Chapter 264:
In the kitchen.
Hayashi Kaede began pondering what Giratina might like to eat.
First and foremost, it definitely liked alcohol—specifically, Grepa Berry Wine. That much had already been confirmed.
And its alcohol tolerance was incredible.
One barrel of wine—two hundred and fifty liters—would be gone in just two or three days.
That was… unusual.
Why was it drinking so heavily every single day?
Was something bothering it?
"Dragonite, Salamence, and Goodra all like White Radish and Bone Broth. That suggests most Dragon-type Pokémon probably enjoy it too."
"Speaking of which, doesn't Giratina's Origin Forme look a bit like a snake?"
"Also, once I make it, how am I supposed to deliver the food to it?"
"And it's a Ghost-type Pokémon…"
Kaede began recalling what he knew about Ghost-types.
Most Ghost-type Pokémon feed on life energy, and some also absorb the emotions of fear from living beings.
Aside from being born from eggs, they could even spontaneously manifest in places rich with Ghost-type energy.
Because of this, some Ghost Pokémon liked to create eerie, frightening scenes to harvest fear-based energy from passing Pokémon.
Speaking of life energy, he actually had ingredients containing that on hand—like Ho-Oh's Sacred Feather.
But he definitely couldn't use something that precious just to make a dish for Giratina.
"So… Moomoo Milk, then?"
Kaede took a bottle of freshly collected Moomoo Milk from the refrigerator.
[S+ Grade Moomoo Milk – Milk extracted from Miltank. Rich in nutrients. Long-term consumption by newborn Pokémon enhances resistance to status conditions. Contains a small amount of life energy. Drinking it restores HP. Continued use increases HP IVs.]
This batch came from the Miltank with the highest energy level among the three he owned.
Thinking back, Kaede hadn't expected the Moomoo Milk from that particular Miltank to reach such quality.
Sure, the move Milk Drink was known to recover HP—but that was a move.
Now, even the ordinary milk it produced had gained the same restorative effect.
"For White Radish and Bone Broth, even if I make it, I don't know when Giratina will appear. I can't keep it heated the whole time—the radish would just turn mushy."
"So what should I make?"
After thinking for a long while, Kaede's gaze fell upon the nearby kettle.
Inside was Grepa Berry Wine.
His eyes lit up.
Instead of guessing what Giratina might like to eat, why not start with what it already enjoyed?
Like Grepa Berry Wine.
There were plenty of dishes he could make based on that!
"Hm… I'll go buy some chocolate!"
Kaede hurried out to the plantation, called down a Pidgeot, mounted it, and soared into the sky.
Before long, he returned carrying a large batch of pure chocolate blocks.
That's right—this time, he planned to make alcoholic chocolates.
Actually, quite a few Pokémon on the plantation liked Grepa Berry Wine—like Serperior, for example.
It really loved the taste, but the alcohol content was too high. After just two sips, its face would turn bright red.
If pure Grepa Berry Wine wasn't suitable, Kaede could adjust the alcohol levels to create fillings of different strengths.
High-proof for those who liked stronger drinks, low-proof for those who didn't.
And based on the ingredients available on the plantation, he could create a variety of flavors—original, honey, Moomoo Milk, sweet juice, Pecha Berry…
Since alcoholic chocolates also needed cream, Kaede realized he could make even more variations.
He had no idea just how many flavor combinations this experiment might yield.
Once the idea struck, he wasted no time.
He grabbed a bowl and went to ask the Alcremie for cream.
Soon after, he returned—using Psychic to carry back an assortment of creams.
Making alcoholic chocolates wasn't difficult.
The key was the alcoholic center.
It wasn't just pure alcohol—the mixture required alcohol, cream, chocolate, and butter. Maltose could also be used as a substitute.
These ingredients were simmered over medium heat in varying proportions until thickened, then poured into molds to cool briefly.
The crucial step was when to add the alcohol—the later it was added, the higher the final proof of the center.
Kaede prepared centers in many different ratios, even adding crushed nuts to some of them.
The cooling time for the centers didn't need to be long—just a few minutes.
Meanwhile, he melted the chocolate for the shell into a thick, liquid form. For those who couldn't tolerate bitterness, he added honey or sweet juice.
He could also pour in plenty of Moomoo Milk to create a creamy, milky shell.
Next, he used Psychic to coat each alcoholic center with the melted chocolate, then placed them in the refrigerator to chill for about forty minutes.
The most troublesome part was the final step.
The chocolates meant for Giratina were the size of an apple, while the rest were only the size of a date—coating them one by one took forever.
Forty minutes later, Kaede opened the refrigerator.
His eyes gleamed as he looked at the full box of glossy, finished alcoholic chocolates.
"Whether or not we can raise Giratina's friendship… depends on you now!"