Chapter 288: Imitating Vanilla and Mystery Berry

The cake-making was a huge success!

To promote this dish, Guang Tai left the recipe with the Tian Tong brothers and added their friend.

Similarly, Guang Tai received a special title.

【Strange Chef】!

【Description: A title granted to a chef who can create miraculous dishes, possessing unknown culinary techniques; all your dishes gain +100% strangeness. Strangeness astonishes humans and Pokémon, leaving lasting impressions; a 20% discount on ingredient purchases; enhances all your foodcraft skills and knowledge.】

Zhen Gu’s eyes sparkled with admiration: “Perfect! I’ve decided—I’ll develop a software for the San Yao Restaurant that lets Pokémon interact and order meals, then install it into the C-device!”

Songlu sighed: “Sis, you can’t just install everything into the C-device.”

But Guang Tai thought Zhen Gu’s suggestion was quite good.

Pokémon Sleep already had all sorts of meals and food, all delicious; adding Pokémon Café Mix seems like a solid idea too.

“Right! Even you think my idea is amazing! No wonder you’re the future deputy director!”

Zhen Gu happily slapped Guang Tai’s arm, while Songlu’s expression said it all.

Ever since Sister obtained Dream Eater, her daydreaming hasn’t decreased—it’s only grown more frequent.

“Let’s check the storage system first.”

Songlu shook her head; when her sister couldn’t focus on serious matters, this little girl was forced to shoulder such a heavy burden.

Heaven bestows great responsibilities upon such a person!

“Oh right! The storage system!”

Zhen Gu finally remembered—Guang Tai had mentioned a possible flaw in the storage system; if true, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Theoretically, all storage systems worldwide are redeveloped from Professor Zheng Hui’s system; if we’re looking for vulnerabilities, Professor Zheng Hui is the one who understands it best.

Guang Tai: “Then I won’t disturb you—I’m setting off on my journey again; there are still many important places waiting for me to unlock.”

Zhen Gu tilted her head: “Unlock?”

Guang Tai: “Yes. The ancient kings are waiting in silence.”

Zhen Gu: “You sound like a mythologist. Do you have a side job like that?”

Guang Tai rubbed his chin:

“Mythologist? Not exactly—but close enough.”

“Huh?”

Zhen Gu blinked at Guang Tai’s reply, then shrugged.

“Fine! If the deputy director is multi-talented, I don’t mind at all! After all, you’ve always been mysterious!”

“It’s definitely connected to the Linking Tree, isn’t it? Now I’m also a vessel of the Linking Tree’s will—I can’t let you outdo me!”

“Hmm, do your best.”

Zhen Gu gave a motivational fist pump, then waved goodbye with Songlu; the Tian Tong brothers also came out to see him off.

“By the way, that Pokémon…” Koen suddenly remembered, his style shifting into a shoujo manga aesthetic.

“That ancient Lady Skirt—she appeared in last week’s Lei Wen concert broadcast!”

Boert slammed his hands together: “Ah! That’s right! That Lady Skirt! I remember now!”

“Damn it! I should’ve asked for an autograph!”

————

“By the way, why don’t you want me to teleport you away? I know Professor Da Mu too.”

Route 5, near Performance Street.

Guang Tai gazed at the distant ocean; beside him was not Shieldon but Entei!

The phantom Entei possessed the same moves as the real Entei; when Guang Tai prepared to re-enter Lei Wen City before heading to Fanba City, the phantom Entei suddenly offered to help.

The help meant—

Extreme Speed!

Thanks to this powerful move, the Fengwang Guard could race across the Hoenn lands at incredible speed, arriving instantly at sites of danger.

When the phantom Entei kidnapped Xiao Zhi’s mother Hua Zi, it hadn’t even used Extreme Speed yet—and still left the Super Newbie behind, showing off its strength subtly.

Xiao Zhi could chase down speeding trucks… though maybe he hadn’t learned that yet in the Hoenn era.

“Having truly been born into this world, I want to see more of it.”

“The scenery here is completely different from Hoenn… but even so, I’ve only ever seen green grasslands.”

The phantom Entei’s voice was heavy with regret.

At the same time, it felt a flicker of anxiety and fear.

When it first emerged from the dream world, it had been overjoyed—thinking it would finally reunite with Xiao Mei.

But now it remembered: the girl’s true father had returned, and it had nearly plunged Xiao Mei into danger.

It felt guilty.

“The Fengwang Guard races across the land—they’ve seen countless people, events, and landscapes.”

“I want to be like them—to leave the sealed Crystal Tower and observe more fascinating things.”

“Then I’ll have many stories to tell Xiao Mei—strange, mysterious tales; children love those most.”

“After leaving Xiao Mei’s dream, I felt the rhythm of life—a sensation utterly unlike before, after the rainbow light fell…”

“This is ‘reality’!”

Entei closed its eyes.

Guang Tai understood what the phantom Entei was going through.

As a fabricated being, it was disoriented upon sensing its own true life—Mewtwo had once gone through the same phase.

“Living is a wonderful thing,” Guang Tai said. “That’s not my saying—it’s Mewtwo’s.”

Guang Tai turned to look at Entei: “Too bad you never met it in the dream world. You must’ve heard of it from Lei Guan Wang.”

The phantom Entei nodded gently: “A Renzao Pokémon, possessing immense psychic power, unmatched in strength, searching for the meaning of life—and like me, it longs to reunite with someone.”

“I’ve heard Mewtwo’s story. Now it knows where to go. That’s why I don’t want to return immediately—I want to travel, just like it.”

“For me, the answer lies there. What I seek is the correct path toward that answer.”

The phantom Entei sounded like a philosopher—perhaps having shifted between life and dissolution, it had gained insight.

Like Mewtwo, these complex Pokémon always held deep thoughts and unique perspectives.

Near Route 5, Entei voluntarily returned to its Poké Ball; crossing this road would lead directly to Fanba City.

Trainers who were musicians, dancers, and artists often performed here; it was so famous that even Yang Kui, a Pokémon Center staff member, would sneak out to watch.

On the road stood a recreational vehicle; inside was the Hunger Maid, a notorious gadget enthusiast.

In Pokémon Black/White, upon first arriving here, you battle Hei Lian. After defeating him, A De appears and arranges for the player to team up with Hei Lian for a double battle against a pair of kindergarten children.

The artistic atmosphere here was thick.

“Gadget enthusiast… come to think of it…”

Lately, I’ve crafted many new gadgets, but many are machine-based, some patented—so I can’t list them for sale.

Especially the Silver Viewer and the Radio Shield—if I tried selling those, Silver Corporation and the International Police would immediately accuse me of infringement and take heavy notice.

These tech gadgets are just too powerful. The only things I can sell are metronomes.

Of course, dustproof goggles, assault vests, and thick-soled boots can be sold too—but if meant for Pokémon to carry, they require custom fitting; mass production won’t work.

The First-Move Coupon is a decent item; like the Red Card, it has a special crafting method. The Red Card has already been listed and sold a few copies.

The Target is a seemingly useless item—but perhaps it’ll prove useful at an unexpected moment.

Throat Spray, Spy Cloak, various talismans, new medicines, Linking Rope.

As for Strange Balls and Blue Poké Balls—these are even more dangerous. Some haven’t been made yet, but even if I did, I wouldn’t sell them—they’re absolute non-sale items!

“If you’re selling mechanical products, household appliances are far more reliable!”

Guang Tai watched the performers; the lively atmosphere here infected every traveler who arrived.

Entei hid among the distant trees, quietly watching the human performances.

Even the Pokémon in the trees wandered freely along the street, dancing and performing—they seemed to be having a blast.

“Sniff… you smell wonderfully fragrant!”

“Excuse me! May I take a look?”

As soon as Guang Tai entered Performance Street, a young maid burst out from the nearby RV, sniffing his backpack with her delicate nose, eyes gleaming like a hunter who’d found a rare treasure.

Guang Tai: “...You’re the gadget maid rumored to collect rare ingredients here, aren’t you?”

“Eh! You’ve heard of me? So I’m famous now?”

The gadget maid beamed and bowed to Guang Tai: “My apologies—I’m Fana, searching for rare ingredients to prepare delicious meals for my master.”

“I have a special ability—I can sniff out the aroma of any food; no ingredient can hide from my nose.”

Guang Tai considered: “I do have some rare ingredients.”

Fana: “I’ll pay top price! Please, part with them!”

Guang Tai: “Price is negotiable, but I’d also like to obtain something from you. Since you gather rare ingredients for your master… how about an exchange?”

“Eee~!” Fana’s expression turned reluctant.

Guang Tai couldn’t help but comment.

Is this maid collecting rare ingredients to cook for her master—or just because she’s greedy for food herself?

“To be honest,” Guang Tai put on refined glasses, adopting a scholarly air: “I’m also a Strange Chef. I never let rare ingredients slip through my fingers.”

Rare ingredients are rare items; when processed, they naturally gain special properties.

Fana thought carefully: “...Then I’ll have to inspect them closely! Some ingredients are too rare—I can’t let you take them away!”

Guang Tai: “But if there are so many, how can it be considered rare? I have something absolutely rare—trade with me, and you won’t regret it!”

Fana crossed her arms, speechless: “Hmm.”

“Fine! Then pick your share—but first, let me see your stuff! What’s this?”

Guang Tai pulled out a golden acorn. It emitted a pleasant aroma, not quite intoxicating, but Fana kept sniffing it repeatedly, making Guang Tai wonder if the petite maid before him might be a dog-girl in human form.

“Oh! A golden acorn—I’ve never seen this ingredient before! The scent is wonderful! I’ll take this one. Now pick from mine!”

Fana eagerly dragged Guang Tai into the food cart and heaved out a secret chest storing her ingredients.

Inside the open chest lay a full collection of rare tree fruits and herbs—even including shallow-sea salt from the Hoenn region.

Guang Tai recognized several special fruits: “Five rare tree fruits…”

Fana’s face lit up with pride: “You know them! Hmph, these are all fruits painstakingly gathered by nearby breeders! As a supreme chef, you absolutely can’t miss these flavors!”

“The Hami fruit has a complex, unique taste and is often given as a precious gift; when boiled into sauce and added to dishes, the Algen fruit elevates flavor even further.”

“The Grapefruit pairs beautifully with salad; the Bā fruit has a spicy rind and sweet-tart flesh—perfect as an appetizer! The Liushi fruit resembles the Meiliu fruit, with a distinctive sweet-spicy flavor and a hidden bitterness—it’s hugely popular!”

Fana explained these five special tree fruits. Guang Tai knew them because—

they were all fruits that increased affection but lowered base stats.

Yet as ingredients, they were genuinely rare and delicious—and nearly impossible to obtain in the game.

“I’ll take some of these fruits…”

“Ha! Then you’ll need something even rarer,” Fana said, eyes glinting with mischief—she wouldn’t be the one to lose out.

To the wealthy, money meant nothing—but rare ingredients were impossible to find!

“Is that so? Then this should satisfy you.”

Guang Tai rummaged in his bag and pulled out a small vial of glittering salt.

【Ingredient: Diamond Salt.】

【Description: A special mineral salt that grows symbiotically with tiny diamond fragments, possessing eternal purity and a pure salty flavor.】

“Sniff sniff~ Ah! Rare salt! This pure, salty fragrance!” Fana’s eyes sparkled. Guang Tai, however, looked puzzled.

“Fine! This vial is worth two tree fruits—three of each!”

Fana held up two fingers. Guang Tai scoffed: “This is salt that coexists with a specific Pokémon, imbued with eternal purity. Two tree fruits won’t cut it.”

“At least three. I’ll make up the rest with other items.”

“Hmm… fine! I agree!” Fana, desperate for the special salt, reasoned she wasn’t losing out after a moment’s thought—and the trade was sealed.

Guang Tai gained the Algen fruit for elevating flavor, the Liushi fruit with its sweet-spicy taste, and the Grapefruit for pairing with salad.

He took only two of each fruit.

The salt itself wasn’t special—only the power within differed. The taste and scent should be nearly identical, right?

Guang Tai thought this as he handed over one golden acorn, ready to take the remaining two fruits—when he suddenly noticed something even stranger.

“Huh? What’s this?”

Guang Tai’s eyes locked onto a crucial “ingredient!”

【Item (Ingredient): Mimic Herb.】

【Description: A strangely shaped herb emitting an odd aroma. A Pokémon carrying it may, once per battle, mimic an opponent’s stat boost and gain the same increase.】

【Effect: When an opponent raises their stats, activate this item to match the same stat increase. Outside battle, a Pokémon carrying this herb can mimic moves—if another Pokémon can learn that move via egg moves, it can learn it too.】

【Bonus: As an ingredient, it mimics vegetable flavors. If grown symbiotically with a certain plant, it copies that plant’s taste and texture.】

Guang Tai feigned ignorance: “This ingredient is strange. Where did you get it?”

Fana: “Oh, that? It’s a mutated version of Water’s Edge Herb. The taste is the same as regular Water’s Edge Herb.”

“But! Because of its unusual appearance, it’s worth at least—”

Fana’s eyes darted. Guang Tai pretended to hesitate, then handed her a golden acorn.

“Hee! I scored! Well, if you raise it properly, it might even develop new flavors—maybe it’s a new herb species! One golden acorn is fair, right?”

Guang Tai: “You’re wrong. I’m taking one more fruit. That golden acorn? You’ve never seen one like it. I don’t tell just anyone—this acorn can be given as a gift to Pokémon. It makes them happy… even befriends them.”

Fana: “Huh?!”

“Ugh… fine. Take one more, then. Sounds incredibly rare…”

Guang Tai’s gaze dropped to the very bottom of the chest.

Beneath the Mimic Herb lay another bizarre object: a layer of tiny, sunflower-seed-like fruits. They looked odd—but Guang Tai hadn’t believed such “tree fruits” could actually exist.

【Item (Ingredient): Mystery Mushroom.】

【Description: Its true appearance is unknown. It seems to hold star power—only those who eat it can know its flavor. Looks like sunflower seeds.】

【Effect: A Bao Fen ingredient. When ground into powder, it serves as a medicine base. When carried by a Pokémon, it restores HP when hit by an exceptionally effective move.】

【Effect 2: When consumed by a Pokémon blessed with heavenly power, it enhances the power drawn from the stars!】

(End of Chapter)