"Bzzz~"
A slender Pokémon with hexagonal patterns on her abdomen hovered in midair.
Her bearing was elegant and composed, like a queen surveying her territory.
[Pokémon: Vespiquen] [Type: Bug + Flying] [Ability: Pressure] [Level: Late advanced] [Moves: Fury Cutter, Struggle Bug, Sweet Scent, Wing Attack, Air Slash, Roost, Power Gem, Attack Order, Defend Order...] [Condition: Slight decline in honey gland function. Increase nectar intake to promote gland recovery.]
Yushu looked at Vespiquen and silently nodded to himself.
Only female Combee could evolve into Vespiquen, and even then, specific conditions had to be met.
The fact that he had managed to get a Vespiquen meant he was pretty lucky in some respects.
More importantly, Vespiquen could command Combee.
For a ranch, that was practically a built-in production line.
Honey was a high-end ingredient in the Pokémon world. Whether he used it himself or sold it, it was an excellent source of income.
"Bzzz~"
Vespiquen gently fluttered her wings at Yushu in greeting.
When the last Pokémon appeared, Yushu visibly perked up.
Red and blue plasma intertwined around a core of translucent white matter. A faint glow radiated from its body as it hovered half a meter above the ground.
[Pokémon: Rotom] [Type: Electric + Ghost] [Ability: Levitate] [Level: Mid advanced] [Moves: Confuse Ray, Thunder Wave, Astonish, Electro Ball, Hex, Substitute, Discharge...] [Condition: No abnormalities at present]
Rotom!
Now that was a rare find.
Rotom was a rare species in the Pokémon world, not something everyone got to encounter.
And its unique traits allowed it to possess different electronic devices and perform all sorts of functions.
In Yushu's memories, this Rotom had been caught in an abandoned power plant.
Yushu had only been passing by when he heard something inside. He went in to look and found this Rotom possessing an old electric fan, having the time of its life.
Rather than fleeing at the sight of someone, Rotom floated over and studied him curiously.
So he tentatively tossed a Poké Ball. It did not even dodge and was caught straight away.
The whole process had gone so smoothly that it made him wonder whether Rotom had simply gotten bored and deliberately waited for someone to take it away.
As Yushu looked at Rotom, he was already planning its job.
It could possess a lawn mower, for instance, or a refrigerator to serve as a smart housekeeper, or a washing machine to become a fully automatic laundry worker.
This was an all-purpose modification machine.
Rotom spun around in the air, curiously surveying its surroundings.
With all six Pokémon out, the yard became quite lively.
Yushu looked over each Pokémon, silently taking stock.
Apart from Miltank and Torterra, who were early elite, the other four were all late or mid advanced.
Yushu had a general understanding of how Pokémon levels were classified in this world.
Beginner, intermediate, advanced, elite, Gym, quasi-Elite Four, Elite Four, and Champion.
Each level was further divided into early, middle, and late stages.
But these divisions were not all that strict. They were more of a commonly accepted reference for strength.
Beginner was roughly the level of a rookie just starting out.
Intermediate meant they had trained for a while, roughly equivalent to levels 10 to 20 in the games.
Advanced was a level most Trainers could reach after a year or more, making it the general standard.
Elite meant a truly qualified Trainer. Most competitors capable of entering a League Conference had elite-level strength.
As for Gym level and above, that was another world entirely.
And in his team, apart from Miltank and Torterra at early elite, the other four were all advanced.
Advanced against elite meant an inherent disadvantage.
There was something else, too: his team was practically a walking collection of injuries and illnesses.
All training and no care-how was that any different from corporate drones who worked overtime like mad and never got a checkup?
Working nine to nine, six days a week, competing until they ended up riddled with occupational ailments, only to discover they could not even beat a Gym.
No wonder he had been knocked out in the first round.
Getting eight Badges at all probably meant the Gym Leaders had gone easy on him.
"Moo?"
Miltank tilted its head at Yushu and gave a questioning cry.
No training today?
The remaining Pokémon all turned to look at him.
Yushu cleared his throat and solemnly announced:
"No more training! Starting today, I'm not a Trainer anymore!"
Silence hung in the air for about two seconds.
Then...
"Star!"
Staraptor was the first to lose it, as though it had heard some earth-shattering bad news.
What?! Our Trainer's going to be unemployed! Does that mean he'll lay us off next?!
No! I don't want to get fired yet!
"Moo~"
Miltank, on the other hand, was perfectly calm. It ambled toward the shed and looked inside to gauge the space.
It's fine. I can produce milk to support myself.
With my professional skills, Yushu definitely won't lay me off.
"Tor..."
Torterra slowly settled onto the ground, every bit as unbothered.
Unemployment doesn't scare me. I'm his starter Pokémon. Whoever else he sends away, it won't be me.
Besides, I'm a Grass-type Pokémon. I can live on sunshine and grass.
Low costs, easy upkeep.
"Rrr..."
Luxray's gaze began to wander. It glanced toward Solaceon Town, looking thoughtful.
I heard the police station is recruiting police dogs. They didn't say it had to be an Arcanine, did they? Could I get myself a job as a police dog, then?
Besides, I can see through things. I'm way better than an ordinary police dog. Criminals wouldn't even be able to get away.
"Bzzz~"
Vespiquen hovered in midair, her bearing as elegant and composed as ever.
It doesn't matter. I have Combee to provide for me.
I'm a queen. Queens don't need to worry about making a living.
When the time comes, I'll summon the colony. They'll gather nectar and do their work, and life will go on as usual.
Rotom spun around in the air, giving off a cheerful crackle of electricity.
It could live on electricity, so it was not worried.
The ranch might have been run-down, but it still had wiring. As long as there was electricity, it could live quite comfortably.
"Star!"
Seeing that every last one of them had a way out, Staraptor hopped up and down in panic.
Well, look at that. Everyone's got a way out.
What can I do? Deliver packages?
Pidgeot do that job! They fly high and fast, and they know the routes.
Become a messenger? That's Delibird's job.
Their services cover both land and water, and they even have an Ice-type bonus. I can't compete with that!
It's over. I've got no way out.
Yushu could not help chuckling at Staraptor's despairing "I'm about to be unemployed" expression.
"Come on, let's eat first."
He was getting a little hungry.
He had been busy ever since leaving the Pokémon Center that day and still had not eaten dinner.