Back in the orchard, after releasing all of his Pokémon, Lin Feng began thinking about what kind of exclusive dish should be awarded for clearing the final stage of the Sky Challenge.
Most of Reika's Pokémon were likely Ice-types.
And whenever he thought about Ice-type Pokémon, his mind naturally drifted to the dishes he had once prepared for Alolan Ninetales.
Aside from the exclusive meal that enhanced its effectiveness against Dragon-types and reduced Dragon-type damage, he had never deliberately created many other Ice-type specialty dishes.
There was a simple reason for that.
He lacked Ice-type ingredients.
Most Ice-type materials could only be found on snowy mountains. Things like snow lotus plants, for example, would probably work extremely well.
Lin Feng began searching through his system storage.
The space was packed with every kind of berry imaginable.
After distributing berries to his Pokémon and making them happy, there were always strange leftovers piling up. There was no way he could remember every single item.
Most things only caught his attention when he actually needed them.
Naturally, that included gifts from Ice-type Pokémon.
Unfortunately, most of the rewards were berry-like ingredients.
Still, Lin Feng did find several mountain-grown fruits.
Snow Lotus Fruit
A tuber harvested from plants that grow above one thousand meters in elevation. Every spring, as temperatures rise and snow melts, it absorbs large quantities of water.
Snow Peach Berry
A mutated form of the ordinary Peach Berry that grows in snowy mountains. To survive the harsh climate, it developed exceptional cold resistance, making it especially favored by Ice-type Pokémon.
Sandthorn Berry
Usually found on thorn-covered shrubs in alpine regions. Pale yellow in color, slightly sour in taste, and rich in nutrients.
There were several others as well.
The problem was that Lin Feng had no idea how to turn them into a proper dish.
More specifically, how could he maximize their effects?
Juice?
The only thing he could associate with ice was a cold drink.
But that felt far too underwhelming.
After all, this was the final reward of the Sky Challenge.
Giving away a cup of juice would feel cheap.
"Let me think..."
"How did Alolan Ninetales eat that dish back then?"
Lin Feng began recalling the details.
Fish meat.
Fish skin.
Fish jelly...
Fish jelly?
The moment that thought crossed his mind, his eyes lit up.
The soft, smooth, gelatin-like texture immediately gave him inspiration.
Since these ingredients were mostly berries, why not make a pudding?
"Haha."
"I'm cooking anyway."
"I'll test the effects myself."
"If it tastes good, I'll give some to Alolan Ninetales too."
Having made up his mind, Lin Feng immediately got to work.
Reika was still waiting outside.
He couldn't keep her waiting forever.
He washed and peeled the various berries before blending them into a smooth puree.
Then he set the mixture aside.
Next, he poured Moomoo Milk into a pot and gently heated it over low heat.
Normally, he would add sugar.
However, spring had arrived, and the milk produced by Miltank already carried a natural sweetness.
There was no need.
After warming the milk, he added gelatin.
The gelatin had been extracted from fish bones left behind after Alolan Ninetales finished its meals.
Lin Feng had always made a habit of preserving useful ingredients.
He continued heating the mixture.
Once the gelatin completely dissolved, he poured in the berry puree and stirred everything evenly.
After filtering out bubbles and impurities, he poured the mixture into molds and placed them inside a refrigerator to set.
But after finishing the pudding, he didn't immediately leave.
Earlier, before the battle, he had promised Blaziken something.
Once the battle ended, he would make delicious food for it.
A promise was a promise.
As for Blaziken's favorite food, that was easy.
A few skewers of grilled meat.
Several pots of fruit wine.
That alone would satisfy Blaziken, Salamence, and the other fire-loving dragons.
By the time he finished everything, nearly an hour had passed.
When he opened the refrigerator, a rich aroma of Moomoo Milk rushed out.
Mixed within it was a refreshing fruity fragrance.
S+ Grade Cuisine: Snow Mountain Pudding
A sweet pudding crafted from alpine fruits and Moomoo Milk.
Cuisine Effect 1: Peace of Mind
Ice-type and Psychic-type Pokémon that consume this dish gain enhanced focus when using moves.
Move activation speed increases by 5% to 10%.
In snowy environments, the effect reaches its maximum potential.
Cuisine Effect 2: Ice Resistance
Long-term consumption grants increased resistance to Ice-type energy attacks.
The effect is especially noticeable for Ice-type Pokémon.
Two effects.
The second was a long-term benefit.
Lin Feng wasn't surprised.
Most of the dishes he created worked that way.
To be honest, he rarely paid attention to how long "long-term" actually meant.
Aside from Pokémon like Salamence, Dragonite, Goodra, and Serperior, who disliked cold weather and required more warming soups...
Or Pokémon like Pidgeot that constantly faced harsh weather while completing deliveries and Sky Challenges...
He seldom fed the same resistance-boosting dishes continuously.
After all, resistance could never completely eliminate danger.
Poison.
Freezing.
Burns.
Fear.
All of these were natural parts of Pokémon battles.
Targeted meals for specific weaknesses were enough.
What truly interested Lin Feng was the first effect.
Peace of Mind.
It allowed Pokémon to focus more intensely while using moves, increasing activation speed.
And the effect was permanent.
"Doesn't that basically mean a permanent 5% to 10% increase to a Pokémon's Speed stat?"
Lin Feng muttered.
Unfortunately, it only worked on Psychic-type and Ice-type Pokémon.
Still.
It was excellent.
Since he had filled multiple molds, he ended up making dozens of puddings at once.
After some thought, he set aside three.
Those three would become Reika's reward.
As for the remaining dozens...
Those naturally belonged to his own Pokémon.
Three puddings might not sound like much.
But three were enough to grant the Peace of Mind effect to three different Pokémon.
After packing the puddings, preparing Blaziken's grilled skewers, and setting aside fruit wine for Dragonite and Salamence, Lin Feng finally left the kitchen.
Using his Aura abilities, he scanned the orchard and berry fields.
Then a surprised expression appeared on his face.
"Huh?"
He had been in the kitchen for quite a while.
Yet Salamence still hadn't returned.
"That shouldn't be possible..."
Salamence was slower than Dragonite, sure.
But the distance was only a few dozen kilometers.
A few wingbeats should have been enough.
"Strange."
"They didn't get into a fight, did they?"
Lin Feng suddenly felt a little worried.
Time rewound to the moment after Lin Feng and Salamence parted ways.
After delivering Liam safely back to the cruise ship, Salamence ignored the commotion caused by its arrival and immediately began flying home.
Halfway through the journey, however, something caught its attention.
Its eyes narrowed.
Slowly, Salamence turned its head.
Looking back toward the ocean behind it.
Then it saw it.
A gigantic white shadow.
Plunging into the sea.
For a moment, even Salamence froze in midair.
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