Ryuuske's heart itched with curiosity about what was happening, but he pretended not to notice the trainers' stares. After getting his room key, he walked straight out of the Pokémon Center to buy a new set of clothes.
The high-end outfit gifted by Professor Oak was truly unwearable now. Fortunately, he wasn't short on money at the mont, and since he spent most of his ti in the wild, he hardly had any opportunities to spend it anyway.
The Pokémon Center was the centerpiece of a surrounding comrcial district—a common sight in almost every city, and also the most expensive real estate in urban areas. To Ryuuske, this showed sharp business acun. Most trainers staying in unfamiliar cities would lodge at the Pokémon Center or nearby, so building a comrcial street here was a great way to profit off them.
Aside from rookie trainers, most with even a bit of experience were either well-off or at least not strapped for cash. Simply by earning badges and proving their trainer status, they received annual subsidies from the League. Moreover, stumbling upon rare treasures during their travels could net them a fortune.
For instance, the fossil Ryuuske currently held and the "Eternal Moon Stone" given by Giovanni were incredibly valuable—especially the latter, a rarity among rarities. Selling it would instantly make him a billionaire—no less.
This just went to show how generous figures like Giovanni and Lance truly were, indirectly proving that for elite trainers of their caliber, money was no object. If not for Giovanni's need to fund Team Rocket's operations, he probably wouldn't have cared about wealth either.
While the League cracked down on illegal Pokémon trafficking, there were still legal channels for buying and selling them. So trainers made a living by capturing weak wild Pokémon and selling them to ordinary households as companions. Pokémon were deeply intertwined with human society, with nearly every family raising one as a mber.
Ryuuske headed to the mall adjacent to the Pokémon Center and bought a full set of clothes from the inside out—nothing fancy like the high-end Silk Caterpie fabric, just ordinary attire. The premium stuff would have to wait until he had ti to shop properly.
Arms full of his new clothes, he returned to Room 1107 on the 11th floor of the Pokémon Center. The center's hotel was built to five-star standards, with discounts scaling based on the number of badges a trainer owned—a clear testant to the privileged status trainers held in this world. After all, they earned it by risking their lives.
"I'm going to take a shower. wtwo, wait here with the others for a bit."
[Leave them to .]
wtwo's ethereal voice echoed in Ryuuske's mind.
He placed his three Poké Balls on the table. He wasn't worried about theft—while Pokémon thieves existed in this world, they typically targeted weak Pokémon owned by ordinary families. No one dared steal powerful ones.
Pokémon inside Poké Balls could break free using their own strength. Even if the chanism was tampered with, it would only delay them slightly. If anyone were foolish enough to steal wtwo's Ball, wtwo would likely erge and teach them how to reincarnate properly.
Unless you had exceptional skills, attempting to steal Pokémon was a surefire way to end up worse off than before.
In the bathroom, Ryuuske ran hot water and soaked luxuriously in the tub. Over a month of living in the wild had left him physically and ntally exhausted, and only watching his Pokémon grow had kept him going.
After soaking for half an hour and washing up, he changed into his new clothes and stepped out. Placing his three Poké Balls on the table within easy reach, he grabbed a drink from the fridge, settled into the soft chair by the desk, and booted up the hotel's computer to check the news.
Pfft—
Browsing trending stories on social dia, Ryuuske nearly spat out his drink.
[What's wrong?]
wtwo, whose thought processes were nearly identical to a human's, voiced its concern.
"Nothing, just… Lance really knows how to make trouble for !"
Scrolling through the flood of headlines, Ryuuske didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
When they'd parted ways half a month ago, Lance had vowed to take revenge on Team Rocket for him. True to his word, the arrogant man had launched attacks on Rocket hideouts across multiple cities, dealing heavy infrastructural damage.
Even more shocking was how the normally reclusive Dragon-type Elite Four mber had publicly declared this was retribution for his "beloved little brother."
Overnight, Ryuuske—who'd been living like a hermit in Mt. Moon—was back in the dia spotlight. People were scrambling to track him down. After all, being the "little brother" of the de facto leader of Kanto's Elite Four was a dazzling title for anyone.
Coupled with his prior designation as the League's "Rookie Prodigy," his fa had skyrocketed. No wonder so many trainers recognized him now.
While Ryuuske enjoyed attention, he didn't want too much—it would only bring unnecessary trouble. Yet now, it seed trouble would find him whether he sought it or not.
Rumors said the Blackthorn City Gym Leader in Johto—Lance's cousin—was furious and planned to confront him personally. The Ryu Clan of Blackthorn had even announced they'd travel to Kanto to "reunite" with him. Ryuuske sneered inwardly.
As Lance had said, this was a rotten family—incompetent yet obsessed with "wielding the power of dragons." This generation had produced Lance, the Elite Four's leader, bringing the clan prestige. Now, with soone like Ryuuske—a seemingly promising "Dragon Tar"—they likely wanted to latch onto him before he fully blossod.
Lance rarely visited Johto and held no attachnt to his father's family, even despising them. If the Blackthorn bunch ever learned of his chuunibyou-esque ideals, they'd probably disown him on the spot.
"But the League's stance is so ambiguous… From all available intel, they don't seem to know Giovanni—the forr Viridian City Gym Leader—is Team Rocket's boss. Yet Lance knows. And after his high-profile appearances, the League actively helped publicize . I owe my current fa to them…"
It seed the League was also wary of Lance and trying to curry favor. But then again, in the face of absolute power, authority was a joke. The Elite Four, wielding such power, couldn't care less about the League, which only governed ordinary people.
Just like how Lance withheld critical intel from the League.
A quick online search for Lance yielded scant information, with only a few profile shots circulating. Details on Kanto's Elite Four were even scarcer.
Since the Elite Four system's inception in Kanto, its mbers had been shrouded in mystery, rarely appearing in public. Sotis, people didn't even know who they were.
Despite the digital age's connectivity, information flow remained controlled by the powerful. Both the Kanto League and its Elite Four seed intent on keeping the masses in the dark—a stark contrast to other regions.
"Lance… What am I supposed to do with you?"
Truthfully, Lance had treated him exceptionally well—like a real younger brother. He'd gifted him a rare Dratini, built up his reputation behind the scenes, and even personally avenged him by striking Team Rocket.
But Ryuuske wanted no part in his chuunibyou dream. It was like chasing a utopian fantasy—dood to drown in its own idealism.
Only a fool would willingly jump into waters they knew would swallow them whole.
To be continued…
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