Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Jigglypuff Who Wants to Be an Idol

“Pudding?” Jigglypuff stared at Heath in confusion, clearly having no idea what new breakfast item he was talking about.

“It’s this one—special offer, ten bucks a serving.” Heath smiled warmly, pointing to the sign beside him, then patiently explained to Jigglypuff what pudding was.

Jigglypuff seemed hesitant. Heath wasn’t in any rush, but after a moment, she shook her head. It looked like she still wanted her usual jianbing. Heath had no intention of forcing her to choose otherwise, so he simply turned to prepare her favorite breakfast.

Heath had met Jigglypuff about a year and a half ago. Back then, as he was setting up his stall, he’d spotted a weary Jigglypuff slowly emerging from a nightclub. It was the first time Heath had seen a Pokémon visit a human nightclub, so his curiosity was piqued. Jigglypuff noticed his gaze, and soon the aroma of his jianbing caught her attention.

Since then, Heath had gained a loyal customer. After every singing engagement at the club, Jigglypuff would stop by for a jianbing to fill her belly. Though Jigglypuff was adorable, the path of an idol was a difficult one.

Not to mention opponents like Primarina and Altaria—both gifted singers—there were also plenty of Pokémon in Celadon City pursuing idol careers.

Heath didn’t find Pokémon idols particularly strange anymore; though he’d been surprised at first, now he could treat them calmly.

Being an idol was a career that thrived on fame, and Jigglypuff was still an unknown. Fortunately, she had a lovely singing voice and didn’t send people to sleep the moment she started singing, as the cartoons portrayed.

“Did you gain any new fans today?” Heath chatted with Jigglypuff as he made her jianbing.

“Puff…” Heath couldn’t understand her words, but from her look and tone, he could guess things hadn’t gone well for her today.

He flipped the jianbing, squeezed on a generous amount of ketchup—Jigglypuff’s favorite, much like Zorua’s—and handed it to her.

“Keep at it, Jigglypuff! I can’t wait to show off your first autograph one day.” Heath waved a small sign, smiling, and Jigglypuff nodded happily before hopping away.

“What’s an idol?” Zorua asked curiously, watching Jigglypuff’s bouncing departure.

“It’s a glamorous job, but also exhausting and fiercely competitive,” Heath summarized simply, then pulled out his copy of “Celadon City Exam Papers,” quietly leafing through it.

Heath wasn’t sure if Jigglypuff would ever stand out in the harsh idol world, but he hoped to see her one day on the grand stage of the Kanto League’s biggest concert, winning over every fan.

[You served Jigglypuff. You received the Dream Microphone.]

Heath paused, puzzled by this bizarre reward. He patted his pocket—nothing there. Apparently, it hadn’t appeared on him.

He rummaged through the cupboard and soon spotted the strange item.

[Dream Microphone: With this microphone in hand, you are the savior of all insomniacs. (Please refrain from using it for dubious purposes.)]

Heath’s lips twitched. What on earth did that parenthetical warning mean? Was he the sort to hypnotize people and do as he pleased?

Still, holding the microphone, Heath thought it might actually be a remarkable tool—likely capable of lullaby-like effects, perfect for those who struggle to sleep.

What pleased Heath even more was that his Chef’s Eye quest had progressed by one more. He felt the day he’d complete it was fast approaching.

“I just hope I can pass the first exam smoothly. Then there’s the second, third, and fourth… Hopefully the exam content won’t be too outlandish.” Heath sighed and went back to his book.

“Heath, you’ve got a new breakfast item?” Giovanni appeared again. Heath put down his book, studying Giovanni curiously—didn’t he have a lot of work to do?

“Yes, Mr. Giovanni, today there’s a new special: Crispy Beef Noodles. Would you like to try it?” Heath smiled and asked. Business was business, after all.

“I’ll try it. Extra chili, please—I like it spicy.” Giovanni immediately produced some cash and handed it over.

Heath smiled, accepted the payment, and then prepared a steaming bowl of crispy beef noodles for Giovanni, piling on the beef as was his custom.

“Mr. Giovanni, by the way, did Elite Lance’s investigation from last time turn up anything?” Heath recalled seeing the Flying—no, Dragon-type Elite, Lance.

“Elite Lance? He came to investigate and then left. The incident was just a chemical plant worker’s own mishap—nothing suspicious,” Giovanni replied after a brief pause.

Heath nodded. He’d thought Lance was specifically looking into Team Rocket. Come to think of it, when did Lance actually discover that Giovanni was Team Rocket’s boss?

Watching Giovanni slurp noodles in front of him, Heath guessed that must be something for the future. Right now, Giovanni hadn’t yet grown so brazen as to neglect his gym leader duties.

“Mr. Giovanni, do you know what Pallet Town’s specialty is?” Heath inquired curiously.

“Pallet Town? Its specialty? Would Professor Oak’s Pokémon count?” Giovanni chuckled; mention of Pallet Town brought the formidable Professor Oak to mind.

Recently, Team Rocket had avoided both Pallet Town and Celadon City. Celadon was Giovanni’s base, so there was no Team Rocket activity there. Pallet Town was off-limits simply because of Professor Oak.

Few knew Professor Oak’s true strength, but Giovanni was well aware: the professor was on par with the Elites. Though, with the passage of time, it’s uncertain if he’s still so strong.

Heath couldn’t help but laugh. He couldn’t exactly go to Professor Oak and buy a Pokémon to cook, could he? He’d probably get himself punched.

“I meant ingredients, Mr. Giovanni,” Heath hurriedly clarified—he had no intention of finding out what cooked Pokémon tasted like.

“Oh, ingredients?” Giovanni looked at Heath, exasperated. “You should have said so from the start.”