Chapter 171: The Evolution of Happiness

"Special Orange Peel Honey Poffin ~ Cream Ice Cream Style."

A-Feng's gaze fell upon this Poffin, which resembled a work of art, and she fell silent.

Up until now, the majority of dessert chefs had already presented their works for them to taste; among them, the highest score belonged to the dessert chef collaborating with the Fat Swirl, totaling one hundred points with a score of eighty-five.

The exceptional two dessert chefs accompanied by a Steenee and a Kirlia scored eighty-three and eighty-one points respectively, ranking second and third.

So, could Luo Mu's Poffin obtain a score surpassing theirs? It would be judged comprehensively not just on appearance but also on flavor, texture, and other aspects; even though she was familiar with Luo Mu, she would still make a fair ruling.

A-Feng picked up her utensil and gently pressed it against the Poffin's shell; the crispy texture, different from ordinary Poffins, caused her movement to stall.

This is...

Nurse Joy, whose face always bore an amiable smile, looked at the Poffin with its excellent presentation and said eagerly, "So beautiful! I wonder how it tastes; I'm digging in!"

Geeta, hidden beneath her Crystal Flower Mask, gently sniffed the faint, lingering scent in the air; it was an aroma different from cooked food, and although subtle, it was more enduring and elegant, leaving an endless aftertaste.

Cynthia felt that today was truly a special surprise; with her archaeological work temporarily at a pause, she thought to rest and relax, and upon learning of the Dessert Association's invitation from her butler Jeremy, she accepted without much thought, traveling to the Paldea region, which had nearly a twelve-hour time difference from the Sinnoh region.

Since her identity for this event was that of a founding member of the Sinnoh Dessert Association, she adopted the alias Miss Z, just like the Miss Y beside her who gave her the strange feeling of emitting a similar aura, participating in the event anonymously.

Having sampled so many types of Poffins, this was the first time she had seen one topped with a swirl of cream ice cream that made her somewhat envious; the texture and flavor it brought made Cynthia intensely curious.

Cutting off a small piece of the Poffin along with the cream ice cream garnishing the top, Cynthia eagerly opened her cherry-red lips to begin tasting.

The moment it entered her mouth, the first sensation was the coolness of the cream ice cream gliding across her oral cavity, causing her body to shiver slightly, along with its dense texture.

As the chewing motion began, a crispy texture, different from ordinary Poffins, filled her mouth; originally, a Poffin composed of cream ice cream, honey, and candied orange peel should have been sickeningly sweet, yet that faint hint of sourness from the Oran Berry skillfully neutralized part of the cloying sweetness, making the layers of flavor much richer.

Internally exclaiming that this trip was definitely worth it, Cynthia's eyes sparkled as she tasted bite after bite, completely unable to stop.

A flavor bomb of density, crispiness, sweetness, and richness exploded on the tip of the tongue; superior ingredients combined with this unique and clever pairing meant the Poffin presented by Luo Mu left a deep impression on the four judges, unlike all the previous dessert chefs.

The deliciousness caused Nurse Joy, whose face was filled with ecstasy, to temporarily lose her language module.

Geeta, who usually presented herself to the outside world as an imposing, strong businesswoman, had donned her vest and now, wearing white lace gloves, cupped her cheeks with her right hand, temporarily following her heart to enjoy this exquisite texture.

As for A-Feng, her realization was even deeper; she stared at Luo Mu in shock with a gaze one would use to look at a "monster," for she was the person most clear about Luo Mu's background, having taught him the basic procedures for making Poffins just three days ago.

How exactly had he assembled such a highly completed work, which could even be called a "Signature Dessert" at the Patisserie Creamy, within these short three days!?

After a period of silence, the four gave their scores.

Nurse Joy: 23.5 points.

A-Feng: 23.5 points.

Miss Y: 24 points.

Miss Z: 25 points.

Total score—96 points, temporarily ranking first.

Perhaps the impact brought by Luo Mu had caused the four judges to raise their standards significantly; among the subsequent dozen or so dessert chefs, the highest scorer achieved only 80 points, failing to surpass even the original third-place combination of the Kirlia and the dessert chef.

This also meant that the combination of Luo Mu, Shuang Nai Xian, and Dragonite had become the undisputed first place.

On the temporarily constructed award podium, the host, having finished interviewing the third and second-place dessert chefs, handed the microphone to Luo Mu and asked curiously, "Mr. Luo Mu's Orange Peel Honey Poffin ~ Cream Ice Cream Style received unanimous praise from the judges in this competition; may I ask how Mr. Luo Mu came up with this creative dessert?"

Taking the microphone, Luo Mu did not shrink from the spotlight and, under many gazes, smiled as he said, "I think it is all thanks to my partners; the different traits existing within them allowed me to create this dessert, and beyond that, it is persistence and hard work!"

The Shuang Nai Xian on Luo Mu's shoulder and the Dragonite beside him also cheered happily.

The host was somewhat surprised by Luo Mu's victory speech, which completely removed himself from the credit and emphasized the contributions of the Pokémon, but his professional competence allowed him to maintain a bright smile without changing expression as he invited the person who had been waiting for a long time: "Then, please welcome the representative of the Sinnoh Dessert Association, Miss Z, to present the first-place prize to Mr. Luo Mu!"

Cynthia, who had been waiting for a long time, took the red velvet box containing the prize from a staff member beside her, walked gracefully toward the podium, and handed it to Luo Mu, her pleasant voice ringing out: "Congratulations to you all. Also, the taste of the cream ice cream pairs very well with the Poffin."

Luo Mu took the box and smiled, saying, "Thank you for the compliment, Miss Z."

Cynthia nodded slightly and looked at the Shuang Nai Xian on Luo Mu's shoulder: "Open it and take a look; you probably participated in the competition specifically for this child, didn't you?"

Miss Z's keen observation and analytical skills surprised Luo Mu somewhat, but since he had originally intended to do exactly that, he immediately opened the red velvet box, revealing a wild berry sugar ornament that looked just like a blueberry.

"Wild Berry Sugar Ornament..." Luo Mu fell silent for a moment and, instead of immediately handing it to Shuang Nai Xian, asked cautiously, "Do you like this sugar ornament? If you don't, we can go find another one."

"Maff~ ~"

Shuang Nai Xian reached out without hesitation to ask for the Wild Berry Sugar Ornament.

It felt that as long as it was a sugar ornament won jointly by itself, Luo Mu, Dragonite, and the partners on the farm, it would like no matter what kind it was.

"Is that so."

Luo Mu smiled and placed the Wild Berry Sugar Ornament on top of Shuang Nai Xian's head; at this moment, the Dragonite beside them, who could no longer restrain its excited emotions, hugged Luo Mu and the Shuang Nai Xian in his arms under the somewhat surprised expressions of Cynthia and the other judges, happily spinning around in circles.

Smiles filled the faces of Luo Mu and Shuang Nai Xian, and Shuang Nai Xian's happy laughter caused quite a few people to smile knowingly.

Just then, a pure and holy light enveloped Shuang Nai Xian's body; the people present let out cries of surprise, and Dragonite also stopped its movements, curiously watching Shuang Nai Xian's body begin to change, just like Luo Mu.

Questions filled their hearts.

Into what kind of form will it evolve?

(End of Chapter)