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Was it because this was only his second Instance run that the Infinite World still classified him as a new player?
Caleb felt this was a plausible explanation...
After leaving the cafeteria, he sent Lily back to her dorm and headed to the Pokéblock-making classroom. There, he picked up the book Jinpei had left him and began studying it seriously.
There were many types of Pokéblocks, each emphasizing different aspects of Pokémon development.
For example, Pokéblocks made from Watmel and Durin Berries could enhance a Pokémon's brain development, making them smarter and improving their ability to learn moves.
On the other hand, Pokéblocks made from Nomel and Pinap Berries focused on strengthening a Pokémon's physique, making them more robust.
The process of making Pokéblocks, in simple terms, was about purification... It involved extracting the essence of the Berries, making them easier for Pokémon to absorb.
With a general understanding in mind, Caleb set the book aside, took two Berries from the box, and placed them into the Berry Blender.
Compression. High heat. Stirring. Electric shock. Freezing...
The five steps proceeded smoothly under his control. Soon, with a *ding*, a jelly-like substance flowed out from the machine.
"The temperature might've been too low this time…" Caleb pinched the 'jelly', analyzing the flaws in this attempt.
Then, he started over...
Second attempt... failure.
Third attempt... failure.
Fourth attempt... failure.
…
Fifty-sixth attempt... still no success...
Caleb finally understood why high-quality Pokéblocks were so expensive.
If this were someone with less patience, their mentality would've shattered by the sixth try.
"Excessive heat melts the molecular structure of the Berry, making it impossible to solidify…"
Recalling chemistry experiments from his past life, Caleb summarized the reason for the last failure. He picked up two more Berries and tried again.
This time, he kept his eyes fixed on the blender's temperature gauge, carefully controlling the heat to ensure it didn't exceed the critical point of collapse.
Finally, the indicator light turned green. The final freezing step completed.
Another crisp *ding* sounded.
A square, emerald-green Pokéblock tumbled out from the machine. He let out a sigh of relief and picked it up.
Still chilled from the freezing process, it felt cool to the touch. Its surface was smooth and delicate, almost like polished jade.
But it wasn't perfect yet. Holding the Pokéblock up to the window, Caleb examined it under the sunlight...
Bright light passed through it unobstructed, but from this angle, he could clearly see faint, vein-like impurities inside...
Just then, the double-standard teacher from earlier walked in. She hadn't expected any students to be in the classroom at noon, so she startled upon seeing Caleb.
"You're the new student? Why aren't you resting in your dorm?" Her gaze then dropped to the Pokéblock in his hand, "Did… you make this?"
Caleb nodded, "Do you know how to remove these impurities? I've tried sixty times, and whether it fails or succeeds, these streaks always appear."
"I'm Ohkawa Nadeshiko," the woman introduced herself. She took the Pokéblock and examined it carefully.
After a moment, she chuckled, "This might not be your fault. The practice Berries in this batch are of poor quality. Come with me... I'll get you some better ones to try!"
Caleb followed her to a more advanced Pokéblock-making lab.
Nadeshiko opened a refrigerated storage unit and handed him two Berries.
Caleb glanced at them, they were same type as the ones in the box. He mentally noted a few parameters, then took the Berries and began operating the blender.
Five minutes later. A crystal-clear blue Pokéblock was completed.
Nadeshiko stared in disbelief. She echoed Jinpei's earlier question: "You've really never made Pokéblocks before?"
Caleb nodded, "Once you understand the pattern, it's actually quite simple."
Nadeshiko instinctively wanted to argue that it wasn't simple at all... Countless researchers had spent years without finding a fixed formula.
Different Berry combinations produced different reactions. Changing even one Berry meant starting from scratch, requiring endless trial and error.
But Caleb's approach was far less complicated. His thought process was closer to chemistry experiments from his past life.
"Look at it from another angle, Professor Ohkawa. Take the high-heat step for example... it's undoubtedly the most crucial and challenging part. The goal is to soften the Berry's molecular structure, not melt it..."
"...If the temperature is too high, the structure breaks. Even if the other steps succeed, the Pokéblock won't form. So before operating, we need to understand each Berry's heat tolerance."
Nadeshiko's eyes widened as if a lightbulb had switched on in her mind, "So that's it! I always thought Pokéblock-making was like cooking... no wonder I failed so much! We should've been approaching it chemically!"
"Thank you, Mr Chase! I'll report this to the Pokéblock Research Association immediately. They've been looking in the wrong direction!"
With that, Professor Ohkawa Nadeshiko excitedly rushed out...
....
Caleb released Mimikyu and Dragonite and began making Pokéblocks for them on the spot...
He avoided unfamiliar Berries since he didn't know their heat tolerance and risked failure.
Placing the finished Pokéblocks in front of them, he said: "Try them. Let me know how they taste."
Dragonite was practically drooling. Caleb teased: "So you're trying to act cute, uh.."
Dragonite blinked innocently, its lake-green eyes shimmering with a mix of confusion and naivety.
Clearly, it didn't understand what "acting cute" meant, but it was already adorable enough.
Suppressing the urge to squish its cheeks, Caleb placed the Pokéblock into Dragonite's claws.
Dragonite had a much bigger appetite than Mimikyu. Back in Oldale Town, Caleb had worried it might get hungry at night, so he would prepared large portions, leaving Dragonite stuffed and hiccuping every time...
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Read ahead on my P@treon...
[email protected]/MayaMatengele01