There's Something Off About My Pokémon [117]
As he placed the berries into the machine, the blender whirred to life. Lu Cheng quickly sensed the differences in speed and rhythm. Unlike the low setting, the medium speed caused the blender to flip and vibrate more, which helped reduce impurities in the berries. But the needle's speed also doubled!
Thanks to his enhanced dynamic vision, Lu Cheng could vaguely track the needle's path, but he was making more mistakes.
Five minutes later, Lu Cheng wiped his brow and hit the final button.
"How did it turn out?" Lu Ning asked with concern.
"Well… it's a success, I guess." Lu Cheng looked into the slot where the Pokéblock had emerged. It wasn't the clear, pristine block he was used to, but instead, there were visible wisps of fibrous residue inside. While it was successful, it was far from the quality achieved by Zhao Dachun.
"It's still impressive." An Tongxin took a deep breath, her tone serious. "With only nine mistakes, you've met the success criteria."
"But why do high-quality Pokéblocks look more transparent?" Lu Cheng asked.
"The higher the quality, the fewer impurities," An Tongxin explained as she examined his work. "That requires an even faster frequency."
At medium speed, the quality of Lu Cheng's Pokéblocks was actually quite decent. While the first batch, made with Lu Ning's help, hadn't turned out as well, Lu Cheng's solo batch was noticeably better. Still, Lu Cheng wasn't satisfied; his Pokémon were used to much higher quality blocks.
With a sigh, Lu Cheng reflected on his dynamic vision skill.
Dynamic Vision LV1: Enhances your visual reflexes, image capture, and perceptual abilities by a small degree.
Clearly, his precise timing was thanks to this skill. But at LV1, the limit seemed to be the blender's medium speed setting. If he could upgrade it, he was confident he'd be able to handle high speed with ease. But how?
Ding—The Host can level up skills through consistent practice.
Lu Cheng blinked in surprise. He also had a karate skill that essentially turned his abilities into system data. This dynamic vision, then, must be an enhancement to his visual abilities. Training it would be the key to leveling it up.
Looking at the blender before him, Lu Cheng made up his mind. I need to save up and buy one of these! With a personal blender, he could not only make his own Pokéblocks but also improve his skills. Two birds with one stone!
"Oh, by the way," An Tongxin interrupted his thoughts, "if you're interested in making Pokéblocks, you might want to consider taking the Breeder or Nutritionist certification exams."
"If you get certified, you'll be able to buy berries at a discount."
"Not to mention, you could waive a few elective courses in college, and you'd receive a monthly stipend from the association."
An Tongxin smiled. "Plus, learning more about this would really benefit your Pokémon's development!"
"Thank you, I'll seriously consider it!" Lu Cheng replied gratefully. They exchanged contact information while Lu Ning stood to the side, idly toying with the tassels on her dress, seemingly lost in thought.
After saying goodbye to An Tongxin, Lu Cheng turned to see Lu Ning still beside him. "You haven't left yet?"
"Are you trying to get rid of me?" she replied, eyes wide.
"No, it's just… it's getting dark."
They'd spent the whole afternoon at the Milotic Pavilion, and the setting sun was now casting an orange glow across the glass walls, spreading over the marble tiles below. In the center of the hall, the Milotic statue shimmered in the evening light.
"I didn't expect the ribbon competition to wrap up in just one day," Lu Ning sighed. "The last time I came, it took them two or three days to get through it all."
"So, where are you headed next?" Lu Cheng asked absentmindedly, glancing at his phone where he'd listed the plans for his trip to Shanghai. He'd already crossed off the Milotic Pavilion, but still had the Oriental Battle Tower, the Tiansheng Gym, and… a Cat Café and Maid Café…
Lu Cheng sighed, feeling like something didn't quite fit with the rest.
"No idea." Lu Ning gave a soft sigh and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, smiling a little sheepishly. "You're not inviting me for dinner, so I guess I'll just head home."
Hah, women! Lu Cheng shot her a withering glance. Just say you want a free meal. Why put on this whole act?
"Fine, I'm off then—I have to catch the metro." He waved to her and strode out of the pavilion, leaving her behind.
Did it not work? Lu Ning bit her lip. This remarkable trainer even has a gift for making Pokéblocks. Wanting to make a good impression on him, she'd used her most reliable tactic. That little smile had helped her get whatever she wanted, practically her whole life. But this time, it hadn't worked.
Lu Ning stood still as the sunset cast a long shadow along the corridor. Her face was half in shadow, half bathed in the golden glow. Her slender nose stood out as a dividing line, her swan-like neck arched just slightly. Slowly, she let a soft smile creep over her lips.
"Things… just got a lot more interesting."
---
"Why are you here?" Lu Cheng asked, surprised.
"I'm heading home," Lu Ning replied.
"Then why are we on the same route?"
"My place is just around the corner from the Oriental Battle Tower!"
Seeing Lu Cheng's darkening expression, Lu Ning couldn't help but laugh. "I'm serious! My place is barely five hundred meters from the tower!"
Lu Cheng rubbed his forehead, Of all the things, why is it always the rich ones…? With all that money, couldn't she just take a private car? Wait—could she actually be planning—
He glanced at her suspiciously, but Lu Ning only blinked at him innocently, slipping her headphones over her ears.
I have to lose her somehow.
At People's Square Station, Lu Cheng knew he could transfer to Line 2. While Lu Ning was absorbed in her music, he quietly slipped off the train.
Hah! Let's see her keep up with me now—
He turned around, only to find Lu Ning right behind him, hands clasped behind her back.
"Something wrong?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion. "I saw you heading for Line 2, so I just followed. After all, it can also get me home."
She flashed a small smile, revealing two cute dimples.
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
If you wish to support me here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]