Phew!
Daemon slid back the chair on which he sat.
It had been two days since his gym battle, and the forums were going crazy over his Shiny Kirlia. But even more than that, it was the strength of his starter that surprised everyone.
Defeating an Aerodactyl was no easy feat, but he had done it. That drew a lot of attention to his forum page and his Pokegram account. His followers had increased from a pitiful 21 to a staggering 1,378, and it was still not stopping.
Did he mind all this attention? Actually, no.
'I need eyes on my Pokémon and me if we want sponsors.'
While he had decided not to invest much of his money in TMs like before, there will still be many things he needs to buy for his Pokémon, especially food.
Since he had the discount coupon given to him by Flint, Daemon had decided to buy the highest quality food for his Pokémon, which would last them about three months, but it had cost him a lot of money.
Moreover, he had bought a batch of various vitamins for his Pokémon worth ₽50,000 even after the discount, and they would only last him a month or so.
While vitamins did not help much in the short run, over time the growth they provided to Pokémon could not be ignored—every trainer who consistently qualified for conferences used these supplements to aid the growth of their Pokémon.
Much of the money was spent getting the right food for Deino, and this was also the highest amount of money he had spent in a single day...ever.
But he did not regret any of it.
Money was made to be spent, and if he wanted his Pokémon to grow strong, he had to make sure the food they ate was rich in vitamins and everything else necessary for their growth.
Moreover, he had found a suitable way to use TMs over the last two days. Which meant once his Pokémon were ready, he would need even more money to buy these items.
And then there were the hobbies of his Pokémon. Kirlia loved to read, and he had bought some good books for her to read while they were travelling. Deino...well, the only hobby the dragon was interested in was destroying things, so Daemon did not have to worry too much about it for now.
But the articles published by a famous professor were behind a paywall, and the fee was not small.
'Doesn't mean I should not allow Alice to read them.'
Pokémon were more than just tools for battle; they were their own beings. While they loved to battle and grow strong, they also had personalities outside of this profession. If his starter loved to read, then he would not stop her from doing so.
However, he could not sustain such exuberant costs forever. For now, he had the money from the Smeargle trade, but that sum was already about to be fully spent, and Daemon hadn't even splurged it into buying meaningless items.
While battling could earn him some money, and so could gym battles, they would only be a drop in the bucket.
The best way for a trainer to earn money for their Pokémon was through sponsors.
Companies, both local and international, sponsored various trainers, and, in turn, these individuals used their products in public, during gym battles, and on their social media platforms to promote them.
Of course, the highest level of sponsorship was the one from a regional professor. But these sponsorships were hard to come across for an ordinary trainer.
Another thing he had spent time researching was a possible third Pokémon for his team, as well as planning the route to Cerulean City.
He had divided the six slots into various roles. So far, Kirlia was the 'support,' and Deino was 'heavy artillery.' What he needed next was either a 'tank,' a 'speedster,' or a 'berserker' for physical damage.
Unless he somehow lucked out and got another dragon. However, considering he was in Kanto, the only dragons available here were either Dragonite or Kingdra. The former was too rare and a protected species, while the latter required a Dragon Scale to evolve, a very expensive item.
As for defence...the only good options in Kanto were either a Golem or Steelix, and neither of them was suitable for his team. Partly because the former had too many weaknesses and not enough going for it, unlike Deino, who, despite being four times weak to fairy-type, could take a lot of hits from other types and also deal tons of damage.
Steelix, on the other hand, had a lot of resistance, but the only thing it had going for itself was defence and nothing else. Moreover, the sheer size of a Steelix would make it a walking target for anything decently fast.
Lapras was another option Daemon had looked at, but the species was on the verge of extinction due to being hunted by poachers. The League had taken matters into their own hands, and thus these water-types were forbidden from being trained until their population reached desirable numbers.
'Arceus, it's so tough to plan a team.' Daemon stretched his arms and let out a yawn.
Not only had his expectations gone out of the room due to the addition of Deino to his party, but most of the Pokémon that moved him were not native to Kanto and thus almost impossible to acquire.
Due to trainers travelling between regions and migration, Pokémon from other regions could be found outside of their native lands, but it was rare...very rare.
Of course, there were a lot of great Pokémon in Kanto itself; however, they were not available to him unless he went to the other side of Mount Moon and travelled a bit further east.
'Let's get out of this city and travel a little before challenging more gyms.'
Not only did he need to retrain his Kirlia and get Deino on his side, but he also needed another Pokémon in his team before the second gym, since it was going to be a three vs three. So, unless he had a third Pokémon, the gym would not even entertain his challenge.
Daemon checked the time, and it was 7:00 pm. He had spent most of the day in this computer lounge, while Kirlia was busy reading on his phone the whole day, and had now video-called his parents.
He turned to his side, where the psychic fairy was busy explaining her words to his father...the old man could not understand a word but was pretending as if he could.
Not having a daughter was one of Eddard's biggest regrets. But ever since the psychic fairy was born, he had 'adopted' her and became her father. The man treated the psychic fairy like a princess.
"I think we should head to bed." Daemon slid his chair and appeared in the frame. "We are back on the road starting tomorrow."
"Kir Kirlia."
"So, no calls for how long?" Diana asked worriedly.
"At least a month, could be more." The black-haired boy replied. "I am planning to train and explore Mount Moon and Mount Hideaway for my third Pokémon. I will make sure to call you guys when we reach a ranger camp."
"Please don't get in any trouble." The older woman pleaded in worry.
"Kirlia." The psychic fairy pointed her hands at herself. "Kirlia Kir."
"Thanks for taking care of him, Alice." Diana beamed at the cuteness of the psychic fairy.
"You should have more trust in me than..."
Should I tell them about the Viridian Forest?
"...But then again, she IS more responsible for us two."
"Duh!" Eddard rolled his eyes. "My princess is a lot smarter than you."
"Take my side sometimes, old man."
"You used to be cute, she still is and forever will be." The older Aragon smirked before his face became neutral, and he added. "On a different note, are you doing okay, son?"
Daemon was a bit taken aback by the sudden question. "Yeah, why wouldn't I be?"
"Your eyes." Eddard gave him an intense look. "You have dark circles."
The black-haired boy waved his hand. "I have been spending too much time on computers, not enough sleep. That's why I am heading to bed early today."
"Are you sure?"
"Kirlia." The psychic fairy gave the other man a thumbs up, and the latter finally relented.
"If she says so."
"Why do you not trust me?"
"Sho! Go to bed now."
"Mom loves you."
"Love you too, Mom."
"Not me?"
"Kirlia Kir."
"I love you more, my princess."
Daemon sighed in relief when the call was over, and psychic fairy placed her hand over his.
Are you still getting them?
"They haven't gone away since." Daemon stood up with a sigh. "Let's go. I want to try sleeping for a day...maybe going to bed early would help."
You should talk to Nurse Joy.
The black-haired boy smiled at her and ruffled her blue hair, careful of touching the two horns on her head.
"I will be fine, Alice."
You are lying.
"I am not."
Our minds are linked, AND I can now read emotions more clearly.
"..."
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[Author's Note]:
[1]: Did you guys like the chapter? Please tell me if I can improve anywhere.
[2]: I will be posting this week's chapter shortly today or by tomorrow.
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