Peter opened up the status panels of his team, eyes scanning through each familiar name.
Lopunny Lv.45, Arboliva Lv.44, Indeedee Lv.40, Slaking Lv.44, Zoroark Lv.37, Rufflet Lv.28, Teddiursa Lv.22, Chansey Lv.21, Eevee Lv.16.
With Indeedee's recent breakthrough, he now had four Elite-tier Pokémon under his command.
Not only that, several of his Pokémon had already pushed their move mastery into the Transcendent tier. Combined with his access to Mega Evolution and Dynamax, his current lineup was more than enough to secure a Top 16 finish in the League Conference—at the very least.
As he stared at the panel, a satisfied grin spread across his face.
Just then, Brent walked over, shaking his head with a wry smile. "Professor Peter… honestly, you're on another level. Whether it's strategy or raw strength, I'm nowhere close. I couldn't even force out your Dynamax."
Peter chuckled lightly. "Your team is strong too. If you had a sixth Pokémon, the outcome might've been different."
As he spoke, he took out a badge and handed it over. "Here—proof that you've passed the Goldenrod Gym challenge."
"Thank you…" Brent accepted it without hesitation, then paused. "But I still have a question."
"Go ahead."
"How did your Indeedee hold its ground against my Ninetales under sunlight? And your Slaking too… logically, my Charizard should've overwhelmed them with sheer firepower."
Peter glanced at Rotom's camera and smiled. "That's because of these two items."
He pulled out a Psychic Seed and a Life Orb.
"Under Psychic Terrain, Psychic Seed boosts Special Defense. Combined with move clashes reducing damage, that's how Indeedee lasted so long."
He then raised the Life Orb slightly. "As for Slaking—this is the key."
What followed was a detailed explanation of the Life Orb's power.
Brent stared at it, gulping. "Can… can I buy that from your shop?"
"Of course!" Peter nodded, then turned toward the camera with a grin that instantly switched him into full salesman mode.
"Every attack costs only a tiny bit of HP—but boosts your move power by a massive 30%! The dream item for any offensive Pokémon! With it, Gym battles become easier, your status among friends rises, and even in front of your girlfriend—you'll stand tall!"
He raised a finger dramatically.
"Today! Not 998, not even 98—just 280,000 Poké Dollars and this Life Orb is yours! So what are you waiting for? Let's go!!!"
The livestream exploded.
"Alright alright, I'll buy it, stop yelling!"
"You got me… I hate this, but I'm buying!"
"Order placed. Waiting for delivery…"
"My kid loves eating this, will buy again~"
"Serious question… can I use this myself? +30% impact damage??"
"..."
Watching the flood of purchases, Peter couldn't help but smile.
The Life Orb's versatility made it a best-seller—even at 280,000 Poké Dollars, people were snapping it up.
In just a few moments, he earned 1.18 billion Poké Dollars.
Including sales of Psychic Seeds and other items, today's total revenue had already exceeded 1.2 billion.
And yet… he wasn't fully satisfied.
Because he knew this boom wouldn't last.
Most trainers were still hesitant about spending over 200,000 Poké Dollars on items. The Life Orb's success was an exception, not the rule.
Sooner or later, major tech companies would begin mass-producing these items. Once that happened, his advantage would disappear. In fact, the items he had already revealed were likely sitting on research tables somewhere, being analyzed.
After a moment of thought, an idea surfaced.
"Maybe… I should contact Devon Corporation and sell the patents directly…"
Just as he was thinking, Brent tapped his shoulder. "Uh… Professor Peter, I think someone's looking for you."
"Hm?"
Peter snapped back to reality.
Standing before him was a slender girl with short white hair.
She wore a light blue hoodie, matching shorts, and small leather boots. Cream-colored headphones rested around her neck, giving her a simple yet stylish look. Her appearance was delicate, almost doll-like.
Beside her stood a humanoid Pokémon.
Its body was clad in deep purple armor. Instead of hands, twin blades burned with blue-violet flames at the ends of its arms. Behind its head, a flame flickered like flowing hair.
[Ceruledge Lv.43 (Elite Low-Tier)]
A Paldean Pokémon—rare and striking.
"Hello, Professor Peter." The girl bowed slightly. "I'm one of your viewers. My name is Hannah. I'm from Paldea."
Before Peter could respond, Brent had already circled the Ceruledge like an excited child.
"Whoa—what is this Pokémon? It's Fire-type, right? That's insanely cool! What's it called?"
To a Fire-type specialist like him, Ceruledge was basically perfection made real.
If one had to describe it—he looked like a lovestruck fool seeing his dream partner for the first time.
"Ceru…" Ceruledge stepped back, its blade flashing in the air, stopping Brent two meters away.
Roto's voice chimed in:
"Ceruledge, the Fire Blades Pokémon. The flames on its arms burn with the resentment of fallen swordsmen. Once battle begins, its firepower intensifies, forming greatswords that cut down opponents without mercy, Roto~!"
Peter turned back to Hannah, curiosity flickering in his eyes. "So… what brings you here?"
"I saw your livestream," she replied calmly. "I came to ask about Ho-Oh… and the Legendary Beasts."
Peter and Brent exchanged a glance.
Neither of them spoke.
A complete stranger asking about Ho-Oh and the Legendary Beasts right away—there was no way they'd answer carelessly.
Seeing their silence, Hannah frowned slightly. Then, without hesitation, she bowed deeply—at a full ninety degrees.
"Please… I need your help."
Peter stepped forward and helped her up. "Why are you looking for Ho-Oh?"
She hesitated. Her eyes dimmed with sorrow.
"…I want to bring someone important… back to life."
Her tone was quiet, but unwavering.
Peter studied her expression. It didn't look like an act.
"…If you don't mind," he said gently, "tell us your story."
Hannah looked at both of them, hesitated for a moment, then slowly began.
She came from a small village in Paldea. Her entire family lineage was built on exploration.
Two hundred years ago, a man named Heath led an expedition deep into the Great Crater of Paldea. Based on what they witnessed, he documented everything into what later became known as the Scarlet and Violet Book—a collection of accounts so bizarre that people dismissed them as myths.
It described strange Pokémon—creatures with primal ferocity or mechanical traits—now known as Paradox Pokémon.
Hannah's ancestors had been part of that expedition.
Since then, every generation of her family had sent volunteers into the Great Crater, searching for the legendary treasures said to lie within…
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T/N:
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