Eichi operated the machine, bringing out a mold slot and pouring in the Fusion Liquid. Next, he began dispensing the Berry powder.
The first was the Mago Berry powder. Eichi dispensed the required dosage from the formula. He slowly poured in half, letting it react with the Fusion Liquid, and then poured in the remaining half. He operated the machine, closed the lid, and agitated it for three seconds.
Meanwhile, he continued to dispense the second Berry powder. Eichi activated his Eye of the Bug Emperor. In his sight, he could see every minute detail of the machine clearly.
The second was the Liechi Berry powder, which was bright yellow. Eichi slowly squeezed out the powder, grain by grain, and as it fell from the tube into the prepared container, everything was perfectly clear to him.
Just as the last particle of powder was dispensed, he swiftly stopped. It was exactly right, not a single grain more or less. Eichi poured the powder into the corner of the mold slot and quickly closed the lid.
He pressed the drying button and started an internal countdown. After one minute, he turned off the drying button and opened the lid. The liquid inside showed signs of solidifying and had become slightly viscous. The overall color in the corner had changed from pale blue to light green.
Eichi then added a small amount of Fusion Liquid to the mix before dispensing the powder of the next Berries. Compared to making Beginner Pokéblock, the production of Intermediate Pokéblock was clearly much more difficult. Not only did it require more Berries, but the process was no longer just a simple sequential pouring into the mold slots. It also involved steps like oscillation and heating. Time was critical during this process. After pouring the powders in sequence, the next required powder had to be dispensed within a certain time limit, and the infusion time had to be strictly controlled. This was because the reaction would differ if the powder was added at different times, which would directly affect the final result. Therefore, not a single step could be wrong; an error meant starting over. Any progress made up to that point would be wasted.
Fortunately, so far, Eichi had not made a single mistake and was proceeding very steadily.
He continued in this manner with the third, fourth, and fifth Berry powders. Time passed minute by minute. The entire classroom was very quiet; only the subtle sound of the machine being operated could be heard. Eichi was completely focused on the production, unaware that he was sweating.
When the final powder, that of the Pamtre Berry, was poured into the mold slot, the liquid inside already showed three colors: blue, green, and orange. As Eichi poured in the last pink powder, the color of the liquid gradually began to change, and after one minute, he closed the lid. He then operated the machine to begin oscillation, which lasted for one minute before the machine stopped vibrating.
Eichi pressed the drying button. He could see the process through the glass. A reddish-orange light shone inside the glass, reflecting on Eichi's face.
After the operation was complete, Eichi let out a sigh of relief, his entire body relaxing. He had been so focused during the operation that he hadn't dared to breathe, fearing he would disrupt his movements. He slumped in his seat to wait.
This Intermediate Pokéblock he was making was from the free formula Professor Kant had given him. Since it was the only free Intermediate Pokéblock recipe, Professor Kant naturally had a copy. However, when Eichi asked for it, he hadn't simply demanded the recipe.
He had asked, "Professor Kant, do you have any Intermediate Pokéblock recipes on hand?"
Professor Kant replied, "Yes, I do. Why do you ask?"
Eichi smiled. "Could I take a look?"
Professor Kant said, "I have plenty of Intermediate Pokéblock recipes, but most of them require you to exchange them at the Logistics Department. I do have one free Intermediate Pokéblock recipe here, but first, tell me why you want to see it."
Eichi smiled. "I feel like I've been improving quite quickly these past few days making Pokéblocks, and I wanted to know the difference between Intermediate Pokéblock and Beginner Pokéblock."
"I see," Professor Kant said. "In that case, let me look for it." He searched his office desk and quickly found it, handing it to Eichi. Eichi took it and immediately began reading. While Eichi read, Professor Kant talked more about the differences between Intermediate and Beginner Pokéblock.
However, Eichi didn't hear a word; he relied on his photographic memory to remember every detail on the formula sheet. After reading it, Eichi returned the recipe to Professor Kant, said goodbye, and quickly wrote down the content of the formula on a piece of paper when he got back, just in case he forgot.
As Eichi was lost in thought, a "ding" sound brought him back to reality. A barrier opened, revealing a rectangular object inside. After the machine cooled down a bit, heopened the lid. A fresh aroma wafted out. It smells wonderful, he thought, taking a deep breath that instantly lifted his spirits.
Inside, a three-colored Pokéblock lay quietly, featuring blue, green, and purple hues. He took out the Intermediate Pokéblock, which was still warm and observed it carefully.
The entire Pokéblock was flat and smooth, with three-colored lines running through it. Eichi broke off a small piece and tasted it. The flavor was very sour and astringent, not tasty at all. However, according to the formula's description, this Pokéblock should be of Good quality.
This was his first attempt at making an Intermediate Pokéblock, and it was a success. Furthermore, the quality was neither Defective nor Ordinary, but Good. Eichi was extremely satisfied. The Bug Force was indeed a cheat. Without its help, even with his talent for making Pokéblock, he would never have reached the point of making Intermediate Pokéblock so quickly.
He knew what a commotion it would cause if others discovered he could now make Intermediate Pokéblock. Therefore, he decided that this information must not be revealed to anyone.
Eichi then attempted to make the same Intermediate Pokéblock several more times. All four subsequent attempts were successful and all were of Good quality. However, Eichi was beginning to feel tired and felt he was no longer in a state to make Intermediate Pokéblocks. Since he had some Berry powder left over, he made them into other Pokéblock to avoid waste.
When he was finished using all the materials, Eichi tidied up the workbench and the machine, then left the classroom as if he had never been there. The sky outside had grown completely dark. He bought takeout from the cafeteria and returned to his dorm. His three Pokémon must be hungry, so Eichi began preparing their dinner.