Chapter 1; Tournament of Heroes

"A competitor at the Vertress Conference? Wow, I wonder who he was...," Jack said thoughtfully. It was at about this point that Jack's, and Bolt's, stomachs growled in unison. Jack got a slightly embarrassed look on his face.

"Well, there's the dinner bell, heh," he said with a smirk. "I'll head on over to the Rusty Pelipper and grab us a table. I'll see you guys there," he said with an excited grin. "Thanks for everything Nurse Joy, I really appreciate it," he said with a respectful bow. "C'mon Bolt," he said as he started walking out the door.

By the time Luke and Dave had made it out of the Pokecenter, Jack was nowhere to be seen. Thankfully, Dave had the map of the area downloaded and with only a little bit of trouble, the pair made it to The Rusty Pelipper.

The restaurant was in....slightly rough shape, having seen better days. However there was a certain quaintness about it, and upon entering, the pair found that it was absolutely bustling with customers. Everyone was talking and laughing and overall having a good time. A delicious smell wafted throughout the entire establishment, a mix of all the food being made and the distinct smell of wood burning. However, when they looked around, Jack was still nowhere to be seen.

Noticing the pair, a large man in a dirty apron walks up and puts his hands on each of their shoulders "Ah! Pink hair and a hoodie! You must be Jacks friends!" He smiled before continuing "He's a good kid, and a hard worker. It won't be the same without him around here. You two better keep a close eye on him! Well, he had me set aside a booth in the corner for you. Said he'll meet you there when he can" the man said as he lead them to an open booth, the only one in the entire place, before walking back into the kitchen

Luke gives a small nod to the man, and follows Dave to the indicated booth. He doesn't feel like starting a conversation with Dave (something about him reminded him too much of his brothers...) and opts to wait for Jack to arrive before saying anything.

"Uh..." Dave says, looking over the menu, "I don't actually know any of the local food, so... what would you recommend? Anything that might be similar to a Hoennian palate?"

"Oh, alright," Dave says, "I'll keep that in mind." And that's all anyone ever thinks about Hoenn. Water, water, water... He doesn't voice this thought aloud, though. One should not irritate the person handling one's food.

After perusing for a moment, Dave says. "I think I'll have the lobster rolls. Nothing for my Pokémon, though. Porygon aren't particularly known for their appetite."

After several minutes, one of the cooks approached the table pushing a cart of food. The chef was clearly young, wearing black slacks, a white shirt, an apron and a chef's hat...but he looked familiar. When he spoke, you recognized his voice instantly. It was Jack.

"Alright, let's see here," Jack said with a grin. "Beef burger and potato wedges for Luke," he said cheerily, placing two plates down in front of Luke. The burger wasn't dressed--all of the dressings and condiments were on the other plate--but even so it smelled delicious, and was clearly fresh off the grill. The potato wedges were similarly hot, steam rising from them, and dusted with seasoning and glistening salt crystals. "The ticket didn't say how you wanted it dressed, so I put everything on the side," he said with a grin.

"And Lobster Rolls for Dave," he said, placing the plate down in front of his pink haired comrade. There was also a generous portion of chips on the plate.

"And for the pokemon...I know you didn't order anything for Hal, but I prepared some special pokemon food for him all the same. I did a little research, and it said that they will sometimes absorb food that is high in electrolytes," he said with a smile, placing a bowl of pokemon food in the vacant spot next to Dave. "And for Gawain, we've got some mixed greens tossed in a lemon citrus glaze. A little sour, but not too overwhelming," he said, setting the plate down with a small cup of extra glaze. The salad had a heavy citric smell, enough to tingle the back of your nose with its sharpness.

"And I think you said you caught a Deerling and a Patrat, right? Can't leave them out," he said, offloading two more plates. One was a salad, similar to Gawain's, but it smelled much sweeter, hinted at by the glazed pecans, strawberries, and strings of spun sugar atop the salad. The second plate was a sizzling bowl of sliced small potatoes, carefully seasoned and smelling of sea salt with just a hint of rosemary.

"I think that does it for you guys," he said, looking everything over. "Let me know if I missed anything, or if you need anything else," he said. With that, he started offloading a few more plates--his own food.

The first was a plate of fried chicken and shrimp, tossed in a sauce that gave off a sweet, yet spicy aroma. The air-and-sea combo rested atop a bed of rice, accented by sliced carrots and peppers. Another three plates came down next to him. First, a bowl of nuts, dried fruits, berries, and toasted bread, tossed with seasoning. Next, a plate of broiled fish and capers, lemon twists adorning the top and heavy with the smell of lemon pepper. Broccoli spears, glistening with butter, also adorned the plate. Lastly, but not least, a plate of pasta, topped with a spicy red sauce that smelled of garlic and crushed red pepper.

"Alright, I think that's everything," he said pleasantly. At that, Bolt popped out from inside the lower portion of the cart, climbing up to his bowl of food and starting to chow down. Jack released his other two new pokemon, the Mankey and the Venipede he had caught earlier by their own plates before pushing the cart off to the side, removing his hat and sitting down at the table.

"Bon Appétit, everyone," he said, looking at Dave and Luke with a smile. "And, please, let me know how everything is! If you don't tell me how it is, I can't get any better," he added cheerfully. With that, he started into his own food.

Luke brightens up as Jack brings them their food. "Thanks!" he says to Jack, smiling. He quickly begins dressing his burger, first taking the burger off the bun and putting some ketchup on the bottom bun, before putting the burger back on the now ketchup-smeared bun. He then puts some leaves of lettuce and slices of tomato on top of the burger, finishing it all off by laying several slices of cheese on top, before placing the top bun on top of the stack. He then waits for a few moments to let the cheese melt for a bit, nibbling on the potato wedges as he does so. A content smile appears on his face as he eats the food. "This is great, Jack!" he says enthusiastically, smiling brightly, before continuing the rest of his meal mostly in silence, unless either one of his companions feel like talking (okay, if Jack feels like talking).

The rest of the dinner was spent in relative silence, Jacks cooking surprising everyone with his skillful ability to combine flavours. Dave was even more surprised that not only was his food GOOD but he was able to eat it without anyone taking any of it or otherwise interrupting him. Bolt, Gawain, Abbadon, and Maya are all too engrossed in eating to interact too much with each other, though as soon as they finish, Bolt and Gawain begin chasing each other in circles underneath the table. Just as they run out and head towards another table, the man from before walks up and scoops both of them up with a chuckle "Oh no, can't be letting the two of you bother the other guests" Before gently depositing them next to their respective trainers

The man had a warm smile "Now of course this meal will be on the house, a gift to some of the bravest young trainers we've seen in these parts for a while. But, before you leave, I'm going to need to see Jack in the kitchen"

"Oh, sure thing," Jack said. "I'll grab the plates and be right back there," he said. With that, he recalled his pokemon, except for Bolt of course, and started collecting all of the dirty dishes and utensils onto the cart.

"Well, I guess I'll see you guys at the tournament tomorrow," Jack said pleasantly. Then an idea struck him. "Oh, that's right, you guys are from out of town. Well, if you need somewhere to stay, we have plenty of room at my place," he said, making the offer. "If you need somewhere to stay, just hang out by the fountain out front. I'll stop by there once I'm done in the kitchen," he said, "and if I don't see ya there, then I'll see ya tomorrow, and have a good night!," he said, though this was clearly more directed at Dave. He didn't expect Dave to take him up on his offer.

With that, Jack started wheeling the cart of dirty utensils and dishes back to the kitchen.