Chapter 185:
Beside him, Combusken, having received the tea, wasn't afraid of the heat. It directly opened its beak and impatiently gulped it down.
Halfway through, its expression turned disgusted from the bitterness, and it tried to spit the tea out.
Naturally, Hayashi Kaede wouldn't allow this. He directly held Combusken's beak shut and tilted its head back, forcing it to drink. "I told you, if you drink it, you have to finish it! This is good stuff; can't waste it!...."
"Combusken... combusken..."
"Combusken..." (So bitter!)
After forcibly drinking the tea, Combusken felt nothing but bitterness in its mouth. It couldn't help but look at Hayashi Kaede in shock. "Combusken?" (What is this?)
Even last time's stir-fried bitter melon wasn't this bitter.
"Tea. I already warned you that you might not like it, but this is precious, so no wasting!"
Hayashi Kaede replied while pouring tea for the other Pokémon.
He had also downed it in one go earlier, so he knew how bitter the tea was.
But after the bitterness came sweetness.
However, after seeing Combusken's expression, the other Pokémon grew apprehensive about the tea before them.
Helpless, Hayashi Kaede had to explain, "Everyone, don't be scared by Combusken. This should be drunk slowly, not gulped down like Combusken did. Also, this tea is very beneficial for your growth, so... every Pokémon must drink it, at least one sip!"
Hayashi Kaede felt he shouldn't have teased Combusken earlier.
Now it seemed like he was a parent forcing medicine down a child's throat.
The first was Gardevoir.
After seeing Hayashi Kaede force Combusken to drink this "tea," it realized the tea was precious.
Probably something very good.
It carefully took a small sip and frowned.
The taste was indeed bitter; no wonder Combusken didn't like it, but then, it felt something was off.
After drinking this tea, Gardevoir could clearly feel its perception of the environment and the movements of the surrounding Pokémon become sharper and clearer.
This was different from psychic sensing.
Psychic sensing could only detect the auras of nearby Pokémon, not the surrounding objects.
Like where there was weeds, where there were stones...
It could also vaguely sense a new power within itself.
Gardevoir was stunned, even the subsequent sweet aftertaste in its mouth was unconsciously ignored.
"Gardevoir?"
It looked at Hayashi Kaede, who was still pouring tea for the other Pokémon. His expression seemed to carry a certain expectation.
Was it a dish like last time, where the Alcremie could use moves after eating it?
Gardevoir waited quietly.
On the other hand, Hayashi Kaede grew anxious.
Although he hadn't gained the World Tree's favor the first time, he wanted to test the probability of his Pokémon gaining favor and obtaining Aura power.
After all, his Berry Plantation and Breeding House had about fifty Pokémon now, right?
There should be at least two lucky ones.
All Pokémon, excluding Mew, under Hayashi Kaede's watchful eye, obediently took a sip of tea.
Some Pokémon were resistant at first but, after the sweet aftertaste, found the taste acceptable and drank more—like Bounsweet, Milotic, Mewtwo, and the matcha-flavored Alcremie.
Some found it very bitter and didn't drink more after the first sip.
Like Serperior.
Hayashi Kaede didn't force this.
Many of the tea's effects were only effective the first time. If the probability of gaining Aura power was very low, there was no point in forcing them to drink.
After almost all Pokémon had taken a sip, Hayashi Kaede looked at everyone expectantly and asked, "Did anyone learn a new move?"
"Combusken?"
"Alcremie?"
"Serperior..."
"No..."
"Pidgeotto?"
"Pidgeot~?"
....
Looking around, Hayashi Kaede's heart gradually sank.
Almost all Pokémon shook their heads.
Only Bounsweet and Serperior seemed to feel some change, but Hayashi Kaede knew this change was because they were Grass-type Pokémon.
Out of so many Pokémon... not a single one comprehended Aura?
Hayashi Kaede looked at the tea in his hand, lost in thought, a trace of disappointment unavoidably appearing on his face.
Just then, Mew flew up from its dining table and landed beside Gardevoir, looking at it curiously. "Mew~?"
It faintly sensed a hint of... the Aura from the World Tree on Gardevoir?
"Gardevoir...." (Is this it?)
After a brief hesitation, Gardevoir finally spoke.
When Hayashi Kaede looked over, he noticed a small energy sphere in Gardevoir's right hand.
The energy sphere was light blue, with what seemed like countless streaks flowing across it.
Hayashi Kaede's eyes immediately lit up. "Yes, yes, that's it!"
Aura!
He hadn't expected Gardevoir to be the one to master it in the end!
He was about to move closer, but upon reaching it, he realized the Aura Sphere in Gardevoir's hand was growing smaller.
And it didn't seem very powerful.
Gardevoir also explained, "Gardevoir...." (This power is very faint, so gathering it is troublesome. But it allows me to perceive the surroundings very clearly.)
At this point, Gardevoir was still quite intrigue with this novelty.
"Can it be enhanced?" Hayashi Kaede asked expectantly.
"Gardevoir..."
Gardevoir looked at the teapot in Hayashi Kaede's hand.
Meaning it could, but it would probably require drinking more of that tea.
"I see..." Hayashi Kaede came back to his senses.
He suddenly remembered the tea's culinary effect description: the stronger the tea, the higher the probability of receiving the World Tree's gift of Aura power.
It wasn't that the first sip had the highest probability.
Which meant, as long as Hayashi Kaede had a steady supply of tea leaves, one day, he could obtain Aura power!
He just needed World Tree leaves.
Hayashi Kaede looked at Mew, who was on the side watching the drama while eating melon seeds. "Ahem, little Mew... let's discuss something, shall we~?"