Two Gym Leaders and a renowned professor.
Uh... Misty was still traveling, so she probably wasn't running the Cerulean Gym yet, but that didn't matter.
Whether it was the Cerulean Gym once it got back on track or the daily shows her three sisters put on, both had ties to Water-type Pokémon.
As long as someone was raising Pokémon, Pokéblocks would always come in handy.
Brock was also a breeder, which meant he placed even more value on things like these.
Breeders had no qualms about using these products when raising Pokémon. Whether they were Pokéblocks, Poffins, or similar items, they were all made from Berries.
Humans simply used technology to process them further so they could work more effectively. They did Pokémon no harm.
Besides, neither Gym Leader was short on money. The reason they couldn't scrape together enough for a bicycle was that they didn't have cash on hand while traveling. An established Gym was a family business, and money was hardly an issue.
That was even more true of Professor Oak, whom Ash knew well. As a renowned professor in the field, Samuel Oak had an extensive network of contacts and received substantial funding from the League.
"Wait, shipping from Donghuang to Kanto... how much would that cost?"
At best, the Pokéblocks Xin Mu made were high quality. They were still just Pokéblocks at their core, not game-breaking items like Rare Candies that could raise a Pokémon's level just by being eaten.
At present, Xin Mu had neither a steady supply chain nor a sales channel.
Without sufficient production volume, selling small quantities across regions might mean operating at a loss for a while once shipping fees and other costs were deducted.
Besides, this wasn't a special recipe. Xin Mu could only make them himself with the Pokéblock machine, so he couldn't increase production much. It was enough for his own Pokémon, but a little lacking for a business.
"Maybe I could earn some pocket money, but scaling it up won't be easy. This is tricky. Still, even if I can't turn it into a business, expanding my network would be worthwhile. Who knows when those contacts might come in handy?"
In a world where Pokémon existed, powerful Trainers naturally enjoyed higher social standing, and regional Champions had decision-making authority over many matters.
Picking up a notebook and scribbling in it, Xin Mu ultimately decided to stick with his original plan, though his goal had changed somewhat.
The money he had on hand would last him a while longer. If he couldn't find a source of income anytime soon... he would have to take Meownei to challenge Gyms for prize money.
Registered Trainers could receive a certain amount of prize money after winning a Gym challenge.
The same Gym would not award prize money to the same Trainer a second time, and payments would stop once a Trainer had challenged eight Gyms in total.
The Donghuang League had twenty-four officially registered Gyms. Much like in Galar, the eight stronger Gyms were designated first-division Gyms, while the rest belonged to the second division.
Besides facing challengers, Gym Leaders also battled each year to determine new rankings. According to the information online, there really was a first-division Gym nearby. It specialized in Ground-types, making it a suitable matchup.
Grass-type moves didn't have particularly broad coverage. Ground was one of the few types that both took super-effective damage from Grass and had its attacks resisted by Grass.
Of course, with Meownei's own Ability, she actually had broader coverage against different types.
Xin Mu picked up his phone and ordered some Berries. Since he wasn't sure which flavors other Pokémon preferred, he bought some of each: sour, spicy, bitter, sweet, and dry.
[New shopping festival promotion! During the event, users can try Dragonite Express once for free. Your order will be dispatched from a nearby location shortly. Please make sure someone is home...]
Well, apparently someone had long since started using special Pokémon for deliveries. There was nothing unreasonable about that. In a Pokémon world that had developed for so many years, the locals naturally knew better what Pokémon could do.
After he placed the order, preparing the goods and dispatching them took just over twenty minutes. Five minutes after a notification announced that delivery had begun, a dark shape appeared outside Xin Mu's window.
"Delivery! Open the window and take your delivery!"
Outside the window, a courier dressed like a World War II pilot sat astride a Pokémon's back.
Orange-yellow skin, a cream-colored belly, a plump body, and a pair of tiny wings-it was a Dragonite, affectionately nicknamed "Chonky."
Dragonite's rather short arms held an insulated box, clearly containing the goods being delivered.
"Your Dragonite Express... actually uses Dragonite? Are the job requirements really that high these days?"
"The company assigned this one to me. Apparently, there's some collaboration with Johto lately. If there's a problem with the goods, please call this number.
Have a nice day, and please leave us a five-star review."
After dropping off the goods, the delivery guy patted Dragonite's back, then vanished into the horizon.
Dragonite was a powerful Pokémon whose intelligence rivaled a human's and could circle the globe in sixteen hours. With Dragonite's help, worldwide delivery within a day became easy.
Xin Mu had originally assumed this was like sea cucumber fried rice or certain "zero" soy sauces: Dragonite was just the delivery service's name, while the actual delivery was another matter entirely.
He hadn't expected them to be so honest and actually have Dragonite helping out.
"Johto... the Dragon Tamer clan? Is this a team-building outing for the Dragonite from their dragon cave? Or are they here for matchmaking at Donghuang's Dragon's Den?"
Donghuang's Pokémon mainly came from Kanto, Johto, Hoenn, and Sinnoh, and naturally, it had its own Dragonite gathering grounds.
"An event ahead of the Pokémon World Championships? Surely the Dragon Tamer clan isn't short on money..."
After thinking it over, Xin Mu still couldn't figure out what the people in charge were thinking. The service certainly was convenient, though. It was just expensive.
One look at the regular prices on the price list made Xin Mu give up on this convenient service. At least for now, it wasn't right for him.
"Can't afford that. I'll wait for a discount... Meownei! What flavor of Pokéblock do you want?"
"Meow... meow! (Nine parts sweet, one part sour... add extra Pecha Berries!)"
"Got it. I hope I haven't remembered the instructions wrong."
It was the same item as in the games, and operating it was foolproof. Once Berries with suitable flavors were dropped in and the requirements entered, the machine would automatically separate their various components and combine them into the desired Pokéblocks.
As the machine ran, all the newly purchased Berries disappeared, turning into a full tray of blocks in various colors.
"Oh no, I forgot to sort them!"
Some blocks were as clear as crystal, and some even had visible centers of different colors. But now that they were all mixed together, Xin Mu could no longer remember their exact flavors.
Meownei, on the other hand, expertly picked out the pink blocks, pressed them into a candy ball with both hands, and began licking it.
"People can eat Berries, so Pokéblocks should be fine too. Let's try this one."
All the blocks smelled pleasantly fruity. Xin Mu didn't have a Pokémon's sense of smell and couldn't tell their flavors apart, so he could only choose one by its color.
In the end, Xin Mu chose a mostly yellow Pokéblock decorated with red petals.
"Chili and green mango..."
Xin Mu's expression turned a little awkward. That flavor was still far too unusual for him. Just then, a notification chimed from his email...
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