The method for making Grass Dumplings was quite simple—so simple that no special tools were even required.
First, the dried pasture grass was blanched in hot water.
Then the excess water was squeezed out by hand.
A small amount of soda water was added before the grass was mashed into a paste or finely chopped.
After that, glutinous rice flour was mixed in, kneaded evenly like dough.
Once the dough was ready, filling suitable for Skiddo could be added and lightly seasoned.
Then the dumplings were ready to be placed into the steamer.
Beside him, Korrina copied Hayato Sora's movements.
She paid no attention to her identity as a movie star.
Instead, she happily followed Hayato Sora's instructions step by step, finding the whole process refreshing and interesting.
A relaxed smile appeared on her face.
Soon, the first steamer basket of Grass Dumplings was ready.
The outer layer was soft and chewy, with a light sweetness.
Inside was a sweet filling.
Of course, while some Pokémon absolutely loved this dish—
It was not suitable for humans to eat.
The taste was bitter and difficult to swallow.
"Ptoo! Ptoo! That's awful!"
Korrina tried a bite.
Her beautiful face immediately scrunched up, and she spat several times before recovering.
Hayato Sora shrugged beside her.
"I told you earlier that it tasted bad. You just didn't believe me."
"It's my first time making a dish like this. Of course I wanted to try it!"
Korrina rolled her eyes at him before taking out a Poké Ball from her waist.
"Come out, Gourgeist!"
"Gour—geist!"
With a flash of light, a new Pokémon appeared.
Its overall shape resembled a hollowed-out jack-o'-lantern.
Its round body bore an exaggerated ghostly face carved into the surface, with ghostly flames flickering inside.
On top of the pumpkin was a curved vine-like stem, extending into two arm-like appendages.
The Gourgeist affectionately rubbed against Korrina.
Not far away, three pairs of eyes suddenly turned toward it—
They had smelled food.
Gourgeist was a rather unusual Pokémon.
It had four different size forms.
Korrina's Gourgeist was the Large Size, giving it the appearance of a grown adult.
Gourgeist wrapped a vine around a Grass Dumpling from Korrina's hand.
Under Korrina's expectant gaze, it placed the dumpling into its mouth.
A food that humans found difficult to swallow—
Gourgeist happily munched on it with great enjoyment.
After finishing one, it looked at Korrina again with eager eyes.
"Is it really that tasty?"
"Gourgeist!"
"Then try this one too."
After taking a bite of the second dumpling—
Gourgeist immediately spat it out.
Its expression twisted in confusion.
Its little pumpkin brain simply couldn't understand.
They were clearly the same food, so why did they taste completely different?
The first one had been delicious.
But the second one was nearly impossible to swallow.
"Not good?"
"Gour~"
Gourgeist waved its arms, trying to explain that the two had no comparison at all.
Korrina's expression changed slightly.
So this is Hayato Sora's special ability…
It's truly incredible.
The first dumpling had been made by Hayato Sora.
The second was a perfect imitation Korrina made by following the same ingredients and steps.
Yet the results were completely different.
Without Hayato Sora personally participating in the cooking process—
The dish simply wouldn't produce its special cooking effect.
Meanwhile, Gourgeist happily grabbed another Grass Dumpling with both hands and stuffed it into its mouth, eyes squinting with delight.
It completely failed to notice the three Mudbray quietly sneaking up behind it.
Their noses twitched repeatedly.
"That's the smell! The same ingredient Hayato Sora uses for pumpkin porridge!"
"Mudbray! A moving giant pumpkin—we're coming!"
The Mudbray suddenly charged forward.
One of them opened its mouth and bit Gourgeist.
Caught completely off guard by the sudden attack, Gourgeist panicked.
"Gour—Gour!"
(A ghost! There's a ghost biting me!)
With a flash of light—
Gourgeist instantly fled back into its Poké Ball.
"Mud~?"
Where did the pumpkin go?
"Mudbray!"
I don't know!
"Mudbray-bray!"
It's your fault, Third Brother! You were too slow and let the big pumpkin escape!
Two of the Mudbray turned toward the smallest one.
"Mud~!"
But I clearly bit it! It's not my fault!
"You three little troublemakers…"
Hayato Sora's voice sounded from behind them.
He grabbed two of them and flicked each on the head.
"That wasn't a pumpkin. That was Korrina's Pokémon—Gourgeist."
"Mud?!"
The Mudbray were shocked.
Pumpkins could become Pokémon too?!
Then… would Gourgeist seek revenge on them?
After all, they ate one pumpkin every day.
They had eaten so many of its descendants!
The eldest Mudbray proudly puffed out its chest and stomped a hoof.
"Mudbray!"
As if to say—
Don't worry. If Gourgeist comes back, we'll eat it too.
Meanwhile, Korrina managed to calm Gourgeist down.
Who would have thought that a Ghost/Grass-type Pokémon like Gourgeist would actually be afraid of ghosts?
That was honestly embarrassing.
After the Mudbray apologized to Gourgeist, the little incident finally came to an end.
Hayato Sora fed Gourgeist the entire steamer basket of Grass Dumplings.
As for the remaining hundred or so raw dumplings, he carefully wrapped them and stored them in the refrigerator.
Dingzhi would come tomorrow to collect them.
They only needed to be steamed before eating.
Once everything was stored away, it was nearly noon.
It was time for Hayato Sora to start cooking lunch.
He asked Cinccino to bring Smoliv out to keep the guest company.
Meanwhile, Hayato Sora walked into the kitchen and looked at the ingredients in the fridge, thinking about what to cook.
"Gaaao!"
At his feet, Cyclizar bit his pant leg, trying to get his attention.
"Stop messing around. I'm cooking right now. I don't have time to play."
He shook his leg, but Cyclizar held on tightly.
Hayato Sora sighed and crouched down to pat it gently.
"Be good. Go play with Kangaskhan and the others first. I'll spend time with you this afternoon."
Seeing it couldn't change his mind, Cyclizar reluctantly sat at the kitchen door.
Hayato Sora then took out the ingredients needed for lunch.
Today's meal wasn't just for Korrina—
Her Pokémon would also be eating.
So lunch needed to be large, delicious, and restorative.
A pan-seared steak with a Major Stamina Recovery effect was essential.
A Berry Platter suitable for many Pokémon was also necessary.
There would also be:
Smashed cucumber salad for a refreshing appetizer
Honey grapefruit drink served ice-cold for beauty and refreshment
And the main dish: Seafood Pizza
With an oven available, making pizza was much easier.
First, Hayato Sora kneaded and fermented the dough, rolling it into a flat crust.
He spread shredded cheese evenly across the back layer.
Then he added layers of prepared seafood—
Shrimp, squid rings, and clam meat.
These were common seafood ingredients gathered by Cinccino and the others during their seaside foraging trips.
Of course, vegetables were necessary for seasoning.
Rings of colorful bell peppers and slices of onion were arranged between the seafood.
Finally, he sprinkled another layer of shredded cheese and black pepper on top.
Only then was the pizza ready.
He placed it into the oven to bake slowly for 30 minutes.
During the process, he occasionally took it out to spray a fine mist of water on the surface so the crust would become crispier.
At the very end, just before serving, he drizzled melted garlic butter over the top.
Only then was the Seafood Pizza complete.
At that moment—
A system panel notification appeared before Hayato Sora's eyes.
PS: I've been releasing chapters daily . Honestly, it hurts seeing almost no support on Patreon after all that work.If you're enjoying the fic, even a little, supporting me would mean a lot. It helps a student stay independent .
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