”Oh, yamper pasta could definitely use some work, but a gratin a la pumpkaboo sounds pretty great… I’ll have to try that later.”
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It is with these words and a brilliant grin that Mars returns to the kitchen after delivering some orders and spending way longer than necessary chatting with customers.
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And so, the Togetic is finally returned to its pokéball to get some rest, along with the Dratini, in their place being released a different set of pokémon.
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”Cash, buddy, work on the pasta with Clefairy. Pumpkaboo… You get to your gratin, girl. Panpour, help them all with what you can. Chop chop!” Mars claps his hands, ever one to easily delegate tasks with a smile.
[break][break]
The Meowth PICKS UP the sauce ingredients and the Clefairy uses DOUBLE SLAP to throw them together in a pan, Panpour setting up a pot full of SCALDING water for the pasta to be cooked in (to which it even adds some salt, because you can’t cook pasta without salting your water) before moving on to help with the gratin.
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Thanks to the dish’s namesake, TRICK-OR-TREAT does its magic, giving the gratin ingredients an eerie aura that sure doesn’t make them seem all that appetizing. And yet, Panpour ignores this, FLINGING things around as if the true master chef in this kitchen.
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Somehow, it all comes together nicely.
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Thanks, LANCE VOLLANS. No idea why in the world you'd ever let Mars get his hands on your Pumpkaboo, but you better hope he doesn't actually like those gratins, or he might never give it back.

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+ Greyson Connors & Guinevere Auclair
[break]
[break]SCALD - PANPOUR
[break]DOUBLE SLAP - CLEFAIRY
[break]PICKUP - MEOWTH
[break]TRICK-OR-TREAT - PUMPKABOO
[break]FLING - PANPOUR

Things at the kitchen are sure getting hectic, huh? Is it even up to regulation to have all these pokémon in here? There must be about a dozen health code violations…
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And yet, as if completely ignoring this fact, from outside the window Mars’ Milotic provides a wonderful LIFE DEW to be used as part of what is likely to be a refreshing and revitalizing cup of Eeeve Latte.
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Nearby things aren’t much better, since along with everything going on (read: Azul doesn’t have the time or the energy to repeat what was said in Greyson’s post), a proud little Rufflet uses AIR SLASH to help finely chop the salad ingredients. Seriously, how many chopping moves are needed for one little salad? It better be a damn good one, because this is just ridiculous!
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And of course, as one could only come to expect when this is the Baristacats kitchen and POG bank’s lovely CEO is here, a Meowth happens to be helping out too. This time, an Alolan one who finds herselfs preparing a Miltank Mix au Lait, although she sure does look rather RATTLED as she shakes the silver cocktail shaker.


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+ Greyson Connors & Guinevere Auclair
[break]
[break]LIFE DEW - MILOTIC
[break]AIR SLASH - RUFFLET
[break]RATTLED ABILITY - ALOLAN MEOWTH

By the time they reach the eighth order, Mars ends up all on his own with the most adorable chef String...
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”Alright, no problem. We got this.”
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Bring out his phone, make a few calls, and tada! Fifteen minutes, they’re all good to go!
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Mars is no chef, so he has his assistant deal with preparing dishes while he takes over waitering duties (CEOs gotta love delegating duties, huh?). And thankfully for him, Andrea is actually quite good at cooking, and under her masterful guidance, Mars’ Froslass and Vaporeon use AURORA VEIL and HAZE to create a beautiful Swablu Shaved Ice.
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A Polteageist’s TEATIME makes for a delightful cup of tea, and with the addition of Hatterene’s AROMATHERAPY and Flabebe’s PETAL DANCE, it comes the flavours and scent of a longed for Spring.
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Finally, popping its head in from outside the window, a Rapidash uses FLASH FIRE to deal with a potful of corn kernels, Espeon using BATON PASS to make sure they’re perfectly popped by transferring the heating duty to Braixen’s HEAT WAVE at just the right time. Teamwork!
[break][break]
”Sir, Order eight is ready for the customers.” Mars’ assistant call for him in the most bored tone possible.



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+ 6 more to go...

”Okay! Next order is a Sneasel Burger, a Poppin’ Pachirisu Float, and a Pikachu Fruit Flan! Chopchop, everyone, we don’t have all day!”
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Says the man who isn’t even cooking any of these dishes because he’s leaving that to his assistant and pokémon. As he should, honestly.
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At least he takes the time to rotate the members of his team that are now kitchen staff…
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Apparently, when it comes to burgers, a Victreebel’s LEAF STORM makes for excellent leafy greens. Mars’ beloved Zeraora is reduced to using FIRE PUNCH to give the burgers a nice sear at the grill, but hey, at least he’s pretty good at it!
[break][break]
Obviously, the ‘poppin’’ in a Poppin’ Pachirisu Float’ comes from the delicate balance between PLUS and MINUS when making it, so Ampharos and Electrike get to work on that, while a Snom’s ICE SCALES provide for the perfect base. At this point, for Mars’ sake, his assistant makes a mental note to send ANA STONE a picture of the float along with a ‘thank you’ card.
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The Fruit Flan consists of a Flapple’s GRAV APPLE and an Appletun’s APPLE ACID, Farfetch’d expertly using CUT on the added fruit.
[break][break]
By the time Mars returns to the kitchen, order nine is ready to be taken to the customers. He grins, satisfied.
[break][break]
”Good job, everyone! Keep it up!”



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+ 5 more to go...

Order ten sure is something else…
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They had made pizza before, but between Panpour FLINGING around the dough, and Dratini SLAMMING ingredients onto it, it is quite the display. Not to mention Oricorio using TEETER DANCE to sprinkle some more cheese to top it all off! And, honestly, who needs a pizza oven when you have a Braixen’s EMBER?
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Now, let me tell you, when Mars had asked to borrow THEO BECKETT’s Coalossal, he definitely hadn’t said it was to make perfectly cooked rice. But, here we are: using its STEAM ENGINE to make perfectly cooked rice. Which, of course, is then tossed into a wok (atrocities?), and in proper “we’re here for the POG bank promo” fashion, the finishing touches to the fried rice dish are added by an Alolan Meowth’s PARTING SHOT.
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One more order down!

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+ 4 more to go...

Trivia time!
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Did you know that ‘Del Mar’ means ‘of the sea’? Why is that relevant, you ask? Well, give me a moment and you’ll sea (ah, yes, guess we’re at the point where I naturally devolve into bad puns).
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Sea! Because there’s a Vaporeon FLIPPING N’ TURNING pancakes along with a Drizzile and its U-TURN. From a fish tank – why is there a fish tank in this kitchen? – a Wishiwashi offers a HELPING HAND to put the dish together (don’t ask how), while moments later a Toxicroak makes it all nice and pretty with FLATTER.
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A Hawlucha uses FLYING PRESS to really press down some waffles, while a Ribombee GATHERS SOME HONEY to pour on them. Not sure what a Greedent’s STUFF CHEEKS have to do with all of this, but that sure happens too!
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Five minutes later the order is delivered to Commissioner dahlia goode with a smile. Who, according to Mars, sure has some 6’5” energy – even in flats!


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+ 3 more to go...

Can’t make a Brionne soda without a Brionne!
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And, what does Mars’ Brionne do? Well, she SINGS a nice tune to encourage her teammates, while a Primarina and Frogadier use BUBBLE BEAM and BUBBLE respectively to add some nice fizz to the drink. The latter then BOUNCES to shake it all together and… Voila! One Bouncy Brionne Soda!
[break][break]
As for the chocolate cake, it seems delegating power has been transferred to an Oranguru that makes excellent use of INSTRUCT. Under its command, Mars’ beloved Hatterene puts ingredients together with PSYCHIC, while also adding some pizzazz by way of MAGIC POWDER. Ribombee throws in a POLLEN PUFF, making for a delightfully soft cake.
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Soon enough, that makes another order ready for their ever-growing line of customers!
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Will this ever end?

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+ 2 more to go...

”Damn, I hope you know how to make a Furret Roasted Tea Latte ‘cause that sounds complicated as hell.”
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And it sure is.
[break][break]
So, what we’re not going to do is leave it in Mars’ hands, because that man can barely even make a half-decent salad.
[break][break]
No, he just stands there looking pretty and watching as his assistant does all the work and instructs the pokémon on what to do. Jellicent uses a very controlled WHIRLPOOL to prepare the tea, and TRACING its seemingly amazing mixing abilities, Gardevoir works on the whipped cream. Flareon’s LAVA PLUME warms up the beverage, and while jayden cross’s Drifblim is supposed to be here to help, it almost tries to SWALLOW glass and everything once it is served.
[break][break]
Thankfully, Mars’ assistant saves the order just in time, because Mars himself sure didn’t even notice.
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He’s too busy reading emails, thank you very much.
[break][break]
At least Drifblim does help with the next part of the order, though. With FLARE BOOST, it enhances the flames of the stove, just as eggs are tossed into a pan by an Exeggcute’s BARRAGE. All the ingredients are somehow put together by Reuniclus’ DIZZY PUNCH, the dish resulting into a delicious loco moco – Baristacats style.
[break][break]
”Oh, it’s ready? Great, I’ll be back later.” With that, Mars flees the kitchen with the dishes, taking them to the awaiting customers.


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+ 1 more to go...