Chapter 4: Energy Blocks

Haru Takashi quickly locked onto a recipe.

The recipe was for a mid-level energy block known as the Yellowfruit Energy Block. Its purpose was simple: to replenish missing elements in a creature's body, helping them quickly adjust and recover their innate abilities as much as possible.

After reviewing the ingredients, Haru found that they were fairly common, consisting of berries and herbs that were abundant on this resource-rich trial island. The process for making the energy block was also straightforward, requiring no complex operations or specialized tools—perfect for Haru and his Murkrow.

To create the energy block, Haru used wood to craft a simple, albeit crude, set of tools.

In summary, it was basic and rather ugly.

"Our next task is to gather these materials. As for training, that will have to wait a bit," Haru thought to himself. The priority now was to help Murkrow recover its strength. Training and battles could come later—Haru didn't want to waste Murkrow's potential. However, he believed that even without training for a while, they would quickly catch up.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Haru and Murkrow roamed the outskirts of the forest, searching for berries and herbs. Though it took slightly longer than Haru had planned, it wasn't too late.

Holding the freshly made Yellowfruit Energy Block in his hand, Haru felt a cool sensation in his palm. As sunlight filtered through the trees, he could see small pieces inside the block, resembling fruit pulp. The pale yellow exterior was smooth and emitted a faint, pleasant aroma.

For Haru, making the energy block posed no difficulty, and the process had gone smoothly. The finished product matched his expectations. This recipe was something he had accidentally obtained in his previous life, and though he had never used it before, he hoped it would be effective.

With a flick of his finger, Haru tossed the energy block into the air. Murkrow, who had been eyeing the block eagerly, shot off his shoulder like a bolt of lightning, catching it in its beak. The enticing aroma had been teasing Murkrow's appetite the entire time, and it couldn't hold back any longer.

Haru smiled approvingly at Murkrow, who, after getting the go-ahead, quickly swallowed the block.

"Krow!!" The moment Murkrow tasted the energy block, it let out a satisfied cry, its eyes closing in delight.

Murkrow's expression said it all—the energy block tasted great.

"It seems the flavor is good," Haru chuckled. "The Yellowfruit Energy Block can only be eaten up to ten times a day. After that, it loses its effect. The recipe states that after eating it for seven days straight, it should fully restore the creature's body." Haru glanced at the nearly 100 energy blocks in his pouch. He kept nine for immediate use and carefully wrapped the rest in cloth, hanging them at his waist.

One by one, Haru tossed the energy blocks, and each time, Murkrow swiftly caught and swallowed them. Although the effects wouldn't be immediately visible, Haru could monitor Murkrow's progress using his chip and noticed slight improvements, even down to the color of the "green" in Murkrow's status bar deepening a bit.

"To absorb the energy better, we need to start training, Murkrow. Are you ready to get stronger?" Haru asked, throwing the last energy block.

"Krow!!" Murkrow responded with a fierce and determined cry.

Haru had long been familiar with how to train and cultivate Murkrow. Its greatest strength was its speed. If Murkrow's incredible speed wasn't properly utilized, even Murkrow itself wouldn't forgive him. Not to mention that Murkrow had a hidden ability: Prankster.

Prankster allowed it to use status-altering moves first—an invaluable asset for gaining the upper hand in battle.

"Murkrow, use Tailwind." A gentle breeze formed around Murkrow. Tailwind was a status move that increased the speed of all allies.

Murkrow felt an overwhelming surge of energy flow through its body as the recently consumed energy block transformed into a warm current, filling its limbs with newfound strength.

Soon, the effect of Tailwind faded, and the breeze dissipated.

"Keep maintaining the Tailwind state around your body. Try to extend its duration," Haru instructed. Tailwind usually boosted the speed of all allies, but by focusing it around only Murkrow, it would reduce energy consumption and allow the move to last longer. If perfected, Murkrow could potentially sustain this speed boost permanently.

Though unsure of why Haru wanted this, Murkrow slowly gathered the surrounding airflow, concentrating on maintaining it for as long as possible.

"Krow..." After about a minute, the airflow around Murkrow finally dispersed, leaving it panting with exhaustion.

"Remember this state. Our goal is to keep Tailwind around you at all times. Now, let's do it again." When it came to training, Haru transformed into a strict instructor, his expression serious and emotionless.

"Again, Tailwind…"

"Again, Tailwind…"

"Again…"

"Again…"

Once training started, Haru became relentless, pushing Murkrow to its limits. Thanks to his chip, Haru knew exactly how far Murkrow could go without overtraining or risking injury, ensuring maximum results from their sessions.

Another three days passed. Haru and Murkrow trained tirelessly, and by the end, Murkrow had extended its Tailwind from one minute to ten minutes. It had also learned to use Tailwind on Haru's shoulder without affecting him, steadily working toward their ultimate goal.

Originally, Haru would have preferred to keep training in the forest until the final trial, but Team Rocket required everyone to report back to the base once a week. Failure to do so would result in losing points, and those with insufficient points would be eliminated—permanently.

The once-crowded plaza, which had originally held 300 participants, now had far fewer people. The survivors stood scattered around, their eyes filled with caution and hostility. At this point, everyone knew what failure in the trial meant—death. Every person here was an enemy.

Haru cast a glance at the small groups who had banded together, sneering slightly. Forming a team was one way to survive, but only in certain situations. When it came down to life and death, no one would care about others. These so-called alliances were just a way for the strong to use others for their own gain. In the final trial, strength alone would determine who had the right to command.

All the survivors had one thing in common: each was accompanied by a Pokémon. Most had Zubat, while a few had Ekans or Koffing. A handful, like Haru, had other Pokémon, with only three Murkrow in the entire group.

Compared to the ferocity of Ekans and the danger posed by Koffing, Zubat was relatively easy to tame. For the inexperienced youth taking part in this trial, taming a wild Pokémon was already impressive. Those with Ekans or Koffing were not to be underestimated. After a week in the jungle, the gap between the strong and the weak had become increasingly obvious.

The strong grew stronger, while the weak got weaker.

After three days of training, though they hadn't fought much, Murkrow's level had reached 10. Even so, Haru remained one of the more unremarkable participants. But thanks to the nourishment from the energy blocks, Haru's formerly pale face now had a hint of color.

He quietly moved to a corner of the plaza, crossed his arms, and leaned against a stone pillar, closing his eyes to rest.

(End of Chapter)