Chapter Forty-Six: Spicy Chicken Rice Bowl

“Mr. Kade, you’re truly amazing.” Heath wiped the tears from the corners of his eyes; whenever he laughed heartily, tears would spill over.

“Of course, my friend. My Alakazam can foresee the future, after all,” Kade replied with a gentle smile, his demeanor that of a wise elder. In truth, Kade was indeed quite advanced in years—Heath had heard from Sister Maple that Kade was already over a hundred years old.

Kade then explained the use of the stone nectar: when smeared on rocks or stone walls, it attracted Rock-type and Ground-type Pokémon.

“Well then… do you have any spicy chicken rice bowls?” After finishing his explanation, Kade rubbed his belly and asked with a good-natured grin.

Heath nodded. He hadn’t sold spicy chicken rice bowls before, but he could certainly make one. It would also be a good opportunity to see if his culinary skills had grown rusty.

Heath quickly fetched a chicken, and had Farfetch’d use a kitchen knife to slice the meat into medium-sized pieces along the grain. Then, he diced some potatoes while Heath busied himself mixing the sauces.

The simplest way to make spicy chicken was to stir-fry chicken pieces directly with dried chilies. The advantage was its ease and speed, but the taste could be polarizing—not everyone enjoyed such heat or the flavor of chilies. Heath, however, intended to make a different version for Kade: still spicy, but with a richer, more layered flavor.

“If only I had some doubanjiang,” Heath sighed to himself. With that fermented bean paste, the dish would be perfect.

“Doubanjiang? What’s that?” Kade asked, curiosity piqued. For an Alakazam, nothing was more fascinating than novelty, and this “doubanjiang” was entirely new to him.

“It’s… a very salty sauce,” Heath pondered how best to explain it to a Pokémon. “If you use it in spicy chicken, the flavor becomes much better.”

Kade’s expression was a blend of confusion and half-understanding. Heath’s face shifted, and he quickly lowered his head, pretending to be wholly engrossed in cooking—a move that made Kade, who was about to ask more, close his mouth.

Heath knew Kade too well. Encountering anything unfamiliar, he wouldn’t rest until his curiosity was satisfied. To avoid becoming an ambassador of Huaxia cuisine to the Pokémon world, Heath wisely chose to dodge further questions.

Soon, Heath placed a steaming bowl of spicy chicken rice in front of Alakazam. Watching Kade scoop up the meal, Heath realized something: though he now had a food truck, he hadn’t provided any seating for his customers. He’d need to visit the furniture store later and pick up some portable tables and chairs.

Meanwhile, Kade took a spoonful, combining a piece of potato and some rice, and popped it into his mouth. A savory aroma immediately filled his senses, followed by a punch of heat that made him stick out his tongue.

Not bad—this was Kade’s verdict after tasting the potato.

He took another spoonful, this time with chicken and rice. His eyes widened in surprise—the chicken was exceptional.

Heath’s spicy chicken differed from the usual kind in subtle ways. Typically, the chicken was deep-fried until quite dry, which added aroma but not much else. Heath’s version, however, was tender and juicy. The savory sauce melded with the meat, and a wave of heat followed, balancing out the tendency for the larger pieces to lack flavor.

The rice neutralized any excess saltiness, and Kade finished his meal in no time.

“Whew… goodness, Heath, what will I do once you leave on your journey?” Kade bemoaned, looking genuinely troubled. Heath couldn’t help but laugh at the scene.

Still, as he looked out over bustling, familiar Viridian City, a pang of reluctance tugged at him. It was never easy to leave one’s home behind. Despite being a traveler from another world, Viridian City held all of Heath’s memories, friends, and family in this life.

“We’ll meet again, I’m sure,” Heath said with a smile, nodding as he pondered whether his next destination would be Pallet Town or Pewter City.

He was curious about what unique ingredients the so-called “golden finger” had referred to in each city. If Viridian’s was the Evergreen Fruit, what would Pallet Town’s specialty be?

This curiosity, along with the promise of new adventures and the unknown, eased his reluctance to part with home.

“That’s true,” Kade brightened. “Oh, and Heath, if you find yourself in another city with a post office, just tell the Alakazam there my name—they’ll help deliver your meals to me.”

Heath was momentarily stunned—goodness, each delivery cost hundreds of League coins. Kade was really willing to go all out for his cooking.

Still, the thought filled Heath with pride; his food was held in such high esteem by someone like Kade.

“Mr. Kade, you’re really generous. But if I end up in Lavender Town or somewhere even farther, the delivery fees would be astronomical,” Heath couldn’t help but remark.

“You see, Heath, you still don’t know—among us Alakazam, sending things requires no delivery fee at all.” Kade gave him a peculiar look and waved as he departed.

Heath was dumbfounded. So, they even used their official powers for their private cravings?

With a helpless smile and a shake of his head, Heath gathered up the empty dishes and headed off to wash them.

“Leek! Leek!” Farfetch’d poked Heath in the side with its wing, making him jump and nearly drop a plate on the Pokémon’s head.

“What is it now?” Heath glared at Farfetch’d. Didn’t it know a man’s kidneys were no laughing matter? He was only seventeen, but that didn’t mean he didn’t need them.

“Leek!” Farfetch’d waved its onion stalk, clearly trying to communicate something.

Heath scowled. He couldn’t understand Pokémon-speak, so he picked up the drowsy Zorua.

“Zorua, what’s Farfetch’d saying?” he asked.

“Hmph, foolish trainer, you have to ask me about something so simple?” Zorua turned away with a haughty flick of its tail, feigning indifference.

“You were eyeing the spicy chicken earlier, weren’t you? I’ll make you a portion in a bit.” Heath could only sigh, hoping his golden finger would soon provide him a way to communicate with Pokémon.

“Hmph! Don’t think you can bribe me with… with spicy chicken. But since you’re my trainer, I’ll help you out this time—just this once.” Zorua flicked its tail again, holding its head high in smug satisfaction.