Tasting

For the entire morning, Murkrow focused on strengthening its wing muscles and learning skills related to wind manipulation, gaining a better understanding of how to utilize its flying abilities. It took short breaks only when its wings could no longer keep up with the training.

Every detail of the training plan set by Larry was executed meticulously.

Meanwhile, Larry spent the entire morning crafting Pokéblocks. This time, the process was significantly more complex than the creation of the Sitrus Berry Pokéblocks due to the rudimentary tools at hand. He managed to make just over a hundred Pokéblocks by noon.

Sighing as he looked at the stack of containers filled with Pokéblocks, Larry stretched his legs that had gone a bit numb from sitting for so long.

He stood up from the ground and said, "Murkrow, that's enough for now. Take a break. It's time to prepare lunch."

"Murkrow! Murkrow! Murkrow!" After flapping its wings a few more times, creating small whirlwinds that blew away the remaining Zubat dung on the cave floor, Murkrow stopped and flew to Larry's shoulder.

Feeling his shoulder sink a bit due to his numb legs, Larry almost lost his balance and stumbled.

Looking at the slightly embarrassed Murkrow, Larry reached out to pat its now smooth feathers and chuckled, "It's okay. But it seems your size has returned, and I'm afraid I won't be able to carry you soon." He said this half-jokingly.

The humans in the world of Pokémon generally had stronger bodies than the humans on Larry's original Earth. Even though Larry's body was still somewhat lean, it could easily support Murkrow's weight.

In this world, some humans possessed bodies that were as strong as, or even stronger than, some ordinary Pokémon, especially those who focused on martial arts training. They could rival small Pokémon like Machop in strength.

In Larry's memory, one of the future Elite Four members in the Kanto region, the Fighting-type Master Bruno, had an incredibly well-built physique, nearly on par with Fighting-type Pokémon like Machoke.

There were also some humans with unique abilities, like Sabrina, the Gym Leader of Saffron City in the Kanto region, who had extremely powerful psychic abilities, surpassing most Psychic-type Pokémon. She was also one of Team Rocket's top executives.

Larry had encountered Sabrina in his previous life, and her haughty demeanor was still fresh in his memory.

So, while training Murkrow, Larry also made sure to maintain his own physical fitness. He didn't aim to reach the level of someone like Bruno, but he didn't want to become a burden to his Pokémon either.

During lunchtime, their location by the lakeside proved advantageous. In the undeveloped lake, they easily found plenty of fish, even though Murkrow struggled a bit at first. After a few failed attempts, it gradually learned how to catch fish. Soon, they had enough fish for lunch.

Returning to their makeshift base, Larry finally had some seasoning for the grilled fish. After a simple meal, both Larry and Murkrow enjoyed their lunch.

After a brief rest, Larry said, "Alright, our midday break is almost over. It's time for battle in the afternoon, Murkrow. Are you ready?"

"Murkrow! Murkrow!" Murkrow flapped its wings excitedly and nodded. While it had felt a noticeable improvement in its strength during the morning's training, battling was still its favorite activity.

"You're quite the eager battler!" Larry smiled and patted Murkrow's head.

In the forest, there was no shortage of wild Pokémon to challenge. By carefully observing various traces in the forest, Larry could quickly locate potential opponents. Some of the more aggressive Pokémon even dared to challenge them.

Thanks to the chip, Larry could scan their data and avoid battles with opponents they couldn't defeat. Only when they encountered suitable opponents did he let Murkrow battle, so there was no real danger as long as they didn't recklessly enter the territory of overwhelmingly powerful Pokémon.

Soon, as the sun set, Larry returned to the cave with his weary body and Murkrow. While Murkrow battled, Larry also quietly trained his own body.

Recently, his previously frail body had received enough nourishment, and with conscious training, Larry's once skinny physique now had a bit more flesh, and the muscles in his body were gradually becoming more defined.

Looking at the Pokéblocks in the containers that had completely solidified, Larry took one out and carefully examined it. The BlackSwift Pokéblock had intricately congealed into a jelly like texture with a smooth surface free of impurities.

He lightly cut a small piece with a knife and placed it in his mouth.

A slightly bitter and dry taste exploded in his mouth, causing Larry to involuntarily furrow his brows, even though he had mentally prepared for it.

The slightly bitter taste of herbs mixed with the dryness of tree berry. Unless one was an experienced breeder, it was impossible to discern all the ingredients, especially given the intricate production process.

Despite the mediocre taste, this was exactly what Pokémon liked. After consuming a small portion of the Pokéblock, Larry felt a slight relief in his tired body and muscles. This was just the result of humans consuming it; Pokéblocks specially developed for Pokémon were even more effective.

Feeding the remaining Pokéblocks to Murkrow, Larry carefully placed the freshly made Pokéblocks into the storage compartment of his Rocket Team belt, all while watching Murkrow, who could only savor the taste of the previous half-cube.

"Greedy little thing, why the rush? It's all for you. But before that, you'll have to endure two more days of Sitrus Berry Pokéblocks," Larry scolded with a smile.

The Sitrus Berry Pokéblocks had been consumed for five days already, and their effectiveness was diminishing, but there were still two days to go. Regardless of how much recovery they provided, they had to wait until the effects had completely worn off.

If different Pokéblocks were mixed or used together, it could potentially result in both types being less effective. So, Murkrow would have to endure two more days.

"Murkrow! Murkrow!" Murkrow quickly shook its head and then nodded, as if trying to conceal its eagerness for the newly made Pokéblocks and then agreeing with Larry's words.

Sitting down and stroking Murkrow's increasingly smooth feathers, Larry applied the massage techniques he had learned in his previous life. After a day of training and battles, a proper massage in the evening could help Pokémon recover faster.

"Murkrow... Murkrow..." Murkrow, feeling comfortable, unconsciously made sounds as its stiff muscles were relieved, and it closed its eyes to enjoy the massage.

After about half an hour of massaging, Murkrow was completely relaxed, and its muscles had loosened.

Next, they prepared dinner. Tonight's meal was a large pot of delicious fish soup, with creamy white broth and succulent fish meat, all of which went into their stomachs.

After a quick cleanup of the area, both Larry and Murkrow, exhausted from the day, nestled against the rocks and fell into a deep sleep.

The forest at night was unusually noisy, but the quiet Zubat cave remained unaffected by the outside noise. Since Zubat had occupied the cave for a long time, it was quite safe at night. In the end, the only sounds within the cave were the steady rhythms of breathing.