"Hmm?"
Haruki turned his head and saw Harumi also pause in surprise. Then the two of them exchanged a smile.
After one chaotic battle, the two had silently become friends.
Only Gardenia stood there hugging her Turtwig with an aggrieved look.
'So unfair!'
Meanwhile, the audience murmured below the stage, and the host on the platform was sweating bullets; he'd already cursed these two for going off-script a hundred times in his heart.
Thankfully, the judge was an experienced one. He immediately ruled that since Harumi had said "I forfeit" first, Haruki was awarded the final victory and took first place.
"Let's split the prize, sis," Haruki said casually.
He was only sixteen in this body, and Harumi was clearly already married. Calling her "sis" rolled off his tongue naturally.
Haruki wasn't greedy. First prize was a 100,000 Pokédollar voucher, second place got 50,000. If they split it, they'd each get 75,000.
Not bad at all.
Harumi hesitated briefly but didn't refuse. Her impression of Haruki improved even more.
The tournament ended on a high note. The owner of the Galactic Department Store personally came on stage to award the top six contestants and hand out oversized prize vouchers for photos and promotion.
Haruki, being of "gray status", instinctively felt a bit uneasy.
But then he remembered those 75,000 Pokédollars...
"Say cheese~" x6
After the group photo, he and Harumi exchanged contact info. Haruki was about to head into the store for a major shopping spree when wild Gardenia suddenly appeared.
"Haven't we met before?"
'…What a cliché opening line.'
Haruki silently mocked her inside, but still replied plainly, "A few days ago, at the town entrance."
"Oh! Right, right, right!" Gardenia lit up, her energy immediately leaking into a fresh battle aura.
"Let's have another match! If you win, I'll give you my 30,000 Pokédollar voucher!"
"..."
Haruki glanced at the string of Poké Balls on her Trainer belt… and immediately chickened out.
"One-on-one, I wouldn't beat you. Your Turtwig is strong."
Gardenia's momentum faltered. Haruki looked completely serious, making her feel slightly embarrassed.
"W-We could use different Pokémon too…"
She softened her tone, still hoping for a rematch.
Haruki kept shaking his head. "Right now I only have Cubone available to battle. Sorry."
He couldn't bring out his Shiny Beldum in front of so many people; so it wasn't really a lie.
But Gardenia misunderstood. She assumed Haruki only had one Pokémon, and looked surprised.
Haruki picked up on it and added, "I started late. Didn't plan on becoming a Trainer at first."
"Oh, I see."
Since it was getting personal, Gardenia didn't press any further. Seeing that a battle wasn't happening today, she looked a bit dejected.
But she perked up again quickly.
"Your command style is amazing! You're definitely going to enter the League Conference this year, right? Let's settle things there!"
"If I qualify."
Haruki replied casually, but inside, a faint ripple stirred.
The League Conference...
----
They then went their separate ways into the store.
If Haruki used the 75,000 Pokédollars just for daily life, he could live comfortably for a year or two.
But if it was for raising Pokémon, with his current situation, that money would last maybe three months.
Still, Haruki was satisfied.
Once he compiled the tournament intel and uploaded it, he'd earn another chunk of points.
That would be sweet.
The only awkward part was being the champion himself. He'd wanted to forfeit at the end precisely because of this.
As he browsed the aisles, Haruki quietly weighed his options.
In the end, he decided to report things truthfully. It was just a back-alley unofficial tournament. Team Rocket HQ wouldn't take it seriously.
At most, they'd be surprised he had a bit of Trainer talent. Or maybe they'd just think he was showing off.
Either way, it was just a stepping stone in Haruki's shift in role, nothing serious.
----
After buying all the necessary supplies, the 75,000 Pokédollar voucher was completely used up.
Haruki looked at his backpack, now packed full of goods, and felt completely satisfied.
Cubone had also received a lollipop-shaped Ground-type energy stick and was happily licking away.
One big, one small, both returned with full loads. And when they arrived back, they saw Christopher giving them an amused look.
As usual, he teased Haruki a bit. Haruki replied cheerfully, saying he'd upload the tournament intel that very night.
Christopher waved his hand, saying he didn't care, and also handed Haruki a bowl of spicy tonkotsu ramen with a soft-boiled egg.
The night passed without incident...
The next day, Haruki spent the entire morning compiling two weeks' worth of intel and setting up a timed upload. After informing Christopher, he returned to the mountain again.
Cubone already knew this place like the back of its… paw? hand?. It even nodded at a few past opponents, though none of them were eager to say hi back.
Inside the cave, Haruki carefully scanned his surroundings. Once he confirmed there were no signs of human activity, he released Beldum.
"Time to get back to training and battles!"
Cubone spun its club around like a baton, ready at any moment.
Beldum gave a couple cheerful metallic bursts. Its polished steel head gleamed, eager for action.
----
Meanwhile, Gardenia was studying her map and had finally found "Jessie and James Ramen Shop."
The aroma wafting from inside sealed her decision, she would eat first and look for people later.
But after slurping down two full bowls of noodles, her brain was focused on only one thing: posting a glowing review of this hidden ramen gem on the food forums.
---
Half a month later.
Two silver flashes streaked through the air, slamming into the Onix's horn and lower body.
That enormous Onix let out a howl and collapsed onto the ground, no longer able to battle.
As the silver light faded, it revealed the slightly worn-down Beldum and Cubone. Seeing the Onix fall, both of them grinned in satisfaction.
Behind them, Haruki -just as dusty- couldn't help but clap.
With plenty of resources, Cubone had finally mastered Iron Head during the past two weeks.
The Onix in front of them was an old friend.
The very same one that had fallen into the pit with them… and snuck away afterward.
The Poké Ball arced perfectly and hit Onix. A red light burst out and drew it in.
This Onix also knew Iron Head… which made it even more valuable.
"That's it. We're done. Time to head home!"
Haruki picked up the Poké Ball and locked it, then looked at the two little ones and spoke with relief. Spending two full weeks training out in the wild had been unthinkable for him before.
But now that he'd pushed through, the growth and progress were beyond anything he had expected.
[Cubone]
Ability: Rock HeadTier: Skilled
Primary moves: Bone Club, Bonemerang, Smack Down, Bulldoze, Iron Head
Secondary moves: Screech, Growl, Tail Whip, Curse
Personality: Petty tsundere, secretly loves "big bro," addicted to headshots
[Shiny Beldum]
Ability: Clear BodyTier: Skilled
Primary moves: Take Down, Iron Head
Secondary moves: None
Personality: Born head-first. Reckless to the core.