"Congratulations on officially becoming a Trainer."
Aven nodded at Peter and smiled. "Now, you can officially capture your own Pokémon."
Phew, I can finally capture the Mightyena… Although, I'm still not used to calling it a 'Pokémon.' I prefer calling it a 'Magical Beast'...
Peter let out a sigh of relief, completely unaware of the significance of the moment—this was a milestone that could one day be recorded in history!
"I hope you treat your Mightyena well," Aven added with a grin.
"Also, now that the Mightyena is your Pokémon, it's your responsibility as a Trainer to take care of and train it."
Peter froze, opening his mouth but not saying anything.
He suddenly developed a much deeper understanding of what it meant to be a Trainer.
However, since the Mightyena was now his Magical Beast, personally training and taking care of it was obviously his own responsibility.
"No problem. Of course, I'll take care of Mightyena," Peter said carefully. "But... you have to teach me how to train and care for it."
"That's no problem," Aven said.
Peter was thrilled—until he heard Aven add:
"But there will be a fee."
Fee… Peter raised his eyebrows, looking at Aven with an expression like he was meeting a whole new person.
Facing Peter's gaze, Aven remained calm.
This was the perfect opportunity to launch his breeding center services, and he had to stick to his principles.
"Alright then. How much are you charging exactly?" Peter asked grudgingly.
Aven, as if fully prepared, pulled out a price list, giving Peter the distinct feeling that he had just walked into a trap.
Pokémon Boarding Service: 1 silver coin per day.
Basic Pokémon Training Service: 1 silver coin per hour.
Peter stared at the price list, dumbfounded. These prices were sky-high!
And these were just basic services.
Specialized Move Training Service—charged based on the difficulty of the move...
Swallowing hard, Peter continued reading.
Then his eyes landed on the Pokémon food section.
There were various types of Berries listed, some of which he recognized, some he didn't. As a fruit farmer, though, he wasn't particularly interested.
But then he spotted something called "Nutritional Feed"—one bag costing one silver coin.
"This Nutritional Feed is something I specially prepared for Pokémon. Want to give it a try? As the first tester, I'll give you a free bag," Aven offered immediately when he noticed Peter's gaze lingering there.
First tester… Peter mumbled to himself.
But since it was free, he thought he might as well give it a try.
After Peter agreed, Aven retrieved a cloth bag from the cellar.
Opening the bag revealed large, brown, pellet-like pieces of Pokémon food inside—looking a bit like small blocks of dark bread.
Will Mightyena even like eating this...?
Peter muttered internally.
He picked up one of the pellets, examined it, and sniffed it. He didn't feel very confident about it.
"Just take it home and try it.
This bag should last Mightyena about a week," Aven said.
Peter nodded, carrying the bag home.
As he thought about how he was finally bringing Mightyena back with him, his excitement overwhelmed any worries about the Pokémon food.
If Mightyena didn't like it, he figured he could just feed it Berries instead.
That day was definitely a memorable one for Peter.
With Aven's approval, Peter finally brought Mightyena home.
Walking down the village streets, with the Mightyena proudly at his side, Peter drew envious and jealous stares from the villagers.
His vanity was greatly satisfied.
…
Meanwhile, on the pasture of Mike's Farm,
the Tangela had been living there for some time.
The land was incredibly fertile, which left the Tangela feeling very content.
Although the humans came by daily to collect vines from them, the Tangela considered it a small price to pay—a very worthwhile trade.
In addition, there was the big guy on the grassland—Rhyhorn.
Rhyhorn seemed to possess a mysterious power. After he tilled the soil, the land would brim with life energy.
Because of this, Rhyhorn and the Tangela quickly became close companions.
Every day, the Tangela happily followed Rhyhorn around, living carefree lives.
On this day, Aven came to the pasture as usual.
But this time, instead of immediately harvesting vines, he brought a cloth bag and approached Rhyhorn.
"Here, try the Pokémon food I made," Aven said, opening the bag and placing it in front of Rhyhorn.
The Tangela gathered around.
Upon seeing the Pokémon food in the bag, their expressions suddenly became strange.
Although the large, brown pellets didn't resemble their blue vines,
they knew—they instinctively knew—that this food had been made from their vines.
"Rhy Rhy Rhy ~"
The innocent Rhyhorn, unaware of anything, was simply thrilled to see Aven offering food.
He eagerly began eating.
As soon as Rhyhorn swallowed a piece, his eyes lit up brightly.
He quickly wolfed down more, eating bite after bite as if it were a delicious delicacy.
Is it really that good...?
The Tangela shivered slightly, sensing a huge threat to themselves.
Aven watched with satisfaction.
Nothing made him happier than seeing his Pokémon enjoy the food he had prepared.
After eating, Rhyhorn felt energized and immediately began running enthusiastically around the pasture.
…
Meanwhile, back at the farm,
Uncle Mike, after much hesitation, finally decided to let his Luxray try Aven's so-called delicious Pokémon food.
Though he still harbored heavy doubts about Aven's claims.
To his astonishment, Luxray loved it.
In just a few bites, Luxray devoured an entire serving of the Pokémon food.
This left Mike even more bewildered.
Was this food really made from Tangela vines?
If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't have believed it.
But now, faced with the reality, he had no choice but to accept it.
Is it really that delicious...?
After hesitating a bit, Mike popped a piece of the Pokémon food into his own mouth.
The next second—
"Blegh! Blegh!!"
Mike's face turned green instantly.
(End of Chapter)