Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 11: The Gluttonous Bagon

"I don't mind!"

Before Lance could even finish speaking, Asahi responded decisively.

Having already missed the chance to raise a second Dratini, there was no way he'd let another opportunity slip by.

Some might wonder why Asahi didn't ask what kind of Pokémon it was before agreeing. To Asahi, there was no need.

If Lance had chosen it as a potential addition to his second team, how bad could it possibly be?

That was the trust Asahi had in Lance's judgment!

As for personality issues, Asahi wasn't worried.

For one, he had the power of Viridian, which made communication with Pokémon exceptionally easy. Pokémon that others found difficult to handle posed no problem for him.

Secondly, he had Gardevoir.

As the undisputed queen of the nature reserves and wild zones, Gardevoir might appear gentle and docile around him, but to wild Pokémon, she was the ultimate boss.

So... bring it on!

Lance was taken aback by Asahi's quick response, but he was pleased.

"...Since you're willing to take it, that's great. Honestly, I was struggling with what to do with this one."

Pressing the button on the Great Ball, Lance released the Pokémon inside.

A flash of white light revealed a small, pale blue figure with a tough, silver-gray skull covering its head.

"Bagon!"

"This is... a Bagon?"

Although he'd expected something extraordinary, Asahi was still surprised.

Bagon—Shelgon—Salamence. Its final evolution, Salamence, was one of Asahi's favorite Pokémon.

The Bagon looked up at Asahi with wide, curious eyes. Without any hesitation, it ran up to him, hugging his leg and rubbing against it affectionately.

"This personality doesn't seem like a problem at all."

Asahi had mentally prepared himself for a Pokémon with issues—whether it was shy or aggressive, he had plans to handle it.

But this Bagon? It was so friendly that he didn't even need to work on building rapport.

Lance shook his head, smiling wryly. "That's what I thought at first too. Just wait…"

Huh?

Hearing this, Asahi looked back at the Bagon.

The little dragon was now gazing up at him with big, watery eyes, clutching his pants leg with one hand and pointing to its open mouth with the other.

"Bagon!"

Thanks to the power of Viridian, Asahi immediately understood what Bagon was saying:

[Hungry!]

The Bagon clung tightly to Asahi's leg, its expression clearly saying, I'm not letting go unless you feed me.

...

After giving the Bagon some standard Pokémon food and a few energy cubes he had recently concocted using system recipes, Asahi finally managed to free his leg.

"This is the personality issue you mentioned?" Asahi asked, watching the now-satisfied Bagon devour its meal with a blissful expression.

He didn't understand. So far, it seemed like the Bagon was just a big eater. Surely Lance, as an Elite Four member, could afford the extra food?

Seeing Asahi's confusion, Lance shook his head. "Wait and see."

Lance gestured toward the Bagon, and Asahi soon noticed something unusual.

The speed at which Bagon was eating... wasn't it a bit too fast?

No, not just a bit.

Before long, Bagon had polished off enough food to feed his Dratini for an entire day.

And yet, its belly didn't even bulge.

"Bagon!"

The little dragon now stared up at Asahi with the same watery eyes, clearly asking for more.

Asahi's lips twitched. He was beginning to understand what Lance had meant.

After preparing another serving of food, Lance explained:

"When I first got this Bagon, I noticed its insatiable appetite."

"Other than that, it's exceptional—its physical strength, move mastery, and battle instincts far surpass others of its kind."

"I consulted League researchers, and their conclusion was that this Bagon was born with an extraordinarily strong physique, but the trade-off is a massive appetite to sustain its growth."

"It spends so much time eating and digesting that it can't follow my training plans. That's why it didn't suit my second team."

"I see..."

Asahi stroked his chin thoughtfully, finally understanding why Lance had given up on training Bagon.

Its gluttony wasn't just a personality quirk—it consumed so much time and resources that it couldn't complete Lance's rigorous training regimen.

Pseudo-legendary Pokémon already had long development periods, and this Bagon required even more investment. No wonder Lance had decided to let it go.

But Asahi wasn't too concerned about the food issue—he already had an idea.

"I get it. I'll take good care of this Bagon!"

Asahi smiled, looking down at the now-snoozing Bagon curled up by his leg.

Lance offered, "Don't push yourself. If it doesn't work out, I can take you to the League's Pokémon vault to choose a starter."

"Even if I can't use Bagon in battle, I don't mind keeping it around."

Leave it to an Elite Four member to casually offer up a starter Pokémon from the League's reserve.

But Asahi had no intention of giving up on Bagon.

"No need. I already like this little one."

Activating the power of Viridian, Asahi gently patted Bagon's head.

Shrouded in the power of Viridian, the sleeping Bagon seemed to be having a wonderful dream, its mouth curling into a cheerful smile.

"Well... alright then."

Since Asahi insisted, Lance stopped trying to dissuade him and handed over the Great Ball, saying, "If you find feeding Bagon to be a financial burden, you can submit a report to apply for a feeding subsidy."

"There's a subsidy for that?"

Asahi had been a ranger for two and a half years, and he had never heard of such a thing.

"Normally, there isn't, but..." Lance winked, giving him a knowing look.

Asahi instantly understood.

Still, the idea of openly exploiting League resources like this felt...

"Please, by all means, apply for the maximum subsidy possible!" Asahi said with a serious expression.

***

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