Note to readers: Please keep in mind that this story takes a realistic approach to the Pokémon world. I am writing this based on my personal preferences, so be prepared for certain twists or alterations that may differ from your expectations.
***
Immediately after breakfast, I headed to the center of Pewter City. I needed to buy Iron and Calcium for Houndour, though I suspected it would be a financial massacre. I didn't know exactly how much it would set me back; prices varied from city to city, and the differences were often staggering. At first, I didn't understand why, but older memories helped me find the answer.
Different cities bought vitamins in different volumes. Settlements in more dangerous territories with more powerful Pokémon needed these supplements much more urgently. The goods moved faster there, shops could order entire pallets, and thanks to bulk discounts, they paradoxically kept prices lower than in peaceful Pallet Town.
Other than vitamins, I didn't need anything from the PokéMart yet. I planned to stay in Pewter for about a week, and before leaving, I wanted to check my gear and buy everything necessary. So, I headed straight for the mineral and vitamin rack. These were, naturally, displayed behind several layers of reinforced glass; they were expensive goods, after all.
In the memories where the old Patrik ordered fitness supplements for a few euros, this technology was completely different. First, they were intended for Pokémon, and second, they represented the pinnacle of biological progress. Although I wasn't a scientist, the flyer stated they could bring a Pokémon from an acute deficiency to its necessary peak in just a single month. They were designed so that any excess in the body would aurically disintegrate without any side effects. They were, therefore, extremely effective and safe at the same time.
I wasn't surprised at all when I saw the price tag. A pack of thirty-one tablets cost exactly two thousand PokéDollars. Both Iron and Calcium were priced the same.
"Fuck, I have exactly 4,126 PokéDollars. I'll be a total pauper after this purchase," I muttered under my breath, but eventually, I nodded to the clerk.
He approached me with a surprised expression, which was quickly replaced by a fake smile. He probably didn't expect to squeeze his commission out of someone like me today... but the Rockets had contributed to these vitamins quite willingly.
"May I help you? Unfortunately, discounts on supplements are not possible," he spoke with such disgusting, feigned sympathy that I felt like punching him. I controlled myself.
"Iron and Calcium, please. I'll pay in cash," I rasped through gritted teeth.
"Do you even have enough money for that?" he doubted.
Instead of answering, I pulled out my wallet and showed him the cash so he wouldn't delay me any further. He nodded, swiftly unlocked the sensor on the glass with a card, took out both packages, and headed to the register with a smirk.
Since this was a larger city and there was more staff, I had no intention of letting that prick get a sales bonus after he had insulted me. As soon as we reached the counter, I turned to the girl sitting there.
"Could you ring these up for me? This prick doesn't deserve a commission for his behavior."
"But..." the idiot started to stammer, but the girl was more than willing. She snatched the supplements from his hands and scanned them.
"Four thousand... minus a five percent discount for friends of the clerk. That will be three thousand eight hundred PokéDollars," she announced with an amused smile. I handed her the full amount more than willingly.
"Thank you very much," I replied with a smirk, took the vitamins, and shoved them into my pocket.
A little bit of anger toward that asshole and I immediately got a discount from a pleasant clerk. It paid off... As I was leaving, I just heard her scolding him: "See, Pete, if you behaved better..."
I had the last three hundred and twenty-six PokéDollars left in my wallet. My next stop was clear: the P.E.X. (Pokémon Exchange).
According to the Pokédex, the P.E.X. was about a fifteen-minute walk from the PokéMart, so I headed straight there. I walked through the city and observed the people. It seemed to me that compared to the residents of Viridian, the people in Pewter were somehow "more human," more modest, and more sincere. Maybe it was because Viridian felt luxurious and aloof to me, while Pewter felt more like one big, friendly village. I passed various shops and stalls, but other than brief glances, I didn't linger anywhere. Soon, I stood before a familiar building. It was exactly like the one in Viridian.
A bland building, a Pokéball symbol, and a large P.E.X. logo. I quickly scanned my ID. As soon as the light glowed green, the doors opened and I stepped inside.
All five service booths were occupied, so I had no choice but to wait patiently. It looked like most trainers were buying rather than selling. At least I had time to check out the interior. Since it was taking longer than I expected, I sat down in a chair to the side. In the waiting area, there was a couch, two armchairs, a television, and even a carafe of fresh water.
Stock information flashed across the TV. Currently, it showed the buyback price for Dratini. The price started at two and a half million PokéDollars and went up. It was no surprise; it was an extremely rare, pseudo-legendary Pokémon that grows into the incredibly powerful Dragonite. Anyone who owned one never had to worry about flying again. The truth was, however, that if I ever caught a Dratini, I would probably keep it.
After a moment, the screen changed and announced the new P.E.X. app for laptops and Pokédexes. It allowed users to track current prices, place orders, and book appointments at individual branches. I immediately made a mental note to download it as soon as I was at the Pokémon Center. I could have done it right then, but a booth had just opened up. At the P.E.X. worker's nod, I stood up and took a seat inside.
"Hello. Are you interested in buying a Pokémon or selling?" the worker asked with a pleasant smile. "We had some high-quality ones come in today, Teddiursa and Vulpix."
"Hello. Thank you, but I'm here to sell," I replied.
"Please," he gestured, and I inserted Scyther's Pokéball into the scanner without hesitation.
The analysis took a moment, and after a short time, the clerk hummed appreciatively. "A magnificent specimen. A natural-born warrior."
As soon as he finished, the price appeared on the display. I had to rub my eyes to make sure I was seeing correctly. A sum of 120,000 PokéDollars was glowing there. My heart immediately started racing with excitement. The clerk noticed my reaction and laughed amusedly. When he calmed down, he began to explain: "Scyther usually sells for eighty thousand and up, but yours is truly an elite specimen. The price is therefore appropriate." He paused for a moment and asked with a curious look: "Are you interested in selling?"
I nodded without a word. I was fucking rich. I could buy a Water-type Pokémon right away, restock supplies, upgrade my gear, or get some auric TM for Haunter. However, my youthful recklessness was stopped by old memories; I forced myself to breathe deeply to calm down.
"Done, the money is in your account. Can I help you with anything else?"
I shook my head and started to get up to leave.
"Really? That Teddiursa would be a great choice... or the Vulpix."
"No, thank you. But I'll definitely stop by during the week to check the selection," I promised him and waved goodbye.
As soon as I stepped outside, I took a deep breath of fresh air. The world suddenly seemed beautiful—knowing that I didn't just have a few measly hundred in my pocket made me feel incredibly wealthy.
I savored that feeling of power from my newfound wealth for a moment longer before heading back to the Pokémon Center. I had a clear plan: food, training, and more food. In a few days, we have our battle with Brock. Although I knew my Haunter was way too strong for the first badge, I didn't intend to underestimate anything.
After a good lunch, we found ourselves in a rented training room. It was exactly like the one in Viridian. I ordered Haunter to practice Shadow Ball on the trainer; I wanted to measure its power after the days spent in the wilderness. In Viridian, his Shadow Ball had reached a power level of 51. I was curious to see what value he could achieve now.
"Haunter!" he nodded determinedly, and shadows immediately began to swirl between his claws. I, however, had other work to do.
I felt like having a proper workout, but we weren't just two anymore. I pulled out a Pokéball, and in a fraction of a second, Houndour stood before me with his tongue hanging out contentedly. We had just eaten lunch together in the canteen, and I probably should have given him the vitamins with his meal... but I had forgotten.
"Houndour!"
He had eyes only for me. He was a good dog, but I needed to get those supplements into him.
"Houndour, we're in the training room. You'll be training here in a moment too, so you can become a powerful Houndoom," I addressed him.
"Houndour!" he barked at me determinedly.
I pulled the purchased Iron and Calcium from my pocket. Houndour followed my every move and stepped closer. At first, he probably thought it was a treat, but as soon as he caught the scent of those two tablets, he immediately backed away.
"You have to eat this, Houndour. They're vitamins to make you stronger," I explained.
He sniffed ostentatiously, whimpered, and took another step back. I didn't let him leave, though, and stepped right up to him. I held my hand out directly in front of his muzzle.
"You have to, Houndour," I commanded sternly.
He whimpered again like a small puppy and tried to retreat, but I didn't have time for childish scenes. Although this Houndour was more dangerous than any husky from my memories, I grabbed him roughly by the scruff of the neck and pulled him toward me. Without any fear that he might bite my hand off, I squeezed his jaw from below. He opened his mouth in surprise, and at that moment, I threw the tablets in. With a loud snap, I pressed his jaws together and held them, even as he started coughing and choking. He wanted to spit it out, which I didn't intend to allow—I hadn't dropped nearly four grand just for those expensive substances to end up on the floor. When he finally calmed down and stopped resisting, I let him go. He had swallowed it.
"See? Good Houndour, you ate it! Now you're going to be the most powerful Houndour!"
He replied only with a soft whimper. He clearly didn't like the taste, but he immediately puffed out his chest and waited determinedly for my next command.
I decided to explain my line of thinking to him, even though I was sure he wouldn't understand everything. He wasn't a Psychic or Ghost type; his strengths lay in something other than pure intelligence. However, Houndour belonged to the most loyal Pokémon in the world, and as a Dark type, he had no problem with the necessary cruelty. I believed that intelligence could be developed through teaching and explaining in small steps, so I planned to communicate with him as an equal partner.
"Currently, your main problem is malnutrition. You have muscle mass, but there's too little of it due to lack of food. We need to fix that. As long as you're with me, you'll always have an excess of food. You've already eaten those expensive vitamins," I looked at him sternly and continued: "Now that you have the diet and the supplements, we need to work on your conditioning. We'll get you in shape, and then we'll work on special attacks," I pointed a finger at Haunter, who was firing off one Shadow Ball after another every few moments. "Just like him right now."
On the side of the room stood a large treadmill with harnesses where resistance could be set for explosive training. This exercise was ideal for feline or canine types. Physiologically, it was supposed to help strengthen the muscles of his limbs, hindquarters, and back. I chose a twenty-kilogram resistance and turned on the speed.
"Run, Houndour, run!" I commanded.
With a happy "Houndour!", he immediately started running.
While Houndour was running and Haunter was preparing another Shadow Ball for Brock, I decided to work on my own conditioning. I started with a neck warm-up—ten seconds of circling left, then the same time right. A few movements up and down until I moved to the shoulders. I loosened them up moving forward and backward. When I felt that the joints and tendons were sufficiently warmed up, I repeated the same with my elbows. Tennis elbow was the last thing I needed, and without a proper warm-up, one wouldn't be able to avoid it over time. Thank god for the memories from another world; without them, I would be a total amateur in these matters.
After completing the full-body warm-up, I began shadowboxing. I threw punches at imaginary enemies, whose faces were soon replaced by figures with a prominent red letter R on their chests. I didn't mind. In that short time, I had processed the death of that piece of shit in the forest, and now I was enjoying "turning off" every other one my mind provided. I finished the shadowboxing with a high kick to the temple and then I stopped. Instead of fists, I pulled out my sword. I continued the imaginary destruction of enemies, but here I wasn't so sure. While I had Muay Thai techniques burned into my memory thanks to tens of thousands of hours of training in my memories, I was basically holding a sword in my hand for the first time.
A week of training without a teacher wasn't much. Fortunately, slashing or stabbing was fairly simple, and thanks to my Muay Thai stance, I wasn't afraid of hurting myself.
Even after the grind with the sword, I still had plenty of energy, so I moved smoothly into push-ups, squats, sit-ups, and the pull-up bar. When I was sure my muscles, tendons, and conditioning were in order, I threw myself into bench-presses, weighted squats, and deadlifts... until I eventually collapsed on the floor, of course.
Alongside my own training, I didn't forget to watch Haunter, who was working tirelessly, or Houndour, for whom I regularly turned the belt on and off. We were all pushing ourselves to the limit; Houndour proved to be a proud member of the team and a real hard worker. It wouldn't be good if he were some lazy bum—it would ruin our team dynamic.
"Haunter, stop for a moment! We'll do one last attempt, record the result, and call it a day," I called out.
"Haunter!" he nodded and stopped.
I had just unhooked Houndour's harnesses. He immediately moved to my right leg and was breathing heavily with his tongue out. He smelled pretty bad, just like me. I thought to myself that I would have to teach him how to shower too.
"Haunter!" my Ghost Pokémon shouted, looking ready. I nodded to him.
Shadows immediately began to swirl between his claws, forming into a Shadow Ball. The energy pulsed more massively and powerfully than before, but the process was a bit slower. Usually, we aimed for speed, but this time we had a set limit—two seconds to form the technique. As soon as my stopwatch showed the right time, I gave him the signal: "Go, Haunter!"
"Haunter!" with a cry, he sent the shadow ball directly at the target.
Immediately after impact, the number 60 flashed on the display.
An increase of nine points since the last measurement in Viridian, where he had fifty-one, was more than a decent performance for a new trainer pair. I had no doubt that a proper Shadow Ball from a truly powerful Ghost Pokémon could exceed even three hundred points, but no top trainer would just release such values to the public.
"Great training, we really pushed ourselves today. Houndour and I will take a shower, and you, Haunter, can stand guard as usual," I said on the way to our rented room. "Or you can go 'feed' on some terrified wretch," I added with amusement.
As long as he was just scaring them, it was fine.
***
Author's note:
So, Pete was a total moron... he got zero sales bonus, and because we didn't just let his insults slide, we walked away with a discount. Talk about a win-win.
Our MC hit the jackpot with Scyther, giving his journey a much-needed financial injection. I wanted the price to feel realistic—after all, a Scyther is a dangerous apex predator, not just some bug.
Then there's Houndour, who hates his pills but works as hard as the rest of the team. As promised, the fight with Brock is coming up in the next chapter.
You might have also caught that mention of Auric TMs; expect a bit of a change compared to the classic game mechanics.
Drop a comment and let me know what you think. Catch you in the next one!
***
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The shadows are shifting, and the story goes much deeper... If you can't wait for the next update, Advanced Chapters are already waiting for you.
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Upcoming Chapters – Already Written:
15. Shelled Defiance
16. The Boulder Badge
17. The Price of Experience
18. Grit and Gold
19. Dogshit Nights and Silver Linings
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