Cole walked with Lysandre, examining berry stalls one by one according to Omura's notes. They stopped to chat with stall owners whenever they encountered berries with unique flavors.
When conversations went well, Cole would offer his own berries for tasting. If vendors showed interest, he would propose a trade.
Thanks to his berries' outstanding quality, most of Cole's proposed trades succeeded, with only a few falling through when agreements couldn't be reached.
He wasn't discouraged by the occasional rejection — there were plenty of other vendors at the exhibition from around the world, offering berries of all varieties and flavors.
Cole's trading criteria went beyond mere taste and energy ratings. He particularly valued unique berries, becoming more interested the more distinctive they were, like those from Jean's hometown. For such special varieties, taste was secondary.
Since Cole had limited berry trees available for trade, he chose his trading partners carefully.
While selecting his own trades, he also helped Lysandre analyze which berries were worth investing in, offering objective advice but leaving the final decisions to the wealthy entrepreneur.
Lysandre trusted Cole deeply. At two stalls where Cole didn't trade but gave high evaluations, Lysandre immediately chose those vendors as investment targets.
"Cole, over here, come here!"
Just as Cole finished at one stall, he heard someone calling. Following the voice, he spotted Julia waving frantically from behind a nearby stall.
"Julia!" He hurried over with Lysandre, realizing he had unconsciously wandered near her location.
Julia's group had secured a prime spot — foot traffic was heavy, and their berries were so popular that customers queued for samples!
They clearly weren't lacking potential investors. As expected of Crown Academy's top students — they knew their business.
Julia's seven companions greeted customers at the front while she, less comfortable with socializing, handled tasks in the back.
At first sight of Cole, she jumped and shouted excitedly, but upon noticing Lysandre, she immediately grew timid, shrinking back with a quiet, "Oh, Cole, you're here."
Cole nodded warmly and made introductions, "This is my friend Lysandre. He's a major entrepreneur. If you haven't chosen an investor yet, you might want to consider him."
Her group hadn't settled on an investor, mainly because so many people were interested in their berries and eager to invest.
Being only the first day of the exhibition, they felt no rush to decide — especially since they needed time to evaluate unfamiliar investors.
"H-hello... I'm... I'm Julia." She squeaked, extending a trembling hand to Lysandre.
His appearance was indeed intimidating — tall with spiky red hair, and years in high positions had given him an unconsciously imposing presence.
"Hello." Noting her shy nature, Lysandre gently shook her hand with a warm expression, releasing it quickly — the perfect picture of a gentleman.
After the introductions, Amy noticed Cole and quickly squeezed through the crowd.
"Cole, you're here!" She said, catching her breath.
"I didn't expect your area to be so popular!" Cole remarked, "It's much livelier than my side."
Amy waved her hand, "It's mainly because of your location. It's only the first day — you'll get more visitors later."
"I'll take your word for it." He nodded.
"Amy, bring out our berries for him to taste!" Julia urged anxiously after introducing Amy and Lysandre.
Her unparalleled passion for berry cultivation made her eager to secure a trade with him before the opportunity slipped away.
"Alright, wait here." Amy went to the tent behind the stall and returned with a tray of sliced berries, placing it before Cole and Lysandre.
Her group showcased a richer variety of exhibition berries than his team — not just common ones like Pecha, Chesto, and Rawst, but also rare varieties like Aguav, Iapapa, Razz, and Bluk Berries. With Crown Academy's backing, they had access to abundant cultivation resources.
Cole and Lysandre sampled each berry, immediately drawn to their unique qualities. One consistent characteristic stood out — they were perfectly sweet without being cloying.
Julia's group had carefully selected their berry varieties, each one balanced in sweetness, avoiding the sharp flavors typical of Tamato, Pinap, and Babiri Berries.
These berries also featured distinctive aromas and textures.
Take the Pecha Berry, for instance — typically known for its peach fragrance, soft flesh, juiciness, and melt-in-your-mouth quality.
But Julia's group's variety was different — their Pecha Berries had virtually no scent until eaten, when the peach aroma would burst in your mouth. The texture was unique too — crisp rather than soft, making it refreshingly pleasant to eat.
No wonder their stall drew such crowds!
The group explained that their berries' unique qualities stemmed from their geographical location. Crown Academy sat at Mount Coronet's base — the highest mountain range in Sinnoh — where fertile soil and abundant water created ideal growing conditions.
Mount Coronet's year-round snow cap influenced the local climate significantly. The surrounding area never exceeded 15 degrees, dropping to minus 30-40 degrees in cold periods.
Yet the Academy's location at the foothills maintained stable temperatures between 10 and 20 degrees year-round.
While their area enjoyed perpetual spring-like conditions, it differed from Cole's Coumarine City.
Coumarine, bordering the ocean, featured sea breezes, mild temperatures, and frequent rainfall. In contrast, Mount Coronet's foothills remained dry, receiving water primarily from melting snow.
But the location offered one crucial advantage — abundant sunlight. This unique environment enabled them to cultivate berries with such distinctive flavors.
"Well, what do you think?" Julia asked eagerly.
Cole gave her a thumbs up, "Please trade with me!"
Her group's berries impressed not only with their unique flavors but also their energy ratings — several reached B-grade, matching the quality of his own cultivated berries.
Cole learned from Amy that most of these B-grade berries were Julia's work, which filled him with admiration. Unlike him, who relied on his cheat ability to become a fake genius, she was a genuine prodigy!
"That's wonderful!" Hearing his response, Julia jumped up excitedly.
After discussing the trade details with her group, he turned to Lysandre and said quietly, "What do you think of their berries? I think they have great investment potential."
Lysandre nodded, "Indeed, I'll get in touch with them later."
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Cole wrapped up his browsing, as it was getting late, and returned to his booth to join Omura.
With so many exhibitors, he knew he couldn't visit all the booths in one day — the exhibition would run for several more days.
Lysandre departed on his own, his schedule packed with other business matters that demanded his attention.
By four or five in the afternoon, the crowd at Centrico Plaza had thinned considerably. After a brief discussion with Omura, they decided to pack up for the day.
Unlike other booths that had several staff members, they were operating with just two people. Both teacher and student were exhausted from the busy day. They figured leaving early would help them stay fresh for tomorrow.
Next door, seeing Cole's team packing up, Jean immediately began gathering his things. He hadn't met a single interested investor all day — there was no point in waiting any longer. He might as well head back and rest.
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Back at the hotel, Cole approached his teacher.
"Teacher, thank you for your hard work today. Please go back to your room and rest well. When evening comes, I'll treat you to a feast!" When the old man began to decline, Cole quickly added, "Please don't refuse! You helped me all day — surely I can treat you to one meal? If you refuse again, I'll feel terribly embarrassed."
Hearing this, Omura laughed heartily, "Alright then, I'll look forward to your feast!"
After parting ways, Cole returned to his room and heard loud noises from inside. He found Purrloin and Larvitar sprawled on the sofa watching TV at full volume.
For the exhibition, he had only taken Daisy, Brionne, and Helioptile with him, leaving the cat and the hungry baby to watch the hotel room.
Purrloin didn't mind being left behind at all. Cole had left them plenty of food, and it thoroughly enjoyed this unsupervised freedom — no beatings, no hunger, and no need to watch the master's mood.
It was fantastic!
Larvitar had chosen to stay behind on its own — it had no interest in crowded places like the exhibition. It preferred to sleep at home.
However, sleep proved elusive. After Cole left, the cat started causing chaos in the room and tried to drag Larvitar into its mischief.
Though initially reluctant, Larvitar gradually succumbed to Purrloin's infectious enthusiasm. Their excitement built until the two little ones ended up going wild throughout the room all day.
At least they knew their limits and didn't run outside, keeping their mischief confined to the room.
When they got tired, the two little ones collapsed on the sofa to watch TV, munching on snacks Cole had left behind. They were living their best life.
Looking at the mess throughout the room, Cole felt dizzy.
"What have you done? Purrloin, didn't you promise to behave? Is this your idea of keeping a promise?"
Back at the drug dealer's base, Cole had promised to ensure the cat's safety. Later, at Officer Jenny's place, Purrloin had surprisingly volunteered to follow him — which had shocked him.
Perhaps through their interactions, Purrloin had come to trust him, or so Cole thought.
After careful consideration, he had decided to take in the cat. But given its background as a drug dealer's Pokémon and its resulting bad habits, he'd made one condition before taking it in — it must follow the rules.
With the TV volume so loud, neither Purrloin nor Larvitar noticed Cole's return as they continued lounging on the sofa like two little kings.
Upon hearing his voice, the cat jumped in fright, scattering snacks everywhere.
"Meow meow meow~" — Cole, you're back!
It scrambled up from the sofa, put on its most ingratiating smile, and leaped toward his arms.
The cat knew how to use its cute appearance to its advantage, but before it could reach Cole, a small hand caught it by the scruff of its neck.
"Garde~" — Still trying to get away with it by acting cute?
Daisy stood with one hand on her hip, staring at Purrloin with round eyes. Her serious expression, rather than looking stern, only made her appear more adorable.
"Meow meow meow~" — What are you talking about? I was very good today — it was all Larvitar's doing.
It spoke with an innocent face, its small eyes watery and blinking, looking utterly pitiful.
While the cat's cute act might work on others, it didn't fool Brionne, that little spitfire. A red flash appeared at Cole's waist, and Brionne materialized at Daisy's feet.
None of the Poké Balls were locked, allowing all Pokémon to enter and exit freely.
"Bri~ Bri~" — You're lying! Don't put on an act in front of Cole!
Brionne jumped up and slapped its forehead, leaving it completely stunned. It particularly despised when Pokémon tried to act cute and coy around Cole.
Purrloin: (◎-◎;) What happened?
The dazed cat hadn't expected Brionne's sudden attack.
There's a reason why Normal-types counter Dark-types!
At this point, Helioptile emerged from its Poké Ball. Having an incredibly soft spot for Larvitar, it didn't believe Purrloin's words at all, standing united with Brionne for the first time.
"Ah-bi~ Ah-bi~" — Larvitar is so well-behaved, it wouldn't do such things!
Still lying motionless on the sofa, Larvitar thought: Sorry, but I actually did.
It was indeed very composed. No matter how the other Pokémon condemned Purrloin, or how the cat tried to shift blame onto it, it remained perfectly calm on the sofa, maintaining an attitude of "do whatever you want".
That little expression nearly made Cole laugh.
"Alright, alright!" Seeing the Pokémon arguing intensely, he shouted, "I'll let it go this time. But Purrloin, if you act up again, don't blame me for being harsh."
Whether or not Larvitar had participated, he knew perfectly well that the cat was the main culprit.
"Meow~" — I... I understand.
Purrloin lowered its head guiltily.
Brionne: (⊙o⊙*)
Seeing the cat get scolded, Brionne was thoroughly satisfied.
"Sigh~" Cole heaved a deep sigh.
After a busy day, he was exhausted, and now he had to clean up the room!
Dragging his tired body, he and his Pokémon took quite a while to restore the room to order. Then he collapsed onto the bed and fell fast asleep.
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Around eight in the evening, Cole woke up, freshened up, and went out to dinner with Omura.
The nighttime Lumiose was as bustling as during the day, filled with bright lights and excitement everywhere.
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