[Congratulations! You have obtained a Focus Band and a Grass Knot Technical Machine.]
"Holy shit?"
Upon seeing the lottery results, Leon immediately perked up.
He had thought this draw wouldn't yield anything good, at best getting another Poké Ball like before.
That's why he didn't even pray to the great Arceus this time and just went ahead with the draw.
Unexpectedly, the prizes turned out to be surprisingly decent.
He quickly returned to the castle. After sitting down in the study, he began examining the rewards.
First, he took out the Focus Band.
Its appearance was similar to an ordinary headband, predominantly red with yellow flame-like patterns.
The effect of the Focus Band was that there was a certain chance for a Pokémon about to faint to hold on with 1 HP remaining.
Simply put, it gave the Pokémon a "Guardian Angel" effect.
The difference was that while Guardian Angel's effect triggered 100% of the time, the Focus Band's activation rate was very low, only 10% in the games.
The probability wasn't high in reality either, but it could be improved by training the Pokémon's willpower.
In other words, the stronger the willpower, the higher the chance of activation.
Leon was quite satisfied with this reward. Despite the low activation rate, the Focus Band could sometimes produce unexpectedly good results.
Especially when paired with moves like Reversal that become more powerful at lower HP, it could easily create miracles in desperate situations.
Unfortunately, none of his current Pokémon knew such moves.
"Let's give it to Ursaring for now. It can cosplay as a Urshifu."
"Next up is the Technical Machine, which I'm more curious about."
Leon put down the Focus Band and took out the Technical Machine from the system panel.
The Technical Machine consisted of two parts: one resembled an oversized wristband that could be adjusted in size, while the other looked like a disc.
According to the system's explanation, the wristband was to be fastened around the Pokémon's head or limbs during use.
Then, the disc would be inserted into a small case on the wristband, activating the Technical Machine.
Once the Pokémon learned the new move, the disc would automatically become unusable, while the wristband could be reused. The next time a Technical Machine was obtained, it would only include the disc.
"This system really doesn't let you get away with anything."
After reading the instructions, Leon immediately opened the system shop.
Sure enough, Technical Machines were sold separately. Those with wristbands cost three times as much as those without.
"What a ripoff!"
Leon indignantly closed the system panel.
Still, he was quite happy to have obtained a Technical Machine.
Honestly, he hadn't expected such an item to be in the prize pool.
After all, this thing only appeared in the games and wasn't really mentioned in the manga or anime.
Especially in the anime, Pokémon had to undergo all kinds of special training to learn new moves.
Even someone as strong as Pikachu struggled when practicing Iron Tail.
Yet with a Technical Machine, learning a new move became effortless.
This feeling was...
Freaking awesome!
Leon wasn't some stubborn traditionalist.
In his view, whether through training or Technical Machines, any method that helped Pokémon learn new moves was valid.
There was no need to avoid convenient tools and force Pokémon to learn on their own. The move's power wouldn't change based on how it was learned.
"Let's try it out first. Come on out, Bounsweet."
"Boun boun!"
As soon as it emerged, Bounsweet leaped into Leon's arms, chattering nonstop.
"Bounsweet says it doesn't want to stay in the Poké Ball and wants to stay by your side all the time."
The Rotom Drone faithfully translated nearby.
"Alright, alright. From now on, I won't recall you into the Poké Ball unless absolutely necessary."
Leon gently patted Bounsweet's calyx.
"Boun~" (≧≦)
Bounsweet happily floated up, releasing a sweet fragrance around itself.
"Enough playing. Come here and put this on first."
Leon fastened the wristband around Bounsweet's head, then inserted the disc.
As the Technical Machine activated, Bounsweet closed its eyes.
Soon, the machine stopped running and automatically ejected the now-useless disc.
Bounsweet slowly opened its eyes.
"How did that feel just now?"
Leon asked curiously.
"Boun, boun boun..."
"Bounsweet says it felt very sleepy after the machine started, then entered something like a dream. There were many Pokémon there teaching it how to use the move hands-on."
"It practiced for a long time before finally mastering the move, then woke up."
Bounsweet's explanation was rather disjointed. The Rotom Drone took a moment to organize its thoughts before translating into simpler terms.
"So that's how Pokémon learn new moves with this. Huh, makes sense—wait, no it doesn't! This technology is way too advanced!"
Leon had gone to great lengths to disguise his world as a virtual reality game, even claiming it used dream technology.
But he knew this was a real world—virtual reality technology didn't actually exist here.
Yet here was an ordinary Technical Machine using that very technology.
It just went to show how advanced future Pokémon world technology was, with all kinds of cutting-edge innovations.
"Now that you've learned it, let's see the effect. Bounsweet, use Grass Knot."
"Boun!"
Bounsweet channeled a special energy into the ground, causing a loop of tangled grass to appear around Leon's feet.
Leon crouched down and tugged at the knot, but it didn't budge.
"This knot is really sturdy. No wonder it can trip up heavier Pokémon."
Grass Knot's effect was that the heavier the opponent, the more damage it dealt.
However, unlike in the games, Grass Knot in reality required actually tripping the opponent to deal damage.
In other words, the move had to be used while the target was moving to make them stumble. If the target stood still like Leon was doing, it wouldn't deal any damage.
"You're pretty skilled with this move. Looks like the Technical Machine works well."
Compared to how Bounsweet used to struggle with Grassy Terrain, its proficiency with Grass Knot was much higher, allowing near-instant activation.
With more practice, it might even be able to use it instantaneously.
"Boun boun!"
Hearing Leon's praise, Bounsweet puffed up proudly.
Hmph, you think all that practice in the dream was for nothing?
After complimenting Bounsweet a few more times, Leon carried it to the castle courtyard.
The courtyard housed many Pokémon, all previously displaced from the forest due to Ursaring's harassment and now temporarily residing here.
Even though Ursaring had been captured by Leon, these Pokémon showed no intention of returning to the forest.
With food, shelter, and no threats from other Pokémon, they were living the good life.
Looking at these content Pokémon, Leon thought they'd make perfect first partners for players—they'd be incredibly easy to catch.
Seemed like a good opportunity to let players interact with them for a while.
Leon pondered to himself.
As for why he suddenly wanted players to catch Pokémon quickly, it was because he'd received new missions:
[Side Mission: Complete sowing all farmland in the territory (Incomplete)
Reward: Lottery chances ×3]
[Main Mission: Have at least ten players successfully catch their first Pokémon (Incomplete)
Reward: Pokéblocks (General) ×5 boxes, Lottery chances ×5]
(Chapter end)