Chapter 257: Crafting a Master-Level Energy Cube
Chapter 257: Crafting a Master-Level Energy Cube
Just kidding.
100,000 Trait Coins—without a doubt, this was Rayquaza's Mega Evolution Stone.
If he could actually capture a Rayquaza and use this Mega Evolution Stone,
Then the 100,000 Trait Coins would be well worth it.
After all—
A Mega Evolved Rayquaza had a 1v7 win record!
For now…
Hikaru decided to leave it in the shop, letting it collect dust.
Just in case, he spent 1 Trait Coin to pin the item in his store—so it wouldn't disappear.
Then, his eyes drifted to another item—
"Xerneas' Life Essence".
He had promised Sakura that he would use this to make a Stamina Energy Cube for her.
Her Pokémon—
Vikavolt, Kecleon, and Metang—
All had moderate stamina issues.
Even his own Gardevoir and Greninja had similar endurance weaknesses.
And this item was universal—
Any Pokémon could consume it and benefit.
With that in mind, Hikaru immediately spent 10,000 Trait Coins to purchase a vial.
At the same time, he silently wished—
Give me more legendary-grade materials next time!
A small jade bottle appeared before him again, containing a glowing green-blue liquid.
This time, Hikaru was smarter.
He didn't open it immediately—instead, he stored it directly in the system space.
No way he was letting its aura leak out again.
After a quick meal, Hikaru called over Mew, fed it an Energy Cube, and told it a story.
Then, as usual, he entered the Training Room.
Today's task was live combat practice.
Gardevoir used psychic projections to create two simulated Pokémon, acting as sparring partners for Gible and Bulbasaur.
By now, Bulbasaur had reached level 29.
It was only one step away from qualifying for Gym battles.
Watching the sparring match, Hikaru nodded in satisfaction.
Both Bulbasaur and Gible had made incredible progress over the past ten days.
Especially Bulbasaur—
It had nearly perfected the "Protect" technique.
Hikaru had learned from his Pokémon Techniques course that:
The key to "Protect" was evenly dispersing energy to create a stable shield.
The properly-formed shield was as resilient as an eggshell—
Hard, yet flexible.
After discussing with Gardevoir, she confirmed—
That was exactly how "Protect" functioned.
In another Pokémon Battle Strategy class, Hikaru also learned about breaking through Protect.
While Protect seemed overpowered—being able to block moves from even higher-level opponents—
It wasn't completely unbreakable.
There were two main counter-strategies:
1. Overpowering It
A Pokémon with far greater strength could simply brute-force through it.
2. Breaking It Over Time
"Protect" drains energy every time it blocks an attack.
The larger the shield, the more energy it consumes.
Repeated attacks will slowly wear down the user's stamina.
This makes fast, continuous strikes the best way to overcome Protect.
This wasn't just for Protect.
The class also analyzed how various moves were structured and countered.
After watching the sparring for a while, Hikaru turned his attention to something else.
He retrieved the Life Essence.
Taking a deep breath—
Today, he was going to attempt crafting a Master-Level Stamina Energy Cube.
While his "Sub-Profession Specialist" trait only granted Expert-level knowledge,
His past experiences—
Training under Professor Ayame,
Studying recipes at the World Tree,
Had greatly improved his practical skills.
"Alright… Professor Ayame said that for Master-Level Energy Cubes, the primary ingredient must be an SSS-tier material, supported by other high-tier materials…"
Hikaru recalled her exact words:
> "I rarely make Master-level cubes myself. If you fail, you waste valuable SSS-tier and S-tier materials."
> "Expert-level cubes are already sufficient for Elite-tier and even Champion-tier Pokémon."
> "However, since you asked… You have the advantage of Aura abilities."
> "For Master-level cubes, the secret is the perfect fusion of high-density energy sources."
> "The process requires extreme precision and energy control."
With his "Photographic Memory" trait, Hikaru replayed her teachings in his mind.
Taking a deep breath, he retrieved his Energy Cube Mixer.
Then, he gathered materials—
30-year-old Oran Berries,
Life Essence (SSS-tier),
"Forest's Heart" (S-tier),
"Luminous Moss" (A-tier).
All these ingredients contained immense life energy.
Normally, an S-tier ingredient was required to craft Master-level Energy Cubes.
But since his primary material was an SSS-tier Life Essence,
He only needed minor supplementary materials to balance the energy output.
The key was to avoid overwhelming the mixture.
Once he finalized the recipe, Hikaru exhaled deeply.
Then, he carefully added a few drops of Life Essence.
Instantly, the entire room was filled with a powerful aura of life energy.
His Aura abilities activated, enveloping the ingredients.
As the mixer began operating—
The ingredients' energies started to merge.
However, within moments—
The Energy Cube Mixer shut down automatically.
Hikaru wasn't surprised.
This was one of the biggest challenges of crafting Master-level cubes—
Standard mixers couldn't withstand the energy surge.
Even in top-tier laboratories, specialized mixers could only provide limited support.
Hikaru had anticipated this.
That's why—
He would finish the process manually with Aura manipulation!
His concentration sharpened as he controlled the mixture.
The compressed energy from multiple ingredients struggled against fusion—
Yet Hikaru forcefully compressed them together.
---
Thirty minutes later…
Hikaru sat in stunned silence.
The life energy radiating from the Training Room was fading—a clear sign of failure.
No surprise.
His first attempt had failed.
Yet instead of disappointment, he felt even more determined.
This was the first time he had ever failed an Energy Cube recipe.
Taking a short break, Hikaru immediately started a second attempt.
He refused to accept defeat.
After all—
He had promised Sakura a Stamina Energy Cube.
And tomorrow…
Was a special day.
---
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