System, are you experiencing a progress read error or what?
Or are you trying to hand me the next script already?
Sure, this Giant Dragonite might be small fry compared to the Legendaries I'll have to face down the line,
But my strongest Pokémon right now is only at the Elite level!
That thing has to be at least Level 80, right?
And it's massive!
Forget taking hits from its moves—just sitting on someone would probably crush them flat.
Nope. No way. I can't do this. I'm out.
[Mission Reward: Dratini (Giant Replica Version), Special Grade Experience Boost Potion, Dragonite Exclusive Elite Trainer Kit]
Kazuki looked at the rewards and chuckled, shaking his head.
System, this reward feels like you're trying to patch me up after the fact.
If I were strong enough to beat Dragonite, why would I even want a Dratini?
Wouldn't it make more sense to just capture the Dragonite directly?
Oh... I get it now. Just like Clefairy, even if it's weakened, it's not guaranteed to be caught, right?
Well, whatever. At this point, having any of my Pokémon get close to that thing would already be impressive. Weakening it? That's pure fantasy. Pure fantasy!
[Ding! Giant Dragonite Mini-Mission: Make contact with one of Giant Dragonite's moves and survive for a minute to earn side rewards.]
[Mini Rewards: Dragonite base species affection +50%, Intermediate Rare Candy x5 (usable below level 50, instantly raises one level), Swift Wing — greatly increases flight speed when equipped.]
Oh, so there's a mini version of the mission?
Oops, sorry System. Just now I kinda jumped the gun there.
These mini rewards are actually pretty great!
Most of my team is on the verge of reaching Elite level.
With those Intermediate Rare Candies, I can give them that final push past Level 50.
And once a Pokémon hits Level 50, that's when you're stepping into Gym level territory.
Just one Gym-level Pokémon can pretty much carry a whole badge battle.
That last item, the Swift Wing, will be perfect for when Pidgeotto evolves into Pidgeot.
Not only would it boost battle performance, it might also have some everyday utility.
Right! I've still got that top-grade Swordcap mushroom in my backpack.
Once Pidgeot evolves, I'll feed it that to bulk it up a bit.
Should be strong enough to carry two or three people no problem.
Wouldn't that be my own personal Boeing?
Now that he had a plan for the rewards, Kazuki turned his attention back to the mini-mission.
But surviving even one minute against a monster with that kind of level disparity? That was no small feat.
Still, it's worth a try. Just another challenge in the journey.
There's still so much glory left to claim in this world.
I've got a champion-tier lineup in the making—it'd be a shame to let it all go to waste here.
Kazuki accepted the mission but didn't bother making any detailed plans.
He'd just try it out around and see how it played out.
After all, when you're up against overwhelming levels, no plan survives contact. Best to adapt on the fly—if it doesn't work, just retreat.
Now that he had the right mindset, Kazuki continued training with Misty while they grinded for levels.
After several days of efficient travel, Kazuki and Misty finally reached the coast they had long been dreaming of.
"Ah! The ocean! We finally made it out of the forest!"
The moment Misty saw water, it was like she transformed into a different person, skipping along cheerfully.
"I wonder what kind of Water-type Pokémon are here—so exciting!"
"I'm gonna catch tons and tons of Pokémon and show my sisters just how strong the world's most beautiful girl really is!"
"Hey, Kazuki!"
Misty suddenly turned around and began walking backward while talking to him.
"I remember you've already caught six Pokémon, right? Including Pikachu, that makes seven!"
"According to the Pokémon League rules, you can only carry six active Pokémon at a time!"
"But I've never seen any of your Poké Balls get transferred away?"
She had a point. Kazuki had wondered the same thing when he caught Squirtle.
After all, the six-slot carry limit was a hard rule unless you'd earned a special exemption—like an extra slot or two for outstanding contributions.
But as a new Trainer in the Pokémon League, there was no way he qualified for that.
Later, Kazuki figured it out: it must be because of the Elite Trainer Kit. Charmander wasn't taking up a slot for now.
Still, he had proactively transferred Clefairy back to Professor Oak's lab.
Not just for battle efficiency, but also for future plot triggers—his Pidgeotto, Butterfree, and the starter trio were all likely to be relevant in upcoming missions.
Plus, Clefairy was rare and picky about food.
Regular Pokémon Center meals didn't sit well with it, and its battle performance had been steadily declining.
Even its coat had lost the sheen it had back in Mt. Moon.
Professor Oak was a seasoned researcher with great connections—not to mention, he wasn't hurting for cash.
Letting him take care of Clefairy was for the best.
"Oh, after I caught Squirtle, I found some time to send Clefairy back to the lab where I got my Pokédex."
"Oh, I see!"
Though Misty liked to bicker with Kazuki now and then, she never overthought things he said. That made explanations a lot easier.
"Sending Clefairy back was a good call! A lot of Pokémon Center meals aren't suitable for it. Letting the research lab study its diet is definitely the way to go! Hope the next time we see it, it's all healthy and chubby again!"
—
At Professor Oak's Lab in Pallet Town…
The professor slurped instant noodles while staring at the Krabby Gary had sent back, swallowing hard.
"I haven't had seafood noodles in ages…"
"Gary's already sent back over 40 Pokémon—he won't notice if one goes missing, right?"
The Krabby in the tank backed away nervously, snapping its claws in warning.
"Haha, just kidding! Whoa—my noodles!"
Startled back to reality, Professor Oak rushed over to check on the pot heating over the alcohol burner.
"Man, out of the four Trainers who set off this year, it looks like only my grandson Gary's caught a ton of Pokémon…"
"That kid sure didn't embarrass me!"
"But Kazuki…?"
Professor Oak slurped some noodles and continued his musings.
"Of all four Trainers, he's the only one who hasn't sent anything back yet."
"Isn't he supposed to be super knowledgeable about Pokémon?"
"Even if he's not top of the class, he shouldn't be dead last!"
"I had such high hopes for this year's group from Pallet Town…
I wanted to see them shine in the League Conference!"
"I had the most faith in Gary and Kazuki. Gary didn't let me down—he's already won four badges and sent back over 40 Pokémon. Sure, most are just for collection purposes, but still!"
"As for Kazuki… how many badges has he even earned? He's never even sent me a single update!"
"Don't tell me he's coasting on his knowledge and not putting effort into actually raising Pokémon?"
"What a waste that would be… I need to give him a little nudge when I get the chance."
Professor Oak blew on his noodles, thinking carefully about how best to word his advice to Kazuki.
Ding-dong!
Just then, the Pokémon transporter beeped.
"Oh? Someone sent a Pokémon!"
Even after decades of research, Professor Oak's enthusiasm for Pokémon never waned.
He quickly set the bowl aside—again—and rushed to the machine.
"Let's see who it is… Probably Gary again."
But once he saw Kazuki's name on the incoming Poké Ball, Professor Oak slapped his thigh in excitement.
"Aha! Kazuki finally sent back a Pokémon!"
"Even if it's just one, that means he's caught at least six—he now qualifies to enter the League Conference!"
"What Pokémon could it be?"
"A Caterpie? Rattata?"
"No, no—those are too basic. Kazuki wouldn't take this long to catch something like that."
"Could it be a Tauros?"
"Hm… that's possible!"
Since this was Kazuki's first transmission, Professor Oak was super hyped up.
He went out to the lab's courtyard, just in case it was something huge that might wreck the lab.
"Alright, show yourself! Kazuki's first Pokémon!"
He tossed the Poké Ball and took a few steps back, ready for anything.
A flash of light—but no giant shadow loomed over the field.
Professor Oak looked up for a moment.
"No? Not an Onix?"
"Clefairy!"
Hearing the cry, Professor Oak looked down.
"Oh, it's just a little one, huh?"
"Well, makes sense. It's Kazuki's first send-back—it's not going to be some towering beast."
"Wait—"
Once he got a good look, the professor's eyes widened dramatically.
"This… this is a Clefairy?!"
In disbelief, he rushed forward and crouched low to examine it.
"Whoa! It really is a Clefairy!"
"This is the kind that even in a weakened state might still evade capture!"
"A Clefairy—Kazuki, you genius!"
"I knew it! With all the Pokémon knowledge he has, there's no way he'd go this long without catching anything!"
"He was out there hunting rare Pokémon this whole time!"
Professor Oak circled the Clefairy again and again, his excitement overflowing.
Clefairy had always been one of his greatest regrets.
Back in his youth, he had visited Mt. Moon and seen one—but only once, from a distance.
He never even got the chance to battle it.
And even after staking out the mountain for three months, he never saw another.
But now, Kazuki had caught one.
And Professor Oak finally had the chance to interact with it up close.
"Aahh! One of my life's regrets—finally resolved!"
He lay flat on his back, sighing in deep satisfaction.
After a while, he suddenly sprang to his feet, fired up again.
"Clefairy's so rare—we've got to study its diet and care methods carefully!"
"Gotta consult with the other professors right away!"
He picked up the phone and began dialing his fellow researchers.
"Yes! You heard me! The ultra-rare Clefairy from Mt. Moon!"
"Yup, yup, it's the real deal—right here in my lab!"
"Yes, it was caught by one of the Trainers under my guidance!"
"Hahaha, that's right! A genuine Clefairy! Right here in my lab—hahaha!"
Every call was filled with proud laughter.
All the major research labs knew each other to some extent.
And when word got out that Professor Oak was now studying a Clefairy, the envy was palpable!
His laughter echoed across all of Pallet Town that day.
—
After sending Clefairy back, Kazuki continued exploring the beach with Misty in search of Water-type Pokémon.
"Hey, Kazuki! Look—a lighthouse!
If there's a lighthouse, someone must live there. That means real beds tonight!"
Misty cheered as she spotted the structure in the distance.
"A lighthouse?" Kazuki looked up and immediately recognized it.
Oh, it's Bill's lighthouse.
So we're here already.
I wonder if the Giant Dragonite has visited yet…
If we missed it…
Well, then we missed it. No big deal.
"Come on, Kazuki! If they're short on rooms, you're sleeping on the hard floor, got it?"
It was like Misty had some kind of hidden ability—whenever she saw water, her energy returned instantly.
Just moments ago she'd looked exhausted, but now she was bursting with enthusiasm.
Kazuki quickly followed, eager to find out whether the Giant Dragonite had shown up yet.
—
They arrived at the lighthouse, and Misty gawked at the strange stone carvings of unknown Pokémon on the door.
"There are so many Pokémon here I've never seen before!"
"Those are extinct ancient Pokémon," Kazuki explained casually as he rang the bell.
Misty tilted her head and looked at him in awe.
"You even know that? Wow, you've definitely read more than that so-called top student Giselle!"
"Who is it?" came Bill's voice from the intercom.
"Hi, I'm Kazuki from Pallet Town, a Trainer under Professor Oak. We're just passing by and hoped to stay the night."
Knowing Bill was friends with Professor Oak, Kazuki went with full transparency.
"Oh! A Trainer under Professor Oak! Please, come in! He's a dear friend of mine," Bill said, instantly trusting them.
Once inside, Kazuki saw Bill wearing his Kabuto costume and figured the Giant Dragonite hadn't arrived yet.
If it had, Bill would've been passed out from lack of air in that suit—and he clearly wasn't.
Sure enough, after helping Bill out of the Kabuto costume and chatting for a bit, Kazuki learned that the Dragonite was expected to arrive that night.
Bill arranged rooms for them, then went to the top of the lighthouse to get some fresh air.
Misty dashed back out again, eager to find more Water-types nearby.
Kazuki used the quiet moment to call Delia via the lighthouse's video communicator.
As the video connected, he saw Delia holding a bunch of syringes, lining them up.
"What are you doing, Delia?!"
"Mmm~ Kazuki!"
Delia's eyes lit up when she saw him.
"I'm helping my little sister organize some training props!"
"Sister? Props? I don't remember you having a sister… Ahh, I get it—prepping for some sisterly uniform temptation, huh?"
Kazuki gave her a teasing grin.
"I don't have a sister, but…"
At that moment, Melanie popped into view.
"La la la~ Kazuki, I'm at Delia's house!"
"You're here already, Melanie? Oh, right!" Kazuki realized she hadn't been traveling—she could just take the bus to Pallet Town.
"So, Melanie, have you and Delia gotten to know each other?"
Melanie nodded.
"Delia's already arranged a great place for me to study!"
"That's good. And the other stuff?"
Kazuki gave her a look, trying to prompt her into saying it herself.
"Ugh, you two think I can't read between the lines?
I'm a woman—I know what's up!" Delia teased, a bit smug.
Melanie pressed her lips together shyly, then admitted softly,
"Yes… it only took one cup of tea for Delia to figure out you'd already… done things with me."
---
Next Goal:- 100 PS
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