Pokémon: Chef Trainer

"Hey, Heath, do you have that, uh… those pancake roll? Give me one."

The bustling city of Viridian was already bathed in the golden glow of sunset. Despite wrapping up his business day, Heath still happily served his customer with a smile.

"Uncle Arning, working overtime again?" Heath skillfully spread batter on the iron griddle while chatting.

"Heh, yeah. It's that time of year again when those rich kids come by to pick up their starter Pokémon. I've been swamped lately, didn't even have time for dinner." Arning rubbed his hands together, breathing into them for warmth.

Heath glanced enviously at the Poké Ball on Arning's belt—the most enticing part of this world. But as he thought of his meager wallet, his gaze dimmed.

"Here's your pancake roll, Uncle Arning. Twelve League coins!" Heath handed over the piping hot snack and carefully pocketed the bills Arning passed to him.

Watching Arning munching away while leaving, Heath began to pack up his stall. He didn't want to get caught by Officer Jenny—it'd spell trouble.

As he pushed his food cart through the less-traveled parts of the city, Heath sighed, observing the occasional passersby and Pokémon of various forms.

Heath was a transmigrator. Just like in those cliché novels, one day he woke up to find himself in this strange world. The good news? He became younger, with his body reverting to that of a 13-year-old. The bad news? He was now an orphan.

His parents had died in a car accident, leaving him with nothing but a sizeable debt. To pay it off, young Heath had no choice but to start working odd jobs.

Fortunately, Heath had been a decent chef in his previous life. After arriving in this world, he managed to make a living. His tragic backstory, combined with his reasonably good looks, earned the sympathy of a kind-hearted Officer Jenny.

It was after winning over Officer Jenny Rose with his delicious pancake roll that Heath managed to start his small food stall. Four years had passed since then.

"With today's earnings… I should be able to pay off the rest of my parents' debt and still have 100 League coins left over. Maybe I can buy a basic Poké Ball." Heath glanced at his nearly empty wallet and sighed.

Heath wanted to be a Pokémon Trainer. After all, who wouldn't want that life when they find themselves in the Pokémon world?

But the cost of starter Pokémon, which often ran into the thousands or even tens of thousands, was far beyond what Heath could afford. With debt hanging over his head, he had no choice but to bury that dream deep in his heart.

"Farfetch'd!"

A familiar voice snapped Heath out of his thoughts. He instinctively raised his wok as a shield to protect his ingredients and looked over to the side.

Sure enough, a Farfetch'd holding a leek in its wing was staring at him with shining eyes.

"Farfetch'd, you're trying to freeload again?" Heath chuckled wryly at the sight.

Over the past four years, aside from growing more mature, Heath's biggest accomplishment was befriending this clever, self-sufficient Farfetch'd.

Farfetch'd, a Pokémon so tragically hunted for its delicious meat and the leek it carried, had nearly gone extinct at one point. The Indigo League eventually passed regulations to protect the species. Even so, encountering a wild Farfetch'd remained rare.

This particular Farfetch'd, however, had taken a liking to Heath's cooking and frequently visited his stall for freebies. It was smart and full of personality, though its greed sometimes pushed its luck. Heath had even caught it trying to trick him with an ordinary leek once.

"Faaarr~fetch'd!" Farfetch'd cheerfully waved its prized leek. The secluded part of Viridian was safe enough that the Pokémon didn't worry about being spotted.

"You've freeloaded ten pancake roll from me already! You keep saying, 'Next time, next time.' If you don't hand over that leek, don't even think about eating this time." Heath squinted at the Pokémon.

Not all Pokémon were innocent, naïve creatures. This Farfetch'd was a crafty one.

"Far…fetch'd…" Farfetch'd glanced reluctantly at the leek in its wing, its expression torn.

It hesitated, looking at Heath's cart and swallowing hard. After tasting Heath's cooking, it simply couldn't forget the flavor.

"Farfetch'd…" With a heavy heart, it placed its leek on Heath's cart.

Satisfied, Heath picked it up. The leek was an excellent ingredient—by Heath's culinary standards, it was the Lamborghini of leeks, with unmatched taste and quality.

Having secured the leek, Heath began preparing the pancake roll for Farfetch'd. Before long, a steaming hot snack was ready.

Farfetch'd eagerly grabbed the food, blew on it a few times, and started eating.

Resting his chin in his hand, Heath watched the Pokémon wag its tail in delight—a behavior that reminded him of a happy dog.

"Pokémon are amazing…" Heath sighed, patting his wallet. With his debt finally cleared, he felt a weight lifted off his shoulders. The dream he had buried deep within now seemed within reach.

Obtaining a starter Pokémon could happen in three ways: purchase, gift, or self-capture.

Buying one was out of the question—too expensive. As for being gifted one…

Heath doubted anyone would be that generous. That left capturing one himself.

"Farfetch'd, would you like to become my Pokémon?" Heath asked cautiously.

"?" Farfetch'd tilted its head, its eyes filled with confusion.

"Will you be my Pokémon?" Heath repeated.

Farfetch'd hesitated before shaking its head.

"I'll make you unlimited pancake rolli! And I've got plenty of other delicious recipes you haven't tried yet!" Heath sweetened the deal.

Farfetch'd froze for a moment before slapping its wing on Heath's hand, nodding resolutely.

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