This Is Definitely Pokémon

The next morning, Gabriel eagerly got out of bed, ready to begin his plan to care for his Dratini.

Dratini was a timid Pokémon, shy by nature. In its infancy, it was quite weak and usually sought refuge at the bottom of waterfalls or deep pools.

But Dratini was also a miraculous Pokémon. It held immense life energy within its small body. This energy fueled its constant growth, which was so powerful it couldn't be suppressed. To accommodate this, Dratini shed its skin every day as it grew.

This stage was critical for Dratini's development. The energy stored during this time would determine how well it could grow, much like how a Caterpie prepares to evolve into a Metapod.

To ensure Dratini grew strong and healthy, Gabriel decided to provide it with extra energy.

After all, children need proper nourishment during their growth stages, and good parents should never skimp on their kids.

From what Gabriel remembered, the best way to supply Pokémon with energy was through Pokéblocks. However, making Pokéblocks required Berries—and where was he supposed to find those?

"Elle! Elle!"

"What is it now, young master?"

Elle, the family maid, sighed as she glanced at Gabriel. She was in the middle of cleaning and was surprised to see him up so early—normally, he wouldn't wake until after her chores were done.

"Do we have any Berries in the house?"

"Berries? I don't think so," Elle replied after a moment.

"What?! But I need them to make something delicious for Dratini!" Gabriel pouted, clearly expecting her to come up with a solution.

Elle tilted her head, deep in thought.

"There aren't any Berries in the house," she said after a pause, "but the trees in the garden are full of them. They're almost ripe. If you need them, you can go pick some."

"What? The trees in the garden grow Berries? I thought they were just some kind of ornamental fruit!" Gabriel was stunned.

But he didn't dwell on it for long. If there were Berries available, then everything would work out!

All he needed now was a Berry Blender to make the Pokéblocks.

The Berry Blender worked by crushing Berries, extracting their juice through high-speed spinning, and then condensing the juice into blocks. It sounded simple enough.

Since he didn't have an actual Berry Blender, Gabriel decided to improvise and see if his method would work.

He collected some Berries from the garden, chopped them up, and put them into a regular blender. After blending, he filtered the mixture through a cloth to remove impurities, poured the juice into molds, and let it solidify in the fridge.

After two to three hours, he retrieved his handmade Pokéblocks from the fridge.

How should he describe them? Well, they were cube-shaped, but beyond that… they didn't look great.

Looking at the murky blocks he'd made, Gabriel had a sinking feeling.

No matter—he'd made these Pokéblocks himself, and he was determined to let Dratini try them.

When Dratini emerged from its Poké Ball, its first sight was Gabriel holding the mysterious Pokéblocks.

"Dratini?" (What's that?)

Seeing Dratini's wide, curious eyes, Gabriel smiled and offered one of his creations.

"Here, Dratini. Try this Pokéblock I made for you."

Dratini hesitated, unsure if this strange food was safe. Still, Gabriel seemed sincere, so it cautiously took a small bite.

"Pfft! Pfft!" (This is inedible!)

"Wait, did I mess up?" Gabriel took a bite himself, only to be overwhelmed by a nauseating taste.

"Ugh! So gross! I really failed…"

He was confident in his method—was the filtering step the issue? Did he need a proper Berry Blender after all?

Dejected, Gabriel sighed as he stared at the failed Pokéblocks. Even basic black Pokéblocks would have been better than this disaster.

"What's going on here?"

Elle, now finished with her cleaning, approached with a curious expression. When she saw the Pokéblocks in Gabriel's hand, her eyes narrowed.

"Are these supposed to be Pokéblocks?"

She picked one up and inspected it closely.

"There are too many impurities, and the blending wasn't even. This Pokéblock is a complete failure."

"Wait—you know about Pokéblocks?" Gabriel asked, surprised.

Elle gave him a strange look, as though the question itself was odd.

"Of course I know about Pokéblocks. They're common knowledge."

Reaching under her skirt, Elle pulled out a small box. She opened it to reveal an assortment of gleaming, high-quality Pokéblocks.

The moment the box opened, Dratini's eyes turned into heart shapes, and it lunged toward the blocks.

A flash of white light appeared, and suddenly, Elle's Garchomp emerged, blocking Dratini's path with a single claw.

(Those are mine. Not for you!) Garchomp growled.

Dratini wriggled helplessly in Garchomp's grip, unable to get closer to the Pokéblocks.

"Let Dratini have one," Elle said with a sigh.

At her command, Garchomp reluctantly released Dratini, who eagerly devoured the Pokéblock Elle tossed its way.

(So delicious!)

Watching Dratini's delight, Garchomp turned to sniff at the failed Pokéblocks in Gabriel's hand. After a moment, it snorted disdainfully and turned away.

Too embarrassing!

Elle handed one of Gabriel's Pokéblocks back to him with a puzzled look.

"Why were you trying to make Pokéblocks in the first place?"

"I wanted to give Dratini something nutritious to help it grow," Chu Xin explained.

Elle nodded in understanding.

"That's thoughtful, but there's no need to make your own. Mr. Antonio—your father—owns the world's largest Pokéblock manufacturing company. Any kind of Pokéblock you need, you can just ask him for it."

Gabriel's jaw dropped. His father owned the largest Pokéblock company in the world?

If that was true, why was he wasting time making his own?

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