The Rhydon didn't dare go any deeper. Although it had overcome its natural fear of water to find food, it was still a Ground-type Pokémon after all. Fishing in the shallows was its limit.
If it went any further, its staggering weight would cause it to sink immediately, which would be life-threatening.
Driven by the biological instinct to avoid danger, the frustrated Rhydon could only return to the beach.
It sat down on the sand with a heavy thud that made the ground tremble. It wondered how it was going to fill its stomach. It wanted meat; it didn't want to go back to the cave to eat those hard, tasteless rocks.
The Rhydon species are omnivores and usually swallow some minerals, but that habit is primarily to help digest the food in their stomachs, not because they enjoy the taste.
Unless they are truly starving and desperate, Rhydon only eat mineral-rich ores as a last resort.
A Rhydon isn't like a Tyranitar or an Aggron. The former loves high-energy ores, while the latter is even more extreme and loves eating various metals.
It is said that for a Larvitar to evolve into a Tyranitar, it must first consume a mountain's weight in ore. While the rumors might be exaggerated, one could imagine how terrifying the appetites of such massive Pokémon could be.
"Gurgle! Gurgle!"
"I'm still so hungry!" the Rhydon thought, patting its belly. It stood up again and ran to a coconut tree. This time, it didn't just shake the tree; it used brute force to uproot the ten-meter-high tree entirely.
The large fruits had been finished yesterday, leaving only some small, green ones. The big guy treated the whole coconut tree like a skewer of candied haws, crunching through the unripe coconuts and the leaves alike, crudely stuffing everything into its stomach.
"The big guy must be starving." Hisoka was surprised by the Rhydon's exaggerated eating habits, but then he realized he was the one responsible for this mess.
Hisoka sighed. Looking at the big guy's pathetic state, he felt a bit guilty. While Pokémon had intelligence far beyond ordinary animals, their emotions were often quite simple and innocent. Seeing the Rhydon like this made him feel like he was bullying a four or five-year-old child.
Hisoka decided to prepare some food for itcall it compensation for taking its treasure!
His own meat supply and Pokémon rations were running low. The food meant to last Hisoka, Lulu, and Weavile for a month wouldn't be enough to satisfy this giant Rhydon for even a few meals...
Therefore, he had to think of a better way. He could use highly concentrated Pokéblocks as a food substitute. These were developed by researchers specifically to solve the feeding issues for large, domesticated Pokémon.
Otherwise, for a glutton like Snorlax, would a trainer have to carry 400 kilograms of food every single day during their journey? Setting aside the cost, no one had the energy for that. Expanded Space Backpacks have weight limits; if the contents become too heavy, it can easily damage the spatial folding mechanism.
Fortunately, Hisoka was a certified Rank 4 Pokéblock maker. Highly concentrated Pokéblocks were relatively simple to make; even a Rank 2 maker could attempt them.
Hisoka remembered that the primary ingredient for Pokéblocks suitable for Ground and Rock-type Pokémon was the Salac Berry. He searched through the Berry Case in his backpack for a while and only found two.
Salac Berries primarily grow in desert regions with long hours of sunlight. Artificial cultivation requires simulating a specific desert environment, so their price in Viridian City was quite high since the city was surrounded by forest, making it difficult to find suitable growing conditions.
"Two Salac Berries aren't enough!" Hisoka pursed his lips. He would have to supplement them with Qualot and Pomeg Berries. Regardless, the Rhydon was currently chewing on bark and leaves; it would surely accept Pokéblocks of slightly lower quality.
With the assistance of his expensive Pokéblock blender, Hisoka only needed to control the temperature and timing. He also had to dice the berries and add other ingredients at specific intervals.
About fifteen minutes later, a crisp aroma similar to toasted bread began to waft from the blender's vents. Hisoka leaned in and fanned the scent toward his nose. It was a rich aroma without any hint of burning, proving that this batch of highly concentrated Pokéblocks was complete.
Highly concentrated Pokéblocks don't have the additional benefits of regular ones; they only serve one purpose: to fill a stomach quickly. Taking a Tauros as an example, just three square blocks about one centimeter in size could sustain its energy for an entire day.
This batch produced twenty-five blocks. Even with the Rhydon's massive size, these concentrated blocks should be enough to satisfy its appetite.
Additionally, Hisoka made something special for it. He took all the remaining Wagyu beef out of the refrigerator, seasoned it thoroughly, and began searing it in a frying pan...
Thump!
A bright red apple fell from the sky, hitting the sleeping Rhydon right on the head.
"Whimper~"
The Rhydon let out a soft whine and opened its golden eyes, scratching the spot where it had been hit. Suddenly, its eyes lit up. A red fruit the size of an adult's fist was lying in the sand right in front of it.
The Rhydon didn't even wonder where the fruit came from. It immediately reached out with its three fingers, picked up the apple, and stuffed it into its mouth. With a loud crunch, the apple's unique crisp sweetness brought an expression of pure bliss to its face.
Apples weren't tropical fruits. In all its life, this was the first time the Rhydon had tasted a fruit from the inland regions.
"It's just too little!" the Rhydon thought, humanistically shaking its head with a sigh.
Thump!
Another red apple was tossed over, but this time it didn't hit the Rhydon. Instead, it landed on the beach not far in front of it. Thump, thump. One after another, fruits of various colors flew through the air, forming a straight line leading toward the depths of the forest...
"Wow, food really can fall from the sky!" In its simple, innocent mind, the Rhydon had only this one thought.
It began following the trail of fruit, picking them up and eating them one by one as it slowly walked back into the forest.
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