LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 175: Tipsy Infernape
After all the Tree of Beginning leaves were cleaned, Angie noticed it was still too early to sleep, so he decided to start making Tree of Beginning Tofu.
By preparing the tofu in advance, he could send it home with Munchlax and the others, so that Charcadet and Oinkologne could take it directly to Xerneas. Angie hoped Xerneas would eat it soon and recover quickly.
Even though Xerneas had transformed into a tree, it could still consume food since it wasn't a tree in the literal sense.
Once the water from the Tree of Beginning leaves had fully drained, Angie and his apprentices officially began making the Tree of Beginning Tofu.
The ingredients for Tree of Beginning Tofu
The essential materials required for making Tree of Beginning Tofu included the leaves of the Tree of Beginning and a special kind of ash known as wood ash.
As the name suggests, wood ash is the residue left after plants are burned. However, the type of ash required for making Tree of Beginning Tofu was unique. Ordinary plant ashes were unsuitable; the ashes had to come from burning the leaves of berry trees.
Moreover, the process required burning the leaves of six specific berry trees—Oran Berry, Pecha Berry, Rawst Berry, Aspear Berry, Persim Berry, and Cheri Berry—in a strict 1:1:1:1:1:1 ratio.
These berries were relatively common, and Angie's orchard had been cultivating them for long time, so he had prepared the necessary leaves long before.
...
[ Step 1: Preparing Wood Ash Water ]
The first step was to prepare wood ash water, a relatively simple process.
Mix wood ash with clean water in a 1:8 ratio and stir thoroughly.
Allow the mixture to settle so the ash sediment sank to the bottom.
Strain the mixture through a piece of gauze to filter out any ash residue, leaving only pure wood ash water for later use.
...
[ Step 2: Boiling Leaves and Extracting Juice ]
The second step was to boil the leaves and extract their juice.
Heat a pot of water to a boil and immerse the drained Tree of Beginning leaves for about three minutes.
Remove the leaves and place them in gauze to extract their green juice by pressing repeatedly.
...
Angie, Munchlax, and Gengar handled this task together. With his strength and efficiency, Angie led the process, and Munchlax helped with its tremendous power. Meanwhile, Gengar used Psychic abilities to compress the leaves, working as effectively as the others.
Since Inteleon wasn't as strong, it focused on boiling water and soaking the leaves to assist Angie and the others.
...
[ Step 3: Coagulating the Tofu ]
Next came coagulating the tofu using the prepared ingredients.
Strain the extracted green juice into a large bowl, then mix in the wood ash water in precise proportions, stirring well.
Let the mixture sit in cold water for 10–15 minutes until it solidified.
...
[ Step 4: Adding Seasonings ]
Once the tofu solidified, Angie removed it from the bowl and cut it into small, square pieces of uniform size.
He then prepared two different flavor profiles:
For sweet tastes, he added sugar, condensed milk, or honey.
For savory flavors, he used salt, soy sauce, vinegar, chili oil, and sesame oil.
...
Since Angie wasn't sure about Xerneas's preference, he made both varieties.
The Tree of Beginning Tofu, now complete, gleamed in its fresh, tender green hue. It was not only a dish but also a heartfelt gift of care and hope for Xerneas's recovery.
Not only does Xerneas need to eat, but Yveltal also requires this! This is a unique food designed exclusively for the two Legendary Pokémon.
Once everything was ready, Angie carefully placed the food with different flavors into separate dishes and had Munchlax store them in the system backpack.
Then, Angie instructed Munchlax to have Charcadet and Oinkologne deliver Xerneas's portion when they returned, while Yveltal's portion was to be delivered personally by Munchlax.
Angie and his three apprentices worked late into the night, using up all the Tree of Beginning leaves they had harvested earlier that day. The quantity they prepared should last Xerneas and Yveltal for some time.
Angie made the Tree of Beginning Tofu according to the quality of the Tree of Beginning leaves.
There weren't many top-grade leaves, so Angie only managed to prepare two servings, just enough for Xerneas and Yveltal to have one meal each.
To his delight, these two servings of Tree of Beginning Tofu produced a special effect during the preparation process, granting the eater a significant boost in life force in a single bite.
With this unique tofu, Xerneas should be able to recover much faster.
After completing all the Tree of Beginning Tofu, Angie and his apprentices tidied up everything.
By that time, it was late, so Angie sent Diancie and the others back home.
However, Munchlax refused to leave no matter what, insisting on staying overnight. Angie couldn't convince it otherwise and had to agree.
"Fine, you can stay," Angie said. "We can still make it home tomorrow morning."
That night, Angie pitched a tent inside Mew's home and, for the first time in a long while, shared a sleeping bag with Munchlax.
Munchlax was fluffy and soft, making it unbelievably comfortable to cuddle while sleeping.
The next morning, as the first rays of sunlight streamed through the cave roof, Angie woke up.
Beside him, Munchlax was still snoring soundly, somehow having rolled to the other side of the tent during the night.
Angie crawled over and gently shook it. "Munchlax, time to wake up!"
"Munchlax~"
Munchlax muttered, groggily turning over.
Angie patted its cheek lightly. "If you don't wake up, you'll be late!"
"Munchlax~"
Hearing that, Munchlax bounced up like a ball, fully awake.
"I'll teleport you home now. Everyone must be getting ready for breakfast," Angie said.
"Munchlax~ Munchlax~"
Munchlax nodded eagerly, reluctant to part from its master but aware of its responsibilities and unwilling to slack off.
Upon returning home, Munchlax rushed straight to its room to freshen up and then sprinted downstairs to help out in the kitchen.
By the time it went downstairs, Diancie was already busy cleaning with two Spinarak and a Mareep.
The Spinarak each held a small cloth, diligently wiping the tables under Diancie's supervision. Mareep followed closely at her side, looking well-behaved and attentive.
Meanwhile, Inteleon had taken Ralts and the others to the Azoth Kingdom early in the morning.
Passimian had also headed to the secret fortress's brewery at dawn, putting into practice the knowledge it had learned in the training room.
Angie had already prepared all the necessary ingredients for brewing, such as berries and grains.
Dusknoir and Shuckle were assisting Passimian in the brewing process.
Shuckle had a unique talent: placing grains and berries inside its body to accelerate fermentation. This not only simplified the brewing process but also enhanced the quality of the beverages.
The brewing knowledge Passimian had learned included a special section on utilizing Shuckle to make better brews.
Besides brewing alcohol, Passimian had also started learning how to make fruit beverages.
After acquiring this systematic knowledge, it silently made a resolution to become not only a master brewer but also a skilled mixologist and juice specialist in the future.
Once its skills improve, it plans to have Angie open the first floor of the secret fortress to operate a bar. Whether it's Pokémon seeking a drink or those wanting fruit juice, they can all find satisfaction there.
If paired with Magearna's desserts, it would be even better! The mere thought excites Passimian—it is confident it can run the bar successfully!
Meanwhile, Magearna was already on the second-floor kitchen early in the morning, researching dessert-making. However, it had been troubled recently.
According to the knowledge provided by the system, crafting top-tier desserts required the help of an Alcremie. Unfortunately, there were no Alcremies in the Nebel Plateau.
What could it do? Distressed, Magearna sat by the second-floor window, gazing absentmindedly at the sky.
As the sun rose higher, the Nebel Plateau became livelier.
The Altaria couple soared across the skies. Talonflame and Staraptor, in high spirits early in the morning, began a flight race, their joyous cries echoing from the clouds.
Swablu, Fletchling, and Spritzee huddled together on the fence, forming three fluffy balls as they leaned against one another. Beside them, the Dollive sisters held hands, basking in the sunlight.
Nacli and Garganacl walked back and forth across the plaza floor, the sound of rocks scraping against each other filling the air.
When Munchlax finished preparing breakfast, Diancie stood at the door and called out, "Everyone, breakfast is ready!"
Upon hearing this, the Pokémon rushed to Diancie's dining hall.
Volcanion was the first to arrive, descending with steam hissing, exclaiming, "I'm starving!"
It had gone for a morning workout and now felt famished.
Tropius also descended from the skies.
Having adjusted well to life on the Nebel Plateau, it got along splendidly with everyone.
After breakfast, the Pokémon gradually left for their tasks. Infernape initially planned to ask Volcanion to join it for a soccer match, but seeing Volcanion chatting and laughing with Magearna, it hesitated.
Volcanion's eyes curved into crescent moons from laughter, looking so silly that Infernape couldn't stand to watch.
With a huff, Infernape turned away.
Feeling bored, Infernape thought about finding someone to spar with and stretch its muscles. It felt as though it would rust if it stayed inactive for too long.
Halfway through, however, it spotted Passimian walking alongside Dusknoir toward the secret fortress.
Infernape suddenly paused.
Although both Pokémon had been on the Nebel Plateau for some time, they hadn't interacted much.
As both were monkeys, Infernape grew curious about Passimian. How were its ball-handling skills? Could it be recruited into its soccer team?
If it could gain a strong player, Infernape could finally outshine Volcanion.
It had always been neck and neck with Volcanion's team, a fact that annoyed Infernape greatly.
With that thought, Infernape followed Passimian into the secret fortress and arrived at the distillery.
The Shuckles, due to their slow movement, had not gone upstairs for breakfast. Instead, Dusknoir and Passimian brought food down for them.
While the Shuckles ate, Passimian busied itself with its brewing equipment.
These were its treasures, requiring careful maintenance every day.
When Infernape entered the distillery, the first thing it saw was the array of bottles and jars everywhere. Sniffing the air, it caught the strong scent of alcohol wafting throughout the room.
Infernape had never encountered alcohol before and didn't recognize it.
Its arrival immediately caught Dusknoir's attention.
"Dusknoir~?"
Infernape?
Dusknoir was surprised to see Infernape here—they usually didn't interact much.
Upon hearing the sound, the busy Passimian also noticed Infernape. With agile leaps, it swiftly landed beside Infernape.
"Passimian~ Passimian~"
Do you need something?
Passimian asked.
"Infernape~"
What are you doing here?
Infernape asked curiously, clearly having forgotten why it had come in the first place.
"Passimian~"
I'm brewing drinks!
Passimian replied.
"Infernape~?"
Brewing? What's that?
Infernape looked puzzled.
"Passimian~ Passimian~"
It's making a drink.
Infernape couldn't help but gulp.
"Infernape~ Infernape~"
A drink… is it tasty?
Passimian paused, unsure how to answer. Drinks like this—alcohol—were something that some enjoyed immensely while others didn't care for at all.
Suddenly struck with an idea, Passimian asked.
"Passimian~ Passimian~"
Would you like to try it?
Ever since its good friend left with Angie, Passimian had lost a tasting partner for its brews. If Infernape liked alcohol, it could gain a new drinking buddy!
Infernape hesitated briefly, then nodded lightly.
"Passimian~ Passimian~"
Come with me.
With that, Passimian led Infernape to a wooden platform. Behind it were shelves upon shelves of bottles, jars, and casks, all neatly arranged.
These were Passimian's pride and joy—the results of its brewing experiments over recent weeks. Thanks to the high-end brewing equipment provided by the system, Passimian had been able to produce an impressive variety of drinks in a short amount of time.
After seating Infernape, Passimian retrieved a bottle and some glasses from the shelves.
It decided to first let Infernape try some red wine, a rich and sweet brew made primarily from Bluk Berry.
Although red wine could be made in many varieties, Passimian hadn't yet had the chance to experiment beyond this one.
It placed a long-stemmed glass in front of Infernape and then brought out a decanter, pouring the deep purple wine into it.
Decanting was an essential step for enjoying red wine.
"Passimian~ Passimian~"
We need to wait a bit.
Passimian explained to Infernape, gesturing to the decanter.
Infernape nodded but stared at the decanter and its crystalline liquid, thinking to itself.
Why is drinking something so complicated?
Noticing the impatience on Infernape's face, Passimian chuckled. It then pulled out a wooden barrel.
"Passimian~ Passimian~"
How about we try some beer first?
With that, it opened the barrel and placed a large mug in front of Infernape.
The brewing equipment had come with a plethora of fancy drinkware, so Passimian had everything it needed for any occasion.
Glug, glug~~
Soon, the mug was filled to the brim with frothy, golden beer.
"Passimian~"
Try this.
Passimian smiled as it pushed the mug toward Infernape.
"Passimian~ Passimian~"
You need to drink this in big gulps to enjoy it properly.
Hearing this, Infernape didn't hesitate. It grabbed the mug and took a massive swig.
Glug, glug~~
In a flash, the beer was gone, not a drop left in the mug.
"Passimian~"
Well?
Passimian asked eagerly.
Infernape smacked its lips, licking away any lingering flavor, and said.
"Infernape~ Infernape~"
Not bad, though the taste is a bit… strange.
Passimian nodded.
"Passimian~"
That's normal for your first time trying beer.
"Passimian~"
Let's move on to something else.
With that, Passimian brought out several ceramic jars and placed them on the platform.
These jars contained white spirits.
In general, alcohol could be divided into three categories based on the brewing method: fermented beverages, distilled beverages, and compounded beverages.
The red wine and beer Passimian had offered earlier fell into the fermented category, while the white spirits now on the table belonged to the distilled category.
Passimian then took out a set of elegant white porcelain cups, each adorned with illustrations of the Twelve Flower Spirits, specially designed for drinking white spirits.
Passimian was very fond of this set of wine cups.
Placing a row of cups in front of the Infernape, Passimian carefully poured the contents of each ceramic jar into individual cups.
The white wine had varying alcohol concentrations, and each of the ceramic jars held a different strength of white wine. From left to right, the cups contained wine with alcohol levels of 60%, 53%, 43%, 38%, 32%, 25%, and 20%.
The mingling aromas of the different concentrations of wine were so enticing that the Infernape couldn't help but swallow hard.
Why did it feel like this so-called white wine was even more alluring than the beer from earlier?
"Passimian~ Passimian~"
Try it quickly.
Passimian urged.
"Passimian~ Passimian~"
Unlike beer, white wine should be sipped slowly to savor its flavor.
The Infernape nodded, picking up the cup on the far right and taking a small sip.
"Pssshhh~"
After swallowing, the Infernape let out a sharp breath—it was incredibly fragrant!
Eagerly, it began sampling each cup from right to left, only to find itself increasingly intoxicated the further it went.
Intense! This white wine was exhilarating, especially the last two cups on the left!
Drinking it felt amazing!
Before it knew it, the Infernape was a little tipsy.
Passimian observed the Infernape silently, clearly noticing its preference for the stronger wines.
After the Infernape had tasted all the white wines, Passimian brought out a series of glass bottles, each filled with colorful liquids—pink, blue, green, deep red…
This time, Passimian had prepared fruit wines, which belonged to the category of liqueurs among the three main types of wine.
The fruit wines it had brewed were all low in alcohol content, specially crafted for Pokémon or humans who didn't enjoy strong liquors.
Passimian placed five or six clear glass cups in front of the Infernape, then poured each with a full glass of fruit wine.
The different colors of the fruit wines, arranged neatly, looked incredibly pleasing to the eye.
As the Infernape tasted each one, Passimian introduced them by name.
"This is Pecha Berry Wine, with a gentle flavor and rich aroma."
"This is Pinap Berry Wine, tangy and sweet, with a refreshing taste."
"This is Nanab Berry Wine, fragrant and smooth in texture."
"This is Tamato Berry Wine, spicy and highly stimulating."
…
Before long, Passimian figured out that, aside from the white wine earlier, the Infernape had taken a particular liking to the Tamato Berry Wine among the fruit wines.
Once these had all been sampled, the red wine from earlier had finished decanting.
Passimian cleared away the other wines and cups, then picked up the decanter and poured the dark red liquid into the tall, slender wine glass in front of the Infernape.
"Passimian~"
Go ahead and try it!
Passimian encouraged.
"Passimian~ Passimian~"
The red wine has its own unique charm, too.
The Infernape lifted the glass and was about to down it all in one go when Passimian hurriedly stopped it.
"Passimian~"
This one needs to be savored slowly as well.
Helpless, the Infernape had no choice but to bring the glass to its lips and take a small sip.
The flavor was indeed good.
But the Infernape still felt that the white wine and Tamato Berry Wine it had tasted earlier were much more satisfying to drink.