"No, Yue, you misunderstood me," Feng Che said gently. "Every individual herb is unique. For instance, a plant grown in optimal conditions will naturally contain a higher concentration of active compounds than others."
"For standard potions, treating all herbs of the same species as identical is fine. But to brew high-quality elixirs, one must strive for perfection. A pharmacist cannot simply follow a manual like a machine; they must intuitively assess the potency of each specific leaf and root."
Yue's eyes widened in realization. "I see... No wonder my potions always contain residual impurities. I thought it was a flawed formula, but it was my failure to account for the variance in the ingredients! To brew advanced potions, the recipe must be dynamically adjusted to the actual traits of the herbs."
She looked at the young man with newfound admiration. "Could you look at the potion I'm preparing for my exam? It's an Awakening Elixir. It keeps turning red, but standard ones are blue."
Feng Che picked up a nearby herb and sniffed it. "The quality of this plant is compromised. It was likely harvested after the dew settled. Nightlight Grass must be picked before dawn, or the morning dew dilutes its properties."
"That damn merchant! He sold me sub-par stock!" Yue fumed, then turned back to Feng Che with gratitude. "Feng Che, your knowledge is incredible. What rank of Master are you?"
"I'm actually not even a registered pharmacist yet," Feng Che admitted with a shrug. "I wanted to take the Junior exam, but the Guild requires a recommendation letter from a Middle-Rank pharmacist or higher."
This was Feng Che's true objective for choosing the "Babysitting" task. Through Rocket's internal network, he had learned that Yue was a Middle-Rank pharmacist with an unused recommendation slot—slots that were usually promised to wealthy families months in advance.
"I have a recommendation slot," Yue said with a warm smile. "Honestly, your skills far surpass mine. It would be a crime to let talent like yours go to waste. I'll write the letter immediately—consider it payment for your guidance today."
As she stamped the official document, she asked, "What about the potion you just brewed? What is it for?"
"One of my Pokémon has a condition," Feng Che replied, releasing his Litten.
The kitten had a terrifyingly high affinity for fire, constantly absorbing ambient energy that its young body couldn't contain. This led to the violent "overflows" that Rocket researchers had deemed incurable. Feng Che's strategy was two-fold: use potions to slow down the absorption rate while training the Litten's internal "circuitry" to channel the energy more efficiently.
Litten jumped onto Feng Che's arm, purring and licking its fur. It was clearly bonding with its savior.
"Wow! A Litten! I want to pet it!" Ai, who had just woken up, came running over. The kitten gave Ai a disdainful look but dutifully lowered its head to let her touch it.
"Ai loves Pokémon, just like her father," Yue laughed, stroking her daughter's hair. "He'll be home in a few days. He says his experiments in Viridian City were a massive success."
Ai... the father... Viridian City experiments...
Feng Che's eyes narrowed as memories of his gaming life flooded back. He had seen Ai's face on old forums detailing the "Mewtwo Pursuit Strategy."
Ai is Amber Fuji! The daughter of Dr. Fuji!
The forum strategy was etched into his mind: Amber's mother dies in a mysterious assassination. Dr. Fuji, broken by grief, brings Ai to a Rocket base where she later dies from Ekans venom. Fuji loses his mind and pours his despair into the Mewtwo project.
If I want to get close to Dr. Fuji and the resources of the Mewtwo project, I have to save Yue and Ai, Feng Che realized. The assassination happens just before Fuji returns. That means... it's happening within the next few days.
"Yue," Feng Che said, his tone turning serious. "Do you have a larger open space? I have a Pokémon that needs... intensive taming."
"There's a fenced-off lot behind the shop. It was meant for a nursery but I never used it. Follow me."
A short distance from the shop.
Two men watched through binoculars. One, Shengmu, had a face covered in scars. The other, One-Eye, had a Houndoom resting at his feet.
"Boss, it's just a mother and daughter. Why are we waiting? The client wants them dead now," One-Eye grumbled.
"Patience," Shengmu replied. "My gut says they're being watched. And look—a League trainer just went inside. I don't care about a rookie, but I don't like 'unpredictables.' We wait for the right moment."
Nearby, hidden in the shadows.
A Rocket grunt named Kotaro yawned. "This is so boring. Why do we have to guard a pharmacy all day? I'd rather be fighting at the League."
"Shut up and keep watch," his partner snapped. "Orders are from the Captain. Guard the mother and daughter until the Doctor arrives. No excuses."
The air in Celadon City was growing heavy. The hunters were ready, the guards were bored, and the "mole" was preparing his counter-trap.
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