The Move Shop on the department store floor sounded impressive by name—but in reality, it only sold a total of eight TMs.
They were:
Dragon Tail — Dragon-type, Physical — 20,000
U-turn — Bug-type, Physical — 20,000
Iron Tail — Steel-type, Physical — 50,000
Waterfall — Water-type, Physical — 30,000
Tri Attack — Normal-type, Special — 30,000
Bulk Up — Fighting-type, Status — 10,000
Shadow Ball — Ghost-type, Special — 30,000
Hyper Beam — Normal-type, Special — 100,000
The reason Red only bought three of these moves wasn't because the other five weren't appealing…
It was purely because—
He was broke.
"Ahh… so I'm still short 150,000 to buy all of them?"
"When you look at it like this, Pay Day really is a god-tier move…"
Red sighed inwardly.
But very quickly, his attention shifted to the three moves he had just obtained.
These purchases weren't random—each was carefully considered.
The first was Hyper Beam.
Just like Thunderbolt, this move possessed incredible versatility.
Whether it was Luffy, who had the Normal typing, or Zoro and Sanji, who didn't—it could still be learned by all of them.
Its effect was simple to the extreme:Condense energy, then unleash a devastating beam directly at the enemy.
No secondary effects. No tricks.
But the simpler and more brutal the description, the more terrifying the move's destructive power.
A move perfect for intimidation, annihilation, and… travel essentials.
As for the other two—Dragon Tail and Bulk Up.
The former was bought purely so Zoro could further refine his control over Dragon-type energy.
The latter, much like Hyper Beam, was chosen for its incredible adaptability.
Although it was a Fighting-type move, both Luffy and Zoro could learn it.
Bulk Up allowed the user to tense every muscle in their body, enhancing both Attack and Defense.
An extremely practical stat-boosting technique.
"There's still a bit over ten minutes left. I'll stroll around the department store, then head back to rest."
"Team building can wait until tomorrow."
After checking his remaining battery power, Red made his decision.
In the end, he spent his last 10,000 on the fourth floor to buy one Fire Stone and one Water Stone, officially wrapping up today's gaming session.
Returning to reality, the first thing Red did was step onto the deck outside the cabin to feel his brand-new condition.
Under the effects of the Badge Collector achievement, acquiring the Rainbow Badge had boosted his strength drastically once again.
However, this time, the reward went in a direction he hadn't expected.
He had originally assumed that a Grass-type badge would grant him more vitality—a sturdier, tankier body.
But after carefully sensing his changes, Red realized the enhancement wasn't to his health pool at all—
It was endurance.
This increase in endurance was vague yet profound, permeating every corner of his body and all aspects of his capabilities.
His raw strength hadn't increased—but the amount of time he could use that strength had grown significantly.
For example, if he previously could lift a 100-kilogram weight for thirty minutes, now he could still only lift 100 kilograms—
But he could sustain it for a full hour.
Exactly how much his endurance had improved was unclear.
But one thing he knew for certain—
He could now generate larger Palu Sea Waves, pushing the Going Merry forward without worrying about energy consumption.
He could also fly higher and farther, becoming the ship's ultimate aerial lookout.
"…Oh no."
"I think I've officially stepped onto the path of becoming a full-time tool."
Red's mouth twitched.
This should have been a joyful improvement—but for some reason, he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that his future voyages were only going to grow more monotonous…
With a change of thought, Red pushed aside those worries and turned his attention to the gacha roulette on the device.
Same old setup. Same familiar feeling.
The wheel filled with green-colored moves spun rapidly, then slowly came to a halt under Red's expectant gaze.
A notification appeared.
[Congratulations! You have obtained the move — Grassy Terrain!]
A mysterious sensation flooded into Red's mind.
At the same time, his body gained yet another Pokémon attribute.
Move: Grassy TerrainType: GrassCategory: StatusPower: —
Description:Creates a grassy field beneath the user. All living beings within the terrain continuously recover stamina and injuries.While Grassy Terrain is active, Grass-type moves used by Pokémon receive a 30% power boost.Ground covered by Grassy Terrain becomes resistant to earthquakes, tremors, and fissures.
"..."
"Grassy… Terrain?"
Red murmured in confusion as the new ability settled into him.
The very next second, powerful Grass-type energy surged through his body and gathered beneath his feet.
In an instant, lush green grass began to sprout across the deck of the Going Merry—thriving, vibrant, and alive.
A gentle fragrance drifted through the ship.
Under the silvery moonlight, Red stood amidst the greenery, sea breeze brushing his hair beneath his baseball cap.
Though he looked like a free-spirited youth, an inexplicable heaviness weighed on his face.
"So…"
"My workload just increased again?!"
Red's lips twitched.
As mentioned before, the endurance boost from the badge affected him in every possible way.
That included the Pokémon moves he cast.
Which meant—
This grassy field…
Would last at least twelve hours.
And when paired with its healing effects…
This was practically the ultimate training ground!!!
"…For some reason, I suddenly miss offensive moves like Ancient Power and Surf."
Red muttered quietly, yet he couldn't deny the irresistible appeal of Grassy Terrain.
After all, he couldn't keep his save data parked at the Pokémon Center forever.
With Grassy Terrain's recovery effect, there was no longer any fear of lacking healing support.
It would also allow the Straw Hat crew's training to become more reckless—
No, completely unrestrained.
If not for the fact that he needed to personally recast it on schedule, this move would've been perfect for the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Hah…" Red sighed in resignation, tilting his head to gaze at the night sky.
"A tool is a tool, I guess."
"I don't even like fighting anyway."
"And Trainers are basically Pokémon tools by nature!"
With those thoughts, Red quietly made his way to the stern of the Going Merry.
A few days earlier, Usopp had helped him build a simple small cabin there—so Red could both accelerate the ship and train Ancient Power.
For some reason, ever since learning Grassy Terrain, a familiar phrase echoed endlessly in his mind:
The Tool King—he's confirmed!
(End of Chapter)