35. PokéBlock Kit

For more chapters of my new novel Pokémon: Starting With An Overpowered Gameboy Advance check my Patreon( Also there in web novel)(For my other novel Pokemon : A different Ash also Patreon)

Join my Patreon for 60 more chapters and earlier updates for all members( For free members too):

patreon.com/Tempest_29

After staying in his hometown for a week, Chris returned to Redwood City. The issue of the Shiny Onix would be put aside for now, as he was scheduled to participate in military training in a few days.

In his apartment, most of the packing was nearly done. Aside from the clothes and documents needed for school, everything else would either be discarded or sent home. When it was time to leave for school, all he'd have to do was grab his bags and go.

Leaning on the sofa, with a notebook in front of him and a handheld console in his hand, Chris continued progressing through the plot of his game while watching a TV series. As the story advanced, the Pokémon encountered grew stronger, and leveling up became faster.

Starting from Dewford Gym, Chris boarded Old Hatch's boat again, heading towards the next city, Slateport City. His task from President Stone wasn't just to deliver a letter to Steven; he also had something to deliver to Slateport City.

He crossed Water Routes 107, 108, and 109 along the way. Upon reaching Water Route 109, he arrived at the beach in Slateport City.

"I forgot which version lets you meet Lugia on Route 109," Chris muttered to himself.

Back then, he played the Emerald version on a handheld console. But over the years, playing it on mobile phones and computers with GBA emulators had mixed his memories of the original version with various revisions.

Landing on the beach in Slateport City, Chris thanked the old man for his help and set foot on the sandy shore.

As per his usual routine, he first battled the available Trainers and then looted the items scattered around the city. But just the Trainers on the beach alone took him all night to defeat. The rivals were intense.

There were at least a dozen Trainers on the beach, like Bikini-clad Big Sister Katie, Inner Tube Girl Stephanie, Inner Tube Boy Rico, and Sailor Katsuya.

When a bikini-wearing Trainer asks, "If you beat me, I'll be your girlfriend," would you refuse?

Would you even hesitate?

He sent out his Kirlia and defeated her. (funny)

After the battle, he gave her a cold glance, leaving her with the parting words, "Woman, you'll only slow down my progress!" (Dog Head Meme.JPG)

Later that night, after all the battles, he felt somewhat drained. It was past 10 p.m. by the time he slept.

Near the city entrance, there was a hut selling cold drinks and Surfboards, with even more Trainers inside. Once Chris entered, they challenged him one by one until his entire team was exhausted, and he finally defeated the hut's boss.

The boss, pleased with Chris's victory, rewarded him with six bottles of Soda Pop.

Staring at the bottles on the table, Chris fell silent.

"I fought so hard, and this is what I get?"

He picked up a bottle of Soda Pop, examined it for a moment, and opened it.

"Emmm, tastes like cola mixed with an energy drink," Chris thought. "It's actually pretty good."

In addition, it seemed the nutrients Chris had been missing were finally replenished.

In the game, Soda Pop's healing effect was comparable to that of a Super Potion. If such an effect existed in reality, Chris wondered if, by analyzing the ingredients of these six bottles of Soda Pop, it could be mass-produced. 

He searched for similar sodas in real life, hoping to find something akin to Soda Pop's restorative powers. 

The results? While he found plenty of ordinary sodas, none had the healing properties of a Super Potion.

"Let's leave it alone for now," Chris thought, but he considered starting a beverage company in the future, using his savings to focus on making a real-life version of Soda Pop.

There were also some valuable finds on the beach, the most notable being a gift from Stephanie, who was sunbathing nearby. She gave Chris a piece of "Soft Sand," an item that boosts Ground-type moves by 17%. It wasn't quite the 20% standard, but this item could be sold for 80,000 pokédollars in the real world.

Eighty thousand for something given freely to a passing protagonist...

After finishing up on Slateport City's beach, Chris entered the city itself, which was bustling with life. As the central harbor of the Hoenn region, it was far more prosperous than Rustboro City and Petalburg City. Many unique buildings were scattered around, such as the Pokémon Fan Club, the Battle Tent, and the Contest Hall.

Among them, the Battle Tent and Contest Hall had special functions. In the Battle Tent, Chris had to use three randomly provided Pokémon at level 30 to battle other Rivals. If he defeated three Rivals in a row, he'd receive a reward. Since the Pokémon were provided at random, success depended on both his commanding skills and luck.

After playing more than 20 battles in a row, Chris felt exhausted and decided to return another day.

As he passed the Oceanic Museum, he noticed a group of Team Aqua members loitering outside. Deciding to save the plot for later, he headed towards the Contest Hall instead.

While Chris wasn't particularly interested in contests, he knew they were popular, especially among female NPCs. The Contest Hall cutscene wasn't particularly exciting for him, but he did get a few surprises from the NPCs inside.

At the Battle Tent, he received a TM for the move "Torment," a Dark-type move that prevents opponents from using the same move consecutively. Since he didn't currently have a Dark-type Pokémon and wasn't sure of its tactical value yet, he simply stashed it in his bag.

The real surprise, though, came at the Contest Hall, where a young girl handed him a set of Pokéblock Kits. These included a Pokéblock Case and a Berry Blender.

This piqued Chris's curiosity because, in his experience, Pokéblocks didn't exist in the real world! 

His first thought upon receiving the Pokéblock Kit was to study its structure and mass-produce Pokémon blocks. It seemed like a business opportunity that could never fail.

Pokéblocks perfectly blended the nutrients from berries and were incredibly easy to carry, making them a convenient option for feeding Pokémon—far simpler than the labor-intensive method of preparing individual meals at a breeding house. Even in the wild, Pokémon could enjoy the benefits of a refined diet.

However, Chris quickly suppressed the idea. 

"I don't have the resources or strength to protect such a big business right now," he thought. "For now, I'll just use it myself."