Chapter 17: Trainer 101
The Viridian City Pokémon Center hummed with a low, almost hypnotic thrum, the sounds of healing machines and softly chirping Pokémon creating a strangely soothing backdrop. It was close to 10 PM, and the earlier chaos of Team Rocket's attack had finally subsided, leaving behind an unsettling quiet and the faint scent of disinfectant clinging to the air. Behind the reception desk, Alex slumped slightly, the adrenaline crash finally hitting him. Nurse Joy, bless her tireless soul, was still flitting about, attending to the lingering needs of trainers and Pokémon affected by the earlier… incident.
"Right," Alex muttered to himself, rubbing his tired eyes. "Time to be… responsible." He straightened up, trying to project an air of competence he definitely didn't feel. Manning a reception desk was not on his list of anticipated Pokémon adventure activities.
A sudden, almost overwhelming wave of financial anxiety washed over him. He had 1500 PokéDollars… and a vague sense of impending doom regarding trainer expenses. He needed a plan. He needed… data.
He cautiously tapped the power button on the reception desk computer, half-expecting another alarm to blare. Thankfully, it booted up with a quiet chime. Okay, internet, don't fail me now.
Instead of diving straight into academic journals (which felt way too much like his old life), he started with something more… approachable. A brightly colored banner ad on a trainer forum caught his eye: "So You Want to Be a Pokémon Master? (And Not Go Broke Doing It!)" Click.
The article, thankfully, was less clickbait-y than its title suggested. It laid out the brutal financial realities of being a trainer in surprisingly clear terms.
* Poké Balls: 200₽ for a standard one. Ouch. Great Balls and Ultra Balls were even pricier, at 600₽ and 1200₽, respectively. He mentally calculated how quickly his meager funds would vanish at that rate.
* Healing Items: Potions at 300₽, Antidotes, Revives… the list went on, and the prices climbed. He pictured Ace, his loyal Pidgey, and winced.
* Pokémon Food: 100-500₽ per meal, depending on quality. Suddenly, that slightly stale sandwich he'd scarfed down earlier felt like a gourmet feast.
* Training Gear: TMs (Technical Machines) could cost up to 5000₽ each. He blinked. Five. Thousand. For one move. He made a mental note to stick to naturally learned moves for the foreseeable future.
* Travel: While he was on foot, he realised that he had to save up for the future.
He scrolled through pages detailing travel costs, accommodation (thankfully, Pokémon Centers offered basic, free lodging – a major relief), and the myriad "miscellaneous expenses" that seemed designed to bankrupt aspiring trainers. Tournament entry fees, equipment repairs, even replacing worn-out clothes… it all added up.
Alex leaned back, a low groan escaping his lips. This wasn't a game anymore; there was no magical money cheat code. He was actually going to have to budget. The thought was… terrifying.
Ding.
The System, never one to miss an opportunity to quantify his existential dread, chimed in:
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[Hidden Quest Completed]:
• Financial Planning!
Research the costs and expenses of being a Pokémon trainer. Complete the task to earn rewards!
- Rewards:
~ XP gained: +10
~ 200 ₽
~ New Skill Unlocked: Budgeting Basics Lv. 1
---
Alex stared at the notification, a mixture of amusement and annoyance swirling within him. "Budgeting Basics? Seriously, System?" he muttered. "Is that really a skill?" Still, the 200₽ was… not unwelcome. Every little bit helped. He made a mental note to check out this new "skill" later. Maybe it would magically teach him how to stretch a PokéDollar further than humanly possible.
He sighed. Okay, expenses… depressing, but necessary. Next up: something a little less likely to induce a financial panic attack. The Pokémon League. That, at least, was supposed to be the fun part.
He typed "Indigo League" into the search bar, a flicker of genuine excitement sparking within him. This was it. The real goal.
He clicked on a link to the official Indigo League website. The page loaded, displaying a sleek, modern interface with information on rules, regulations, and… sixteen Gym Badges?
Alex blinked. Sixteen? He leaned closer, squinting at the screen. He navigated to a section detailing the League structure.
* Kanto and Johto: A unified League. Eight badges from each region were required to qualify for the Indigo Plateau Conference.
* Elite Four: Lorelei, Bruno, Agatha, and… Koga? He knew Koga was a member, but seeing it officially listed…
* Champion: The final challenge, after conquering all sixteen Gyms and the Elite Four.
He scrolled through lists of Gym Leaders, the names both familiar and strangely distant: Brock, Daisy, Lily, and Violet (the Cerulean Sisters), Lt. Surge, Erika, Janine, Sabrina, Blaine, and Blue in Kanto. Then, Falkner, Bugsy, Whitney, Morty, Chuck, Jasmine, Pryce, and Clair in Johto. Sixteen Gyms. Two regions. This wasn't a weekend stroll; this was a commitment.
He dug deeper, finding information on the League format: knockout tournaments in each region, followed by a cross-regional challenge for the top trainers, culminating in the Champions League Tournament. The winner of that gauntlet would then face the Elite Four and the current Champion.
A wave of dizziness washed over him. This was… intense. This was way more involved than the games had ever let on. This was… a life.
He leaned back, staring at the screen, the sheer scale of the challenge settling in. This wasn't just about battling; it was about strategy, endurance, planning, and… well, a whole lot of walking. And probably a whole lot of budgeting.
He needed to know why it was sixteen badges. What had changed? He needed… history.
Alex hesitated, then typed "Kanto-Johto League Unification" into the search bar, a new, slightly more focused line of inquiry taking shape. He needed context. He needed to understand why this world was the way it was.
He clicked on a link to a Bulbapedia article titled, with dramatic flair: "Pages of History: The Kanto-Johto War."
This, Alex thought, is going to be interesting.
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Chapter End