The crowd was still processing the news when Tong Ru suddenly realized something, "I say, when did you get an additional title of Honorary Vice President?"
Xia Huanao seemed reluctant to admit it, "What? When did I say I was an Honorary Vice President?"
Though Xia Huanao tried to feign surprise, it was too soon to fool the astute individuals present. Tong Ru slammed the table, "Stop with the nonsense. Weren't you just an Honorary Researcher? When did you become an Honorary Vice President?"
Xia Huanao lightly scratched his right index finger at the corner of his mouth, then switched the image on the computer. "Next up is the second part of today's press conference, the release of Poké Blocks. Let's have a round of applause."
With that, Xia Huanao started clapping, and the audience below followed suit.
After the applause subsided, Xia Huanao openly revealed the data for Poké Blocks and introduced, "These are the specific data for Poké Blocks. Depending on the type and quantity of berries used, the taste of the Poké Blocks will have subtle variations, but please rest assured, the energy content does not differ significantly."
"If there isn't a significant difference in energy, why develop these Poké Blocks?"
Xia Huanao slapped the table, "That's a great question. The primary reason for creating Poké Blocks is that we first proposed the concept of Contests. To enhance the spectacle of Contests, we hoped to research an item that could, to a certain extent, improve the visual appeal of Pokémon. Thus, after extensive research and development, we created Poké Blocks."
Unexpectedly, the reporter followed up with, "Excuse me, are you telling the truth just now?"
Xia Huanao furrowed his brow and asked, "Do you really want me to tell the truth?"
The reporter was taken aback by the response, "Of course. The most important thing in journalism is speed and accuracy. We certainly hope you will tell us the truth."
Xia Huanao spread his hands, "Alright, the truth is, we forgot to select prizes for our Contests, and that's why I developed Poké Blocks to create some prizes."
"So, was Guo Shuang'er's prize such a large Poké Block?"
Xia Huanao suddenly adopted a pitifully dim-witted expression, "Do you think that's possible? I admit that Poké Blocks have a longer shelf life than berries, but that doesn't mean it's smart for a trainer to make an exceptionally large Poké Block. How would a Pokémon eat it? Lick it? Of course, if your Pokémon is like a Snorlax, that's another story."
The reporter glanced at the live chat, "Vice President Xia, someone in the chat is curious about Guo Shuang'er's prize. Could you ask Guo Shuang'er to show it to us?"
Xia Huanao shouted towards the backstage, "Old Feng, did you manage to keep her there?"
Feng Bing remained silent, carrying a box, and followed Guo Shuang'er to the stage, "Where should I put this?"
Xia Huanao pointed to the table, "Just place it on the table. Guo Shuang'er, you don't mind opening the box and displaying your prize now, do you?"
Guo Shuang'er shook her head, "I don't mind. I've been curious for a long time too."
Xia Huanao, with assistance, unpacked the box, revealing a rose-pink machine. Observing the not-so-large device, the audience below buzzed with discussion, and even the live chat was filled with speculation:
"I say, could this be a toast maker?"
"What are you babbling about? Would you make a toast maker pink? Besides, do you think a piece of toast would even fit in this machine?"
"Why wouldn't it fit? If it doesn't fit vertically, what about horizontally?"
"Then it would just be a griddle."
...
The discussion in the chat was lively, and the reporter quickly asked Xia Huanao to demonstrate what the machine was for.
Xia Huanao turned on the switch, "How about this, Guo Shuang'er, you operate it."
Guo Shuang'er looked at the machine, "How do I use this?"
Xia Huanao took out a basket of berries, "Put in two to four berries, then press the Poké Block button."
Guo Shuang'er casually picked out two berries from the basket, placed them into the machine, and pressed the button, "What's next? What do I do now?"
Xia Huanao leaned back in his chair, "Wait. Just wait."
Guo Shuang'er stared at the berries inside the transparent cover, "How long do I have to wait?"
Xia Huanao feigned counting on his fingers, "Not long. This is a version that has been modified many times. Now it only takes five minutes. The earlier versions took too long."
Not wanting everyone to wait idly, Xia Huanao decided to advertise his own product:
"Let me introduce you all to what you are seeing. This is the Berry Pokémon Set developed by my Blazing Star team. As for how many people are on my Blazing Star team, for their safety, the only information I can disclose right now is my own. If any of those foolish lads from my team sell themselves out, there's nothing I can do about it."
"Is it ready?"
Seeing the light on the Berry Pokémon turn off, Guo Shuang'er asked.
Xia Huanao nodded, "Yes, press the eject button and you can retrieve the block."
Guo Shuang'er obediently pressed the eject button, and a rainbow-colored block popped out from the Berry Pokémon. Guo Shuang'er looked at the block, "What a beautiful block. What is it for?"
Xia Huanao took out a notebook and carefully cross-referenced the information, "A rainbow-colored block. Long-term consumption can enhance performance in Contests. You can try it with a Pokémon."
Guo Shuang'er directly handed the rainbow-colored block to the small Snorlax. The small Snorlax sniffed it with its nose, then swallowed the block in one gulp. The small Snorlax smacked its lips, then licked its mouth with its tongue, and extended its hands to ask Guo Shuang'er for more.
Xia Huanao took out a long container with a Poké Ball logo from in front of the Berry Pokémon. The container held ten blocks. The official live broadcast quickly provided a close-up. Xia Huanao handed the container to Guo Shuang'er, "There are ten blocks here. From top to bottom, based on their different colors, our team believes they can influence different aspects of Contests. You can try them yourself."
After giving the small Snorlax two more Poké Blocks, Guo Shuang'er picked up a block, "I should be able to eat this too, right?"
Xia Huanao nodded, "Of course. Since humans can eat berries, they can eat related products. However, I must remind you, although it has become a block, the taste is the attribute of the berry itself and will not change just because it becomes a block."
Guo Shuang'er held up the block in her hand, "So, what flavor is this block?"
"Sweet. You can eat it with confidence. All these pink blocks are sweet."
Guo Shuang'er ate a pink Poké Block, and a sweet, blissful smile appeared on her face. This smile instantly caused the official live broadcast chat to erupt, with the most frequent message being: Mom, I'm in love...
Xia Huanao continued to introduce his Berry Pokémon, "Besides Poké Blocks, our Berry Pokémon also have the functions of making Poffins and PokéFufu."
With that, Xia Huanao brought out another Berry Pokémon and began making Poffins and PokéFufu simultaneously. To cater to the Contest Star beside him, Xia Huanao specifically chose berries with a sweeter flavor. After skillfully preparing the Poffins and PokéFufu, Xia Huanao handed them to Guo Shuang'er, "Have some."
Xia Huanao walked to the table, "These are all the manufacturing functions of our Berry Pokémon. Additionally, we thoughtfully provide Berry Planting Pots, where you can plant some of your favorite berries. Other details will be in the instruction manual once the Berry Pokémon are released."
The official reporter looked at Xia Huanao, who nodded to signal that she could begin her questions.
"So, please tell us, what is the selling price of the Berry Pokémon?"
Xia Huanao pursed his lips and held up his right hand, gesturing a number, "This Rose Special Edition Berry Pokémon required this amount for its manufacturing cost. What do you think we'll sell it for?"
Xia Huanao's gesture made all the trainers present gasp. This thing was truly expensive...
"Of course, you don't need to worry too much. After discussions with the Pokémon League, we reached a final conclusion: Berry Pokémon will be installed in all Pokémon Centers nationwide, and we will also launch Berry Pokémon with single functions. So, there's no need to worry too much about the price."
At this point, Xia Huanao made a rather exaggerated gesture, "Did you know, our initial version of the Berry Pokémon was this big? To make it convenient for use in Pokémon Centers, our specialized Berry Pokémon is even larger than what I just gestured."
The official reporter's eyes nearly bulged out of her head, "That large?"
Xia Huanao nodded, "That's right. Because the size and weight were too inconvenient for trainers to carry around, we spent a great deal of effort to reduce its volume, which is why the manufacturing cost is so high. Here, I need to put some pressure on the Pokémon League and the Rainbow Star Group."
Hearing Xia Huanao's words, everyone's spirits lifted. Was Xia Huanao finally going to fulfill his earlier promise?
"I have a question. Both our Pokémon League and the Rainbow Star Group should have extensive research into Poké Balls. So, why not try to transfer the functional mechanism of Poké Balls to other aspects?"
"What do you mean?"
Xia Huanao tossed out a Poké Ball, "Niu Niu, come out for a moment."
Releasing his Tauros, Xia Huanao said, "See? The Pokémon League should know Tauros's data. Since a Poké Ball can store such a large Tauros with little to no weight, why not develop a similar backpack? That way, our Blazing Star team wouldn't have to rack our brains trying to shrink equipment size."
After chatting with the audience for a bit longer, Xia Huanao concluded the press conference, announced the dispersal, and told everyone to go rest. The next day's morning papers across the Minglong Kingdom all carried the same headline: Now, the pressure is on the Pokémon League.