He didn't like being the center of attention, especially after just revealing a part of his strength.
It was only when he returned to the luxurious private suite prepared for the winner at the Pokémon Center that Jiang Han truly relaxed.
He released his Pokémon from their Poké Balls.
Sandile maintained its cool demeanor, leaning against the corner with its eyes closed to rest, but its twitching nose betrayed its curiosity toward the unfamiliar scents.
Sneasel nimbly jumped onto the windowsill, its sharp claws lightly brushing against the glass without making a sound, its red eyes observing the world outside with great interest.
Inkay let out a "Chuu" and floated in mid-air, poking the soft sofa in the room with its tentacles, looking very happy.
Jiang Han looked at them, and his usually cold and hard gaze softened slightly.
These were his most reliable combat forces and the partners who would grow stronger together with him.
Not long after, the doorbell rang.
Jiang Han opened the door to find a round robot butler holding an exquisite silver tray, covered by a hemispherical lid.
Jiang Han knew this wasn't some highly intelligent modern device, but rather a Rotom acting as the core, controlling the robot's operations.
"Mr. Jiang Han, the Dark-type Pokémon Gourmet Food you ordered has been delivered. I wish your Pokémon an enjoyable meal."
The robot's electronic voice was monotonous, but the contents it delivered stirred Jiang Han's heart.
He took the tray, said his thanks, and closed the door.
As he placed the tray on the low table in the center of the room, Sandile and Sneasel's gazes were instantly drawn over.
Even Inkay, floating in the air, curiously drifted closer.
Jiang Han took a deep breath and slowly lifted the lid.
An indescribable, peculiar fragrance instantly filled the entire room.
It wasn't a simple aroma of meat or fruit, but a deep and alluring scent produced by a marvelous chemical reaction between various ingredients.
Smelling this scent, Jiang Han felt his spirit refreshed, while the three Pokémon beside him had even more intense reactions.
Sandile's eyes snapped open, staring fixedly at the tray as a low "gurgle" sound came from its throat.
Sneasel leaped down from the windowsill, landing silently by the table, its body tensed in a pre-hunting posture.
Inkay was even more direct; the luminous organs on its head flashed rhythmically, showing its extreme inner longing.
On the tray, three different types of food were served.
Each portion was presented in deep, dark tones, looking as exquisite as obsidian.
One was a steak that looked like it was made from some special dried meat, garnished with several berries that looked like black pearls. Between the textures of the steak, dark energy seemed to flow slowly.
Another was a pudding-like paste, entirely pitch black with a surface as smooth as a mirror, outlined with mysterious patterns in purple sauce, emitting a slight chill.
The last one consisted of several square pastries, seemingly made from various berries ground into powder and pressed together, sprinkled with some sparkling black powder.
This was the Dark-type Pokémon Gourmet Food, valued at over eight hundred thousand league coins.
Jiang Han's gaze swept over the food, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
Nurturing Pokémon was indeed a path paved with money.
A single meal had cost several years' worth of savings for an ordinary family.
Relying on himself alone, he probably wouldn't even be able to keep his Pokémon full, let alone afford this kind of top-tier nutritional supplement.
"Dig in."
With Jiang Han's command, the three Pokémon could no longer hold back.
Sandile swallowed the energy steak in one bite, barely chewing; its massive mouth was like a bottomless pit.
Sneasel appeared much more elegant, using the tips of its sharp claws to gently pick up the black pastry, tasting it in small bites, though its speed was not slow at all.
Inkay used its tentacles to roll up the pudding-like paste and sent it directly into its mouth.
The moment the food entered their mouths, visible changes occurred in the bodies of the three Pokémon.
Sandile's entire body stiffened, the muscles under its skin began to tremble involuntarily, and waves of rich Dark-type energy dissipated from its body, forming a faint black cyclone around it.
It closed its eyes, seemingly digesting that massive amount of energy.
Sneasel's movements stopped, and the aura on its body began to climb steadily. Its already sharp eyes now held an added depth.
The Dark-type and Ice-type energy within its body seemed to be catalyzed, starting to circulate at an unprecedented speed.
"Chuu!"
Inkay let out a joyful cry as its entire body lit up. Psychic and Dark-type energy intertwined, making it look like a moving little sun.
Jiang Han observed quietly from the side, not daring to disturb them in the slightest.
He could clearly sense that the energy within the three Pokémon was undergoing an earth-shaking transformation.
The effects of the Pokémon Gourmet Food were even better than he had imagined.
This kind of food didn't just replenish energy; more importantly, it could guide Pokémon to a deeper understanding of the origin of their own attributes.
This would have immeasurable benefits for the Pokémon's future growth.
After about ten minutes, a burst of dazzling white light suddenly erupted from Sneasel, who was undergoing the most intense transformation!
The Light of Leveling Up!
As the light dissipated, Sneasel's form didn't seem to have changed much, but its entire temperament was completely different. Amidst its original cunning and agility, there was now a hint of steadiness and sharpness.
Jiang Han immediately pulled out his pokédex to check.
Sure enough, it had directly increased by 1 level!
Breaking through from Level 20 to Level 21 required more consumption for Pokémon with higher aptitude.
For Sneasel to break through in such a short time, this Pokémon Gourmet Food was undoubtedly the main contributor.
On the other side, Sandile also slowly opened its eyes.
The black cyclone around it had disappeared, but in those crimson eyes, there seemed to be vortices spinning.
The bottleneck of its Level 24 rank had clearly loosened, as if a crack had appeared in a dam; though it hadn't collapsed yet, the next breakthrough was obviously not far off.
Inkay's changes were equally pleasing; its Psychic fluctuations had become more solid, and the energy of its Dark Pulse was more refined.
Seeing the clearly strengthened spirits of his Pokémon after eating the gourmet food, Jiang Han was very satisfied.
Participating in this battle was worth it!
However, he also knew that for this kind of heavenly-treasure-like food, the effect was only best the first time it was consumed.
If eaten again later, the effect would be greatly diminished, falling far short of today's immediate results.
"Ultimately, it still requires a massive amount of resources to build up," Jiang Han sighed in his heart.
There were no shortcuts on the path to becoming a top Trainer.
After soothing the Pokémon, who were somewhat excited by their increase in strength, Jiang Han let them move freely in the room while he walked to the desk and took out a map from his space ring.
The edges of the map were already somewhat curled and worn, showing its age.
The lines on it were drawn quite crudely, only barely identifiable as the topographical layout of Meteor Falls.
And in the center of the map, a crooked 'X' was drawn in red.
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