Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 4: Interview with the Dragon Master Lance!

Having captured Dratini and said goodbye to Caesar and Dragonair, Asahi didn't linger in the Safari Zone.

Even though he had expressed reluctance to leave the nature reserve in front of Officer Jenny, that was just sentiment. He wasn't willing to stay there for much longer.

Being a ranger was a tough job; only those who've done it would understand!

After two and a half years, having captured over a thousand poachers, the total salary and bonuses he earned weren't even enough to buy a one-bedroom apartment in Saffron City.

Moreover, being in the forest all the time meant that besides Officer Jenny, he rarely saw any other humans, especially female ones. It had gotten to the point where even Gardevoir was starting to look appealing.

So, even though he liked the Pokémon in the nature reserve, when the opportunity to transfer to the International Police came up, he jumped at it without hesitation.

Goodbye, nature reserve!

He took one last look at the forest before turning away, burying those memories behind him.

...

The interview for the International Police was held at the Indigo Plateau's Pokémon League headquarters.

According to the staff who had notified him, it was just a routine interview, so Asahi wasn't too nervous.

But when he knocked on the office door... there was a surprise waiting for him!

"Come in!"

Asahi pushed open the office door, expecting to see a senior officer from the International Police Department, but instead, he saw the Dragon-type Elite Four member of Kanto, Lance, draped in his iconic cape!

"What's going on?" Asahi muttered to himself.

Nonetheless, he sat down across from Lance as the Dragon Master gestured.

"You must be Asahi!" Lance confirmed.

"That's right, Lance!" Asahi replied formally, unsure of Lance's intentions.

Lance smiled. "No need to be so formal. Due to some unexpected events, I'm filling in as the interviewer today."

"If you're ready, shall we begin?"

There wasn't much to prepare, so Asahi nodded. "Let's start!"

"First question: can you tell me what prompted you to accept this transfer?" Lance asked, flipping through Asahi's resume.

He had already reviewed the resume earlier.

Clean background, simple relationships, strong work ethic!

This young man seemed like the perfect candidate for the International Police—he could have been selected without an interview.

However, Lance wanted to hear the reasons from Asahi himself.

Higher salary, better expense reimbursement, and a generous pension!

Various answers flashed through Asahi's mind, though he couldn't say those out loud.

"It's a sense of justice! It's the sense of justice that compelled me to accept this transfer!"

"A sense of justice?"

Lance was momentarily taken aback, not expecting Asahi to give such an answer.

It wasn't that the answer was bad, but it was... a bit too cliché.

If anyone else had given this answer, Lance would have thought they were just saying what sounded good.

But... looking at the solid resume in his hands, Lance had to admit that with Asahi's track record, his words carried far more weight than others'.

In just two and a half years as a ranger, Asahi had single-handedly captured over a thousand poachers.

Without an unparalleled love for Pokémon and a deep sense of justice, such an accomplishment would have been impossible.

Indeed, it was this sense of justice that made him even more suited to becoming an International Police officer!

Lance had already made up his mind about Asahi, but his expression remained unchanged as he continued:

"I should warn you, if you choose to become an International Police officer, your enemies will no longer be mere poachers."

"You will face cross-regional criminals, individuals you can hardly imagine, and even large criminal organizations like Team Rocket."

"In the course of your duties, you may get injured, or worse, your life could be at risk."

"Many trainers before you couldn't handle such a life and chose to resign."

"So, do you still want to become an International Police officer?"

Lance asked, his gaze scrutinizing Asahi.

With the atmosphere set, how could Asahi possibly back down now?

"Of course!" Asahi replied firmly.

Hearing Asahi's response, Lance smiled, relaxed, and extended his hand. "Then congratulations! From this moment on, you are a full-fledged International Police officer!"

Lance emphasized the word "full-fledged."

With the interview passed, Asahi relaxed as well.

He stood up to shake Lance's hand but asked in confusion, "Full-fledged? Didn't my transfer order mention starting as an intern?"

If he remembered correctly, he had been told over the phone that there would be a six-month internship period before officially joining.

Could it be that Lance was so impressed with his performance that he waived the internship?

Hearing Asahi's confusion, Lance smiled and explained:

"Well... it's mainly because the Kanto International Police Department is currently short-staffed. We didn't mention this before to maintain confidentiality, but your predecessor and even your superior have gone missing during a secret investigation into Team Rocket. For now, I'm temporarily in charge of the Kanto International Police."

"???"

What's going on? His superior vanished right off the bat, giving Asahi a foreboding feeling.

"Um... Mr. Lance, can I ask how many International Police officers are currently in Kanto?"

Upon hearing Asahi's question, Lance didn't answer immediately but instead raised his hand.

"Five? That's manageable..."

Before Asahi could finish, Lance shook his head.

Lance lowered his hand and gently patted Asahi's shoulder. "Not five. What I meant is, right now, the entire Kanto branch of the International Police has only you. Do your best!"

Asahi: "..."

Damn, I've been tricked!

No wonder the interview was so simple!

Is it too late to quit now?

...

It took Asahi half a day to recover from the "surprise" Lance had given him.

Rubbing his stiff face, Asahi leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the ceiling.

No wonder the League staff who called him was so excited when he agreed to the transfer. No wonder the interview was so easy.

Turns out it was a total mess!

However, Asahi didn't quit.

There were two reasons.

First, he had just firmly declared that he wanted to join the International Police. It would be quite embarrassing to quit at the first "little" setback.

Secondly, Lance did give him some good news.

Since Asahi was the only one in the entire Kanto branch of the International Police, and Lance had other responsibilities, the higher-ups didn't assign him any specific tasks.

As Lance put it:

He could choose to do clerical work in the office, gather intelligence on the streets, go undercover in the black market to crack down on Pokémon smuggling, or, if he wanted a challenge, even investigate Team Rocket.

In short, until the International Police were fully restructured, Asahi could decide his own work direction!

No work direction = no work!

To Asahi, Lance's words were essentially saying...

"I can slack off with pay in the coming days?"

Slacking off and getting paid—this was the perfect life for a promising young man like him.

This is...

Just too awesome!

***

You can read advanced chapters and support me at [email protected]/NahinS77