Naoki frow the peculiar name: Poipole?

  Wasn't that the Ultra Beast from the Alion? How could a poke block possibly have an effect specific to it?

  Naoki gnced down at the strangely colored poke blo his hand. The recipe's ated that if pced in the wild, the cube had a ce to attraon like Poipole.

  This effect reminded Naoki of the mei certain game hunting zones, where Pokémon battles were prohibited. Trainers couldn't use ventional capture methods. Instead, they relied on poke blocks bought at the entrao lure wild Pokémon closer for capture.

  Still, poke blocks crafted specifically for individual Pokémon were rare, especially one so niche.

  Naoki scrutihe odd cube and gnced over at Koraidon, his ever-curious tester. With a grin, he asked, "Want to give it a try?"

  Koraidon recoiled with a dramatic shake of its head. "Ah gah!"

  Koraidon poioward the Poké Balls on Naoki's belt, signaling it couldn't stomaything more and hinting someone else should be the guinea pig.

  Naoki sighed, resigned. "Guess I'll try it myself."

  He pinched his eeling himself as though about to taste durian for the first time, and popped the cube into his mouth.

  A cocktail of bitterness, sourness, and astringency exploded on his taste buds, an indescribable assault of fvors that surged straight to his head. Within moments, his stomach rebelled violently.

  He spun around and buried his fa the rash . "Ugh!"

  When Marina walked in, she found Naoki clutg the trash , looking utterly miserable. The sight was enough to tell her what had happened.

  Marina chuckled, the ers of her mouth curling into a knowing smile. "Looks like you've made your first unpatable poke block!"

  Naoki raised his pale face to look at her. "Miss Marina…"

  "Don't feel too bad," she reassured him with a ugh. "Every Pokémon breeder has to gh this phase."

  She approached his workstation and ied the se. "It seems you've gotten the basics of poke block produ down. Now, I'll teach you some advaeiques."

  Naoki perked up, curiosity momentarily overing his queasiness. "Advaeiques?"

  Marina nodded. "Novice breeders often rely on maes to make poke blocks, but the best breeders craft them by hand. Handmade cubes take more effort but are of signifitly higher quality."

  She handed Naoki a piece of paper detailing the manual process of poke block creation.

  He sed the steps: baking, melting, boiling, mixing, pressing, solidifying… The process was far more involved than he had anticipated.

  "Maes have limitations," Marina expined. "They only mix up to five berries at once. But with manual crafting, you incorporate dozens, creating far more plex and effective poke blocks."

  She added, "Take this poke block, for example. This famous cube is entirely handmade. It dehe essence of numerous berries into a single serving—enough to satisfy even a Snorx."

  Naoki's eyes lit up at the expnation.

  "Would you like to try making one?" Marina asked, holding out a recipe.

  Naoki accepted the paper and read it:

  [Primary Glutton Poke Block Recipe: Peach Berry x2, Oran Berry x1, Bluk Berry x1, Eggant Berry x2, 1/3 Nanab Berry. Effect: Provides basiutrition for Pokémon and fills their stomach.]

  Marina poioward a pot on the ter. "You start there. I'll guide you along the way."

  "Thank you for your help, Miss Marina," Naoki said with a polite nod.

  He carefully located the berries listed in the recipe, peeled them, removed the seeds, and washed them thhly. Following the instrus, he pced the fruits into a pot in the specified order and boiled them until they turned into a glossy, jam-like sistency.

  Marina observed his progress closely. "There are very few impurities," she remarked approvingly. "That meets the standards. It seems you did an excellent job ing the fruits. Now, it's time to add the Nanab Berry for seasoning."

  "This particur berry has a soft texture as easily, so it should always be added st. Its purpose is to enhance sweetness and improve the fvor of the poke block."

  Naoki watched ily as the mixture thied, carefully turning off the heat when it was ready. He strained out any remaining residue, poured the clear jam into a specialized mae for pression, and then transferred the mixture into molds to solidify.

  After a short wait, five small, steaming poke blocks emerged fresh from the process. Naoki held one up, and immediately, information about the poke blocks appeared in his mind.

  [Primary Glutton Poke Block (C+): Cooking Effect: A nourishing poke block desigo satiate hunger. Just one cube is suffit to fill the stomach of a Snorx or Pokémon with smaller appetites.]

  "Excellent work!" Marina praised with an approving smile. "Handmade poke blocks are just as much about creativity as they are about precision. Breeders must stantly explore new formus to meet various Pokémon needs. And remember, you also buy recipes created by other breeders if you want to expand your repertoire."

  "This is how many breeders earn their living," she added. "If you ever discover a rare poke blou, you sell it to the Breeders Association or other breeders. It's a great way to share knowledge—and earn some ine."

  Hearing this, Naoki was reminded of the [Poison Baby] he had retly cocted. The idea that his creation could attraon like Poipole gave him a sense of aplishment. However, sidering that Poipole and other Ultra Beasts were rarely found in the Union, the poke block's practical use here seemed limited.

  "Miss Marina, could I borroen? I want to write down the formu for the poke blocks I just made," Naoki asked, eager to record his progress.

  "Of course," Marina said, pulling a pen from her pocket and handing it to him.

  Naoki quickly wrote down the recipe for the [Poison Baby]. He k might e in handy someday, especially if he ever traveled tions where Ultra Beasts were more on.

  Over the few days, Naoki remained dedicated to mastering poke block creation, honing his skills at the Breeders Association. During this time, Alder visited him only once or twice. Upon learning that Naoki was immersed in his training, Alder chose not to interrupt and instead focused on his own responsibilities.

  With Vola fully recovered and the Unova League still awaiting a neion, Alder felt pelled to step up. He resumed his duties as ag champion, guiding trainers and f bonds between them and their Pokémon.

  The ued return of Alder—and the miraculous recovery of Vola—sent ripples of surprise through the League. Many regarded Alder's return and newfound resolve as an inspiring transformation.

  Meanwhile, as Naoki devoted himself to the craft of poke block produ, signifit ges were unfolding beyond the Breeders Association.

  Driftveil City has been buzzing with activity i days.

  Luxury cruise ships, private jets, and charter flights arrived oer another, bringing a steady influx of notable figures:

  Giovanni, a promi entrepreneur from the Kantion. Lance, heir to the Dragon , Dragon Master, and the Champion of Kanto. Professor Oak, a leading figure in Pokémon research. President Stone, head of the Devon Corporation in the Hoenn region. thia, the stro Champion of Sinnoh. Caitlin, the Psychic-type Elite Four member of Unova, and Shauntal, the Ghost-type specialist. Diantha, Champion of Kalos and a renowned movie star. Several wealthy families from the Paldea region, including the owner of Rotom Teologies and his daughter, Nemona.

  ...

  Four days ter, Naoki finally mastered the art of making poke blocks.

  That afternoon, Alder arrived at the Breeders' Association, finding Naoki deeply immersed in crafting unique poke blocks from berries.

  "What's the status?" Alder asked as he approached.

  "Almost done!" Naoki exhaled with relief. "Thanks to Miss Marina, I've learo make special poke blocks."

  "In that case, it's time to go," Alder said with a grin.

  Naoki looked up, slightly fused. "What do you mean?"

  "The dinner. It's starting soon!" Alder expined.

  Naoki blinked in surprise. "Already?! That was quick."

  Alder smirked. "It's been four days since you arrived in Unova. I just received word that all the uests have already arrived—except us."

  Hearing this, Naoki hastily set down his tools. He hadn't fotten the primary purpose of this trip: to present the Rotom Smartphone Project to the owner of Rotom Teologies.

  It was already 4:00 PM, and the dinner was set to begin shortly.

  Before leaving, Naoki wao thank Marina and bid her farewell, but he learned from the staff that she had left for another city.

  For a moment, Naoki didn't know how to respond.

  Alder pced a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry! She knows how grateful you are. I'll make sure to thank her on your behalf."

  Naoki nodded. "Then I'll leave that to you."

  With no other choiaoki followed Alder out of the Breeders' Association and headed for the dinner venue.

  Alder drove through the bustling streets of the city. After crossing several neighborhoods, the car pulled up in front of an opulent mansion oskirts of town.

  The evening air was lively. The manor was brightly lit, with an air of elegand sophistication. Guests were arriving in droves:

  Gentlemen dressed in tailored suits. Ladies adorned i evening gowns. Boys and girls in formal attire. Young trainers in outfits that subtly mixed practicality with style.

  The gathering exuded exclusivity, clearly catering to high society.

  Naoki, who had only seen such ses on televisio like a fish out of water. His nerves crept in as he surveyed the gmorous attendees.

  Surrounded by wealthy elites, Naoki couldn't help but feel out of pce. pared to the city sophisticates, his identity as a rancher from the tryside felt gringly out of sync.

  Alder turned off the car and said, "We're here. Impressive, isn't it? All of this belongs to Cy!"

  Naoki responded with an astonished, "Oh!"

  Alder gnced over and notiaoki's slightly tense expression.

  He chuckled and asked, "Feeling nervous?"

  Naoki didn't shy away from admitting it. "I'm just a farmer. I've never been to a pce like this before."

  His modest backgrou worlds apart from the grandeur surrounding him.

  "Rex!" Alder reassured him. "Even if you're a farmer, you're the stro farmer around! Later, let's battle them. If they 't eve a farmer, they're the ones who should be nervous!"

  Naoki: "..."

  Ign Naoki's bemused silence, Alder hopped out of the car and called out to Koraidon, who was seated in the back. "Koraidon, e on out! I'll take you to try some delicious food!"

  "Agassi!"

  Koraidon, who had subsisted on nothing but poke blocks tely, perked up immediately. Its eyes sparkled at the thought of a feast. It leaped out of the car, eagerly following Alder, but not before casting a backward g Naoki.

  With a resigned smile, Naoki followed. Alder's words had calmed his nerves a bit. After all, he reasoned, staying posed and maintaining a steady demeanor would help him navigate the situation.

  As they walked through the garden, Alder skillfully avoided mingling with acquaintances, guiding Naoki and Koraidon to a quieter area den with tables of gourmet food and fine wines.

  The area was bustling with trainers and their Pokémon, all enjoying the vish spread.

  Alder released his Vola, allowing it and Koraidon to dive into a feast that included a massive chi leg remi of something straight out of One Piece.

  He then grabbed two gsses of red wine from a passing waiter and handed oo Naoki. "Take this ahere's still some time before the ba officially starts."

  Naoki accepted the gss, taking a sip in sync with Alder. Just as he was about to speak, a familiar voiterrupted.

  "Mr. Alder? Is that really you?"

  Alder turo find the source of the voice. His face broke into a grin as he saw who it was. "Shauntal! Caitlin! It's been ages! How have you been?"

  Caitlin, the blonde Psychic-type trainer, gave him a mildly exasperated look. "You're still the same as always."

  As the three began chatting, Naoki's gaze shifted to anure standing nearby—a posed blonde woman with an aura of quiet strength. Their eyes met briefly. She gave him a polite nod before fog on Alder.

  "Long time no see, Alder," she said.

  "Miss thia! What a pleasant surprise! I didn't expect to see you here this year!" Alder replied warmly.

  thia smiled faintly, a glimmer of amusement in her eyes.

  Meanwhile, Shauntal and Caitlin exged subtle gheir curiosity piqued as they studied the young man beside Alder.

  Alder, notig their i, cpped a hand on Naoki's shoulder. "Oh, where are my manners? Let me introduce you. This is my friend Naoki, a champion-level trainer from the Paldea region."

  Turning to Naoki, Alder gestured to the group. "Naoki, these two are the Ghost-type specialist Shauntal and the Psychic master Caitlin, both Elite Four members of the Union. And this," he added with a flourish, "is her than thia, the Champion of Sinnoh."