"Thanks, Larry."
After eating his fill, Grey rubbed his stomach and thanked Larry.
Larry waved it off, then reached out and patted Grey on the shoulder. "I hope that after some time passes, I'll still be able to see you... this energetic."
In Larry's eyes, Grey had already become a League Trainer bound to the Paldea League just like him.
For a talented Trainer like Grey, Geeta would naturally use a high salary to keep him around.
However...
Behind a high salary came endless work.
"My friend... if you ever get the chance to run, run as soon as you can."
Perhaps because he saw his past, motivated self in Grey, Larry could not help giving him a warning.
"Don't worry. Once I earn enough money, I'll go back home and enjoy a peaceful retired life."
Grey replied casually.
When Larry heard this, Grey looked in his eyes like an old general walking onto the stage with his back covered in death flags.
"Sigh. Then I hope you get what you want."
Larry cupped his fists toward Grey in blessing.
"I'll take that as a good omen."
Grey cupped his fists back.
After that, under Larry's lead, they entered Naranja Academy.
Along the way, many students and teachers stopped when they saw Larry and greeted him.
Larry also smiled and nodded in response.
It was just that his smile...
Looked a little forced.
"Isn't that Larry? I didn't expect you to come to the academy today! Oh? The gentleman beside you seems to be giving off the aura of a powerful Dragon-type Pokémon... May I ask if you are a Dragon-type Trainer?"
Grey looked toward the voice.
A blond man walked over. He wore a green coat and looked somewhat mature.
The newcomer was Naranja Academy's art teacher and one of the Paldea region's Elite Four, Hassel.
"Not exactly. The main type I'm best with is still Fighting."
Grey could not help feeling a little awkward.
When it came to ordinary Pokémon, the ones he had caught were mostly Fighting types.
However...
Many of the Legendary Pokémon connected to him had the Dragon type to some extent.
Over time, his Dragon-type aura had far surpassed his Fighting-type aura.
But in truth, he was still a Fighting-type Trainer.
"So you are a Fighting-type Trainer skilled with Dragon-type Pokémon... I am Hassel, Naranja Academy's art teacher. It is a pleasure to meet you here."
Hassel smiled and extended a hand.
The young man before him gave him a very good impression.
It was just that his face did not seem like that of a local.
Could he have come from the Kanto region?
"A traveling Trainer, Grey. Nice to meet you."
Grey shook hands with Hassel, then briefly said goodbye to him.
When they arrived at the director's office, League Chairwoman Geeta and Naranja Academy's current director, Clavell, were chatting by the desk.
Seeing Grey and Larry enter the room, Clavell smiled and said, "I have heard about the situation from Chairwoman Geeta. Mr. Grey, are you currently interested in taking a position in the Paldea region?"
"That's right. I want to save up some money, then go somewhere else."
Grey nodded softly.
He was seriously short on money.
At the very least, he needed to save one million before going to the Sinnoh region to try his luck.
Actually, one million might not be enough.
Mm...
Better make it three million.
Grey felt that he did not currently have many Pokémon with him, so his daily food, drink, and entertainment expenses would not be too high. Three million would be enough to last a year.
Worst case, he could stay at Pokémon Centers every day and save a huge amount on lodging!
"Mr. Grey, I have a job here that involves evaluating local Gym Trainers. Would you be willing to take it?"
Geeta took over the conversation and spoke bluntly. "For every Gym Leader you evaluate, I will give you a bonus of five hundred thousand. How does that sound?"
"Five hundred thousand? That much?!"
Grey was shocked.
Thinking back to more than twenty chapters ago, Caitlin had offered him a monthly salary of three hundred thousand.
Now he could get five hundred thousand just for battling one Trainer?
Making money was too easy!
When Larry heard the salary and benefits Geeta offered, his whole body could not help trembling.
Here it came, Geeta's money offensive!
If nothing unexpected happened, after Grey accepted this job, Geeta would propose several conditions through a battle.
If Grey won, things would be fine.
But if he lost...
This new friend he had just made was really going to become like him, a corporate slave working three jobs every day!
My friend, do not accept!
Larry gave Grey a look, trying to hint at him.
"I'll take this job!"
Grey gave Larry a thumbs-up.
It was only battling. Nothing worth mentioning!
"Since Gym Leader Grey is so confident, how about we have a battle between us? I can also take the opportunity to see what your battle level is like."
Geeta was afraid Grey would misunderstand her meaning, so she added, "Don't worry. No matter the result, the salary and benefits will not change. However, as the saying goes, a battle between Trainers should have a little hook to it. If I lose, I will personally give you an additional five hundred thousand as a bonus."
"If you lose, Mr. Grey, could I ask you to serve the Paldea League or Naranja Academy for a period of time?"
So that was it!
The moment Larry heard this, he knew.
Well, well, now the salted beans had no salt left!
Geeta, you even want to ruin such a young guy?
Oh, right. Even nine-year-old Poppy had been dragged in to become an Elite Four member.
Mm. He should never have had any illusions about Geeta.
"No problem."
Larry was just about to tell Grey to politely refuse, only to discover that Grey had agreed again.
"Then come with me. I'll take you to the battlefield."
Geeta smiled faintly, walked straight ahead, and after pushing the door open, signaled for Grey to follow.
At Naranja Academy's schoolyard.
Nemona had been waiting for a long time.
Seeing Grey arrive as promised, her eyes lit up.
Then she saw Geeta behind him and immediately understood what was happening. "Chairwoman Geeta! Are you and Mr. Grey going to have a battle?"
"That's right."
Geeta smiled with her eyes. "Mr. Grey is a well-trained Trainer. I believe battling him will give my Pokémon something to gain."
"Wow! I didn't expect even Chairwoman Geeta to speak so highly of Mr. Grey! Mr. Grey, after you finish this battle, you absolutely have to battle me too!"
Once Nemona heard Geeta's evaluation, her eyes shone even brighter.
At the current Naranja Academy, there were almost no Trainers who could exchange more than a few moves with her.
Now that she had met Grey, Nemona wanted to cling to him and battle him all day.
If possible, the best thing would be if he could spare two hours every day to battle with her!
Right!
She could ask Grey whether he wanted to be a sparring partner!
Before Grey could answer her last sentence, Nemona's next question came right after it. "Mr. Grey! I was wondering if you have any interest in being a sparring partner? You only need to battle me for two hours a day!"
"A sparring... partner?"
Grey's expression turned strange.
It seemed...
He had started out as a sparring partner in underground matches.
He had never expected that after more than four hundred chapters, he would have to become a sparring partner again.
There was no way he would become one.
He was the dignified third-generation Gym Leader of the Fighting Dojo in Saffron City, a Champion-level Trainer who often engaged in negative-distance communication with Sabrina, and a major streamer for whom Caitlin had paid Governor-tier membership for years. How could he bow for a little money?
"Food and lodging included. Two hundred thousand a day. If you have any other requirements, feel free to name them..."
"Hiss..."
Nemona's sincerity almost moved Grey.
But when he thought about how he would need to travel around afterward and could not possibly stay in Mesagoza every day, he was about to refuse her.
"Mr. Grey, are you worried that you won't be able to complete the work Chairwoman Geeta gave you? It's fine. Everything can be based on your location. As long as you are willing to accept my commission, I'll take a Squawkabilly Taxi to whatever town you're in and won't bother you for too long!"
"My family has houses all over Paldea. When the time comes, you can stay in any of them directly. You won't need to spend any of your own money!"
"Ahem... Your sincerity has moved me. We'll do as you said."
Grey would not bow for a little money.
But Nemona was offering way too much!
As expected of the daughter of the group that invented the Rotom Phone. She was generous the moment she made a move!
"Great! I knew you'd agree, Mr. Grey!"
Nemona cheered, then stepped to the side and quietly watched the upcoming battle between Grey and Geeta.
"Then I'll send out my Pokémon first. My lead is this child."
Geeta threw a Poké Ball.
A Pokémon with crystalline petals appeared and floated over the schoolyard.
Pokémon: Glimmora
Type: Rock, Poison
Level: 73
Ability: Toxic Debris
Moves: Mortal Spin, Spiky Shield, Toxic... Others omitted.
All right. Her first Pokémon was Glimmora on purpose.
Geeta was really going all out.
"The rules will be three-on-three. Mr. Grey, do you have any objections?"
"No problem."
Grey waved a hand.
As long as it was not six Pokémon, anything else was fine.
After all, he only had five.
If five fought six, then it was likely that five would not be enough.
However...
The Glimmora before him had Toxic Debris as its Ability.
In other words, when hit by physical damage, Glimmora would automatically scatter a layer of Toxic Spikes.
So it would be best to finish it in one hit.
Or he could just use special attacks.
Grey already had an idea.
"Lucario, I'm counting on you!"
The partner Grey sent out was the Aura Warrior, Lucario, who had not appeared in a long time but had often trained in private.
As a Steel-type, it could ignore Glimmora's Poison type.
Besides, Glimmora's Ability was not Corrosion, so he did not need to worry about it inflicting badly poisoned status on him.
For the first battle, he had a major type advantage.
"Oh? It's Lucario. It seems Mr. Grey is a Trainer who loves Pokémon very much."
When Geeta saw Lucario posing together with Grey, she smiled until her eyes narrowed.
Lucario had strict evolution conditions.
Although massive outbreaks of Lucario occasionally occurred in the Paldea region, Lucario was actually extremely rare. Even if one was caught, it could not quickly reach a state of mutual understanding and perfect harmony with its Trainer.
Seeing that Grey's Lucario had such a good relationship with him, Geeta could not help giving him high marks in her impression.
Hassel, acting as the referee, also called out at this moment, "The battle officially begins!"
"Glimmora, Sandstorm."
Geeta gave her first command immediately.
Glimmora's crystalline petals bloomed one after another. Gray-brown energy flashed, and an invisible gale surged up, stirring sand and stones until the entire schoolyard was instantly filled with yellow sand.
This move was meant to take advantage of Sandstorm's additional effect, increasing Glimmora's Special Defense.
Roughly by fifty percent, giving it a light layer of defense against Lucario's special attacks.
However...
Grey did not care about any of that. He directly gripped his Key Stone and triggered Mega Evolution. "Flash Cannon!"
"Luca!"
With a crack, the energy cocoon wrapped around Lucario shattered. After Mega Evolving, Lucario stretched both arms tight, condensed a massive silver-white ball of light, and suddenly threw it forward.
Whoosh, boom!
Glimmora was struck by Flash Cannon. Still holding its petals open, it scattered countless rocks.
Clink, clink, clink...
The rocks seemed to merge into the air, vanishing from sight.
The Rock-type move, Stealth Rock!
This time, even Larry could not stay seated.
Good grief. If Glimmora knew Roar, Chairwoman Geeta, were you planning to run a dirty strategy right away?
"Tsk..."
Seeing that Flash Cannon could not one-shot Glimmora, and that the latter had not even moved, Grey knew he could not keep using Flash Cannon.
Who knew what Glimmora's next move would be?
Thinking this, Grey switched to close combat. "Lucario, use Earthquake directly!"
"Luca!"
Lucario poured its strength into the ground beneath its feet and stomped the schoolyard again and again.
Rumble!
The ground trembled nonstop. Continuous seismic waves spread outward in rings, striking Glimmora not far away, only for Grey to discover that the opponent was merely frowning.
What kind of bulk was this?
Grey raised an eyebrow, only to see more purple, diamond-shaped objects spray out from Glimmora's body.
"Mr. Grey, my Glimmora is the second-strongest partner on my team."
Geeta smiled and commanded, "Glimmora, Earth Power."
"Glim."
Glimmora rotated its body, and the ground under Lucario's feet instantly melted as magma surged upward. Fortunately, Lucario reacted in time and successfully dodged.
"Lucario, use Extreme Speed to close in! Then use Bone Rush!"
Since Glimmora's Ability had already activated, one more hit would not make much difference.
Grey directly adjusted his strategy, telling Lucario to approach Glimmora and try to defeat it all at once.
"Luca!"
Lucario wrapped itself in a trailing white glow, took one explosive step, and closed the distance. Its hands grasped at empty air, and two bone staffs condensed from Aura appeared in its grip.
Bang, bang, bang!
The instant Lucario rushed in front of Glimmora, it smashed down furiously.
Glimmora cried out in pain, but a violent burst of fire erupted from beneath it.
The Ground-type move, Earth Power!
Unexpectedly, Glimmora had chosen to trade damage for damage.
"Luca..."
After taking that Earth Power, Lucario was not feeling very good.
Seeing the Earth Power beneath its feet continue to spread, it kept pulling back and waited for an opening.
"Chairwoman Geeta's Glimmora is very well trained. I didn't expect it to withstand so many Ground-type moves. That really exceeded my expectations..."
Lucario was currently a Champion-level Pokémon as well.
He had not expected that in a battle against Geeta's Glimmora, it would actually be unable to take it down in one hit.
This left Grey rather surprised.
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