Chapter Forty: What One Can Do

Heath abruptly lifted his head, and in that instant, he saw a burst of searing flames erupt in the distance to his right, swiftly followed by a plume of black smoke spiraling into the sky.

“Damn! That’s the Evergreen Chemical Plant! Everyone, move out now!” Junsha Maple shot to her feet, her expression grave as she gazed at the inferno. She shouted the order, then released her Arcanine, leaping onto its back and racing away at full speed.

The other Officer Junshas, who had just been laughing and joking, bantering and teasing each other, instantly set aside their barbecue and beers. They called out their Growlithes and Arcanines, swiftly chasing after Junsha Maple. In a matter of moments, the entire lively barbecue party was deserted, leaving only Heath standing inside the food truck.

Heath let out a sigh, took off his apron, and placed it in the truck. Then, accompanied by Farfetch’d and Zorua, he stepped outside.

“Trainer, what just happened?” Zorua asked curiously, glancing at Heath and then at the now-deserted grounds, her voice tinged with confusion.

“There was an explosion just now. Maple and the others have gone to help,” Heath replied, eyeing the raging flames in the distance. It seemed fated to be a sleepless night, and there was little he could do.

Heath recalled Junsha Maple telling him more than once that everyone has their own role in society. Rather than blindly intervening in a field you know nothing about, it’s better to focus on doing your own job as well as you possibly can.

He glanced down at his hands. There was no way he could rush into a burning factory to rescue people. Even though Farfetch’d possessed a protective ability, the risks posed by the flames and collapsing structures of a chemical plant were immense. Heath wasn’t willing to let his partner face such dangers.

Clenching his fists, Heath reminded himself that there were professionals responsible for the rescue operation. He was just an ordinary person—a chef, at that. What could he do to help?

“In the end, I suppose I’m destined to remain a chef,” Heath muttered with a wry smile. There were still some supplies left in the food truck, but certainly not enough.

He stepped into the truck, his only worry being that he didn’t know how to drive it. Fortunately, as soon as he entered the driver’s cabin, he discovered—much to his surprise—that it was equipped with an autopilot system. Relieved, he decided to place his hopes in that feature.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t malfunction like that one notorious brand,” he murmured anxiously, pressing the autopilot button. The food truck roared to life and slowly pulled away from its spot.

A route map appeared on the screen in the cab. After a moment’s hesitation, Heath set the destination to a nearby produce market he remembered stayed open until around eleven at night.

Before long, the food truck was speeding toward the chosen destination. Inside, Heath and Farfetch’d were busy prepping the remaining ingredients, while Zorua quietly helped wash vegetables, determined to contribute in her own way.

When the truck finally stopped, Heath flung open the door and jumped out, finding Uncle Luoshu standing nearby, watching the distant flames with a worried expression.

“Uncle Luoshu!” Heath called out. Only then did the older man turn, clearly surprised to see Heath there.

“Heath, what are you doing here?” Uncle Luoshu glanced from Heath to the inferno beyond.

“I’m here to buy ingredients! Please, I need these.” Heath handed over a list he’d prepared while on the road. Uncle Luoshu scanned it, his brow furrowing as if trying to make sense of Heath’s intentions.

“You’re planning to…” Uncle Luoshu began, but seeing his hesitation, Heath quickly explained his idea. In the end, he left with a truckload of supplies.

Uncle Luoshu clapped Heath warmly on the shoulder and, confessing that he was too old to cook, entrusted Heath with the task of feeding the rescue workers. Heath readily accepted, then set the navigation to a spot near the chemical plant. The fish and meat Uncle Luoshu had provided saved him a great deal of effort.

When he arrived near the disaster site, however, he was stopped.

“Heath, what are you doing here?” Junsha Ling eyed him coldly, her face smeared with soot and her uniform riddled with burn holes.

Heath peered past her. Dozens of Water-type Pokémon were dousing the flames with various moves, and Flying-types swooped overhead. Officer Junshas, Nurse Joys, and local firefighters were all hard at work.

“I want to serve the rescue workers a hot meal,” Heath said with unwavering resolve.

Junsha Ling was taken aback, but then a faint smile touched her lips before she shook her head.

“Captain Maple gave strict orders: no civilians beyond this line, understood?” She pointed to the police tape barring entry to the area. Her tone was firm.

Heath smiled knowingly. In other words, as long as he stayed outside the line, he was free to act as he pleased. He nodded cheerfully. Junsha Ling nodded back and returned to her post.

Heath parked the food truck just outside the perimeter and got to work preparing the ingredients. There wasn’t much he could do, but he was determined to help however he could, to offer the rescuers something of value.

As he finished prepping and set the ingredients aside, he glanced out at the growing crowd. People from all over Evergreen City had gathered—office workers, trainers, even clerks from the local Poké Mart—all watching the stubborn blaze with concern.

A few trainers offered to help, but Junsha Ling turned them all away. Only League personnel were allowed inside.

Those who presented their Gym Trainer credentials, however, were permitted to enter. Most of them had Ground-type Pokémon, and under Giovanni’s leadership, they too contributed to the relief efforts.

“Mr. Giovanni truly is a good man. I heard he rushed to the scene right after the explosion and even his Nidoking got burned.” The surrounding crowd’s chatter made Heath touch his nose thoughtfully.

Giovanni—a truly enigmatic figure.