Chapter 362: The Reward Pokémon
[Rattata]
Gender: Female
Level: 7
Type: Normal
Ability: Hustle (Boosts Attack but lowers Accuracy.)
Potential: S-
A Rattata. Its final evolution, Raticate, only had a base stat total of 413.
Kenji shook his head, pulling his gaze away. Even with S-Rank potential, a Rattata was simply too mediocre for the resources he intended to invest.
He shifted his focus to the second container. Inside was a tiny Taillow.
[Taillow]
Gender: Male
Level: 5
Type: Normal / Flying
Ability: Guts (Boosts Attack when afflicted by a status condition.)
Potential: S-
Kenji's eyes lit up. A Flying-type was perfect for Mina.
While its final evolution, Swellow, didn't have a massive base stat total, its distribution was excellent. It possessed a blistering base Speed of 125. Combined with the Guts ability—which turned a Burn into a massive damage multiplier for the move Facade—it was a world-class sweeper. Plus, it was aesthetically beautiful.
Kenji gave the Taillow a lingering look before turning to the final two candidates: a Foongus and a Corphish.
Kenji looked between the two with a conflicted expression.
Foongus, the Mushroom Pokémon. Its cap resembled a standard red-and-white Poké Ball. Its evolution, Amoonguss, was notoriously effective (and annoying) in high-level competitive play.
[Foongus]
Gender: Female
Level: 8
Type: Grass / Poison
Ability: Effect Spore (May inflict Poison, Paralysis, or Sleep on contact.)
Potential: S-
Then, there was the Corphish.
[Corphish]
Gender: Male
Level: 4
Type: Water
Ability: Adaptability (Boosts the power of STAB moves.)
Potential: S-
The Corphish line, eventually becoming Crawdaunt, was a brutal Rain-team attacker. With Adaptability and a massive base Attack of 120, its Water-type moves were capable of leveling mountains.
If Kenji were choosing for himself, he might have picked the crab. But he was thinking of Li Heng.
After a long moment of deliberation, his gaze settled on the mushroom.
"I'll take these two," Kenji said, pointing to the Taillow and the Foongus.
Ultimately, he chose the Foongus for Li Heng. He had seen Li Heng's battle style; he wasn't a hyper-aggressive "glass cannon" trainer. The tactical, defensive, and disruptive nature of an Amoonguss suited his personality much better.
More importantly, Amoonguss was part Poison-type. Since Kenji was the successor to Grandma Liu, he could provide Li Heng with far more specialized support, high-tier toxic research, and custom Pokéblocks for a Poison-type than he could for a Water-type. Under Grandma Liu's indirect influence, Li Heng's mushroom would reach heights a Crawdaunt never could.
The selection was finalized, and the two Poké Balls were handed over.
Back at the hotel, Kenji immediately called Mina and Li Heng to his suite.
"S... S-RANK????!"
Li Heng clutched the Poké Ball in his hands, his tongue practically tying itself in knots. He stammered, swallowed hard, and his hands began to shake uncontrollably. The ball was feather-light, but in that moment, it felt like it weighed ten thousand pounds.
On the other side of the room, Mina was dazed. She never imagined Kenji would use such a priceless reward—the chance to own an S-Rank Pokémon—on her and Li Heng.
"Kenji, I—" Li Heng started to protest, his face red.
Kenji cut him off with a raised hand and a smirk. "If you still consider me your brother, don't start with the polite 'no thanks' crap."
Li Heng froze, then looked at the ball again. "Fine! You're not my brother anymore! From today on, you're my literal father! My God! My Savior!"
"..." Kenji's mouth twitched. It was lucky Li Heng's actual father wasn't in the room, or Kenji would have been dodging a flying kick.
Kenji turned to Mina. "You and your dad helped me out a lot when I was starting. Consider this a return on the investment."
Mina gripped her ball tightly, nodding as her eyes misted over with excitement. An S-Rank partner... even her father, the Ace Zephyr, didn't have an S-Rank Pokémon. With this partner and enough hard work, she knew she could finally surpass her father's legacy.
"Thank you, Kenji."
Mina bit her lip. There was so much she wanted to say, but the words felt hollow compared to the gift. She settled for a simple "thank you," but she said it with an intensity that was almost overwhelming.
Kenji saw the look in her eyes and quickly looked away, offering a casual laugh. The way she was looking at him made it feel like she was ready to propose right then and there. But Kenji didn't feel that way; she was a dear friend, nothing more.
"Also, Li Heng," Kenji said, changing the subject. "I've talked to Director He. He's authorized your transfer to Metropolis Academy. If you're willing, you can start the paperwork when we get back."
"HOLY CRAP!! Yes! A thousand times yes! Kenji! Daddy! I love you!!" Li Heng's eyes nearly popped out of his head. He lunged forward and wrapped Kenji in a suffocating bear hug, screaming with joy.
While Li Heng's current school was decent, it was a gutter compared to the elite status of Metropolis or Imperial Academy.
Normally, such a transfer was impossible. But with Kenji's current status as the Grand Champion, moving a student to his alma mater was a simple request. Director He had processed the approval within twenty-four hours.
The Conference was over, but Kenji wasn't in a hurry to start the Elite Four gauntlet.
Beedrill had entered a state of deep seclusion, processing the "Dimensional Enlightenment" it had achieved during the duel with Mega Gengar.
The progress was staggering. During the finals, Beedrill had undergone a mid-battle breakthrough, jumping from Level 93 to 94. Kenji suspected that by the time it finished this training session, it would hit Level 95.
As the gold trophy sat on his nightstand, the System finally issued its rewards for the championship victory.
As the highest-tier event in the nation, the System was surprisingly generous. It granted Kenji one Prismatic Hex Core draw and two Gold Hex Core draws.
But that wasn't all. The System, which usually remained silent and "dead," suddenly flickered to life, proactively issuing a new prompt.
[New System Mission Available!]
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