Chapter 212:
"Mm, hello there, young man."
Kaito was about to greet him, wanting to show he wasn't here to cause trouble.
But the next second, his Charizard turned its gaze to the Energy Cubes behind Blaziken and took a few steps forward, almost pressing its face right up to Blaziken's.
It stared intently at the Energy Cubes Blaziken was shielding.
These are Special-Trait Energy Cubes.
This startled Blaziken, and it hurriedly scooped up the Energy Cubes, clutching them tightly against its chest.
"Charizard?" (Let me see?)
Charizard could sense that these Energy Cubes would probably be very beneficial for it.
"Blaziken!" (No!)
But why would Blaziken just hand over its food so easily?
Charizard's greedy look made Kaito, watching from the side, pause in disbelief.
Wait, didn't I give you plenty of Energy Cubes at home? Why are you eyeing someone else's now?
He pulled Charizard back by the tail.
Feeling utterly embarrassed, he said, "Hey, you're my Pokémon. It's not like I ever let you go hungry, right?"
Hayashi Kaede immediately understood the reason.
Among the Special-Trait Energy Cubes' effects was one specifically for the Blaze ability:The first time a Fire-type Pokémon with the Blaze ability consumes this, when its HP is low and its fighting spirit is high, the Blaze effect will be three times stronger than usual.
Coupled with another cooking effect: After the first consumption, the special trait energy effect within the Pokémon is enhanced by 50%, and it becomes immune to any debuffs caused by its ability for 60 minutes.
For a Charizard with the Blaze ability, this was a perfect combination.
As a Champion-level Pokémon, Charizard had likely sensed these Energy Cubes would be extremely advantageous for it.
"Charizard..."
Charizard snapped out of it as if waking from a dream, scratched its cheek awkwardly, and took a step back. But its eyes still occasionally drifted toward the Special-Trait Energy Cubes.
Just what was it about these Energy Cubes that made them so appealing to it?
"My apologies... my apologies, it's not usually like this."
Thanks to Charizard's antics, Kaito felt his Elite Four demeanor had instantly taken a nosedive.
However, remembering that he had come specifically to ask this young man about raising Blaziken, he let go of his self-consciousness.
"It's quite alright, no problem."
Understanding the reason, Hayashi Kaede didn't press further but asked curiously, "Did you seek me out because of your Blaziken, Elite Four Kaito?"
Kaito was taken aback, then let out a hearty laugh. "You're a sharp one, young man. Since that's the case, I'm not embarrassed to admit it. Yes, I came today to learn from you."
He wasn't like some of the older, more set-in-their-ways Elites. Since the new Champion, Kazephyr, took office, he had initiated reforms to the Elite Four system in the Eastova League.
The goal was to allow more young, vibrant trainers to emerge and take up key positions within the League.
Under this system, the League's core trainers were getting younger. Recently, there were even rumors that Kazephyr was considering following other regions by lowering the age for receiving a first Pokémon to fourteen, or even twelve, as long as the candidate passed a basic trainer certification exam. The reasoning was that younger children often have purer hearts, making it easier to gain the trust of wild Pokémon. However, the proposal was still under review due to safety concerns.
"Before coming, I looked you up online. I heard you're the owner of a Breeding House and are an advanced Pokémon Breeder yourself. I noticed your Blaziken shares the Speed Boost ability with mine, but why is its Speed Boost so..." Kaito paused, searching for the right word, "...absurd?"
That's right.
Absurd was the word. He felt this Blaziken defied logic.
"Blaziken?" (What's so absurd about it...)
Blaziken muttered under its breath upon hearing the human who dropped from the sky criticizing it. But glancing at the Charizard beside him, and thinking how Gardevoir wasn't around, it didn't dare retort too loudly. Instead, it ate another Energy Cube, followed by a rice ball.
"Uh... well... how should I put this?"
Hayashi Kaede wasn't sure how to explain it directly.
So he picked up a rice ball, changing the subject. "It's a bit hard to explain. It looks like your Charizard might be hungry, and it's already midday. You've been busy and probably haven't eaten either. Would you like to try one?"
"Huh?"
Kaito was momentarily confused, but seeing how enthusiastically Hayashi Kaede's Pokémon were eating, he realized he was indeed hungry.
So, he and Charizard each accepted a rice ball.
After finishing just one, Kaito sensed something unusual.
Upon eating the rice ball, he immediately felt a sense of fullness.
That said, the taste was excellent. Both the rice and the meat filling inside seemed packed with energy.
Charizard's eyes also lit up.
Hayashi Kaede generously offered more rice balls to the Charizard.
Then, he gestured for Kaito to observe Charizard and Blaziken.
At first, Kaito didn't understand, but as he watched, he was stunned.
This Blaziken's eating speed was actually keeping pace with the Charizard bite for bite!
It was stuffing rice ball after rice ball down.
However, this Charizard was a Champion-level Pokémon! Its usual energy consumption rate was far beyond that of this Blaziken!
"This is part of the reason its Speed Boost ability is so strong. It eats a lot, so it can run very fast" Hayashi Kaede explained. "That's why I call its ability Super Speed Boost."
"This... is unbelievable..."
Kaito's jaw dropped in astonishment. He then eagerly asked, "Did you cultivate this ability?"
If this was a cultivated trait, it would be monumental. A Speed Boost Blaziken was already powerful; a stronger Super Speed Boost would make it incredibly powerful. If his own Blaziken had such an ability, he felt he could challenge Kazephyr again.
However, Hayashi Kaede shook his head. "No, it's innate."
While Blaziken's current "Super Speed Boost" was supported by the Special-Trait Energy Cubes and daily long-distance running, he didn't want the secret of these Energy Cubes' effects to get out.
"I see..."
Kaito's heart sank slightly, feeling a bit disappointed. He thought it made sense; such a Blaziken did sound too extraordinary. If it could be mass-produced, the strength of the League's Fire-type trainers would skyrocket.
As the two conversed, spectators began trickling back into the stands. Noticing Kaito in the competitors' area, they started curiously gathering around.
Seeing this, Kaito knew it was time for him to leave. After saying goodbye to Hayashi Kaede, he flew off on his Charizard.
Next time, he thought, I should visit this young man's Breeding House to see for myself.