Wave Breaker

The next day.

Tetsuya left Pallet Town with a full fourteen Poke Balls on him.

He was increasingly coming to understand the difference between games and reality.

In games, you could raise hundreds or even thousands of Pokémon without caring about the costs or consequences.

Reality was different.

Especially for Trainers.

Leaving one's Pokémon in someone else's care brought all sorts of trouble.

Someone like Tetsuya, who followed an elite route, had it relatively easy.

But for those who wanted to catch every Pokémon they saw, they really could not do as they pleased without an Evolution Stone mine at home.

And that was only the financial aspect.

Problems like bonds and training were the real headaches.

Unless, like Ash, you had someone like Professor Oak as free labor.

That could ease the pressure to some extent.

But fostering feelings between both sides was ultimately a time-consuming and exhausting task. It was hardly something that could be entrusted to someone else.

Tetsuya made a simple calculation.

There were twenty-four hours in a day. Aside from the six or seven hours spent resting, he would have to devote nearly all his remaining time to these fourteen partners.

"What a huge challenge."

He wore a rather helpless smile.

It could not be helped. Tetsuya simply preferred staying out in the wilderness.

The transfer system could rotate partners for training and raising at Pokemon Centers in cities.

But only in cities.

Once he entered the wilderness, portable two-way transfer devices remained a distant dream.

Rather than waste time and energy traveling, he might as well find a way to keep them with him.

"Pidgeot, let's go!"

Lost in thought, Tetsuya tossed out a Poke Ball and jumped onto Pidgeot's back.

"Beep—"

A bird cry rang out.

Pidgeot carried him into the sky and