Consumption

The next day.

Xia Yan got up early, tucked more than 3,500 Poké Dollars into his pocket, and took Weedle out onto the streets.

Before, when he had no money, he could afford not to care about what he wore. Now that he had a little money on hand, he needed a new outfit—at the very least, he could not look too shabby. Otherwise, what if he left a bad impression on people as a sparring partner and they stopped requesting him?

The Silph Pokémon Battle Club paid its sparring partners very well. More sparring assignments meant more money for him.

Relying solely on the basic salary of 8,000 was absolutely not enough to fully carry out his plan to raise Weedle.

He spent a little over a hundred Poké Dollars to replace his entire outfit with something simple.

It was not particularly fancy, but at least the clothes fit him and were clean.

He left the clothing store.

Xia Yan then went to the Pokémon Breeding Bookstore and bought several books on raising Bug-type and Poison-type Pokémon.

He did not lack Pokémon knowledge. In fact, he might know far more about Pokémon than most people in this world. But he also had a major shortcoming.

Most of what he knew about Pokémon was limited to their species, moves, abilities, and certain move and Pokémon combinations in his mind—all of which came from the PM games he had played before.

The Pokémon in games were dead, while the Pokémon here were living creatures.

They could not be raised as if this were a game.

He had to account for actual circumstances.

That was why he needed a great deal of theoretical knowledge: Pokémon breeding, physical changes, personality changes, and knowledge in every other aspect.

For now, he could only learn and understand through books.

He carried several books, including Habits and Feeding Guidelines for Bug-type Pokémon, <An In-Depth Interpretation and Expansion of Poison-type Pokémon Toxins>, and <A Thorough Analysis of Evolution from Weedle to Beedrill>.

The titles sounded increasingly impressive, but whether they would actually prove useful would have to wait until he finished reading them.

Still, these books were truly expensive. Five books had cost him nearly 500 Poké Dollars.

Knowledge really was the most expensive thing.

After buying the books, he still had one more thing to do.

He had completed the easiest two of his three goals for going out today.

He entered a store that sold Pokémon food.

"Sir, what can I get for you?"

The shelves were packed with all manner of products: cute-looking Pokémon snacks, various Energy Cubes and energy foods marked for different Pokémon, and an entire shelf neatly lined with assorted milk. The most expensive and famous among them was Moomoo Milk from the Johto Region.

When Weedle, perched on Xia Yan's shoulder, saw so much fragrant food, its little eyes went wide, and it could barely hold back the drool in its mouth.

After patting Weedle to calm its excitement a little, Xia Yan asked the clerk, "Excuse me, do you have food specifically suited for Pokémon like Weedle? Something like Energy Cubes?"

The clerk looked somewhat troubled as he glanced at the Weedle on Xia Yan's shoulder. "I'm sorry, sir, but food tailored for individual Pokémon has to be custom-made. If you need it, you can leave your requirements with us. We'll customize suitable Pokémon food based on the Pokémon's characteristics and the areas you hope to adjust or strengthen."

The clerk was fairly patient and showed no disdain simply because Xia Yan only had a Weedle.

However, custom Pokémon food was clearly bound to be extremely expensive, and Xia Yan's current finances could not possibly afford it.

"Then do you have any Energy Cubes that are more suitable for Bug-type Pokémon? It would be even better if they were compatible with the Poison-type."

Xia Yan could only settle for the next best option.

"Then I recommend taking a look at these."

As he spoke, the clerk took out several boxes containing crystal-clear Energy Cubes.

The moment Weedle caught their scent, its eyes went blank with hunger.

That alone showed just how tempting these Energy Cubes were to Weedle.

"These two are Beginner Energy Cubes, suited respectively for Bug-type Pokémon and Poison-type Pokémon. Long-term consumption can modestly improve a Pokémon's abilities and also make it more conducive to using and developing its own attribute Infinity Energy." The clerk pointed at two of the boxes.

One contained turquoise-green Energy Cubes, while the other contained pale purple ones. Though both were equally translucent, they had obvious impurities visible to the naked eye.

"What about this one?" Xia Yan looked toward the box beside them.

The clerk smiled. "This is an Intermediate Energy Cube. We call it the Luminous Tempered Energy Cube. It perfectly combines Bug-type and Poison-type Infinity Energy, and its ingredients include Verdant Leaf Berries, which best suit the tastes of Bug-type Pokémon."

The clerk gave this Energy Cube a particularly detailed introduction.

Xia Yan was tempted as he listened and could not help asking, "What's the price?"

The smile on the clerk's face grew even wider. "Since it's an Intermediate Energy Cube, it's a little more expensive. Fifty Poké Dollars each."

Fifty Poké Dollars.

Xia Yan's expression froze.

He had expected Pokémon Energy Cubes to be expensive, but he had never imagined they would cost this much.

This was only an Intermediate Energy Cube. It was hard to imagine how terrifying the prices of Advanced or even Special Energy Cubes would be.

Energy Cubes contained a tremendous amount of energy. With Weedle's current appetite, two or three per meal would probably be enough. Three meals a day meant six to nine cubes per day. Conservatively estimating seven per day, that came to 350 Poké Dollars.

After doing the math, Xia Yan felt his teeth ache.

As if he had noticed Xia Yan's difficulty, the clerk continued, "Of course, the other two Beginner Energy Cubes are also quite good products, and they only cost twenty Poké Dollars each. They offer much better value for money."

But Xia Yan decisively shook his head.

Weedle's starting foundation was already worse than that of other Pokémon. If he settled for less even in this regard, who knew when it would finally meet his expectations?

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Please pack fifty for me first."

He did not have much money left to begin with, but fifty cubes should be enough for Weedle to eat for a few days.

If the club did not arrange any sparring assignments for him over the next few days, he would probably be living in poverty again for a while afterward.

But whether or not he had to live in poverty himself, Xia Yan would never be stingy when it came to Weedle's food.

"Certainly." The clerk gave him a somewhat surprised look.

He had not expected this ordinarily dressed, slightly undernourished-looking Trainer to be so willing to spend money on a Weedle.

"By the way, how much is this Moomoo Milk?"

Milk could make Weedle's body stronger and had an even more noticeable effect on the growth of its shell.

"One bottle of Moomoo Milk is 450 milliliters and costs fifty Poké Dollars. Regular Pokémon milk is cheaper, at ten Poké Dollars per bottle." The clerk spoke as he packed the Energy Cubes.

Miltank milk really was worth its weight in gold.

He grumbled inwardly, then asked, "Do I get a discount if I buy this much?"

"Um..." The clerk paused, seeming somewhat troubled. Then, as though he had made some major decision, he said, "I can give you five percent off. We normally do not offer discounts to just anyone."

Xia Yan understood these sales tactics perfectly and did not expose him. A discount was better than no discount. Only after calculating how much money he would have left did he say, "Then give me eight bottles of Moomoo Milk and twelve bottles of regular Pokémon milk."

"Certainly. Please wait a moment."

In the end.

He spent his Poké Dollars until he had less than fifty left. Carrying bags large and small, he took the bus back to the club.

Fortunately, he did not need to worry about his own food. The club provided meals. They were not especially tasty, but as long as they filled his stomach, Xia Yan did not mind.

As long as Weedle could grow smoothly, all of his efforts would be worth it.