"Senior, stop talking nonsense! What do you mean breaking the law? Do I look like someone who would do that?" Cole rolled his eyes at her.
"Hahaha... I'm just joking!" Emely laughed, "Larvitar isn't an easy Pokémon to raise. If you want to train it to become powerful, its food requirements are extremely high."
"What do you mean?"
"First, the berries used to make its Pokéblocks must be grade A or higher." She said with a meaningful glance at him.
"Grade A?" Cole exclaimed in surprise.
"That's right!" Emely nodded, "That's why I said Larvitar is hard to raise. They require very high energy levels, but grade A berries are almost impossible to find on the market. Why do you think so few people raise Pokémon like Larvitar, Dratini, and Goomy? It's not just because they're rare — their energy requirements make them far less cost-effective than other Pokémon! The trainers who raise these Pokémon all come from wealthy families — at least they don't have to worry about affording grade A berries."
Grade A berries were just the basics...
Hearing this, Cole started to worry. He didn't have any grade A berries, and there weren't any places to buy them!
This was such a headache! He'd basically brought home a demanding child to care for.
Seeing his worried expression, Emely continued: "Another thing that makes Larvitar expensive is its need for hard minerals — it needs them to develop its shell. But compared to grade A berries, minerals are simpler to deal with. They're mainly used for Rock-type Pokémon, and as long as you have money, you can buy them easily. There are plenty of options."
"I'm just a poor person!" Cole said dejectedly.
She consoled him, "Don't get discouraged. I believe you'll make lots of money in the future. You were already cultivating grade B berries a few years ago — it might not be long before you can produce grade A ones."
Emely truly believed in his potential to become successful, though he was still too young and needed time to grow.
"Thank you, Emely!"
Her words didn't comfort Cole. While he believed he would eventually cultivate grade A berries, that would take time — and he needed them now!
"Actually, using grade B berries for now isn't a problem. Pokémon growth takes time anyway, so there's no rush. As for the minerals, I can ask around. I know a Rock-type Pokémon trainer who should have some in stock. I'll help you get them."
"Thank you so much!" Cole said gratefully, "Please help me make some Pokéblocks suitable for Larvitar too."
"No need to thank me, I've got this covered. Just remember me when you become successful!" Emely joked.
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After school, Cole headed straight to Mt. Olympus. Emely's words had intensified his focus on the grafted berry trees. Since obtaining grade A berries from outside sources was impossible, his only option was to cultivate them himself.
The berry trees on Mt. Ascendant showed potential to become grade A trees, but being only a few years old, they needed time to mature.
The trees on Mt. Olympus were different — many used for grafting were already grade A in the Sea Spirit's Den. If they grew successfully, their chances of reaching grade A status were excellent.
That would solve Larvitar's food problems.
Of course, this assumed everything went well. If the grafting failed, the trees' energy levels might decrease instead of increase, wasting all efforts.
At the mountain, Cole helped the successfully grafted berry trees organize their energy circuits one by one, hoping they would grow stronger.
Determined to cultivate grade A berry trees as quickly as possible, he doubled his efforts in the following days, dedicating more time to cultivation at Mt. Olympus.
During Berry Basics Theory class one day, the teacher announced an upcoming Berry Exhibition in Lumiose City, the largest city in the Kalos Region. He invited students to join him, describing it as an excellent learning opportunity.
The students exchanged glances, but none volunteered.
Though berry knowledge was required for every Cultivation major, students only cared about learning the basics. They showed no interest in the origins or cultivation of berries, claiming they lacked time for such pursuits.
The teacher's disappointment was clear — his students seemed to lack any spirit of investigation. Still, since participation was voluntary, he couldn't compel anyone.
Then Cole quietly raised his hand, "Teacher, I'd like to go with you!"
The teacher's eyes lit up as he looked at Cole with delight, "Very good, Cole. Come to my office after class!"
After class, the teacher beckoned to Cole and walked out with a smile.
As Cole moved to follow, Daniel grabbed him, "Are you really going to the exhibition with the teacher?"
"Yes, is there a problem?"
Daniel looked at him helplessly, "What are you thinking? Don't you see enough of the teacher at school? If you want to see the exhibition, go by yourself! You'll be more comfortable without someone monitoring you."
"With the teacher there, I can learn so much more. By myself, I wouldn't know what I'm looking at." Cole replied, giving Daniel a 'are you stupid' look.
Besides, he might discover information about grade A berries at the exhibition. Even if he couldn't buy any, just seeing them could provide inspiration for his own cultivation efforts.
"Fine, fine." Daniel waved at him, "Go ahead, I can't talk sense into you."
Seeing this, Cole shook his head and left.
When they arrived at the office, the teacher provided detailed information about the Berry Exhibition.
According to the teacher, this Berry Exhibition was the Cultivation world's equivalent to the League Championships for trainers. It served as a platform for young Cultivators to showcase their work and exchange ideas.
{T/N: The Chinese always find a way to reference themselves... Anyway, Cultivators here refers to farmers who dedicate themselves to life in the farms, focusing mainly on growing Berries for Pokémon nutrition.}
Cultivators from around the world would bring their berry trees and berries to display. The exhibition also offered them a chance to promote their skills.
Growing high-quality berries demanded substantial money and resources. Many talented young cultivators lacked sufficient funding to demonstrate their full potential. The exhibition gave them a chance to catch the eye of potential benefactors who could help advance their careers.
Of course, success required genuine skill — quite a few participants tried to get by with mediocre work.
Even without securing direct investment, catching the attention of large organizations or companies looking to hire cultivators could prove invaluable.
The exhibition also attracted young cultivators from privileged backgrounds who possessed advanced techniques. Learning even a little from them could be extremely valuable.
In essence, the exhibition offered countless opportunities — it was simply a matter of seizing them.
After hearing this, Cole asked, "Could I bring my cultivated berry trees and berries to participate in the exhibition?"
The teacher looked surprised, "Student Cole, you cultivate berry trees yourself?"
To the teacher, Cole was an excellent student with outstanding grades, but he knew little about the boy's other activities. Learning that Cole cultivated berry trees came as quite a surprise.
Cole nodded and replied, "I manage an orchard where I cultivate some berry trees."
In truth, he wasn't interested in the exhibition for investment or joining major organizations — he simply wanted to trade his cultivated berry trees for new varieties.
His growing fascination with grafting techniques drove him to collect more berry trees of the same species from different regions. He wanted to study their regional variations and experiment with creating new varieties and flavors through grafting.
"You manage an orchard?" The teacher said incredulously, "You manage it yourself?"
"Yes." Cole nodded.
The teacher suddenly sat up straight and stared directly at him, "Cole, would I have the honor of visiting your orchard?"
"Of course!" He agreed readily, "It would be my honor to have you visit, teacher."
Cole knew the teacher was a professional with extensive knowledge of cultivation, so his guidance would be invaluable.
Though his current achievements were mainly thanks to his Special Ability, Cole himself had no remarkable accomplishments in cultivation — he could even be considered a beginner.
He wouldn't make pretentious claims about wanting to succeed purely through his own abilities without using his Special Ability. The cheat was his to use as he pleased, but learning more practical knowledge within his capabilities was also fulfilling.
"How about we go after school today? No time like the present!"
Uh... Was there really need to be so rushed?
"Sure, I'll wait for you after school, teacher."
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After school, Cole brought the teacher to Mt. Ascendant.
Seeing the mountain covered in berry trees, the teacher clicked his tongue in amazement. Having learned about the boy's background, he admired Cole even more. His estimation of his student had reached new heights.
When he discovered these berry trees could produce grade B berries, the teacher eagerly encouraged Cole to participate in the exhibition.
The teacher also shared valuable suggestions for the orchard: how to manage fertilization schedules, when to coordinate Pokémon pollination after blooming, proper pruning techniques for different berry trees, and other practical advice that Cole found extremely helpful.
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In the following days, Cole began actively preparing for the exhibition. He cultivated a new batch of berry tree seedlings to bring for trading.
Originally, he had planned to use these trees to fill the empty spaces on Mt. Olympus, but the exhibition took priority.
Since this was Cole's first time participating, there were many registration requirements he didn't understand, but Teacher Omura helped him enthusiastically with everything.
Omura, who taught their Berry courses, was in his early fifties. He had a somewhat rigid personality and could be stern with students who didn't study hard, which intimidated many of them.
But Cole knew better — the man was kind-hearted and quite gentle with diligent students.
During this time, Emely delivered both the Pokéblocks she'd made for Larvitar and the special rocks she'd helped him purchase.
Larvitar's reaction to the Pokéblocks was lukewarm. It would eat whatever you fed it in any quantity, accepting almost everything like a bottomless pit. But when asked if the energy blocks were tasty, it would remain silent — like a gourd with its mouth sewn shut.
The special rocks, however, it truly enjoyed. These were called Silver-Gold Stone — a silvery-white mineral slightly darker than pure silver.
{T/N: Just a normal ore, not an Evolution Stone.}
The stone was incredibly dense. A fist-sized piece weighed 15 to 20 kg, and several pieces stacked together were too heavy for even Cole's twelve-year-old frame to lift.
Emely had sent them neatly cut into regular 5kg cubes. According to her, one small piece daily would suffice for Larvitar — equivalent to it eating a large pile of ordinary rocks.
The price of these special rocks was equally striking — nearly matching Grade B Berries at P$600 per kg.
Of course, a kilogram of rock versus a kilogram of berries were entirely different propositions, especially given the stone's density. To afford this batch of Silver-Gold Stone, Cole had to sell a batch of berries overnight.
He was still too poor — if things got really tight, he might have to sell another Water Stone!
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Time flew by, and soon it was almost time for the Berry Exhibition. Having made all preparations, Cole set out with Omura.
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