Waiting until the following morning's meditation session, where she, Jason, and Korrina sat in their respective swimsuits, cross-legged atop surfboards, Ellaine relaxedly revealed, "I forgot to mention this last night, but I've tentatively received permission to have the training facilities the two of you requested built. There were initially some concerns regarding return-on-investment, but I managed to get President Lusamine on our side by detailing how the facilities would be utilized to track and quantify the influence your System had on the growth of people and Pokémon in a reasonably controlled environment."
"What are they requesting in exchange...?" asked Jason, taking note of the word tentative, meaning not certain or incumbent upon certain conditions. In simple terms, the Aether Foundation's financing hinged upon whether it would be able to recoup or profit from its investments within a reasonable period of time.
"Well, since I have my prior commitments to the Dimensional Research Center, the President wants to appoint a team of researchers and medical experts to monitor your growth and the changes induced by your System full-time," explained Ellaine.
"To monitor me full-time...?" repeated Jason, a slight frown marring his face. He could understand the Aether Foundation's position, but it had barely been a week since he was held for monitoring by the League. He would presumably have greater freedom the second time around, but it wasn't a pleasant idea—being viewed by someone or a group of people he didn't know as a subject or specimen for research...
Noticing Jason's hesitance, Ellaine adopted a faint smile and explained, "You will be paid accordingly for your time and assistance. To be exact, you will be paid an additional ₽138,000 on top of your bi-weekly stipend. That's ₽336,000 each month. And everyone assigned to the team will be vetted by me and the President personally."
"Wow, that's nearly a quarter more than what I earn..." remarked Korrina, her blue eyes wide in surprise. She knew the Aether Foundation was one of the richest companies in the world, but hearing how much they were willing to pay for Jason's cooperation—it was no wonder so many people sought to join or, more accurately, be recruited by them...
"Yeah, but don't you earn a lot more from sponsorships and participating in promotional videos...?" asked Ellaine, glancing at Korrina with her right brow raised curiously.
"Mmn...that's not inaccurate..." responded Korrina, her words trailing off as she raised her gaze thoughtfully. If she averaged her earnings, they exceeded seven, sometimes eight, digits per month. However, as much of that went to paying her employees, maintaining the Tower of Mastery, and rewarding TMs to challengers who managed to defeat her and acquire her Rumble Badge, her net earnings were less than what Jason was currently being offered.
"What, exactly, would I be asked or expected to do...?" questioned Jason, regaining Ellaine's attention and prompting her to casually explain, "They would primarily be monitoring your health and keeping track of the rate at which your speed, power, and stamina increase. Everything else depends on your willingness to cooperate. A representative of the League is being assigned to oversee the program to ensure that the rights of you and your Pokémon aren't infringed upon, so you can be assured that everything will be as above board as it can be."
"I trust you, Ellaine. And the League had proven itself to be a cautious but morally sound organization..." affirmed Jason, gazing out across the pink-tinged sea and the gradually rising sun as he added, "If you believe in this President Lusamine woman, I have no reason not to trust her. As long as I am compensated accordingly and guaranteed autonomy—specifically the right to withdraw mine and my Pokémon's participation from the project at any time—I will cooperate..."
"That's great~!" exclaimed Ellaine, her smile as radiant as the sun itself as she leaned back, causing her board to flip as she fell backward into the warm, temperate sea. Two seconds later, she emerged in front of Jason's board, her arms crossed atop it, and her yellow eyes gleaming playfully as she hummed, "I know this is a lot to push on you, but I believe you'll look back on today and your experiences to come fondly. I'll certainly be doing my part to keep things exciting..."
Before Jason could respond, Ellaine took advantage of the fact that he had to lean back to counterbalance her weight by abruptly removing it. As a result, he promptly fell backward, his eyes widening as he attempted to stabilize but failed.
"Ahahaha! You should—" started Ellaine, her eyes widening and her words cutting off as Jason abruptly pulled her underwater by her feet and waist. Instead of trying to struggle or escape, she waved her arms to sink faster, allowing them to meet face-to-face as they individually treaded water to avoid rising to the surface. A moment later, the muffled sound of breaking water preceded Korrina joining them, shifting the onus to Jason to decide which of them he should kiss first...
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After seeing Ellaine off and finishing their morning routine, Jason found himself lying on the living room sofa, his head and shoulders propped by throw pillows, his unhatched egg tucked into his shirt as he read a thick encyclopedia penned by none other than Professor Samuel Oak. It was a relatively recent publication listing all known Pokémon, past and present. In his previous world, there had been 1,225 announced and released over thirty years, but the Encyclopedia Pokémonica before him recorded 3,358, and the number was steadily increasing.
thmp
"That was a big one..."
Feeling his egg twitch within his shirt, something it had been doing with increasing frequency, Jason set the encyclopedia aside and freed the egg from its confines. At nearly that exact moment, it began releasing blinding blue light and heat, forcing him to close his eyes and suppress the urge to throw it away from him as Audino, noticing what was happening, excitedly chimed, "Auwadin...!" while hurrying over to him.
"Is it time...!?" exclaimed Korrina, her blue eyes glistening with excitement as she leaped in from an open window leading to the back garden, having noticed the familiar, rather conspicuous blue light from outside.
"If not, I don't know what else it could be..." groaned Jason, suppressing the urge to retract his hands from the egg even though it felt like he was holding a pot of freshly made coffee by the glass. Fortunately, just as he felt like he was going to receive second, possibly even third-degree burns to his hands and stomach, the heat rapidly cooled as the blindingly bright egg, rather than cracking, morphed into a vaguely humanoid shape.
"Rou...?"
Although his eyes had spots in them due to his initial staring directly at the egg, Jason was able to make out the appearance of the Pokémon in his hands. It was much smaller than he expected, around 45-50cm, but it was unmistakably a Riolu. It had an anthropomorphized canine face, and its body was covered in short but thick blue fur with black accents around the eyes, snout, chest, and feet. Pale golden fur enveloped its neck like a collar, rounded metal plates adorned the backs of its forearms, and black, droopy, ear-like protrusions adorned the sides of its head, vesting it with its ability to sense Aura.
'It's a girl...' noted Jason, exhaling faintly from his nose as he would have preferred a boy for peace of mind. Fortunately, he was happier to finally have his first Pokémon. So, while the Riolu doubtlessly sensed his fleeting disappointment, it was secondary to the happiness and excitement he felt as he remarked, "You're a bit heavier than I expected..." with a faint smile.
"Riolu...?" responded the Riolu, tilting her head to the side while observing Jason's face with her curious, pale red eyes. He felt familiar to her, and his Aura was full of warmth. The problem was that it was weak—even weaker than her own.
"I know what you're thinking, but Jason isn't weak..." interjected Korrina, causing the Riolu's eyes to widen and glisten with awe. From her point of view, Korrina's Aura was like a calm, golden inferno compared to Jason's candle. More than that, Korrina seemed much happier to see her, leaving the Riolu feeling confused, as Pokémon typically imprinted on the person who cared for them as an egg.
Kneeling to meet the Riolu's gaze at the same level, Korrina, using a very patient tone, calmly explained, "Jason is from a different world than ours, so his strengths and way of thinking are also different. But if you're willing to trust me and give him the benefit of the doubt, I can promise you three things: He will become stronger. You will be cared for dearly. And as long as you're together, you will one day evolve to become a powerful Lucario. Read my Aura and know I speak the truth."
As she had been reading Korrina's Aura from the start, Riolu, still in a state of awe, didn't hesitate to nod. She still had doubts about Jason's capacity as her Trainer and partner, but she had no doubts that she could become stronger if Korrina were there to guide them both.
Returning her gaze to Jason, Riolu stared at his face and into his eyes for several seconds before leaning forward and giving his chest a surprisingly firm pat with her paw. Riolus lacked the Steel typing of their evolved form, but despite looking like cute, cartoon werewolves, their bone density was on par with metal, and they had enough stamina to cross three mountains and two ravines from the moment they hatched.
[The 1-Star Entity, [Unnamed], is requesting to join your Party. Will you accept? [Yes/No].]
"Thank you for giving me this chance..." expressed Jason, presenting his best smile as he accepted the Riolu's request. He also had doubts about his capacity as a Trainer, but with the support of Ellaine, Korrina, and the team that the Aether Foundation would send, he was confident he could help the Riolu become one of the strongest that had ever lived—if that's truly what it wanted.
[Your relationship status with the 1-Star entity, [Unnamed], has been established as [Reticent Partner]. Your current Bond Level is 23. Future gains will be decreased by 50% until you have proven yourself worthy of their trust.]
"Riolu...?"
Feeling a peculiar sense of connection as Jason accepted her into his Party, the Riolu tilted its head from side to side curiously, the droopy, black, tear-shaped antennae on the sides of her head flopping as she tried to make sense of the change. To make things easier for her, and since she appeared to understand human speech and rationale despite just being hatched, Jason opened her Status and began to explain what everything meant. At the same time, Korrina, wanting to give them the space they needed to bond, got up and made her way to the kitchen to prepare some soft and meaty Pokécubes and a bottle of MooMoo Milk, taking Audino with her. Riolu and Lucario were obligate carnivores, and if they weren't fed regularly, their desire to fight could easily morph into a desire to hunt and kill. Thus, while Jason kept the Riolu distracted, she made sure to prepare something that would both satisfy it and curb its natural instincts—allowing them to be channeled into the focus needed to train...
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(A/N: For those curious, these are the Riolu's stats. And if you have any name ideas or suggestions for both her and Audino, I'm open to hearing them.)
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[Status]
Name: [Unnamed]
Title: [None]
Age: 0
Height: 51cm Weight: 42.1kg B/W/H: ??/??/??
Rank: 1-Star
[Physique: 113]
Strength: 35[+]
Vitality: 47[+]
Dexterity: 31[+]
[Cognition: 103]
Intelligence: 12[+]
Perception: 63[+]
Guts: 28[+]
[Spirituality: 108]
Spirit: 40[+]
Mind: 54[+]
Faith: 14[+]
[Skills]
[Healthy Body(F)], [Strong Bones(F)], [Steadfast(F)], [Aura Reading(F)], [Aura Conversion(F)], [Martial Arts(F)]
[Special Abilities]
[Endure(E)], [Quick Attack(F)], [Bite(F)], [Detect(F)], [Howl(F)]
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