Pokéblocks

The next day, Chu Xin could hardly wait to get out of bed and begin his plan to raise Dratini.

Dratini were rather timid Pokémon with very shy personalities. Since they were weak when young, they usually hid beneath waterfalls or at the bottom of ponds.

But Dratini were also remarkable Pokémon. They possessed an immense amount of life energy, which allowed them to keep growing. Since this ability could not be suppressed, they shed their skin once every day and grew that way.

This was the most important stage for a Dratini. The energy within their bodies worked much like it did when Caterpie evolved into Metapod: the more energy they stored during this stage, the better they would grow.

So, to help Dratini grow better, Chu Xin naturally had to provide more energy.

The little one was still growing, after all. As a parent, he certainly couldn't let his child go without.

As far as Chu Xin remembered, Pokéblocks were essential for providing Pokémon with ample energy. But making Pokéblocks required Berries. Where was he supposed to find those?

"Aier, Aier!"

"What is it now, young master?"

Aier, the maid who was in the middle of cleaning, looked at Chu Xin helplessly. Why had he gotten up so early today? Usually, he only got up after she finished cleaning.

"Aier, do we have any Berries at home?"

"Berries? I don't think we have any in the house."

"What am I supposed to do without Berries? I wanted to make something tasty for Dratini."

Chu Xin looked helplessly at Aier, hoping the maid would come up with a solution. But she lowered her head, apparently thinking about something.

"We don't have any Berries in the house, but there are plenty on the trees in the garden. They're just about ripe these days. If you need some, young master, you can go outside and pick them."

What? The trees in the Manor's garden grow Berries? I thought they were some other kind of fruit I didn't recognize. To think they were Berries all along!

Still, Chu Xin didn't dwell on it. With Berries available, things would be much easier.

With Berries in hand, all he needed was to make a Berry Blender, and he could produce Pokéblocks.

A Berry Blender worked by crushing Berries, then using high-speed rotation to separate out their juice. Once that solidified, it became a Pokéblock.

It sounded pretty simple when put that way.

I don't have a Berry Blender, but I can try making a batch with a simpler method. I wonder if it'll work.

Next, Chu Xin chopped up the Berries he had gathered in the garden and put them into a blender. After filtering the juice thoroughly through gauze, he poured it into molds and placed it in the refrigerator to set.

Two or three hours later, Chu Xin took out his homemade Pokéblocks.

Hmm, how should I put this? Aside from being pretty square, they seem quite different.

Looking at his cloudy Pokéblocks, he couldn't help feeling that he had failed.

Whatever. They're still Pokéblocks I made myself. Of course I have to let Dratini try them.

The moment Dratini emerged from the Poké Ball, the little dragon spotted the "Pokéblocks" in Chu Xin's hands.

"Mmm?" (What's this for?)

Looking into Dratini's big, watery eyes, Chu Xin smiled and offered one of his Pokéblocks.

"Dratini, give this a try. It's a Pokéblock I made."

Dratini looked hesitantly at the mysterious food. Is this really edible? Still, if Chu Xin says I can eat it, it should be all right. It really doesn't look very good, though.

Under Chu Xin's watchful gaze, Dratini cautiously took a bite of the Pokéblock.

"Ptooey, ptooey!" (This isn't edible at all!)

"Huh? Did I mess up?"

Chu Xin picked up a Pokéblock and put it in his mouth. A bizarre, nauseating sensation swept across his entire tongue.

"Ptooey, ptooey! That's awful! I really did fail."

My technique was clearly professional. Did something go wrong with the filtering? Do I really need a Berry Blender after all?

Ugh, I went to all that trouble, and all I made was junk. These aren't even as good as the most basic Black Pokéblocks.

"What are you two doing?"

Having just finished cleaning, Aier looked curiously at Chu Xin and Dratini, then immediately noticed what Chu Xin was holding.

"Is that a Pokéblock?"

As she spoke, Aier picked up a Pokéblock from Chu Xin's hand and examined it closely.

"Too many impurities. The filtering wasn't done properly, and the Berries weren't blended evenly either. This Pokéblock is a failed batch."

"Oh, Aier, you know about Pokéblocks too?"

Aier gave Chu Xin a strange look, her expression almost impossible to describe.

"Of course I do. Aren't Pokéblocks just these?"

As she spoke, Aier pulled a small box from beneath her skirt. When she opened it, it was filled with Pokéblocks, and even at a glance, it was obvious that they were of the highest quality.

"Mmm!" (What's that? It smells so good!)

The instant the box opened, Dratini, who had been watching from the side, practically had hearts in those eyes and lunged toward the Pokéblocks in Aier's hand.

Suddenly, a flash of white light shone beneath Aier's skirt. Garchomp appeared in front of Dratini and reached out to block the little dragon.

"Graa!" (Those are mine. You can't have them.)

Dratini's strength was no match for Garchomp's. Held in Garchomp's jaws, Dratini couldn't break free no matter how hard the little dragon struggled, and could only watch helplessly as the delicious food grew farther and farther away.

"All right, Garchomp. It's fine to let Dratini have a bite."

At those words from her trainer, Garchomp could only reluctantly open her jaws. An excited Dratini opened wide and caught the Pokéblock Aier tossed over.

"Mmm!" (So delicious!)

Garchomp watched Dratini happily eating with a hint of sulkiness, then turned and noticed the Pokéblock in Chu Xin's hand. Puzzled, she lowered her head and sniffed it.

(ˉ▽￣~) Tch~~

How humiliating!

Aier took the Pokéblock from Chu Xin's hand and gave him a puzzled look.

"Why are you making Pokéblocks?"

"To feed Dratini. The little one's still growing, so getting more energy now will help with that."

Aier nodded.

"Oh, I see. But we have plenty of Pokéblocks at home. Mr. Chu runs the largest Pokéblock Manufacturing Company, and they can make every kind of Pokéblock. If you want some, just give Mr. Chu a call."

Chu Xin's jaw dropped in shock. He had never imagined that Chu Lian, the father he had acquired out of nowhere, was so impressive. He actually ran the largest Pokéblock Manufacturing Company in this world!

Then why am I making Pokéblocks myself? I'll just call and ask for ready-made ones!