Chapter 81: Backing
From his conversation with the others, Basalt had learned that there were a total of 32 trainees in the camp, divided into four groups based on skill: A, B, C, and D.
Group A was the strongest, with 4 members.
Group B was next, also with 4 members.
Group C had 8 members, including Luna and Felix. Luna was at the top of Group C, with the potential to chall...
Chapter 80: Arriving at the Metro City Training Camp
The Metro City training camp was located in an industrial park on the outskirts of the city. An old factory, bankrupted and repossessed by the government, had been temporarily repurposed for the camp.
Basalt took a taxi to the entrance. He found the main gate shut tight, with a sturdy, imposing man standing guard, as straight as...
Chapter 79: A Brotherly Bond
Screeech!
A teeth-grinding sound filled the air as the already spinning Drilbur transitioned into its drill form. With a sudden leap, it bored a large hole into the ground.
Boom!
The instant Drilbur disappeared, a beam of multicolored light struck the spot where it had been standing.
Psybeam.
But Drilbur, with its ability ac...
Chapter 78: Return to Seaside County
A week later, just as planned, Bronzor made a full recovery. The only thing that puzzled the doctor was how quickly the wound on its back had healed.
After confirming there were no lingering issues or side effects, Basalt completed the discharge paperwork for Bronzor. He had been stuck in the Savanah Region for far too long; it was time to go h...
Chapter 77: Bronzor's Loyalty
That was over a million Poké Dollars. If the treatment didn't work, Basalt felt like he might just tear the Pokémon Center down himself.
"Bronz..."
Just then, a soft sound came from the bed.
The "actor" Bronzor was online. It put on a show of just waking up, pretending to be weak. It opened its small, soybean-sized eyes and looked arou...
Chapter 76: Dream Invasion
Crimson City Pokémon Center.
Patient Room.
The morning sun streamed through the window, casting a warm glow on the bed where Bronzor was slowly waking up.
"Bronz..."
It quickly realized something was wrong. Wait a minute... wasn't I just fighting a sand mole? How did I end up...
With a simple thought, Bronzor's body naturally...
Chapter 75: Drowning in Debt
Crimson City Pokémon Center.
Outside the operating room.
Basalt sat ramrod straight on a hallway bench, staring blankly ahead. An entire hour had passed since Bronzor had been wheeled into surgery. His initial anxiety had slowly given way to a tense, quiet calm as he waited for the results.
"Don't worry. I'm sure Bronzor will be fine," S...
Chapter 74: Life in Danger
Seeing someone approach, Basalt's first feeling was relief, but that quickly shifted to caution. To avoid any complications, he immediately threw the Poké Ball at the fainted Bronzor. It was a rare Psychic-type Pokémon; who knew if it would attract unwanted attention?
The moment the Poké Ball opened, Bronzor was sucked inside in a flash of red light. ...
Chapter 73: Found a Treasure!
"Drilburr!"
Drilbur cried out to get Basalt's attention, then pointed a claw at the Bronzor that had been knocked to the ground in the distance.
Good grief, it thought, exasperated with its trainer. The enemy is literally at the gates, and he's just standing there like a clueless rich kid. He's completely oblivious. Drilbur felt a surge of frus...
Chapter 72: A Visitor from Beyond
Vwoom!
At a certain point within the swirling, sky-blotting sandstorm, the air itself began to vibrate. A vortex of white light suddenly materialized in mid-air.
Fwoosh!
With a flash of light, a round, bronze-colored figure shot out of the vortex. It tumbled onto a dune and rolled down the sandy slope. A moment later, the energy vort...
Chapter 71: A Sudden Turn of Events
After observing them for a while and failing to notice any significant differences, Basalt decided to wait for the Cacnea to wake up before assessing them further.
"Cac-nea~"
About five or six minutes later, the swirls in the Cacnea's eyes vanished as they regained consciousness. But when they woke up and saw the wicked smiles on the face...
Chapter 70: Deep into the Dunes
Wearing a sand-proof hood and goggles, Basalt rode his docile Numel deeper into the desert. He had already traveled five or six kilometers without realizing it. Thankfully, while the signal was weaker out here, he could still connect to the network to check his map and get his bearings. Otherwise, he would have been completely lost.
He crested one d...
Chapter 69: That Tricky Old Geezer!
Though it was called a "dash," the racecourse was actually quite long, a round trip of about 500 meters. More importantly, the track wasn't a straight line. It was a wide arc, and the sandy path was dotted with large rocks that the competing Pokémon had to navigate around.
The real challenge of the race was maintaining top speed while skillfull...
Chapter 68: The Sand Dash Race
The vast, rolling dunes of Dragon's Tooth Oasis were the perfect venue for off-road racing. The park had designed three separate tracks: Novice, Intermediate, and Advanced, and all visiting tourists were welcome to participate.
The Novice track was for new trainers who had received their first Pokémon within the last year.
The Intermediate tr...
Chapter 67: Dragon's Tooth Oasis
Dragon's Tooth Oasis was a famous tourist destination, located about 120 kilometers from Crimson City. The park was a stunning tapestry of desert, ancient pines, bizarre rock formations, wetlands, prairie, and a crystal-clear lake. A vast prairie stretched for thousands of acres before meeting the endless golden sands, where a natural spring had formed a ...
Chapter 66: Arrival in the Savanah Region
WHOOSH!
The roar of the jet engines gradually faded. A young man wearing a baseball cap and carrying a small backpack emerged into the arrival terminal of Crimson City Airport. It was Basalt.
"Basalt! Over here, over here!"
As soon as he appeared, a middle-aged woman in a red dress, who bore a strong resemblance to his mother...
Chapter 65: The Sandscale Berry
The next morning.
As much as he wanted to sleep in, Basalt and his Drilbur were creatures of habit. Their internal clocks woke them naturally just before seven.
The problem was, Basalt's flight wasn't until the afternoon. With everything already packed, he found himself with nothing to do. He plopped down on the sofa, mindlessly petting Drilb...
Chapter 64: More Fame, More Business
During the competition and the awards ceremony, Basalt's Pokédex had been on silent, and he hadn't had time to look at it. Now, after receiving his rewards and saying goodbye to the round-faced young lady, he took a look and found that it was full of messages.
First was the class group chat, which had completely exploded. The screen showed 999...
Chapter 63: The Champion's Rewards
"We have a winner!!!"
The commentator's roar quickly followed, guiding the audience's emotions and igniting the atmosphere in the venue once again. The stadium was plunged into a sea of cheers.
"Smoochum is unable to battle. Therefore, the winner of this match is… contestant Basalt!"
Influenced by the cheers, the referee waited fo...
Chapter 62: Winning the Championship
"You're quite skilled."
This was the first time Luna had been at a disadvantage in the entire competition. She looked at Basalt, only to see a faint smile on his lips, which annoyed her.
"Smoochum, use Icy Wind."
Frowning, Luna decided to get serious. In any case, her Smoochum was currently protected by Reflect. Nothing to panic a...
Chapter 61: Gaining the Upper Hand
Whirrrr!
Drilbur's body suddenly spun, a white light covering its entire form. It instantly transformed into a spiral of energy, deflecting all the clumps of mud.
Rapid Spin!
"Sand Tomb!"
Basalt shouted loudly. Since a frontal assault wasn't working, it was time to try a control move.
"Chari~"
Drilbur let out a ...
Chapter 60: The Final Battle Begins
While waiting during the mid-match break, the guest commentators began to chat among themselves.
"It seems our predictions were correct. Luna and Basalt both made it to the finals. But based on what we just said, Smoochum's Confusion should be able to detect underground movements. In that case, this Basalt kid is probably going to lose…" Direc...
Chapter 59: I'm Laying My Cards on the Table
"Here he comes, here he comes! It's finally Basalt's turn. Go, Basalt!"
In the audience, Basalt's mom was overcome with emotion, excitedly waving her hands. His dad couldn't hold her back. "Calm down, calm down. We're so far away, he can't hear you no matter how loud you shout."
"None of your business!" Basalt's mom glared at his...
Chapter 58: The Semifinals Begin
"Welcome, everyone, to the semifinals of the 'Seaside County High School Elite Selection Tournament.' I am your host, Hudson…"
On the main stage of the Seaside County Gymnasium, the host, Hudson, dressed in a suit with a neat short haircut, was showcasing his skill of spitting out words like bullets.
The thousand-seat audience section was ...
Chapter 57: A Desert Trip, Arranged!
"Hello, Second Aunt!"
Basalt's mom aimed the phone's camera at him. On the screen was a middle-aged woman slightly older than his mom. Basalt quickly greeted her.
"Oh, Basalt, you child, you really are a hidden talent! So quiet and unassuming, yet you've already achieved fourth place in the entire county."
His second aunt brought ...
Chapter 56: A Surge in Popularity
Not five minutes after the video was released, it was reposted to the forums.
Although they all spoke of hard work, compared to the standard, by-the-book interviews of the other three contestants, Basalt's interview video clearly struck a chord with the ordinary viewers' emotions and resonated more strongly.
"Wow! That handsome Basalt is so...
Chapter 55: Coach Miles's Advice
After a little "force" from Drilbur, Basalt was quickly taught a lesson. After paying the price of two unlimited feasts, Drilbur's anger was finally appeased, and the little boat of friendship between man and mole set sail once more.
Whistle~ whistle~ whistle~
Having entered the top four, Basalt was in a great mood. After finishing the inter...
Chapter 54: The Interview
All three rounds of the main tournament were quickly over. Besides Basalt, who had knocked out Wade, the other three seed players had all advanced.
In the contestant waiting room, the four remaining contestants stood side-by-side. But the gazes of the other three were all fixed on Basalt. This was because the three of them were from the same school, and a...
Chapter 53: I'm the One Who Beats Geniuses!
"Chari~" o(▼皿▼メ;)o
Grunting from the considerable damage it had taken, Drilbur slowly raised its head, its expression exceptionally fierce.
In all the battles of this selection tournament so far, this was the first time the Mole Emperor had taken such a big hit. It would be strange if it wasn't angry.
Only I, the Mo...
Chapter 52: Fierce Battle with a Seed Player
Basalt and Wade walked out from their respective contestant tunnels, and the venue instantly erupted in enthusiastic cheers.
As a favorite to win, Wade's popularity among high school students was quite high. This was especially true because they knew that Wade himself seemed to practice martial arts, and his practical combat ability was...