Kofu's restaurant was located right next to the Cascarrafa Gym.
The restaurant's overall design was blue, indicating that Chef Kofu specialized in seafood, and also hinted at his other job as the Water-type Gym Leader of Cascarrafa.
After challenging Kofu before, Lucas had been invited to try his cooking. Even the recipe for Lucas's braised fish came from Kofu.
Lucas arrived outside the restaurant with Poliwag. Kofu, wearing a wave-patterned apron, was already waiting outside.
Though Kofu was burly and bald, he was very straightforward and generous, and his dishes were beloved by Cascarrafa's residents.
"Hey! Have you eaten yet?" Kofu, arms crossed, quickly noticed Lucas with a chef's sharp gaze. He greeted Lucas warmly, then looked at Poliwag. "Isn't that a Poliwag? That's pretty rare in Paldea. Is it your new Pokémon?"
"I came here just to try your new dishes!" Lucas shook Kaito's hand, then looked at Poliwag, smiling. "I caught it for my farm, planning to evolve it into a Politoed."
"Politoed? Great idea. I remember it's very good at controlling the weather, but the King's Rock needed for its evolution is quite rare."
As a Water-type specialist, Kofu knew a bit about Water Pokémon from other regions and had taken special note of Politoed's rare Drizzle ability.
"Poliwag!"
Poliwag wagged its tail, greeting Kofu.
Kofu smiled kindly, crouched down, and patted Poliwag's head. "Hello to you too. Grow strong, okay?"
After greeting Poliwag, Kofu stood up and pointed to the crowded restaurant behind him, saying heartily, "Enough small talk. Now, let me treat you to the freshest sea bass I just caught, paired with some rare kelp I imported all the way from Hoenn—a supreme combination!"
"Supreme combination? As a chef, I can't let that slide."
Before Lucas could respond, a stranger's male voice suddenly came from behind.
The two turned to see a man with meticulously styled blond hair, wearing a white chef's uniform with a blue scarf and carrying a large case.
The man's sharp gaze was fixed on Kofu, his eyes filled with complex emotion.
"You're…" Kofu's cheerful smile froze as he stared at the man, sensing a kindred spirit.
Their sharp gazes met, and sparks flew—a strange atmosphere filled the air.
Lucas & Poliwag: "?"
What's going on now?
Lucas recognized the blond man—he'd seen him in the elevator line earlier. The rare, pure blond hair in Paldea had made him pause.
But no matter how hard he searched his memories, Lucas couldn't recall who this familiar man was.
After a moment, Kofu spoke up, "Hey, which restaurant are you from?"
The man glanced past Kofu at the restaurant, gently put down his heavy case, and replied calmly, "A chef traveling the world in search of the ultimate cuisine— Siebold."
Lucas: "!!!!"
Kofu's brows furrowed. He seemed to remember something and looked shocked. "You're… the famous head chef of the three-star restaurant in Kalos!"
"It's just an empty title. On my journey, I'm just an ordinary chef," Siebold shook his head. He cared more about deeper things than fame.
"I heard your conversation with this man. My purpose in coming to Cascarrafa is to seek new culinary inspiration. This city of culinary diversity has opened my eyes."
"So, I'm interested in your so-called supreme dish. Would you like to have a chef's duel with me, Mr. Kofu?"
Siebold's straightforward words struck at Kofu's heart. Kofu paused for only a moment before responding boldly, "It's my pleasure! Let's stake our pride as chefs on a match with no regrets!"
With that, the two agreed, both eager and ready to compete.
Before heading inside, Kofu turned and said, "Let's have Lucas be one of the judges. How about it?"
"I have no objections. Even if he's your acquaintance, I'll serve dishes that impress him," Seibold replied, turning his gaze to Lucas. At first, Seibold wasn't interested in Lucas, his focus was solely on Kofu.
But after just one look, Seibold's expression froze for a moment.
Was it his imagination, or did he see a trace of Ms. Diantha in this man?
Seibold gave Lucas a meaningful look.
From Lucas's perspective, this chef named Seibold and Mr. Kofu had just met and were suddenly starting a cooking showdown.
Lucas was full of complaints—was this a Pokémon set, or a Food Wars competition?
Poliwag, on the other hand, was very interested in the novelty, happily hopping along behind Lucas into the restaurant.
Once seated, a woman in a pastry chef's outfit with lovely green hair smiled at Lucas, "Ah, long time no see, Lucas~"
"Miss Katy, did Mr. Kofu invite you too?"
Lucas was a bit surprised, but it made sense.
This woman, Katy, was the Gym Leader of Cortondo and a pastry chef, the owner of the bakery Patisserie Soapberry, and also a student of Kofu.
"Yes, I even arrived before you," Katy said gently, always with a faint smile, giving off a quiet and natural vibe. "By the way, congratulations on becoming a Champion-level Trainer~"
"Hehe, I didn't expect you to surpass all of us in just a year~"
Lucas replied modestly, "It's all thanks to my partners. I couldn't have done it alone."