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...
"Wait, what are they doing? Did these newbies develop Stockholm Syndrome from getting beaten up? Are they actually addicted to this?"
A few veteran players passing by couldn't make sense of the line of new players queuing up to get thrashed.
Terrence and Miles who were walking nearby overheard the comment. Terrence watched as a defeated trainer was teleported away with a satisfied smile on his face...
His pupils trembled in shock, "I never expected this batch of newbies to have such... peculiar tastes!" he said.
Miles, being quicker on the uptake, saw through the surface-level absurdity. He deadpanned, "They probably realized that battling that Bug Catcher gives more EXP than wild Pokémon."
Terrence thought about the levels of that Mimikyu and Dragonite. They were indeed high. The realization sparked an impulsive thought.
"Should we challenge him too?" he asked, suddenly tempted.
Miles shook his head, "We're running low on League Credits..."
No one knew what would happen if their League Credits hit zero after a loss. Most likely, it would mean an instant mission failure... Which may result in the loser getting sent away.
"Fine," Terrence sighed in resignation, and settled for simulated battles with his friend instead...
...
Around the same time, Caleb had also started pondering this issue...
He had already harvested these "newbie crops" multiple times. Their League Credits had to be running thin at this point.
Scanning the group, he called out, "Hold up. How many League Credits do you guys have left?" he asked.
The newbies checked their remaining fumds, "Around 300! What's up, boss? Is there a problem?"
Caleb's eyelid twitched. Patiently, he explained, "Since this is your first Instance, you might not know the rules. Let me break it down for you..."
"...The Infinite World's universal currency is Achievement Points, which can only be earned in Instances. This is your first run, so you don't have any yet."
"...If your main mission fails and your Points drop into the negatives, you'll be sent back to the moment before your death."
"This Instance/Scenario is special... it doesn't specify the failure conditions upfront. Here, trainer battles have strict rules: the loser must pay the winner in League Credits... So if your Credits hit zero, the consequence will likely be an instant mission failure, kicking you out of the Infinite World."
The newbie trainers paled, staring at their remaining Credits with newfound hesitation.
Nearby, the veteran players fell silent upon hearing this explanation.
Of course, Caleb wouldn't let his 'crops' wither before they'd been fully harvested. He kindly offered a solution, "But I've got a workaround..."
Eyes lit up with hope.
Caleb turned and pointed toward Oldale Town.
"I'll let you pass first. Routes 102 and 103 have plenty of Bug Catchers and Youngsters. You can battle them for Credits."
He wasn't worried about them running off. Without defeating him, these newbies couldn't unlock the second phase of the main mission anyway.
The newbies were practically moved to tears, some even looking ready to kneel and kowtow in gratitude.
"Thank you, boss!"
"You're a real one, boss! I'll never forget this!"
"Boss, can you tell us your name? I wanna thank you properly after the dungeon!"
Caleb answered without blinking, "Haruno Hatsumi."
The veteran players watching nearby facepalmed. These newbies were literally selling themselves while counting the money for their seller...
Miles overheard the name too... He rubbed his chin in intrigue, and watched as the new players rushed off toward Oldale Town.
Once they were gone, he suddenly called out, Haruno Hatsumi?"
Caleb paused for two seconds before turning... Terrence and Miles were walking toward him.
Caleb: "Yep, that's me. What's up?"
Miles gave him a once-over, "Since when did you become a man? I wasn't aware the Instances dropped gender-swapping items..."
Caleb: "..."
Miles chuckled and extended a hand and introduced himself, "I'm Miles Quinn. Nice to meet you."
"Hello, I'm Terrence Jones!" Terrence introduced himself with unusual formality, even offering a handshake.
Caleb shook it politely and replied, "Caleb Chase."
Both Terrence and Miles froze.
Terrence's reaction mirrored Hatsumi's from back then: "Wait, what did you say? You're not that Caleb Chase who got three achievements in one Instance run, are you?!"
Caleb: "..."
At this point, he had expected this reaction.
Miles, however, skipped the dramatics, "You know Hatsumi?" he asked.
Caleb nodded, "I've eaten her noodles."
The mention of noodles triggered something in Terrence's brain. Mid-thought, his mouth moved faster than his filter...
Instead of saying, 'Her noodles are good, right?'
...It came out as: "Her lower noodles are good, right?"
Caleb and Miles immediately turned to stare at him in dead silence... The atmosphere plummeted into awkwardness.
Terrence stood frozen, only realizing his blunder seconds later, "F*ck! Sorry, sorry! My mind is just full of trash!"
Caleb, now faced with such degeneracy, decided then and there... In the next Instance run, he was using Terrence Jones' name...
Miles sighed and steered the conversation back on track, then asked "Want to team up?"
"Looking for a backdoor pass?" Caleb asked with a raised eyebrow.
Terrence grinned sheepishly, "Pretty much. You cleared three achievements in one Instance... you've gotta be a battle-hardened vet, right?"
Caleb answered honestly, "No. This is my second Instance..."
Terrence's eyes bulged . "No way... How's that even possible?!"
Too tired to explain, Caleb let them believe whatever they wanted. He declined Miles's offer, "No thanks. My main mission is different from yours."
Miles looked disappointed but nodded, "Fair enough."
....
With the players off battling Bug Catchers and Youngsters on Routes 102 and 103, Caleb and Felix found themselves with unexpected downtime...
They sprawled on the grass, staring at the sky.
Felix chewed on a blade of grass, one hand resting on his Poochyena. With his other hand, he lazily pointed at the clouds, "See that one? It looks like an Eevee."
Caleb glanced up. The resemblance was uncanny... fluffy head, bushy tail, the whole silhouette was there.
He folded his arms behind his head, closed his eyes, and breathed in the crisp earthy air.
It reminded him of his childhood... Back then, the world always seemed brighter, the sky a clear mirror-like blue.
Mimikyu quietly scooted closer, resting its tiny head against his arm before closing its eyes.
Dragonite flopped down on his other side, its round head pillowed on chubby arms, the tip of its tail swaying lazily...
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Read ahead on my P@treon...
[email protected]/MayaMatengele01