-117- Reddish Brown Energy Cube (3/3) (Please Subscribe!)

“Electric Shock Monster, try using the heavy gravity pack and then perform a tile-splitting strike,” Toji said as he began training the Electric Shock Monster’s strength in the courtyard.

“Beep beep!”

The Electric Shock Monster raised its arm with great force and swung it down like a blade.

As expected, with the added weight of the gravity pack, the power behind the Electric Shock Monster’s attack increased.

However, its speed noticeably decreased.

The gravity pack affected the Electric Shock Monster’s speed but increased its overall weight.

And that weight, in turn, enhanced the force behind its downward strike.

It was a sort of complementary effect.

The drawback, however, was that the Electric Shock Monster seemed unable to handle this added weight skillfully.

In everyday life, the Electric Shock Monster could easily carry a sixteen-kilogram load.

But once it entered battle and fought under such a burden, its movements were hindered.

With its speed slowed, its evasion rate dropped, and many skills became less accurate.

This was certainly not good news for the Electric Shock Monster.

Toji rested his chin on his hand, deep in thought.

How could he increase the Electric Shock Monster’s speed while it was bearing the extra weight?

If Peng Jie’s Stir-Fry Pig could manage such a feat, Toji believed the Electric Shock Monster could as well.

Before him, three creatures were undergoing different specialized training.

The Electric Shock Monster was practicing weighted training; Eevee was refining the flair of its skills; and Shellder had set aside its shell to work on weightlifting.

The two-kilogram gravity pack the store had given was perfect for Shellder’s hand muscle training.

At first, Toji thought it might be difficult for Shellder to lift the pack.

But to his surprise, not only could Shellder lift the pack single-handedly, it did so with ease.

Clearly, Shellder’s hand strength was no weak point.

That raised a question: why did Shellder’s attacks lack power?

It was a matter worth pondering.

Opening the system’s marketplace, Toji suddenly had a new idea.

The last time the system gifted him the powder-blue energy cube, it had multiple effects: increasing health points, restoring health and stamina, alleviating poison symptoms, and satisfying hunger.

As for other potential effects, Toji had yet to discover them.

What about the other energy cubes of different colors?

What effects might those have?

Each recipe for a differently colored energy cube required one million points to exchange.

Currently, Toji had one million four hundred thirty thousand points left, so he decided to spend one million points to unlock the recipe for a new blended-color energy cube.

Perhaps there would be new discoveries.

“System, exchange for the recipe to make the reddish-brown energy cube,” Toji commanded.

[Beep-boop]

[Exchanging recipe for reddish-brown energy cube: cost one million points]

[Exchange successful]

The system’s voice faded as Toji saw his points balance drop to four hundred thirty thousand.

In his inventory, the recipe for the reddish-brown energy cube now appeared as a new item.

Toji opened the recipe and examined it carefully.

He had always complained about the powder-blue energy cube requiring seventeen different types of tree fruits.

Now he realized that was only the beginning.

The reddish-brown energy cube required as many as twenty different types of tree fruits.

Not only that, one of them was the exceedingly rare Rosewood Fruit.

Toji frowned deeply.

Ordinary markets—whether department stores or fruit stalls—did not sell Rosewood Fruit.

To obtain it, one had to go to the Pokémon Association’s exchange house and trade for it.

When Toji had browsed there before, he’d seen the Rosewood Fruit’s value was about 1.3 million points in vouchers.

Exchanging it through the system cost 100,000 points.

And that was for just one fruit!

One Rosewood Fruit was worth 100,000 points or 1.3 million vouchers.

That spoke volumes about its rarity.

“Why do I feel like I just spent a million points for nothing?” Toji muttered in frustration.

He now had the recipe for the reddish-brown energy cube but lacked the raw materials.

If he wanted to get Rosewood Fruit from the system, it would cost another 100,000 points!

Toji winced at the thought.

After hesitating, he decided to exchange for a Rosewood Fruit anyway.

Otherwise, that one million points would truly have gone to waste.

Since he had already spent a million points, what was another hundred thousand?

“System! Exchange a Rosewood Fruit!” he said through gritted teeth.

[Beep-boop]

[Exchanging Rosewood Fruit, deducting 100,000 points, exchange successful]

As the system’s voice faded, a single red Rosewood Fruit dropped into Toji’s hand.

It looked almost identical to an ordinary strawberry.

The only difference was that the Rosewood Fruit was slightly larger.

“100,000 points for this thing?” Toji’s hand trembled as he held it.

Glancing around the courtyard to confirm that no greedy squirrels were nearby, Toji carefully hid the Rosewood Fruit away.

He was afraid some notorious creature with a history of thieving might sneak a bite.

After handling these matters, Toji hailed a quick cart.

Just returning from the department store, he now headed to the fresh tree fruit market next door.

Though the department store also sold tree fruits, Toji’s experience buying from both places showed that the fresh tree fruit market was cheaper.

More importantly, the fruits there were freshly picked just that morning.

Fresh and affordable.

Having discovered this market, Toji saw no reason to overpay at the department store.

After some shopping, Toji spent a total of 200,000 Alliance Coins.

Besides purchasing the fruits needed to make the reddish-brown energy cube, he also bought a box of fruits for the powder-blue energy cube.

Of course, this did not include the precious Rosewood Fruit, which was nowhere to be found in the market.

Toji now understood why the system had gifted him the powder-blue energy cube and not the reddish-brown one before.

The system must have seen how poor he was back then—there was no way he could afford to make the reddish-brown energy cube even if given the recipe.

Thinking of this, Toji rolled his eyes.

Back at the JOJO Breeding House, Toji prepared to start making the reddish-brown energy cube.

He switched on the new tree fruit blending machine.

Following the steps displayed on the data panel, Toji added the fruits one by one.

At the same time, he called Shellder, the juicer, to assist.

The recipe clearly stated that having Shellder help press the juice would increase the success rate of making the energy cube.

Of course, not all twenty fruits needed juicing—only a select few.

Shellder began rubbing inside its shell, and Toji couldn’t help but feel this motion was a bit... suggestive.

“If I didn’t know you were juicing, I’d really think—”

Toji’s words trailed off as Shellder poked its head out, looking at him in confusion.

Seeing this, Toji stopped himself from continuing.

... (To be continued)