Because he had successfully caught the Dolliv, Ange was in a very good mood on the way back.
After returning from the Middle Layer to the Upper Layer, he had Espathra slow its pace. They strolled back leisurely, taking in the scenery of Area Zero along the way.
The two Oinkologne walked in front, leading the Charcadet and Dolliv to look at this and that. From time to time, they dug up some novel items from the soil.
The two Dolliv had never had such an experience before and found it very interesting. They chattered away with the Oinkologne and Charcadet, their tones frequently filled with novelty and surprise. Even the lingering sorrow of parting from their kin had faded quite a bit.
As Ange and the others passed a slope, the two Oinkologne suddenly came sprinting over.
Honk honk~
Honk honk~
They cried out excitedly.
Having spent a lot of time with them, Ange knew they must have found something whenever they barked like that.
He jumped nimbly off Espathra's back, asking, "Did you find new ingredients again?"
Honk honk~
Honk honk~
The two Oinkologne nodded repeatedly, jumping and skipping happily. Finding new ingredients meant Ange would cook something delicious for them!
At that moment, the two Dolliv and the two Charcadet arrived, struggling to carry a pile of things that were nearly as long as they were.
Chaka~
Dolliv~
They held up the items in their arms to Ange, seeking praise for their contribution.
Ange squatted down and pulled one of the items from Charcadet's arms. He said in surprise, "Isn't this asparagus?"
Asparagus is the young seedling of the garden asparagus plant. Generally, it is only available in the temperate spring. Ange had not expected it to be growing in Area Zero at this time.
It truly was a magical place.
Ange stood up and raised his arms, calling out, "Come on, let's go pick asparagus! I'll make something delicious tonight!"
Honk honk~
Chaka~
Having already tasted Ange's cooking, the Oinkologne and Charcadet immediately began to cheer.
Although the Dolliv were confused, seeing the Oinkologne and Charcadet so happy made them cheer as well, raising their hands in excitement.
Following the Oinkologne to the spot where the asparagus grew, Ange immediately led everyone in harvesting.
While picking, Ange instructed the group, "Only pick the tender ones. Leave the old ones alone; they don't taste good when they're tough."
Many of the ones Charcadet and Dolliv had picked earlier were already too old.
"Brother Ange, look at this one. Is it okay?" Arven asked, bringing a freshly picked stalk over to show Ange.
Now that they were more familiar, Arven's form of address for Ange had shifted from "Your Highness" to "Brother Ange."
Ange pinched it; it was fresh and succulent. "This is fine," he said.
Hearing this, Arven happily clutched the asparagus in his hand.
Seeing this, the Dolliv and Charcadet also held up their freshly picked asparagus for Ange to see.
Chaka~ Look at mine.
Dolliv~ Look at mine too.
Ange inspected them and said, "They're fine, they're all fine. Dolliv and Charcadet are very capable!"
Chaka~
Dolliv~
Upon hearing this, Charcadet and Dolliv happily tucked the harvested asparagus under their armpits. Since they were small, this was the only way they could carry them.
In truth, this was Ange's first time picking asparagus himself. In his previous life, the asparagus he ate was bought from stores and was commercially grown.
"Everyone, pick the ones that are crisp and snap easily! If it's hard to break, don't pick it!" Ange shouted to the group.
"Understood!" Arven replied.
Chaka~ Oh!
Dolliv~ Understood!
There was quite a lot of asparagus on the slope, a sea of green where every stalk grew straight.
Snap, snap, snap~
One stalk after another was harvested by Ange and the others. If they didn't pick them now, they would grow tough. Ange bought a basket from the System Store on the fly, and before long, it was filled to the brim.
He decided to pick more to store in the System Backpack so the Pokemon back home could have a taste once they returned.
There was so much asparagus growing here that it was impossible to pick it all. Evening arrived quickly. Though they had filled a massive basket, they hadn't even finished a small fraction of the field.
Ange stood up, patted his aching knees, and clapped his hands. "Everyone, it's getting late. We should head back!"
Honk honk~
Chaka~
Dolliv~
...
Hearing this, the Pokemon ran to Ange's side, each clutching a pile of asparagus. The small faces of the two Dolliv were flushed red from the long hours of work, with beads of sweat hanging from their foreheads.
Arven returned closely behind with Mabosstiff. He had taken off his jacket and used it as a makeshift sack to carry a load of asparagus back.
Ange looked at his similarly flushed face and asked with a smile, "Are you tired?"
Arven shook his head. "Not tired!" Even if he was, the thought of the delicious meal tonight made the fatigue vanish. Furthermore, he was very much looking forward to continuing his culinary studies with Brother Ange.
After packing all the asparagus into the basket and storing it in the System Backpack, Ange said to everyone, "Let's head back!"
The two humans and the group of Pokemon made a grand return to Research Station No. 1.
The professors and researchers were still working, so the entire station was very quiet, save for the occasional cry of a Pokemon from nearby.
Ange summoned Munchlax, Diancie, and Drizzile from home.
"Have the Pokemon at home had dinner yet?" Ange asked.
Driz driz~
Drizzile gave Ange a thumbs-up, indicating that everyone had eaten.
Since Ange was away, the Pokemon could only have Pokemon Food for breakfast, but dinner was still prepared by Munchlax and Drizzile. This allowed Ange to continue earning Happiness Points.
"Very good," Ange said. "Then let's prepare our dinner as well."
So, everyone worked together to set up tables and chairs on the grass outside and began preparing the meal.
The exterior of the research station had lights, so they didn't have to worry about not being able to see after dark.
Ange took out the Veluza meat left over from yesterday and asked his two disciples, "Munchlax, Drizzile, could you please make some fish balls and cook a fish ball soup?"
Munch~ Leave it to me.
Driz driz~ No problem!
Munchlax and Drizzile replied in unison.
Next, Ange looked at Arven and asked, "Arven, could you help by cooking the rice?"
"Can I really do it?" Arven asked hesitantly.
Ange nodded to encourage him. "You definitely can. Didn't Munchlax teach you at noon? Be confident. If there's anything you don't understand, ask me anytime. Cooking rice isn't hard."
With Ange's encouragement, Arven gained confidence. He nodded vigorously and began to recall Munchlax's steps from noon, getting to work carefully.
Behind him, Mabosstiff watched the energetic Arven and couldn't help but show a kind smile.
Mabosstiff was a Pokemon the two professors had given to Arven. It had been with him since it was a Maschiff, so it had essentially watched Arven grow up.
Due to their work, the two professors had very limited time to spend with Arven. Conversely, Mabosstiff had always stayed by his side, from his first words to the teenager he was now.
Since it couldn't help with the chores, Mabosstiff lay down on the grass nearby, resting its head on its front paws. It watched the busy Arven without blinking, its mouth curling up unconsciously.
Meanwhile, Ange prepared to cook the asparagus.
Remembering that he had some fresh shrimp stored in his System Backpack, Ange decided to use them with the asparagus to make a dish of Sautéed Asparagus with Shrimp.
After washing the asparagus and setting it aside, Ange processed the fresh shrimp. He removed the shells and veins, leaving only the shrimp meat, and washed them clean.
These shrimp were from Nebel Lake. The meat was fresh and transparent without a hint of fishiness, representing top-tier quality.
First, he marinated the shrimp.
He placed the shrimp in a bowl, added appropriate amounts of salt, cooking wine, and white pepper, then stirred them evenly and set them aside.
Second, he blanched the asparagus.
"Charcadet, I'm counting on you," Ange said to the crybaby Charcadet.
Chaka~
After responding, the crybaby Charcadet squatted obediently under the rack. Flames erupted from its body, and in no time, a pot of water was boiling.
During the boiling process, Ange had already cut the tender asparagus diagonally into segments.
The two Dolliv stood on the table, watching Ange cook with curiosity. Ange warned them, "Don't stand too close. Be careful not to get splashed by the hot water."
Dolliv~
Dolliv~
Upon hearing this, the two Dolliv quickly stepped back.
Ange nodded in satisfaction, then placed the asparagus segments into the hot water with a pinch of salt.
Blanching makes the asparagus brighter, preserving its emerald green color, and keeps the texture crisp. However, one must be careful not to blanch it for too long, or the texture will be ruined.
After draining the blanched asparagus, it was time for the stir-fry.
Ange took out a small bowl and placed it in front of one of the Dolliv. "Dolliv, could you give me a little oil?"
Dolliv~
Dolliv nodded happily and aimed one of the fruits on its head at the small bowl. A stream of golden oil poured into the bowl with a splashing sound, and a unique fragrance immediately filled the air.
"That's enough! That's enough!"
The small bowl was filled quickly, and Ange hurried to tell Dolliv to stop.
Setting the bowl aside, Ange took out an oil bottle and placed it before the two Dolliv.
"You can pour your stored oil into this bottle."
Dolliv produce oil through photosynthesis. When food is scarce, they consume this stored oil to replenish their strength.
Now that the two Dolliv were following Ange, they would never have to go hungry again. Therefore, they could drain their stored oil and continue producing fresh oil through photosynthesis.
If the stored oil isn't discharged, they cannot continue production, which would be a waste.
Dolliv~
Dolliv~
The two Dolliv nodded, hugged the oil bottle together, moved to the side, and began filling it.
Withdrawing his gaze from the Dolliv, Ange looked at the crybaby Charcadet and said, "I'll have to trouble you again!"
Chaka~
The crybaby Charcadet quickly got under another pot and soon heated it up.
Ange poured the Dolliv oil into the hot pot. As the oil heated, its unique fragrance became even more intense. For a moment, the two Oinkologne, Espathra, Mabosstiff, and Diancie—who was setting the table—all looked over.
As expected of Dolliv oil. No wonder it was highly praised in the outside world; it was truly fragrant!
If Dolliv oil was already this aromatic, Ange could hardly imagine how fragrant Arboliva oil would be.
He truly looked forward to the day the Dolliv evolved into Arboliva!
With a sizzle, Ange added minced garlic, ginger, and other seasonings into the pot for a quick sauté. The aroma became even more intense and domineering.
Dolliv oil could fully release the fragrance of other ingredients; ordinary oil simply couldn't compare!
Next, after pouring the marinated shrimp into the pot, Ange asked, "Charcadet, can you turn up the heat?"
The shrimp needed a high-heat stir-fry.
Chaka~
The crybaby Charcadet responded, and the flames on its body surged. The sizzling sound in the pot became even more pronounced. Ange tossed the shrimp rapidly until they changed color, then added the blanched asparagus to the pot for a combined stir-fry.
Finally, he added some light soy sauce, MSG, and other seasonings. The fragrant Sautéed Asparagus with Shrimp was ready.
"Charcadet, you can come out now!" Ange said to the Charcadet under the pot rack.
Chaka~
Charcadet responded and walked out, only to see Ange offering a piece of asparagus to its mouth with chopsticks.
"Come, help me taste it."
"Ah~~"
The crybaby Charcadet opened its mouth and swallowed the asparagus in one go. Crunch, crunch~ it chewed. The crisp texture and unique flavor made it unable to stop.
(ˊ〇ˋ*) It opened its mouth again, wanting another bite. Ange patted its forehead and said, "Eat more when the meal starts."
The crybaby Charcadet looked disappointed upon hearing this.
At that moment, the two Dolliv carried over the filled oil bottle, looking at Ange expectantly.
"Thank you for your hard work!" Ange took the oil bottle and set it aside, then fed them each a piece of the freshly cooked dish.
This was the first time the Dolliv had eaten human food. The impact of the cuisine was incredibly strong, surging straight to their heads. Their bodies trembled from the stimulation, and their taste buds felt like they were at a dance party under the influence of the rich aroma.
Dolliv~
Dolliv~
The two Dolliv excitedly held hands and ran in circles on the table.
"Does it taste good?" Ange asked with a smile.
Dolliv~
Dolliv~
The two Dolliv squinted their eyes, cupped their cheeks with their hands, and nodded continuously.
"I'm glad you like it," Ange said. "You'll have many more opportunities to eat delicious food in the future."
The two Dolliv happily spun in circles holding hands again.
After the asparagus was done, the three masters and disciples proceeded to make Tomato and Scrambled Eggs, Sautéed Pork, Smashed Cucumbers, Cabbage with Soy Sauce, Chopped Chili Veluza Meat, and Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms.
Coupled with the fish ball soup Drizzile had made earlier, tonight's dinner was complete.
Just as Ange and the others brought the dinner to the table, the professors and researchers came out, following the scent.
"I knew it must be Ange cooking," Professor Sada remarked.
Professor Turo walked quickly to the table, took a deep breath, and said, "It smells absolutely amazing!"
The other researchers gathered around as well.
Ange said with a smile, "You've all come at the perfect time. Please, sit down and eat."
One researcher said impatiently, "Great! I'm already starving."
His colleague teased him, "I saw you working without even blinking when the professor didn't call you. Are you really that hungry?"
Hearing this, everyone burst into laughter.
The researcher gave his colleague a playful nudge. "I think you just want to hog the food Her Highness made for yourself!"
"Oh no, you found me out!"
Amidst the banter, the laughter grew even heartier.
Romeo squeezed in next to Ange. "Your Highness, I'll sit next to you."
Munch~
Munchlax grumbled and shoved Romeo aside; the spot next to its master belonged to it.
Ange didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "Alright, I have two sides. You two can sit on either side of me."
Diancie: What about me?
Ange: You sit across from me.
Soon, the table was packed. Everyone moved their chopsticks quickly, too busy eating to even speak.
After eating and drinking their fill, everyone lay on the grass to chat. The topics discussed by the two professors and the researchers were too high-brow for Ange and Arven to join in, so they could only play with the Pokemon nearby.
Only Romeo listened with great interest, even taking out a small notebook to jot things down as he listened.
Before long, Ata arrived again with food deliveries. Seeing the table full of empty dishes, he knew the professors and researchers had eaten already.
After leaving the food as the professor had ordered, Ata departed again on his Corviknight.
After chatting for a while, the professors and researchers helped Ange and the others clear the dishes before dispersing.
The professors still had to continue their work, and no one knew when they would finally be able to finish.