But with a whopping 250,000 in hand, Hu Bin had gotten carried away! What was wrong with spending a little money on his Pokémon? He could be poor, but his Pokémon couldn't go without!
Hu Bin pushed a shopping cart with a snowy-white little fox, Vulpix, sitting in its child seat.
Vulpix gazed at the supermarket's dazzling array of goods from the cart. Vulpix's eyes instantly lit up, mouth falling slightly open in surprise.
Is this heaven? How come there's so much yummy food here? All these goodies belong to me, Vulpix!
Hu Bin pushed the cart along, browsing the supermarket's goods.
"Hmm, let's get a case of Moomoo Milk first. Drinking milk will help you grow big and tall."
"Some Oran Berries, Cheri Berries, and more Oran Berries. Berries are nutritious, and they'll help Vulpix grow even cuter."
"Let's get some curry ingredients: Masala Spice from the Galar Region, coarsely ground sausages, canned beans, macaroni, and a mixed platter of fried food. Perfect!"
"We also need a grooming brush for Vulpix, to keep that fur smooth and silky every day!"
As Hu Bin and Vulpix went on their shopping spree, the whopping 250,000 had gone straight to Hu Bin's head. He was so full of himself that he no longer even checked the prices.
At checkout, Hu Bin paid without hesitation, picked up his shopping bags, and headed home with Vulpix, strutting as though he owned the place.
Seeing how much delicious food the trainer had bought, Vulpix's eyes shone, six little tails wagging furiously. Even Vulpix's steps grew lighter on the way home.
Hu Bin walked down the street with his shopping bags and Vulpix. With Vulpix acting as the ultimate girl magnet, he basked in the attention of plenty of young women.
Stay calm, stay calm. Don't let anyone notice how fast my heart is beating. Under the gazes of so many pretty young women, Hu Bin struggled to keep his composure.
"Vui, vui." Unlike the hopeless Hu Bin, Vulpix was already used to the young women's attention and looked perfectly relaxed, even giving them sweet little smiles.
Just then, a bald middle-aged man was loudly hawking his wares outside a shop selling Pokémon supplies.
"Pokéblocks, Pokéblocks! Want your Pokémon to become stronger, smarter, cuter, and more beautiful? Then come and get your Pokéblocks! Buy Pokéblocks, and you and your Pokémon will be the coolest pair around!"
"Hey, handsome! Your Pokémon is adorable. Want to buy some Pokéblocks?" The bald man spotted Hu Bin approaching with Vulpix, and his eyes instantly lit up. He could practically feel the money entering his pocket already.
Hearing the bald man's invitation, Hu Bin walked over.
Hmm, calling me handsome? This guy has a good eye. With that shiny bald head, he must be brilliant—you can tell at a glance, Hu Bin thought gleefully.
"Sir, are these Pokéblocks really that useful?" Hu Bin asked, looking at the bald man with his supposedly brilliant head.
The bald man rubbed his hands together, his eyes shining as he looked at Hu Bin. "You've got a good eye, handsome! We make our Pokéblocks ourselves, with generous ingredients and plenty of nutrition. Lots of our first-time customers become regulars and keep coming back for more."
Looking at the brightly colored Pokéblocks laid out on the table and taking in their enticing aroma, Hu Bin began to feel tempted.
Just then, the system's cold voice sounded.
Pokéblock appraisal: High-Grade Pokéblocks. Good quality.
Hu Bin listened blankly to the system's explanation, then exclaimed in shock, "You can even appraise quality!"
The system gave a haughty huff and said nothing more.
Seeing Hu Bin's interest, the bald man quickly struck while the iron was hot. "Your Pokémon is adorable, handsome! That's a Vulpix from the Alola Region. Hmm, this Pokéblock of ours is perfect for Ice-type Pokémon. It makes them even cuter and improves their use of Ice-type moves. This Fairy-type Pokéblock is excellent too. After all, Vulpix gains the Fairy type after evolving. Feed your Vulpix both, and you'll give your little friend a head start toward becoming a true dragon slayer!"
After hearing the bald man's pitch, Hu Bin could no longer resist. His wallet, too, seemed to realize it was in grave danger.
Vulpix was even worse off. Gazing at the delicious Pokéblocks, Vulpix nearly drooled, little tails wagging faster and faster while looking up at the trainer with longing written all over that little face.
Before long, Hu Bin had bought a month's supply of Ice-type and Fairy-type Pokéblocks and headed home with an ecstatic Vulpix.
"Come back whenever you have time, handsome!" Having received his money, the bald man called after his generous benefactor, Hu Bin.
Only Hu Bin wore a pained expression. Why is it so expensive? Just this little bit of Pokéblocks cost twenty thousand! Ugh! My heart hurts.
But this only strengthened Hu Bin's resolve to unlock High-Grade Pokéblock preparation as soon as possible. It would save him money!
Once Hu Bin and Vulpix returned home, Hu Bin sorted and put away the ingredients, tied on an apron, and began thinking about today's menu.
Vulpix watched the trainer expectantly, eyes sparkling as though asking, What yummy food are you making for me today?
After thinking for a long while, Hu Bin's eyes suddenly lit up. "I've got it! Today we'll have Sweet Sausage Curry, a plate of Berry Salad, Moomoo Milk to drink, and Pokéblocks for dessert."
Hearing the menu, Vulpix could only marvel at how professional it sounded. What kind of heavenly household gets to eat food like this? I must be the happiest Vulpix alive!
Then, under Vulpix's eager gaze, Hu Bin picked up the Berries and began slicing them. The High-Grade Curry Rice Preparation skill the system had given him made his movements practiced and deft. Chopping ingredients, putting a pot of water on to boil, pan-frying sausages—everything flowed seamlessly, as though Little Chef had possessed him.
Watching Hu Bin's series of movements, Vulpix yipped wildly with excitement, spraying tiny snowflakes from that little mouth. Amazing! You're awesome, Trainer! I'm cheering for you!
Soon, a pot of wonderfully fragrant Sweet Sausage Curry rice was ready and brought to the table. Vulpix immediately jumped onto the table, eagerly waiting for the meal to begin.
Hu Bin then poured Moomoo Milk into Vulpix's little bowl and tied a small bib around Vulpix's neck to keep food from getting everywhere. He also poured himself a glass of soda.
Hu Bin smiled at Vulpix. "Time to eat, Vulpix."
Vulpix smiled back. "Vui, vui!"
Vulpix quickly began eating. With the first bite, Vulpix felt ready to melt. How can it taste this good? Then Vulpix began wolfing it down.
Hu Bin started eating too. The instant he took a bite, he felt as though he'd been struck by electricity. This is unbelievably delicious! Then he, too, began wolfing it down.
Before long, Hu Bin and Vulpix had finished the entire large pot of curry rice without leaving so much as a drop of sauce. In perfect unison, they rubbed their bellies, their faces full of satisfaction.
Just then, the system's voice sounded.
Congratulations to the host for making curry rice that satisfied Vulpix! Reward: one Pokémon Training Manual!
Before you continue