As soon as he returned from the Distortion World, Naoki picked two of each newly grown fruit and packed them carefully for testing back at the ranch.
In this realm warped by Giratina's power, crops didn't wither or age, everything existed in a kind of temporal stasis. Once harvested, the plants would gradually reabsorb the reversal energy in the soil and grow new fruit in time.
With that assurance, Naoki left the garden behind and returned to Tree House Ranch with a few of his Pokémon.
But instead of diving into cooking right away, he decided to set the fruit aside for now. He still had Revival Seeds left to plant and wanted to complete all his preparations at once.
Speaking of Revival Grass, its effects were famous.
In the games, Revival Grass is said to rival even the Phoenix King's Sacred Ash in potency, capable of reviving fainted Pokémon to full health. However, its downside was always the same: a taste so bitter that even the hardiest Pokémon recoiled at it.
But in this world…
Naoki picked up his Rotom Phone and searched the Pokéform for information. Soon, he came across an article:
"The Secret of Unity Island: The True Origins of Revival Grass!"
According to the article, Revival Grass was a rare herb that only thrived on Unity Island in the Unova region. The land was said to be blessed by the guardian of abundance, Landorus, which allowed the herb to grow across the island in wild patches.
However, this variant of Revival Grass was different from what Naoki knew. It wasn't bitter, but spicy. While it could still restore a Pokémon's stamina, it couldn't fully heal a critically injured Pokémon.
In Alola, this spicy version was even used as an ingredient in Akala-style curry, praised for its signature kick and medicinal flavor.
"Huh… so they're not the same plant after all," Naoki murmured, comparing pictures online to the Revival Seeds he held in his hand.
It was clear now: the spicy version came from the anime world's lore, while the seeds brought back by Mew and Baby Bear originated from the game-verse, a much more potent, albeit unpleasant, herb.
Which made them even more valuable.
And Naoki had an idea.
He would cultivate these potent herbs right here at the ranch, and maybe even find new culinary uses for them!
Without wasting time, he grabbed lumber and tools from the storage shed and, with Koraidon's help, hauled the supplies to a patch of open land near the river and the orchard, just west of the chicken coop.
It was a perfect spot for herbs: close to fresh water, soft soil, and shaded during the hotter hours of the day.
Naoki quickly measured and marked the area, drove in fencing stakes with a mallet, and hammered together a simple but sturdy wooden gate. In no time, a neat little herb garden stood ready.
Now it was time to call in the professionals.
Naoki offered five Poke blocks as a reward and summoned the Dugtrio.
"Squeak!"
Dugtrio dives into the soil, rapidly churning the ground into rich, airy earth perfect for planting.
Once they finished their work and trotted off happily with their reward, Naoki and Koraidon spread the 37 Revival Seeds evenly across the freshly plowed rows.
Last but not least, Gogoat stepped forward, horns glowing with a rich green light. With a stomp, a wave of Grass-type energy swept over the field, and in moments, the seeds broke through the soil and blossomed into vibrant Revival Grass.
Naoki's eyes swept across the patch, and in an instant, detailed information surfaced in his mind:
[Revival Grass: A rare herb grown from Revival Seeds. It has an intensely bitter flavor. When consumed, it fully restores a critically injured Pokémon's stamina. It can also be used in cooking.]
Success!
Now he had the Pokémon world's ultimate healing tools in his possession: Sacred Ash and Revival Grass.
Combined with Life Goat Milk and the newly cultivated fruit that could cure blindness and restore vision, there was no Pokémon Naoki couldn't treat or heal.
"I could start stocking these in the shop later," Naoki mused.
They didn't need all these vision-enhancing and restorative fruits just lying around the ranch. Rather than letting them go to waste, it made more sense to offer them to Pokémon or trainers who might truly need them.
But that could wait. Right now, Naoki had something more important in mind.
Carrying a few sprigs of Revival Grass, Naoki returned to the kitchen.
Iono wasn't in the room, she had probably gone to the glass greenhouse to sip tea under the sun.
"Let's start with the fruits," Naoki said to himself.
To test the effects as quickly as possible, he didn't prepare anything elaborate. Instead, he brought out the juicer.
First up: the Awakening Fruit.
After peeling off its slightly waxy skin, he tossed the juicy pulp into the machine. With a buzzing whirl, the fruit was reduced to a vivid blue liquid.
[Awakening Juice (C)]
Cooking Effect: Insomnia Lv.1
Temporarily changes a Pokémon's Ability to Insomnia, preventing sleep for 5 minutes. For humans, it grants complete mental clarity and alertness for 6 hours, significantly improving focus and productivity.
Naoki blinked. "…Yeah, this is definitely Geeta's kind of thing."
He made a mental note to keep the juice well-hidden. If Geeta found out he had a drink that boosted productivity for six hours straight, she'd probably commission a hundred barrels for the League office.
Still, a temporary Ability swap? That was no small matter.
It might not mean much to most Pokémon, but to those with disadvantageous Abilities, like Truant on Slaking or Slow Start on Regigigas, Insomnia would be a game-changer.
"Although... the lazy Slakoth already left with Ash," Naoki muttered. "And Regigigas is probably still snoozing in some ancient ruin."
With that done, he moved on to the next fruit: the Bright Eyes Fruit.
He peeled and juiced it, and soon a pale green liquid poured into the container.
[Bright Eyes Juice (B-)]
Cooking Effect: Visual Enhancement Lv.1
Slightly enhances a Pokémon's focus and tracking abilities, allowing it to see high-speed or airborne objects more clearly and dodge with greater precision.
"Huh… so that's what it does?" Naoki raised an eyebrow.
He had expected it to literally improve eyesight, like widening visual range or curing nearsightedness. But this effect was still highly practical, enhancing a Pokémon's ability to perceive and respond to fast attacks, possibly even improving the success rate of dodging moves like Quick Attack or Double Team.
Finally, he prepped the last fruit, the Rescuing Eyes Fruit.
Same process. Peel, slice, juice.
[True Sight Juice (A-)]
Cooking Effect: True Vision Lv.1
Grants the Pokémon the ability to see through deceptive moves such as Substitute and Double Team, identifying the real target.
Additionally, it offers a chance to perceive an opponent's weaknesses and land critical hits more frequently.
Naoki froze. "...Is this basically a budget Sharingan?"
Not only could it counter evasive tactics like Shadow Clone-style illusions, but it even allowed the Pokémon to instinctively notice and strike at weak points.
And that was only Lv.1. With better ingredients and proper cooking techniques, who knew how far these effects could be pushed?
Landing a critical hit every time… just imagining it was thrilling.
"Thank goodness for the Distortion World," Naoki thought. "Without it, those fruits would've been wasted."
He took a deep breath. Now that he had a clearer understanding of the fruits' specific effects, a rough plan was forming in his mind.
There was no need to harvest and cook everything at once. Since the crops wouldn't wither in that timeless space, he could take his time.
For now, something else needed his attention.
Naoki turned toward the bamboo basket beside him, where several freshly picked sprigs of Revival Grass were piled.
He picked one up, inspected it for a moment, then took a cautious bite.
Instantly, a wave of overwhelming bitterness washed over his tongue, so intense it defied description. He gagged, spat it out, and rushed to chug a glass of sweet juice.
But even after downing the whole glass, the bitterness clung to his tongue like a curse.
"Ugh! That's awful!" Naoki grimaced, eyes watering.
No wonder using Revival Grass in the games lowers a Pokémon's friendship level.
Who wouldn't hate being force-fed something this foul?
"There's no way Gogoat will want to eat this," he muttered. "I need to improve the flavor somehow."
With that, he rolled up his sleeves and set to work. He pulled out some Sweet Honey brewed by the Combee, then gathered a few naturally sweet berries from the kitchen stores.
He blended the berries and honey together with the Revival Grass into a vibrant green juice.
Next, he mixed the juice with flour to create a sweet, grassy dough. He shaped it into small dumplings and steamed them in a pot over low heat.
As the dough cooked, Naoki set a timer and decided to check on the herb garden again.
On the way, he ran into Koraidon.
The gentle dragon had been playing in the yard, but as soon as he spotted Naoki, he trotted over cheerfully and gave him a friendly lick, only to freeze mid-motion, his eyes suddenly wide with horror.
"Agh-ghhh!"
Koraiodn staggered back, tongue outstretched, pawing at his own face as though he'd just tasted poison.
The Pokémon dropped to the ground and began rolling across the grass in a full panic, desperately trying to scrub the taste from his tongue.
Naoki stood stunned for a moment before realizing
"Oh."
He looked at his hands.
The bitter residue from the Revival Grass hadn't fully washed off.
Facepalming, Naoki rushed back inside, grabbed a jar of Sweet Honey, and returned to pour the entire bottle into Koraidon's mouth.
Koraidon gulped it down gratefully, then collapsed onto the grass, his head drooping as he pouted and whimpered.
"Ah, gah…"
Naoki scratched his head, looking a bit sheepish. Fortunately, Koraidon was a good sport and forgave him quickly, though he kept a careful distance from Naoki's hands, as if the bitter taste might jump out and attack again.
Naoki chuckled. "Alright, alright, I get it. Go back to playing."
"Ah, gah!" Koraidon snorted, then happily trotted off to roll in the grass again, at a safe distance.
After that little mishap, Naoki returned to the kitchen.
By now, the Revival grass dumplings were fully steamed.
As he lifted the lid of the steamer, a cloud of warm steam billowed out, carrying with it a surprisingly pleasant, earthy aroma. Inside, neatly arranged on the white steamer cloth, were several dark green dumplings, slightly glossy, with a subtle sheen that suggested the infusion of sweet honey and tree fruit nectar.
Suddenly, a window of information flashed in Naoki's mind, as if the energy of the dish was introducing itself.
[Revival Grass Dumplings (S Rank)]
Description: Dumplings made from Revival Grass, Sweet Honey, and juice from select Berries. The bitterness of the herb is skillfully balanced by the natural sweetness of the added ingredients. Though a hint of bitterness remains, it's layered with a lingering sweetness, flavorful, invigorating, and soothing.
Cooking Effect:
Secret Technique: Revival Herb Art.
After consumption, the healing energy of Revival Grass fuses with the Pokémon's life force, enhancing the potency of all restorative moves. When the Pokémon's strength is pushed to the limit, this energy can activate to instantly recover its full stamina if it's on the brink of collapse.
Limitations:
Can only be used once during a cooldown period.
Exclusive to Grass-type Pokémon.
Special Condition:
This Revival effect only activates for Pokémon whose energy control capability exceeds Champion-level.
Evaluation: Secret Technique: Mass Resurrection Technique!
...
Bonus Chapter @1500 PS
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