Chapter 121: The Visit of the Flame Emperor

"Come, line up to collect them; the flavors are all randomized."

Those with hands were handed them directly, while those without used their mouths to take them.

For example, an Arbok would simply bite down on the offered treat and leave, politely nodding in thanks before departing.

Grass-type Pokémon that knew Vine Whip had it even easier, though there were also some truly heavyweight participants.

Zhu Suihan looked at the Gulpin in front of him, who remained in a squinting state despite its mouth being wide open, and instinctively stuffed a malasada into it.

The Gulpin swallowed the treat while maintaining its squint, gave a nod—or more accurately, a bob of its entire body—and shuffled away, slow and leisurely.

Other Pokémon nodded to thank him for the meal, but this one’s method of expression had clearly reached its final evolutionary stage.

*Thank you for the treat.*

In the time it took to nod, it had likely already digested the entire malasada.

"Pokémon are truly fascinating creatures."

There was also a Dodrio, which occasionally ran down from the mountain behind the school to guest-star as a one-man school bus, now arguing with a Nurse Joy over which head should get to carry away a malasada.

Zhu Suihan silently stepped in, exerting a slight pressure to intimidate the Dodrio before cleanly slicing the treat into three pieces and handing them over.

"Don't throw a tantrum, be good."

The Dodrio became instantly obedient, clutching its malasadas and retreating at light speed.

Once the distribution was finished, the club president watched the departing backs of the Pokémon, unable to help but smile. The innocent emotional expressions of Pokémon were always infectious to those around them.

"Nazo, Nazo!"

An Oddish hopped onto Zhu Suihan’s shoulder and decided to tease him with its leaves. It had figured out that this generous, kind-hearted human was ticklish!

"Are you trying to bring one for Scyther?"

"Nazo!"

*Yes, I want to bring one for my benefactor, my senior!*

The Oddish tried its best to widen its little eyes, making itself look as cute and expectant as possible. Back when it used to come down from the mountain to trick humans into giving it food, this move was the most effective!

"Scyther becoming the senior of an Oddish..."

From the perspective of type effectiveness, it was a bit like a Mega Altaria—a master of being a type traitor. But that was how reality worked; you could never predict how bonds would manifest.

Scyther probably never expected such a dunderheaded Oddish to exist, though it was also possible that its own passive ability of being ignored was just too strong.

Zhu Suihan handed the last malasada to the Oddish, which tightened the leaves on its head to ensure the delicious treat wouldn't fall to the ground.

"Student Suihan, you really like Pokémon, don't you?" The president walked over. "And it’s not just the ordinary kind of liking; it’s a special kind."

There were people who hated Pokémon and people who liked them, but she found someone like Zhu Suihan to be quite rare. She always felt he was much more at ease dealing with Pokémon than with people.

"Yeah, I quite like them." Zhu Suihan asked, "President, does our Cooking Club have any special activities, or is it always just culinary exchanges like this?"

"We do have some, though our next off-campus club activity might take a while." The president smiled. "Don't let our small size fool you; we’ve achieved good results whenever we’ve participated in cooking competitions."

"Your cooking skills might not compare to true culinary masters, but your speed in handling raw materials and the quality of your finished products are absolutely top-tier."

"When the cooking competition starts, I’ll be counting on your help."

The white-haired young man raised an eyebrow. "When exactly is the cooking competition?"

"Before the Indigo Plateau Conference. The location is usually Saffron City or Celadon City. That way, after the cooking competition, people can follow the tourist route to reach Viridian City and finally arrive at the League Conference." The president explained, "It’s a kind of marketing strategy. The start of the cooking competition is actually a signal—a reminder to everyone who loves battles that they can arrange their work and get ready to go watch the matches in person."

There were many people in the Pokémon world who loved watching matches; few would refuse such a major regional event.

Let’s put it this way: corporations and businesses in the Pokémon world had one advantage that his past life could never compare to—if you requested leave, it was always approved, and in special circumstances, you’d even get a subsidy.

Worried your boss wouldn't approve your leave to go watch a battle? No problem, the boss would organize the staff and charter a plane to take everyone to watch it live.

"Other cooking contests are held in various places, but for cooking enthusiasts in Kanto and Johto, the most prestigious and grandest one is the one right before the League Conference."

Zhu Suihan was thoughtful.

Saffron or Celadon City, huh?

He hoped for Saffron City. That way, he could stop by the Saffron Gym on the way to get a "recharge" from Sabrina. Although his ancestors taught him not to keep shearing the same sheep, the problem was that she was the only high-tier psychic he knew.

*Hmm, let’s broaden my perspective—can all psychic powers charge me up?*

The image of a red-haired Dragon Master surfaced in his mind.

*Two types of special powers that don't lose to psychic abilities... Lance, you brat, you should be able to last longer than Sabrina, right?*

*Hang in there, little brother who loves Dragon-type Pokémon!*

"Thank you, President, I will definitely participate when the time comes."

The president laughed. "With your help, we can focus even more on the cooking. Of course, there’s no problem if you want to compete yourself; the initial selection rounds aren't that difficult."

*I see, go up and beat some newbies to boost my reputation, a "skin-flexing" match in esports terms, is it? I’m familiar with that.*

After cleaning up the cooking classroom, Zhu Suihan waved goodbye to the club members, carrying several large trash bags on his shoulders. It was his suggestion to let the Pokémon have a malasada, so it stood to reason that he shouldn't burden the other members with the food waste.

Ten minutes later, a Garbodor carrying a flag with a giant trash can painted on it arrived, followed by a group of Grimer holding trash bags of various sizes. They were the most efficient and eco-friendly waste management department at the Joy Academy.

*I might consider trading for some venom or something from them if I ever plan to truly poison a villain.*

"It’s all food waste, no glass or metal scraps." Zhu Suihan told the Garbodor the nature of the trash. After it nodded, a Grimer waddled over, took all the bags from him, and the group departed.

"How convenient."

Zhu Suihan shoved his hands into his pockets, watching the Garbodor waste disposal team leave. If there weren't strange villains stirring up trouble, the Pokémon world in the League era might truly be a world that achieved "Great Harmony."

Death existed, but it wasn't born of war or infighting.

"The tracks left by an Onix are often inhabited by Diglett, and the land further plowed by the Diglett makes the soil more fertile."

The cycle of nature had its own rhythm before the legendary Pokémon stepped in to intervene. With explosively generous resources and a League dedicated to peace, Zhu Suihan rested his chin on his hand, contemplating as he headed toward the Great Lake.

"That’s why that old wretch Ghetsis must be taken down."

If Archie and Maxie still had the potential to have their thinking corrected and become pivotal figures, Ghetsis was beyond salvation. He was a pure scoundrel, and a stubborn one at that.

If the promoter of the Unova League’s "Bottle Program" was truly Alder, then what he wanted to do was simple.

*I don't need your Opelucid City DNA Splicers, but I do need you to secretly investigate the Plasma Team issue, as well as the true intentions of those Pokémon who were supposedly released but actually abandoned. Simple, right?*

He didn't need to take down Ghetsis in one go; as long as the true wishes of the abandoned Pokémon were compiled, the Plasma Team would have no choice but to be branded as a dark organization.

"The three dragons... heh, I’ve only ever seen the two-dragon form before." Zhu Suihan smiled. "I’m looking forward to seeing what kind of power and form the true 'Dragon of Truth' actually has."

"The dish I learned today is really interesting. I bought all the ingredients anyway, so let’s have malasadas for a late-night snack." Zhu Suihan stroked the Lapras’s head. "You can tell me in advance what kind of fillings you want; I can prepare anything."

"Whether it's a burger patty made of tail meat and claw meat seasoned with egg, or jam and milk, I can make it if you want."

The Lapras thought for a moment. "Woo-woo?"

*Is there an ice-cube filling?*

"That’s difficult, but I can try." Zhu Suihan said. "I can prepare a filling made of milk and fruit juice, freeze it, and then let the ice heat up during the malasada frying process."

"That way, the melted juice will add a layer of flavor to the soft bread, and when the filling hits your mouth, it will still be icy and cool. It would certainly be a unique experience."

"Melo-etta!"

*I want to add my own cream to make it a Fairy bread!*

"That’s even easier, don't worry." Zhu Suihan opened the courtyard gate. "Fairy bread can be made directly in the dough, so you can think about what fillings you’d like."

As the gate opened, a majestic Pokémon stood inside. The smoke clouds on its back and the deep brown fur covering its body revealed the name of the visitor.

One of the three legendary beasts: Entei.

The family of three: "?"

"First, I’ll rule out the possibility of someone daring to play illusions in my home."

Zhu Suihan took out a Heavy Ball, ready to throw it. "As a member of Ho-Oh’s guard, I believe you should be able to catch one of my balls, right Entei?"

"Although I might end up imitating the actions of a certain dog, I would prefer to evaluate your HP bar."

[Please forgive me. If I had politely knocked on your door, it seems it would have brought you some unnecessary trouble.]

[So I had no choice but to wait in your courtyard, but I did not enter your home.]

"Haha, just a joke. Your way of communicating has at least proven your identity." Zhu Suihan laughed heartily. "Have you eaten? No, wait, how about you eat one more bite? I happen to be preparing some snacks."

Entei was silent for a moment, the smoke clouds on its back swirling as they carried something black onto the table.

[I think you might like this.]

The family of three was once again full of question marks.

What had been ejected from the smoke on Entei’s back was a frying pan, with colorful flame patterns on the bottom.