After selecting his rewards, everything before his eyes vanished, replaced by a countdown timer and a small plus icon.
As Kashiwagi stared at the icon, the remaining rewards flickered into view.
He wasn't in a hurry to use the Level-Up rewards. He had a feeling that the higher the level, the harder it would be to climb, so it was essential to maximize their effect—unless a specific Pokémon absolutely needed those two levels right now.
As for the Technical Machines (TMs)... it felt a bit like a lottery. He could only choose the Type; who knew what random move would actually pop out?
He set those aside as well, saving them for when he needed to fill specific gaps in his team's coverage.
The "Specified Type Pokémon" reward needed to be delayed even further. Besides, there wasn't much point in picking anything other than Dragon-type. The chances of pulling "common trash" were too high; only the Dragon pool offered a high probability of a massive payout.
But Mawile was arriving tomorrow. He needed to tame this "Young Lady" first.
The only thing he could use immediately was the [Lass's Fighting Memories — Boxing]. While these were the memories of a teenage girl, based on the simulation content, they would likely be a huge help.
He quietly made his selection, and his vision went black.
When his sight cleared, Kashiwagi found himself in a very unfamiliar fighting gym. The surroundings were slightly blurry, like a memory that hadn't quite left a deep impression.
Standing before him was a man with a blurred face but a rock-solid, muscular build.
The man was saying something, and Kashiwagi found his own body moving sluggishly in response. He couldn't turn his head or control his limbs; he could only passively experience everything the Lass had felt while learning boxing.
Gradually, he became immersed in the sensation.
Since he had never studied boxing in either his past or present life, he had no way of knowing if the fighting techniques of the Pokémon world were the same as those on Earth. For now, he just felt like he was gaining immense insight.
Then, Kashiwagi woke up.
Outside, the sun was already up.
"..."
He blinked, watching the bright sunlight filtering through the curtains. He glanced at Chansey at the foot of the bed and Lairon on the floor. "Good grief... that took the whole night."
He hadn't expected playing back memories to be so time-consuming. A glance at the wall clock told him at least six or seven hours had passed.
However, the gains were significant. Not only did he now have the knowledge to teach Mawile boxing, but he also had a much better idea of how to guide Pokémon through strength training.
"Lucky..."
"Lairon..."
Hearing his voice, the two Pokémon slowly stirred awake.
"Everyone's up? Let's have some breakfast and get ready to welcome our new friend. Remember, without my command, you are not to counterattack—even if I'm the one being targeted," Kashiwagi told them earnestly.
Lairon and Chansey nodded, looking only half-convinced.
Breakfast at home.
For Kashiwagi, it was a glass of diluted Moomoo Milk, a Nutri-Egg, plus bread and vegetables. Lairon had the first two items as well, supplemented by minerals and specialized Pokémon food. Chansey skipped the minerals but had plenty of nutritional supplements.
Calculated this way, breakfast alone cost a small fortune. After all, the price of Moomoo Milk was no joke, even when diluted.
"I wish Pyrite Town had the conditions to raise a herd of Miltank," he sighed. The barren environment meant that all fresh produce and grain were incredibly expensive.
Dehydrated vegetables and canned food were affordable, but the taste was abysmal. Anyone who had eaten fresh greens would never consider dehydrated ones "food."
"Training is 30%, eating is 70%—I didn't expect the Pokémon world to follow that theory too."
Kashiwagi had to start thinking about making money to support the household. His goal wasn't to just scrape by in Pyrite Town forever. If he didn't amass a significant amount of capital, moving to another region would be pointless. It would just be jumping from one pond where big fish eat small fish to another.
The only difference was that some fish were so big you wouldn't even realize you were being eaten.
But in his current situation, besides the easiest method—shaking down the bottom-tier civilians—what other options did he have? Making money from the wealthy was a quick way to get rich, but it wasn't easy...
Wait.
Since he had a phone now, why not make money from the internet? Instead of being confined to this small corner of Pyrite Town, he should open his mind to the whole world. He might just find a path to fortune there.
I need to stop being a "semi-illiterate" in this world as soon as possible.
Kashiwagi realized that while his immediate survival was no longer at risk, he had so much to do that twenty-four hours a day might not be enough.
Shortly after 9:00 AM.
Frobo finally arrived, and he brought quite a lot of gear. Beyond the essential Poké Ball and medical report, there were various miscellaneous items.
"Sorry to keep you waiting. These are some gifts from the Big Boss, plus Mawile's favorite doll and some personal belongings..."
He handed the items to Kashiwagi one by one, then used a device resembling a POS terminal to swipe two million out of Kashiwagi's account.
"This bearer card belongs to you now. You can use your phone to transfer it to your personal name. If you can't figure out the operation, there's a small branch of the Pokémon World Bank in Underground Sector 16."
Frobo smiled. "Well then, I won't disturb you further. Enjoy getting to know your new Pokémon."
"Thank you," Kashiwagi said softly, watching Frobo leave.
On the table sat a Luxury Ball—black with gold filigree. It was said that the comfort level inside these balls far exceeded standard ones. Kashiwagi had just switched Lairon and Chansey over to them yesterday, and the move had received unanimous praise.
A pampered young lady indeed...
He thought for a moment, re-read the medical report, and decided to head outdoors to avoid having to pay for home renovations. Mawile wasn't a "Stupid Dog" like a Stoutland, but if she lost her temper, she could easily whip up a million-dollar "remodeling plan" that would leave him in tears.
Lairon and Chansey followed behind, curious about their new partner but also worried their trainer might get attacked—they still remembered the incident with Vibrava.
In the backyard, Kashiwagi stood under the dappled shade of a tree and opened the Luxury Ball.
Pop!
A flash of white light hit the ground, taking the form of a small, humanoid figure.
"Mawile?"
A voice as pleasant as a silver bell rang out.
A cute creature appeared before Kashiwagi, possessing a massive, terrifying set of jaws that looked like a ponytail made of black steel. She had two bangs framing her face and yellow fur that resembled a miniature kimono. Her large, copper-red eyes blinked curiously.
She looked adorable and precious—the kind of look that easily won over Pokémon lovers.
But her species was officially known as the Deceiver Pokémon. The reason was the pitch-black maw behind her head.
"Hello there." Kashiwagi gave her a gentle smile.
Mawile looked up at him but offered no response. Instead, her eyes flickered as she lowered her head in deep thought.
Kashiwagi didn't quite understand what the little one was thinking. He looked back at Lairon and Chansey, but both shook their heads, equally confused.
After a few seconds, Mawile began to observe her surroundings. She looked at the large tree behind him, then at Lairon and Chansey, then at the small saplings, the two-story house, and finally felt the hot wind blowing against her face.
"...Mawile."
She let out a remarkably human-like sigh and started walking toward the backyard gate on her own. As she walked, the great jaws on the back of her head bobbed up and down, which was actually quite cute.
Kashiwagi immediately followed after her.