"Hey, seriously, haven't I told you this plenty of times? Once you spread out the batter, you only need to count a few seconds before adding the other ingredients. Why do you insist on frying it until it gives off black smoke?" Heath looked at the Farfetch'd in front of him and felt as though his head were about to split.
Heath had thought teaching Sister Feng was already an ordeal, but he hadn't expected teaching Farfetch'd to cook to be a genuine disaster movie.
Thanks to Farfetch'd, Heath was burning through ingredients much faster. If he hadn't already paid off his debts, he figured he probably would have gone bankrupt.
"Hey, Heath, what are you up to? Teaching Farfetch'd to cook?" At the familiar voice, Heath looked up and saw someone with closed eyes smiling at him.
"Brock, long time no see. Are you visiting Viridian City for fun?" Heath tossed the burnt pancake into a bag beside him, which was filled with Farfetch'd's failed experiments.
Meanwhile, Farfetch'd clutched their leek with a defiant look, apparently itching to rush back in and give it another try.
"Fun? My old man is planning to step down, and he wants to recommend me as Pewter City's Gym Leader. I've been put through the wringer lately." Brock sighed, his eyes looking as though they were closed.
Heath knew, however, that Brock simply had small eyes. Even when he opened them wide, they still looked a little narrowed to everyone else, much like Li Ronghao from Heath's previous life.
Heath nodded. Ever since meeting Brock, he had known Brock would inherit his father's position and become the Rock-type Gym Leader.
Later, though, Brock had discovered his goal in life while traveling with Ash and ultimately chosen to become a breeder. Heath remembered hearing afterward that Brock intended to become a Pokémon doctor instead.
That had once made Heath wonder whether Brock was doing it for the pretty Nurse Joys.
"Huh? Wait a second, you've got your own Pokémon now?" Brock suddenly froze, then asked in shock.
"You only just noticed? I've paid off my parents' debts now, so of course I've got a Pokémon." Heath was in a wonderful mood as he tidied up his pancake stall.
He knew Brock's tastes all too well. Jianbing Guozi wasn't something Brock would choose.
"That's great! With such happy news, shouldn't you treat me to some Egg Fried Rice to celebrate?" Brock smiled and rubbed his chin as he studied Farfetch'd. He had Pokémon of his own, Onix and Geodude, but his father had also helped him catch another kind of Pokémon to ensure he could take over the Gym smoothly.
"You must be dreaming. It's not even nighttime, so wake up, will you?" Heath rolled his eyes. Perhaps because he had been saddled with debt as soon as he arrived in this world, he cared quite a lot about money.
By the standards of his previous life, Heath was probably the sort of person who would go back to reclaim even a missing ten cents in change after buying groceries.
After all, that enormous debt had put him under immense pressure. Without Officer Jenny's help, Heath thought he might have wanted to run off and join Team Rocket.
"You really are something. Fine, give me an order of Egg Fried Rice. By the way, now that you're out of debt, what are you planning to do next?" Brock asked with a smile. He had only been joking earlier; he knew Heath's financial circumstances very well.
Heath took out his pan, looking a little hesitant.
He hadn't considered that question before. The crushing debt had left him barely able to breathe. Back then, forget about a future-every day, he had to calculate how much money he could save to buy ingredients and repay his debts.
Now, the word "future" seemed to have become something he could talk about again.
"Probably save up to open a restaurant?" Heath lit the stove and watched the pan, then took out yesterday's leftover rice and scooped it into a bowl.
"Oh? Then you'll be able to make all those dishes you mentioned-Red-Braised Pork, Yellow-Braised Chicken, Chongqing Spicy Chicken!" Brock grew excited and looked at Heath expectantly.
He knew how good Heath's cooking was. Calling him a master chef would be no exaggeration. But because of the limitations of Heath's stall, Brock had only heard of some of those dishes and had never tasted them.
That didn't stop Brock from imagining how delicious they would be. If Heath could make Egg Fried Rice taste so good, what sort of delicacies would his Red-Braised Pork and other dishes be?
"Of course." Heath deftly poured in the oil, waited a moment, then added the beaten eggs he had seasoned with salt.
The hot oil instantly brought out a lovely aroma from the eggs. The mingled scents of egg and oil made some passersby turn to look.
Heath quickly stirred the eggs before pouring in the rice. Once everything was almost done, he chopped a small piece of leek and added it.
"Is that Farfetch'd's leek?" Brock swallowed at the aroma in the air and asked curiously.
"Yep. Farfetch'd's leek is much better than ordinary scallions, so charging you ten for this little bit is fair, right?" Heath smiled as he stir-fried the Egg Fried Rice.
"Yikes, you really know how to gouge someone. Fine, I'll take it! It's only ten!" Brock sucked in a sharp breath, his face full of pain at the expense, but he still took out twenty-five League Coins and handed them to Heath.
"Thank you for your business!" Beaming, Heath handed Brock the finished Egg Fried Rice, looking forward to seeing what reward he might receive for serving him.
Then Heath noticed Farfetch'd itching to have a go beside him and hurriedly stopped them. Farfetch'd had already wasted enough ingredients for five whole servings of Jianbing Guozi. If they wasted Egg Fried Rice ingredients too, Heath felt his plan to save up for a restaurant would be delayed for ages.
Meanwhile, Brock happily cradled the Egg Fried Rice Heath had given him. The full bowl looked substantial, but its rich aroma was the biggest draw.
After one spoonful of Egg Fried Rice, Brock couldn't resist taking another bite. The warm eggs and rice mingled together, and the aromas of egg and oil, along with the unmistakable fragrance of leek, made it impossible for him to stop.
It was just Egg Fried Rice, but Heath's version tasted wonderful. Brock thought even his mother's wasn't as good.
Should I learn to cook? It'll come in handy whether I'm living on my own or traveling. Brock chewed his Egg Fried Rice as he seriously considered the idea.
Before you continue