Rich people's friends are also rich. Terrance was sitting in Steven's friend's private yacht as he arrived in Lilycove City without much effort. After thanking the other party, Terrance stepped into Lilycove City.
Terrance had never been to Lilycove City before, but he had learned about it from other sources. His first impression was that it was too crowded.
It was to be expected; Lilycove City was known as the largest city in Hoenn and even had a reputation as one of the world's top six cities.
"Speaking of which, there's also a Pokémon Contest Hall here. I wonder when the contest will be held. I should find out when I have some free time."
Upon arriving in Lilycove City, Terrance immediately contacted Steven, but much to his ire, Steven had stood him up.
Initially, Steven had said he would wait for Terrance in Lilycove City. However, while Terrance was on his way from Rustboro City to Lilycove City, Steven had already left.
"Haha... Sorry about that. I heard news about precious stones in Fortree City, so I couldn't resist going to check it out first."
"How about this: I'll wait for you at the Weather Institute west of Fortree City. They have collected a lot of information about Super-ancient Pokémon, and my corporation also has research facilities. Bringing the meteorite here isn't a bad idea," Steven left this message.
F*ck!
Terrance cursed inwardly. He had a meteorite that might be related to Rayquaza, yet Steven was actually lured away by information about some unknown stones. He was too easily swayed.
Actually, what frustrated Terrance was that he would have to make his way to the Weather Institute by himself. He had thought Steven would be waiting for him and then have a special car to pick them up.
Even if the journey wouldn't be physically demanding, Terrance still didn't want to walk there himself.
"Oh well, I can take the opportunity to visit the Safari Zone on the way..."
"As for Steven, he can spend some more time searching for stones."
Terrance made a decision: he would first visit the Safari Zone. As for Steven, he could wait a little longer.
Lilycove City was a city in the eastern part of the Hoenn region that connected land and sea. Being a coastal city, it naturally had a variety of Water-type Pokémon nearby.
Terrance considered his team and felt that he was lacking a Water-type Pokémon. He was planning to catch one, but after observing the surroundings, he had to abandon that plan.
Places near the sea were either occupied by various shipyards or they were desolate areas. Apart from one or two splashing Magikarp, there were hardly any other Water-type Pokémon in sight.
Moreover, Terrance wasn't willing to catch any random Pokémon. He also had to consider how well that Pokémon had developed in its natural environment.
Those with good development would naturally have decent innate abilities or they may have an advantage in terms of personality. Otherwise, they wouldn't thrive so well in the wild.
"As for Gyarados...it's not bad either."
Terrance contemplated inwardly. Among Water-type Pokémon, Gyarados was a relatively good choice. If he could tame a Gyarados, it would undoubtedly be a powerful asset.
However, with the vast numbers of Magikarp, finding one with talent that could satisfy him would be extremely challenging.
...
Terrance didn't linger in Lilycove City for long. After a brief rest at the Pokémon Center, he headed towards Fortree City.
The task of capturing Pokémon was also set to begin once he entered the Safari Zone.
However, just as Terrance was about to leave Lilycove City, his steps were drawn to a halt.
He heard a piece of news, and for a Breeder like him, this news was undoubtedly a big cake, the kind he really wanted to get a taste of.
"The latest Pokéblock Maker is now available for public trial!"
"Don't miss out on this opportunity! It's a brand new machine launched by the Pokémon Contest in collaboration with the Breeder Association!!"
Upon hearing this unfamiliar advertisement, Terrance stopped someone to inquire about it.
"Pokéblock Maker....It's said to be a machine that can easily make 'Pokémon food."
"Even some Breeders skilled in making Pokémon food have praised the nutritional value of Pokéblocks."
"But this machine hasn't been around for long; it only recently appeared in Lilycove City."
A machine that makes Pokémon food?
Terrance slowed his pace and retraced his steps back into Lilycove City, wanting to see what kind of magical machine it was.
The fact that even skilled Breeders admired it—had technology really advanced to such a degree?
The public testing hadn't started yet. The location was set in the Pokémon Contest Hall, which could accommodate many people.
Listening to the advertisement, Terrance understood what was going on. Apparently, this machine had only recently been developed, and although its quality was assured, it lacked reputation.
Doing something like this in the city with the largest population in the Hoenn region would generate a lot of free publicity if even a fraction of the people accepted this Pokéblock.
Then, through word of mouth, Pokéblocks would enter everyone's sight. Such grassroot promotion was much more convincing than advertising in various institutions.
Seeing is believing, even if it's not true. Moreover, both grassroot and media publicity can work hand in hand without interfering with each other.
"Pokémon Contest and Breeder Association's joint creation..." Terrance pondered. If successful, this would be a huge publicity boost for Pokémon Contests as well.
But what Terrance was most curious about was how the machine could make food that was suitable for Pokémon's taste. Each type of food was a test of the maker's skill and knowledge...
In theory, different Pokémon have different tastes. Could a machine that mass-produces food guarantee the efficient use of ingredients?
By the time of the public testing, a considerable crowd had gathered, mostly people who had arrived early and were waiting here.
"The fourth round of public demonstration is starting. Finally managed to squeeze to the front this time, I have to see it for myself."
"Tsk... it's because you're lazy, always oversleeping."
"H-how can you blame me for that? It's not my fault if I sleep a lot!"
A crowd of people squeezed to the front, where the security team was maintaining the order in front of the Pokémon Contest venue, allowing people to enter in batches.
There were just too many people in Lilycove City, not only residents but also outsiders like Terrance, which led to this crowded situation.
Even at the Pokémon Contest Hall, it was impossible to accommodate so many people at once.
But that's exactly what the organizers wanted. Due to limited space, people were let in batch by batch, creating an invisible form of publicity.
Once the word got out and combined with extensive advertising, Pokéblocks would surely become well-known and accepted by most Trainers.
"Our goal is to penetrate the market in Hoenn within three years, making Pokéblocks a must-have for travelers in Hoenn... then, starting from Hoenn, we'll gradually expand into other regions' markets."
This was the initial goal set for Pokéblocks. Within three years, they aimed to make Pokéblocks popular throughout Hoenn and turn them into an essential item.
And the people like Terrance, who entered the Pokémon Contest Hall and received the official recommendations, were the first batch of witnesses.
Now, Terrance, after being let in, followed a staff member to a huge machine...
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