Pokémon, Ash's art style is off!

It didn't even bother to wag its signature lightning bolt-shaped tail, looking like a lifeless yellow plush pendant.

It's not that it's tired.

After all, it was carried on most of the journey.

However, the horse I was riding was moving up and down without any cushioning, so it was hardly a comfortable riding experience.

It was so bumpy it made it a little dizzy.

"This direction should be correct..."

Xiao Zhi, on the other hand, was still full of energy.

He looked up at the sky, which had almost completely darkened, then looked around at the pitch-black surroundings and scratched his head.

He paused for a moment, then gave an optimistic estimate.

"Perhaps... the Evergreen Forest is a little bit bigger than we imagined?"

"But it's okay!" Xiao Zhi encouraged. "I have a feeling that if we keep going, we should be able to get out of here after another night!"

"One night?! We have to walk all night?!"

Xiaoxia's voice rose eight octaves.

"I can't go on, I really can't walk anymore!"

"Ash! Pokémon Master! Please, let's just rest here for the night!"

She's not like Ash, a monster with unfathomable stamina!

After a long day of intense walking, including a life-or-death crisis, she felt her stamina was completely depleted.

Before she could finish speaking, she had already plopped down on the layer of fallen leaves, completely disregarding her image.

She pitifully hugged her knees, and with her cup injured, she could easily bury her chin in them without any hindrance.

Xiao Zhi has no problem with it; it doesn't matter where he is anyway.

"Gurgle~"

A strange noise rang out, particularly clear in the otherwise quiet forest.

With his keen hearing, Xiao Zhi instinctively looked over and stared intently at Xiao Xia's stomach.

"What are you looking at?!"

Xiaoxia was both embarrassed and annoyed, but fortunately, the pitch-black night perfectly concealed her instantly flushed cheeks.

"Have you never seen a person hungry before?"

"I haven't eaten a single bite of food all day!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Zhi subconsciously touched his stomach.

"Now that you mention it..." he smacked his lips, "I think I'm a little hungry too."

A brief silence fell between the two.

Only an unknown cricket chirped in the woods.

Since the Leagues have increased their communication, Pokémon from many other regions have also started traveling around the world.

In the dim light, their eyes met again involuntarily.

"You..." ×2

"You go first!" ×2

"Can you cook?" ×2

The two spoke in unison, achieving 100% synchronization.

Xiaoxia was stunned for a moment.

Ash simply shrugged and took the lead in stating his position.

"Let me make this clear first, I really can't cook. At home, my mom takes care of everything..."

He paused, as if he had suddenly remembered something.

"Wait! How could I forget that!"

Xiao Zhi slapped his thigh and started rummaging through his tattered backpack, the edges of which were slightly charred.

"I still have this!"

With a loud clatter, Xiao Zhi shook out a large pile of colorful, oddly shaped bottles and jars, each with various labels.

They fell with a tinkling sound onto the ground covered with fallen leaves, reflecting a luster in the dim light.

He quickly counted the number.

After confirming that everything was correct, he carefully arranged them neatly, finally letting out a long sigh of relief with a look of relief on his face.

"Thank goodness, nothing is missing!"

He picked up a bottle, shook it, and a sound came from inside.

With a touch of generosity, Ash said to Misty.

"Would you like some? It's a bit extravagant to have this as a main meal, but it's perfectly fine for an occasional meal or two. It'll definitely keep you full!"

What is so mysterious?

Can it be eaten as a meal?

Xiaoxia's curiosity was piqued, and she subconsciously moved closer.

Judging from how carefully he treasures these things, with all those bottles and jars, are they energy cubes for his Pokémon?

With so much on him, you wouldn't guess that Ash is a rich kid.

Energy Cube.

It is generally made from the essence of various tree fruits, and then precisely mixed and compressed with other trace elements needed for the growth of Pokémon.

It is a highly nutritious food specially formulated for Pokémon, and it is easy to carry and feed.

High-end energy blocks can even be customized.

Customized energy cubes are tailored to the specific species, individual differences, and even health conditions of the different Pokémon under a trainer's command.

For example, energy cubes specially made for Dragon-type Pokémon may contain naturally shed dragon scales and teeth that are artificially collected, strictly sterilized, and ground into an extremely fine powder. This allows the pure Dragon-type energy contained within to slowly and continuously permeate the Pokémon's body, subtly enhancing its physical attributes.

Of course, such a custom-made and high-quality energy cube naturally commands a high price.

This has led to a common phenomenon among trainers: the more a trainer focuses on training powerful battle Pokémon, the more financially strapped they tend to be, or even on the verge of abject poverty, unless they are wealthy or have special resources.

On the contrary, those Lifestyle Trainers who don't focus on Pokémon battles but instead use Pokémon's special abilities to engage in industries such as production and services live very comfortable and prosperous lives.

After all, with the help of Pokémon, efficiency and effectiveness can be greatly improved in farming, construction, transportation, and care.

The saying "the poor study literature, the rich study martial arts" perfectly describes this situation.

The league officials once expressed concern about this phenomenon and repeatedly called on trainers to "act within their capabilities" and "train rationally," suggesting that the number of Pokémon in the core battle team should not exceed six.

According to the League's statistics department, an adult trainer with a formal job, at the average wage level, has an annual income plus the Pokémon breeding subsidy provided by the League that is just enough to support the trainer and six Pokémon with basic living expenses and regular breeding costs.

Of course, those stubborn trainers who insist on raising gluttonous Pokémon like Snorlax or Devourer, whose appetite is equivalent to that of ten ordinary Pokémon, are special cases and are not included in this list.

The league even modified the rules of official competitions to reduce the number of Pokémon each trainer can field in a single match, attempting to curb this growing trend of "poverty" among trainers from a rule-based perspective.

Eating this kind of thing...

Although there is an unproven claim that humans could be broadly categorized as a special kind of Pokémon.

But will trainers really not have any problems if they eat energy cubes directly?

Xiaoxia was just thinking to herself, about to kindly advise Xiaozhi not to eat random things.

With the increasingly faint moonlight filtering through the gaps in the branches and leaves, she finally managed to make out the clearest words on the labels on the bottles.

That's not a mild term at all related to tree fruits, vitamins, or natural nutrients!

Instead, it's a series of tongue-twisting chemical names that clearly indicate synthetic substances!

Next to it are skull and crossbones warning signs and small print such as "Strictly follow doctor's orders" and "Minors should use Fighting-type Pokémon under the guidance of their trainers."

"!"

This is not food!

"Aren't these all pharmaceutical additives?!"

Xiaoxia's voice trembled with disbelief.

"Yes."

Xiao Zhi nodded.

"You can't exercise without taking some medicine, can you? Relying solely on food to get that little bit of nutrition is too inefficient. This will definitely keep you full!"

Xiao Zhi picked up a bottle and began to introduce it enthusiastically.

"This is Mibolone, and the standard dosage is three tablets at a time."

"But the amount specified in the instructions is far too little! It's too conservative! I always take a whole set at once as an appetizer before meals, and the effect is immediate!"

He picked up several other bottles and recounted them as if they were his own treasures.

"Then these are the main courses: styrosine, trenbolone, oxyprogesterone, stanozolol... oh, and this one too. You can eat a little tricottoron; it tastes a bit astringent, you might not be used to it at first..."

As he spoke, he pulled out a few more bottles.

"There are also these auxiliary products, such as Synthone, Metenolone, Nandrolone decanoate, Nandrolone phenylpropionate... a complete range to meet the needs of different training stages."

"My personal suggestion is that eating this while exercising will enhance the effect."

Pikachu curiously rummaged through the last white bottle.

The word "dragon" was incomprehensible to the illiterate mouse.

It was only concerned that the bottle contained the most pills, which piqued its curiosity.

"Oh, those are the last liver-protecting pills. I usually take them as digestive aids. They're quite crunchy when you chew them."

Xiao Zhi said casually.