-078- Crafting Energy Cubes (1/3)

Moreover, this set of tactics can also be used in conjunction with Substitute Poison. When the opponent uses contact-type moves, the Pointed Helmet is employed to deal counter-damage. If the opponent opts for special moves, Substitute Poison is used to nauseate them. As long as these two strategies are executed proficiently, Potpot's ability to harvest experience points is unmatched.

"System! Exchange for Power Split, Iron Defense, and Rest!"

Tong Si, determined to see things through, went ahead and exchanged for all three skills, spending a total of 350,000 points. It must be said, the points required to exchange Psychic-type moves are truly exorbitant.

After the exchange, Tong Si taught Potpot the three new skills. A series of tests proved the strategy feasible. However, a Pointed Helmet was still needed, and exchanging it through the system would require a huge amount of points. Tong Si felt it wasn't cost-effective. It would be better to buy it at the department store, where they could even customize the helmet to fit the Pokémon’s size. It might cost a bit more in Alliance coins, but with Tong Si’s current savings, that was hardly an issue.

That afternoon, Tong Si went to the department store and ordered a custom Pointed Helmet for Potpot. He had to admit, Potpot looked quite dashing wearing it. Upon returning home, Tong Si began the cycle training of the two tactical sets. The Electabuzz was so disgusted it nearly coughed up blood. Eevee was furious as well. Why was there such an infuriating Pokémon?

In truth, Tong Si had a third strategy in mind: the One-Hit Knockout approach. By using Trick Room to switch offense and defense, followed by Earthquake or Gyro Ball, he could defeat opponents in a single blow. If executed successfully, it would be a one-hit KO against nearly anyone. However, the biggest flaw was that after swapping offense and defense, Potpot’s defenses became too weak. Combined with its slow speed—even with Sturdy allowing it to withstand one turn—if the opponent went for a quick attack, Potpot would be easily defeated. In team battles, having another Pokémon provide cover would boost the success rate of this tactic. For now, Tong Si hadn’t encountered any double battles, so it wasn’t a priority.

Besides, Potpot had just learned the two "disgusting" tactics; Tong Si wanted it to master them first before considering the third approach. Moreover, the skills required for the third plan demanded exceptionally high exchange points.

It would be best to wait until Potpot reached a higher level. After all, it still harbored a dream of becoming a Fighting-type.

...

After two days of intensive training, Potpot finally mastered the Substitute Poison and Rest Counter-Damage strategies. Tong Si prepared to visit the Energy Cube shop to try making some Energy Cubes. The pink-blue Energy Cubes were highly effective, and Tong Si had always wanted to craft them. Unfortunately, Potpot’s special training had delayed him. With only three days left before university started—Tong Si had already registered and was awaiting the opening day—he decided to make the most of his time.

He took a Dodrio cab to the city center, wandered aimlessly for a while, and spotted a shop named “Ninety-Nine Energy Cube Store.” “This shop’s name is quite similar to my breeding house,” Tong Si mused, intrigued by the resemblance between Jojo and Ninety-Nine.

“Welcome~”

The moment Tong Si stepped inside, he was taken aback. What was this? Why was the entire staff in maid outfits? Besides the maids, there were also female Stewards serving tea and snacks.

“Welcome home, Master. What service would you like?” a maid greeted him, making Tong Si’s facial muscles twitch uncontrollably. Had he stumbled into the wrong place?

“Ahem... This is an Energy Cube shop, right? Obviously, I’m here to make Energy Cubes!” Tong Si coughed awkwardly.

“Oh~ Would you like to make them yourself, or shall we assist you? Of course, you can also choose any maid to make them with you,” the maid replied, moving closer, her perfume wafting strongly.

“No need. Do you have private rooms? I’ll make them myself,” Tong Si answered, heading straight to the counter to book a room. The maids didn’t give up easily—after all, every order meant more money.

After a brief moment of awkwardness, Tong Si regained his composure. He had important business at the Energy Cube shop; he wouldn’t let women distract him.

Entering the private room, Tong Si locked the door. Consulting the data panel, he noticed that the recipe for the pink-blue Energy Cube was rather complex. Despite detailed instructions, Tong Si was still a novice at making Energy Cubes.

First, he needed no fewer than seventeen kinds of berries. Normally, making Energy Cubes required only two to four types, mainly for flavor—two would suffice for the most basic cubes. Among the seventeen, two were rare, five expensive, and ten ordinary.

“This pink-blue Energy Cube really isn’t easy to make,” Tong Si sighed, feeling a headache coming on.

Following the recipe, Tong Si ordered the seventeen berries in the private room. He wasn’t sure the shop had them all. Soon, a maid knocked and personally delivered the berries, eyeing Tong Si curiously. Why so many berries? Regular Energy Cube recipes didn’t call for that much. The clever maid immediately suspected Tong Si was inexperienced, sensing an opportunity. She ventured, “Would you like assistance making the Energy Cubes?”

Tong Si refused without turning around. He didn’t want to reveal the recipe for the pink-blue Energy Cube. The maid left, visibly displeased.

Tong Si checked the price of the seventeen berries. To his surprise, they cost a whopping 100,000 Alliance coins. “This is daylight robbery! A downright rip-off,” Tong Si exclaimed. Even with five pricier berries and two rare ones, it shouldn’t be that expensive. Still, since he was already here, he decided to treat it as a loss for the experience. At least this maid cafe—no, Energy Cube shop—had all seventeen berries in stock.

He opened the berry-mixing machine and carefully followed the steps laid out on the data panel. As the machine churned, he added several berries. Within five minutes, twelve berries had been used. The process for making the pink-blue Energy Cube was exceedingly complex. He set the machine to its slowest, adjusting temperature and moisture as needed. After adding the thirteenth berry, the machine displayed “Production Failed.”

“What happened?” Tong Si wondered, confused. He had followed the procedure exactly—why had it failed?

... (To be continued)