Chapter 34

A single Thalassian Shard sells for about 3,000 Alliance Coins, roughly equivalent to items like Hard Stone.

The sole function of Thalassian Shards is this: in the famed Bao Shí Táng restaurant of the Paldea region, fifty Thalassian Shards of the same type can be used to craft a special dish that changes a Pokémon’s Terastal type.

“For wealthy people, changing Terastal types offers more tactical options, but the default Terastal type is usually sufficient—these two shards are better sold for cash.”

Luo Mu shook his head; Thalassian Shards were still abundant in Paldea, appearing randomly whenever crystalline formations shattered across the region, and the market was flooded with scattered shards of every type.

This even gave rise to a group of people who made a living solely by collecting Thalassian Shards.

Luo Mu did not capture the Competitive Crab; the claws dropped by wild Competitive Crabs tasted vastly different from those of domesticated ones, with no comparison possible—most restaurants specifically required claws from wild Competitive Crabs.

Luo Mu followed Raichu to a flat spot in the mountains, pitched a tent, lit a campfire, and set up a small pot to steam the Competitive Crab claws.

Prying open the claws revealed about six or seven catties of tender white crab meat; finding clean water and steaming it would fully unlock the meat’s natural sweetness.

Luo Mu had once dined at Bao Shí Táng with Qingmu, a salaryman, after defeating a Normal-type Gym.

At the time, one of the chefs at Bao Shí Táng heard Luo Mu had found a pair of wild Competitive Crab claws and had eaten just one of them boiled—he couldn’t help but sigh in despair.

That way of eating was sheer waste; the chef immediately showed Luo Mu the best cooking method for Competitive Crab claws.

Unfortunately, Luo Mu had no soy sauce, only portable seasonings like salt and chili powder—otherwise, with the claw meat’s intense sweetness, a touch of soy sauce would make your eyebrows dance with delight.

White steam rose steadily; Luo Mu wasn’t worried the fire or food scent would attract wild Pokémon.

Not to mention no wild Pokémon in this area could survive three hits from Raichu, and even if any had smelled the aroma, Raichu’s thunderous roar after Terastallizing would have scared them off before they dared to emerge.

Remembering the timer, Luo Mu lifted the lid the moment the countdown ended; within the swirling white steam, tender white crab meat lay atop the shells, releasing a sweet, fresh fragrance from the meat and clear broth—just one sniff sent saliva flooding through his mouth.

The finest ingredients require only the simplest cooking methods.

Luo Mu and Raichu exchanged a glance, ignored the searing heat of the shells, each grabbed or cradled a claw, and eagerly tasted the crab meat.

Thick, succulent, snow-white strands of meat released an intensely sweet broth when sucked, paired with a rich, melt-in-the-mouth texture—just swallowing that bite made Luo Mu feel every hardship of the past year was worth it.

Raichu’s eyes sparkled as it devoured, its star-shaped tail tip wagging happily.

Luo Mu ate about one-third of the crab meat; Raichu ate about two-thirds.

Yet their eating speeds were nearly identical.

Just from this one meal of top-tier delicacy, Luo Mu felt the entire trip had already paid for itself.

He planned to take the remaining claw home as a specialty to share with his other Pokémon—after all, letting only himself and Raichu feast alone wasn’t right.

The early spring night was cool, but Luo Mu now felt warm all over since eating the crab meat, no longer chilled by the wind.

Raichu felt it even more clearly: its internal energy was now overflowing, and even its bodily functions had slightly improved.

The next day, morning.

Luo Mu and Raichu packed up quickly and retraced their steps down the mountain; their destination was a lake about a few hundred meters east of the mountain’s base.

They moved fast, arriving at their destination in under ten minutes.

The lake sat at the center of a small wetland, surrounded by scattered wild Pokémon native to the marsh.

Although no ultra-rare late-bloomers like the juveniles of Nian Nian Bao were present, Uppo, Swampert, Ducklett, Marill, and Mudkip could be seen scattered around.

Luo Mu observed: the wetland’s terrain would make it easy for Gyarados to dig irrigation channels; he couldn’t yet tell what Pokémon or fish lived in the lake, but its water volume was ample—enough to fill his farm’s pit without lowering the water level.

As for water quality...

Luo Mu walked to a drier edge of the lake, crouched down, and pulled a water-testing kit from his large backpack.

He dripped lake water onto the test strips; after three minutes, no two red lines appeared—indicating the water met all standards.

Raichu nudged close, bumping Luo Mu’s side, emitting a short, rapid rumble from its throat.

Luo Mu reached out and patted its fluffy head, smiling: “All clear—we can bring Gyarados back to channel the water.”

With one worry resolved, before heading back, Luo Mu figured he’d stroll around the wetland to see if any suitable Water-type Pokémon were around to... uh, adopt.

Uppo, Ducklett, and Marill didn’t meet Luo Mu’s expectations.

If most Uppo were too hyper and rowdy, their evolved form Swampert was the opposite extreme—slow, gentle, and laid-back, like a Pokémon version of a capybara.

Ducklett was too dull; its evolved form, Swanna, was better suited to fishing with fishermen than working on a farm.

Marill, the water rat, and its evolved form, Azumarill, the water bunny, were better suited to playfully brawling with Dragonite (definitely).

Luo Mu’s gaze drifted across the lake’s surface, searching for a Water-type Pokémon suited to his farm.

After about five minutes, his eyes stung from staring—he finally spotted a Pokémon climbing onto shore not far away.

Smooth blue skin, a round body without limbs, a plump tadpole tail shaped like feathers, and a black spiral pattern on its belly!

Tadpole Pokémon—Wenxiang Tadpole!

In its initial form, this Pokémon was hardly different from Ducklett, Marill, or Uppo.

But after its two-stage evolution, one of its branching evolutions—Wenxiang King—possessed a unique ability that made it one of the most suitable Pokémon for Luo Mu’s farm.