Scallion Pancake?

After setting down the ribs, Heath left as promised. Zorua was a timid Pokémon, and unless he had the destiny of a protagonist like Ash, Heath didn't think a few words would be enough to earn her trust.

So rather than stay there and make Zorua dislike him even more, Heath figured he might as well accompany Farfetch'd in search of a leek.

Once Zorua ran into the people hunting her, she would probably trust Heath a little more. Things like this had to be taken slowly; there was no rushing them.

Besides, Heath was very taken with Zorua. Ever since learning what she was, he had felt an urge to catch this Pokémon. He wanted her to become his companion and travel with him.

"Come on, Farfetch'd. Let's keep looking for your leek." Smiling, Heath rubbed Farfetch'd's head, his instincts as a chef making him unconsciously feel around for a blood vessel.

Hmm, if I cut here, I should be able to avoid getting the feathers dirty, right?

Heath shook his head hard. These damned instincts. This was what happened when you spent too long being a chef. Now, whenever he touched an animal, he instinctively thought about where best to make the cut.

"Far~" Farfetch'd cried happily, and Heath smiled.

Once Zorua became part of his team, communicating with Farfetch'd would be much easier. After all, that Zorua seemed to have telepathic abilities, so she could act as an interpreter.

[You served Zorua. You received the Technical Machine Night Daze (Zorua only).]

Heath's mouth twitched. Although he had known serving Zorua might earn him a little something, he really hadn't expected to get Night Daze. But what did "Zorua only" mean?

Curious, Heath pressed the disc against Farfetch'd's head.

[Farfetch'd cannot learn Night Daze because this is restricted to Zorua.]

Heath rubbed his nose and glanced at the bewildered Farfetch'd. It seemed teaching Farfetch'd Zorua's exclusive move would be a little difficult. This machine was probably meant for Zorua, then.

Night Daze was a move exclusive to Zoroark. Heath remembered that in the games, it could only be learned at a high level, but having a Technical Machine made things much easier.

That also meant Zorua could master the powerful move Night Daze before she even evolved. That was pretty incredible.

"Zorua and I really are destined to meet." Heath felt rather like Shen Gongbao from The Investiture of the Gods at that moment. Maybe next time he could tell Zorua, "Fellow Daoist, please stay a moment"?

Heath followed Farfetch'd a little farther and spotted a small lake, with some plants resembling water celery growing beside it.

"Far!" Farfetch'd happily pointed at the patch of plants, then flew over and rummaged around in the water.

Heath studied the plants curiously. He recognized them. Weren't these leeks?

Only, in the Pokémon world, leeks were relatively rare, and when people here talked about scallions, they generally meant the small green varieties. Heath pondered this. No wonder everyone said Farfetch'd were scarce. Leeks really were hard to find.

"Far!" Just as Heath was contemplating life, another Farfetch'd flew out of the nearby woods, holding a leek and watching him warily.

"Far, far! Fetch'd!" His Farfetch'd stared at the leek in the other Farfetch'd's grasp with shining eyes, brimming with excitement.

Heath considered this. He remembered that Farfetch'd couldn't survive without their leeks, so they would steal them from other Farfetch'd. Judging by the situation, his own Farfetch'd seemed to have found a target.

The other Farfetch'd angrily waved its leek, then suddenly took flight, tucked in its wings, and hurtled toward his Farfetch'd at high speed. Heath's mouth fell open in surprise. Was that Brave Bird?

His Farfetch'd looked a little frightened. Clearly, it had suffered at this other Farfetch'd's hands before.

"Farfetch'd, don't be afraid! Use Fire Punch!" Heath hurriedly gave orders in his first battle since arriving in the Pokémon world.

Brave Bird slammed hard into Farfetch'd's Fire Punch. Farfetch'd felt an enormous force, but it was nothing more than force. There was none of the explosive damage from Flying-type energy.

Fire Punch, however, struck the other Farfetch'd squarely in the head, burning away its head feathers. The recoil from Brave Bird also left it reeling a little.

"Far?" Farfetch'd stared blankly at its hand. This didn't make sense. It remembered that the last time the other Farfetch'd had rammed into it like that, it had nearly thrown up the fish it had eaten the day before.

Why was it fine today?

Farfetch'd felt as though its little brain couldn't quite keep up.

"Press the advantage! Keep using Fire Punch!" Heath grew excited. Choosing Wonder Guard back then really had been the right decision!

Farfetch'd instinctively followed Heath's command and landed another solid Fire Punch on its opponent.

Heath's mouth twitched. He didn't know whether Farfetch'd was doing it on purpose, but this Fire Punch had hit the other one's head again. Its opponent was now bald on top, with scorch marks to boot.

"Far!" The opposing Farfetch'd dropped its leek and fled, flapping its wings desperately.

"Far~" Farfetch'd proudly picked up the leek from the ground and rubbed it against its chest, looking utterly content.

Heath glanced at Farfetch'd, then walked over to the little lake and examined the plants in front of him. He could see something oval-shaped on them that looked a bit like a dandelion, and carefully pulled it apart.

Inside, Heath found some oval black seeds resembling grape seeds. Satisfied, he collected them.

People who hadn't worked on a farm or grown leeks themselves would often be stumped the first time someone asked them about leek seeds, but Heath knew what they looked like.

With these seeds, Heath could grow his own leeks. Then Farfetch'd wouldn't have to worry about being without a suitable leek.

But as he watched the happy Farfetch'd, Heath recalled playing the games. He seemed to remember that Farfetch'd from one region could evolve, though only that particular regional form could do it.

And Farfetch'd's evolved form seemed to be called... what was it called again?

Heath racked his memory, then struck his palm with his fist. He remembered! Farfetch'd's evolved form seemed to be called Sirfetch'd!

"Sirfetch'd, scallion pancake... Hmm, looks like no matter how it evolves, Farfetch'd still can't escape a food-related name." Heath shook his head with a sigh, then chuckled as he rubbed his Farfetch'd's head.