Family Studio
The judges watched each contestant's work process closely, as it formed an important part of their scoring criteria.
After observing Wayne's deboning technique, Tetsu nodded and said, "His knife skills are the best here."
Morikawa recalled another contestant's performance, saying, "Her ingredient handling was excellent. Her knife work was solid too, and she moved through the seasoning steps with real confidence."
Delana was equally impressed by how Wayne had managed the team in the previous round. "He truly looks like a Championship-level prospect," she said.
The judging panel remained unchanged: Morikawa, Mr. Tetsugoro, Nurse Joy, and Delana.
Their assessments were unlikely to stir much controversy.
That said, from the quarterfinals onward, a different panel would be taking over.
As a chef himself, Leon commented quietly, "The trainer at station eight didn't manage the heat well. The dish was removed from the pan too soon."
Leon might not be able to cook at a competition level himself, but he had watched enough to know the difference.
"Station twelve won't fare well either," he added. "He put in far too many side ingredients. There was no need for all of that."
Shion looked up curiously. "Can't you just use more side ingredients?"
Sister Eden had been learning to cook under the old man's guidance, so she stepped in to explain.
"The more ingredients you add, the harder it becomes to balance the flavors. You often end up with a dish that doesn't taste like anything in particular."
"Ah, I see!" Shion nodded.
One contestant finished surprisingly quickly.
Although the dishes were made as Pokémon food, the ingredients used were all safe for human consumption, so the judges had no issue tasting them.
Each of the four judges sampled a small portion before sending the rest backstage, where the Pokémon selected for scoring would have their turn.
The final score was calculated by averaging the judges' scores with the Pokémon's scores, with a maximum of ten points.
The four judges gave the current dish an average score of 7.6.
Delana took a long sip of water and asked pointedly, "The seasoning and cooking are decent, but don't you think this is far too spicy? What if the Pokémon evaluating it doesn't handle spicy flavors well?"
The contestant, Renji, scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"I didn't really think about that... I love spicy food myself, so I ended up adding too much without thinking."
Tetsu looked at him seriously. "When preparing Pokémon food, you should always consider the Pokémon's palate before your own."
"Yes, sir. I understand!"
The Pokémon ratings were being handled privately and would not be revealed until all sixteen contestants had completed their dishes.
Mr. Morikawa leaned toward Tetsu and asked quietly, "Which Pokémon is doing the evaluation this time?"
Tetsugoro shook his head. "I'm not sure. Mr. Harold personally selected them."
Delana joined in. "Who would have thought his personal butler would be looking after the Pokémon backstage in the VIP room?"
Eight contestants had already presented their Pokémon food and received their scores.
For straightforward dishes, as long as all the ingredients were prepared in advance, thirty minutes was generally more than enough.
For dishes like Wayne's, however, which called for a whole chicken or duck, there was an additional deboning step that added roughly ten minutes to the process.
A person had already fallen short of expectations. His dish received the lowest score so far — a 5.9.
If the Pokémon evaluating his food also gave it a low rating, Gold would very likely be eliminated.
In the blink of an eye, only Wayne, Gold, Sasha, and Nico were left to finish.
Sasha was using the most premium ingredients of anyone in the competition, including red wine — though that was not unusual in professional cooking.
The alcohol would cook off during the preparation process.
Judge Morikawa frowned slightly. "It seems the so-called star Breeder is about to have a rough showing."
Watching the frantic pace of Gold's work, it was becoming clear that his Pokémon food might not even come together properly by the end.
Delana pushed her glasses up and said, "I've heard he's very talented when it comes to Egg hatching, but the Breeder Competition covers far more than just that."
While the judges talked among themselves, Sasha raised her hand to signal that she was done.
A rich, vividly colored broth was ladled evenly over her beef-based dish, releasing a warm aroma of red wine into the air.
Nurse Joy's eyes brightened. "That aroma is wonderful."
Delana smiled and said, "When has Mr. Harold ever provided poor ingredients?"
Morikawa chuckled. "Why don't you join the panel every year? You certainly have a way with words."
The four judges gave Sasha's Pokémon food a high score of 8.7, placing it temporarily at the top of the rankings.
Even if the Pokémon evaluation went slightly against her, Sasha was in a comfortable position.
Gold, on the other hand, was in complete disarray.
Just as the judges had feared, Gold realized that his Pokémon food was no longer holding its shape.
It was still technically edible, but the presentation was a disaster.
Whether the food was meant for humans or Pokémon, the ideal was always a proper balance of color, aroma, and flavor.
Gold's dish had failed on the first count entirely. The visual alone was enough to put anyone off.
In a group chat somewhere nearby
"What is Gold even doing?!"
Lt. Surge was just as amused. "It's a total mess!"
Blue scoffed. "That guy spends all his time playing video games and billiards. He's never bothered to build up the basics."
Autumn was more blunt about it. "He always assumed hatching Pokémon Eggs was enough. When has he ever put in serious practice?"
As expected, the judges looked anything but enthused when presented with the dish. They each forced down a small bite.
Noting that Gold was young, Delana kept her feedback measured. "The cooking time was off, and while the seasoning was passable, the proportions of your ingredients were wrong."
Tetsugoro said with a firm but even tone, "Remember this — being a Pokémon Breeder is not just about hatching Eggs."
Morikawa softened the blow slightly. "My suggestion would be to focus on Egg hatching and work alongside Professor Hayden in that capacity. It may suit you much better."
Kind as the words were, Morikawa's score was not.
In the end, Gold received just 5.5 points — the lowest score of the day.
Currently ranked last.
Mika groaned loudly from behind the screen. "Get the camera off Gold's face! Director, if you can't do that much, you might as well go work somewhere else!"
Though admittedly, the timing of the camera cut was something else entirely.
Mika had been hoping to catch Gold's expression, but the director quickly shifted the shot over to Wayne.
Blue sighed. "I'll have to work on his fundamentals after this is over."
Alan smiled lightly. "I can help with that."
Autumn shivered. "Why do I suddenly feel like the world is closing in on Gold?"
Wayne was the second to last contestant to finish. After watching Gold's chaotic performance, anything that came after looked like a masterpiece by comparison.
Wayne's dish was particularly appealing — the protein had been slowly simmered in a rich broth, giving it a deep, layered aroma that was hard to ignore.
It smelled incredible, and the first bite confirmed it.
The fat content was perhaps a bit much for humans, but for carnivorous Pokémon, it would be perfectly suited.
The distinct flavor of the chicken, woven together with the earthy, delicate notes of shiitake mushrooms, chestnuts, and Lila — a leafy herb — came together beautifully in every bite.
"I've never come across this combination before," Morikawa said, genuinely impressed. "It's delicious."
He glanced at the nameplate on Wayne's station.
[ Jubilife Breeding Center — Wayne ]
"This must be something specific to his family's tradition," Morikawa murmured.
As much as the judges wanted to hold onto the remaining portions, the dish was whisked away by a quick-thinking female staff member before anyone could make a move.
[ Ding — you have gained Proficiency... ]
Wayne blinked.
You little devil — you're sneaking food too?!
The four judges gave Wayne a score of 9.0.
After a short wait, the host received a cue card from backstage.
"The scores have been verified and certified by the notary office. The top eight contestants who will advance to the next round will now be announced."