Pokémon: Sandstorm Sovereign

Chapter 91: Resources Secured

"So I lost after all," Basalt said, a bitter taste in his mouth.

Even though he knew the Group A trainers would be on a completely different level, the reality of the loss still felt a little surreal. It was the first time he had ever lost a battle since starting his journey.

But after a moment, he realized it was perfectly normal. He wasn't some chosen one destined to win every battle. Besides, failure was the mother of success. As long as he learned from his mistakes, he could grow even faster. With that thought, his mood brightened considerably.

"You did a great job, Bronzor," he said, recalling it to its Poké Ball. He looked across the field at his opponent. In truth, Nosepass's strength wasn't insurmountable. The problem was that its ability and moveset were the perfect counter to Bronzor.

If I had switched them... if Bronzor had fought Totodile and Drilbur had fought Nosepass, the outcome would have been completely different, wouldn't it?

Totodile's trump card, Aqua Jet, wouldn't be very effective against Bronzor. And with Bronzor's incredible density and defense, even a super-effective Dark-type move like Bite wouldn't have been a major issue. He could have just put Totodile to sleep with Hypnosis or hit it with a point-blank Psybeam for an easy win.

As for Nosepass, its Magnet Pull and Thunder Wave would be useless against Drilbur, and Magic Coat wouldn't be much help either. If he had just sent Drilbur in with a Drill Run from the start, Nosepass would have been in a world of trouble.

But alas, that was just a "what if." There were no do-overs in life.

Seeing Basalt's silence, Hoffman walked over and patted his shoulder comfortingly. "You did a great job. To be honest, you've already far exceeded my expectations. I originally thought you might have a shot at challenging for Group B, but I never imagined you'd actually be fighting for a spot in Group A." He was truly impressed. He felt that if Basalt continued to work hard, making it into Group A was a certainty.

"Drilburr!" (`_´) The great Emperor Drilbur crossed its claws, agreeing with Hoffman's assessment. If I hadn't been injured, I would have taken that Group A spot for you! That little bronze thing is still too green. For the big battles, you need me!

Hoffman then announced the final result of Basalt's challenge: direct promotion to the upper tier of Group B.

Clap, clap, clap...

The arena filled with a round of enthusiastic applause. Every trainer present now recognized Basalt's strength. Drilbur's three consecutive one-hit KOs had been a shock to the system for everyone. And since Bronzor clearly wasn't his ace, losing to a Group A trainer was understandable. Once Drilbur was back in fighting shape, his chances of breaking into Group A were high.

"Man, another monster in the camp. My chances of making the city team just got a little smaller," one of the trainees lamented. The team had a limited number of spots; every new competitor made the odds worse.

"Dude, you actually thought you had a chance? We're in Group D. Let's not put too much pressure on ourselves."

"Yeah, when my dad found out I was in Group D, he told me to just focus on gaining experience and making friends."

"Same here. The city team... I dreamed about it before I came. Not so much anymore."

"Hey, you too? I'm also here to network. As long as we don't mess up too badly, we're all pretty much guaranteed to become high-ranking trainers. Making it to the professional level isn't out of the question, either."

"Exactly! These are all connections! I'm having a party at my villa this weekend. Anyone who wants to come, let me know."

In Group D, some of the trainers, having accepted their reality, had decided to just relax and enjoy the ride.

After recalling Bronzor, Basalt followed Hoffman back to his office.

"Basalt, congratulations on making it into Group B," Hoffman said with a smile, motioning for him to sit. "Now, let's talk about your rewards."

"Rewards? Resources?" At the mention of free stuff, Basalt's face lit up. Resources were exactly what he needed most right now.

"Supervisor, what kind of rewards do Group B trainers get?" he asked, unable to hide his anticipation.

Hoffman chuckled. "Every trainee receives one TM Voucher upon entering the camp, which can be used to learn a mid-to-high-tier move. Trainees who make it to Group C get an additional voucher. Group B trainees get another one on top of that. As a member of Group B, you get a total of three TM Vouchers."

Basalt was overjoyed. Three vouchers meant three new moves. Drilbur wanted to learn Smack Down, and he had been wondering where to find a move tutor. It was like someone had handed him a pillow just as he was getting sleepy.

As for the other two vouchers, Basalt thought, I can use them for Bronzor to expand its movepool. The battle with Houndour had exposed a major weakness. While Bronzor's psychic power and defense were impressive, as a wild Pokémon, its move variety was severely lacking. Against a Dark-type, all its Psychic moves were useless, leaving it with only Gyro Ball. He had to fix that.

"In addition to the TM Vouchers, Group B members receive one attribute gem of their choice every week to help their Pokémon improve their elemental control and perception. So, Basalt, what kind of gem would you like?" Hoffman asked with a smile.

As a city-level training camp backed by the Metro City government, the resources were generous. One gem a week was an expense of 100,000 Poké Dollars per Group B member. That alone was enough to make Basalt's head spin.

"Metro City is amazing!" Basalt gave a thumbs-up. This was a clear sign of how seriously the country took nurturing talent.

"I'll take a Ground Gem," he said without hesitation. It would be useful for Drilbur, and since Bronzor was learning Bulldoze, it might be able to use it as well. It was a safe bet.

"Alright, one Ground Gem." Hoffman jotted it down in his notebook. He then explained the other perks of being a Group B member. The camp would cover the cost of all the Pokémon food his team needed. He would also get his own private training room. And if they got tired from training, there were on-site masseuses who could help relieve fatigue and even promote growth.

Basalt was practically drooling. He was marveling at the generous resources when a thought struck him. "Supervisor, what's the difference in treatment between Group A and Group B?" He figured it was good to know what he was aiming for.

"Group A? They're the treasures of this camp," Hoffman said, taking a deep breath. "Group A members receive two attribute gems per week..."

Basalt's breath caught in his throat. An extra gem a week meant an extra 100,000 Poké Dollars a week. Did that mean his failed attempt to break into A had just cost him 100,000?

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath. If only Drilbur hadn't been injured!

"Furthermore," Hoffman added, "the upper-tier members of Group A receive one rare berry every two weeks."

Basalt's jaw dropped. He felt like he had just lost a million Poké Dollars. He was so frustrated.

Seeing how much Basalt cared about the resources, Hoffman stood up and chuckled. "I can also let you in on another piece of information. If you can become the captain of the city team, the city government will award you a type-enhancing held item."

"What? A type-enhancing item?!" Basalt shot

☆☆☆

-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE

-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER

☆☆☆

-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!

-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper

(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)

If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you