"Master Carsten."
"President Kade."
As the three of them walked deeper into the association's headquarters, people passing by continuously greeted the two masters with respect. At the same time, curious glances were cast toward Maki, as if wondering why he was walking alongside such esteemed figures.
"Hey, who's that? Master Carsten's illegitimate son?"
"Come on, don't joke around. Master Carsten is already at that age—he wouldn't even have the ability, even if he wanted to."
"You never know. Look at these masters; they take such good care of their bodies. He might still have it in him!"
"Still, that's unlikely. Just look at that young guy who walked past. He's way too handsome—there's no way they're related."
"Then... an illegitimate son with no blood relation?"
"???"
Fortunately, these two were far enough away and speaking quietly. Otherwise, given Carsten's temper, he would have kicked them on the spot instead of letting them ramble on.
"This place is usually used by trainees for their assessments. It should be empty right now, so we can use it."
Carsten led them to a room and pushed the door open. As expected, there was no one inside, but the facilities were well-equipped.
While they weren't as good as the ones Maki had at home, they were still far better than the cheap ones he typically used.
"The equipment may not be the best, but it should suffice, right?" Carsten asked.
"It's fine. The only issue is that the final product's quality might be slightly affected."
"That's inevitable. Just do your best."
Carsten understood. Even if he were the one handling the equipment, the results would be somewhat compromised. But for a test, this setup would be more than adequate.
"Do you need a list of available berries? The association should have everything you need. Just tell me what you require." Carsten confidently assured him.
Although this wasn't the headquarters, being in a massive metropolis like Celadon City meant they had an extensive stockpile of berries.
"Great." Maki's eyes lit up. He had originally planned to work with whatever they provided, but since they were letting him choose, he wouldn't hold back!
After all, if free resources were available, why not take full advantage of them?
Without hesitation, he grabbed a sheet of paper and began swiftly jotting down a long list of berries.
"Charcoal Berry, Chople Berry..." Carsten nodded as he scanned the list.
At first glance, it was clear that Maki was planning to make Pokéblocks for Fire-type Pokémon. But as he read further, something felt off—the later entries on the list were getting progressively more expensive.
"Hold on... Lansat Berry, Starf Berry... Do you even need these?"
Carsten's eyes widened in disbelief. Unlike common berries like Charcoal Berry, Lansat and Starf Berries were notoriously difficult to cultivate artificially. Their supply in the Kanto region was incredibly low.
A single Lansat Berry could fetch upwards of a hundred thousand Poké Dollars. Worse still, they were scarce, and unless you had exclusive channels, they were nearly impossible to obtain.
Even the Breeder Association's reserves in Celadon City were limited.
These berries were typically reserved for crafting high-grade Pokéblocks. What exactly was Maki planning?
If taking advantage of resources was a game, this kid wasn't just picking low-hanging fruit—he was outright yanking them from the tree!
When Kade glanced at the list, even his eyelid twitched involuntarily.
To put things into perspective, even when they produced high-end Pokéblocks, they rarely used berries of this caliber.
"What are you planning to do with these?" Kade frowned and asked.
The cost wasn't the real issue—it was the scarcity. Recently, the League had established stronger trade relations with a region called Alola, which was rich in such berries, slightly increasing their availability.
Even so, until the League and Alola reached a deeper level of cooperation, their supply would remain limited.
"Obviously, I'm making Pokéblocks," Maki answered as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"You're using these to make Pokéblocks...?" Midway through his sentence, Carsten suddenly paused, eyes widening as realization dawned upon him.
"Wait... You don't mean to say—you can make high-grade Pokéblocks?!"
Kade shot Carsten a look, as if he were an idiot. "That's impossible."
Even Carsten, after blurting out the question, shook his head. Given Maki's age, how could that be...
"Yeah, I can make them." Maki nodded casually.
"See? That's what I thou—wait, WHAT?!"
Carsten stared at Maki in disbelief, his expression practically screaming:
Are you messing with us?!
"This isn't exactly a laughing matter, kid," Carsten said, his tone unusually serious.
"Why not just try and see for yourselves?" Maki responded confidently.
Seeing the assured look on Maki's face, Carsten and Kade exchanged glances. After a brief moment, as if making a silent decision, they both nodded in agreement.
"I'll go get the Berries. Take him to my place—the equipment there is better," Kade instructed Carsten before heading off. Meanwhile, Carsten pulled Maki into another room.
"You're free to use any of this equipment."
If they were making high-quality Pokéblocks, they would need a proper environment. The setup they used earlier for mid-tier Pokéblocks had been passable, but this time, cutting corners wasn't an option.
It wasn't long before Kade returned, carrying a case filled with rare Berries. The moment the box was opened, a rich, distinctive aroma spread through the air.
Of course, Maki didn't notice anything particularly special about the scent. After all, fruits like Watmel Berries and Durin Berries were valued more for their effects and rarity. To someone unfamiliar with Berries, they might just look like exotic fruits—something they'd take a bite of, only to spit out immediately.
The taste of these Berries was... well, let's just say, for humans, it wasn't much different from eating a Devil Fruit.
In short—disgusting.
"Here, the Berries you asked for."
Kade handed over the case, his gaze deep and thoughtful. He was genuinely curious—could Maki really surprise him?
"Don't worry." Maki accepted the Berries with a grin.
These things weren't cheap. Back when he was still practicing with textbook recipes, Maki had wasted quite a few of them—so much so that even Giovanni himself had started feeling the pinch.
Under the watchful eyes of the two older men, Maki stepped up to the machine, flicked it on with practiced ease, and began skillfully preparing the Berries.
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