Pewter City, Pokémon Center.
"Let's rest first, then go to the Gym!"
"Let's go to the Gym first, then rest!"
Ash and Misty's voices rang out, their argument echoing through the center.
Takeo's head throbbed from their constant bickering.
"Hey, hey, you're Ash, right?" Takeo turned to Ash, his expression suddenly serious.
"What's up, Uncle Takeo?" Ash stopped arguing with Misty and looked at Takeo.
"In your current state, you have no chance of defeating Brock at the Pewter City Gym. I suggest you try another Gym first," Takeo said bluntly.
"No way! Pikachu and I are super confident!" Ash protested.
"Pika!" Pikachu chimed in with a spirited cry.
"Idiot! The Pewter City Gym specializes in Rock- and Ground-type Pokémon. Your Pokémon stand no chance," Misty sniped from the side.
Seeing this, Takeo added, "She's right. The Pewter City Gym isn't suitable for a rookie like you. You should try the Cerulean City Gym next door—they're the weakest."
Misty: "..."
Ignoring Misty's sudden silence, Ash remained defiant.
"Brother Natsume, were you talking about me?"
Ash, who had been hoping to get Natsume's support, suddenly realized he was on a call with someone.
Leaning closer, he saw it was Professor Oak.
"Professor Oak! It's you."
"Ah, Ash! How's your journey going?"
"Great! But why are you at my house again?"
"Huh? Ahem, Natsume, let's get down to business first."
The Rotom Phone automatically swiveled its screen to focus entirely on Natsume.
"Professor Oak, did the article I sent you last night get approved?"
"That one? I already submitted it for you."
As he spoke, Professor Oak seemed to receive a notification. He picked up his mouse and clicked something on his computer.
Nearby, Misty and Takeo noticed the commotion and curiously approached.
"Oh my! I never would have guessed you were a Pokémon researcher, young man! Such a young researcher!" Takeo exclaimed in genuine surprise.
"Natsume, what did you send him?" Misty asked, glancing at the Rotom Phone's screen. Professor Oak's slightly amused voice echoed from the device:
"Oh? A message from the editor!"
After a moment, Professor Oak put down his mouse, looked back at the camera, and wore a congratulatory expression.
"Congratulations, Natsume! Your paper has passed the initial review for Cerulean City's 'Special-Grade' children's journal. It'll be published soon."
"What's the big deal? It's just that Cerulean City children's journal," Misty muttered from the side, unimpressed. She'd stopped reading it when she was three.
To become a Pokémon Professor, one must publish five special-grade papers, each of a quality suitable for top-tier journals. Natsume had only published one such paper so far.
His paper, "A Comprehensive Evaluation of Rotom's Fusion with Electrical Appliances and Its Applications in Battle," had been accepted by three prestigious journals: the "All-Region Pokémon League Academy," the "Pokémon Iteration Journal," and the "Viridian City Morning News," as well as countless second- and third-tier publications.
It was this very paper that had earned him a place under Professor Oak's tutelage.
Despite its "Special-Grade" title, Natsume remembered the Kanto children's journal as a low-tier publication specializing in content for young children.
Unfazed, Natsume blinked innocently and said earnestly, "Professor Oak, I listed you as the first author."
Professor Oak, who had been laughing heartily, froze mid-laugh. A horrified voice erupted from the other end of the call:
"You! What! Did! You! Say?!"
"Wait! I think this paper has the potential to be published in a top-tier journal. I'm withdrawing it to help you revise it!"
As if the sky had fallen, Professor Oak frantically ended the call.
"Huh? What's wrong with Professor Oak?" Ash asked curiously.
"I don't know. I'm not really good with this kind of thing," Misty said, scratching her head.
"It's nothing. Professor Oak will just be pulling all-nighters for the next few days," Natsume said, taking a sip of water.
If Professor Oak really pulls through, I'll only need to write three more papers to graduate with my doctorate.
Takeo, who had been watching from the sidelines, remained silent.
"Alright, Ash, what did you need me for?"
Hearing Natsume's voice, Ash snapped back to attention, immediately regaining his earlier battle-ready demeanor. "Brother Natsume, do you think I can beat the Pewter City Gym?"
"No," Natsume replied bluntly.
"Ah—" Ash clutched his chest, as if he had been dealt a devastating blow.
"Is he going to be okay?" Misty asked, worried.
Misty glanced at Natsume, a hint of unease in her eyes.
"3," Natsume said.
"3? What does that mean?" Misty asked, puzzled.
"2"
"1"
"0"
"I'm not giving up!"
As the "0" left Natsume's lips, Ash leaped to his feet as if electrified, his eyes blazing with renewed determination.
"Alright! Talk is cheap—action speaks louder! I'm heading out now!"
With that, Ash grabbed his fully recovered Pikachu and two Poké Balls from the counter and dashed toward the Pewter City Gym.
"Hey!" Takeo tried to stop him, but Natsume placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Let him go. That's just how Ash is. He won't back down until he falls."
"And what if he does fall?" Misty asked skeptically.
"He'll get back up and keep running," Natsume replied matter-of-factly.
"That idiot? Hmph, I don't believe it."
Seeing Natsume's exaggerated praise, Misty turned her head away.
Natsume shrugged, saying nothing.
After all, Misty had only recently joined the team and her impression of Ash was simply that of a kind-hearted boy who loved Pokémon.
Beside them, Takeo seemed moved by Natsume's words and fell into silence.
Watching Ash's retreating figure, Natsume stretched lazily.
Well, while his enthusiasm is admirable, I don't think Ash stands a chance.
The type disadvantage and level gap were insurmountable.
Especially since Onix was practically immune to Electric-type attacks.
Let Ash lose first, then Takeo can take him under his wing and help him grow stronger.
With this thought, Natsume glanced sideways at Takeo, who seemed somewhat dejected. He shrugged and found a seat.
He had no interest in the old man's sentimental mood. All he cared about was that he still had one unused scratch card from last time.
Now that he could earn a new scratch card every day through battles, Natsume no longer treasured them as much.
Natsume retrieved the scratch card from his System Space and paused, surprised.
The card in his hand didn't feature the familiar red and white Poké Ball pattern. Instead, it had a blue cap and white background, emblazoned with a Super Ball design.
Natsume raised an eyebrow and scratched off the card, revealing a small, disc-like object beneath.
Ding! Super Ball Scratch Card X1 consumed. Random Skill Machine X1 obtained.
A Skill Machine. Sensing the newly added disc in his System Space, Natsume resisted the urge to immediately check it and instead posed a question to the System.
"System, why is the design on this scratch card different?"
Completing research projects of varying difficulty grants scratch cards with different patterns: Poké Ball, Super Ball, Great Ball, and Master Ball.
After hearing the System's explanation, Natsume nodded in understanding.
Completing a B-grade research project earned him a Super Ball scratch card, with a guaranteed Super Ball reward.
Completing an A-grade research project earned him a Great Ball scratch card, with a guaranteed Great Ball reward.
Completing S-Rank or higher research grants access to the Master Ball Scratch-Off, with a guaranteed reward of a Master Ball.
Natsume's eyes lit up. He had obtained the Rule Battle System from just ten Red and White Balls. Could this mean he was incredibly lucky?
It seemed the "allure" of the Gas Bomb was truly potent.
With this thought, Natsume refocused on the System Template before him. The guaranteed rewards for ABCD-Rank research were merely consolation prizes.
But for S-Rank or higher research, even the consolation prize was a Master Ball.
Natsume's gaze burned with anticipation.
In reality, Master Balls weren't particularly useful.
While they guaranteed capture, true subjugation depended on whether the Pokémon accepted you as its master.
Even if you caught a Legendary Pokémon with a Master Ball, if it refused to acknowledge you upon release, it wouldn't obey your commands and would flee.
Before running, it might even give you a parting blow.
Otherwise, with the League's Master Ball manufacturing technology, they would have captured all the Legendary Pokémon long ago, leaving no need for villainous organizations to struggle so desperately.
After all, the ultimate goal of nearly every villainous organization wasn't simply to capture Legendary Pokémon, but to control them.
"System, if I catch a Legendary Pokémon in a Rule Battle using a Master Ball, does that count as capturing it?"
Natsume's eyes lit up. He remembered that Rule Battles strictly adhered to the game's rules. In the game, catching a Pokémon meant capturing it—there was no question of whether it was truly tamed or not.
The host can command the Legendary Pokémon under the protection of the game's rules.
Hearing this, Natsume pursed his lips.
So, even if he captured a Legendary Pokémon using the game's rules, he could only use it for one battle per day. And if he dared to release it into the real world at any other time, he might as well just throw it away.
To be precise, even taking the Master Ball out of the System Space would be as good as throwing it away.
After all, plenty of Legendary Pokémon, especially those with psychic abilities, could easily destroy a Poké Ball.
Still, the Master Ball remained highly valuable to Natsume. It related to another hypothesis he had about Rotom's forms—a Poké Ball Rotom.
Even without the System, he would have found a way to obtain a Master Ball.