Chapter 161: Why Cook for the Masses When the Scale is Small!

As the winner of the tournament, the referee Blaziken handed the prize to Zhusui Han.

Since the format was a free-for-all battle royale, only the creature standing on the field at the very end could claim the reward.

The prize was a Liechi Berry. In the video games, its effect was "raises Attack by one stage when in a pinch," making it a rather precious berry said to contain the power of the vast ocean.

Translated into reality, its effect was to expand a Pokémon's mana pool limit and allow them to comprehend the combat energy circulation techniques of the "ocean" from within.

Whether that manifested as surging waves or hidden undercurrents depended entirely on the Pokémon's own fighting style.

As for the appearance of the berry, it looked somewhat like a mangosteen cake constantly oozing jam, specifically the kind where the outer shell hadn't been fully peeled off.

However, everyone present felt a bit skeptical this time, wondering whether this kind of berry would have any effect on humans.

Mewtwo took back its spoon, placed the Liechi Berry inside it, and examined it closely.

[Judging by this luster and the abundance of energy, the total nutritional content inside should be equivalent to about ten years of growth. Coupled with the intrinsic value of the berry itself, it counts as a standard precious item.]

"It seems the Victory Road is quite rich in natural resources. That's one more reason not to let newcomers in."

Who knew if a newbie might accidentally destroy something?

Blaziken looked at Zhusui Han, asking if he was a contestant participating in this year's Champion examination.

Essentially, it was asking whether this white-haired guy was here to seal-club in the Indigo Plateau, planning to challenge the Elite Four and the Champion immediately after winning.

If not for the fact that the League Conference had reformed its system long ago, Blaziken would have deeply doubted whether any opponent could even force it to use Pokémon in battle; it felt unlikely that the contestants could apply that kind of pressure.

"No, I'm a staff member, the kind specifically responsible for making sure everyone else has a comfortable battle."

Zhusui Han pulled out his uniform and waved it in front of Blaziken.

"See? I'm a Nurse Joy, a Nurse Joy from the Pokémon Center."

Blaziken: ?

The other Pokémon present: ?

Nurse Joy?!

Was this the pink-haired Nurse Joy they knew, the one with a gentle smile permanently plastered on her face, lending a helping hand to any Pokémon in need!

Several participating Pokémon rubbed their bodily injuries, the pain screaming like a reminder of just how brutally merciless someone with that same gentle smile could be.

Monster, I can tell you're no Nurse Joy at all!

Senior Blaziken is right here, show your true form this instant!

"With so many of you Pokémon around, how do you usually manage to gather together like this?"

With various powerhouses carving out their own territories, a tournament of this scale could already be considered a grand festival.

Under conditions without modern technology, it shouldn't be easy for them to congregate like this.

Blaziken pointed at the Seismitoad and Exploud sitting by the side of the arena; they served as the hype crew and specialized notification megaphones.

Fine, that was certainly very Pokémon.

Zhusui Han looked at Blaziken: "Do you guys provide meals after the tournament ends? If not, how about we cook and eat together?"

At home, he always precisely catered to the meal requests of his three little ones, and now he wanted to test his proficiency in mass cooking.

Consider it as preemptively steeling himself for a life with a growing number of companions.

[Actually, you could just say thank you for gifting you this precious berry.]

"Whose side are you on!"

Mewtwo took a step back, keeping pace with the two older sisters, its expression solemn.

We stand on the side of reason and justice! x3

Zhusui Han: ...

Fine, fine. Entering a synchronized mental link to open a party voice chat while deliberately leaving him out of it.

It was just like going to an internet café with friends where they team up while you play solo queue.

It seemed this household was no longer tenable.

Blaziken looked puzzled: "Blaze-mo?"

Even with your human spatial backpacks, satisfying so many appetites is no easy task.

"You have an understanding of technology, but not enough of it."

Zhusui Han said, "Don't worry, today the only option for you is failing to finish the food; the phrase 'insufficient ingredients' absolutely does not exist."

Blaziken first nodded in polite gratitude, then proudly raised its head as the competitive spirit of a Fighting-type ignited.

"Blaze-mo."

An interesting challenge, I'll accept it on everyone's behalf!

For fighters constantly pushing their physical limits and climbing the peaks of martial arts, their appetites when letting loose would definitely not be small.

Unable to finish?

Impossible, absolutely impossible!

Zhusui Han gave a thumbs up: "Splendid, I love Pokémon with a strong competitive streak like you."

"Come on, let's put on a show for these Pokémon."

Blaziken hopped backward to exit the combat circle while waving to signal the other Pokémon not to get close.

After hearing the explanation, all the Pokémon obediently stepped back a pace, embodying absolute honesty.

Free food?

And such a wonderful thing existed?

Did this mean they could head over early tonight to grab good spots for the dance show hosted by Milotic and Lopunny?

Lapras unleashed an Ice Beam to freeze out a long icy platform, upon which clusters of dough rapidly fermenting under psychic power were piled up.

A melodious hum rose, and the power of a Whirlpool swept over the massive mound of dough. With Lapras and Mewtwo working in tandem, not a single excess droplet of water fell into the dough; instead, the kinetic force within the technique made the dough's gluten even richer and more resilient.

Mewtwo crossed its arms, wielding two blade-like psychic energy cutlasses. A momentary blue flash sliced the giant mound of dough evenly into top and bottom halves.

"Milo~!"

Cream Machine Gun!

Blasts of cream fired out, quickly coating both sides of the dough in rich cream. Alcremie materialized two giant baseball bats, darting back and forth to smooth out the cream across the dough sheets.

Zhusui Han moved his hands at blinding speed on the ice platform, rapidly transforming all sorts of ingredients into fine shreds and small chunks, which then flew into the dough sheets under the manipulation of psychic energy.

The muscle-bound bruisers who had just fought with Zhusui Han swallowed hard.

Not out of greed, but because they had just realized something terrifying: the weapon the opponent was familiar with was definitely not a spoon, but a kitchen knife.

Judging by this speed and precision, it reminded them of a very powerful Bisharp, one that could precisely slice falling boulders into tiny, perfect square tofu cubes even when heavy stones were hurled at it.

Rumor had it that Bisharp also held a part-time job over at the Indigo Plateau as a good partner to mining workers.

It was fortunate that the human before them still retained a shred of human decency and hadn't fought them while wielding a blade.

"Mewtwo."

[Understood.]

Mewtwo extended its right hand, and a powerful wave of psychic light enveloped the massive dough, precisely shaping it into plump, round steamed buns topped with delicate pleats.

Mewtwo and Lapras exchanged glances. Entering their synchronized mental state, they launched their attack: the water waves gathered by Lapras's Water Pulse were precisely locked in place by telekinesis, transforming in mid-air into a gigantic psychic steamer.

Watching the buns fly one by one into the steamer, Zhusui Han beckoned to Blaziken nearby.

"Send a few who know Flamethrower over to help."

Blaziken gave a light cry: "Blaze-mo!"

Everyone, it's time to show the results of our training!

The guests have shown their strength and skill, we cannot afford to lose either!

Echoing roars rang out as streams of Flamethrower shot toward the very bottom of the steamer.

Water waves churned, and waves of heat blended with rich aromas swept continuously over the area. The Pokémon present couldn't help but wipe the corners of their mouths simultaneously.

Dislike sweet food?

No, no, that only proves your culinary skills are subpar!

I love sweet food!

[It seems my psychic power is indeed unsuited for combat.]

Mewtwo effortlessly controlled the psychic steamer floating in the air: [If the one who holds a grudge against you were to witness this scene, her hatred meter toward you would probably deepen even further.]

"No worries. When the time comes, I'll just casually remark that your psychic power isn't capable of this, leaving her boiling with impotent rage."

Zhusui Han's brow twitched. The three little ones looked in the same direction and spotted a weathered construction worker approaching them, using two massive concrete pillars as crutches.

Conkeldurr.

[It seems this is the boss of this surrounding area.]

Conkeldurr waved at the nearby Pokémon, a benevolent smile unique to the elderly hanging on its face.

It had been drawn over by the aroma, initially thinking some people from the League were having a picnic here and worrying about the safety of its territory.

Upon seeing Alcremie, Conkeldurr nodded in gratified approval; seeing energetic youth always evoked pleasant hopes for the future.

When its gaze shifted to Lapras, Conkeldurr turned slightly solemn, sensing that it would suffer a heavy loss if it lowered its guard.

And when it saw Mewtwo, along with the colossal psychic steamer hovering above Mewtwo's head, Conkeldurr's gaze froze.

Holy crap, a heavyweight boss!

"Bu-shin."

Conkeldurr raised its two concrete crutches and clinked them together, using the echoing thud to express respect.

[Have a seat, it'll be ready in a moment.]

Conkeldurr nodded in agreement, equally curious whether the human ahead was here to seal-club in the tournament.

Then again, if his strength was truly that formidable, the League had examination pathways that led directly to Victory Road.

After all, if you threw someone into this place, someone lacking in real strength would undoubtedly fail to complete the examination process.

The heat and aroma grew thicker. Zhusui Han glanced at the remaining moisture at the bottom of the steamer and took out his phone to start counting down.

"Mewtwo, distribute them evenly starting from the top layer. The timing will be just right."

Mewtwo waved its hand, and the steamed buns rained down gently, landing precisely in the paws of every single Pokémon.

A massive Emboar scratched its head, looking with intense curiosity at the "tiny" bun resting in its palm.

Could something this small fill you up?

However, the aroma was simply too enticing. Without playing out any classic ginseng fruit drama, Emboar took a small bite, and the warm, comforting fragrance of the dough instantly flooded its mouth.

The heartiness and warmth of the dough, intertwined with the sweet and lively flavor of the filling, relaxed Emboar's entire body, bringing a blissful smile to its honest face.

The other Pokémon reacted similarly. Even Pangoro, who usually wore the fierce expression of a crime boss, softened noticeably around the eyes.

Coupled with its massive frame, it gave off a comical vibe of a neighborhood bully trying to act cute—quite amusing.

Conkeldurr looked on in surprise. In the eyes of an old martial artist like it, the aura of a fighter belonging to every Pokémon that had eaten a bun instantly turned peaceful.

To put it simply, their state of mind had been tremendously strengthened, leading to a leap in their future mastery of power.

"Bu-shin."

Having consumed a bun, Conkeldurr closed its eyes as a wave of bliss washed over it, injecting fresh vitality even into its gradually stiffening and aging body.

The power of happiness, huh? It seemed that little creature brimming with Fairy energy was not to be underestimated either.

(End of chapter)