Chapter 20: Tastes Differ

However, Heath soon discovered the root of the problem: he had missed an ingredient for the Braised Chicken with Tofu he made earlier.

"So... this thing is supposed to be Braised Chicken with Tofu?" Heath was even more shocked. What on earth had Farfetch'd done to turn Braised Chicken with Tofu into this?

The 'coal' in front of him bore no resemblance to Braised Chicken with Tofu. In fact, it was so different that one couldn't possibly associate it with the dish.

"Leek," Farfetch'd whimpered, clutching its leek and occasionally making pitiful sounds as if to prove its grievance. Heath pursed his lips, not buying it.

"Now, make another batch of braised pork. Cooking is a step-by-step process, and trying to rush it is just a dream," Heath said helplessly. He realized that Farfetch'd might have gotten overconfident after successfully making braised pork with his help.

Did it really dare attempt Braised Chicken with Tofu without his direct guidance?

Moreover, the system had not indicated that Farfetch'd had completed the task, so Heath figured the braised pork Farfetch'd made wasn't up to the system' standards.

"We have a long night ahead. Let's take it slow," Heath said with a smile, closing the kitchen door. Farfetch'd gulped and instinctively covered its backside.

Heath's lips twitched. He wasn't some ghost rider or a mythical lover; he had no interest in a Pokémon in that way.

"Brace yourself!"

[Farfetch'd has made a perfect Braised Pork with Tofu. You have received a special reward: Golden Perfume]

Heath sat on the kitchen floor, breathing heavily. He finally sighed in relief; Farfetch'd had made a decent batch of Braised Pork with Tofu, completing the cheats' task.

Heath also noticed a bottle had appeared in his pocket. Taking it out, he saw it contained a pink liquid. He was delighted.

Golden Perfume, a valuable and magical item in the world of Pokémon, increased the likelihood of encountering rare Pokémon.

Holding the Golden Perfume, Heath felt the wasted ingredients used by Farfetch'd had been compensated. He only hoped the next task on his culinary journey wouldn't be too absurd.

Exhausted, Farfetch'd leaned against the wall, clutching its leek with a worn-out expression. It realized a serious Heath was terrifying.

"It's about time to rest. We have to get up early to buy ingredients tomorrow," Heath yawned, glancing at his watch. It was already early morning, and he needed sleep to have energy for the next day.

After putting Farfetch'd back in its Poké Ball and falling asleep, strange noises came from the kitchen but quickly quieted down as if nothing had happened.

The next morning, Heath woke up early. Since he had to prepare food for the prisoners in Viridian City prison, he decided not to run his breakfast stall. Cooking for fifty prisoners was no easy task.

While he could make a large batch of food, it wouldn't meet his standards. Besides, Maple had gotten him this job, and Heath didn't want to test if his head was harder than concrete.

Large batch cooking seemed simple but was actually challenging. The proportions of ingredients and seasonings were crucial. Too much salt or seasoning made the food too strong, while too little made it bland.

So Heath decided to simplify things by preparing five different meal sets, each for ten people.

[Make fifty prisoners satisfied with your cooking. The reward will be based on the number of satisfied prisoners]

Heath was momentarily stunned. Another task? But a task was good news. Heath wasn't picky; he just hoped the task wouldn't ruin his initial plans.

Heath now faced the challenge of making food that would satisfy prisoners with unknown tastes. This was quite a tall order.

"This task... is really tough. But what will the reward be?" Heath admitted he was curious.

"Let's handle it this way then," Heath decided after some thought.

He planned to divide the meals by taste: sweet, spicy, mild, seafood-based, and meat-based.

With this plan in mind, Heath quickly headed to the market, using the meal stipend Maple had given him to buy the necessary ingredients.

Heath relished the rare joy of buying ingredients without budgeting. After purchasing everything he needed, he calculated that he still had over 400 League coins left, and he was satisfied.

Four hundred coins were just right—not too much, not too little. Earning this much was enough for Heath, who wasn't greedy. He had even considered using all 2,500 League coins to buy ingredients to ensure completing the task.

Back at Maple Jenny's dormitory, Heath borrowed the kitchen from the cafeteria lady with a smile and began preparing food for the prisoners.

For the sweet dishes, he made sweet and sour pork ribs, a popular dish with its tangy and sweet flavors. For spicy dishes, he prepared Mapo tofu and spicy chicken. Mild dishes included rib soup and chicken soup with rice.

"Phew, I still remember how to make seafood fried rice, but my seafood skills are a bit weak," Heath muttered, looking at the completed meal boxes. Fifty boxes, finally done.

Farfetch'd, with eyes shining, watched Heath eagerly. Heath laughed and tapped its head.

"What do you want to learn?" Heath asked, in a good mood, grateful for Farfetch'd's excellent knife skills, which had been a great help.

(End of Chapter)