NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8 – Breeder Responsibility
In the evening, Floyd rented a room in a small apartment. He inspected the surroundings for surveillance but found nothing. Then he prepared a meal using berry powder.
Among the three Pokémon, Horsea had unique taste buds. Axew and Dratini, on the other hand, shared similar tastes, though in different proportions. Horsea favored sour and bitter flavors. Dratini had a preference for a balanced mix of spicy and sweet, while Axew enjoyed a spicier taste with a hint of sweetness.
For the pokeblock preparation, Floyd used 2 Nomel Berries, one Chilan Berries, One Nutpea, one Spelon Berry, one Aguav Berry, and one Durin Berry. He then glanced at his other berries: 15 Nutpeas, 11 Kuo Berries, 7 Figy Berries, 4 unspecified Berries, 4 Pecha Berries, 3 each of Rawst, Tamato, Oran, Belue, and Leppa Berries, 2 Cheri Berries, and 1 Aspear Berry. He sighed in exasperation.
Dried Leppa Berries can be used to make energy powder, while Oran Berries can be turned into healing powder. The effects of these powders are much more potent than consuming the berries alone, and the powders can be used in multiple quantities.
However, Leppa Berries are also the favorite ingredients of Axew and Dratini when making Red Juice. Similarly, Oran Berries are Horsea's favorite ingredient for Blue Juice. Considering this, Floyd sighed again. He rarely treated them some berry juice due to the scarcity of berries and their usefulness in battle. But this time, he decided to indulge them.
He contemplated visiting a forest again to steal more berries.
He then took 2 Leppa Berries, 2 Figy Berries, 1 Oran Berry, and 1 Belue Berry.
Retrieving his Berry Blender, Floyd began making pokeblocks. Starting with Horsea's pokeblock, he took 1 Aguav Berry and 1 Durin Berry, sliced them open, and collected the seeds. Floyd had a habit of collecting berry seeds whenever he sliced berries, preparing for his future breeding shop. His backpack had a special function that preserved anything stored inside, eliminating the need to work for any other preservation methods.
After preparing the berries, he placed them in the blender. These berries had a mixed attribute of Dragon and Water, aligning closely with Horsea's taste preferences of Bitter and Sour. Even without simulation, Floyd could easily create the pokeblocks as he was already adept at the Novice Stages of Mastery. A few minutes later, dozens of pokeblocks were ready.
Next, he took 1 Nomel Berry and 1 Nutpea Berry. These berries, representing Dragon and Normal Types respectively, were sliced open, their seeds removed. After blending them, dozens more pokeblocks emerged a few minutes later.
For lower-level Pokémon like Horsea and newborns like Dratini, basic-quality pokeblocks were sufficient. Offering them intermediate-quality blocks would be counterproductive, as these blocks contained more energy. They could only consume them in smaller amounts. It was more beneficial to provide them with numerous basic-quality pokeblocks so they could fully savor each one.
Lastly, for Axew, the process differed as he was creating an intermediate pokeblock. This required three berries: the Nomel Berry, Chilan Berry, and Spelon Berry, which represented Dragon, Normal, and Dark Types. This selection aligned with Axew's learned attributes. The use of three berries indicated Floyd's intention to craft an Intermediate - H pokeblock, a process that required simulation assistance.
He checked his point tally, which stood at 6,850. Over the past few days, Floyd, alongside Axew, Ft. Dratini, and Horsea, had worked hard to accumulate these points. Axew, particularly, had been the main contributor, followed by Floyd. Reflecting on their first encounter when Floyd had defeated Axew, he now realized that if they were to battle again, Axew would likely have a 70:30 advantage.
The point system was straightforward: every time a Pokémon was defeated, points were awarded. Their highest single victory had earned them 30 points from defeating a Male Nidoran. However, the majority of their victories yielded either 10 or 20 points.
Floyd couldn't determine the exact level of the Male Nidoran they had previously battled, but he estimated it to be around level 30. Based on this, he surmised that Pokémon between levels 1-19 yielded 10 points, those between 20-29 provided 20 points, and those at level 30 or higher gave 30 points. One limitation of the system was its stinginess; Floyd could only see Pokémon stats that are associated with dragons—either Dragon-type Pokémon, those part of the Dragon egg group, or non-Dragon types that learned dragon moves.
Another aspect of the point system pertained to tasks like breeding, potion-making, etc. When Floyd created something without simulation assistance, the system evaluated his work and awarded points accordingly. So far, he'd mastered novice and managed to make some intermediate levels. Low-level or novice pokeblocks earned him 10 points. He also managed to get 40 points for crafting an intermediate pokeblock, despite being a bit accidental, and earned him 40 points, though it's a 65% failure rate.
Crafting items like healing powder, energy powder, and antidote powder also earned points. These items, considered intermediate level, required days of berry drying followed by powder extraction. Massaging his three Pokémon was another way to earn points—10, to be precise. However, this method was more time-consuming than battles. As for potion-making, he hadn't yet mastered it without simulation; this task was at an advanced level. He recalled Dragonite spending thousands of points and still not getting healed.
Returning to the present, he set his simulation to 70%, using up 320 points, and began.
(Author Notes: Its 960 I'm sorry. Earlier i thought intermediate was 3x but nah, its 2x. And i didn't add the simulation multiplier.
Here's the calculation:
Intermediate - H would cost 160 points
Since he's just a beginner and he's making intermediate, it would cost 2x.
So basically, 160 x 2 = 320
Then multiply again 3x because 70% simulator will multiply 3x. (60% 2x, 80% 4x, and 90%-100% 5x)
320 x 3 = 960)
This time, what he was crafting represented the pinnacle of the intermediate level, even featuring a Chilan Berry. This was the rarest berry he had in his bag. The Chilan Berry's special attribute is that when the holder is hit by a normal move, the damage is halved. Furthermore, the Chilan is renowned for its strong spicy, and sweet flavors, it's quite rare. Yet here was Floyd, using it to craft a Pokéblock; some might see it as wasteful.
Floyd was already adept at this process, sensing that it would take only a few attempts to reach the intermediate stages. Once he achieved this intermediate level as a breeder, his expenses for advanced techniques would decrease. An advanced mastery that costs 3x the price would drop to 2x, and a Master stage that costs 4x would reduce to 3x. By then, he might have the means to help the Dragonite mother since he can afford it.
Minutes passed, and the intermediate Pokéblock was ready.
He then took 2 Cheri Berries and 2 Figy Berries and placed them in a blender. Opting not to hit the '4' button, the result wouldn't be a Pokéblock, but rather a juice devoid of any special attributes—just pure flavor. Soon after, a Red Juice emerged.
Next, he combined Belue and Oran Berries, following the same procedure. Shortly after, Blue Juice was ready.
Watching Floyd finish up, the three eager Pokémon, especially the excited Horsea, darted towards him, urging him to hurry.
Floyd gave a resigned smile, realizing the extent of his expenditure for their sake. He combined the food with some powder and Pokéblock, pouring the juices into their bottles.
He left the trio to their feast, turning his attention to the unconscious Dragonite mother. Gently feeding her the liquid juice, he channeled his dragon power into her.
Finally, his gaze landed on the invitation ticket given by Suzuki Akiko.
(AN: I've taken liberties with the crafting process of pokeblock; after all, every creator gets to define the rules of their world. Hehe.)