Worn out from the ordeal, Xingye finally emerged from the police station. It was only a ten-thousand-word self-criticism, as easy as padding out a novel. Nothing too difficult.
He merely glanced back at the police station out of habit. For some reason, he had the feeling he would be coming here often in the future. That had to be an illusion...
"Cyclizar~"
Hearing Cyclizar call out, he came back to his senses, a faint smile curling across his lips. Next up was the traffic management office, where he could get his riding gear sorted out!
Switching his phone to map mode, he casually swiped around and found the traffic management office. It was less than two kilometers away, pretty close.
Since he did not have riding gear yet, he did not dare openly ride Cyclizar again. Still, there was no problem with having it follow alongside him.
Using the map to mark a shortcut, he quickly arrived at the traffic management office. Along the way, he saw quite a few Trainers riding past on Pokémon.
What surprised him was that he had assumed studying traffic laws and regulations would be like getting a driver's license, taking several days.
Instead, he and Cyclizar simply watched an hour of traffic laws and regulations scroll across a large screen, and that counted as completing their studies. It was unbelievably perfunctory. The two of them nearly fell asleep...
"Trainers who have completed the course may head to the eastern hall to select riding gear for their Pokémon. After that, come back here to register!"
Hearing Jenny's voice at the traffic management office, Xingye finally woke up. He then led Cyclizar toward the eastern hall, hoping they could find something suitable.
But he was surprised once again. He had thought the hall would have supermarket-like shelves, with riding gear displayed for Trainers to pick from.
Instead, there were machines standing there. You could touch their screens, select your Pokémon and its size, and the system would automatically generate and manufacture the gear on the spot.
"That's pretty high-tech..."
Xingye had truly never seen anything like this before, though he still held Cyclizar back to keep it from biting the machine.
The panel had provided all of Cyclizar's physical data. He entered the Pokémon's name on the screen, then added its height and weight before quietly waiting.
A moment later, something rolled out from beneath the machine. Xingye curiously lowered his head and saw a transparent Poké Ball.
He picked it up and stared at it in confusion, but the screen beside him displayed a prompt explaining how to use it.
"Storage Ball: a specialized item used to store riding gear. It is shaped like a Poké Ball for aesthetic purposes. Press the button in the center of the ball to release the riding gear. Storing it again works the same way."
"That's pretty convenient..."
After reading the instructions, Xingye could not wait to open the ball right there. A set of handlebars and footrests resembling those of a heavy motorcycle appeared before him.
Cyclizar immediately noticed it, its expression turning even more excited. Judging by its reaction, it seemed to really like this riding gear.
"Don't rush. Let me figure this out first..."
After a while, Xingye still could not understand how it worked, but he did figure out how to put it on. He then strapped it onto Cyclizar's back.
The riding gear did not have a seat. Cyclizar already had one built in, so it was unnecessary and would only restrict its movement. As for everything else...
Especially after it had been equipped, Cyclizar felt like it had completely turned into a heavy motorcycle. If he styled his hair into a pompadour before riding it, the look would be absolutely complete.
"How does it feel?"
"Cyclizar, Cyclizar~"
Cyclizar shook its body. Other than being unable to maintain an upright posture, it was satisfied with everything else. Now it could carry someone and run around freely.
"As long as you're happy. Then we'll take this one."
Xingye immediately took it back to register. The purpose of registration was simple: the riding gear was basically this Pokémon's license plate. If it was lost, it could be reported missing and remade for a fee, but it could not be used on another Pokémon.
Once everything was settled, it was already past two in the afternoon without him realizing it. He had not even eaten lunch. Fortunately, there were still some snacks left from what Slowking had given him yesterday. He could eat those when he got back, then fix the door.
"Let's go home!"
"Cyclizar~"
The moment Xingye mounted Cyclizar, grabbed the handlebars, and planted his feet on the footrests, that familiar sense of effortless mastery surged through him.
This was when Riding EX truly activated. Right now, he felt like he could even go play cards after changing his hairstyle without any problem!
Just as he was about to head home, Jenny's voice suddenly rang out behind him. "Wait! You forgot something!"
"Hm?"
Jenny was holding something as she walked over. With a stern expression, she pointed at him and lectured, "How can you ride a Pokémon on the road without safety equipment? This is as important as wearing a helmet when fishing! How exactly did you study those traffic laws and regulations?"
"You're asking me how I studied them..."
"Here, take it. Pokémon riding safety comes first!"
"Mm, thanks."
Xingye reached out and accepted it, only to find that it was a pair of black goggles. It looked exactly like some free giveaway bundled with a purchase, probably unsold stock from somewhere.
"At least give me a helmet..."
The goggles were secured with an elastic strap. When he was not using them, he could simply wear them around his neck so he would not lose them.
This time, he was truly heading back. With the riding gear to control Cyclizar, he could finally ride it home openly.
Whenever they encountered other riding Pokémon on the way, Cyclizar always wanted to challenge them to a race, but Xingye held it back every time.
The crowds around them gradually thinned until there was no one else in sight. That meant they had reached the Drifter District. Looking at the utterly quiet streets ahead, who could have imagined how lively they became at night?
"That feeling again..."
Xingye once again felt that familiar gaze. According to Slowking, these belonged to stray Pokémon living around the area, who prohibited humans from entering their territory.
But Xingye did not care. He stomped on the accelerator, and Cyclizar instantly understood. It launched forward and charged into the district at full speed.
Some Stray Meowths and little Raticates finally revealed themselves and began chasing after them. But they could not catch up, so they could only stomp around in place, cursing as they left.
Cyclizar did not stop until it reached the entrance of the izakaya. The door was closed, and Xingye had no idea whether Slowking was inside. Either way, he did not dare knock recklessly. What if Ceruledge was hiding behind the door...
"That guy's eyes really are terrifying. I was genuinely scared last night."
Thinking of Ceruledge, Xingye could not help shuddering. He always felt that thing might be watching him from the shadows, ready to shake him down for cash at any moment.
He could not understand why Ceruledge hated humans so much. He actually liked Ceruledge as a Pokémon, but now he was genuinely afraid of it.
When they returned upstairs, the poor door was still lying quietly against the wall. After eating the last of the snacks for lunch, Xingye had Cyclizar help him knock and bend the door back into shape, making do with it for now.
Then he returned to the living room, ready to continue the idea he had that morning. That was, how could he help Pokémon while also making money? Otherwise, if he starved to death, what would be the point of helping anyone?
There were many Pokémon on this street with troubles, all of them potential customers. He could not count on gaining friendship from every one of them, but he could get money!
Whether for daily life or raising Pokémon in the future, resources would always be necessary.
Going to them and offering help usually meant putting on a friendly face only to be rebuffed. It was easy to suffer losses without gaining anything. But if they came to him and paid for help themselves, the situation would turn around completely!
Still, doing that would be very troublesome. At the very least, he would need to know how to do a bit of everything, because he would have to deal with all kinds of strange customers and their unreasonable demands. Anyone with a bad temperament need not apply.
"And there just happens to be one kind of job that can do exactly that!" Xingye suddenly thought of something, and his current environment was perfect for it!
"That is the do-anything... Odd Jobs shop!"
"Cyclizar~"
Before you continue