Dr. Nemu displayed an awkward smile on her beautiful face and then said somewhat embarrassedly, "Well, it's a bit messy here, don't mind it, okay? Xiao Nan, go bring six buckets of instant noodles. By the way, do you want spicy or non-spicy?"
Ash and the others: …...
Wait, you're inviting us for instant noodles? Although it seems unreasonable for guests to think this way, inviting someone over for instant noodles is a tad absurd, right?
Ash and Brock exchanged glances, and the latter said to Dr. Nemu, "Dr. Nemu, do you have any ingredients here?"
"Um... there are some, but just a bit of pork and vegetables, there are also a few fish. It's just that we don't know how to prepare them, we usually hire a housekeeper to cook, about once a week." Dr. Nemu gently ran her finger down her cheek, looking quite embarrassed about her situation.
For an adult, her behavior seemed akin to being unable to take care of oneself. If others saw, they might naturally look down on her.
Ash and the others might think she is quite useless and unreliable... Just as Dr. Nemu was thinking this, Ash and his friends took off their jackets, rolled up their sleeves, and started to get to work.
Even Misty, the girl of the trio, had gained great proficiency in household chores from traveling for long periods, staying at Ash's house, and having the experience of being the youngest sister taking care of her three sisters.
For Ash and Brock, it's even more unquestionable. One's housekeeping skills have been increasing throughout their travels, and the other's skills were naturally at full level from the start. With just this degree of disorder, they could make even a real trash heap neat and clean!
With the three of them moving like butterflies, the garbage in the dining room quickly decreased and the place became clean and tidy. In just ten minutes, the dining room, which had looked like a pile of garbage, became spotless!
Dr. Nemu and the three little ones covered their mouths in astonishment, seemingly not expecting these seemingly young teenagers to be so capable!
"Amazing! Truly amazing! Ash, Misty, Brock! How did you learn such skills! It's simply miraculous!" The speed at which they tidied up was even faster and cleaner than the housekeeping lady Dr. Nemu usually hires.
In just ten minutes, the place was completely renewed, and the previously cluttered scene seemed like an illusion.
After tidying up, Ash and Brock did not stop. One went to find ingredients, while the other heated up the oil. Ash directly picked a carp from the sink, then grabbed a kitchen knife. With a flash of the knife, the almost meter-long carp was instantly lifeless.
Then Ash gently plucked at the fish's tail, and the entire fishbone came out of the body, looking as if it had been gnawed clean. If not seen with their own eyes, no one would believe it was peeled from a freshly killed fish.
"Clap clap clap!!!" Dr. Nemu and the three little ones applauded with wide eyes, while Misty, resting on the side, wore a proud expression — that's my boyfriend!
Whether in battle or in household affairs, he is the best, apart from having somewhat low emotional intelligence, he's almost the perfect boyfriend!
Ash cut the fish into pieces and handed it to Brock. Brock stir-fried it on high heat, and then Ash fetched the pork and vegetables from the fridge. In just ten minutes, two dishes were ready.
Spicy Carp, Stir-fried Pork with Garlic Scapes.
As for the rice, Misty had already started cooking it while tidying up. It would be ready in about five more minutes.
Since Ash didn't handle the entire cooking process, the dish didn't shine with brilliance, but from the glistening glow and the aroma, Brock was sure that this time, his dish was absolutely the best he had ever made!
Because the allocation of ingredients and seasoning with chili sauce and salt was done by Ash, Brock, although the one stir-frying, felt like he was just following Ash's lead.
After this culinary endeavor, Brock felt that his cooking skills, which he thought were already top-notch, had improved considerably.
Over there, Dr. Nemu and the others were dumbfounded. To them, Ash and Brock were like magicians, whipping up two dishes in the blink of an eye. Just from the aroma, these dishes were over ten times better than those made by the housekeeping lady!
How is it that they are so young yet have such formidable household skills?
Especially Ash, who is incredibly talented at Pokemon battles, becoming the Quartz Conference Champion in just half a year, and now, he's also proficient in both household chores and cooking. Was he learning all these skills while still in the womb?
"Time to eat, Dr. Nemu, go wash your hands." Ash and Brock removed their aprons and said with a smile to Dr. Nemu.
"Oh oh! Da Nan, Zhong Nan, Xiao Nan, go wash your hands."
...
After the meal, Dr. Nemu and her group were completely enchanted. Ninety percent of the time, they usually ate instant noodles, and even when they occasionally splurged, it was just regular home-cooked meals. Today, it felt like they were having a royal feast!
Even though it was just two seemingly ordinary dishes, eating them made them feel a tingly warmth all over. If you didn't know better, you'd think the dishes were laced with something!
After eating, Dr. Nemu could clearly feel that her body felt much lighter, as if the fatigue built up in her body was released during the meal. Was this a healing-effect meal?
"Ah~ I'm full, you guys are amazing, I really envy you for having such companions on your journey, Misty." Dr. Nemu put down her chopsticks, let out a satisfied sigh, and said enviously to Misty.
At this moment, Brock suddenly stood up and stammered loudly to Dr. Nemu, "If... if you don't mind, let me stay and take care of you! Seeing how you live makes me feel uneasy!"
Ash & Misty: ...
Though Brock has always been brave around older women, loving one after another, he had never been this serious before, wanting to break away from their group for this. Could it be that Brock has really fallen in love?
Hearing this, Dr. Nemu looked surprised and said, "Is it okay? But aren't you guys supposed to be traveling, and once the GS Ball is analyzed, don't you have to take it back to Professor Oak? Is it really alright to stay?"
Honestly, Dr. Nemu was very tempted. After experiencing this meal, the thought of eating instant noodles again seemed unappetizing.
She also had a good initial impression of Brock. Though he seemed a bit goofy, his strengths outweighed that. The main issue now was that Brock was part of Ash's group. If she agreed, she felt like she was stealing someone away.
"No worries, Ash and Misty can deliver the Pokeball. As for the journey, it's actually just right for me to leave. Dr. Nemu, you might not know, but they're actually a couple. I'm merely the third wheel in the group, so me staying here to take care of you poses no problem at all!"
Such shamelessness! Misty and Ash secretly rolled their eyes. Brock, if you're being flirtatious, just admit it. What do you mean by being a third wheel? Haven't we all traveled together like this before?
But considering Brock's lifelong happiness, they chose not to debunk his excuse and instead turned their attention to Dr. Nemu, waiting for her decision.
Dr. Nemu hesitated for a moment but finally nodded with a smile and said, "Then please take care of me, Brock."
"Alright! Please take care of me in the future!"