47.5

You’re heading along the trail when Hy Pimpot suddenly shouts, “Stop!”

You look around, worried you’re about to stumble into a puffercrawler. But instead you see Hy scrambling with his oversized pack, pulling out his portable Sol coil and pot. “Get me water,” he shouts as he pulls some leaves from a bush along the trail. “This needs to go into the pot immediately, and the rest of the ingredients have aged … perfectly!”

You watch in bemused amusement as he dashes around the impromptu outdoor kitchen, dicing, slicing, mashing, frying, and at one point, smoking, the varied ingredients you and he worked so hard to gather. Finally, he raises his head from the steaming pot. “It’s … ” he says, his voice quavering. “ ... just try it.”

You gather around the pot, dipping your spoons into the fragrant broth. It is quite simply the best soup, and possibly the best food, you’ve ever had. The complex flavors blend perfectly, rich but not overpowering, fresh but hearty, warm and soothing yet light and effervescent. Your only regret, as you set down your spoon and realize the pot is empty, is that you may never taste something quite that good again.

Hy has a beatific smile on his face. “The best it’s ever been,” he says.

You all sit in contented silence for a while, before you get up the courage to ask Hy exactly how he made the soup. The master chef nods. “I’ll tell you the recipe,” he says. “As long as you promise to remember it, and practice it. Someday, I want you to serve me something even better than this!”

Discard each flora attached to Hy. Each Ranger soothes 4 fatigue. Gain the Hy Pimpot’s Secret Recipe reward card. Discard Hy Pimpot and return HELPING HAND to the collection.