After breakfast, Ange began preparing to welcome guests. He was eager to see what reward the system would give him once the task was complete.
He went to the kitchen and took out the ingredients needed to make steamed buns: warm water, white vinegar, flour, yeast, and so on, then got to work.
First, he mixed the yeast evenly into the water and let it sit for a few minutes before adding the flour, stirring until the mixture became crumbly. Then he added more flour and began kneading.
During this process, the ratio of water, yeast, and flour was very strict according to the system's standards. Not a bit more, not a bit less.
The kneading strength was also crucial; it couldn't be too strong or too weak. It required finesse. Even the direction in which he turned his hands while kneading was something the system had trained Ange to follow precisely.
The one supervising Ange's training was Diancie.
Don't be fooled by how gentle Diancie usually was, always speaking softly. Once it took on the role of system instructor, its attitude became incredibly strict.
Ange's rapid improvement in cooking owed much to Diancie's tough guidance. With the system's aid, its eyes were like sharp lenses, catching even the slightest mistake with ease.
Once the kneading was done, Ange spread a layer of vegetable oil over the dough, placed it in a bowl to rest, and covered it with plastic wrap to let it rise.
The oil helped the dough and water blend better, making the texture more elastic and soft while preventing moisture loss.
When everything was ready, he waitd his hands and called, "Diancie, let's go take a look outside."
It was clearly unrealistic to wait for customers to show up on their own. It was better to go out and invite them instead; otherwise, who would even know this place was a restaurant?
It was the perfect time to go out while the dough was fermenting; when they came back, they could continue cooking.
"Okay!" Diancie peeked its head out from behind the doorframe.
"Let's go." Ange left the kitchen, closing the door behind him, and changed into casual clothes.
Everything Ange used right now came from the system. According to Diancie, it was beginner's welfare. Once his beginner period was over, his food, clothing, housing, and cooking materials would all need to be earned through his own efforts.
Before leaving, Ange picked up Komala's empty food bowl and placed a cup of warm water beside it. "Komala, I'm counting on you to watch the house while Diancie and I go out."
Komala rolled over, clutching its log, and tugged the blanket over itself with its little paw before continuing to sleep soundly. Its eyes never opened, and Ange wasn't sure if it even understood him.
Ange didn't dwell on it. That was just how Komala was.
"Let's go, Diancie."
"Coming!"
With light hearts, the two of them left the house. Being able to go out together like this was a joy for both of them.
They walked on the soft, green grass, feeling the warmth of the sunlight filtering through the sky as the gentle breeze brushed their faces. The scenery of the Nibel Plateau was breathtaking.
Ange spread his arms and took a deep breath. "The air here is really nice."
Diancie mimicked him, eyes squinting as it looked up. "It really is!"
Just then, a Vivillon flew overhead. Ange waved cheerfully. "Hi there!"
"Vii~~" Ah! A human! How scary!
The Vivillon panicked at the sight of Ange, flapping its wings frantically as it flew away.
Ange stared blankly at Diancie. "Do I really look that scary?" First Fletchling, now Vivillon too?
Diancie gave him a thumbs-up. "Ange is super handsome! The most handsome!"
"Right? Then why... never mind. Let's just look somewhere else." With that, Ange and Diancie went off searching for more Pokémon.
Before long, a small mound of dirt rose up from the nearby grass. A Bunnelby poked its head out, holding an unknown root in its paws.
It had just taken a bite when a voice called out, "Good morning, Bunnelby."
"Bun-bun~!"
Startled, Bunnelby ducked back into its hole, dropping the root by the entrance in fright.
"Fla~fla~fla~~"
At the same time, a Flabébé floated by humming a tune, swaying gently to the rhythm as if dancing on its flower, looking carefree and happy.
But when it glanced down and saw Ange—
"Fla~fla~~!!!"
Flabébé's face twisted in horror; it nearly fell off its flower before screaming and flying off in a panic.
Ange: "..."
Diancie: "..."
After a long pause, a little paw poked out from the Bunnelby's burrow, fumbling for the dropped root. Once it caught it, the paw darted back inside as if touching something burning hot.
Ange groaned. "Why is this happening?!"
Flap~ flap~~ flap~~~
His wail startled a few Fletchinder and Fletchling flying overhead. They frantically flapped away, so hastily that Ange worried they might crash.
Fuming, he said, "I don't believe this! Do I really look like someone who eats Pokémon? Come on, Diancie, let's check somewhere else!"
Diancie fiddled nervously with its hands. "Maybe they're scared of me instead?" After all, it didn't look the same as before.
Ange immediately replied without hesitation, "Impossible! My Diancie is so, so, so cute. Who wouldn't like you? I like you the most!"
His exaggerated, confident tone made Diancie laugh. Blushing, it said, "If Ange says so... then I'll believe it."
"Let's go." Ange took big strides forward.
"Mm~" Diancie quickly followed.
This time, they arrived at a large lake near the cabin. Pink lotuses bloomed over the water, round green leaves spread across the surface, and several Poliwag and Poliwhirl lounged lazily on them under the sun.
A few Yanma and Yanmega darted above the lake, tracing ripples across the surface before perching on flower buds to rest.
Then a voice broke the calm.
"Hey everyone, want to be friends?"
As soon as the Pokémon saw Ange, the Yanma and Yanmega darted away so fast their wings blurred. The Poliwag and Poliwhirl panicked and dove into the water.
Splash~ splash~~ splash~~~
One young Poliwag, still naïve, didn't flee right away. Tilting its round head, it blinked curiously at Ange.
Seeing this, Ange's heart lit up. He took a step forward, hoping to interact, but a Poliwhirl suddenly popped up, grabbed the Poliwag's tail, and dragged it underwater.
Watching the ripples fade, Ange felt a wave of sorrow.
He was beginning to suspect he carried some kind of aura that frightened Pokémon.
His greatest dream was to pet Pokémon as much as he wanted. Had the world really brought him here just to deny him that? What kind of cruel joke was that?
Then he noticed a few Wooper heads poking out of the lake, cautiously watching him. But the moment he looked back, they dove away in fright.
Ange: "..."
"Forget it, let's go home."
By now, the dough should have finished rising. Dejected, Ange and Diancie headed back home.
On the way, Diancie comforted him. "Don't lose heart, Ange. Everyone's probably just not used to seeing a human yet. Once they get to know you, it'll be fine."
When Ange had been sickly as a child, he'd often envy others who could run and play. Each time, Carbink would comfort him.
Though they couldn't speak directly back then, they understood each other. Diancie's presence always calmed his heart.
This time was no different.
Ange hugged Diancie tightly. "I'm really lucky to have you."
Diancie returned the hug, patting his back gently. "Of course I'll always stay with you, Ange. Let's go home. There's no rush to finish the task."
When they got home, Komala was still sound asleep. Its big ears twitched slightly when it heard Ange return.
Seeing that the water cup he'd left had been emptied, Ange pinched its ear playfully. "Thanks for watching the house, Komala!"
Komala's short little tail twitched.
Though it looked small and cute, Ange suspected it was actually a very strong Pokémon.
He had once tried using the Eye of Observation on it, but it didn't work.
According to Diancie, the Eye of Observation couldn't view Pokémon higher-leveled than his starter. That meant Komala's level was higher than Diancie's.
Diancie was at level 50, a level far above most wild Pokémon.
Diancie had been with Ange since childhood. Even though his weak health kept him from training it much, the royal upbringing in the Azoth Kingdom had allowed it to grow steadily, even as a Carbink.
A Komala stronger than Diancie was no ordinary Pokémon.
Still, Ange was a chef now, not a Trainer. He didn't expect Komala to battle for him, so its level didn't really matter.
Taking the empty cup, Ange went back to the kitchen to continue working.
He checked the dough and found it had fully risen. He started a pot of hot water and set the dough over it to ferment a bit more.
After thirty to forty minutes, it was done. The dough had doubled in size, covered with small bubbles.
Ange kneaded it again to release the air, then rolled it into long strips and cut it into equal portions.
Finally, it was ready to steam.
Soon, the kitchen filled with the rich aroma of freshly steamed buns.
Diancie poked its head in, eyes sparkling. "Are they ready yet?"
Ange laughed at its drooling expression. "What, hungry already? Didn't you just have breakfast?"
Diancie giggled. "It smells too good!"
Ange sighed in admiration. No wonder it was a Legendary Pokémon; its digestion was impressive!
These weren't ordinary buns, either. They were infused with energy, no worse than professional Pokémon food. They were very beneficial, yet Diancie could polish off a whole batch in one sitting.
Whenever Ange teased it about eating too much, it'd chase him around in protest.
Diancie: Nonsense! A lady never eats too much!
(Note: Diancie has no gender.)
When the buns were done, Ange turned off the heat and lifted the lid, handing one to Diancie. "Here, try it."
Diancie grabbed it eagerly, not even caring that it was hot, and took a big bite.
"Mmm~~~" it closed its eyes, savoring it. "So good! It's delicious! It tastes even better than before!"
"Really?" Ange grinned happily.
After it finiitd, still wanting more, Ange gave it another one. "Let's try going out again to find some customers."
He couldn't give up just because of a few setbacks. This was only the beginning.
"Okay!" Diancie clenched it's fist with determination. "If it's Ange, we can do it!"
And so, the two set out once again.
By the time the sun set, Ange and Diancie trudged home under the orange glow of dusk.
They hadn't had any success. Every Pokémon on the Nibel Plateau still fled at the sight of Ange as if he carried a plague. No one wanted to approach him, much less eat at his restaurant.
In the end, all the buns ended up in Diancie's and Komala's stomachs.
"Sigh~ sigh~~~"
After dinner, Ange sat at his doorstep, letting the cool night breeze wash over him as he sighed.
Diancie came over and hugged his arm. "It's no big deal. We can try again tomorrow!"
"That's all we can do," Ange said helplessly.
After a long, tiring day, every bone in his body ached. "Forget it. I'll take a hot bath and sleep. Whatever happens, we'll deal with it tomorrow."
"Exactly!" Diancie agreed cheerfully.
"Come on, Komala too!" Ange picked up the sleepy Pokémon from its bed. It was bath time for everyone.