Pokémon: Master of the Rain Team

In addition to selling TM discs, the shop owner also offered move tutoring services. If he couldn't teach a move himself, he would refer the customer to another Trainer—part of his own personal network.

TM discs weren't particularly expensive, since they were mass-produced. But they only offered instruction and explanations.

Whether a Pokémon could actually learn the move, and what kind of environment it needed to do so, was entirely up to the Trainer to figure out.

If that didn't work, one could also hire someone for live one-on-one coaching—but that got much more expensive.

The TM discs in the store were priced at 1,000 Pokédollars each. But hiring someone for live tutoring started at 10,000, and could easily rise depending on the difficulty of the move, required resources, and necessary equipment. It all depended on the move being learned.

These price ranges were what Reiji had gathered by asking the shop owner.

Besides TMs, the store also sold Pokémon training books. He casually picked up one on Psyduck titled Beginner's Handbook on Raising Psyduck.

It was full of basic introductory knowledge—what Psyduck liked to eat, the environments it disliked or felt comfortable in, preferred sleeping conditions, optimal water temperature, favorite weather…

How to brush Psyduck's fur for comfort, where to massage it to relax, how to interpret its body language, and theories—just theories—on its evolution. Basic material for new Trainers.

But after flipping through the whole book, Reiji noticed it didn't actually explain how to evolve Psyduck. Just some speculation. That was it.

He checked a few other books too—on Electric-types, Grass-types, Bug-types…

All of them were basic, low-risk training guides. They were clearly intended for new Trainers who planned to buy baby Pokémon from the fourth floor's breeding shops.

Most of the advice was gentle and beginner-friendly—practically one step away from saying "just play with your Pokémon and have fun."

But they weren't very efficient. Reiji figured most kids wouldn't have the patience to get past the first page.

Still, he wasn't in a hurry. He could look into training theory more deeply once he had a place to settle down.

He put the book back and left the TM shop, heading into a general item store. There, he found an overwhelming selection of held items, including things like Mystic Water and Magnet.

A quick glance revealed at least thirty or forty types of held items. Even Water Stones and Evolution Stones were available.

"Hey there, little bro, anything catch your eye?" A laid-back middle-aged man in a breezy shirt approached him, with a tall Floatzel by his side. Seeing that Reiji was clearly stunned by the variety and hadn't said a word, the man spoke first.

"I'm interested in the Mystic Water," Reiji replied. He figured if he understood the price of one item, he could estimate the rest.

Price fluctuations mostly came down to type—Electric-types and Fighting-types were especially popular here, so their gear was naturally more expensive.

While asking about Mystic Water, Reiji also sized up the man's Floatzel. Its eyes were sharp, its muscle tone tight and powerful. This thing had serious explosive strength. Just from its presence alone, it was clearly no pushover.

Reiji estimated it was at least Gym Leader level—maybe even close to Elite Four-tier.

No wonder there were no security guards stationed here. The shop owner himself was the best deterrent.

An Elite Trainer guarding millions in goods—it was like the totem Pidgeot guarding its chicks. Anyone hoping to steal from here would need to bring an entire team.

"Mystic Water, huh?" The man scratched his chin and pulled two blue boxes from the shelf, setting them on the counter. Inside were two Mystic Waters.

"Take a look, little bro—this one's a basic model for beginners, and this one's an elite version for more advanced Trainers. Which one do you want?"

"Beginner and elite models?" Reiji stepped up and asked, "Can I touch them?"

"Go ahead," the man replied cheerfully, even pushing the boxes closer for easier access.

With permission granted, Reiji reached out and brought up the item panels.

[Mystic Water: Boosts the power of Water-type moves when held by a Pokémon (Enhancement: 20%) (Level: 18)]

[Mystic Water: Boosts the power of Water-type moves when held by a Pokémon (Enhancement: 19%) (Level: 35)]

So, one was level 18, the other level 35—just as the man had said. No lies.

It made sense. Most Pokémon evolve to their second stage around levels 18 to 20-something, excluding most Bug-types. That's why Stage 2 evolutions were often called elite-level Pokémon—marking a Trainer's first real milestone.

"How much for each?" Reiji asked, curious how much his own Mystic Waters might be worth.

"Beginner model, 1.5 million. Elite model, 3.5 million."

Hearing that, Reiji realized his two elite-tier Mystic Waters might be worth a total of 7 million.

So, the average Hunter wasn't poor—they just poured all their resources into their Pokémon.

"Oh, by the way, what kind of Water-type do you have? Need a Water Stone? I've got some right here, way cheaper than the ones next door. Those are just overpriced trash."

The man opened two more blue boxes, each containing a Water Stone. Lowering his voice, he added conspiratorially, "You came from over there, right? I bet you saw those stones. Let me tell you, a normal Water Stone should be about 1.5 million. That so-called 'high-grade' one? Just a mid-grade stone they're passing off as premium."

Reiji couldn't help but laugh to himself. The guy was trying hard to play the "good guy" routine—airing dirty laundry, bonding over a mutual enemy, earning trust.

Sure, it was a tactic to lower a customer's guard, build rapport, and ultimately get them to buy. But it was still a clever pitch.

To a naïve young Trainer, it probably worked wonders. They'd leave fired up with indignation and a few items lighter in the wallet.

This was the kind of salesmanship that made socializing exhausting. Another reason Reiji preferred to keep to himself. Too many traps.

Like a thief refusing to negotiate—sometimes the only way forward was a frontal assault.

"Can I touch the Evolution Stones?" he asked, not willing to take the man's word for it.

"Be my guest," the owner said casually, once again inviting him to inspect the merchandise.

Reiji reached out and examined both stones:

[Water Stone: A mystical stone that causes certain Pokémon to evolve (Purity: 15.41%)]

[Water Stone: A mystical stone that causes certain Pokémon to evolve (Purity: 44.12%)]

Seeing the numbers, Reiji sighed to himself. This guy's supply was even worse than the previous shop's. Lower purity, even if cheaper by over a million.

Still, at least this man wasn't gouging prices. Compared to the other place, he was more honest.

"Everything looks good, but for items costing millions, I need more time to think," Reiji said, shaking his head politely. He wasn't ready to commit.

Even if the guy was decent, that 44-purity stone wasn't good enough. He wondered if the black market might have higher-grade stones.

"No problem. If you decide later, come find me. I guarantee you won't find a better deal in this entire department store," the man said, carefully packing up the Mystic Waters and Water Stones.

He didn't give up on Reiji, of course. This was a potential multi-million-credit customer. He had to keep the relationship warm.

Offering the best price was the easiest way to build that connection.

"Boss, do you carry any real high-end merchandise?" Reiji asked, taking advantage of the man's openness. He wanted to know just how rare high-purity Evolution Stones were—this directly affected Poliwhirl's evolution.

"High-end goods?" The man hesitated slightly, then resumed packing as he replied, "Kid, that kind of stuff is out of our league. We're talking eight figures minimum."

"Whenever one appears, it's immediately snapped up by the rich. I can't compete with those people. If it's just evolution you're after, a mid-tier Water Stone will do."

"Thanks for the tip," Reiji nodded. Now he understood—true high-grade items never hit the public market.

The moment they surfaced, they were bought at inflated prices. Someone out there was clearly stockpiling high-purity Water Stones. But why?

After leaving the shop, Reiji mulled over the conversation. He now understood what "good enough" really meant.

It meant "barely adequate." Settling.

But he didn't want to settle. He didn't want Poliwhirl to hit a wall at the threshold of Elite tier and never break through.

Trainers like him who sought top-grade Evolution Stones were a small minority. Most were just wealthy perfectionists.

The majority of Trainers, like the man had said, didn't invest too much in a single Pokémon. "Good enough" was the standard.

It reminded Reiji of an old drama he'd watched in his past life. The main character lived by "good enough," and every time it mattered, he always fell just a little short.

Reiji refused to be that guy. Using "good enough" stones, "good enough" training, "good enough" effort… he'd only end up with "good enough" Pokémon.

And a "good enough" life.

In that case, what was the point of reincarnating here? Just to be an extra? A villain? Background noise?

No. He was the protagonist.

That meant using the best. It wasn't time to settle. Not yet.

If he couldn't find the best, then he could settle later. But only if the best truly wasn't an option.

He headed toward the stairs. The third floor was done.

He'd heard the fourth floor was a breeding center with Pokémon eggs. He needed to buy an incubator anyway. Might as well go check out the potential of the baby Pokémon on sale.

Who knew—he might even get lucky and find a high-potential gem.

[End of Chapter]

[100 Power Stones = Extra Chapter]

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