Selena didn't want to be seen as someone taking advantage of others. It would have been easier to be upfront with Carl about her intentions. She had applied to be an apprentice at the Summit Gym partly because she admired Carl. In her eyes, this young man, only a year older than her, was similar to herself—both had chosen the road less traveled, stepping away from the conventional paths others expected them to take. This shared sense of understanding made her reluctant to be misunderstood by Carl.
But what if Carl was just playing dumb? He could be ignoring countless possibilities and focusing on the most unlikely one. Do you think I'm that dumb? Selena rolled her eyes. Why does he love arguing so much? She decided to stay silent and focus on guiding the Rhyhorn. Carl, too, enjoyed the quiet.
After recognizing Selena as the famous Serena, Carl had already dismissed the idea of taking her on as an apprentice. Providing her with a few meals to build good rapport was enough for him, anything more would disrupt his laid-back lifestyle. Yet, watching her ride the Rhyhorn was a sight he found enjoyable.
Half an hour later, the Rhyhorn came to a halt at a port. In the distance stood a massive, square arena, half of it built over the river and the other half into the hillside, covering over 10,000 square meters. Next to it, a four-story villa perched on a hillside, surrounded by walls, clearly a private estate.
Selena immediately recognized it as the Summit Gym and presumed the entire hill belonged to Carl. Yet, she felt no particular excitement—after all, her family owned vast plains, several mountain ranges, and even a dedicated mine for feeding Rhyhorns. Carl had no intention of showing off; in the Pokémon world, this level of wealth was quite ordinary. In front of him stood a true heiress.
"Come in," Carl said as he opened the electronic gate. He led Selena through the front yard, allowing the Rhyhorn to roam freely, and then ushered her into the villa.
The villa was just the right size, with four levels that could easily accommodate Carl's needs. The ground floor boasted a spacious common area with a living room, dining room, kitchen, and study.
"Let's get something to eat first."
Carl gestured for Selena to sit at the dining table and retrieved some toast and milk from the fridge, placing them before her. "Just a little something to tide you over. I'll make some noodles."
"Thank you."
Selena was indeed starving, having not eaten since the day before. She had studied the recruitment notice for the Summit Gym, which clearly stated it provided room and board. Though still considering the apprentice offer, as long as Carl didn't show any major flaws, she was open to the idea.
She devoured the toast and downed the milk in one go, licking her lips in satisfaction. Ordinary milk tasted exceptionally good right now, fueling her anticipation for the noodles Carl was about to prepare. Watching him move confidently in the kitchen, she assumed he was quite the cook… or at least she hoped so.
"What's that smell?"
A sudden burnt odor wafted through, wrinkling Selena's nose. Strange sounds followed from the kitchen: "Grunt~ Grunt~"
What kind of Pokémon makes that noise? She curiously peeked in and saw a robust figure.
"Emboar?"
In the kitchen stood a fiery red Pokémon about five feet tall, flames around its neck, with arched black eyebrows and a fighting motif on its belly. Its adorable pig nose and fiery whiskers were quite striking. Known as Emboar, this Fire-type Pokémon was affectionately nicknamed "Second Brother," a reference to a famous character from the classic novel Journey to the West.
Emboar was popular, thanks in part to the novel's influence. Among Fire-type starters, it was second only to the Gigantamax-capable Charizard and the Blaze Monkey, even surpassing the Mega Evolution-capable Blaziken in popularity.
Could this be Carl's signature Pokémon? Selena speculated. As a starter Pokémon, Emboar had every right to be a trainer's mainstay and possibly Carl's star partner. Its dual Fire and Fighting type fit the theme of the Summit Gym perfectly.
What's going on? Driven by curiosity, Selena quietly edged closer to the kitchen.
Inside, Carl was frowning at the charred mess in the pot. Wasn't cooking noodles supposed to be easy? He couldn't comprehend how this had gone wrong. How could he not know how to cook? His thirty years of life experience were being put to the test.
Emboar, standing nearby, was quick to point out, "You've never been in a kitchen before, where's the confidence coming from?"
"Second Brother, that's not fair," Carl retorted. "If I really couldn't cook, how would I have survived this long?" He recalled how his grandfather had always taken care of him on both Earth and Waterworld, and with such culinary talent in the family, surely he had inherited some of those skills.
Emboar rolled its eyes. "Do you really believe that? If Grandpa and I hadn't been cooking every day, would you have grown up so healthy?"
Carl thought back and realized he had indeed never set foot in a kitchen.
On Earth, his meals were either take-out or prepared by his grandfather. After his grandfather passed, Carl was so grief-stricken he fainted, and when he awoke, he had been transported to Waterworld.
There, too, his grandfather looked after his meals until he became busy with gym matters, leaving Emboar to care for Carl.
Emboar wasn't Carl's Pokémon but one trained by his grandfather. Gentle and just, Emboar excelled in caretaking, serving as both a nanny and a chef.
After his grandfather passed away, most of his old companions either passed on, returned to nature, or went into seclusion, leaving only Emboar by Carl's side.
"Even if I've never cooked before, I should still be able to make noodles!"
Carl grumpily dumped the burnt noodles, cleaned the pot, and prepared to try again. Making noodles was simple; it was impossible for him to fail again. The first time was just an accident.
Yet, ten minutes later—
"This is ridiculous!"
Staring at the tangled mass of noodles in the pot, Carl scratched his head in frustration.
Grunt~ (The truth is right before you) Emboar gently reminded him.
"Logically, I should have inherited Grandpa's culinary talent."
Grunt~ (Your grandpa mentioned that neither of your parents could cook)
"So my parents' genes are too strong, huh?"
Carl was unwilling to give up. He hadn't wanted to trouble Emboar and thought noodles were simple enough to make himself. Now, this bowl of noodles had sparked his competitive spirit.
"If I try a few more times, I'll get it right!"
"I have to let Selena try my cooking today!"
(Selena, behind him, silently thought: Really, there's no need…)
Carl took out all the noodles from the cupboard and tried again.
This time, it only took five minutes to see the results—too little water, too many noodles, half undercooked, half burnt.
"Again!"
Five minutes later, another pot of blackened noodles joined its predecessors.
"I refuse to give up."
Three minutes went by, and nothing happened. He had forgotten to turn on the gas.
"Time to unleash the ultimate move!"
Carl's eyes lit up as he pulled out his Rotom phone.
"Rotom, open QuickTok and search for a noodle-cooking tutorial!"
Carl figured, if he couldn't do it himself, he'd learn how. He prided himself on being smart.
But half an hour later, staring at a dozen bowls of failed noodles, he couldn't believe his eyes.
He followed the tutorial's steps precisely, so how did it still go wrong? Was that instructional video a prank?
Are you going to continue? Emboar's tone carried a hint of teasing.
Carl's face darkened. "Do you think I have any more noodles to waste?"
That's when he heard a stifled laugh behind him. Turning around, he saw Selena covering her mouth, her face flushed with amusement.
"This stove is acting up today," Carl tried to maintain his composure, tossing the failures into the trash. "Even though we've just met, I've decided to let you try my special reserve."
With that, he pulled out a pack of Black Elephant instant noodles. Emboar's favorite.
"Watch this!" He expertly opened the package, added the seasonings, poured in water, and covered it, "Three minutes and it's ready."
But he didn't notice the peculiar expressions on Emboar and Selena's faces.
Three minutes later, Carl confidently lifted the lid, only to find the noodles hadn't softened at all.
"You might have… used cold water," Selena quietly pointed out.
Carl was utterly defeated. "If I ever step into a kitchen again, let me turn into a Poochyena!"
Embarrassed, Carl slinked back to his room, leaving the kitchen to Selena and Emboar. After all his boasting about cooking noodles, he couldn't even manage instant noodles. It was humiliating.
Watching Carl retreat, Selena couldn't help but laugh. Emboar joined in with a hearty chuckle. Despite his awkwardness, there was something endearing about Carl that made Selena feel more at ease.
"Are you really called Second Brother?" Selena asked Emboar, curious.
Emboar shook its head and then nodded.
"That's your nickname?"
Emboar nodded again.
"Can I call you that too?"
After receiving a positive response, Selena politely asked, "Second Brother, may I use the kitchen?"