Alola to a New Journey!

Compliments to the Chef

Mallow's family restaurant was quite the modest building. Aside from the large sign proudly displaying the words 'Aina Cafeteria', it looks like a normal beach house. Ash walked inside, ringing a small bell hanging above the door, and relished at the smell of multiple meals being cooked. Mallow quickly left the kitchen to greet Ash.

"Alola Ash! What are you doing here? Your Trial isn't for another 2 days!" Mallow asked, as she gave Ash a quick hug. Ash returned it, before Mallow almost dragged him to a table, and sat down across from him.

"Well, a couple reasons." Ash said. "One, I want to learn a bit about your Trial. Two, I've been trying to get some recipes I could send home to my mother. Three, well... it's lunch and I'm hungry." 

Mallow laughed, before she pulled a small notebook out of the back pocket of her overalls, and handed it to Ash. "I think I can help with most of those. I can't share any details of how my Trial works, you need to find that out yourself." Mallow said, before handing Ash the cookbook. "Here's a cookbook I made a while ago, look through it, and write down any recipes you think your mother would like." Mallow then handed Ash a small menu. "Finally, what can I get you?" Mallow asked, as she pulled another notebook out of her other back pocket.

Ash looked through the menu. He was almost notorious for being indecisive when it came to food. "Uh... why don't you surprise me?" He said, handing the menu back to her. Mallow merely chuckled. "Couldn't decide?" She asked.

"How could I? Too many options." Ash said.

"More like too little brain." Mallow muttered jokingly.

"Oi! What was that?" Ash asked.

"Nothing!" Mallow responded.

Mallow walked back into the kitchen, as Ash wrote down a few of Mallow's recipes. He wrote down recipes for a roast, a sauté, a salad, and a multitude of other meals. His mother would be thrilled at so many new dishes to try making, and probably improving. Once Ash decided he wrote enough down, he folded the small sheet of paper he wrote on and stuffed it into his pocket. He walked over to the kitchen to return the notebook.

"Hey Mallow? I've finished writing down some recipes for my mot-" Ash was cut off abruptly by Mallow, who had basically shoved him out of the kitchen. 

"Stay out of the kitchen unless you washed your hands recently!" Mallow scolded, before once again shoving Ash towards a bathroom. Ash washed his hands in the sink before returning to the kitchen. 

"Did you wash your hands in there?" Mallow asked, as she picked up a knife, and starts chopping vegetables.

"Yes, Mallow." Ash said, annoyed at her pushiness.

"You better have!" Mallow said, as she, very disturbingly, sliced the vegetables in half.

Ash quickly gulped, before Mallow's menacing demeanor went away as quickly as it came. "So, you finished writing the recipes down, you say?" Mallow said cheerfully.

"Yeah, here's your cookbook back." Ash said, as he handed Mallow the small book, and Mallow tucked it into her back pocket again. "Awesome, thanks. Your food is gonna be done right away, so go have a seat. Business has been quiet today, and I'm on my lunch break soon, so I'll join you. My brother Ulu should be in to cover my shift right... about...now."

Just as Mallow said, the bell rung, and a man walked in. "HEY SIS!" He yelled boisterously, as he walked into the kitchen.

"Ulu! Don't shout in the restaurant!" Mallow berated, and Ulu had lowered his voice, but was still quite loud.