Pokémon: Master of the Rain Team

"This one tastes better, huh?" Reiji pointed at the Moomoo Milk. Seeing Poliwhirl nod, he silently confirmed his suspicion — figures, considering how much more expensive it was.

"What about you two?" He turned to Butterfree and Spinarak, letting them try as well.

"Fwee-ee," Butterfree dipped low and took a small sip from each bowl. Then it reached out a tiny paw and pointed at the Moomoo Milk.

Spinarak also tasted both, then raised one of its front legs and pointed at the Moomoo Milk.

"Got it. You guys can go ahead and eat," Reiji said, mentally noting the reactions. Next time, it'd be Moomoo Milk all the way. Pricey, sure, but if it was good for his Pokémon, it was worth it.

He picked up the box of Lime Energy Cubes and peeled back the packaging. Instantly, a refreshing fruity aroma wafted up, making Butterfree and Spinarak swallow quietly in anticipation.

The moment the Bug-type cubes were opened, the scent caught the attention of the two scent-sensitive Pokémon. Poliwhirl, on the other hand, didn't seem all that interested.

"These are Bug-type Energy Cubes, made specifically for you two," Reiji said, placing one cube in front of each of them. "Go ahead and try them."

"Yito! Yito!" Spinarak couldn't hold back anymore — it had been dreaming about these all day. It lunged forward, biting into the cube in one go. The snack filled its mouth, puffing out its tiny cheeks.

As it chewed, little satisfied groans escaped from its mouth.

Seeing how happy Spinarak looked, Reiji already knew these cubes were a hit.

"Fwee-ee," Butterfree watched Spinarak enjoy itself, then reached out and grabbed a cube too. Its red compound eyes reflected the vibrant green of the snack.

"Go on, Butterfree, it's yours," Reiji said, nudging it along when he noticed it just staring.

Butterfree brought it to its mouth and took a small nibble. Instantly, the rich Bug-type energy and sweet berry flavor flooded its mouth. Now it understood Spinarak's bliss — that warm, comforting feeling of being wrapped in a delicious treat.

"Fwee-ee... mmm…"

Butterfree didn't gulp it down, though. It nibbled slowly, savoring each bite. With a bowl of sweet milk on the side, it planned to take its time and enjoy this properly.

Seeing them so focused, Reiji didn't interrupt. He just pulled out another cube, held it under the light, and studied it closely.

He noticed the impurities in the cube — like the swirling patterns inside a marble. Chaotic and random, with no consistent shape. Every cube had some.

Energy Cube: A colored crystallized energy supplement used to enhance a Pokémon's condition.

Type: Bug

Effects: Body nourishment, satiety

(Purity: 67.35%)

(Purity: 69.81%)

(Purity: 54.18%)

(Purity: 59.23%)

He checked a few more. The purity varied, but the highest came close to 70%.

He figured premium-grade cubes must be at least around 80%.

As for top-tier ones, who knew — probably over 90% purity?

Yeah, they looked gorgeous, but they were way too expensive.

He couldn't afford the 500 Pokédollars-per-cube premium stuff with no impurities. He'd have to make do with these mid-range 150 PokéYen ones.

Hopefully, the black market would be cheaper — if they had decent Bug-type cubes at 100 a piece, he could manage.

His main battlers were Poliwhirl, Krabby, and Rhyhorn. As long as he only fed those three, his wallet could survive.

The rest didn't train as hard, so they wouldn't burn through resources as fast.

If the others wanted to train too, well... that depended on what his budget allowed.

After reviewing the cube info, he casually tossed one toward Poliwhirl.

"Poliwhirl, this is a Bug-type Energy Cube. Want to give it a try? We'll go buy some Water-types later — ones that suit your taste."

"Yoboh?" Poliwhirl caught the cube, surprised Reiji had thrown one to it at all. It gave it a sniff and immediately shook its head.

Just the smell turned it off — clearly not to its liking. What was tasty to Bug-types wasn't necessarily appealing to it. In fact, it smelled kind of weird.

Poliwhirl tossed the cube back with a shake of its head, clearly not interested.

Reiji caught it and put it back in the box. Since Poliwhirl didn't want it, he didn't push.

Once he scouted prices at the black market, he'd need to restock food anyway — his supplies were nearly gone.

Among his nine Pokémon, six were Water-types. That helped simplify things a lot. Then there were two Bug-types and one Ground/Rock-type.

As for Rhydon, it ate rocks. Specifically, mineral-rich ones — iron ore, copper ore, silver ore — whatever metallic junk the periodic table had to offer.

In the anime, there was even that ridiculous claim that a Larvitar had to eat an entire mountain to reach his final evolution.

Who knew what kind of minerals Rhyhorn actually liked? He'd let it choose later.

While Butterfree and Spinarak were still enjoying their meal, Reiji packed away the Energy Cubes, picked up the Dive Ball, and turned to Poliwhirl.

"Poliwhirl, hop in and tell me which kind of Poké Ball feels more comfortable."

He returned Poliwhirl to the Dive Ball for about two minutes, then released it again. Holding both the standard red-and-white Ball and the blue Dive Ball, he asked, "Which one do you prefer?"

"Yoboh, yoboh!" Poliwhirl immediately pointed to the Dive Ball. The damp interior suited it perfectly — it felt right at home inside.

"Alright, we'll use the Dive Ball for you from now on," Reiji said, returning Poliwhirl to it and tucking the Heal Ball into his pack. The Net Ball would be for Butterfree.

"Your turn, Butterfree. This'll be your new ball," he said, showing it the Net Ball. Butterfree, having just finished eating, was returned into it without fuss.

Afterward, Reiji cleaned up the bowls, the foam box, and sleeping bag from the floor, stuffing them all into the poacher's backpack. He let Spinarak hop up onto his shoulder.

Once everything was packed, he slung both bags over his shoulders and checked the time.

He'd returned around 10 PM. Now it was already 11. The city's nightlife was just getting started.

He walked over to the balcony, pulled the curtains shut, but left the window open — he'd be flying back in later.

Standing on the balcony, he released Pelipper, climbed on its back, and took off toward the coast to dump the excess gear... and then head for the black market.

[End of Chapter]

[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]

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