ALL NOVEL Chapter 36 – Gyarados Departed
Kanraku and the others surrounded Floyd, watching him operate the Berry Blender. Although this machine looked simple with only 4 buttons, they obviously couldn't understand why he was pressing them in that particular sequence – it was truly confusing.
Floyd, on the other hand, was already using 70% into the simulation because what he was creating was an Intermediate-H pokeblock.
After pressing a complex series of buttons, ones that seemingly only he and the simulation could understand, he successfully neutralized the bitter taste with the sweet one, causing both flavors to disappear.
What remained were the Spicy and Sour flavors, prompting him to immediately add Nomel which has a slight flavor of both Spicy and Sour.
This pokeblock combination was for Water, Normal, and Dragon types. The reason there was no flying type included was because he was working on an intermediate pokeblock, which only allowed the use of three berries.
Given his current novice breeder level, Floyd felt he wasn't equipped to handle a more intricate blend of four berries, a feat reserved for the Advanced Stages. This advanced stage would require him to multiply the price by three and increase the simulation percentage by five times, something he couldn't afford at the moment.
Another stipulation when using the simulation was that the pokeblock being crafted should contain at least one Dragon-Type berry; otherwise, the simulation wouldn't activate. With the berries Floyd currently had, he possessed only Grepa and Lum of the Flying type.
Adding Grepa might have been an option, but its flavor was slightly subdued. He was reluctant to use the Lum Berry for pokeblocks because, even though it nearly encompassed all flavors, it was somewhat underwhelming. He preferred using Lum Berry to make powder due to its healing effects, and in his view, it would be a waste to use it for pokeblocks, even though he occasionally did sometimes.
That's why, given his current resources and situation, these three types of berries seemed the most appropriate for crafting pokeblocks. The main reason he could craft a normal pokeblock for Pokémon not related to dragons was because he made them on his own, without the aid of the simulation.
Floyd had other motives too. He had his sights set on the Gyarados because this particular Gyarados was still quite young, maybe just more than a year old, and his level was in lower than his Axew.
Every Magikarp that evolves into a Gyarados is undoubtedly talented, even if they're somewhat hot-tempered.
Not every Magikarp has the potential to evolve, and Floyd's typical method of scanning their stats often revealed the same moves – Splash and Tackle. Was that indicative of talent? If one Magikarp only knew Splash, and another knew both Splash and Tackle, was the latter more gifted?
During his 8-month journey, Floyd had observed numerous Magikarps with these move sets, so how could he truly knew their talent? It was also impossible to judge them based on egg moves since Magikarps don't possess any.
Finding a truly talented Magikarp was akin to looking for a needle in a haystack. In many ways, it felt like a lottery – a gamble based on luck. Even finding a pseudo-legendary Pokémon might be easier due to the variety of moves and egg moves to judge their abilities, the same couldn't be said for Magikarp.
Floyd's current dilemma was that he knew he couldn't possibly defeat the Gyarados at the moment. Even his strongest Pokémon, Axew, which was a level higher than the Gyarados, wouldn't stand a chance.
How could a base-stage Pokémon compete with a fully evolved one? The disparity in power was simply too vast. However, if Axew were to evolve into Fraxure, the odds might change.
Floyd was well aware that Axew could have evolved already, and had it not been for his own insistence on delaying it, the evolution would have taken place long ago.
Some minutes later, Floyd produced two distinct sets of pokeblocks. They were primarily Blue and Gray with hints of Gold. This was the Intermediate-H Grade pokeblock suited for Gyarados. Crafting them nearly depleted all his points, leaving him with a mere 70.
(AN: For the sake of clarity in the system, I've modified certain terms. The term "Intermediate Pokeblock" and others like it have been changed to "Customized First Stage Breeding Method" for 1,000 Points, "Customized Second Stage Breeding Method" for 2,000 Points, and "Customized Fully Evolved Breeding Method" for 4,000 Points. Each category encompasses massaging techniques, training methods, and pokeblock recipes specific to the given Pokémon.)
After taking out the pokeblock, Floyd threw one to Gyarados. "Here, try it."
Gyarados immediately caught one with his mouth, then…
ROAR~ (DELICIOUS! OH MY GOODNESS! IT'S DELICIOUS! IT'S EVEN MORE DELICIOUS THAN THE PREVIOUS ONE!)
Gyarados couldn't help but shout with a loud roar. Even some Pokémon observing them were frightened. Kanraku, Floyd, and Blastoise covered their ears in response.
Bianca, Ivan, Suzuki, and Jonathan, who had been sleeping, were startled awake.
"W-what happened? Where am I?" Jonathan murmured, barely opening his eyes.
"That explosion! Where's the professor?" Suzuki wondered aloud.
"Wartortle," murmured a voice nearby. Suzuki then found herself embraced by her Wartortle.
"Did we survive?" She recalled the loud explosion earlier and wondered about their fate.
Bianca and Ivan, now awake, were greeted by Swablu's "Tweet Tweet" sound and Spinarak, who hesitated a bit before approaching Ivan.
"So, we survived?" Ivan asked.
"Where's the professor?" Everyone inquired.
Earlier, as Gyarados had made the loud noise, Horsea, feeling irritated, used her tail to kick Gyarados.
Horsea~ (You're so noisy!)
ROAR~ (But it's delicious!)
Floyd removed his hands from his ears and smiled helplessly. He hadn't anticipated such a reaction from Gyarados. And, naturally, the pokeblock tasted excellent because it was specifically crafted for Gyarados.
With the new method Floyd had acquired, he had gained insight into Gyarados – understanding their behaviors, preferences, and tastes. Based on Gyarados's eating habits, Floyd deduced that this particular one favored Spicy and Sour flavors, which is why he had customized the pokeblock for him.
Observing this, Blastoise grew curious. He sampled one of the pokeblocks and immediately spat it out, disliking the taste. Confused, he looked between Gyarados and Floyd. Seeing his reaction, Floyd explained, "This pokeblock was customized specifically for Gyarados's palate. When we return, I'll make a customized one just for you."
Blastoise's eyes lit up, and he nodded in understanding.
Floyd then presented another set of pokeblocks to Gyarados.
ROAR~ (Is this for me?)
"It's for your father," Floyd replied with a smile.
ROAR~ (Father? Are you trying to bribe my father?)
"It's not about me bribing him," Floyd explained. "Since you can't bring your sister, at least give this to your father to appease him."
ROAR~ (You're using me to trick my father?)
Gyarados grew irritated and sent a threatening look Floyd's way but hesitated to attack due to the presence of the formidable Blastoise.
"It's not a trick," Floyd continued. "Consider it a peace offering. When you return without your sister, this will help lessen any potential punishment."
ROAR~ (You might have a point.)
"Once you're back, I'll prepare even more of these for you," Floyd promised, throwing another pokeblock towards Gyarados.
ROAR~ (At least you offer these.)
Gyarados caught the pokeblock but didn't eat it right away since he was already full. The Intermediate pokeblock he had eaten earlier had been filling enough.
Seeing that Gyarados seemed appeased, Floyd handed over another pokeblock intended for Gyarados's father. This one contained similar berries, but Floyd balanced them differently. He didn't know the older Gyarados's preferences, so he erred on the side of caution.
Though it lacked a dry flavor, Pokémon often enjoy multiple flavors. This pokeblock was crafted as a backup. Despite having slightly less energy than the previous pokeblock, it was still substantial and was another Intermediate Pokeblock.
Gyarados caught it and gave them a final look, his gaze lingering on his mischievous sister, Horsea.
Horsea~ (Goodbye, Big Fish.)
Though Horsea often teased him, she felt a pang of sadness. After all, it was her elder brother who had always looked after her.
ROAR~
With that, Gyarados departed away from the ship.