Aoki and Cynthia sat together for a long time.
The only issue was that Cynthia ate too much.
Perhaps it was the first time she had tasted food this delicious, and the fear of never having it again drove her to keep stuffing her stomach.
After a long delay, Cynthia finally stood up, patting her stomach with a satisfied expression.
"Thank you so much. Not only did you invite me to eat, but you also prepared such delicious food for my Pokémon."
"It's nothing. Meeting is fate—perhaps we were destined to cross paths," Aoki responded calmly.
Cynthia nodded slightly, feeling a growing sense of goodwill toward Aoki.
Garchomp and the other Pokémon also expressed their gratitude. Their contentment was evident in their relaxed postures and the satisfied gleam in their eyes.
Seeing her Pokémon in such high spirits, Cynthia suddenly had an idea.
Pokéblocks this delicious and nutritious could be worth investing in.
"Aoki, your Pokémon food—wait, should I call it Pokéblocks? Would you consider selling them to me? Or perhaps even the recipe?" Cynthia inquired with curiosity.
Aoki's eyes gleamed slightly, but he maintained a calm expression.
"The recipe is quite valuable, and I don't particularly need money. But maybe we could trade—perhaps for something like Pokémon eggs."
Aoki had no intention of selling the high-end Pokéblock recipes outright, but he could offer some basic ones.
His decision stemmed from what he had observed at Devon Corporation. One of their research projects involved the development of Pokéblocks, and while Aoki hadn't seen their progress firsthand, he estimated they were just a few years away from perfecting them.
In the Pokémon world's original timeline, Pokéblocks were already in circulation when Ash reached Hoenn. That meant Devon Corporation's breakthrough would likely happen soon—perhaps within a year or two.
This gap in time presented Aoki with an opportunity to maximize his profits before Pokéblocks became publicly available. And besides, Cynthia's interest was an opportunity in itself.
"Alright, I agree," Cynthia said without hesitation.
She wasn't entirely sure of the Pokéblocks' precise nutritional value, but she could already infer their benefits just by observing Aoki's Pokémon.
Boss Lairon, Bagon, and Combusken all displayed excellent development and vitality, clear signs that their diet played a crucial role in their strength.
With Pokéblocks like these, it was no wonder even her Garchomp had been tempted to steal them.
"In that case, I'll check if my family has any Gible eggs available. If we do, I can exchange one with you," Cynthia offered.
Aoki was momentarily speechless.
He had intended to ask if she had any Riolu eggs, but he hadn't expected Cynthia to be so generous right from the start—offering a pseudo-legendary Pokémon without hesitation.
Gible was an extremely powerful Pokémon. Once it evolved into Garchomp, it became one of the most formidable Dragon-types in the world.
A Gible egg was no small deal. On the black market, they were priced at hundreds of millions of Pokédollars, sometimes even more.
However, Pokéblock recipes were also highly valuable—at least for now. Once Devon Corporation and other companies completed their research, Pokéblocks would become mass-produced, and their exclusivity would vanish.
"Alright, I agree," Aoki said after a brief moment of thought.
Without delay, he carefully wrote down the Pokéblock recipe on a sheet of paper.
"Here's the formula, along with the blueprint for a Pokéblock-making machine. I'll throw in the blueprint for free," Aoki said casually.
"For free? That doesn't seem fair," Cynthia replied, feeling slightly embarrassed.
Although it was just a blueprint, it was still a valuable piece of knowledge—one that could save her a fortune in research and development costs.
"Well then, in that case, could you check if there's a Riolu or Lucario available for me to purchase?" Aoki asked with a faint smile.
Lucario was one of his dream Pokémon.
He also liked Ralts, but since Ralts was a native Pokémon of the Hoenn region, he knew he'd eventually have a chance to obtain one himself.
"You're interested in Lucario? I'll keep an eye out for you," Cynthia promised without hesitation.
For her, a Lucario wasn't nearly as valuable as the long-term potential of these Pokéblocks. Not only would they enhance her Pokémon's diet, but they also had immense commercial value.
There was no way she'd be at a loss in this deal.
Little did Cynthia know, Aoki had already planned ahead.
He intended to sell Pokéblocks to Cynthia first, but afterward, he'd form a business partnership with Professor Birch, Norman, and even Professor Oak.
There were no patent laws protecting such inventions in this world. The moment Pokéblocks became public knowledge, other corporations would inevitably try to replicate them.
By preemptively partnering with top researchers, Aoki could secure a dominant position in the market before competition arose.
Even after acquiring the recipe and blueprint, Cynthia didn't leave immediately.
She still had a few days off and decided to spend them with Aoki.
Her main motivation? His cooking.
Aoki's meals were too delicious to pass up, and she intended to take full advantage of her remaining vacation to indulge while she still had the chance.
"By the way, Cynthia, do you have time?" Aoki suddenly asked.
"Since we've finished eating, how about a battle? My Boss Lairon is looking for a suitable opponent," he added, a hint of eagerness in his voice.
Aoki couldn't wait any longer.
If he could defeat Cynthia, he would earn a diamond chest—an opportunity too valuable to ignore.
A diamond chest contained high-tier rewards, including resources for Elite and even Champion-level Pokémon.
And the best part? He didn't have to defeat Cynthia's ace, Garchomp.
As long as he could take down any of her Pokémon—whether it was Spiritomb, Milotic, or even her Lucario—he would qualify for the chest.
"Your Boss Lairon looks strong," Cynthia mused.
Since Aoki was so eager to challenge her, she had no reason to refuse.
"Alright, I accept."
She had already observed Boss Lairon's impressive physical development. A battle would be an excellent test of its potential.
"Well then, Boss Lairon, this match is up to you! Don't let me down!" Aoki said.
Boss Lairon immediately charged forward, its battle instincts flaring.
It hadn't forgotten what happened earlier—Garchomp had stolen its food. Now was its chance for payback.
Seeing the determination in Boss Lairon's eyes, Aoki felt a bit speechless.
Buddy, do you have any self-awareness?
That's a Champion-level Garchomp… Even among Champions, it's one of the strongest!
However, Cynthia had already made up her mind—she wouldn't send Garchomp.
Garchomp was her ace.
It had been with her since childhood, had trained for years, and had long since reached its peak. Sending it against Boss Lairon wouldn't be fair.
Instead, she reached for a different Pokéball.
"Milotic, I'll leave this battle to you."
With a flash of light, a graceful Milotic emerged.
The moment it appeared, it elegantly slithered toward the nearby river, its natural aquatic environment.
As a Water-type, Milotic preferred to fight in the water rather than on land.
And just like that, the battle began.
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