Chapter 211: Mapo Tofu
Advancing to the Top 32 of the East China Division was already an impressive achievement. The Modu University school team members all called to congratulate him.
Curious, Lu Ye asked, "Coach Zhai, how many from our school made it through?"
Coach Zhai thought for a moment and said, "In the Top 32, you're the only one from our school this year. Among the juniors and seniors, only four made it… So for sophomores, you're the last one standing."
"By the way, this is a huge win for the school. You should go see the old principal—he might give you something nice."
"Haha, I'll hang up now!" Lu Ye quickly ended the call.
"Tsk, this kid is just too shy..." Coach Zhai chuckled, shaking his head.
Back home, Lu Ye took out the warm Pokémon egg from his bag and gently rubbed it. "Grow up well, okay? Don't let your old man's heartfelt teachings go to waste!" he spoke earnestly. The egg wobbled slightly.
Sylveon pouted, trying to snuggle into Lu Ye's arms as well. Laughing, he picked up Sylveon too, idly playing with its pink feelers, deep in thought. From today's battle, it was clear that Growlithe had improved significantly. With its weight advantage, training it in Body Slam seemed like the natural next step.
Even though he had won another match, the little ones still deserved a reward. The night had fallen. Lu Ye tied on an apron. "Alright, tell me what you guys want to eat. I'll cook!"
Gengar tilted its head, rummaged through the cabinet, and handed Lu Ye a fiery red chili. "Garrr! (¯﹃¯)"
"You want something spicy?" Lu Ye pondered for a moment. "Yeah… It's getting cold. Spicy food sounds perfect."
Wartortle and Growlithe had no objections. As for Sylveon, Lu Ye smiled and said, "You can have a separate dish."
"Ee~vee! (≧∀≦)"
By now, it was already 8 PM. Lu Ye set up his camera, opened his livestream, and changed the title: "Teacher Lu's Comfort Food Kitchen." Viewers poured in, utterly baffled.
"Holy crap, Teacher Lu is actually cooking!"
"I thought he was a battle master, but turns out he's just a chef."
On-screen, Lu Ye skillfully held the tofu with his long fingers. The knife spun twice in his hand before he effortlessly began slicing.
"Damn, that's professional!"
"That knife work! Even a Bisharp wouldn't be sharper!"
"An East Donghuang dish—Mapo Tofu," Lu Ye said. "For seasoning, I added extra chili. It's basically Charizard-level spicy."
"Hiss—" As the vibrant red chilies hit the pan, the flames illuminated Lu Ye's sharp features. The viewers collectively swallowed.
The oil shimmered as the finely chopped chilies sizzled. The rich aroma of fermented bean paste mixed with the crackling of Sichuan peppercorns. Minced beef was added and stir-fried until fragrant, the intense aroma practically seeping through the screen. A splash of water sent steam hissing into the air, turning the broth into a fiery red concoction.
"I'm starving!"
"My Farfetch'd suddenly doesn't seem so appealing anymore…"
"Streamer, were you a chef before?"
As he added the cubed tofu, Lu Ye effortlessly flipped the wok, chatting casually, "Long-time viewers know—before I was a streamer, I was actually a chef…"
"???"
"Last time, you said you used to sing under a bridge!"
Once the tofu had absorbed the flavors, Lu Ye thickened the sauce with a cornstarch slurry. Gengar sniffed the air, its tongue circling its lips. Growlithe panted, drool already pooling beneath it. Moments later, Lu Ye turned off the heat and plated the dish, sprinkling a generous handful of freshly chopped green onions over the steaming Mapo Tofu. The scent was intoxicating.
Viewers gulped. "Damn you, opening the stream when I haven't had dinner yet!"
This dish, a certain priest's absolute favorite from Donghuang cuisine, would no doubt get a nod of approval. (Kirei Kotomine is crying internally.) Lu Ye's Mapo Tofu was on par with that of a top-tier chef.
Amid the wails of hungry viewers, Lu Ye ended the stream. He placed the dish on the dining table, where his Pokémon stared at it with solemn expressions.
"...Why are you all looking at me like that?"
Lu Ye sat down, scooped up a piece of tofu, blew on it, and took a bite. "Hot! Damn, that's spicy!" The silky tofu melted on his tongue before the intense heat exploded in his mouth. His face flushed red. For a moment, he hallucinated a Charizard soaring through the sky, spewing a massive Fire Blast. One more bite, and I'll probably start seeing Groudon!
With a sharp gasp, Lu Ye hurriedly cracked open a bottle of cola. Mapo Tofu was truly the perfect dish to go with rice!
Seeing Lu Ye's reaction, Gengar hesitated, then took a bite. "Garrr!!" Face flushed, it quickly scooped more tofu over its rice and dug in frantically. Thud! Lu Ye blinked. Growlithe had buried its head in the bowl, its tail wagging furiously.
"Wartor…" A bead of cold sweat slid down Wartortle's forehead.
The next moment, Growlithe lifted its head and opened its mouth wide. A small flame flickered at the tip of its tongue—a Flamethrower was about to burst out!
Lu Ye's expression twisted. It had been struggling to learn this move for over a month… but now, one spicy meal, and it just got it?! If Flint found out about this, he'd probably explode from frustration!
At the last second, Wartortle reacted, shooting a Water Gun straight at the tiny flame. Boom! Lu Ye stared, stunned, at the Growlithe that had been sent flying—then at the massive scorch mark on the wall.
Wartortle coolly adjusted its sunglasses. "Wartortle!ヾ(⌐■_■)" Good thing I was prepared!
Lu Ye wiped his face, a complicated look crossing his expression. "A simple Water Gun would've been fine. No need to go all out with Hydro Pump…" Shaking his head, he chuckled, "But still, thanks, Wartortle."
"Wartor." Wartortle carefully scooped up a piece of Mapo Tofu. Master. If I had used Hydro Pump… things wouldn't have been this simple.
Growlithe, now thoroughly soaked, got up and shook itself off. "Arrroooo~~凸(｀0´)凸" It howled triumphantly. It had mastered a new move just like that! I'm amazing!
Meanwhile… "Hello? Yes, same place as last time." Lu Ye dialed a number, his tone completely calm. "Sorry to trouble you again."
[Inorin Note:
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