Chapter 140: Top Breeder Slowking

It takes at least three days to travel from Fallarbor Town to Littleroot Town.

While waiting for Steven to arrive, Hu Yang began studying Pokéblocks together with Slowking.

Pokéblocks, also known as Pokémon blocks, are colorful, square-shaped candies packed with rich nutritional components.

According to statistical research data from the Hoenn League Pokémon Association:

Pokémon that have consumed Pokéblocks as their primary food over a long period show significantly better physical condition, sturdiness, and coat glossiness compared to ordinary Pokémon.

Moreover, a single piece of this food is enough to satisfy a Munchlax, known far and wide as a bottomless pit of appetite.

However, because the manufacturing technology is quite complex, blending suitable Pokéblocks requires spending a considerable amount of energy learning the intricacies of Berry nutrition.

This makes the price of Pokéblocks on the market rather expensive.

Furthermore, the Pokéblock recipes already published within the breeding community are not universally applicable to breeders.

This is because crafting Pokéblocks has no fixed formula; Pokémon of different personalities and types will favor different flavors.

What is more, even among different individuals of the exact same Pokémon species, there can be vast discrepancies in flavor preferences.

In such cases, certain breeders must figure things out through personal trial and error to create their own exclusive Pokéblocks tailored specifically to their own Pokémon.

For instance, in the anime, May used two Pecha Berries, one Oran Berries, one Bluk Berry, and a dash of Nanab Berries to concoct "May's Delicacy."

The flavor profile of this Pokéblock was atrocious enough to knock Pokémon out cold, yet a certain Munchlax could not stop eating it.

Later, acting on Professor Oak's formula, May crafted "May's Delicacy No. 2," a single piece of which was enough to fill up a Munchlax completely.

Inside the living room.

Hu Yang and Slowking sat facing each other on the sofa.

Between them stood a glass coffee table, upon which were strewn various kinds of Berries alongside a rather complex-looking device.

That was precisely the Berry Blender Hu Yang had purchased from the department store.

Slowking's eyes were half-closed as it gazed at the Berry Blender before it, appearing to be deep in thought.

After a moment, it reached out and selected four Berries from the table.

Hu Yang glanced at them, and the information regarding those Berries instantly surfaced in his mind:

Razz Berry, Pomeg Berry, Chople Berry, and Qualot Berry.

The Berry blenders in this world operated under two modes.

One was the automatic mode, wherein the user chopped up the prepared Berries and placed them inside, and the blender would run on its own to produce Pokéblocks.

The other was the manual mode. Compared to the automatic mode, the manual mode allowed for better control over the applied force, letting the user monitor the mixing progress through a transparent lid and speed up or slow down accordingly.

Slowking chose the second method.

First, it used psychic power to crush the four Berries, then opened the lid and dropped them inside.

Having completed this step, a brilliant blue light flashed in Slowking's eyes.

Following that, the manual operating handle of the Berry Blender began to spin.

Hu Yang sat nearby, holding his breath and concentrating intently. After about ten minutes, Slowking's turning speed gradually began to slow down.

Accompanied by a crisp "ding" sound, a brilliant, flame-red Pokéblock slid out from the bottom of the blender.

Hu Yang blinked in surprise.

That was it?

As if knowing what he was thinking, Slowking said, "It is done. I made this according to Charmander's preferred flavor profile."

With that, it used its psychic power to levitate the Pokéblock and present it to Hu Yang.

Hu Yang reached out and took it, and the information of this Pokéblock appeared in his mind the very next second.

[Red Pokéblock (Perfect Quality)]: A proprietary recipe by Slowking. Through psychic power, different types of Berries have achieved a flawless fusion, holding an immensely powerful allure for certain Pokémon.

Upon consumption, aside from satisfying the Pokémon's hunger, it can also greatly enhance their mental state and make their appearance more dashing.

Holy crap!

Upon seeing this information, Hu Yang was completely dumbfounded.

"Is this really your first time making Pokéblocks?" he asked in shock.

Slowking seemed not to understand why he was so astonished, and answered with mild perplexity, "Yes. I have only ever seen them hanging on trees before. What is the matter? Is there a problem?"

Hu Yang swallowed hard and shook his head. "No, no problem at all."

Slowking suggested, "You can ask Charmander if it likes it."

"Oh! Oh!" Hu Yang finally snapped out of his daze, but before he could even call out for Charmander, the little fire lizard appeared in the living room on its own.

It sniffed the air, instantly locked onto the Pokéblock in Hu Yang's hand, and its eyes lit up as it let out an eager cry, "Char?"

Hu Yang scooped it up into his arms and said, "Want to give it a try?"

Charmander opened its mouth, swallowed the Pokéblock, and an expression of pure bliss instantly bloomed across its face.

"..."

Watching this scene, Hu Yang turned to Slowking and asked, "Are we sure this is totally fine?"

Why did it look somewhat addictive?

Slowking observed Charmander, shaking its head. "There is no problem. The allure of Pokéblocks to Pokémon is extremely powerful.

"To my knowledge, activities established by humans such as Safari Zones and Bug-Catching Contests utilize Pokéblocks to serve as bait.

"Trainers participating in these events place Pokéblocks inside feeding boxes to lure wild Pokémon and capture them."

Hu Yang reflected on this and realized that indeed, this was how things worked.

In places like the Safari Zone, participating trainers were given fixed types of Pokéblocks along with instructions on which Pokémon species favored them.

If they wished to capture a Pokémon corresponding to a particular Pokéblock flavor, they would place it on the ground, hide quietly nearby, and wait for the Pokémon to be drawn in.

Naturally, the only creatures attracted would be those fond of that specific flavor; those uninterested or averse would simply choose to ignore it or stay far away.

After finishing the Pokéblock, Charmander licked its lips as if wanting more, opened its large, bright eyes, and let out a satisfied burp.

"Are you full?" Hu Yang asked, gently rubbing Charmander's belly.

"Char!"

Charmander nodded, the blazing fire at the tip of its tail vividly showcasing the joy in its heart.

Witnessing this, Hu Yang felt a wave of unprecedented astonishment.

The utility of Pokéblocks seemed far greater than he had originally imagined...

A single Pokéblock could fill up a Pokémon; in this regard, they were very much like compressed rations used by humans.

One could easily imagine how much more effortless a Trainer's journey would become if they traveled carrying a stash of Pokéblocks.

The only drawback was that during meals in the wilderness, the aroma of the Pokéblocks might end up attracting a massive swarm of wild Pokémon.