Chapter 2: A Different Kind of Battle

POKÉ IRON CHEF

BROCK SLATE INTRODUCTION

==ROUTE 2, 3, 4 ET AL (HG/SS)==

If memory serves me right, there is a field of cooking that is rather unrepresented in my Kitchen Stadium. That field is…home cooking.

Recently, I have found a young man who is a dedicated cook for his family as well as his Pokémon—and has published two cookbooks that are simply flying off the shelves.

"I'm the oldest of ten. So naturally, I was the one who had to look after everyone. And since my mother was gone and my father had to stay at the Gym, I was often tasked with keeping my siblings busy. So I did a lot of the cooking."

==TOTAL WAR==

I just couldn't resist calling him in to battle one of my Iron Chefs.

Today's challenger: an avid cook and the Leader of the Pewter City Gym, Brock Slate, 23 years old.

Slate began learning to cook from his father at age 6. And with lots of training, he began to learn some of the time-honored recipes his family passed down from one generation to the next.

By the age of 13, he was already cooking for the entire family, and by 15 he was already improvising on some of his family's recipes.

And in 2006, he published his first cookbook—with a second one exclusively for Pokémon following it the year after.

Shortly after he became Gym Leader in 1996, he started to travel the world—and while on his travels to other regions, began to incorporate international techniques.

==ECRUTEAK CITY (ANIME)==

Slate's dishes are the epitome of hearty home cooking—those that the whole family can enjoy. He combines his family's traditional recipes with influences from the Johto region—a result of his many worldly travels.

==SHOW ME YOUR FIRETRUCK==

Now, Brock! Treat us to the recipes your family has enjoyed—and show the world the full potential of home cooking!

"Winning or losing is not the point. I want to do my family proud today by cooking the best food I've ever made."

~料理の鉄ポケット~

"You know," a nearby producer told Brock, "a lot of challengers come in here in chef's whites. I think this is the first time I've seen someone in just their normal outfit!"

"Well, I don't own a restaurant or anything, and I'm not really a professional chef," he replied, "although when you cook for all my brothers and sisters, you kinda feel as though you are. But I feel most comfortable in these," he said, adjusting his shirt.

"Whatever makes you comfortable," the producer replied back. "Good luck. You'll need it against Morimoto—he's been on a hot streak lately. Hasn't lost since December of last year, if we're going by tape dates."

That would be about five or six months…so what's that, about eight or nine battles? Sheesh… Brock thought. The man's good, but that's why I'm here—to stop him.

"Showtime in 10 seconds…" said a floor manager, "…5, 4, 3, here comes the Chairman, cue the applause…"

On the other side of the curtain, Chairman Kaga had taken his place behind the ingredient stand and silenced the applause.

"The leader of the Pewter City Gym is here today," he boomed. "I never would have imagined that this man, who serves as a frequent judge here in my Kitchen Stadium, had the cooking abilities to challenge one of them," he said again, pointing to the portraits of the Iron Chefs behind him.

Brock fidgeted behind the curtain. Vulpix (with Kabuto still on her head), who—as per the show's tradition—would march into the Stadium by his side, nudged his leg with her paw.

("You'll do great,") she said to him. Brock patted her neck, gave Kabuto a light rap on his shell, and took a couple deep breaths.

"Let's bring him on!" Kaga shouted. "Pewter City Gym Leader and cookbook author, Brock Slate!"

The curtain tore open and Brock walked the red carpet into the Stadium, meeting Kaga at the base of the steps.

"Welcome, it's a pleasure to have you here again," Kaga said. He reached down to Vulpix, petting her on the neck as well and slightly chuckling at the sight of Kabuto on her head.

"I must say, this is a rather unusual sight," he said to Brock, pointing at Kabuto.

"Yeah, though I'm getting used to that."

"So you're well-known in the Pokémon arena as a professional combatant," Kaga continued.

"I guess you could say that…" Brock said sheepishly.

"But today, you're a combatant again…only this time, it's cooking. Are you confident?"

Brock just smiled. "I'll do my best."

"Very well, then. It's time for me to call upon the pride of the Gourmet Academy: the four Iron Chefs."

Kaga turned to the dais and bellowed:

"Yomigaeru-ai…IRON CHEF!"

==STADIUM SELECTION (STADIUM 1)==

The entire Stadium went dark as the portraits of the four Iron Chefs glowed. Smoke billowed from the dais, and soon the Iron Chefs rose into view, staring Brock down intently. He tried to block out the announcer, Fukui, from his mind as he stared down the one man he would challenge. The Chairman's query barely left his mouth as Brock called for his target:

"Mr. Morimoto, if you please!"

"What a call!" Fukui exclaimed. "Challenger Slate gunning for Iron Chef Japanese, Masaharu Morimoto, the leader of the Neo-Japanese cuisine movement. He hasn't lost since December of last year, but now a Gym Leader—not a professional chef—is looking to break his 9-battle winning streak…the pressure's on!"

Morimoto descended the stairs from the dais and shook hands with Brock at kitchen level.

"Don't be nervous," the Iron Chef said. "You'll do great."

"Thanks," Brock said, as he took his position. Vulpix leapt onto the counter near him as he recalled Kabuto and released Geodude—who would be his other sous-chef—in his place. Morimoto took a glance at him and laughed.

We've been here for five years now, and I will still never understand these Pokémon creatures… the Iron Chef thought.

Kaga interrupted both men's thoughts as he began to introduce the theme ingredient.

"The challenger has quite a large family," Kaga thought aloud, "which has to come together for dinner."

Brock looked at the Chairman, puzzled. What in the world is he going on about?

"Come together—as that image came together in my head, a thought came to me. Something that coagulates…as I seem to remember, there's a certain white ingredient that fits the bill perfectly."

I still can't figure out what this could be…! Brock thought.

"And now, we unveil the ingredient," Kaga announced. "Today's theme…is THIS!" With that, he tore the red tablecloth off the ingredient stand, releasing a large puff of smoke. Baskets of white slabs of—well, something—ascended into view.

"Today's theme is…TOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOFU*!" Kaga bellowed.

~料理の鉄ポケット~

==BROTHERS (KAGA NARRATING)==

Ahhhh…tofu.

If memory serves me right, when cooking tofu, Chinese chefs always live by this mantra:

"Never lukewarm."

This means that tofu must always be served either chilled or steaming hot—never in between. Why, you ask?

Well, 90% of tofu consists of water…and at lukewarm temperatures, the tofu's flavor will be lost.

So, when cooking tofu, it is best to heed the wisdom of the Chinese…

"Never lukewarm."

~料理の鉄ポケット~

==KANTO ELITE FOUR/GYM BATTLE THEME (ANIME)==

挑戦者 }K{ 鉄人

ブロック ・スレート VS 森本 正治

TOFU CONFRONT

"All right, the former Pewter City Gym Leader showing up in Kitchen Stadium to test his cooking chops against Iron Chef Japanese, Masaharu Morimoto…many of his fans will be pulling for him today, to see if his time-honored recipes can beat Morimoto's…tofu is the theme, we are set, let's get it on!"

"ALLEZ CUISINE!"


*Author's Note: The textual recreation really doesn't do this theme ingredient announcement justice. On YouTube, search "iron chef cho vs chen" and go to Battle Tofu, Part 2.

And if you're an Iron Chef junkie and know the names of the tracks for the original music, you'll see I've taken some liberties with that. If you're confused as to which music track I'm actually using (as the games/anime use an umpteen number of variations of the same theme), feel free to PM me and I'll provide you a link or two.