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Chapter 211 - Chapter 211: An Interruption

"Boss? Boss, you're here?"

"Boss Ryo, please say something! There's only one move-learning console, and he's been hogging it for so long! The rest of us are all in a rush!"

"Exactly! We're eager to train too—what he's doing is just selfish."

As Ryo approached, the crowd that had been on the verge of arguing fell silent. One by one, the trainers turned to him, each voice now tinged with restrained frustration as they aired their grievances.

"Everyone, please calm down. I understand you're anxious, but losing your temper won't solve anything."

With those few words, the heated atmosphere began to cool. Their eyes now focused on Ryo, looking to him for resolution. As the tension dropped, Ryo exhaled a quiet breath of relief and gave them a reassuring look before walking toward the man still standing at the front of the console, deep in thought.

What surprised Ryo most was that even amidst the commotion and accusations, the man hadn't reacted. He remained focused, completely unbothered, lost in contemplation. That kind of composure—or indifference—earned a sliver of reluctant admiration.

"Brother, having trouble deciding on a move?" Ryo asked as he approached.

The man glanced sideways, snapping out of his trance. When he saw Ryo, he immediately greeted him with a respectful nod. "Boss."

Then, with a slight look of defeat, he said, "Yeah… I just don't know which one to choose."

Ryo nodded thoughtfully. "Anything I can help with? And… you should know, this delay isn't really fair to the others behind you."

The man turned, gazing at the long line of waiting trainers. Their impatient faces clearly showed their irritation. Though he masked it quickly, Ryo caught the subtle flicker of annoyance in the man's expression—something only someone with Ryo's sharp perception could notice.

It was the kind of look that came from someone who thought others weren't worth their time.

"What Pokémon are you working with?" Ryo asked calmly, still observing him.

"Luxray," the man replied. "I can't decide between Hyper Beam or Thunder."

Ah, that made sense. Ryo nodded again.

Luxray, an Electric-type Pokémon, possessed an ability that boosted the power of its electric-type moves. With that kind of bonus, Thunder could rival even Hyper Beam in damage.

The dilemma was understandable. Hyper Beam was considered one of the strongest attacks in any trainer's arsenal, a symbol of overwhelming power. But it came with drawbacks: heavy energy cost and recharge time. Thunder, on the other hand, synergized well with Luxray and consumed far less energy.

"I'd personally recommend Thunder," Ryo said after a moment of reflection. "Hyper Beam is powerful, no doubt, but the energy drain is substantial. For an Electric-type like Luxray, Thunder is far more efficient—and thanks to its boosted effect, the difference in raw power won't be that significant."

The man fell silent again, eyes narrowing in thought. He clearly understood the logic, but Hyper Beam was too tempting to discard easily. It wasn't just about the damage—it was about prestige, image, dominance.

Of course, he could always learn the other move later. But with the tournament right around the corner, and the current pace of the queue, he knew there might not be another chance to learn a second skill in time. Especially considering the post-learning training period required for mastery.

And while money wasn't an issue for him—he could easily afford to learn both—Ryo's rules were clear: one move per queue.

If not for that restriction, the wealthy would've monopolized the machine, buying up every TM and leaving nothing for the rest.

From behind, the grumbling resumed.

"What's there to think about? Boss Ryo just gave you his advice, and you think you know better than him?"

"Seriously, are you really here to train or just waste everyone's time?"

"We've been standing here forever. Don't you have any consideration at all?"

Hearing these snide remarks, the man finally lifted his gaze, and the irritation in his eyes could no longer be hidden. He turned toward Ryo and said calmly, "Thanks, Boss. I've made up my mind. I'm choosing Hyper Beam."

Ryo gave a small smile and nodded. He wasn't one to argue—his role was only to advise, not dictate.

The man quickly completed the learning process, shot one last look of disdain at the murmuring crowd, then walked off without another word.

Once he was gone, the line resumed its natural flow. The tension dissipated, and everyone proceeded in turn, quietly and efficiently. No more grandstanding, no more hold-ups.

Watching the order return to the area, Ryo thought to himself, One move-learning device really isn't enough. I should definitely get more.

The problem wasn't money—he could afford them. The real issue was the steep cost of skill learning. Even the cheapest move cost tens of thousands of credits. And the strongest ones, like Hyper Beam, were priced in the millions.

It was because of this that Ryo initially assumed only a few people would use the learning machine. Who could afford it?

Even among shinobi, most had to grit their teeth just to afford one skill.

Yet now, with the tournament drawing closer, even ordinary civilians were flooding in to train their Pokémon. This demand was something Ryo had never anticipated.

"Boss, you're amazing. We tried to reason with him so many times and got nowhere. You show up, and he walks away just like that."

Eliza strolled over with a grin, clearly impressed.

Ryo rolled his eyes at her playfully. "Next time something like this happens, and you can't handle it, come find me immediately."

Her smile faded, and she nodded with a more serious expression. "Got it, Boss."

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