On March 28, in the year 199 of the Alliance dar, after a full day and night at sea, the luxury cruise ship carrying Naoki and Alder finally docked in the Union.

  The massive ship came to rest at the port of Driftveil City. Uhe clear blue sky, tourists disembarked in waves, flooding into the vibrant city.

  Nearby, cargo ships and fishing vessels crowded the docks, with Pokémon and workers busily loading goods onto ships bound for ions. Fishermeurning from their trips were s their catches, pag fresh fish into crates for delivery to the city's maaurants.

  A sudden gust of wind swept through the port, causing a otion as several dies' hats were whisked arompting startled gasps from the crowd.

  Naoki and Alder's hair was blown every which way. Alder grihrough the gusts and shouted, "Wele to Driftveil City! The strong winds here are one of its definiures!"

  Naoki shielded his face from the breeze and asked, "Is the Gym Leader here Cy?"

  "That's right!" Alder nodded enthusiastically. "But being a Gym Leader is only one of his jobs. Cy's real cim to fame is that he owns a mining development pany. See that tall mountain to the north?"

  Naoki followed Alder's gesture, spotting the faint silhouette of a t mountain in the distance.

  "That's Driftveil Mountain," Alder expined. "The entire mountain belongs to Cy."

  "Wow," Naoki murmured in admiration.

  After disembarking, Alder led Naoki through the bustling port and into the heart of the city. "The ined from Driftveil Mountain powers the entire Union. Amazing, isn't it? Cy himself is hosting the ba we're attending in a few days."

  Naoki listened ily, nodding in fasation. These details weren't mentioned in the games, and he found them utterly engrossing—especially when Alder added, "Oh, and Cy has a daughter."

  "A daughter?" Naoki echoed, his curiosity piqued.

  "Yes, though I 't quite recall her name. I think it was Lacey... or something like that. I haven't seen her often," Alder replied, scratg his head.

  "I see…" Naoki nodded, letting the subject drop as they tiheir walk.

  Alder checked a unicator in his pocket and said, "Good timing! My friend is expeg us. I'll take you to meet her."

  "Alright," Naoki agreed, following Alder through a maze of streets until they stopped before a rge, imposing building.

  "Pokémon Breeders Association – Driftveil Branch" was written in bold lettering above the entrance.

  Alder strode fidently into the building, bypassing the bustling lobby and heading straight for the elevators. They rode to the seventh floor, and with a soft ding, the doors opeo reveal a warmly decorated room.

  Inside, a poised woman wearing casual attire and square-framed gsses was meticulously polishing the scales of a Gible. The little dragon Pokémon seemed to revel in the care, its eyes half-closed in bliss as its scales shimmered under her expert touch.

  "Hey, Marina! Long time no see!" Alder greeted warmly.

  The woman turo face them, her sharp eyes sing Alder and then Naoki. A flicker of surprise crossed her face when she saw Alder's cheerful demeanor.

  "You're in good spirits," Marina said knowingly.

  "That's because a big problem that's been weighing me down is finally solved," Alder replied with a grin.

  "Really? Is Vola doier?" Marina asked, her expression softening.

  Alder nodded. "All thanks to Naoki here. The Gogoat he raised produces araordinary milk that healed all of Vola's injuries."

  "Gogoat? Milk?" Marina echoed, clearly taken aback. She turned her gaze to Naoki, now thhly intrigued. "Naoki, right?"

  "Yes," Naoki replied with a polite nod.

  "Are you a Pokémon breeder?" Marina asked, tilting her head.

  Naoki shook his head. "No, I'm just a rancher."

  "...A rancher?" Marina blinked, her fusion evident.

  Alder chuckled. "Naoki might be a rancher, but he's also a skilled Pokémon trainer. He's here to learn how to make Pokéblocks for his Pokémon."

  Reition dawned in Marina's eyes as she recalled Alder's earlier message. A smile spread across her face. "Si's your request, leave it to me. I'll teach him everything he o know!"

  "Then I'll leave it to you!" Alder said, turning to Naoki. "Marina will teach you how to make Pokéblocks. I'll take this opportunity to visit d gather information about the ba. I'll meet up with you ter."

  "Alright." After watg Alder step into the elevator and head downstairs, Naoki turned his attention to the woman in front of him. He politely greeted her, "Hello, Ms. Marina."

  "Follow me," Marina said. "I'll take you to the preparation room where okéblocks."

  The two desded the stairs, and as they passed through the lobby, Naoki noticed several young individuals engrossed in an assessment process.

  "That's the Breeder Evaluation," Marina paused to expiuring toward the se. "Do you knookémon breeders do?"

  Naoki hesitated briefly before replying, "They take care of and raise Pokémon?"

  "Yes, but there's more to it," Marina replied with a small smile. "Pokémon breeders specialize iraining and overall health ma of Pokémon. They excel in making Pokémon look radiant through grooming and in preparing specialized food tailored to eaon's specifieeds."

  "Breeders also dabble in Pokémon researd medical care. It's a profession with a broad scope," she added.

  As they approached the evaluation area, Naoki observed several Pokémon standing beside their trainers. The trainers appeared to be carefully iing their partners.

  "This is a vital skill for breeders," Marina expined. "They must assess a Pokémon's dition based on appearand behavior, then propose optimization pns."

  Naoki's i iqued. "You tell so much just from appearand expression?"

  "Absolutely," Marina said fidently. She approached Koraidon, who stood proudly o Naoki, and began to evaluate it.

  "Hmm, this Pokémon exudes a strong Dragon-type energy," she observed. "Its muscur frame and well-defined build suggest that its diet is ri nutrients and high in calories."

  She crouched slightly to meet Koraidon's gaze. "Its eyes are lively and full of affe. This Pokémon clearly adores you. Its happiness around you is evident in its expression. You've taken excellent care of it."

  She cluded with a smile, "If yurly polish this Pokémon's scales, its dition will bee even more impeccable."

  Naoki appuded enthusiastically. "That's amazing, Ms. Marina!"

  Marina grinned. "What's this Pokémon called?"

  Naoki gently patted Koraidon's head and replied, "This is Koraidon. It's been my panion for a long time."

  "Koraidon..." Maried thoughtfully, itting the o memory. "Alright the's move on. I'll show you how to make Pokéblocks."

  She led Naoki to a well-equipped preparation room filled with specialized maes aly anized refrigerators.

  "This," Marina begauring to a sleek mae, "is a fruit mixer. It's essential for making Pokéblocks. The mae processes berries pced i and, after mixing and refining, produces Pokéblocks."

  The setup reminded Naoki of the berry blenders he had used in games. Curious, he asked, "So, does the mae do everything automatically? If so, it seems too simple."

  Marina chuckled. "It's not that straightforward. If you toss in berries carelessly, the result will be unpatable Pokéblocks that might make a Pokémon faint. I assume you grow berries on your ranch?"

  Naoki nodded. "Yes, I do."

  "Then you know that berries differ in taste, nutrition, and effects," Marina said. "For instance, some berries have a spicy fvor and are highly nutritious, while others are sweet but ck signifit nutrients."

  "A qualified breeder will select berries with the highest patibility and baheir unique properties. Only by leveraging the advantages of each berry they produce high-quality Pokéblocks," Marina expined.

  "There are hundreds of berries to choose from, and even a slight ge iype or quantity drastically alter the block's effect," she added.

  Naoki leaned in with i. "So, making Pokéblocks is about experimenting with berry binations?"

  Marina nodded slightly. "Exactly. Here, let's start with a basic recipe. You give it a try."

  She handed him a slip of paper.

  Naoki took it ahe tents:

  [Nutritional Pokéblock Recipe: Sitrus Berry x1, Oran Berry x1, Persim Berry x1.

  Effect: Regur ption makes Pokémon physically stronger over time.]

  "To make Pokéblocks, the first step is to the berries thhly," Marina instructed.

  Naoki nodded, moving to the washing station. He carefully washed the three berries under running water, scrubbing the skins. While washing, he paused and asked, "Do I o peel these first?"

  Marina smiled. "It depends on the berry. For instance, with Sitrus Berries, you only use the pulp, so the skio be removed. The same goes for bananas. But for berries like Oran, the skin is fio leave on. It's all about the specific characteristics of each berry."

  With her guidanaoki peeled and prepared the berries as needed before pg them into the berry processor.

  After about fifteen mihe mae beeped, signaling that the process was plete. A small partment at the bottom opened, releasing a dozen Pokéblocks, each the size of a marble and gleaming like polished gems.

  Naoki picked one up, iing it. Suddenly, information about the block surfaced in his mind:

  [Strengthening Pokéblock (C): A Pokéblock made from Sitrus, Oran, and Persim Berries. It has a sour taste.

  Effect: Level 1 Strength Boost. Regur ption increases physical strength and aids muscle growth.

  Evaluation: A basic Pokéblock ideal finner breeders and trainers participating in tests.]

  "It looks like you succeeded on your first try," Marina said with an approving smile. "There are barely any impurities in these Pokéblocks, which means their quality is quite det."

  " humahem too?" Naoki asked, his curiosity piqued.

  "Of course," Marina replied with a knowing grin.

  Enced, Naoki popped a Pokébloto his mouth. The mome into it, his face twisted in surprise at the intense sourness.

  "It's... very sour," Naoki muttered, trying to recover his posure.

  Marina chuckled. "That's because it's designed for Pokémon. Their pates and nutritional needs are very different from ours. What we find unpatable be a rare treat for them."

  Taking her adviaoki handed a Pokéblock to Koraidon. However, the Dragon-type Pokémon licked the block hesitantly before recoiling, its toig out in respoo the sour taste. It began drooling untrolbly.

  Naoki stared in silence. "...Did I mess something up?"

  Marina burst into ughter. "No, not at all. It's just that every Pokémon has its preferences, even with perfectly made Pokéblocks. Now that you've mastered the basics, try experimenting with different recipes. You'll discover binations that suit your Pokémon's uastes and needs!"

  "I still have tasks to handle. If you need anything, just use the phone over there to tact me. Feel free to use the fruits from the trees here as much as you like," Marina said before turning to leave.

  Naoki wasn't worried. By now, he had a rough uanding of how to make blocks. The step was to practitil he could master the process.

  After Mari, Naoki began experimenting, attempting to create his own poke blou.

  First Attempt

  His initial effort ended in disaster. He overloaded the processor with too much fruit, causing it to overheat, emit smoke, and abruptly stop w.

  Sed Attempt

  Determined, he tried again. This time, he used the wrong bination of berries. The resulting poke blocks were filled with impurities and tasted so vile that even Koraidon, who tried oe, immediately spat it out. The Pokémon's face twisted in disgust, and it nearly fainted from the experience.

  Third Attempt

  Learning from his earlier mistakes, Naoki carefully selected fruits he was more familiar with. His third attempt finally produced a usable poke block.

  [Nutrient Poke Block (D-): Effect: Provides minimal nutrients for Pokémon.

  Evaluation: Poor patibility between fruits led to aremely low-quality poke block.]

  Naoki wiped the sweat off his forehead, staring at his hard-earned but underwhelming creation.

  Creating Pokeblocks without a clear recipe was much harder thaicipated. Still, he wasn't ready to give up. With renewed determination, Naoki discarded the failed poke blocks and tinued experimenting.

  Time passed as he repeated the process. The random mixing of berries felt like a game of ce—a frustrati oddly addictive experience.

  tless Failures Later

  After numerous missteps, Naoki finally produced another poke block. However, this one was bizarre.

  The poke block was a bluish-pink color, speckled with purple spots, resembling a toxic mushroom. Its appearance was unappealing, and it emitted a pu, unpleasant odor.

  The moment Koraidon saw it, the Pokémon recoiled, retreating several meters and pressing itself against the wall, its eyes wide with fear.

  Naoki sighed. "It's just a poke block. Is that rea really necessary?"

  He looked back at the poke blo his hand, and information about it appeared in his mind:

  [Poison Baby (B+): This poke block smells awful and will cause any Pokémon that eats it to faint. However, it is a rare delicacy for Poipole.

  Effect: Boosts Poipole's special attad appeals to its favorite taste. When pced in the wild, it has a ce to attract Poipole. This effect is exclusive to Poipole.

  Evaluation: A specialized poke block tailored for Poipole.]