There was only a simple name and a string of numbers on the gilded business card.
It perfectly matched the style of a true big shot.
As for titles or prefixes?
None of that mattered.
If you knew the person, that was more important than any title.
The name on the card was—
Bertha.
"Grandma Bertha is currently vacationing in Sioux City. If you'd like, I can take you to visit the former Elite. Maybe she can help," Mother Wen said.
The former Ground-type Elite.
Though retired, her reputation remained. She was still one of the rare authorities in Ground-type Pokémon.
"If that's the case, then I'll trouble you, Auntie," Chen Ran replied, a little surprised.
If he could build a connection with an Elite-level figure, it would be a major opportunity for Larvitar.
Even retired, her status was still extremely high.
Very high.
Soon, Mother Wen brought good news—Grandma Bertha had agreed to help, and they could visit immediately.
---
After a bit of traveling, Mother Wen brought Chen Ran to a small mountain village where Grandma Bertha was spending her vacation.
It was night.
The village was quiet.
Frogs croaked in the distance, and the warm orange streetlights cast a peaceful glow.
A few Meowth lounged lazily by the roadside, enjoying the light without the slightest fear of strangers.
Inside a courtyard—
Chen Ran finally met the former Elite, Bertha.
And beside her stood a beautiful girl.
She had distinctive bangs and wore a pair of headphones. Her figure was slender yet well-proportioned, with long legs and striking blue eyes.
"This is…?"
Elesa?!
Chen Ran froze for a moment.
"Hello, Grandma Bertha. I'm Wen Qing. This is Chen Ran, Larvitar's Trainer."
"Hello, Grandma Bertha," Chen Ran greeted respectfully.
Bertha looked kind.
And she truly was.
Although it was a warm summer evening, the room felt cool even without a fan running.
"This is my granddaughter, Elesa," Bertha introduced with a gentle smile.
Chen Ran was stunned.
In his previous life, he had speculated whether characters like Bertha, Clay, and Elesa were related somehow.
In canon, they weren't—even their Regions were different.
But in this world, Elesa had become Bertha's granddaughter.
It strangely fulfilled a small wish of his.
Even though—
Bertha specialized in Ground-types.
And Elesa was an Electric-type specialist.
Moreover, Elesa was a famous top model in the Long Kingdom, wildly popular nationwide.
Elesa's eyes lingered on Chen Ran, filled with curiosity.
Those sea-blue eyes were studying him carefully.
"You're so young. And you're not from some powerful family… so where did you get a Larvitar?" she asked bluntly.
She had been shocked when her grandmother mentioned it earlier.
Pseudo-Legendary Pokémon were rare enough.
Foreign-region Pseudo-Legendaries were even rarer.
Even with a retired Elite backing her, it wouldn't be easy for her to obtain one.
And she had never heard of Chen Ran before.
A civilian obtaining a Larvitar?
Unbelievable.
Bertha smiled faintly. She understood the situation but hadn't yet explained it to her granddaughter.
"This year, the first-place reward for the freshman training camp at Jiangnan Pokémon University was a Pseudo-Legendary cub. Chen Ran took first place."
Hearing that, Elesa's interest intensified.
"You're first place?"
"Then you must be pretty strong, right?"
She turned to Bertha eagerly.
"Grandma, I want to battle him. If I win, then you can examine his Larvitar."
And if she lost?
"Well, then he'll have to pay."
An Elite's services weren't cheap.
Mother Wen and Bertha weren't close friends either. The fact that Bertha was even willing to help was already generous.
"Deal," Chen Ran agreed readily.
If he could save money, why not?
Elite consultations were expensive. Winning might save him a small fortune.
He had no reason to refuse.
---
"One-on-one," Elesa declared.
Chen Ran currently only had one viable battler.
Charmeleon.
Riolu was still low level and lacked combat experience.
As for Jirachi…
He didn't fully trust the three people present. If something went wrong, he might not even be able to take Jirachi back safely.
"Alright."
There was a battle field in the backyard of the villa.
Elesa led Chen Ran outside, followed by Bertha and Mother Wen.
Bertha acted as the temporary referee.
"Brother Chen Ran," Elesa said confidently, "if I win, I'll send out my trump card next!"
She threw a Poké Ball.
A flash of light—
Zebstrika appeared.
"Raaah!"
Its black-and-white body crackled with electricity. The lightning-shaped mane flared like living thunder.
Just in case, Chen Ran quickly checked its level.
Level 30.
"Good."
He let out a quiet breath.
Charmeleon was well above that.
Without hesitation, Chen Ran threw out his Poké Ball.
"Charmeleon!"
Flames flared as Charmeleon landed powerfully on the field.
The moment it appeared, both the retired Elite and the senior Breeder were visibly impressed.
"This Charmeleon is nearly perfect," Bertha murmured.
"The way it's been raised… excellent work," Mother Wen added.
Even Zebstrika stiffened.
Despite having the level advantage on paper, it instinctively took two steps back under Charmeleon's overwhelming presence.
"Zebstrika!" Elesa snapped. "The battle hasn't even started yet! Don't lose your nerve!"
But the outcome was already obvious.
"Charmeleon, use Ember!"
Though he called it Ember, the flames that burst forth were closer to a blazing inferno.
The torrent of fire swallowed Zebstrika instantly.
Even with its speed, it couldn't escape in time.
When the flames cleared—
Zebstrika had collapsed.
"The battle is over," Bertha announced calmly.
"Zebstrika is unable to battle. Charmeleon wins."
Elesa stood frozen in disbelief.
Her trump card hadn't even entered the field before she was completely overwhelmed.
Bertha sighed softly, feeling a little sorry for her granddaughter.
But she didn't blame Chen Ran.
On the contrary—
She was even more optimistic about him now.
As for Larvitar's internal developmental issues, Bertha did not hide anything.
The solution, in fact, was simpler than expected.
…