Rowan took a deep breath and sent the message.
"Hello, my name is Rowan. I'm a geologist."
His phone vibrated almost immediately with a reply. The Champion, it seemed, wasn't aloof at all.
"Hello, I'm Steven. What can you tell me about Rusturf Tunnel?"
A knot of anxiety tightened in Rowan's chest. He knew absolutely nothing about it. How could a guy who just played the games and watched the anime know anything about the real Rusturf Tunnel? All he knew was that it would soon become completely blocked. He also remembered there was a pair of Black Glasses hidden in the tall grass near the southeastern exit, but that was the extent of his knowledge.
Still, he couldn't admit that. His fingers flew across the screen as he typed out a response.
"I have my own unique understanding of Rusturf Tunnel. As a scholar, my research indicates that the surrounding mountains were formed by the collision of two tectonic plates. In ancient times, this entire area was an ocean. Therefore, the most direct approach is to ascend the mountain and dig downwards through the caves."
"Alright. Since you're so experienced, I'll follow your lead."
Rowan's hands froze for a second. Steven was surprisingly easygoing.
"Okay, no problem."
After sending those three words, he quickly followed up with another message.
"However, I don't have any professional equipment. I've always rented my gear. You might need to bring a set for me."
"No problem."
Steven's replies were as swift and agreeable as ever.
Rowan inhaled sharply. He knew lying was wrong, but for someone like Steven Stone, the cost of some equipment or a failed expedition was trivial. For Rowan, however, this was his one chance to turn his life around. He had to seize it.
He opened his banking app and glanced at his balance.
1819.19
A little over a thousand dollars. It looked like his only option was to hike up the mountain and do some preliminary scouting on foot. Before he left, he decided to search the house for anything useful. He wasn't expecting to find a weapon, but even a steel pipe would be better than nothing.
Rowan began to explore his new home. He had to admit, the benefits of this world were incredible. His formerly narrow rental room had been expanded into a two-story duplex. The upper floor was a larger version of his old cramped room, while the ground floor featured a living room, a kitchen, a study, and a spare room.
He took in the simple furniture and decor of the living room before stepping into the study. The room showed many signs of recent activity. In fact, if Rowan wasn't absolutely certain he had never lived in such a high-end house in his twenty-plus years in his previous life, he would have thought this study had once been his. It was filled with books he had read and loved, all arranged according to his habits. On the desk sat a box.
The box was made of black leather and looked quite valuable. Rowan walked over to the desk, and a strange impulse led him to open it.
Inside, the first thing he saw was a note.
"Hello, my dear tenant. As you can see, this is a gift for you. By the time you read this, I will be on vacation in the Alola region. The scenery there is picturesque, and the weather is like spring year-round. I may not be coming back this time. As for the house, I'm leaving it in your care. I will, of course, continue to pay the property management fees, but I may need to trouble you with other matters. So, as a token of my gratitude for your help, please accept these items as an advance thank-you gift. —Your Landlord"
Rowan's memory of his landlord surfaced. He was a cheerful old man who, even in the materialistic world of his past life, had rented him a room in a major city for the astonishingly low price of eight hundred dollars a month. Rowan had always had a very high opinion of him.
"It seems my transmigration was more than just a simple transfer," Rowan mused. "It brought my personal relationships over with me."
He set the note aside, eager to see what surprise the landlord had prepared for him.
"Is this… a Pokédex?"
He picked up the first object. It was a square, game-console-like device. Pressing a button caused a small camera to pop out. He turned on the screen, which allowed him to look up all discovered Pokémon and their related information.
"A Pokédex… these things sell for tens of thousands. The landlord really is a good man."
Rowan placed the Pokédex on the desk and pulled a Poké Ball from the box. It felt heavy and cool in his hand, a clear sign that it wasn't empty. He pressed the button in the center.
A flash of red light burst forth, resolving into a white beam that materialized beside him. As the light faded, a Pokémon stood in its place. It resembled a sleek, monstrous biped, its entire body seemingly composed of polished duralumin. Its hands, the underside of its abdomen, and its toes were a deep blue.
Rowan picked up the Pokédex and scanned it.
"Duraludon, the Alloy Pokémon. Its body is composed of a metal that is light and hard, but it has the weakness of being prone to rust."
Right, just as useless as the game descriptions. Duraludon was a Steel/Dragon-type Pokémon. Though it appeared tall and bulky, its relatively light weight made it surprisingly agile. Its base stat total was an excellent 535, higher than that of many fully evolved Pokémon, despite having an evolution of its own. The stat distribution was also quite reasonable, with its only real weakness being its Special Defense of 50. Its typing was fantastic, and it had access to a great movepool.
It was exactly the kind of Pokémon Rowan had dreamed of having as his main partner. He never would have imagined his old landlord would gift him a Duraludon. This Pokémon's rarity was on par with the pseudo-legendary Tyranitar.
Most importantly, it was a dream Pokémon for a miner. If it evolved into Archaludon, it could even prevent cave-ins. Its Steel/Dragon typing would allow it to handle the vast majority of Pokémon one might encounter while mining, and its human-like height meant it wouldn't be a hassle to have around.
Rowan felt his eyes begin to well up. This was more than just a helping hand; it was a lifeline.
"Don't you worry, old man," he whispered. "If any of your other tenants dare to miss their rent, I, Rowan, will be the first to set them straight!"
He turned to the Pokémon. "Right. Hello, Duraludon. My name is Rowan."
Duraludon weren't known for being particularly friendly, but this one showed no signs of aggression. Seeing Rowan's outstretched hand, it extended its own and gently shook it. The touch felt like grasping a cool, solid sledgehammer.
"From now on, we're partners."
The Duraludon seemed to understand the weight of his words and nodded.
"Durraaa." Its voice was low, but Rowan thought it sounded quite relaxed.
Continuing to search the box, he found a thick, heavy book at the bottom.
"The Verdanturf Town Chronicle?"
He lifted the hefty volume out of the box. As he flipped to the table of contents and saw a dozen pages dedicated to information about the local mines, a single thought filled his mind. Tears of gratitude streamed down his face.