Grandpa Chen stroked his beard thoughtfully.
"Do we have any Fire-type resources at home?" Chen Shi asked.
The old man nodded slowly.
"We have a few high-grade Fire Stones. I'll have Gardevoir bring them to you later."
"And afterward, your grandmother will prepare a specialized batch of Pokéblocks for Charmander. His body will recover quickly."
Chen Shi's eyes brightened.
"Thank you, Grandpa, Grandma!"
The two elders exchanged fond smiles.
Their grandson had unexpectedly picked up a rarely gifted Charmander—helping him was only natural.
Entrusting the Fairy-Type Formula
Chen Shi sat beside Grandma Chen, Charmander curled in his lap.
"Grandma, I want to entrust you with something."
Grandma blinked. "What is it?"
"My Fairy-type Pokéblock formula."
"I don't have enough skill yet. I can only make intermediate-grade blocks."
"Maybe you can refine it further."
Grandma's eyes sparkled instantly.
"Tell me the proportions."
Chen Shi recited:
"Pecha 80g
Persim 7g
Lum 30g
Bluk 100g
Micle 25g
Nanab 5g
Wacan 5g."
Grandma's face slowly stiffened.
Seven different berries.
High-tier quantities.
A formula that should produce Master-grade Pokéblocks…
…yet Chen Shi only produced intermediate quality.
That level of ingredient–technique mismatch was absurd.
Chen Shi scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I wanted to make a high-grade one… but maybe I messed up the mixing sequence."
"Everything still ends up intermediate grade."
Grandma closed her eyes, mentally rearranging every berry combination—
it was complex, far beyond ordinary recipes.
Chen Shi ran upstairs and returned with a finished Fairy Pokéblock.
Grandma tasted it.
Silence.
Then she whispered:
"…I've never seen a Pokéblock of this structure."
"I must study this carefully."
"Bring me all the samples you have."
Chen Shi immediately emptied the entire batch into her hands
AND demonstrated the exact mixing method with his Pokéblock Mixer.
Grandma practically floated to the lab in excitement.
Chen Shi shouted after her:
"Grandma! Don't forget Charmander's Pokéblocks!"
She waved vaguely—yes yes, she remembered.
Grandpa chuckled.
"Your grandmother gets like that when she sees something fascinating."
"But don't worry—even if she forgets, I'll handle Charmander's food."
Phoebe Returns… Victorious?
The front door SLAMMED open.
Phoebe burst in, covered head-to-toe in dust and scratches.
"Chen Shi! I caught the Onix!
And it's an Elite-tier Onix!"
Chen Shi blinked at her soot-covered face.
"You didn't run into danger, right?"
Phoebe shook her head vigorously.
"Nope! …Well, Onix kept digging everywhere, so I had to chase it underground for a long time."
She leaned forward eagerly.
"Chen Shi-ge—my money?"
Chen Shi sighed.
"I didn't bring any with me. I'll pay you later."
"Mm!! Okay!"
She nodded so fast she resembled a hyperactive Torchic.
The Evolution Experiment
Chen Shi went outside, released the captured Onix—
—and nearly winced.
The poor thing was seriously injured, barely upright.
He knelt beside it.
"Onix, I brought you here because I need your help."
"I know how to evolve you. I just need you to cooperate."
"I'll heal you, let you evolve, then release you afterward."
"Fair trade?"
Onix stared.
The human's words made sense.
It was already captured—what reason would he have to lie?
Slowly, it nodded.
Chen Shi healed it with Potion, then gestured to Gardevoir.
A soft curtain of Life Dew washed over Onix, stabilizing its breath.
He recalled it, placed the Pokéball into the Transfer Machine…
but first, he slipped a Metal Coat inside.
Grandpa Chen showed him to a corner of the underground lab—
The Pokémon Transfer Station, used for trade evolutions.
Chen Shi set up a camera, documenting every step of the method.
He inserted the Pokéball into the left slot.
A brief hum—
The ball vanished.
Reappeared in the opposite slot.
Chen Shi opened it.
Steelix
A blinding surge of metallic light filled the room—
Then a massive body unfolded:
Coiled steel
Armored plates
Red eyes burning with renewed power
STEELIX.
Even in the cramped chamber, its presence was overwhelming.
Chen Shi smiled.
"How do you feel?"
Steelix twisted its enormous body, pleased—
it felt stronger, harder, sharper.
If only the room weren't so small.
Chen Shi recalled it gently.
Grandpa was still staring, stunned.
"To think Onix… evolves like this."
"A true trade evolution…"
Chen Shi laughed softly.
"Pokémon are incredible."
And his research paper would shake the world again.
Advance Chapters available on P@treon
patreon.com/lucarioTL