Chapter Four: The Charming and Enchanting Villain

Seeing the bewildered expression on Musashi’s face, Heath hurriedly changed the topic. In truth, he found this version of Musashi much more pleasant to look at; he remained deeply curious how the Musashi from later on managed to style her hair into such a bizarre shape.

“Miss Musashi, would you like something to eat?” Heath asked with a cheerful smile. The last time he’d entertained her had been a few months ago.

“Of course, I’ll have the usual! But first, I’ll report back to the company, then come back to eat~” Musashi replied, her tone laced with longing for good food. Heath nodded knowingly, watching her ride off on her bicycle.

Musashi’s “usual” was dumplings. This was likely connected to the question she’d asked Heath the very first time he’d hosted her.

“Do you have any food here that, after eating, will let me go home?” she’d asked. Back then, Heath was still a naive young man and had never expected such a question.

“Well… where I come from, there’s a saying that when you go home, you must eat dumplings,” he had answered. From that day on, Musashi would frequently order dumplings from him.

Heath had never inquired about Musashi’s background. Although, in his previous life, he knew this adorable and charming villain duo, he couldn’t recall much about Musashi and Kojiro’s past. He only remembered Kojiro was from a wealthy family, while Musashi’s fate had been rather unfortunate.

None of this, however, stopped Heath from welcoming his guests.

Dumplings—one of the staple dishes in Huaxia cuisine—are sometimes considered a main course, other times a side, depending on the region. Heath believed dumplings belonged at the heart of a meal. Sometimes, when hunger struck late at night and he was too lazy to cook, a pot of frozen dumplings would suffice.

They were filling, too—a meal of dumplings could stave off hunger for hours, unless, of course, one possessed an extraordinary appetite.

In the world of Pokémon, however, dumplings were more often regarded as a side dish, commonly pan-fried. Though Heath enjoyed pan-fried dumplings, boiled dumplings suited his palate better. So, whenever he made dumplings for Musashi, he prepared them the traditional way—boiled.

Heath made simple chive and pork dumplings, quickly wrapping them and setting them aside, waiting for Musashi’s return before dropping them into boiling water. The water, however, he began heating in advance.

Soon enough, Musashi appeared. Heath placed the prepared dumplings into the roiling water and gently stirred them with a spoon to keep them from sticking together—a troublesome issue that could even compromise the flavor.

“How long do you plan on staying in Viridian City this time, Miss Musashi?” Heath asked, knowing her visits were brief and she was always on the move.

“No idea, it depends on the company’s arrangements…” Musashi yawned lazily, resting her head on the edge of Heath’s food cart.

“Miss Musashi, you’re always on business trips. I hardly ever see you,” Heath said, covering the pot and turning to prepare a dipping sauce for her dumplings.

Heath thought that once Musashi teamed up with Kojiro and Meowth, and encountered that eternally youthful, hat-wearing Pokémon Master, she finally found her true path. After all, Musashi had chased Ash across countless regions.

Even when Team Rocket had been utterly defeated, he couldn’t understand the trio’s persistence in following Ash—if that wasn’t true love, then what was?

“It’s not like I want to be sent on business trips all the time,” Musashi complained. “Honestly, I wanted to be a nurse. I even studied at the Chansey Nurse Academy!” Propping her chin on her hand, she gazed listlessly at the white dumplings bobbing in the pot.

Heath poured the prepared dipping sauce into a small container, then uncovered the pot to continue cooking. He’d heard this story from Musashi many times.

She didn’t seem to mind sharing her past, often laughing about her mishaps at Chansey Nurse Academy—like how every time Chansey sang to soothe injured Pokémon, Musashi herself would be lulled to sleep.

Because of this, Musashi never became a Pokémon nurse and eventually drifted into Team Rocket, where she finally found some stability.

“Miss Musashi, here are your dumplings. The damp southern winds are blowing in—it’s time to head home, or your house might suffer,” Heath said with a smile, packing the dumplings into a container and handing them over.

Clutching the box, Musashi gazed at the white dumplings, a bittersweet nostalgia flickering in her eyes.

“It really isn’t homecoming unless I eat dumplings made by you, Heath. Only then does life feel complete~” she said with a bright smile, paid the bill, and rode off happily.

Heath was momentarily stunned. After serving Musashi, he’d received a reward he’d never heard of before. He’d expected perhaps some candy or a different treat, but instead, he’d been given snow.

He patted his pockets—nothing. He checked the cupboard—still nothing. Only when he opened the fridge did he finally see the reward item.

A bottle filled with snow, packed tightly in a large glass jar; outwardly, it looked no different from ordinary snow.

Heath stared at the bottle in a daze. He sensed a connection between this snow and Musashi, though he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

“To perfectly recreate the greatest taste? If it’s what I think it is, that’s truly remarkable,” Heath mused, gazing at the bottle. It wasn’t very large, and he wondered how many times the snow inside could be used.

Some dishes, after all, could never be experienced at their peak again—like the legendary Goubuli buns of Huaxia, which were said to have once delighted even the discerning palate of Empress Dowager Cixi. But what did those best-ever Goubuli buns actually taste like?

No one could possibly know now. Yet, Heath realized he might finally have a chance—a chance to taste what was lost, perhaps even to recreate those vanished cuisines.

“What a… melancholy, and yet incredible thing,” Heath murmured, closing the fridge door. He wasn’t planning to use it just yet—he’d wait until everything was perfectly prepared before making the attempt.