Chapter 40: What He Can Do

Heath jerked his head up and saw a burst of intense flames erupting ahead and to his right, followed by a column of black smoke rising into the sky.

"Oh no! That's the Evergreen Chemical Plant! Everyone, move out immediately!" Maple stood up abruptly, her face serious as she looked at the flames. She quickly called out her Arcanine, mounted it, and sped off.

The other Jennys, who had been laughing, joking, and enjoying their barbecue and beer, immediately put everything down, called out their Growlithes and Arcanines, and quickly followed Maple Jenny. In no time, the barbecue party was deserted, leaving Heath standing alone by the food truck.

"Sigh," Heath sighed, taking off the apron tied around his waist and placing it inside the truck. Then he stepped out with Farfetch'd and Zorua.

"Trainer, what just happened?" Zorua asked curiously, looking at Heath and then at the now-empty field, puzzled.

"There was an explosion somewhere. Maple Jenny and the others went to save people," Heath said, looking at the blazing fire in the distance. It seemed like it would be a sleepless night, and there wasn't much he could do.

Maple had told Heath many times before that everyone has their responsibilities in society. Instead of meddling in areas you know nothing about, it's better to think about how to excel in what you can do.

Heath looked down at his hands. He couldn't rush into the fire to save people, and while Farfetch'd had the Wonder Guard ability, the risks of a fire and collapsing buildings at a chemical plant were too great. He didn't want to put Farfetch'd in danger.

Clenching his fists, Heath thought about what he could do. The chemical plant rescue was being handled by specialists, and he was just an ordinary person, a chef. What could he do?

"I guess I'm still just a chef," Heath chuckled. There were still some ingredients in the food truck, but they wouldn't be enough.

Heath got into the truck, worried about whether he could drive it, but he discovered it had an auto-pilot feature. He could only hope it worked properly.

"Let's hope it doesn't malfunction like some other brands," Heath muttered nervously as he pressed the auto-pilot button. The truck rumbled to life and slowly started moving.

A route map appeared on the screen in the driver's cabin. Heath hesitated, then set the destination to a vegetable shop he remembered staying open until about 11 PM.

The truck quickly headed to the designated destination, while Heath and Farfetch'd began preparing the ingredients. Zorua silently helped by washing the ingredients, eager to contribute.

When the truck stopped, Heath jumped out and saw Uncle Mike standing nearby, worriedly watching the flames.

"Uncle Mike!" Heath shouted. The older man turned to see Heath, surprised.

"Heath, what are you doing here?" Uncle Mike asked, glancing between Heath and the distant fire.

"Uncle, I need to buy some ingredients! Quickly, give me these items," Heath said, handing over a list he had prepared. Uncle Mike took the list and glanced at it.

He furrowed his brow, hesitating as he looked at Heath, trying to understand his intentions.

"What are you planning to do?" Seeing Uncle Mike's hesitation, Heath quickly explained his plan, which earned him a truckload of ingredients.

Uncle Mike, delighted, patted Heath on the shoulder and told him he was too old to cook, entrusting Heath with the task of feeding the rescue workers.

Heath readily agreed, setting the route to the chemical plant. Uncle Mike's fish saved him a lot of work. When Heath arrived near the plant, he was stopped.

"Heath, what are you doing here?" Jana Jenny asked sternly. Her face was blackened, and her clothes were burned in several places.

Heath looked past her at the many Water-type Pokémon fighting the flames. Flying Pokémon darted through the sky, and Jenny, Nurse Joy, and other firefighters from Viridian City were busy working.

"I want to provide the rescue workers with a hot meal," Heath said determinedly.

Jana's expression softened but she still shook her head.

"Team Maple ordered no non-League personnel past this line. Understood?" Jana pointed to the police line that kept many people outside, explaining seriously.

Heath smiled, understanding. As long as he didn't cross the line, he could do whatever he wanted. Smiling, he nodded, and Jana returned to her position inside the line.

Heath parked the food truck just outside the line and started preparing the ingredients. He couldn't do much, but he wanted to contribute by feeding the rescue workers.

After prepping all the ingredients, Heath looked outside the truck. More people were gathering near the police line, mostly from Viridian City: office workers, trainers, and shop clerks, all worriedly watching the still-raging fire.

Some trainers wanted to help, but Jana Jenny refused their entry, allowing only League members.

Trainers who showed their gym trainer credentials were allowed in, mostly with Ground-type Pokémon, contributing to the rescue under Giovanni's leadership.

"Mr. Giovanni is such a good person. I heard he rushed over to help right after the explosion, and even his Nidoking got burned," Heath overheard people saying. He scratched his nose.

Giovanni was truly a strange person.

This is purely fictional and should not be applied to reality.

(End of this chapter)