Inside the room, Austin was busy filming for Training Guidance 06: Mapo Tofu. Ethan had already urged him twice to upload a new episode.
Austin's account was approaching the 100,000 follower milestone, making this episode particularly important.
The previous video on essential oil care had been somewhat niche, and its views failed to surpass one million. As a result, Austin still needed one more breakout video to reach his goal.
Food content remained universally popular.
Before filming, however, Lance's arrival and the discussion surrounding the Emerald League had nearly consumed all of Austin's attention.
Fortunately, Cynthia's voice pulled him back from the endless group chat discussions.
From Cynthia's perspective, Austin had been staring at his Pokégear with a grin on his face the entire time, so her curiosity was understandable.
"What are you so happy about?" Cynthia asked.
"I'm chatting with Red, Blue, and Ethan. Ethan is asking for trouble again, and Lance is talking about the Emerald League," Austin explained.
He showed Cynthia the chat interface of [Did You Battle Today?].
Inside the group, Whitney and Ethan were arguing with each other as usual, a conflict that ultimately ended with both of them being muted.
Cynthia couldn't help but laugh.
She had never formally met Ethan, but she had certainly heard of him before.
At that moment, she finally understood why Austin seemed so familiar with Red and Blue.
"I was looking through the new Emerald League documents as well," Cynthia said.
She opened the files Lucian had sent and handed the Pokégear to Austin. Compared to Lance's brief explanation, the document was significantly more detailed.
Since the contents were essentially the same, Austin only skimmed through it.
Unlike Austin, Cynthia, as a regional Champion, would be participating in the Emerald League.
Of course, it was entirely voluntary.
Cynthia still possessed tremendous enthusiasm for Pokémon battles and the pursuit of becoming the strongest Trainer.
The fact that Red had skipped several seasons remained one of her biggest regrets.
The creation of the Emerald League was intended not only to introduce commercial changes but also to revitalize competitive battling and create opportunities for unexpected challengers to emerge.
Cynthia never invited Austin to participate.
After all, Austin had not yet assembled a full team of six Pokémon.
That said, if he ever expressed interest, she could easily use her Champion privileges to recommend him. Considering Austin's relationship with Red, Blue, and the others, qualifying would hardly be difficult.
. . .
Outside the window, Dai Yui and Incineroar were locked in an intense close-quarters struggle.
Are we eating or not?!
Dai Yui roared internally while wrestling with the Fire-type.
The two of them were regular members of Austin's tasting panel. Mizuki usually participated as well, but this time she firmly declined.
Partly because Cynthia was present, and partly because she had already eaten Mapo Tofu for two straight days and feared gaining weight.
Thankfully, the Emerald League discussion was finally set aside, and Austin began preparing the dish.
By now, he was already highly proficient at making Mapo Tofu.
Cynthia stood beside him, observing from an angle outside the camera's field of view.
"Today, I'm teaching everyone how to make one of the ultimate rice-killer dishes," Austin said toward the camera. "The key characteristics of this dish are numbness, spice, freshness, fragrance, heat, tenderness, and smoothness."
"First, trim away the outer surface of the tofu and cut it into evenly sized cubes. Then mince the beef into small pieces."
"Add salt to water and bring it to a boil over medium-low heat. This removes the beany taste while helping the tofu become firmer and absorb flavor more effectively."
"After boiling, let the tofu soak for a while."
"As usual, I've displayed the exact ingredient measurements on screen. Screenshot them if you need them."
"Now we'll stir-fry the minced beef. Add cooking wine, a little salt, and soy sauce for color."
As Austin stir-fried the beef, Cynthia gradually caught the rich aroma filling the room.
She could clearly see the minced meat becoming crisp and golden.
"This is where the crispy texture comes from," Austin explained. "Crispy and aromatic."
After removing the beef from the wok, he specifically filmed a close-up of the golden minced meat sizzling in the oil.
"The only downside is that this dish uses quite a bit of oil and salt. It's delicious, but moderation is important."
"Next, add plenty of oil, keep stirring over low heat, then add chili powder. Finally, pour in enough broth to completely cover the tofu."
Austin thickened the sauce three separate times with corn starch before finishing the dish.
As if summoned by magic, the regular tasting panel immediately appeared.
Dai Yui, Incineroar, and Ryu entered one after another.
To avoid interrupting Cynthia and Austin's time together, Dai Yui had spent considerable effort holding Incineroar outside. At one point, it nearly escalated into an actual fight.
Although Cynthia was present, Austin chose not to feature her in the video.
If she appeared, the episode would undoubtedly explode in popularity.
As a Champion who possessed both incredible strength and immense popularity, Cynthia surprisingly had no social media accounts. Her fans constantly lamented the fact that they had no way to learn more about their idol.
This time, Cynthia did not join the tasting.
Austin had already mentioned during filming that the dish contained high amounts of oil and salt and should not be eaten too frequently.
The recording session ended there.
Austin still needed to edit the footage and upload it before the night was over.
After asking Dai Yui to carry the Mapo Tofu outside, Austin immediately began preparing Poffins.
Unlike Pokéblocks/Energy cubes, which were designed primarily for Pokémon, Poffins could be enjoyed by both humans and Pokémon.
They were closer to Kalosian macron cookies than traditional Pokémon treats.
After tasting one, Cynthia gave her honest evaluation.
"They're good, but they're still not as impressive as your Pokéblocks."
Her assessment was fair and objective.
Ding!
[You have gained 9 Poffin Proficiency Points.]
"I'll practice diligently. It's not too late to start feeding them to Garchomp and the others once the quality improves."
Poffins themselves could sell for a good price, and their market potential was even broader than Pokéblocks.
Cynthia nodded. "Alright. For now, focus on Pokémon food and Pokéblocks."
Rotating between them would also prevent Garchomp and the others from growing tired of the same meals.
Cynthia preferred only perfect-grade Pokéblocks.
For Austin, the arrangement was straightforward.
High-quality batches would be sold normally, while perfect-grade ones would go either to Cynthia or be used for Agni, Ryu, and the rest.
For deliveries, they had already agreed on a fixed schedule. Dragapult would handle weekly deliveries every weekend.
Even though Cynthia was wealthy, Austin still gave her a discount.
Cynthia accepted it without hesitation.
Between their families, there was no need for unnecessary distance.
...
The next day.
Austin was browsing PokéStream on the EeveeNet.
The new Mapo Tofu episode had received strong feedback. Several well-known Trainers, including Red and Brock, had left comments under the post.
The most eye-catching comment came from an account named [Professor Oak's Backyard].
"Master Ball, capture."
With Professor Oak's influence, Austin's account finally crossed the 100,000 follower mark.
A million views was now within reach. He estimated that the second-stage mission would be completed within a day or two.
Cynthia's appearance had indirectly solved one of his key problems.
Because Crown Coronet Breeding House had entered a price war with a 30 percent discount across all services, it had affected business flow.
However, that pressure eased after Austin performed a coarse salt sand bath for Garchomp the previous day.
"Welcome. What would you like to book?"
It had become the most common greeting from Daniella and Gardevoir at the front desk.
The Breeding House had become popular again, largely because of Cynthia.
. . .
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