Join my p@treon for more chapters
[email protected]/Tempest_29
Jacob was lying on his bed, messaging Kyle, whom he hadn't seen for quite some time. It seemed Kyle was thriving in the Rock-type habitat recently.
"Jacob, I recently captured an incredibly powerful Pokémon. Just wait until I battle you!" Kyle messaged.
"Everyone can talk big," Jacob replied. "Wait until you actually defeat me before you start bragging."
"Jacob, I'm not the same trainer I was a month ago," Kyle responded. "You're definitely not my equal anymore. Don't worry, I'll show mercy and make your defeat less embarrassing."
Jacob typed back: "I'm different from you. I won't show any mercy. I'll completely demolish you in our next battle."
Kyle maintained his inexplicable confidence, and Jacob couldn't bring himself to discourage his friend. He wanted to tell Kyle that he had an extra Dreepy, but after consideration, decided to surprise him when they met in person.
After trading playful insults for a while, they ended their conversation. Jacob continued scrolling through other messages, many from people he didn't know.
"Jacob, you're so handsome!"
"Hello, Jacob. Your research paper is exceptionally well-written. I've read it thoroughly and learned a great deal. But I noticed something—do you have a girlfriend?"
Most were amusing comments and private messages from internet users. Jacob browsed them briefly and selected a few to answer.
"Jacob, I'll become the best trainer, just like you!"
Who was this person? Although Jacob didn't recognize the name, he still replied, "Go for it!"
Meanwhile, Julia also messaged him with casual phrases like "What are you doing?" and "I'm so bored." Jacob responded politely before tossing his phone aside and falling asleep.
Early Sunday morning, just as dawn was breaking, Jacob woke up to prepare for his morning training routine. He sent a message to Professor Nina, arranging to visit the Pokémon Association's vault at 10 AM to select his rewards. He didn't call because he worried it was too early and might disturb Nina's rest.
It was only about 6 AM, and most people were still asleep. Nina was deep in dreamland. She had been extremely busy over the past ten days, barely able to catch her breath.
Having finally found some free time the previous night, Nina had invited her best friend to dinner. They had consumed quite a bit of wine together, and she had spent the night at her friend's place, still sleeping off the effects.
After sending his message, Jacob took his three Pokémon out to train. His Grovyle's strength was steadily improving at a visible rate. His Charmander's rebellious nature had also mellowed considerably. Although still fierce, it now got along well with Noibat and Grovyle. As for Noibat, it remained the same—playful and mischievous.
The three Pokémon were growing stronger very quickly, especially Charmander, which had already broken through to the Rare-tier level. Noibat followed closely behind, about to reach Elite-tier status. The B-grade Dragon Scale that Noibat wore accelerated its growth, an effect that would last until it reached Overlord-tier. This explained why, despite being the laziest of the three, Noibat's growth rate was the fastest.
The powerful effect of Dragon Scales made Jacob eager to complete the challenge of catching five Dragon-type Pokémon. B-grade Dragon Scales were effective for Pokémon below Overlord-tier, but A-grade Dragon Scales worked for Pokémon below Gym Leader-tier! Once he captured a fifth Dragon-type, Jacob would have six Dragon Scales in total, so obtaining that fifth Dragon Pokémon as soon as possible was crucial.
Jacob estimated his Pokémon's growth rates. At their current pace, his team should reach Lord-tier by the start of the Pokémon League, though reaching Overlord-tier might be pushing it.
Of course, behind this rapid progress lay substantial financial investment—Energy items of various types, plus specially sourced MooMoo Milk, Honey, and other rare foods. It would be strange if the three Pokémon weren't growing quickly with such resources.
Fortunately, Jacob had support from both his family and the Lin family; otherwise, he would have gone bankrupt long ago. As a trainer—especially a Dragon-type specialist—money was absolutely essential!
After his morning exercise, Jacob had breakfast. Seeing that Nina hadn't replied to his message for some time, he checked the clock and saw it was already nine. He picked up his phone to call her.
"Ring!" "Ring!" "Ring!"
Nina was awakened from her sleep. Seeing the caller ID, her groggy mind cleared slightly. She remembered promising to take Jacob to visit the capital today and quickly pressed the answer button.
"Hello," Nina answered, her voice noticeably different from her usual cool tone. Today it held a distinctly feminine quality—gentle and soft—which made Jacob's heart skip a beat.
"Nina," Jacob said. Nina gradually came to her senses as he continued: "I'd like to visit the vault to select my rewards this morning. Where are you now? I can come to you."
"I'm in..." Nina gave her friend's address without thinking.
"Who is it?" A distinctly seductive voice came from beside Nina. Even just from the voice, one could tell it belonged to a very charming woman.
"Don't come find me—I'll come to you. You're at the Lin residence, right?" Nina quickly covered her friend's mouth, asked about Jacob's location, and ended the call.
"Oh—"
"Beep, beep." The line went dead.
By the time Nina arrived at the Lin family home, it was nearly 10:30 AM. For a woman, preparing and applying makeup took time, and the traffic had delayed her further. A slight tardiness was to be expected.
This time, Nina drove herself. Her car was a red convertible sports car. Jacob couldn't identify the brand; he only knew it was from this region because the logo featured a flaming Rapidash.
Nina's outfit today was as striking as the day before. Her tight jeans outlined her perfect figure. The short-sleeved top was off-shoulder and cropped, revealing the slender waist she was proud of. Jacob hadn't expected the serious Professor Nina to have such a side to her.
"Get in," she said. Jacob climbed into the passenger seat and curiously examined the vehicle's interior. Then Nina stepped on the accelerator and drove him toward the Pokémon Association headquarters.
At the headquarters, compared to their previous visit, Jacob and Nina encountered no difficulties this time. After passing through standard security checks, they entered the vault smoothly.
The Pokémon Association's vault was filled with rare and extraordinary treasures, so dazzling that both Jacob and Nina were momentarily overwhelmed.
"Ultra Ball? That's just average. I wonder if there's a Master Ball?"
"A-grade Power Lens!"
At first, Jacob maintained his composure, but soon he began to feel envious. He wanted to gather all these items and take them home. If he could somehow clear out this vault, he would probably never have to worry about resources for several lifetimes.
Jacob knew his reaction might seem embarrassing—showing his inexperience—but he couldn't help himself. With so many treasures surrounding him, making a single choice seemed impossible.
Only children make choices; he wanted everything.
"If you browse like this, you won't finish looking by evening," Nina observed, watching Jacob's behavior. "You should focus by area—go to the Dragon-type section. Those items will be most suitable for your Pokémon."
"Let's check it out," Jacob agreed, following Nina's advice as they walked toward the Dragon treasure area. The Dragon items were located in the deepest part of the vault, reflecting their status as the most precious and rare treasures.
Nina spotted an A-grade Dragon Scale in a display case and suggested to Jacob: "This A-grade Dragon Scale would be perfect for you. It accelerates a Dragon Pokémon's growth and would be ideal for your Dreepy to wear."