The Gym doors stood wide open as Percy and Ayan—two newly registered trainers—walked out with bright smiles. Today, both of them had successfully earned the third official Gym Badge of their lives.
As long as they could collect five more official badges within the next six months, they would qualify to participate in this year's Indigo Plateau Conference. The Kanto League's grand annual tournament drew countless eyes every year. For rookie trainers to compete in such a regional event in their very first year was nothing short of exhilarating.
And if they could place well at the Indigo Conference, returning home would surely make their parents proud.
"Mr. Kael, you…" Ann Chovy accepted the Poké Ball Kael handed back to her, her expression hesitant, as if she wanted to say something but wasn't sure how.
"If you've got something to say, just say it." Kael straightened his coat and gestured for Rhydon to close the Gym doors.
"Mr. Kael, why did you use my Pokémon in the battle?" Ann asked in confusion. "Weavile or Rhydon could have won so easily."
Kael turned and began walking toward the rear courtyard as he replied, "You still don't understand the true responsibility of a Gym Leader. Yes, in Pokémon battles, whether out of respect for your opponent or for your own pride, you should fight with your full strength regardless of how strong they are. But a Gym Leader is different. Most of the challengers we face are rookie trainers traveling from towns and cities across the region. Crushing them purely with overwhelming strength isn't necessary. It could even leave a lasting shadow in their hearts."
He paused briefly before continuing, "A qualified Gym Leader should know how to guide these children subtly, helping them grow through experience. That's the League's original purpose in establishing official Gyms."
The moment he finished speaking, Ann's confusion vanished, replaced by admiration. She hadn't expected the young boss to possess such noble ideals.
"Besides," Kael added with a faint smile, "when a new shop opens, there's always a promotional discount. Our Dark Gym just opened as well. Consider those two today's grand-opening customers—we gave them a fifty-percent discount. The next batch of challengers won't be so lucky."
He shook his head lightly and strode into the main hall, leaving Ann standing there, utterly dumbfounded.
...
A month passed in the blink of an eye.
It had been both the most fulfilling and most relaxed month Kael had experienced. His daily training schedule was packed to the brim, and his Pokémon steadily improved, growing stronger by the day.
Occasionally, trainers would knock on the Gym doors to issue challenges. When he was in a good mood, he'd let Ann's Pokémon take the stage and ease up a little. When he felt like it, he'd send Weavile out for a proper warm-up.
In total, five Gym Badges were issued over the course of the month—neither too many nor too few. Just enough to satisfy a certain evaluation standard and leave no room for criticism.
...
[Stone Town Eevee Clan & Local Mining Consortium Increase Bounty Again!]
Reward: 3.8 million in cash! Ten sets of high-quality Evolution Stones! One pair of female Eevee with outstanding potential!
On the Bounty Hunter official website's homepage, the mission was pinned in bold red letters at the very top.
Clicking into the listing, Kael raised an eyebrow. He had first seen this mission over two months ago at the Pokémon Center in Vermilion City. At the time, the reward had been 500,000 in cash and one set of high-quality Evolution Stones—worth roughly one million in total.
A single set included a Fire Stone, Leaf Stone, Thunder Stone, and Water Stone. Now there were ten sets—forty stones in total. With high-quality stones starting at 50,000 each, ten sets alone were worth over two million.
To further increase the temptation, the mission publisher had uploaded several photos beneath the listing.
One table was stacked high with neat piles of hundred-denomination banknotes. Another displayed the polished Evolution Stones, each gleaming like smooth jade in various colors. And beside them stood a pair of Eevee—bright-eyed, agile, and with glossy fur that shone under the light.
Kael found himself deeply curious. What exactly had happened in Stone Town? What trouble had the Eevee clan and those wealthy mine owners encountered to push them to increase the reward again and again?
It had already been over two months, yet the issue remained unresolved.
He had been interested in the mission before but never took it due to various unexpected circumstances. He'd assumed it was long completed. Yet this morning, while casually browsing the bounty site, he found it not only unfinished but promoted to the top.
Perfect timing. His funds—bolstered by the unexpected windfall from the deserted island—had already been spent by nearly half.
It was time to earn some extra income.
Kael logged into his account with practiced ease, uploaded the necessary credentials, and accepted the mission directly.
The massive increase in reward had drawn the attention of countless bounty hunters. The comment section showed several Gold Dog Tag hunters had already accepted the mission.
If a Silver-ranked Bounty Hunter was an Elite Trainer, then those Gold-ranked guys should be at the Pseudo-Elite Four level, or perhaps a few "freaks" among them even possessed the strength of an actual Elite Four member
After all, Gold Dog Tag was the highest rank in the bounty hunter profession.
The number of acceptances had surged from an initial 38 to 156. Moreover, since the mission itself had been upgraded from B-rank to A-rank, the minimum requirement for acceptance was Silver tier.
Kael was decisive by nature. The moment he accepted the mission, he began packing his belongings. This trip to Stone Town was not only for the lucrative reward but also to satisfy his own curiosity.
Two months ago, the mission description had stated that a high-quality Evolution Stone mine had been occupied by an unknown powerful Pokémon.
Now?
The problem had somehow turned into a haunting.
...
"Keep an eye on the Gym. If challengers show up, just do your best. Winning or losing doesn't matter," Kael said as he straddled his Godbird V motorcycle, helmet in hand at the Gym entrance.
"Don't worry, Mr. Kael! I guarantee I'll complete the task!" Ann replied.
Her expression carried both excitement and reluctance. She was thrilled at the chance to guard the Gym independently, yet saddened that the young boss was about to leave on a long trip.
After a month of close contact, Ann had come to understand that her boss was the type who appeared cold on the outside but kind at heart. Sharp-tongued, perhaps—but never malicious.
Good-looking, powerful as a trainer, wealthy…
With so many dangerously attractive qualities, how could a girl spending day after day beside him not develop a few complicated thoughts?