbfounded. Hearing the way this Alakazam spoke had only made it feel stranger.

Still, aside from that manner of speaking that practically begged for a snarky comment, Mr. Cord was a reasonable customer, and very friendly. Heath rarely saw him lose his temper, even when someone accidentally stepped on his foot.

Mr. Cord was an Alakazam who worked at the post office, though he had very little work to handle. After all, few people chose an Alakazam's services when mailing something.

The postal system in the Pokémon world was quite interesting. Delivery by human mail carriers was the cheapest option, followed by delivery by Flying-type Pokémon. At Viridian City's post office, Pokémon such as Pidgeot and Spearow generally handled that work.

Of course, there was another, particularly expensive option: delivery by Alakazam. The advantage was that packages could usually arrive that same day, with no need to worry about damage. An Alakazam's psychic powers were very reliable.

The downside was the exorbitant postage. Fees were based on distance, so the farther away the destination city was, the higher the charge.

Cord had once told Heath that the farthest he'd ever delivered a letter was to Lavender Town. The postage for that single letter had cost a full three thousand League coins.

"Oh, my dear Mr. Cord, if you speak to me in that damned dubbed-movie voice again, I swear to God I'll plant my boot in your backside." Heath sighed. Just who had recommended those movies to Cord?

"Well, well, what a splendid turn of phrase. Now, little Heath, could you make me a serving of your new dish?" Chuckling, Cord left his spoons floating in the air, then plopped down in front of Heath.

As an Alakazam, Cord had his own way of sitting down. Every time, he used his psychic powers to construct an invisible chair to sit on while he ate. Heath had long since gotten used to it, though it also made him terribly envious. How wonderful it would be if he had psychic powers like that.

He could save the money he'd spend on jars, not to mention tables and chairs.

"Sure. Just a moment, Mr. Cord." Heath nodded, then lifted the pot lid to check inside. The Red-Braised Pork with Fried Tofu was ready.

As Heath lifted the lid, the aroma spreading through the air grew even richer. The distinctive scent of braised pork made quite a few people stop in their tracks and look curiously toward his stall.

Heath was very pleased with this advertising effect. He could have cooked it elsewhere or taken measures to eliminate the smell, but making people crave his food was exactly what he wanted.

Heath took out a bowl and scooped rice into it, then took out another and filled it with Red-Braised Pork with Fried Tofu, pouring in some of the braising sauce as well. Only then did he set the bowls in front of Cord.

"Far! Far!" Farfetch'd waved frantically beside Heath, clearly beside itself with excitement. Heath suspected that if he didn't give Farfetch'd a portion, the Pokémon might bury its whole head in the pot.

To keep Farfetch'd from ruining the food he'd just cooked, Heath hurriedly served it a portion too.

Meanwhile, Cord studied the food before him with curiosity. Alakazam lived long lives, and as they aged, their heads grew larger as their brain cells continued to multiply. Almost all Alakazam were deeply curious about the unknown.

To Cord, the Red-Braised Pork with Fried Tofu before him was a novel dish brimming with allure.

The air carried an aroma he'd never smelled before. Cord had eaten all sorts of food, and even his meals at the post office were of the finest quality, but none of those scents had been as distinctive as this one.

The Alakazam deftly picked up his spoon, scooped up one of the square-looking tofu puffs, and put it into his mouth. As he chewed, the sauce soaked into the tofu burst across his tongue. The piping-hot liquid made Cord open his mouth wide, but the soft, sauce-soaked tofu was so irresistible that he couldn't help chewing a few more times.

"Mr. Cord, this braised pork tastes even better with rice." Heath smiled at Cord, who kept opening his mouth from the heat, and felt an urge to laugh.

Had Cord forgotten he was a Psychic-type Pokémon? Cooling it down with his psychic powers should have been simple enough.

"Very well, my friend." Cord readily took his advice, tipping the braised pork and tofu puffs over his rice before spooning them into his mouth together.

There was that rich aroma again, followed by the silky texture of the tofu puffs and the flavor of the sauce instantly coating the white rice in his mouth. Cord couldn't help taking another big bite.

The cooked pork had a satisfying chew, tender without falling apart. Each bite released the meat's fragrance and the distinctive flavor of the braising sauce, making Cord feel as though his taste buds were dancing.

Farfetch'd followed his example, shoveling in big mouthfuls of rice with happiness written all over its face. But it was so eager that it sometimes burned its mouth and hopped back and forth across the ground.

[You served Cord the Alakazam. You received a Head Enlarger.]

[Head Enlarger: To an Alakazam, a bigger head means greater intelligence. Using this potion permanently enlarges the user's head, making them more attractive (to Alakazam).]

The corner of Heath's mouth twitched. What kind of bizarre item was this? What the hell was he supposed to do with it? Seduce an Alakazam?

Still, watching an Alakazam eat proved very effective. Many passersby couldn't help swallowing as they watched Cord, and some came over to join the queue.