Chapter 38: The Berry Convention
"Senior, stop spouting nonsense. What crime? Do I look like someone who would commit a crime?" Bai Feng rolled his eyes at Zhen Li.
"Hahaha... I was just joking!" Zhen Li laughed heartily. "Larvitar is not an easy Pokémon to raise. If you really want to train it into a powerful existence, its demands for Food are particularly high."
"How so?" Bai Feng pressed.
"First, the Berry materials used to make Energy Cubes for it must have an Energy Rating no lower than Grade A," Zhen Li said, giving Bai Feng a deep look.
"Grade A?" Bai Feng couldn't help but exclaim.
"That's right!" Zhen Li nodded. "That's why I said Larvitar is hard to raise. Their growth has particularly high demands for Energy Level, but on the Market, it's almost impossible for you to buy Grade A Berries.
Otherwise, why do you think so few people raise Pokémon like Larvitar, Dratini, and Goomy? It's not just because they are rare, but also because their Energy demands are too high. Raising them is far less cost-effective than raising other Pokémon!
Those who can afford to raise these Pokémon, needless to say, have some financial backing at Home. At least they don't have to worry about basic Food like Grade A Berries."
Grade A Berries are just basic Food...
Hearing this, Bai Feng started to worry. He didn't have any Grade A Berries either, let alone purchasing channels – none!
What a headache! This was practically bringing back an ancestor.
Seeing Bai Feng's worried expression, Zhen Li continued, "Besides that, the reason Larvitar costs more Money than other Pokémon is that it needs to regularly consume some hard Ore to absorb enough Minerals from the Ore to promote the growth of its Body Shell.
However, compared to Grade A Berries, Ore is much simpler. After all, this stuff isn't used much elsewhere except for raising Rock-type Pokémon. As long as you have Money, you can buy it, and there are many types of Ore, so there's a lot of room for choice."
"I'm just a poor guy!" Bai Feng said with a dejected look.
Zhen Li comforted him, "Don't be discouraged. I believe you will definitely make a lot of Money in the future. You were already able to cultivate Grade B Berries a few years ago, so maybe it won't be long before you can cultivate Grade A Berries."
Zhen Li genuinely thought highly of Bai Feng and believed he would definitely become a prominent figure in the future. It was just that he was still too young now and needed some Time to grow.
"Thank you, Senior Zhen Li!"
Senior Zhen Li's words didn't comfort Bai Feng. He also believed he would cultivate Grade A Berries sooner or later, but that required Time, and he needed them now!
"Actually, there's no Problem with using Grade B Berries as a substitute for now. Pokémon growth also takes Time, so take it slow, no need to rush.
As for the Ore Problem, I can help you inquire about it. I know a Rock-type Pokémon Trainer who definitely has some in stock. I'll help you get some."
"Thank you so much, Senior Zhen Li!" Bai Feng said gratefully. "Please also help me make some Energy Cubes suitable for Larvitar."
"You're welcome, leave it to me. Just remember me when you become successful in the future!" Senior Zhen Li said jokingly.
After School, Bai Feng went straight to Fang Cun Mountain without saying anything. Because of Senior Zhen Li's words, he paid even more attention to the Grafted Fruit Trees.
He certainly had no way to obtain Grade A Berries from the outside, so he could only hope to cultivate them himself.
In Bai Feng's opinion, the Fruit Trees on Fang Xing Mountain had a chance to grow into Grade A Fruit Trees, but it required Time accumulation, as their Tree Age was only a few years.
But the ones on Fang Cun Mountain were Different. Many of the Fruit Trees used for Grafting them were already Grade A in the Sea God's Cave. If they could grow Smoothly, the possibility of becoming Grade A was extremely high.
By then, wouldn't Larvitar's Meals be taken care of?
Of course, this was on the premise that everything developed in a good direction. If the Grafting was unsuccessful, it was not impossible for the Fruit Tree's Energy Level to decrease instead of increase. In that case, all efforts would be in vain.
Upon reaching Fang Cun Mountain, Bai Feng began to comb the Energy Circuits of the Fruit Trees that had already survived, hoping they would grow more vigorously.
In order to cultivate Grade A Fruit Trees as soon as possible, Bai Feng became more diligent in the following days, dedicating more Time to the cultivation of Fruit Trees on Fang Cun Mountain.
One day, during a basic Berry theory Course, the teacher suddenly mentioned a piece of news: soon, the largest city in the Kalos Region, Mi A Lei City, would hold a Berry Exhibition Convention.
He asked if any students in the class wanted to go with him to see it, stating it was a great learning Opportunity.
The students looked at each other, but not a single person signed up.
Although recognizing Berries and understanding the effects of various Berries was a Course that every student in the Breeding Major had to study, they only needed to learn the Knowledge. As for where the Berries came from or how they were cultivated, the students didn't care, let alone spend Time learning about it. They already felt they didn't have enough Time normally.
The teacher was very sad to see this Situation, feeling that the students lacked a spirit of inquiry. However, participation in this Activity was entirely voluntary, so he couldn't force them.
At this moment, Bai Feng quietly raised his hand and said, "Teacher, I'd like to go with you to see it!"
The teacher's eyes immediately lit up, and he looked at Bai Feng happily, saying, "Very good, Bai Feng. Come to my office after class!"
After class, the teacher beckoned to Bai Feng and then walked out of the Classroom with a smile.
Just as Bai Feng was about to follow, Da Fu suddenly pulled him and asked, "Are you really going to the exhibition with the teacher?"
Bai Feng nodded and said, "Yeah, is there a Problem?"
Da Fu looked at him speechlessly and said, "Why are you so stubborn? Haven't you seen enough of the teacher at School every day? If you want to go to the exhibition, just go by yourself. It's much more comfortable by yourself. Why bother having someone supervise you?"
"But with the teacher there, I can learn a lot of Knowledge. If I go by myself, I'll just be clueless," Bai Feng looked at Da Fu with an expression that seemed to say, 'Are you stupid?'
Maybe he could even inquire about Grade A Berries at the exhibition. Even if he couldn't buy them, just seeing them would be good. What if it could inspire him to cultivate Grade A Berries?
"Alright, alright," Da Fu waved his hand at Bai Feng. "Go ahead, I can't reason with you."
Seeing this, Bai Feng shook his head and left.
At the office, the teacher gave Bai Feng a detailed introduction to the Berry Exhibition Convention.
According to the teacher, this Berry Exhibition Convention was equivalent to the Alliance Tournament for Trainers in the Planting World. Its purpose was to provide a platform for young Planters to showcase and exchange ideas.
At that Time, Planters from all over the world would bring their Cultivation Results to participate in the exhibition. There, you would see all sorts of Fruit Trees and Berries.
In addition, the exhibition convention would also be a platform for some Planters to promote themselves.
Cultivating high-quality Berries requires a lot of Funds and resources. Some young Planters have the skills but not enough Funds to support them in making a big splash.
If they could gain the favor of a benefactor at this Time, wouldn't they be able to soar?
Of course, the premise of this Situation is that you truly have real talent, as there are also many people trying to take advantage of the chaos at the exhibition.
Also, even if they don't get investment from others, if a major power, large Organization, or big company takes a liking to you and invites you to specialize in cultivating Fruit Trees for them, this is also an Opportunity for many people.
Furthermore, there will also be some young Planters from major powers at the exhibition. They possess advanced cultivation techniques. If you can exchange ideas with them and learn even a little bit, that would be very good.
In short, at the exhibition convention, Opportunities are everywhere; it just depends on whether you can seize them.
After listening to the teacher, Bai Feng asked, "Can I also bring the Fruit Trees and Berries I cultivated to participate in the exhibition?"
The teacher asked in surprise, "Bai Feng, have you also cultivated Fruit Trees?"
In the teacher's eyes, Bai Feng was an excellent student with good grades, but he wasn't very clear about Bai Feng's other circumstances. Today was the first Time he heard that Bai Feng was cultivating Fruit Trees, and he was inevitably very surprised.
Bai Feng nodded and replied, "I run an Orchard and have cultivated some Fruit Trees in it."
Actually, Bai Feng wanted to participate in this exhibition not for investment or to join a major power or Organization. He just wanted to see if he could exchange the Fruit Trees he cultivated for some New Product Fruit Trees.
He was very interested in the Knowledge of Grafting now, so he wanted to collect more of the same kind of Fruit Trees growing in Different areas to compare their regional differences and see what varieties or Taste of Berries could be cultivated if they were Grafted together.
"You run an Orchard?" the teacher said in disbelief. "You run it yourself?"
"Yes," Bai Feng nodded.
The teacher immediately sat up straight and stared intently at Bai Feng, asking, "Bai Feng, I wonder if I would be fortunate enough to visit your Orchard?"
"Of course!" Bai Feng readily agreed. As far as he knew, the teacher was also a professional with deep research in Planting. It would be great if he could get his guidance. "It would be my honor for the teacher to come."
Bai Feng's achievements today were mainly thanks to his Golden Finger. He himself didn't have any remarkable achievements in Planting; in fact, he could even be said to be a beginner.
He wouldn't say anything pretentious like he had to rely on his own ability to make a career and couldn't rely on his Golden Finger for everything. The Golden Finger was his, and he could use it however he wanted. But within his own capabilities, learning more useful Knowledge was also a very fulfilling thing.
"Then how about we go after School today? There's no Time like the present!"
Uh...
Does it have to be so urgent?
"Alright, I'll wait for the teacher after School then."
After School, Bai Feng indeed went to Fang Xing Mountain with the teacher.
Seeing the Fruit Trees all over the Mountain, the teacher clicked his tongue in wonder. By this Time, he had already learned about Bai Feng's background, and therefore admired Bai Feng even more.
Bai Feng's image in his heart had risen to the peak.
Upon learning that these Fruit Trees could already grow Grade B Berries, the teacher was even more excited and encouraged Bai Feng to definitely participate in this exhibition.
At the same Time, the teacher also offered some of his own suggestions for Bai Feng's Orchard, such as how to control the frequency of fertilizing the Fruit Trees, when it was most suitable to arrange Pokémon Pollination after the Fruit Trees bloomed, what shape each type of Fruit Tree should be pruned into, and so on. These were all sincere and practical tips that greatly benefited Bai Feng.
In the following days, Bai Feng began to actively prepare for participating in the exhibition convention. He cultivated a batch of New Product Tree Fruit Saplings, planning to take them to the exhibition for trade.
Originally, he planned to use this batch of Fruit Trees to fill the empty space on Fang Cun Mountain, but now, in order to participate in the exhibition, the matters on Fang Cun Mountain had to be put aside for now.
Participating in the exhibition required registration. Since it was Bai Feng's first Time participating, there were many things he didn't understand, but the teacher enthusiastically helped him solve them.
The teacher who taught Bai Feng and the others the Berry Course was named Da Cun. He was in his early fifties, with a somewhat rigid personality, and was always fierce towards students who didn't like to study, so many students were afraid of him.
However, Bai Feng knew that Teacher Da Cun was a kind and warm-hearted person. As long as you studied hard, he was very amiable.
During this period, Senior Zhen Li delivered the Energy Cubes made for Larvitar and the special Ore she had someone buy for Bai Feng.
Larvitar's reaction to the Energy Cubes was lukewarm. If you fed it, it would eat, and it would eat as much as you fed it, almost never refusing, a veritable bottomless pit. But if you asked it if the Energy Cubes were tasty, it wouldn't make a sound, like a gourd with its mouth sawed off.
But Larvitar really liked the special Ore.
The Ore Senior Zhen Li sent was a special Stone called Silver Gold Stone. It was overall silvery-white, but the color was slightly darker than pure silver-white.
Its density was very high. A small piece the size of a fist could weigh thirty to forty pounds. If several pieces were stacked together, Bai Feng's twelve-year-old small Body couldn't lift them.
The pieces sent by Senior were neatly cut into regular cubes, each weighing about ten pounds. According to Senior, feeding Larvitar one small piece a day was enough.
Eating this one small piece of Silver Gold Stone was equivalent to Larvitar eating a large pile of ordinary Stones.
Of course, the price of this special Stone was also very touching, almost the same as the price per pound of Grade B Berries.
You know, one pound of Stone and one pound of Grade B Berries are completely Different concepts, not to mention the high density of this Stone.
To pay off the cost of this batch of Silver Gold Stone, Bai Feng sold a batch of Berries overnight.
He was still too poor. If things really got tough, he would sell another Water Stone!
In the blink of an eye, the day the Berry Exhibition Convention was about to be held arrived. Bai Feng made all the preparations and set off with Teacher Da Cun.
(End of Chapter)