Pokémon Detective Case Files

Chapter 382 The Judgment of the Three Stars Dojo

Chapter 384 The Judgment of the Sanyo Dojo

The final dessert served by Kohn, "Whisper of the Wind Smoothie," lived up to its status as the grand finale of the entire banquet. Served in a stemmed glass, the smoothie melted in your mouth like a spring breeze, while the marshmallows made from orange syrup were as light and soft as a wind sprite's fluff. The overall sweetness was perfectly controlled by the baker, giving a feeling of happiness while also being refreshingly cool, allowing one to end the banquet without any regrets.

"My favorite dish of the entire dinner was this shaved ice."

Shimi, the Heavenly King, elegantly wiped his mouth with a napkin and commented on the three brothers of Sanyo Dojo: "Adding many expensive ingredients and complicated techniques to a dish is actually a very easy thing to do in terms of ideas. Just like the mixed box mentioned earlier, if there's no need to consider pricing, no matter how much a chef adds to a dish, they will be understood by diners because of the reason of 'effort.' I'm not saying this approach is bad, but I just think it's a bit too 'lazy.' In this context, choosing simple subtraction is a rare and valuable thing."

"Thank you for your feedback. We now understand that sometimes it is a better choice to give up prudently."

Mr. Cohen's face showed a similar expression to that of Tian Tong before, but he still maintained a grateful smile as he thanked Zhi Mi.

"Miss Azure, thank you so much this time."

At this moment, Guska suddenly bowed his head deeply to the azure sky.

"If it weren't for your persuasion at the station, I probably wouldn't have met King Shimi today, and I would have missed this precious opportunity to enjoy delicious food."

"It was my good fortune to hear Mr. Guskaf's explanation at the dinner table."

Bilan smiled as she put the last spoonful of shaved ice into her mouth. "Besides, even if you miss this opportunity, you'll still have the chance to enjoy the culinary skills of the Sanyao brothers when you visit Sanyao City again. After all, this place will soon be converted into a real restaurant. Once the Sanyao Restaurant officially opens, I'm sure you, as a food critic, will eventually come here because of its excellence."

"Opening for business?" Upon hearing Azure's words, Tian Tong, Bert, and Koun's eyes lit up simultaneously.

Bert, the most impatient of them all, stepped forward towards Azure: "You mean to say—"

"There's not much suspense in this matter, is there?" The girl gently stroked Eevee's fur.

"Even the King of Cuisine has praised your culinary skills, so the United States Alliance has absolutely no reason to abandon this restaurant. This trip has been so relaxing and enjoyable that I'm even starting to suspect that the champion deliberately gave it to me as a perk for my staff."

"Great!" The three brothers ignored the second half of Azure's sentence and happily high-fived each other. Zhimi smiled and nodded. Only Guscalf was completely confused—"Wait, abandoned restaurant? League champion? What kind of riddle are you talking about? What does this have to do with the high and mighty League?"

When he heard that Azure had been appointed by the League as a detective, he thought she was just an ordinary judge responsible for investigating restaurants. He really didn't expect that this girl would actually hold the power of life and death over the entire gym. "Mr. Guscalf, haven't you realized the true significance of this dinner for the Trisolaran Gym yet?"

Azure was a little dumbfounded. Although she knew that this gourmet's reasoning ability was poor, she did not expect him to be this slow-witted.

"Well, I have absolutely no interest in Pokémon battles. My knowledge of the Stellar Gym was limited to having heard of it by name only." The food editor shook his head. "The editorial department only told me that a new restaurant had opened here. When I asked my subordinates to book a private dinner, I had no idea that Ms. Azure and Mr. Shimi would be joining us at the last minute—"

"I'm so sorry, this was my oversight!"

Owner Bert slapped his forehead and said apologetically to Guscalf, "I didn't notice your request to reserve the entire venue for dinner. I thought that since this was the restaurant's first formal dinner, it would be good to have a famous food critic present, so I took the liberty of adding you to the guest list for this banquet to test the restaurant's standards. It wasn't until the day of the meal arrived and Tian Tong called to confirm that I realized something was wrong."

"I see. So, it turns out I was the guest who joined at the last minute." Guscalf sighed with relief. "But thanks to Mr. Bert's mistake, otherwise I would definitely have declined the meal."

He turned to Azure again, questioning her in a teasing tone: "Miss Azure, what's going on with this restaurant being abandoned? If such an excellent restaurant is abandoned because of the Alliance's capriciousness, I'll definitely post a protest on 'Flying Cloud Culinary Exploration'."

"Mr. Guscalf, thank you for your support, but the truth is..." Cilan explained to Azur Lane, "Strictly speaking, the place we're dining in now isn't a formal restaurant, but rather the Pokémon Gym in Sanyo City, a training ground for League Trainers. In the past, the three of us brothers would occasionally cook for guests at the Gym, and sometimes even search for dishes that guests had eaten before but couldn't find the origin of, but that wasn't a formal business activity. In fact, because of the effort we put into running the Gym, many of the culinary ideas we accumulated never had the chance to be put into practice—"

"Therefore, we ultimately decided to give up our status as gym leaders."

Koun stepped forward and supported Tian Tong's shoulder, whose confidence was waning.

"Over the years of hosting gym challengers, we've gradually come to understand our own limits." His voice flowed like a gentle stream. "Unlike Elite Four member Shimizu, who can reach the pinnacle in both fields, the three of us brothers are at best the hard-working type. We lack both the energy and the talent to excel in both battling and cooking simultaneously."

"I don't think I have any extraordinary talent." Elite Four member Shimi shook his head. "The only thing that has allowed me to get to where I am today is complete trust in my Pokémon in the arena and the kitchen."

He touched the sturdy shell of the Blastoise beside him, which squinted its eyes happily.

"The scallop monkeys have indeed helped us a lot. Just like the three of us brothers working together, we can accomplish many things that one person couldn't do alone. But it is precisely because of this bond that we should carefully consider each other's feelings when making decisions."

Cilan picked up the conversation, his fingertips unconsciously rubbing his bow tie. "From the very beginning of our battling experience, the three of us brothers have always been better at team battles with mutual cooperation. But gym battles can't be conducted that way, since most trainers travel alone. Perhaps we shouldn't use that as an excuse, but among all the gym leaders in the Unova region, our average battling strength is only slightly better than Homiga from Lishui City. And even that little girl, her win rate against gym challengers this year far exceeds ours."

He shook his head with a wry smile: "At this point, rather than being a test of trainers' skills, we're more like a small drink before a meal, an appetizer on a fancy menu, more suitable for guiding newcomers who are just starting out."

No, that's a complete misunderstanding. Homiga's situation might be even worse than that of the Sanyo Gym... Knowing the inside story, Azure couldn't bring herself to say this because of the atmosphere of the conversation.

Bert suddenly strode forward, his red hair like a burning flame under the light: "But it is these years of gym experience that have taught us that rather than testing trainers with battles, we enjoy warming travelers with delicious food! Rather than reluctantly clinging to our current position, we should fight for what we love."

It wasn't to the point of risking his life. Tian Tong, standing to the side, awkwardly covered his forehead.

"So you decided to close the Sanyo Dojo and turn it into the Sanyo Restaurant?"

Guskaf nodded in understanding and asked naturally,

"Unfortunately, things aren't that simple. At least procedurally, it can't be executed directly," said Azure, who represented the United States Alliance, scratching her head.

"While the League won't force those who don't want to continue being Gym Leaders to run their Gyms, regarding this land," she said, her shoes clicking on the floor, "and this building above it called 'Trisolaran Gym,' the ownership of their property actually belongs to the Unova League."

"Therefore, if the three brothers want to transform this place into a restaurant, they must obtain approval from the Alliance and prove that the transformed Sanyo Restaurant can not only maintain its operations smoothly, but also create long-term economic and cultural value for the United Alliance, and even demonstrate," the girl's voice suddenly became solemn, "its strength as a landmark building, upholding the honor of the United Alliance in front of numerous travelers."

"Top restaurants should aim for this standard."

Zhimi nodded slightly, his slender fingers gently stroking the rim of the wine glass.

"It was because I learned about the Sanyo Dojo that I changed my plans and stayed here for a few more days. I discussed cooking with Koon and the others and came up with plans for the Sanyo Dojo after it became a restaurant. That being said, tonight's dinner wasn't taught to them by me; it was all thanks to Tong and the others' hard work."

"In that case, I will formally announce it again."

In the now somewhat bustling restaurant, Miss Azure slowly approached the three brothers, Sanyo.

The elegant indoor lighting cast a long shadow behind her. Eevee obediently jumped down from the girl's shoulder and sat down beside her.

"Bert, Cohen, and Cilan, the three of you are all exceptionally skilled cooks. I believe tonight's dinner fully demonstrates your abilities. Therefore, I am fulfilling the duty entrusted to me by the Unova Champion and, on behalf of the League, I endorse your plan to transform the Trisolaran Gym into a restaurant. I hope that this place will one day become a world-renowned culinary paradise."

"That's...that's great!" Bert's voice suddenly choked up. This usually energetic fire expert was now wiping away tears like a child.

Kohn offered him a handkerchief, but his brother pulled him into a tight embrace. "The restaurant Father left behind—we finally—" His words were drowned out by sobs.

Tian Tong and Kou En put their arms around their brother's shoulders, one on each side, and the sight of the three of them touching foreheads moved even Zhi Mi.

However, in this warm atmosphere, Guskaf looked thoughtful.

"Mr. Food Editor?" Azure keenly noticed his unusual behavior.

As she asked her question, the sobbing and laughter in the restaurant gradually quieted down.

The culinary authority did not answer immediately, but instead walked heavily to the three brothers.

His shadow completely enveloped the three of them, but his eyes gleamed with an unusual light.

"I just heard," his voice was much lower than usual, "that you sometimes help trainers find dishes they've eaten in the past?"

"Indeed." Tian Tong straightened her disheveled tie and gave the editor an elegant bow. "Some guests have even given me, who is in charge of these kinds of receptions, overly complimentary titles like 'Food Detective.' Do you have any similar needs?"

Detective? It turns out he's half a colleague. Azure's ears perked up sharply; the sudden address made her heart flutter.

"Yes."

Guskaf answered without hesitation, his gaze fixed intently on the Grass-type Gym Leader, who was shorter than him.

"Well then, I'd like to make a detective request to you. If you can cook this delicious meal, perhaps you can help me find the dish from my memory."