After Senta's little interruption, Reiji took out a Poké Ball, released Shelmet, and checked its proficiency panel.
[Shelmet (Shiny)]
[Type: Bug]
[Gender: Male]
[Potential: 51%]
[Level: 28.14%]
[Ability: Hydration/13.23%][Hidden Ability: Overcoat/10.13%]
[Moves Mastered: (Hidden Power (Electric)/7.23%) (Bug Buzz/12.34%) (Leech Life/12.23%) (Absorb/15.11%) (Mega Drain/8.82%) (Protect/16.14%) (Acid/20.21%) (Mud Shot/23.22%)]
He hadn't looked at Shelmet's panel since the cruise battle, so it had been about a week.
The level hadn't changed much—twenty-six to twenty-eight. Two levels in a week. From here on out, leveling would only slow down, so he'd have to grind it out over time.
Hydration cleared status conditions in rain. Whenever Shelmet burned its mouth on hot food, it would scuttle over and mooch off Pelipper's rain.
Overcoat meant sandstorm and hail didn't wear it down, and it ignored powder-based moves too. It was a solid ability—no matter the weather, it could move without getting dragged down.
Still, it wouldn't keep that after evolving. It would turn into Unburden instead: once Accelgor's held item was gone, its Speed doubled. If it entered battle holding nothing from the start, Unburden wouldn't trigger.
So if he wanted to activate it, he could have it hold a Berry before going out—then either toss it away or eat it after the battle started.
Hidden Power (Electric) had jumped a lot—up five percent. The Electric-type Pokéblocks were probably doing their job.
Bug Buzz and Leech Life barely moved, which made sense. They weren't his focus.
Absorb and Mega Drain didn't change either. Those weren't priorities, either.
Protect had come up in sparring, Acid helped with digestion, and Mud Shot was something it practiced against Golbat.
Those three improved noticeably, and Protect rose the fastest of the lot.
For Shelmet, his plan stayed the same: sharpen accuracy, build proficiency, and keep adding new moves.
It still couldn't evolve yet. He needed a Karrablast first. That Pokémon wasn't rare—just not something you'd casually find here.
In Unova, Shelmet and Karrablast lived in the same areas because their relationship was basically baked into the food chain.
When Karrablast sensed danger, it could spit acid to drive enemies back. It also used those fluids to melt Shelmet's shell so it could eat the body inside, which was why you often saw the two around each other.
Even if Karrablast was easy to catch, he'd still have to get one—either make a trip to Unova, apply through the League, or buy one on the black market. None of it sounded hard. He could just call Naoki and ask him to keep an eye out.
Until then, Shelmet couldn't evolve, so today was about basics. Any real tactical setup could wait. Before evolution, Shelmet's Speed simply couldn't rise high enough, and a lot of kiting plans were off the table.
With Hidden Power (Electric), Mud Shot, Giga Drain, and Bug Buzz, coverage wasn't something he worried about. Shelmet already hit enough targets.
Before evolving, though, there were a few moves it still needed to learn.
Recover, a healing move, would give it much better staying power.
Venoshock, the upgrade path from Acid—spitting corrosive fluid out as an attack.
Baton Pass, to swap with a teammate while passing along any stat changes.
Energy Ball, a Grass-type move fired from collected natural energy, with a chance to drop the opponent's Special Defense.
For now, those four would do. Shelmet could also set up spikes—either spikes or poison spikes.
But it would take damage from hazards too, so he wasn't teaching that yet. Hazards cut both ways, and he'd rather not play with them until he had a clearer plan.
On top of that, Shelmet was rare in the Orange Archipelago. Finding an Accelgor to tutor it wasn't realistic, so he'd have to rely on other Pokémon to help teach it. That was just how it was.
Shelmet wasn't local. It made things a little annoying, but it wasn't a real problem.
With that, the "public" Pokémon were finally planned out. As for the Pokémon in the "spider suit," even if it needed new moves, he'd deal with it later—or find someone on the black market. He couldn't bring it out openly.
"Shelmet, we're starting our run," Reiji said, lifting a hand to tap its shell lightly. Shelmet wasn't fast, but stamina started young.
After it evolved, a solid base would turn into real combat power in a hurry. Even the running it did now would feed back into its evolved form.
"Shelmet, shelmet," it chirped.
It had been a little down after watching Poliwhirl and the others learn new moves. Then Reiji called it over to run with him, and it immediately perked up, scurrying along at his heel with quick little steps.
Reiji laughed as it pumped its tiny legs and stubbornly kept pace. He slowed down so it wouldn't fall behind.
After ten minutes or so, they stopped to rest and drink. He tipped his water bottle toward Shelmet's mouth, and it gulped down a big mouthful without hesitation.
"Keep it up, Shelmet," Reiji said.
They rested for ten minutes, then he got up and started jogging again. He loved doing this. It put him in a good mood, and the feeling stayed.
"Shelmet, shelmet."
Shelmet's eyes narrowed into happy crescents as it stuck close. With Reiji, no one shoved it aside, and no one threw it away.
It wasn't just "a Pokémon" anymore. It had a place to go, partners to train with, and teammates to fight beside. That was enough to make it run harder.
They spent the entire morning at an easy jog. For lunch, the kitchen auntie wheeled a cart over—and even brought food for the other trainers as well.
Aside from Cissy, nobody else got treatment like that. Connections mattered. Life wasn't only battles and grudges; people still did favors, and favors still came back around.
This was her way of paying Reiji back for the two Pokémon he'd helped her with. Any time the kitchen had something good, she made sure to save a portion for him.
Lunch was generous: five dishes, one soup, and a fruit plate. The earnest kid ate until grease shined on his lips.
"Man, I've never had food this good," he said, voice thick with gratitude. "Thank you, Acting Gym Leader."
He really could eat. Those palm-sized steamed buns—he put away fifteen of them. He also finished two full plates of dishes by himself.
Everyone stared. So he hadn't been lying. He wasn't just here for the pay—he genuinely wanted a full meal. The kid's appetite was unreal.
"And there's fruit too… this is the best," he said, and kept eating until tears started running down his face.
At home, fruit was something they traded for with their catch. When the fishing was bad and they couldn't bring anything in, they lived on dried salted fish and whatever pickled vegetables his mother had made. That was three meals a day.
"Take your time," Reiji said. "There's plenty."
He hadn't expected someone to cry over lunch. The kid must have had it rough. Maybe the only thing left in that house was seafood.
While they ate, Reiji learned the boy's registered name was Soumaru. At home, though, everyone just called him Sou—his parents had picked the name as a bit of sea luck, hoping every time the boat went out, it would come back with the hold full. Before long, even the neighbors stopped using the full name and called him Sou as well.
He was honest to a fault. Not dumb—just too straightforward. When everyone calls you an idiot long enough, it sticks.
His family were ordinary fishermen. He didn't have some grand dream. But the League kept issuing more fishing bans, and his family decided they couldn't keep going like this.
The two elders had already lived most of their lives, but their son was still young. He needed a new way to earn a living. Even factory work in a city would beat being a fisherman under constant restrictions. Then, yesterday, they heard the Gym was hiring trainers—and wanted someone with a Pelipper.
Their son happened to have one, so they sent him over to try his luck. They wanted to break the pattern of three generations stuck on the sea.
They hoped the family could produce a Trainer. If he did well, he could move to a bigger city and send money home. If he somehow made it into the League system, that would be a real step up for a family like theirs.
And what did Reiji think about all that?
What could he think? He wasn't exactly thriving himself. He was still living under someone else's roof, and he'd only just landed stable work. His budget was tight. He didn't have room to pity anyone. All he could say was that he had it a little better than Sou.
The difference was that Reiji had a plan. Even if he slacked off, he'd still end up as an Elite Four–level Trainer someday. Retirement wasn't something he worried about.
Sou—sunburnt dark and built like a wall—had no direction yet. He drifted, like most people who wanted change but didn't know where to start. No foundation, no options, just the same hard routine every day.
As for Reiji?
He'd see. If he felt like it, he might give the kid a few pointers someday.
Just like the fruit-farming auntie and the kitchen auntie—helping someone catch a Pokémon was no big deal for him. Whether he helped or not could wait until the situation pushed him one way or another.
He ate lunch with the other trainers. During the meal, three of them couldn't stand the fish stench clinging to Sou and kept shifting farther away.
Sou noticed and didn't try to squeeze in with anyone. He didn't even dare sit too close to Reiji. In his eyes, Reiji was someone important at the Gym, and getting looked down on felt inevitable.
Honestly, Reiji couldn't stand the smell either. It wasn't just on his clothes—it was in his breath. Every time Sou spoke, that wall of salted-fish funk hit Reiji in the face hard enough to make his eyes water.
After lunch, Reiji walked Sou out of the Gym. He took out 50,000 Pokédollars, pressed it into the boy's hand, and spoke carefully.
"Sou, if you want to change your life, start by changing yourself."
"This is an advance on your task pay. Go buy a clean set of shorts and a shirt. Get toiletries—toothpaste, a toothbrush. Get yourself cleaned up."
"If your mom asks, tell her I said so. If she hears you've got money, she'll take all of it. Fifty thousand isn't much, but you need to hold onto it. This is your first step. I'm serious—I think you can do it."
Reiji patted him on the shoulder. He had to spell it out. A kid this obedient had no opinions of his own. He listened to his family for everything, and his mother kept him on a tight leash.
If Reiji didn't make it explicit, the boy would probably carry the money straight home. That wasn't "wrong," but if he wanted to improve, he had to look presentable first. Hygiene was the bare minimum for dealing with people.
Once he got some strength and earned League certification, he could take small jobs from the Pokémon Center and live comfortably.
Also, despite how big and strong Sou looked, he wasn't League-certified yet. The Pelipper job was only word-of-mouth and hadn't been registered at the Pokémon Center. Otherwise, Sou wouldn't have been able to take it at all—he wouldn't even pass the guarantor requirement.
The kid was only thirteen or fourteen, and already around 170 centimeters. He'd clearly grown up on seafood. Reiji was about the same height, and this kid could easily end up 180 or 190.
"I get it, Rai," Sou said, nodding hard.
He knew his hygiene was a problem. His family lived by the sea—damp air, fish everywhere, and the sour bite of pickled vegetables mixed into the smell. Once the heat hit and they started sweating, it turned brutal.
At home, everyone smelled the same, so nobody noticed. They mostly dealt with fish sellers anyway, and those people were used to it.
This time, he came out alone, and he'd been exposed in a single morning. Even then, his only plan had been to go home and wash up. New clothes never even crossed his mind—let alone getting an advance on the pay.
Fifty thousand Pokédollars was more money than he'd ever held at once—more than a month's pay for someone like him. Reiji didn't hesitate; he just pressed it into the boy's hand like it was nothing. Sou froze, staring down at the cash in his palm.
Maybe his mom forcing him to come wasn't a mistake. For the first time, he could see a way out.
"You're off at six," Reiji said. "No dinner provided. Eat at home, or buy something on the street. Teach Pelipper those four moves and you'll still have 150,000 Pokédollars coming. Work hard. I'm counting on you."
"I will, Rai," Sou said.
He gripped the money tightly, eyes steady. Nobody had ever praised him. People only called him stupid. Reiji was the first Trainer to tell him he could do something.
Everywhere he went today, people avoided him. Reiji didn't. At lunch, he told him to sit wherever he wanted. When Sou was too shy to reach for food, Reiji served him. He even pushed whole plates over like it was nothing.
For someone he'd just met, that was too much kindness to forget.
"It's nothing," Reiji said, waving it off.
He turned and headed back into the Gym. That was all he could do for now. The rest was up to the boy.
If the kid didn't want to work and chose to lie flat, that was fine too. Reiji was a professional at doing the bare minimum himself. Every time he told someone to "work hard," it sounded strange coming out of his mouth, and he never quite knew why.
Back at the Gym, the Pokémon started their afternoon training and lessons. After yesterday and this morning, Poliwhirl and the other two had all gotten the basics of their first new move.
Poliwhirl had already brushed the threshold of Focus Punch. By tonight, it should show up on the panel. After that, it only needed routine practice to deepen its control.
Kingler's High Horsepower was close, but not there yet. Without the charge, it still lacked that stampeding, overwhelming momentum. It needed more polishing.
Scyther had already learned Close Combat. Out of the three, it learned fastest by far. Whether it was talent or pure instinct, Scyther had both in spades.
Poliwhirl simply didn't have that level of natural gift. Kingler was too straightforward—it didn't extrapolate or adapt, and only copied step by step like its own kind.
[End of chapter]
[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]
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