My Pokémon Story of Seasons

Chapter 91 I Added a Flashbang

"I've finished too."

Just after the two brothers from Chicory Village finished tasting their dish, the contestant with the spice bottle hanging from his earlobe raised his hand.

Old Jack and the other two judges went over; they actually had high hopes for this contestant.

After all, they came all the way from a big city to participate in the competition, so they deserve more attention.

"What's your dish?"

The contestant from Wind-Swept Town tugged at his curly mustache and elegantly lifted the cap, saying...

"A gift from spring: seasonal fresh vegetables and trout rolls."

The presentation on the plate was extremely exquisite, with various finely shredded spring wild vegetables carefully rolled up with very thin slices of trout, like small flower rolls, drizzled with a clear broth made from fish bones and a small amount of wild mushrooms, and garnished with two edible wildflowers.

The dish is refreshingly colorful, and its presentation resembles a miniature spring forest painting.

"I selected only the most delicious seasonal vegetables."

The contestant with the mustache elegantly explained, "The trout rolls are slow-cooked at a low temperature to lock in the juices, the wild vegetables are only lightly blanched to maintain their crispness, and the sauce is light, all designed to highlight the peak 'freshness' of the ingredients themselves."

The judges' eyes lit up. Old Jack was the first to taste it, and after chewing it carefully, his eyes showed admiration.

"Ingenious! The tenderness of the trout and the unique fragrance of the wild vegetables, along with the slightly bitter and sweet flavors, create distinct layers in the mouth, yet blend perfectly."

The sauce doesn't overpower the other flavors; instead, it flows like a clear spring, connecting all the tastes. Every flavor serves the core ingredient—it's truly outstanding!

The other two judges nodded in agreement: "Indeed, every bite is full of the breath of spring."

"To be able to combine common wild vegetables and trout to create such an elegant and refreshing flavor requires profound skill."

The evaluation is extremely high! This contestant from Fengrao Town demonstrated a refined skill and profound understanding of flavor that is completely different from that of the Chicory Village brothers, a skill that belongs to the big city.

"Thank you, your praise is my motivation to cook."

Now, the judges started discussing it. It was a foregone conclusion that the contestants from Fengrao Town would advance, and only two of them could advance.

This means they may have to choose the better one from the two brothers in Chicory Village.

Meanwhile, the pressure was entirely on Tong Hua. If he wanted to advance, he would have to at least surpass the steak dishes of the Chicory Village brothers.

Everyone present couldn't help but focus their attention on Tong Hua and the scalding hot casserole on the counter in front of him.

"Speaking of which, what was the core ingredient this contestant chose?"

"I think I forgot to check; I was watching the other three people cook at the time."

Old Jack shook his head. He didn't remember exactly what ingredients Tong Hua had taken, only that there didn't seem to be any meat among them.

"Vegan?"

The other two judges were taken aback. A purely vegan dish to beat steak and fish? That seemed unrealistic.

Even the other three contestants were not very optimistic about Tong Hua's cooking. After all, in terms of the richness of flavor alone, it is unrealistic to expect a purely vegetarian dish to compare with a dish that combines meat and vegetables.

The two brothers from Chicory Village were relieved, at least one of them could advance to the finals, which meant they had completed the task assigned by the store.

Just as the crowd whispered among themselves, and even had some doubts about Tong Hua's vegan choice, Tong Hua finally completed the final step.

He extinguished the fire, put on gloves, and steadily lifted the simple casserole to the judges' table.

He simply placed the casserole in front of the judges and, without any explanation, lifted the lid.

Instantly, an indescribable, extremely calm and mellow fragrance spread as if it were a tangible thing.

It wasn't overpowering, yet it strangely overwhelmed the lingering aromas of all the previous dishes, carrying the fragrance of earth, the depth of the forest, and a warmth that seemed to emanate from the sun after it had been thoroughly baked, making one involuntarily take a deep breath and calm the mind.

Suddenly, all the judges involuntarily closed their eyes.

"Ah! What is that? It's so bright!"

"So bright! No, so blinding!"

It was as if someone had cast a flash spell on the casserole dish; the intense light was so blinding that the judges couldn't open their eyes.

Tong Hua seemed to have known this would happen, and closed her eyes and turned her head away beforehand.

Even the audience members below the stage craned their necks to look at the stage, all wanting to know what Tong Hua had brought out!

As the light gradually faded, the three judges and other contestants finally saw the true nature of Tong Hua's cooking.

"This is!"

"Soup?"

"Mushroom soup?"

Inside the casserole, the golden light shimmered on the surface, revealing a crystal-clear soup.

The soup has a pure and warm golden amber color, without any turbidity, like melting sunlight.

Several mushrooms of different shapes and sizes floated in the soup, some with thick, plump caps and others with slender, crisp stems, slightly unfurled and soaked in the broth.

Apart from mushrooms, the soup base seems to contain nothing else, making it extremely simple.

"This is my dish, Oneup mushroom soup."

Tong Hua's voice was calm. Fortunately, the official language of the Unova region in this world is English, which is from Earth, so everyone could understand it.

"Oneup means 'life-saving.' It's a dish so delicious that it can even prolong the life of a seriously ill person."

Tong Hua spoke with a calm expression, because what he said was true, and these effects and descriptions were written in the information panel.

He was just reading it aloud.

Of course, saying it can save lives is a bit of an exaggeration, but this B-grade dish does have the effect of temporarily restoring health to those who are seriously ill.

"To extend... to prolong life?"

Old Jack was stunned, and the other two judges also looked incredulous.

Tong Hua's description was too unbelievable, exceeding their conventional understanding of cooking.

Even the mustachioed contestant from Wind-Swept Town frowned, thinking it was utterly unbelievable.

"That's too exaggerated." The man with the mustache couldn't help but chuckle softly. "Even medicinal cuisine, which is called a dietary supplement, probably can't reach the level you're talking about."

How could a simple pot of mushroom soup possibly have such an exaggerated effect?

However, the soup, still radiating a warm glow and an incredible aroma, made his doubts seem less convincing.

After all, the light that caused the strange phenomenon just now was undeniable.

Old Jack took a deep breath; as the chief judge, he decided to let the facts speak for themselves.

Without further hesitation, he picked up a spoon, carefully scooped up a spoonful of golden broth, and put it, along with a small, trembling mushroom soaked in the broth, into his mouth.

The other two judges, filled with great curiosity and a touch of skepticism, also tasted it.

The moment the soup entered their mouths, all three judges simultaneously shuddered violently!

It felt as if the clothes on my body would be shattered in the next second.

It's not just a simple sensory experience.

The first thing to come is an indescribable, soul-deep "warmth".

It was as if my frozen limbs had been instantly immersed in warm water, and every cell in my body let out a comfortable groan.

The fatigue from a busy morning and the mental strain of judging the competition vanished in that moment. An indescribable sense of satisfaction washed over me.

It nourishes the spirit.

Then comes the ultimate enjoyment of taste.

The ultimate "umami" flavor is like the purest wave, gently yet powerfully washing over the entire mouth.

The complex umami flavors of various fungi are distinct yet perfectly blended. This umami is pure and powerful, yet not at all aggressive, offering only endless comfort and nourishment.

In terms of texture, the mushrooms are either soft and chewy or crisp and tender, releasing their final essence between your teeth.

Even more miraculously, after swallowing the soup, a warm current quickly spread from the stomach to the limbs and bones, as if awakening dormant vitality wherever it went.

One of the judges, whose legs had been aching for years, suddenly felt unusually relaxed and comfortable.

The other judge, whose mind had been somewhat foggy from staying up all night, suddenly became incredibly clear-headed and quick-witted. Old Jack even felt as if the roots of his gray hair had been revitalized.

This goes far beyond just being "delicious"!

Tong Hua's description is completely without any exaggeration!

The three judges remained silent for a long time, their eyes closed, completely immersed in the indescribable sense of comfort and the surge of vitality they experienced.

A healthy blush rose on their faces, and their eyes became exceptionally bright and alert.

The entire room fell silent, everyone holding their breath as they watched the judges' reactions. This reaction was more intense and bizarre than any of the dishes they had tasted before!