Ten minutes later, Victor held a box of Pikachu cookies in his left hand while continuously grabbing pieces from it with his right hand, chewing away, with a bag of Psyduck chips tucked under his arm.
Ignoring the two "peers" behind him who were sniffling and tearing up, he strode ahead with his Umbreon.
"Ugh, seriously, how did I forget how to make money while gaming?"
While munching on cookies, Victor nodded his head in disapproval, talking to himself.
That's right, back in the day when he played games, his source of income as a Trainer was battling, wasn't it?
Sometimes he encountered affluent NPCs who had tens of thousands to spare.
Although there is a gap between games and reality, one can't rely on such methods for a living.
But picking on elementary students and grabbing their snacks shouldn't be a problem, right?
Though it's a bit unethical... What? I'm just an elementary student too? Oh, then that's no issue.
Besides, selling items is also a significant way to make money.
Unfortunately, Victor hadn't found any "Big Nuggets" or anything like that while exploring the city these past few days.
Not even a wild Poké Ball had he stumbled upon.
As expected, you can't fully trust what's in games.
"Hey! What's your name? We'll definitely beat you next time!"
At that moment, the boy with the Cyndaquil shouted defiantly.
"My name's Fat Tiger."
Victor replied without turning his head.
And so, for a long time to come, tales of Fat Tiger spread throughout Cianwood City.
…
…
A few days later, at the entrance of a department store in Cianwood City.
In front of a crowd of onlookers, a Furret collapsed to the ground, its expression one of defeat, unable to withstand the exhaustion flooding its body.
"My Furret…"
The young man, its owner, stared in shock, unable to believe what he saw: a boy, younger than him by half, standing across from him, accompanied by a Pokémon he had never seen before, exuding an eerie aura.
"F-Furret has lost its battling capacity, uh…"
Just as the young male, who was acting as a referee, was about to announce the match results, he got stuck mid-sentence.
Wait, what was that black Pokémon called again?
"Umbreon,"
Victor glanced sideways and replied, "Her name is Umbreon."
"Oh wow!"
The young man's girlfriend nodded repeatedly, then cheerfully announced:
"Furret has lost its battling capacity! Umbreon wins! Therefore, this young child is the winner of this instant noodle contest."
"Oh wow~"
"So cool!"
"That boy is really strong!"
"But that Pokémon looks a bit scary; with a name like 'Umbreon', could it be an evolution of Eevee?"
"Huh? Doesn't Eevee only have three evolutions?"
The crowd around shared their gossip.
Meanwhile, Victor walked up to the young man and chuckled, "Uncle, according to our agreement, hand over the goods."
"Tsk~ Call me 'brother' instead, you little brat."
After retracting his Furret, the young man unhappily handed Victor a plastic bag containing steaming Hot Rod instant noodles and a packet of Pokémon food.
That's right, these were the agreed-upon "prizes."
If Victor had lost, he would have to hand over a pack of Gengar gummies, while if the young man lost, he had to give Victor a pack of Hot Rod instant noodles and Pokémon food.
As for the Gengar gummies… well, those were won from elementary students he'd been teasing for a few days.
But seeing how they cried, even this old soul, who had lived three lifetimes, felt a bit guilty.
Alright, let's aim our targets at adults instead.
And thus, his friendly match was born.
Victor's target was mostly naive youngsters who had bought a ton of snacks, preferably accompanied by their girlfriends.
The reason was simple… guys tend to avoid rejecting challenges when their girlfriends were watching.
There was another reason as well—that without women in their hearts, they could play better.
Just look at those fierce Trainers; Red, Green, Leon, Lance... weren't they all single?
That suggests one thing!
Only single guys are worthy of being awesome Trainers.
You indulgent men, exuding a foul odor in the company of women, how could you possibly reach the top!?
"Alright, alright, here you go."
The young man reluctantly handed over the items with a resentful expression.
"But your Pokémon looks really scary; that black fur and red eyes, and those moves—it sounds terrifying. Aren't they called 'Roar' and 'Pursuit'? For such a young age, using such a scary Pokémon… I suggest you switch to a more standard Pokémon."
After repeatedly hearing the audience and the young man say "scary", the victorious Umbreon lost her spark, lowering her head in disappointment.
Victor's hand, which was originally reaching for the food, suddenly halted.
Feeling the displeasure radiating from Victor.
Umbreon instinctively looked up.
Her owner scoffed, "A king has his talents, a chef has his talents; Pokémon have their ways of survival and combat. There's no hierarchy among Pokémon."
Victor acknowledged the differences in strength among Pokémon.
Like how the likes of Hermit Purple and Star Platinum are on different levels; in 99% of cases, Kricketune wouldn't be able to beat Dolphin Man either.
But just like how there's no aristocracy in professions, he believes there's no superiority among Pokémon.
As long as it's a Pokémon he likes, whether it's a Caterpie or Rayquaza, he would raise it well.
With that said, Victor decided he didn't want the food anymore and turned to leave.
"What are you hanging your head for? Lift it up! You are the victor!"
Umbreon bit her lip, watching Victor walk away, and felt a surge of motivation rising within her.
Eventually, she lifted her head high, like a proud queen.
Amidst the fearful, wary, or admiring gazes of those around her, she maintained her pride.
With her neck held high, she followed Victor, strutting away elegantly.
…
…
Ten minutes later, on a public bench by the coast of Cianwood City.
"Emmm… this thing doesn't seem very filling."
Victor opened the pack of Gengar gummies and shared one with Umbreon; within no time, it was all gone.
"Umbree~"
Umbreon hung her head down again, visibly dejected.
If only it weren't for her…
"I told you, don't keep your head down and sigh! Lift it up! Like this!"
Victor placed one hand on his hip, pointing at Umbreon and tilting his head back until it almost formed a 90-degree angle.
There it was!
The iconic gazing down pose of the Pirate Empress!
"Like this, look down at everyone who looks down on you! Like a queen! Yes, you are the Pokémon Empress!"
"Don't let the nonsense from those around you affect you! In my eyes, you're the most beautiful Pokémon!!!"
Umbreon gritted her teeth and bit down on her lower lip.
One second, two seconds… the long build-up of grievance transformed into tears streaming down her face.
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