"You! How do you have a Typhlosion?"
The girl stared in shock, gripping the Poké Ball in her hand. She had assumed he had a Cyndaquil, but standing before her was its fully evolved form—a Typhlosion.
How could her Totodile stand a chance against something so powerful? Evolution changed everything, and the gap between an unevolved Pokémon and its final form was enormous.
"Why not?" The boy leaned against the tree with a smug grin. "What's wrong? Scared? You've got two options now: give up and transfer me ¥2000, or fight me. Let my Typhlosion have some fun before you lose and still pay me the same."
"You're despicable! You set me up on purpose!" she snapped, trembling in anger. If she'd known his Pokémon was this strong, she never would've agreed.
The boy chuckled darkly. "Don't blame me for your greed. Admit defeat and transfer the money, or stop wasting time." He flicked his wrist casually, and Typhlosion stepped forward, flames flaring hotter around its neck.
The girl hesitated, but the oppressive heat radiating from the Typhlosion's flames made her choice for her. She gritted her teeth, took out her phone, and reluctantly transferred the money.
Satisfied, the boy pocketed his phone. "Next!" he called out, his voice loud and mocking. "Who's ready to take me on? I'll take twenty of you at once! Each of you bets ¥2000. Beat me, and I'll pay ¥4000 per person. Let's see if you've got what it takes!"
The crowd stirred uneasily. Some people looked eager but nervous, whispering among themselves.
"Twenty of us can definitely win," one boy said, stepping forward. "No matter how strong his Typhlosion is, it can't handle twenty Water Guns at once!"
Others nodded in agreement, and soon twenty Trainers stood shoulder-to-shoulder, each with their Totodile ready to battle.
"Let's hit it together!" someone shouted.
But the boy merely smirked, tossing two more Poké Balls into the air. In twin flashes of red light, a Bayleef and a Croconaw materialized beside his Typhlosion.
The crowd gasped.
"Three fully evolved starters?!"
"This isn't fair!" someone shouted.
"Fair?" The boy laughed. "You agreed to the fight. Now, are you all going to attack or just hand over your money?"
Angered, the twenty Trainers commanded their Totodile to attack.
"Water Gun! All at once!"
The Totodile unleashed simultaneous jets of water aimed at the three Pokémon.
"Croconaw, Scary Face!" the boy barked.
Croconaw roared, its face contorting into a terrifying expression. The Totodile froze, paralyzed with fear.
"Bayleef, Poison Powder!"
Bayleef shook its leafy neck, releasing clouds of toxic pollen. The frozen Totodile coughed and wheezed as the poison sapped their strength.
"Typhlosion, Flamethrower!"
A torrent of flames erupted from Typhlosion's mouth, washing over the helpless Totodile. The combined effect of poison, fear, and fire was too much. One by one, they collapsed.
The battle was over in less than a minute.
Their Trainers rushed forward, scooping up their fainted Totodile.
"Not so fast." The boy stepped forward, Typhlosion growling as it blocked their path with a stream of flames. "Pay up first. You lose, you pay—those are the rules."
"You're scum!" one of the Trainers shouted.
"Call me what you want," the boy said with a shrug. "Just don't try running without paying. And remember, in this world, if your Pokémon dies, they're gone for good. Unless, of course, you're lucky enough to meet Ho-Oh. But let's be real—what are the chances of that?"
Reluctantly, the Trainers transferred the money before slinking away, defeated.
The boy grinned and addressed the remaining crowd. "Anyone else? I'll make it ¥4000 per person this time. Come on, take your shot!"
But no one moved.
Suddenly, a voice broke the silence.
"You're a beta tester, aren't you?"
The crowd parted as a boy with glasses stepped forward, his expression calm but sharp.
The smug grin faltered on the other boy's face. "What did you say?"
The crowd murmured in confusion.
"What's a beta tester?" someone asked.
The boy with glasses adjusted his frames. "A year ago, when this game was in beta, the developers gave 10,000 players early access to test it. These players had a year to train their Pokémon and explore the world before the game launched." He glared at the boy with the Typhlosion. "You're one of them, aren't you?"
The boy smirked but said nothing.
"That explains everything," the glasses boy continued. "Your Pokémon are overpowered because you've had an entire year to train them. And now you're abusing that to bully new players."
The crowd erupted in outrage, glaring at the boy.
"Is that true?"
"That's cheating!"
The boy laughed, holding up his hands. "So what if it's true? The game's broken. We're all stuck here now. Nobody can stop me."
"You're wrong," the glasses boy shot back. "The developers will fix the game eventually. When they do, players like you will face the consequences."
The boy laughed harder. "You really believe that? Let me tell you something—the game isn't getting fixed. We're trapped here for good."
He clapped his hands, and two more figures stepped forward—a man and a woman, each holding Poké Balls.
In flashes of red light, a Charizard and a Venusaur appeared, their towering forms sending shivers through the crowd.
The boy crossed his arms, flanked by his allies and their powerful Pokémon. "Let's cut to the chase. Each of you pays ¥10,000. Refuse, and we'll wipe out your Pokémon. Choose wisely."
The crowd froze, fear gripping them as the three Trainers loomed over them.
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Hehe~ it's to exciting to read it myself after translating man... And Aurelius being Aurelius catched a entei... DAMN! I wish I could share my excitement with you all 🥲
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