Opponent Appears

"Damn, they really were willing to spend money."

Tetsuya thought this, but his hands never stopped moving as he placed beef and several lobsters onto his plate.

Yes, ordinary animals existed in the Pokemon World, but their numbers were pathetically small.

Generally speaking, people ate technologically synthesized ingredients, which were basically no different from natural ones in taste or texture.

Yet this restaurant openly stated that it used farmed natural ingredients rather than synthetic ones.

Tetsuya felt that the St. Anne had no need to joke about something like this. True gourmets could still taste the difference between the two.

Natural ingredients were not only scarce, but expensive. They could not be farmed on a large scale either, as though the rules of the world simply did not allow it.

The cost of ingredients for a single day was probably tens of millions, and the St. Anne traveled around the world all year round.

The expense was easy to imagine.

After taking a bite, he found that there really was no difference in taste or texture, yet it gave him a sense of freedom and freshness.

Maybe that was the taste of money too.

As he slowly savored the natural flavors, a shadow blocked the light in front of Tetsuya.

"Hello, Trainer Tetsuya Tamaki of Pewter Gym."

Looking up, he saw a boy about his age, with long purple hair and reddish-brown clothes, holding a tray as he greeted him.

Why is it always like this whenever I run into characters from the anime in my previous life? Zhang Wei's destined place is the bathroom—could mine be restaurants?

Tetsuya grumbled inwardly and forcibly squeezed out a smile.

"Hello, Trainer Reiji of Cerulean Gym."

"Haha, I thought you hadn't recognized me. You don't mind if I sit here, do you?"

"Not at all. I don't mind one bit."

Tetsuya screamed inwardly. Why are they all exactly the same? Still, he put on a delighted expression to maintain his friendly image.

Reiji sat down naturally. "Let me introduce myself properly again. I'm Reiji from Veilstone City in the Sinnoh Region. I'm currently traveling through the Kanto Region in my first year, and I'm here to compete on behalf of Cerulean Gym."

"Tetsuya Tamaki, from Viridian City in the Kanto Region. Also in my first year of traveling, and here to compete on behalf of Pewter Gym."

Tetsuya answered casually while eating lobster.

Reiji did not find it awkward and began eating naturally as well. "Speaking of which, we really are fated. There are only four non-heirs participating, yet the two of us ran into each other."

"We are pretty fated." Tetsuya nodded perfunctorily. He had no idea why Reiji had suddenly approached him.

"I'm sure you've looked over the information too. Among the thirty-two participants, I only acknowledge you and two others as opponents worthy of notice. Everyone else is just cannon fodder."

Reiji calmly said something utterly bizarre.

Tetsuya's mind was full of question marks. No, why does Reiji feel so much like his younger brother? Is he really this asking for a beating?

He remembered this guy being pretty decent. Or had he remembered wrong?

What he did not know was that before Brandon taught him a lesson, Reiji's behavior had basically been identical to that of his younger brother Shinji's, except that he occasionally appeared more respectful toward others.

Reiji paid no attention to what Tetsuya was thinking and continued talking to himself.

"But I think the information contains too much uncertainty, so I hope you can have a simple battle with me before the competition.

"A 2v2. You don't have to use Pidgeot, and I won't use Staraptor.

"Besides that—"

"Sorry, I don't have time." Tetsuya mercilessly interrupted Reiji.

What was this guy thinking? Asking his opponent to voluntarily reveal their strength? Did he look that stupid?

"Hm? Why?" Reiji looked surprised. "Oh, I get it. How about this? The wager for the battle will be 500,000. It's not much, but consider it my challenge fee."

Reiji was very confident. He had read Tetsuya's investigation report, and this person had an enormous desire for money.

Although Reiji valued money too, he was nowhere near as exaggerated as Tetsuya.

Tetsuya was speechless. Where did this money-grubber character setting of mine even come from? It can't have been Brock, can it?

When he got back, it seemed he would have to help Brock improve his Battle Experience.

Far away in Pewter City, the squinty-eyed man was feeding his younger siblings when he sneezed. "Who's cursing me now?"

Brock's first thought was Tetsuya. "I wonder whether they included the 'values money like his life' part I wrote in my reports to the other Gyms."

After muttering to himself, Brock continued his grand babysitting endeavor.

Tetsuya sighed helplessly.

"First, I really don't have time. All my Pokemon have gone for therapy, so I can't battle you.

"Second, I don't think much of 500,000 either. There's no need for me to battle you.

"Third, there's a fifty-percent chance we'll face each other in the semifinals or finals. Why do we have to battle now?"

He really could not understand it. Were young people these days all this stubborn?

"We trainers must constantly challenge ourselves. The victor remains strong, while the weak are unworthy of pity," Reiji declared righteously.

Tetsuya rubbed his forehead and decided to take back his earlier assessment that Reiji was similar to his younger brother. Shinji had not been particularly likable at first, but he had not been this embarrassingly juvenile.

Come to think of it, should he make an audio recording or film a video? If this guy ever became normal in the future, would bringing it out count as blackmail material?

"Ah, what a pity. I thought that although you loved money, you were someone who enjoyed battling the strong. I didn't expect you to refuse to battle me." Reiji looked deeply disappointed.

This guy was really asking for a beating. And he could even use such a blatant provocation? How bizarre was he? Tetsuya had a splitting headache now.

He really did not want to battle Reiji, but seeing the look on his face made him want to beat the crap out of him to vent his frustration.

"We trainers should constantly fight the strong. Those weak trainers and weak Pokemon are unworthy of being nurtured, in my opinion."

Watching Reiji speak eloquently and loudly preach his beliefs, Tetsuya gradually noticed that the looks people around them were giving them had begun to turn strange.

After sizing things up, Tetsuya decided that slipping away first would be best. He had a feeling someone would soon come looking to cause trouble for Reiji.

He did not want to be mistaken for Reiji's acquaintance and get dragged into trouble. Better to leave quickly.

As for teaching Reiji a lesson, forget it. He did not have that kind of spare time.

Taking advantage of a pause in Reiji's speech, Tetsuya quickly finished his dinner and fled.

When he was about to leave the restaurant, he vaguely heard several voices arguing from where he had been sitting.

"You bastard—"

As he strolled along the first-deck promenade, Tetsuya had no interest whatsoever in what happened at the restaurant afterward.

Not only was he unfamiliar with Reiji and annoyed with him now, but even if they were acquainted, Tetsuya would not have been in the mood to watch the show.

He was here on vacation, not to argue with an idiot like that. He might as well use the time to get some proper exercise.

Please invest, bookmark, recommend, and send Monthly Passes!!!

I'm asking for everything!!

P.S. There are only two updates today, posted together. Something came up.

Feel free to write some minor supporting characters in the side-character thread. I suddenly realized that opponent names are really hard to come up with. Dog head

There will be new characters tomorrow too, so feel free to guess who they are.