Chapter Forty-Nine: Energy Cubes (Liquor-Filled Chocolate Edition)

“This course on employment and entrepreneurship just makes my scalp tingle in dread.” If the Joy Academy didn't require roll call for every class, this is exactly the kind of course that makes you want to skip as soon as you see its name. Back in my previous life, the very existence of such classes seemed to serve no other purpose than to make students feel, “If I don’t skip this class, I’m really missing out.” “I’ll go this afternoon and see if there’s anything even remotely worth listening to.”

After picking up Dragonite from Lakeview Kindergarten, Zhu Suihan took a careful look at its neck and noticed that Dragonite’s glow had dimmed a little. You could say its complexion had dulled somewhat—a clear sign that its attribute energy was nearly depleted. “Didn’t I tell you to just have fun in there? Why did you start training on your own?” Zhu Suihan gave Dragonite a light tap on the head and quickly fished out an energy cube from the censer to replenish its nutrition. “At least you understand the importance of pacing yourself. If you ever wear yourself out and I have to put you back in your ball, I’ll lock it tight. Without my permission, don’t even think about coming out.” “Mmm!” I’m not that careless! Dragonite swallowed the energy cube and nudged Zhu Suihan with its head in a playful attempt to get away with it. “Alright, just make sure you take care of yourself, got it?” It was only training after all, and since Dragonite knew how to pace itself, there was no need to worry about it overexerting.

No! That’s not good enough. Starting to rebel? This is not right—my obsessive-compulsive tendencies are kicking in! If your health bar isn’t full, your mana isn’t topped off, and you’re not stocked up on supplies, how dare you leave the safe zone! Zhu Suihan took Dragonite to the cafeteria to solve the hunger issue, and after returning to the dorm, immediately crafted a large bottle, threaded a string through it, and hung it around Dragonite’s neck. “Put the straw in—this is your bubble tea from now on.” It was bubble tea in name only, filled entirely with Zhu Suihan’s homemade energy cubes. “It’s all yours. Whenever you feel hungry, just take a sip.” As for water, Zhu Suihan didn’t have a concrete idea yet, but energy cubes were easy enough to handle. After all, with Dragonite’s attributes, it was never short on water—what it lacked was nourishment. Even if it were something like berry juice or Moomoo Milk, storing those in a bottle would be tricky, and if Dragonite moved too much, it might spill everywhere. “Water and juice are out... Should I just make an ice cube instead?” Zhu Suihan scratched his head. “A highly concentrated, solidified fruit juice cube? That could work.” “Energy cubes, concentrated juice...” Liquor-filled chocolates? Zhu Suihan paused. That could be an idea! And maybe try brewing some berry wine for a taste? “If I want to make energy cubes with a liquor-chocolate core, the standard energy cube maker won’t suffice.” The process was a bit complex, and the machines provided by the academy probably couldn’t manage it. “Good thing I have my cheat.” The upgraded energy cube maker he’d built earlier finally had its use.

Zhu Suihan ran to the courtyard and took out the censer. “Dragonite, give me two rounds of Thunderbolt at maximum power. Don’t worry about breaking the machine.” As sparks danced, Zhu Suihan set up a table and chairs in the courtyard. In addition to ingredients for energy cubes, he also prepared some berries and cream, crushing them and mixing until smooth. “Use any ice move you like—cool it down to half-frozen.” “Mmm.” Dragonite unleashed an Icy Wind. Relying on his Galio-like tankiness, Zhu Suihan held the large bowl and took the brunt of the cold. Once it reached the right consistency, he moved the bowl away and signaled Dragonite to stop. Dragonite’s attributes really were convenient.

Starting a fire was easy enough with a lighter or blowtorch—fuel was readily available—but freezing things was a bit trickier. In his memory, freeze rays and petrification guns were mostly the tools of villains, except for that one Canadian woman who could make ice puppets. On second thought, at his age, he probably shouldn’t be calling her “big sister.” Why wasn’t I ten years old when I was resurrected? From a trainer’s perspective, even setting aside prodigies like Cuihua and Akagi who became champions as soon as they started out, ten years old was considered “adult” enough. That was the most outrageous thing of all.

“Maybe the ice is just too thick?” Zhu Suihan sorted all the ingredients on the table. “Dragonite, when you found me, didn’t you ever think of breaking the ice with some sort of move?” “Mmm.” Dragonite shook its head—no idea. Maybe Grandpa Liu and Professor Oak had tried something in private, but at least in Dragonite’s memory, it had never seen it. Watching the child inside the ice block slowly grow up, Dragonite felt the anticipation of a farmer waiting for harvest. “Oh, I’ve always wondered—my clothes, do they just wrap around my child form, or do they grow with me?” Dragonite nodded confidently. “Mmm.” The latter—they grow with you, Trainer! That’s part of the fun and change of nurturing, after all! “Nurturing... I’m not your cyber-pet, let’s drop this subject.” Zhu Suihan glanced at his own clothes, surprised to realize they were made of the same material as “Ash’s clothes” or the “hot-blooded shonen hero’s pants.” You obtained the rare item: [Hulk’s Shorts]. Effect summary: [They may often be tattered, but they’ll always be your most reliable partner in keeping your modesty intact.] In a way, that’s practically a legendary item... isn’t it?

He started the censer. When it was nearly at the final step, Zhu Suihan added the prepared “filling,” adjusted the molding process so that the filling was at the center, and as the heat softened the frozen core, successfully crafted a liquor chocolate version of the energy cube. “Not bad—not too hard.” Zhu Suihan closed his eyes for a moment, slightly dazzled from staring at the spinning machine for so long. He didn’t know the exact techniques or timing—he just relied on his eyes and instincts. Maybe a bit of luck, too. “There’s more finished product than with regular energy cubes.” Zhu Suihan had by now learned to ignore the shapes and simply treat everything he made as energy cubes. It made sense—if you needed to make space for cream and berry jam inside, you’d use less of the usual ingredients, so the total output would increase. In short, more materials meant more final product. “Here, try one.” Dragonite had just swallowed its previous cube and immediately put on a look of deep appreciation, then suddenly lunged at the tray of new cubes. Dragonite used Head Smash! Mine—all mine!

“Did you really think I didn’t notice what you were up to?” Zhu Suihan sidestepped, and Dragonite could only rest its chin on Zhu Suihan’s shoulder, whining softly. “These are for you to top up your energy while you’re in the lake, and we just had lunch not long ago.” Zhu Suihan refused coldly, but after putting the tray aside, gently stroked Dragonite’s head. “Think about it—these are your afternoon snacks. If you’re not hungry now, you won’t appreciate the best flavor. If you eat too many at lunch, you might regret it later when you finish training and aren’t fully satisfied.”

As everyone knows, a sense of ritual in life is never anything particularly mysterious. It’s like those old-timers watching matches and gaming at the internet café—everything set just right, snacks and drinks at hand, maybe even cigarettes and a lighter within easy reach. Leisure mode: activated! “Mmm!” Dragonite argued energetically, but in the end, it was just sophistry. What does it matter, as long as everything ends up in my belly anyway! “Alright, you win.” Zhu Suihan packed up the liquor chocolate energy cubes. “As the future boss, you have to hold yourself to a high standard.” This is the role you wanted for yourself, Dragonite. “Mmm!” Boss? I never said that! Let some other Pokémon handle those important tasks—I just want to eat my fill! “No one’s fighting you for them, don’t worry. Even if you finish them, I’ll just make more.” Dragonite shot a suspicious look at Zhu Suihan, then shifted a few steps away from its bubble tea bottle. You never know... Zhu Suihan: ?

Nap time over, Dragonite went back to the lake to outcompete the other Pokémon, and Zhu Suihan headed to class. The first period was warehouse management, which was actually quite simple. Every Pokémon Center has a warehouse, storing everything from food to medical supplies. To be a qualified Joy, you have to remember all the supply chains by heart, and when reserves drop to the supply line threshold, you must contact the League for replenishment. There’s also the red line—the absolute minimum stock that must never be breached. Besides that, regular updates of inventory details online are required, so the League can manage and allocate resources efficiently.

After all, the number of each Pokémon species differs from place to place, and so do their supply needs. If a local Pokémon Center is missing a certain medication and a trainer arrives needing it, the network steps in. Based on warehouse data, resources are transferred from the nearest center or the League itself. It’s an extreme situation, not common, but if it happens, there’s no other way. Zhu Suihan scribbled notes, quickly grasping the core of warehouse management. Memorizing supply and red line figures is mandatory, as is the internal data management system. Most likely, the class would end with a practical assessment, getting students used to the routines from their first year. That way, by graduation, they’d be so experienced that the actual work wouldn’t feel unfamiliar at all.

“This class is easy.” Managing supplies is nothing like managing people or Pokémon. Compared to Zhu Suihan’s habit of absorbing mountains of data every night before bed, the amount of information and procedures to memorize was laughably little. Should I skip the last class after all? Maybe now’s the time to ask the dean when I’ll be allowed to use my own research lab. With a full set of equipment, my research on reusable potions can finally get underway, and if things go smoothly, I might finish it in no time. Then it’ll be Rune Terra descending on the world of Pokémon. Solve the storage time issue, and I could even have the gravely injured soaking in life water...