Haidai's Chinese restaurant was located right next to the Bōpíng Gym in Bottle Gourd City, and it was also a club that gathered many enthusiasts of Chinese cuisine.
The overall architectural style of the Chinese restaurant was based on blue, hinting at Haidai's skill in cooking seafood-related dishes as a chef, as well as his side job as the Water-type Gym Leader of the Bōpíng Gym.
After Luo Mu challenged Haidai, he was invited by Haidai to taste the dishes he personally cooked, and even the recipe for the braised fish Luo Mu made earlier came from Haidai.
Luo Mu arrived outside the restaurant with Poliwag, where Haidai, dressed in a wave-patterned apron, had been waiting for a long time.
Although Haidai was burly and had a shiny bald head, he was actually a straightforward and generous person, and his dishes were very popular with the citizens of Bottle Gourd City.
"Hey! Have you eaten?" Haidai, with his arms crossed, quickly noticed Luo Mu approaching with the sharp eyes of a chef. He first greeted Luo Mu warmly, then looked at the Poliwag beside him with an appraising gaze: "Isn't this a Poliwag, which is quite rare in Paldea? Is it a new Pokemon you've caught, Little Brother Luo Mu?"
"Aren't I just about to come here to taste new dishes?" Luo Mu extended his right hand, briefly shaking Haidai's right hand, then lowered his gaze to Poliwag and said with a smile, "It's a Pokemon I caught for the farm. I'm planning to train it to evolve into Politoed."
"Politoed? That's a good idea. I remember it's very good at controlling the weather, but the King's Rock needed for its evolution is a bit rare and hard to obtain."
As a Water-type expert, Haidai knew a thing or two about Water-type Pokemon from other regions, and he had also paid attention to Politoed, a Pokemon with the rare Drizzle ability.
"Woooo!"
Poliwag wagged its tail and greeted Haidai.
Seeing this, Haidai showed a kind smile, squatted down and gently stroked Poliwag's head, saying, "Hello to you too. You must grow up strong."
After greeting Poliwag, Haidai stood up, looked at Luo Mu, and pointed to the restaurant behind him, which was packed with people during mealtime, and said generously, "That's enough small talk. Now, let me treat you to the freshest bass after a big catch, and the ultimate delicacy of Mew's Seaweed from the Hoenn region, which I painstakingly sourced, all intertwined!"
"Ultimate delicacy? As a chef, I can't just ignore that statement."
Before Luo Mu could respond, an unfamiliar male voice suddenly came from behind him.
The two looked towards the source of the voice, only to see a man with impeccably styled golden hair, dressed in a pristine white chef's uniform, with a striking blue scarf at his chest and a large suitcase in his hand, standing there.
The man's sharp gaze met Haidai's, as if containing some ineffable emotion.
"You are..." Haidai's hearty smile froze, and he stared intently at the man. He smelled a kindred spirit on the man.
Two sharp gazes collided in the air, interweaving and sparking. An inexplicable atmosphere began to spread between the two.
Luo Mu & Poliwag: "?"
So, what's going on now?
Luo Mu had some impression of this blond man; he remembered him as someone waiting in line at the elevator, and his unusually pure golden hair for the Paldea region had made Luo Mu pause for a while.
But no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn't recall who this somewhat familiar man was.
After a moment of silence, Haidai suddenly spoke, "Hey! Kid, what's your line of work?"
The man's gaze swept over the Chinese restaurant behind Haidai. After carefully placing the heavy suitcase he was carrying, he said calmly, "A chef traveling abroad in search of the ultimate cuisine, Zhi Mi."
Luo Mu: "!!!!!"
Haidai frowned, as if recalling something, his eyes widened slightly in shock, and he exclaimed, "You are from the Kalos region... that famous head chef of the three-star restaurant!"
"It's just an empty reputation, nothing more. Now that I'm traveling, I'm just an ordinary chef." Zhi Mi shook his head. Compared to the various honors bestowed upon him, he focused more on deeper things.
"I heard your conversation with this young man just now. My purpose in coming to Bottle Gourd City in the Paldea region is to find new culinary inspiration, and this city, where cuisine flourishes, has truly opened my eyes."
"So, I'm very interested in the ultimate delicacy you mentioned. Would you like to have a culinary showdown with me, Mr. Haidai?"
Zhi Mi's unwavering words directly struck Haidai's heart. He was only stunned for a moment, then he said boldly, "I couldn't ask for more! Let's bet on a chef's pride and have a showdown with no regrets!"
The two thus reached an agreement, both looking eager to get started.
Before turning to enter the restaurant, Haidai turned his head and said, "How about Little Brother Luo Mu serving as one of the judges?"
"I have no problem with that. Even if he's someone you know, I will present a dish that will leave him full of praise."
Zhi Mi's gaze shifted from Haidai and looked at Luo Mu. Originally, he had no interest in Luo Mu, and his eyes were only on Haidai as a chef.
However, Zhi Mi's expression froze for a moment after just one glance at the other party.
Was it his imagination? He seemed to catch a glimpse of Miss Kalu Nai's shadow in this young man.
Zhi Mi looked at Luo Mu with a meaningful gaze.
From Luo Mu's perspective, this chef who called himself Zhi Mi had a conversation with Mr. Haidai, then suddenly connected on some wavelength, and inexplicably decided to start a cooking battle.
Luo Mu had so many complaints but nowhere to vent them. This was a Pokemon setting; why were they starting a Shokugeki competition?
Poliwag, on the other hand, was very interested in this novel scene, hopping and skipping to follow Luo Mu's steps into the restaurant.
After being seated, a woman dressed in a pastry chef's uniform with beautiful green hair smiled and said to Luo Mu, "Oh, long time no see, Little Brother Luo Mu~"
"Miss A Feng was also invited by Mr. Haidai?"
Luo Mu felt a little surprised, yet it was also understandable.
This woman who spoke was A Feng, the Gym Leader of the Yuanmo Gym in Yuanmo Town. Her main profession was a pastry chef, and she owned a shop called "Pi Shurei Muzi." She was also Haidai's culinary student.
"Yes, I arrived even before you did." A Feng spoke slowly, with a faint smile, appearing very quiet and natural. "Oh, and this is a belated blessing, congratulations on becoming a Champion-level Trainer~"
"Hehehe, I didn't expect you to surpass all of us in just one short year~"
Luo Mu humbly replied, "Thanks to my partners, I couldn't have done it alone."