"…Rewards?"
The mont they heard there were more rewards, Sato and the other two's eyes lit up. At the award ceremony yesterday, the prizes for the top three were already set at 5,000,000, 3,000,000, and 1,000,000 Pokédollars respectively.
But that amount of money would barely be enough to buy a Starter Pokémon with average potential; assuming you even had the connections to get one.
Of course, after the tournant there were plenty of endorsent deals, interviews, and comrcial invites for Sato and the others to serve as tournant judges.
And for the month following the event, that was the peak of their market value. If Sato's group was willing to put in the effort, earning seven or eight million wasn't out of the question.
Unfortunately, none of the three were exactly hurting for money. So purely monetary business deals didn't appeal to them at all.
But now, the one about to issue rewards was the President of the Pokémon League Headquarters… so naturally, it wouldn't be sothing as mundane as money.
Seeing how expectant they all looked, Charles laughed heartily and stopped keeping them in suspense. He began listing the rewards one by one.
"First, S-Class access to the League's intelligence database.
Second, automatic designation as an Elite Four candidate, with Level 9 rank benefits.
Third, one Pokémon hatchling of any type, with Elite Four level potential."
The mont Charles finished speaking, all three of them gasped sharply, followed by expressions of stunned joy.
The last reward was the easiest to understand: they would each receive a Pokémon hatchling with Elite Four potential, and they could freely choose the type.
Even though most of the Pokémon in Sato's team had good potential, that was largely due to the effects of Dark Energy.
And even with that, more than half of Sato's team only had Ace potential, requiring [Dark Energy - Blood Nourishnt] to slowly boost their growth.
Otherwise, Pokémon like Houndoom and Weavile might have been stuck at Peak Ace for life.
Even Wallace and Phoebe's main lineups were carefully selected by the powerful forces behind them, sifting through tens of thousands of Pokémon.
To capture a wild Pokémon with Elite Four potential purely by luck was harder than winning the lottery.
That's why, when soone like Sato -a Trainer from a completely "clean", civilian background- suddenly broke into the ranks of geniuses, it naturally aroused intense curiosity and caution from everyone. New ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄhapters are published on novelꞁire
After all, the last person to have such a legendary path… was Samuel Oak!
Of course, for Sato, this reward most likely ant choosing a Dark-type Pokémon hatchling.
As for the second reward, Elite Four candidate was an official position directly under the League Headquarters. In addition to a base salary of 50,000 Pokédollars per month, it also granted the authority to oversee all League organizations below city level.
As the na implied, Elite Four candidates were individuals the League hoped would rise to beco a regional Elite Four, so they were given concentrated support and resources to help them grow.
The Level 9 rank benefits were clearly laid out, covering all aspects of life with detailed subsidies and privileges.
In terms of travel, they were given one private jet trip per year, allowing them to fly to any city within League territory at any ti.
For regular travel -planes, trains, ships- they had priority ticket access, and all fares were just 10% of the usual price.
For lodging, every city's Pokémon Center and many high-end hotels partnered with the League were free to stay in, requiring only Sato and the others to sign a confirmation at checkout.
As for food, the benefits mainly covered high-grade Pokéblocks, specialized nutritional als, and other essentials needed for raising Pokémon.
Sato and the others could submit an application to the League, and top-level or even elite Breeders would personally assist them by preparing nutritional als and Pokéblocks tailored specifically to each Pokémon's developntal needs at their current stage.
Lastly, there was the internal resource purchase privilege. The purchasing rights granted at Level 9 rank were extrely generous. Rare items like the Energy Stones and Energy Crystals that Sato had previously found during his travels were now officially available to purchase at clear, listed prices.
Additionally, each year Sato could purchase three items at only 10% of their market price. For example, an Energy Crystal would cost only a few hundred thousand Pokédollars at that rate.
Of course, the key point wasn't just the discount… it was that they were now "available and priced."
Without being inside the League system, without becoming an Elite Four candidate, and without receiving Level 9 rank benefits, Sato wouldn't have been able to buy any of these items; even with money.
Resource monopoly was the true reason why the Pokémon League had remained the unshakable pillar of the Pokémon world for over a century!
For Wallace and Phoebe, the most attractive reward was likely the Elite Four potential Pokémon hatchling.
But for Sato, acquiring such a hatchling was sothing he could manage with effort. What he truly valued most was the S-Class access to the League's intelligence database.
From what he knew, the highest clearance level was SSS-Class, reserved for the League President and Champions. SS-Class was accessible to Elite Four mbers and Vice Presidents.
That made S-Class the highest level Sato could possibly be granted at this point, and it was more than enough for his needs.
To give just one example, all training records, developnt thods, and tactical guidance involving Elite Four level Pokémon were part of the S-Class database.
Charles clearly realized that Gardevoir wasn't a Pokémon Sato had raised from the start… and he also knew that Sato was now at a critical turning point on his way to becoming a full Elite Four Trainer.
This reward… couldn't have co at a better ti!
"Thank you, President!" ×3
After listening to the President's thorough explanation, all three of them were overwheld with joy, practically itching to go grab their hatchlings on the spot.
As for the President's other "lessons and advice", they were barely listening at this point.
"Alright, alright, I've talked enough. You're probably sick of hearing it. Go on, get your Pokémon, and then do whatever else you've got to do."
After finishing the last sip of his juice, Charles waved them off, clearly noticing their distracted minds.
"Yes, President!" ×3
As soon as they stepped out of the President's office, a secretary -soone Sato hadn't seen before- approached them, extending a hand to lead the way. Naturally, she was taking them to claim their prizes.
The three of them clutched their excited hearts with trembling hands and shuffled after the secretary in small, eager steps until they reached the logistics departnt. After several layers of security checks, they finally arrived at a massive incubation facility.
Through the glass, they could see a large number of Pokémon hatchlings playing happily inside.
Several of them even waddled over on their stubby little legs, curiously pressing their faces to the glass to peer at Sato and the others.
"I've brought the top 3 finalists of this year's Ace Tournant to claim their prizes. Here is the redemption application." The female secretary maintained a formal tone as she handed the paperwork to the staff mber at the entrance.
The staff mber carefully accepted the application with both hands, then sat down and began typing rapidly at the computer. He repeatedly looked up and down to scan the three of them, until finally confirming sothing. Then, he looked up and gave them a slightly apologetic nod.
"Apologies, everyone. The safety of each Elite Four potential Pokémon hatchling is of utmost importance, so I must be extrely, extrely thorough… You may now begin selecting your Pokémon."
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