Lu Cheng's eyes widened. "Free access... nationwide?"
"Yes, nationwide," she confirmed, still smiling. "And you can even bring guests along—also free of charge."
Lu Cheng was stunned. This was a huge favor. Just entering today had already cost him 200 yuan, yet this card essentially granted him a lifetime pass.
Xiao Qing, however, didn't mention the card's other benefits. In fact, it signified Xiao Qing's student status, a title that allowed the holder to open Coordinator training facilities and classes with full credibility. Many Coordinators longed for a card like this, yet she handed it to Lu Cheng with ease!
Seeing his baffled expression, Cheri beside him couldn't help but grit her teeth in envy. I haven't even received that card yet!
"I can't accept this." Lu Cheng shook his head, declining with an apologetic smile. "I really don't know enough about Contests. My performance today must have looked amateurish—thank you for your guidance, though!"
Xiao Qing appreciated his polite demeanor, and his respect toward Contests made her smile all the more warmly. But, ultimately, Lu Cheng's focus was on becoming a Trainer.
Xiao Qing, seeing his sincerity, sighed and relented. "If you're set on the Trainer path, I won't pressure you otherwise," she said kindly. "However, should you have any questions about Contests, feel free to reach out."
Lu Cheng accepted her business card, nodding gratefully.
"But this card…" Xiao Qing gave him a knowing smile. "You have no reason to refuse it, do you?"
Seeing the playful look in her eyes, Lu Cheng could only smile in resignation. Elders truly know best.
---
As he bid Xiao Qing farewell, her knowing, encouraging smile left Lu Cheng feeling a little overwhelmed. Standing beside her, the blond woman cast him a suspicious glare, as though she were sizing up a competitor. Lu Cheng simply shook his head and headed into the hall, just in time to see Lu Ning finishing her own evaluation.
"How'd it go?" Lu Cheng asked with a smile.
Without a word, Lu Ning held up a pink ribbon and grinned.
"Congratulations! Does that mean you're treating me to a meal?" Lu Cheng teased.
"Didn't you win a ribbon too? Shouldn't you be treating me instead?" Lu Ning placed her hands behind her back, giving him a playful wink with a flash of her pearly smile.
This woman was no easy opponent! Lu Cheng shrugged and replied, "I'm not hungry yet."
Lu Ning didn't press further and instead fell into thought. "I heard there was a well-known Coordinator serving as a judge today. Too bad I missed seeing them…"
"Oh, by the way, where's the berry mixer?" Lu Cheng asked, "I looked around for ages and couldn't find it."
"You know how to make Pokéblocks?" Lu Ning asked, surprised.
"Not really," Lu Cheng admitted, rubbing his nose. "Just thought I'd watch and pick up a few tricks if I could."
Lu Ning sighed. "I tried learning Pokéblock-making before too. It's pretty tough, and I barely learned the basics myself."
She pointed to another hall. "The berry mixer is in a separate room. Since we're here anyway, I can take you over."
The Milotic Hall had an entire area set up specifically for berry mixers. One side displayed various berries for sale, while the other featured several large berry mixers. The square machines each had four buttons, allowing up to four people to operate them simultaneously. Berries were placed into the machine's compartment, then mixed in a central, transparent container. The mixing process was a true test of the operator's skill, requiring them to press the buttons in sync with the mixer's rotating pointer, hitting it as it passed the designated "sweet spot."
Among Coordinators and nutritionists, there was a tale about the "Perfect Moment"—the closer one's timing was to this so-called perfect point, the higher the Pokéblock's quality. The mixers even had variable speeds tailored to operators of different experience levels, with faster speeds theoretically producing higher-quality Pokéblocks.
There's also a curious phenomenon known among experts: while machines can technically meet all the criteria for Pokéblock-making, hand-made Pokéblocks always seem to taste better. Pokémon much prefer hand-crafted Pokéblocks, which explains the high demand for skilled nutritionists and breeders.
Lu Cheng glanced around. Five or six mixers were set up, but only the farthest one was occupied, where a short-haired woman was fully focused on her task.
"Want to go over? Isn't this why you came to watch?" Lu Ning whispered.
The two approached the woman, who didn't notice them, her attention fixed on the mixer. She loaded four berries, and the machine whirred to life. Since she was working solo, there was little margin for error, requiring full concentration. The pointer spun quickly, and just as it lined up with the sweet spot, she hit the red button hard. She seemed to hit it perfectly, releasing a sigh of relief.
Lu Cheng almost expected a big "Perfect!" to flash on the screen. Was this like a rhythm game? Just one button—who'd they think they were dealing with?
But after each press, the pointer sped up, eventually moving almost too fast for the eye to track. Before long, Lu Cheng noticed beads of sweat forming on her brow, and he realized she was operating purely by feel.
"This speed looks like the intermediate level," Lu Ning said in admiration. "When I practiced at home, I couldn't even handle the slowest speed without making a ton of mistakes."
"And she's doing it all by herself. Amazing!"
Her breath tickled his ear as she spoke, making Lu Cheng's ear itch slightly. He discreetly stepped back and continued observing the pointer closely. With his enhanced dynamic vision, he could easily track the pointer's path. Intermediate speed? This is it? Honestly, it doesn't look that fast.
With a click, the mixer finally stopped. The woman let out a long breath, wiped her brow, and gathered the Pokéblocks from the machine's output tray. Four berries had produced fewer than ten blocks, making Lu Cheng realize just how worthwhile it was to buy from Zhao Dachun, who charged 100,000 yuan for a box of Pokéblocks. Considering the cost of materials alone, it could easily run up to 50,000 or 60,000 yuan—not to mention the labor!
As she packed the Pokéblocks into a container, the woman noticed them watching and looked surprised.
"It's you two?"
---
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]
Beside him, Lu Ning let out a soft "Ah!" as she seemed to recall something. "She's the female commentator for our U20 tournament!"
"Really?" Lu Cheng only remembered the loud male commentator who had been a bit annoying during the matches; he hadn't paid much attention to anyone else.
The woman adjusted her short, neatly-cut hair and smiled. "I'm An Tongxin. I was the one who commentated for your final match, Champion Lu!"
"Pleasure to meet you," Lu Cheng said, scratching his cheek awkwardly.
"So, what brings you two here?"
"He wanted to see how Pokéblocks are made, so I came along to keep him company," Lu Ning explained with a smile.
An Tongxin glanced at them with mild surprise. She vaguely remembered that Lu Ning was the third-place winner of the U20 tournament in Zhejiang Province. Could it be that…?
Meanwhile, Lu Cheng was staring intently at the Pokéblock blender in silence. The process of making Pokéblocks mainly revolved around timing. The more precisely one controlled the timing of each step, the higher quality the Pokéblock would be. However, the needle on the blender moved incredibly fast—even at medium speed, it was difficult for the naked eye to keep up. So, producing high-quality Pokéblocks usually relied on a combination of skill and experience.
But Lu Cheng was different! He could clearly see the needle's movement, tracking it even as it entered the narrow "Perfect Zone" on each cycle. The speed felt manageable, not fast at all.
"Is it because of my dynamic vision?" Lu Cheng muttered to himself.
"You should try it yourself," An Tongxin suggested with a smile, noticing Lu Cheng's focused expression. "It's a simple process—just place the berries inside and press the button at the right moment."
Lu Cheng, intrigued, nodded and stepped up in front of her.
"Do you want to try as well?" An Tongxin asked, turning to Lu Ning with a gentle smile.
"I'm not very experienced with this," Lu Ning admitted nervously, "I might mess up."
"No worries." An Tongxin encouraged her. "We'll start with the slowest speed."
The Pokéblock blender could accommodate up to four people at once. The quality of the final Pokéblock was determined by the average number of mistakes made. Having more people could speed up the process, but it also increased the chances of failure.
"Let me show you how it's done," An Tongxin said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "And if anyone makes a mistake, I'll help fix it."
"Making a Pokéblock yourself is a pretty rewarding experience!" she added enthusiastically. "Let's start by using four Pecha Berries!"
The quality and flavor of a Pokéblock depended on the type of berries used; rarer berries resulted in higher-quality Pokéblocks. Pecha Berries were among the most basic berries, serving as essential ingredients for beginner Pokéblocks.
As the Pecha Berries were placed in, the blender began to spin slowly. For beginners, timing was often the most challenging part. The needle's movement was erratic, and a moment's distraction could mean missing the button.
However, both Lu Ning and Lu Cheng kept up with the rhythm without any errors. An Tongxin nodded approvingly as she observed their focused expressions. Lu Ning, clearly, had practiced before, showing a certain level of skill. As for Lu Cheng, though he seemed to be a complete beginner, he had an exceptional sense of timing—a rare trait, indeed.
Could it be… a natural talent? An Tongxin thought with a slight smile. But making a Pokéblock isn't that simple!
As the berries began to mix, the blender suddenly paused, and after a moment, the needle started spinning much faster. The speed shot up unexpectedly, catching Lu Ning off-guard and causing her to fumble as the needle suddenly reversed direction, resulting in her first mistake.
"Sorry!" Lu Ning's cheeks flushed in embarrassment.
"No problem, stay focused!" An Tongxin reassured her. She had half-expected Lu Ning to slip up, but she kept her gaze on Lu Cheng. Her eyes widened in surprise.
For a beginner, the blender's increasingly unpredictable pace and rhythm would almost certainly lead to mistakes. Yet, Lu Cheng remained unfazed, casually resting one hand over the button. From time to time, he'd press it with a soft click, always landing perfectly in the "Perfect Zone." He even stifled a yawn!
An Tongxin, momentarily distracted, missed the needle herself, adding one more mistake to her tally.
Under normal circumstances, making only three or four mistakes at the lowest speed would indicate a competent level of skill. Lu Ning, though, struggled visibly, her face turning an even deeper shade of red with each misstep. She'd already made eight mistakes in a matter of moments. More than ten mistakes would cause the Pokéblock to fail.
"Stay focused!" An Tongxin reminded Lu Ning gently.
But Lu Cheng, frowning slightly, interjected, "Why don't you step back and let me handle your button?"
Lu Ning hesitated, cheeks flushed with embarrassment, but eventually stepped aside.
Lu Cheng studied the mixture, noticing the impurities accumulating. What's with her? So many mistakes, and not a single one in the "Perfect Zone." Can't I even have a decent first experience making Pokéblocks?
With a quiet sigh, he began managing two buttons on his own.
An Tongxin almost missed another turn as she watched him. Is he actually operating two buttons at once? Not only was he handling both, but he was also making almost no mistakes.
An Tongxin, still astonished, noticed her own mistakes were starting to increase. What's with these people? Can't anyone just let me have a peaceful Pokéblock-making session?
"An-senpai!" Lu Cheng spoke up, sounding mildly impatient, "Focus!"
An Tongxin was taken aback. Did a junior just call me out? Her competitive streak flared, and she felt her ears flush a faint pink as she concentrated anew. This is just the beginning; the hardest part of making Pokéblocks is yet to come!
Five minutes later…
"This Pokéblock's quality is incredible!" Lu Ning exclaimed in delight, examining the Pokéblock as it dropped into the tray. She hadn't been much help in the process, but she knew enough to recognize high quality when she saw it.
An Tongxin looked deflated. At the end, Lu Cheng had only made three mistakes, while she had six. And that was with him managing two buttons! There's no way he's just a beginner. He must've done this before! she thought, grinding her teeth.
Meanwhile, Lu Cheng inspected the Pokéblock thoughtfully. Compared to the ones he usually fed his Pokémon, the quality was noticeably lower. Maybe the rotation speed is to blame. With my dynamic vision, I should be able to handle an even faster pace.
He glanced at An Tongxin, who seemed lost in her thoughts, and gave a small smile.
"An-senpai, I'd like to try it at medium speed!"
---
Translator's NoteHi, trainers! I'm so excited to finally bring you Team Rocket's Second-in-Command! After translating over 300 chapters of this absolute gem, I can tell you it's everything—action, drama, and just the right amount of chaos. Luo Yuan isn't just a trainer; he's the trainer, slaying battles, running the underworld, and making us all swoon with his brilliance.
This is the last story I'll be posting this month, so let's go out with a bang! Thank you so much for all your love and support—you've made this journey so much fun to share. Now, let's dive in and cheer for our boy as he takes the Pokémon world by storm!
Thanks for reading! Let me know if you spot any mistakes or inconsistencies!
If you wish to support me or read ahead here's a link! [patreon.com/WiseTL]