Chapter 575: I'll Form the Head!

The entire second floor seemed to be a banquet hall specially used for holding banquets, possessing quite a spacious area.

Throughout the space, cooking stations of a uniform style were arranged in an orderly yet varied manner.

Although these were open-style cooking stations with visible kitchens and bright stoves, no unpleasant, choking smell of smoke lingered around them; instead, the aroma of food constantly drifted into one's nostrils.

From these details, one could see the importance the organizers attached to this interview session.

However, Luo Mu alone, plus Oranguru, did not have enough prestige to have someone reserve an entire banquet hall specifically to hold such a grandiose interview event.

After all, their intention was merely to recruit a Pokémon Chef, not to open a restaurant.

To be precise, this time it was Oranguru who had reserved a spot for the interview session online and paid the same entrance fee as those hotels and restaurants that had come to recruit, thereby enabling them to select their desired future Pokémon Chef.

Amara smiled and introduced, "The cooking stations throughout the banquet hall are prepared for the guests; everyone may freely sample the dishes already prepared and placed on the counters, or order fresh ones, though queuing might be required."

"Once you have confirmed your preferred choice, you may extend an invitation to the other party on the spot; after negotiating the employment wage, if both sides are interested, you can sign an employment contract."

"Being able to enjoy a buffet meal as a bonus is quite nice."

Listening attentively to Amara's explanation, Luo Mu nodded thoughtfully, then began to look around at the surrounding environment again.

He had been wondering why the layout here looked slightly familiar.

Wasn't this just that training camp thing from Far Moon Academy!

Under the school's obstruction, the students of this culinary specialized academy struggled to survive in the cracks; not only could they not get a good night's sleep, but they also had to wake up early in the morning to prepare over a hundred servings of breakfast.

Although, judging by Amara's introduction, the interview session was not that cruel, there was indeed a certain similarity.

Suddenly intrigued, Luo Mu gave Oranguru a glance, then asked Amara, "May I release my Pokémon to taste these dishes? After all, since I run a farm, the dishes made by the recruited chef must also suit their tastes."

Hearing the keyword "farm," Amara's eyes lit up; she sized Luo Mu up and down, then nodded quickly.

"Of course you can!"

Since Amara was here working a part-time job to help out, she hadn't really looked into the participants' profiles; if Luo Mu hadn't mentioned it, she wouldn't have realized he also operated a farm, given that he looked like a young master out for leisure.

Probably having encountered a peer just like her family, and since the other party even knew her son, Amara immediately became even more enthusiastic.

"Come, I'll take you to see the outstanding graduates!"

But before Amara could drag him away, Oranguru had already pulled up a bunch of data it had photographed onto several tablets; Luo Mu hurriedly said, "Wait a moment, let's first look at these few Pokémon Chefs from the data that interest me more."

"That works too; let me see where their cooking stations are located."

Amara paused her movement, leaned over to take a look at the few files Oranguru had brought up, then took out a handbook to check.

"There is one in Zone A, which is very close to us; let's go see them first!"

Akala Pokémon Chef Academy Graduate Interview Session Venue.

Zone A, Cooking Station No. 28.

Quite a large crowd surrounded this area; just looking at their attire made one feel like it would be better to simply walk around them.

"Oh, oh, oh, Nana-chan!"

"You are just as charming today!"

Wearing printed T-shirts, with green headbands tied around their foreheads, and waving fans printed with support patterns, a group of fervent fans surrounded Cooking Station No. 28 so tightly that not even water could pass through.

Luo Mu looked at Amara in astonishment, while Amara whispered, "These people seem to be the fervent fans Nana accumulated while working part-time at the Pokémon Maid Café; they paid out of their own pockets saying they wanted to enter and cheer, which has actually squeezed away the genuine recruiters."

Luo Mu: "."

Peering through the gaps between the surging heads, Luo Mu finally managed to see the Pokémon Chef inside the cooking station.

As expected, it was one of the profiles.

A Gardevoir who had undergone training at a Maid Café, whose specialty dish was Heart-shaped Omelet Rice.

The "Nana-chan" these fans were shouting was probably its nickname or stage name?

The Gardevoir inside the cooking station, seeming somewhat troubled, relied on its sensitivity to mental fluctuations to notice Amara, as well as Luo Mu and Oranguru whom she had brought along.

"Garde!"

Gardevoir's eyes lit up; its figure directly crossed over the crowd blocking the way and appeared before Luo Mu.

It looked at Amara with some expectation; after receiving the other's affirmation, Gardevoir immediately took Luo Mu's hand and pulled him toward the cooking station.

Oranguru silently followed along.

Obviously, even though the two Psychic-type Pokémon had not communicated, through some trivial details Gardevoir had determined that Oranguru was a "colleague" similar to itself, while Luo Mu was the "boss" who had come to recruit.

"Sha-sha-nai~"

After softly telling Luo Mu to sit down and wait a moment, Gardevoir hummed a little tune lightly and began busying itself at the cooking station.

Oranguru silently blocked those inquisitive gazes that the fans were casting toward Luo Mu.

But Luo Mu still inexplicably felt quite a few resentful stares; sighing inwardly, he thought that in this situation, even Gardevoir couldn't do much about it.

Luo Mu's gaze fell upon Gardevoir, which had already tied on a pink apron and was busying itself at the cooking station.

It had to be said that the other party's steps in making the dish were very pleasing to the eye.

As one of the souls of omelet rice, the fried rice being stir-fried was already faintly emitting wisps of aroma; as for the second element, the egg skin was also made flawlessly, without even a visible tear.

Telekinesis acted like arms extending from Gardevoir; with a slight movement of thought, most precise operations proceeded without issue.

This was also the unique advantage possessed by Psychic-type Pokémon.

Before long, a steaming hot omelet rice had been personally carried by Gardevoir and placed before Luo Mu.

That's right, it did not use telekinesis to be lazy but personally carried it over; one could only say that details and attitude determine success or failure.

At least at this moment, Luo Mu's impression of it was quite good.

"Garde-garde~"

Holding a red squeeze bottle containing ketchup in its hand, it spoke softly to indicate that Luo Mu should follow its movements and do the same.

At this moment, a Dive Ball in Luo Mu's satchel automatically opened, and the figure of a Popplio appeared on his lap, excitedly indicating that it wanted to join in as well.

"Oh, so you've caught a Popplio too."

Amara, observing from the side, raised an eyebrow and said with interest.

At this moment, under Gardevoir's guidance, Luo Mu was forced to mimic the excited actions of the Popplio.

"Gar-de-gar~"

Become delicious~

After repeating this line three times, Gardevoir squeezed a lovely heart shape onto the edge of the omurice, with simple line drawings of Luo Mu and the Popplio on the egg skin.

Its skills and professional ethos as a maid were indeed solid.

After rendering his judgment internally, Luo Mu fixed his gaze on the omurice.

As for how it tasted, one could only make a judgment after eating it.

Luo Mu asked Gardevoir for three spoons, planning to share with the Popplio and the Oranguru; although Gardevoir indicated it could make several more portions, Luo Mu still felt it necessary to save some space for subsequent tastings.

As for Amara, she stated that staff members were not allowed to sneak food, so Luo Mu could only drop the idea.

The fried rice contained numerous ingredients; just from tasting, Luo Mu could identify chicken, carrots, mushrooms, green peppers, diced onions, and some shrimp balls that enhanced the umami flavor.

The rice grains were distinct and separate, and coupled with the runny egg skin, the flavor was quite outstanding.

Although fried rice seems simple, making it taste this good meant Gardevoir was far more capable than Luo Mu had anticipated; indeed, it was one of the recommended talents gathered by Principal Otto.

Furthermore, besides the omurice that was both delicious and provided emotional value, Gardevoir actually knew quite a few other cuisines; it simply felt its omurice was the most distinctive and the one it was most confident in.

Soon, the entire plate of omurice was cleanly divided among Luo Mu, the Popplio, and the Oranguru; in response to Gardevoir's inquiry, Luo Mu gave the evaluation of "excellent."

However, when Gardevoir pressed the issue of signing a contract, he hesitated for a few seconds, saying they should wait and see before making a decision.

After all, Gardevoir's stall was only the first one he had visited.

Fortunately, Gardevoir was quite understanding; although somewhat reluctant, it still encouraged them to go try more of their favorite dishes.

According to the data in the Oranguru's hands, there was only one Pokémon chef in Area A, which was Gardevoir, whereas their next targets—the Machamp, Delphox, and Farfetch'd—were all in Area B.

Luo Mu also did not forget the Pokémon he carried with him; he released all of them from their Poké Balls except for Seeing Seeing Kapu, letting them try whatever they wanted to eat and then regroup later to summarize their thoughts.

Due to the occasion, it was not suitable for Seeing Seeing Kapu to appear, as causing a disturbance would be slightly troublesome.

Luo Mu took the Popplio with him himself, while the Luxray, Milotic, and Dragonite formed their own teams to go try things.

Just as the Milotic was interested in seafood dishes, the Luxray and Swampert liked to eat meat in large mouthfuls, the Dragonite egged on the Dragonite leader to eat desserts, the Pecharunt disliked gatherings with many strangers and stayed tightly by Luo Mu's side, and the Eevee sisters were much the same.

Under Amara's guidance, Luo Mu also began to taste the dishes of these graduates one by one, based on the data in the Oranguru's hands.

Being able to graduate from the Akala Pokémon Chef Academy and obtain entry qualification for this interview session, these Pokémon who relied on their own hands to feed themselves indeed had some real skills.

In terms of taste, they were fully qualified; after eating through one round, Luo Mu had not yet encountered a single instance of bad food.

Each had its own unique characteristics; for instance, the unique aroma of that Farfetch'd's scallion stir-fried eggs still made Luo Mu feel somewhat nostalgic even now.

He had almost impulsively decided on it.

Then there was that Audino, whose specialty dishes were similar to Gardevoir's, but which was also quite proficient in pharmacology, producing medicinal dishes that were both delicious and health-nourishing; Luo Mu had also nearly failed to hold back from hiring it on the spot.

Every single one of them was a talent; pity he only had one mouth, and the number of Pokémon on the farm, plus the unhatched Pokémon Eggs and those Greavards who had moved to live in the berry orchard, had not yet reached one hundred.

Even without making the Pokémon chefs work too hard, hiring two would be about right; there was no need for more, after all, usually Shuang Nai Xian made the desserts, Luo Mu himself often cooked when he had ideas, and there was also the Oranguru.

Under Amara's guidance, Luo Mu walked and browsed, finally arriving at the last section, Area E.

Compared to the previous several areas, perhaps due to the slightly remote location, the foot traffic here was much less.

Empty cooking stations were few, meaning there were also very few Pokémon chefs who had been chosen and gone elsewhere for further detailed discussions.

Without letting Amara directly recommend a Pokémon chef from Area E, Luo Mu looked left and right, his gaze locking onto a Emboar that was vigorously processing ingredients.

Probably recalling the meals made by the part-time Emboar at the Hanze family's place, Luo Mu didn't hesitate much before deciding to go try how the Emboar's cooking tasted.

But before he could approach the Emboar's cooking station, a commotion on the other side suddenly caught his attention.

"These chefs are—"

Raising his eyebrows in surprise, Luo Mu, looking over there, immediately became interested.

That's right, over there was a "group" of Pokémon chefs.

Or, to put it more accurately, they were Pokémon composed of multiple individuals, similar to Rattata and Raticate, Diglett and Dugtrio, or Exeggcute and Exeggutor.

The single Fighting-type Formation Pokémon, Falinks.

They consist of a group of six individuals living together; barring accidents, they generally never separate for their entire lives.

These Falinks possessed black spherical bodies covered in golden armor, their appearance somewhat resembling ancient Roman helmets.

Their short, thick legs seemed to hardly affect their mobility; they were still able to jump up and down while cooking.

It was just that the two small round shields they should have been holding in their hands had vanished without a trace, replaced by various kitchen utensils.

Woks, spatulas, seasoning spoons, steamers, long-handled chopsticks...

Numerous kitchen tools were being swapped in their hands; even though a single individual might lack strength due to size limitations, under their pleasing teamwork, they possessed speed no inferior to other Pokémon.

A Falinks group consists of one leader and five followers; the distinction between the leader and the followers is easy to recognize—

Whichever one has an extra golden horn on its forehead is the leader of the Falinks.

The leader is generally assumed by the strongest and smartest Falinks; even though these Falinks had misplaced their round shields and picked up a bunch of kitchen tools, the main work was still carried out by the Falinks leader, with the five followers providing assistance.

Luo Mu remembered having read in a book that Falinks seemed to hatch together as sextuplets from a single Pokémon Egg, unlike the Wishiwashi in school form that can be filled by different individuals at any time, nor like the Dreepy constantly being swapped out under the care of that Dragapult.

Truly born on the same year, month, and day, they shared an extremely close bond with one another; it was said that Falinks with innate tacit understanding could even figure out each other's thoughts through their companions' behavior and mannerisms.

Before long.

Through their skilled cooperation, the Falinks prepared two simple but delicious dishes and one soup.

It was just that, due to the foot traffic situation, their cooking station was utterly empty, with almost no one passing by.

Continuing like this, they would miss the timing for the freshly cooked food to retain its "wok hei"; the Falinks leader felt another wave of regret.

If only it hadn't accidentally remembered the registration time incorrectly; otherwise, they wouldn't have been left with such a remote location to choose from.

It seemed this interview session could only end in failure; upon returning, they would have to find work at a restaurant again, save up enough for the entry fee, and next time they must grab a good spot!

The Falinks truly could not bear to waste the dishes they had worked hard to make; although every Falinks was already quite full, they still planned to produce and consume the food themselves to finish it off.

Just at this moment, a slightly hesitant voice interrupted their actions.

"Um, can we still taste the dishes?"

Luo Mu, holding Popplio, walked to the cooking counter; beside him, Okidogi and the Eevee sisters were equally excited by the excellent coordination the Falinks had just displayed.

"Tada!?"

The Falinks were first stunned, then flustered by the sudden arrival of guests.

Fortunately, the leader remained relatively calm, using its authority to quiet them down again.

"Tada!" I'll form the head!

Amid the Falinks leader's cry, the Falinks, under its guidance, lined up, jumped down from the cooking counter, and came before Luo Mu.

(End of Chapter)