Chapter 170: The Judge from Sinnoh and the Special Candied Orange Peel Honey Treasure

Standing before the gleaming, tidied cooking station, Luo Mu felt none of the pressure that weighed on the slightly nervous pastry chefs beside him; having weathered countless storms, this was far from enough to break him.

Glancing left and right, he noticed that nearly every pastry chef was accompanied by one or several Pokémon.

There was the Slurpuff, an impeccable assistant endowed with a keen sense of smell.

There was the Steenee from the Alola region, capable of enhancing dishes with aromatic flavors.

And there was the Kirlia, using its telekinesis to assist its trainer with precise operations and support.

Poking the soft, squishy Milcery resting in his palm, Luo Mu suddenly wondered if bringing this little one along might actually put him at a disadvantage?

"Maffu~~"

As if struck in a ticklish spot, the Milcery let out a few cute little squeaks.

Curious about where a Pokémon composed almost entirely of fresh cream could possibly have ticklish spots, Luo Mu lowered his head to observe closely.

Just then, the host's voice rang out, and the chatter of the crowd blocked off by barriers gradually faded away.

"The first Pokéblock Pastry Competition, jointly hosted by the Paldea and Sinnoh Pastry Associations, officially begins! Now, allow me to introduce the judges to all contestants and spectators!"

Luo Mu paused mid-motion, lifted Milcery into his arms, and followed the host's gesture toward the red judges' platform.

"First, the owner of the renowned Paldean pâtisserie 'La Patisserie Mousse', known as the 'Pastry Chef Who Walks with Bugs', Miss Arven!"

Thunderous applause erupted; Miss Arven, still in her signature outfit, waved kindly to the surrounding contestants and audience.

"Second, the globally beloved Nurse Joy from the Motostoke Pokémon Center, whose culinary creations embody the 'taste of mother' for so many novice trainers!"

Luo Mu: "."

Seeing that beautiful pink-haired nurse, Luo Mu mentally grumbled about how Nurse Joy seemed to serve as a judge for absolutely every competition.

"Third, the Vice President of the Paldea Pastry Association, the lady with flowing hair like the night sky, 'Miss Y'!"

Luo Mu: "!!!!"

Luo Mu stared wide-eyed at the waving woman; although her attire was completely different and a mask obscured her features, he was certain that person was... Geeta!

Seemingly noticing Luo Mu's shocked gaze, Geeta, wearing an exquisite crystalline flower mask, smiled warmly and waved in his direction.

Luo Mu was dumbfounded; was he crazy, or was the world crazy, that the League Chairperson had stepped out to serve as a judge for a pastry competition?

"Fourth, hailing from the Sinnoh region, a veteran member of the Sinnoh Pastry Association, a famed gourmet of sweets whose slogan is 'Love all sweets, make sweets the main course'—the blonde beauty, 'Miss Z'!"

This was someone Luo Mu did not recognize; like Geeta, she wore a mask, but Miss Z's mask was shaped like a Togepi, with a small opening near the mouth for tasting food.

However, Miss Z's smooth, golden long hair struck Luo Mu as slightly familiar.

"The rules are very simple: the four judges will score each contestant's dessert, with a maximum of 25 points and a minimum of 0; rankings will be determined by the sum of these scores!"

"Now... begin cooking!"

At the referee's command, the roughly thirty pastry chefs of various appearances and genders (82% female) immediately fixed serious expressions on their faces and began making Pokéblocks.

More than the prizes, they Place Greater Emphasis on the opportunity to catch the eye of the Paldea Pastry Association members through this competition; joining the association would grant access to promotional resources, and perhaps even allow their pastry shops to achieve fame comparable to La Patisserie Mousse.

Everyone poured all their energy into crafting the Pokéblocks they were most skilled at and most confident in.

The Slurpuff worked like a seasoned patissier, collaborating with its trainer to prepare the Pokéblocks.

While assisting, the Steenee danced upon the cooking station, showering the ingredients with an invigorating aroma.

The Kirlia used its psychic powers to stir at a uniform speed, ensuring the Pokéblocks maintained their optimal texture.

Truly, it was a case of everyone displaying their unique talents.

"Maffu?"

The sound from the Milcery in his hand brought Luo Mu back to his senses; withdrawing his gaze, he looked at the slightly uneasy Milcery and smiled reassuringly, "Don't worry, it's not just the two of us here; everyone from the farm is with us."

Luo Mu's words quickly calmed the Milcery, which nodded vigorously.

At this moment, Luo Mu also took out his ingredients one by one—berries, flour, eggs, milk, and honey—and began his preparation.

"First, chop the prepared sweet Mango Berries and the small amount of Iapapa Berries used to balance the flavor, place them in clear water, heat over low flame, and stir slowly."

"Meanwhile, the batter is made by mixing and stirring flour milled from farm wheat, eggs, Combee honey, milk, and a small amount of clear water; once the berries have fully dissolved into the water, pour the mixture in slowly in batches."

Luo Mu maintained a constant stirring speed; when it came to Ji Ben Gong, he would lose to no one.

After approximately ten minutes, Luo Mu turned off the gas, allowing the batter—the foundation of the Pokéblock—to cool temporarily, stabilizing its structure to ensure the right texture.

Then, within those brief few minutes, he needed to make other preparations.

First was the candied orange peel serving as the base; precisely because he was using this ingredient, Luo Mu had not simply opted for the classic combination of Oran Berries and Mango Berries, as adding sweetness upon sweetness would be cloying.

Chopping the candied orange peel into small cubes and sprinkling them into the molds according to quantity, Luo Mu saw that the batter had cooled sufficiently; carefully lifting the milk pot, he began to pour.

Over at the judges' stand, a lively discussion regarding the contestants' performances continued.

"Slurpuff is known in the Kalos region as a seasoned patissier; Pokéblocks made with its assistance should taste excellent."

"Steenee's aroma is also famous in the Alola region; I look forward to the flavor of the finished product imbued with that rich fragrance."

While Nurse Joy and Chairperson Geeta, disguised as Miss Y, discussed beside him, Miss Arven's gaze drifted toward Luo Mu; seeing his incredibly proficient techniques, she couldn't help but marvel.

"That young man seems to be making something interesting."

Suddenly, Miss Z, sitting beside Miss Arven with her dazzling golden long hair, spoke up.

Following Miss Arven's line of sight, she too spotted Luo Mu in the midst of making Pokéblocks.

Miss Arven hesitated slightly before picking up the thread: "He operates a farm, so most of his ingredients should be crops from there; the flavor ought to be guaranteed."

"Then I shall have to look forward to it with great anticipation."

Beneath the Togepi mask, Cynthia's beautiful eyes flashed with a hint of interest.

On the other side, Luo Mu's preparation process was nearing its end.

The batter had been placed in the middle rack of the oven, with top and bottom heat set to 175 degrees; this was the optimal temperature he had derived after countless failures.

Ding-dong!

The sound of the oven finishing its bake rang out; Luo Mu opened the door, and an rich, mellow aroma born from the blend of berries, honey, and candied orange peel, each enhancing the other, instantly filled the air.

At this moment, Luo Mu also took out Dragonite's Poké Ball and summoned it.

"Bloop~"

The moment Dragonite's orange-yellow figure appeared, it captured the attention of the entire venue; as a rare Dragon-type Pokémon and the representative Pokémon of the Kanto region's Dragon Tamer, these traits made Dragonite the focus of everyone's gaze.

Not to mention the presence of Luo Mu's fragrant Poffins here, their aroma filling the air.

Luo Mu smiled, leaving half of the cooking station to Milcery and Dragonite: "The final step relies on the two of you to perform."

The two Pokémon nodded slightly and began jointly crafting the final procedure—soft-serve ice cream!

Making ice cream primarily requires low temperatures, and as a Dragon-type Pokémon, Dragonite is proficient in certain Ice-type moves; after Luo Mu processed the fresh cream made by Milcery, under Dragonite's deliberately controlled Ice Beam, it rapidly transformed into soft-serve ice cream that looked incredibly dense and smooth in texture.

At the same time, the temperature of the Ice Beam cooled the freshly baked Poffins at an extremely rapid pace, trading away some of their dense and soft texture to become even more crisp.

"Dragonite... such powerful move control; could a Pokémon like this truly be just a dessert chef's assistant?"

Dragonite caused Cynthia's brows to furrow slightly; as the battle-hardened Champion of Sinnoh, she could confirm that this Dragonite was absolutely no ordinary creature.

The farm owner Luo Mu mentioned by Young Lady Maple.

Locking her gaze onto the nameplate before the cooking station, Cynthia silently recited the name in her heart, filled with intense curiosity.

Luo Mu carefully placed the soft-serve ice cream atop the already plated Poffins; gazing at the golden Poffins that seemed to glow under the sun and the mouth-watering soft-serve ice cream above them, his eyes sparkled with light.

Special Orange Peel Honey Poffin ~ Soft-Serve Ice Cream Flavor, complete!

This was the answer he intended to give Young Lady Maple, his very own special dessert!

(End of Chapter)