Different types of Berries, when paired with the right secret recipes, can be used to craft various kinds of Pokémon food or pokeblocks.
As the primary ingredient, Berries are especially crucial. For that reason, any outstanding Pokémon Trainer will personally select them whenever possible.
Many Berries can technically be eaten by humans as well, but only a small portion actually suit human tastes. Pecha Berries are a classic example—nutritious and sweet enough to satisfy both people and sweet-loving Pokémon alike.
Salac Berries, however, clearly fall into the category that does not suit human palates.
Kael gently sliced through the scale-patterned outer rind with a small knife. Inside, the flesh was a dark gray. He cut off a small piece and tossed it into his mouth.
The texture was tough, almost devoid of moisture, with a distinctly bitter aftertaste.
"Ugh—"
He spat out the chewed pulp. Honestly, it tasted awful. Still, based on his experience, while this Salac Berry wasn't top-tier quality, it met the necessary standards.
"How much for a crate?"
He didn't waste time bargaining. The quantity he needed was considerable; one vendor's stock alone likely wouldn't suffice.
The middle-aged vendor's face lit up.
"20 per crate. 10,000 Pokédollars."
Kael nodded. That averaged out to five hundred per Salac Berry. Supplied by the Black Forest Research Institute, the appearance and quality were solid. Five hundred each was indeed reasonable.
"How many crates in stock?"
"Five."
"I'll take them all."
"Right away, sir!"
The vendor beamed, rubbing his hands together before hurrying back to the warehouse.
First sale of the day—50,000 dollars. He'd earn about 10% in pure profit, roughly 5000 dollars. For some families struggling financially, that was a month's income.
Kael paid in full without haggling and arranged for the vendor to deliver the crates to the Ocean Grand Hotel, providing his room number and instructing that the staff sign upon receipt.
He still planned to browse the rest of the exhibition area to see if he could find even better Berries.
In addition to Salac Berries for Ground- and Rock-type Pokémon, he also needed:
Ganlon Berries for Dark-types
Belue Berries for Psychic-types
Oran Berries for Water-types
If he had opted for the wild Berry section, Salac Berries would've been at least half the price.
But wild Berries varied wildly in quality. Some exceptional specimens could surpass those cultivated by major research institutes—but most barely qualified for everyday Pokémon feed, let alone energy cube production.
Pokéblock crafting demanded far stricter quality standards than ordinary Pokémon food. Poor-quality Berries often failed during the heating stage, unable to condense into concentrated cubes. A failed batch meant not only wasted Berries but also ruined supplementary ingredients—which weren't cheap.
For most civilian Trainers, pokeblocks were a luxury item. They provided significant training benefits, but the financial burden was immense. Without sufficient capital, one simply couldn't sustain it.
After nearly an hour at the Berry marketplace, Kael purchased:
15 crates of Salac Berries
2 crates of Ganlon Berries
3 crates of Belue Berries
1 crate of Oran Berries
Prices were roughly similar, except for Belue Berries, which were slightly more expensive. Altogether, he spent 230,000 Pokédollars.
Next stop: the pharmacy, to purchase the supplementary medicinal ingredients required for pokeblock production.
The final quality of a pokeblock depended not only on Berry quality and the maker's skill—the auxiliary materials were the most critical factor, accounting for roughly sixty percent of the result.
"Sometimes I'm really grateful I learned medicinal herb identification and Berry cultivation back at the orphanage."
Kael stepped out of the pharmacy, sighing to himself.
Those two skills had spared him countless detours in raising Pokémon.
He carried two large bags, one in each hand, filled with supplementary ingredients. None of them were cheap.
Looking at them, he shook his head with a self-deprecating smile.
"Money really flows like water. In just one morning, I've spent nearly five hundred thousand."
He had always lacked money—but he had never believed in hoarding it in a bank for meager interest.
Money only mattered when it was spent.
Spend money to strengthen your team. Grow stronger to earn more money. Use that money to acquire even better resources. A virtuous cycle.
Those who nitpicked over petty gains and focused only on immediate benefits would never rise above others. The world had always worked this way.
There were no pies falling from the sky.
Only effort brought reward.
"Hard work pays off."
That was the creed Kael firmly believed in.
...
When he returned to the hotel, it was already 11:20 a.m.—lunchtime.
As soon as he entered, the receptionist who had greeted him the day before hurried over.
She bowed slightly.
"Sir, the Berries you purchased have been temporarily stored in the hotel kitchen. If you'd like to inspect them, I can escort you there."
Kael waved his hand.
"No need for now. I'm going to have lunch first. Later I'll call the front desk—please have everything moved to Private Beach No. 16."
"All of it?" she asked politely.
"All of it."
As the saying goes: eat well at breakfast, eat your fill at lunch.
Unlike the refined delicacies of breakfast, the Sky Restaurant's VIP lunch primarily featured meats and fruit salads—though still prepared with top-tier ingredients.
For a carnivore like Kael, it was perfect.
A six-star hotel chef's craftsmanship was on another level. The steak was leagues better than anything he cooked himself.
"Pack five more steaks for me."
He wiped his mouth with a napkin and gestured to the server.
While steaks were unlimited for VIP guests, someone finishing six portions and then requesting five more to take away was unprecedented.
Other VIP diners cast him curious, even bewildered looks.
This was the VIP dining area of a six-star hotel—not some rural diner. And he wanted leftovers packed?
The server looked slightly embarrassed.
But the customer was king—and a VIP customer was king's father. How could such a small request be refused?
"Maybe the young man just has a big appetite," the young server reassured himself before hurrying to inform the chef to prepare five more steaks.
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