Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon. It belongs to Nintendo and Game Freak.
Hi all,
Here's the next chapter. Lucas gains some new skills and meets another familiar character.
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Chapter 9
After successfully acquiring the Alchemist profession, Lucas acquired a new skill. With this addition, he now possessed the three essential professions needed to achieve his goals. The next step was to level up these professions and acquire more skills that would provide him with additional perks.
He had accumulated enough experience to advance to level nine, so he spent his experience points and gained another skill point. He now had five skill points available to use, and he was going to invest in some skills since he had no reason to save them at this point. Before doing so, however, he consulted his guidebook to gain a better understanding of the new skill he had obtained.
Skill: Salve Mastery Level 1/3 Next: 2SP Type: Active Charges: 10/10
Description: The player embarks on the path to mastery of making salves. When this skill is activated, the player's chance of successfully creating a salve increases by twenty per cent. This applies to both known and untested recipes. Furthermore, as the player repeatedly uses this skill on a recipe, they will gain insight into it. Advancing in this skill will further increase the chance of success and provide additional perks.
The skill would be immensely beneficial, particularly when making new recipes he hadn't tried before. Given that Alchemy required a significant investment of time, anything that could reduce wasted effort was beneficial. But was it worthwhile to allocate points towards developing this skill when it had limited uses compared to something like potions? He expected to quickly level up his Alchemist profession and gain a skill for making potions, so maybe he should hold off for now. He didn't need to decide for now, as he could continue to gain experience in the profession by continuing to make salves.
Lucas evaluated his current skills and thought about which one he should focus on improving. The Coach's skill should take priority, considering that it would give him even more experience points for training his Pokemon. Now that Max had joined the team, the benefits of this skill would be amplified. Also, it would reduce the time required to max out his Pokemon's stats at each level. Considering its relatively low cost, the advantages offered by this skill were worth it.
He understood that, as he continued to raise his Pokemon, he would eventually need to increase his Insight skill. It would also benefit his Pokémon Breeder profession by providing him with additional information and making it easier for him to find and breed Pokémon to make stronger Pokemon Eggs. However, it wasn't urgent at the moment.
Similarly, his Bountiful Gains skill was not particularly important given the potential earnings he could make with Alchemy. Making his decision, Lucas spent two points and levelled up his Coach skill.
Skill: Coach Level 3/5 Next: 5 SP Type: Passive Charges: -
Description: Training your Pokemon to become stronger should benefit the player as well. For every stat the Pokemon gains through training, the player receives two hundred experience points. Training efficiency has increased by twenty per cent. The effectiveness of training a Pokemon's affinities has increased by ten per cent. Levelling up this skill even further will provide the player with additional benefits.
The amount of experience he would receive had doubled again, and he got an increase in his efficiency for stat training. The best thing, though, was that it improved his Pokemon's affinity training. The only downside was the skill cost five skill points to upgrade further.
Three skill points left. He required an additional two skill points to reach Coach Level 4. He would work on that later tonight as he ventured outside tonight to engage in more Pokemon battles. If Max was ready, he would start using him in some battles.. They needed to participate in some battles together to increase their teamwork.
Lucas checked the time and realised he had a little while before evening set in. With the extra time, he decided to focus on making a new salve. He chose a healing salve recipe that used Oran berries as the main ingredient. Like the previous recipe, the instructions for this one were fairly straightforward.
After closing the trap door, Lucas concealed it under a layer of leaves. Even though the chances of someone stumbling upon it this late in the evening were slim, he decided to be cautious.
He checked his pockets to ensure that he had all of his necessary healing supplies with him. Alongside the potions he purchased, he also had three batches of the healing salve that he successfully crafted. He wasn't confident in their quality, but he planned to put them to the test tonight and see how effectively they recovered his Pokémon's condition
He turned to address Icarus and Max. "Alright, let's go find some wild Pokemon to challenge. Max, are you ready for some battles?"
Max struck a strong arm pose. "Kid."
Lucas checked his map to get his bearings. He wanted to avoid retreading ground he had already covered. Therefore, he made the decision to head north and see what he could find.
"Keep an eye out in the air, Icarus," Lucas said as he began walking. "Max, stay close to me."
He ventured north under the cover of darkness. As he walked, the beam from the torch danced and flickered along the ground, serving as his sole source of light. He looked around nervously, his imagination running wild with every tiny sound and slightest movement in the shadows.
It occurred to him that having a Pokemon that could scout ahead of him could be advantageous. Icarus had a good sense of the big picture, but he struggled to notice the finer details because his view from the sky could be obstructed by things such as trees and dense foliage. He had his eye out for a Pokemon from the Kanto region that would be perfect for this role. However, he was certain that it couldn't be found in this particular area of Kanto.
A short while later, he came across his first wild Pokemon of the evening. A Hoothoot was perched on a tree, its large, red eyes fixated on them as they approached.
Species: HootHoot
Level: 6
Condition: Excellent
Threat Level: Low
Lucas scanned it with Insight. He grinned as he quickly read its parameters. As he expected, the Pokemon was perfect for both levelling and training Max. It had only physical attack moves, which could assist in training Max's defence. One of its moves included Peck, a flying-type move, which was not effective against an electric-type, and would only cause half the amount of damage. However, the most notable aspect was that its Attack stat was low, which meant he would deal less damage.
Max had already maxed out his stats for his current level, so he ordered Max to attack and finish the battle as quickly as possible.
"Make sure it doesn't fly away, Icarus," Lucas called, taking a few steps back. "Max, use Thundershock to initiate the fight."
Icarus chirped in response.
"Kid!" A yellow shroud momentarily enveloped Max's body before he unleashed a bolt of lightning directly at the Hoothoot.
Hoothoot flew down from the branch to avoid the attack, and the bolt sheared through the thick branch with ease. Hoothoot swooped down towards Max, its body surrounded by a white energy as it executed Tackle.
Max quickly braced himself by crossing his arms before Lucas had a chance to give a command. Hoothoot collided with Max, forcefully pushing him several steps backwards from the impact.
Hoothoot recovered its flight, but Max responded swiftly. He released another Thundershock and zapped Hoothoot as it rose into the air.
Hoothoot tumbled to the ground, and its condition decreased by two levels, now sitting at Healthy.
"Thundershock again," Lucas ordered, trying to regain control of the fight. Max had stopped following his orders and was fighting by himself.
Max shocked Hoothoot again before it could recover, and its condition fell another two levels to Depleted.
"Once more," Lucas said.
Max unleashed another Thundershock attack, but this time Hoothoot was ready. Without wasting a second, the determined Pokemon stood up and skillfully dodged the attack by leaping to the side.
"Wait patiently for another opportunity to strike," Lucas advised. "One more Thundershock should be enough."
Hoothoot kept circling Max, bouncing on one foot to avoid getting hit again. While the Pokémon lost some manoeuvrability when grounded, its superior speed compensated for it. It seemed hesitant to take to the skies, possibly fearing that it would slow it down enough to get hit again.
Max closed the distance between himself and Hoothoot slowly, watching its every move. The opponent finally lost its patience and took to the sky. Max unleashed another Thunderbolt, striking the Hoothoot squarely in the chest. Hoothoot plummeted to the ground, and its condition changed to Fainted.
"Great job," Lucas said with a smile as Max raised his arms in celebration. "We need to focus on improving our teamwork. You have to follow my commands."
Max appeared annoyed as he pointed towards the unconscious Hoothoot and then his trainer. Lucas didn't know what Max was trying to communicate. When he recalled the fight, he finally understood what he was talking about. He made a mistake in his positioning, and if Max hadn't intervened to block the Hoothoot's attack, he might have been injured.
"I need to work on my situational awareness as well," Lucas said apologetically. "You had no choice but to block the attack. Still, it was a good effort overall for our first time fighting together."
Max nodded happily, satisfied with that answer. His condition had fallen by one level, and that was due in part because of the damage he sustained from the attack. Even though he wanted to transform Max into a formidable tank, his defensive capabilities were weak at the moment. The more damage he received from each attack, the more his condition would deteriorate. Hopefully, as his defence improved, his condition would decrease at a slower rate.
Once he levelled Max up to eight, he would start training his Defence stat in earnest. His strategy involved Max defending until his Static ability activated, rendering the Hoothoot helpless. Then, he would have Max use Charge and Thundershock, which not only trained his Special Attack but also improved his proficiency with these moves as well. Now that he had the ability to create healing salves, he could adopt a bolder approach and focus on training his Pokemon's stats by battling wild Pokemon. It would be more efficient and save him some Pokedollars that he didn't have to spend at the training gym.
"Let's go find another opponent," Lucas said.
He found several additional Hoothoots for Max to battle, and their encounters unfolded in a similar fashion as the first one. Lucas positioned himself strategically behind a tree, shielding himself from potential stray attacks, while Icarus stood guard to protect his back. After a few more battles, Max's condition had fallen to Depleted. He was sustaining significantly more damage than Icarus usually does, causing his condition to deteriorate at a faster rate. Max was in danger of fainting if he wasn't careful. It was the right time to test his healing salve.
"Come here, Max," Lucas said, taking out one of the healing salves. Max ran over and sniffed at the salve curiously.
"You're supposed to ingest it," Lucas explained, handing it to him. "It should help recover some of your strength."
Max dipped his finger into the salve and cautiously tasted it. He grunted in response before scooping the entire contents into his mouth like a glutton.
"How does it taste?"
Max shrugged as if saying, "It was alright."
Max's condition recovered by two levels, back to Healthy. The healing salve's effectiveness was not the best, given that Max was only at level seven. However, it was much cheaper than relying on healing potions.
"I need to keep an eye out for some more Blisterwort to make some more healing salves," Lucas murmured. "I am only running low on this ingredient."
If he couldn't find any more, then he would have to purchase them in Pallet Town. He earned enough Pokedollars each battle with his Bountiful Gains skills to offset the cost.
Lucas pressed on, engaging in Pokemon battles and mapping out the area. Along the way, he managed to gather additional ingredients, even though he might have missed some due to the darkness. He stopped once he had ventured a considerable distance from the Secret Base, and pivoted towards the west. He would start making his way back along a different route. Getting too far away from the base at this time of night wasn't a good idea.
Max earned enough experience for another level, and Lucas levelled him up to eight. He used the last two healing salves to maintain his condition. By the time he had returned to base, he successfully applied his training strategy, resulting in Max acquiring three additional Defence. He could have kept going by using the potions on Max, but he decided it was not worth it. Besides, Pokemon accumulated a lot of mental fatigue from battles, so it wasn't healthy for them to keep battling endlessly. He planned to continue training Max tomorrow while heading back to Pallet Town.
Once he was back at the base, he opened his menu to check out his own progress. He had gained enough experience to reach level ten, so he did so immediately. He was looking forward to receiving another function for reaching another five-level milestone.
Lucas Walker
Level 10
Next: [2/100%]
Exp Cache: [0]
Skill Points (SP): 4
Profession:
Pokemon Trainer Lv.3
Pokemon Breeder Lv.1
Alchemist Lv.1
Skills:
Insight [Active/Passive] (Level 2/5)
Coach [Passive] (Level 3/5)
Bountiful Gains [Passive] (Level 1/3)
Pokemon Friendship [Passive] (Level 1/5)
Functions:
Inventory (Capacity: 30 slots) [Unlock 10 slots: 10000 Pokedollars]
Itemfinder: (Range: 5-metre radius) [Increase radius by five metres: 10000 Pokedollars]
This was an amazing reward.
The Itemfinder was a key item in the Pokemon games that enabled players to locate hidden items in the nearby vicinity. He didn't know what he would find, but he imagined it would earn him a lot of Pokedollars. What if he found more healing potions? Or Pokeballs, with each one costing fifteen hundred Pokedollars.
He consulted the guidebook in order to understand the mechanics of the Itemfinder. It was fairly straightforward. The system seeded hidden items throughout the world by burying them underground, and he would have to dig them up. When he got within range of a hidden item, a distinct beeping sound would resonate in his mind. The sound would intensify as he got closer to the hidden item. There may come a point when it becomes annoying, but there are specific command words to activate and deactivate it.
"Time to test it out," Lucas grinned. "Icarus, let's squeeze in a few more battles before we call it a night."
"Pidgey." Icarus chirped, rolling his eyes, as if to say, "It's about damn time."
"Max, you stay by my side but don't act unless I am in danger."
"Kid," Max nodded.
As Lucas walked, he kept a keen ear out for any sound that might reveal a hidden item in close proximity. Keeping detailed notes with his map became even more crucial because he wanted to avoid wasting time by searching an area he had already explored.
They pressed on for another hour, engaging in skirmishes with some Hoothoot along the way until he discovered his first hidden item.
"Stop," Lucas said, holding up a hand. The sound of the beep echoed in his head, a slow and steady rhythm.
Icarus and Max looked at him with confusion. Why had they stopped?
"I think there is something hidden around here," Lucas told them. He had no intention of giving them any additional explanation.
Lucas walked a few metres in all directions until he pinpointed the direction of the item. He stood in front of a patch of ground, with the beep blaring rapidly in his mind.
"There is something buried here," Lucas stated.
Icarus and Max looked at each other. Judging from their expressions, they clearly thought he was crazy.
"Max, can you please lend a hand?" Lucas asked as he dropped to his knees, using his hands to dig into the ground. He would need to purchase a shovel to make this task more manageable.
Max assisted him in digging, and together they excavated a hole that reached a depth of two feet, until they encountered a solid object. Max exclaimed in excitement and redoubled his efforts to unearth the object. It was a small wooden chest. Lucas opened it and found a single Pokeball inside.
"This is worth fifteen hundred Pokedollars on its own," Lucas grinned.
Max and Icarus gazed at him with a sense of awe, unable to comprehend his ability to discover treasure so effortlessly.
"Let's return to the Secret Base. It's getting late," Lucas said, placing the Pokeball in his inventory.
Lucas set out early the next morning, retracing his path out of the forest and into the open fields. Before his departure, he made sure to stow the Alchemy equipment in his inventory. He wanted to have them readily available for making salves because he wouldn't be coming back anytime soon. To create more space in his inventory, he stored some ingredients in his rucksack.
Lucas had Max engage in battles with every Pokémon they came across to complete his stat training and gain more experience. Now that he had the Itemfinder, he didn't have to worry too much about using up the potions he had on hand.
After a few hours, Lucas finally arrived at the main road and continued towards Pallet Town. He didn't come across any more hidden items, but this was to be expected.
He wasn't able to secure a ride from any of the passing carriages. He would need to acquire a bicycle or capture a suitable Pokemon that he could ride at some point. Though Icarus could fulfil his flying transportation needs eventually, he still lacked a method of getting around on land.
Upon returning to Pallet Town, Lucas headed to the Adventurer's Guild in order to submit the ingredients for the three missions he had undertaken. After perusing the mission board, he discovered five more missions that he could finish immediately using the ingredients he already possessed. As a result, he managed to accumulate a total of eighty guild points and five hundred Pokedollars. All in all, it was quite a satisfactory outcome.
Before returning home, he stopped by the Pokemon Centre to heal his Pokemon. When he arrived at his house, he found Delia and Mimey working in the kitchen, while Ash was in the living room watching television.
"Hey, Mimey," Lucas greeted the Pokémon.
"Mime."
"You returned safe and sound," Delia said with relief.
"Did you think I would get into trouble?" Lucas asked, sitting down at the table.
"Well, after the incident with those people in the forest, I can't help but feel concerned when you venture outside. What are you doing with the rest of your day?"
"I don't have anything specific planned," Lucas answered. "I think I'll take some time to read the books that Professor Oak gave me."
"Would you mind accompanying me to the harbour? It's always unsettling for me to go there alone, as the place tends to attract a rough crowd. I need to procure some supplies for the laboratory."
"I don't mind," Lucas replied. "Even though I'm not sure how much I can help when you have your Pokemon to protect you."
"Ash will also be joining us, so I would appreciate having an extra pair of eyes."
"Sure, no problem."
The harbour of Pallet Town was located a few miles south of the actual town, situated at the tip of the peninsula. Numerous ships carried goods to this harbour, which were then distributed to major cities like Viridian and Celadon City. In a world where conventional fuel like diesel didn't exist anymore, humans had to discover alternative means of powering ferries. One common solution involved harnessing the energy of electric-type Pokemon to operate the ferry engines.
Although still in the early stages of development, technology was emerging that allowed vehicles and other technology to run on rechargeable batteries. Since it was a clean energy source, it didn't violate Arceus' mandates. He wasn't sure how well it would be received among the general public, as it seemed they had become accustomed to being transported in carriages pulled by Pokemon.
Delia checked on the food cooking in the oven. "Lunch should be ready in about forty minutes."
"Okay, thank you," Lucas replied. "I'll just tidy up and put away my belongings."
Lucas picked up a book and headed to the living room, where Ash was sitting. Taking a seat next to him, Lucas noticed that Ash seemed to be in a sour mood.
"Is something the matter?" Lucas asked.
"Nothing," Ash muttered, kicking his feet against the sofa.
"You're really convincing with that body language," Lucas quipped.
Ash muttered quietly and looked away with a displeased expression.
"What was that?"
"I just saw Gary's Pokemon Egg hatching earlier this morning," Ash said. "He received a Charmander, which came from his grandfather's Charizard. I have no doubt that it will have a lot of potential."
"Well, I suppose Professor Oak would want the best for his grandson." Lucas took hold of the remote and turned off the television in order to have a more serious conversation with Ash. "Are you jealous?"
"No!" Ash protested. "I don't have a problem with Gary receiving a Pokemon Egg. What bothered me was how he flaunted it in front of me. I thought we were supposed to be friends."
"Well, he is only nine years old," Lucas said. "Kids are known to be incredibly thoughtless and immature. I wouldn't worry about it too much. I am sure that he will come to recognise his unkind behaviour and offer an apology."
"Hah," Ash snorted. "Gary Oak has never apologised for anything in his life."
"He might be a little spoiled due to his grandfather being Professor Oak."
"That's definitely the case."
"Well, maybe you should make some other friends until he can realise what he is missing," Lucas suggested.
"Maybe," Ash said, grabbing the remote and turning the television back on. It seemed like the conversation was over.
Maybe he wasn't suited to be a parent. He didn't know how to talk to kids.
Lucas began reading the book that delved deeply into Polemon's moves. Knowing this information is crucial for Pokémon Breeders, especially when it comes to egg moves and how they are passed down from parents to their offspring.
What are Pokemon Moves?
In its simplest form, they serve as a framework or blueprint outlining how Pokémon harness and utilise energy to perform powerful and unusual feats. It could be likened to magic spells, if such a thing was real, in that each move has a set of instructions on how to manipulate energy.
Every Pokemon has a distinct set of moves that are specific to them, and this knowledge is stored within their minds. As they gain competency through practice, and increase their affinities, they unlock the means on how to utilise these moves. A move set is not completely set in stone, however, as they also can learn moves through other means.
One way to achieve this is by using Technical Machines, also known as TMs. They are artificial objects created by skillfully extracting information from a Pokemon's mind, using the power of Psychic Pokemon. It expands upon the Pokemon's move set, although not every TM available can be used by all Pokemon. A TM uses a special machine to download information into a Pokemon's brain. There is a maximum number of TM's that a Pokemon can learn, and exceeding this limit can pose a danger to them.
Another method of expanding a Pokemon's move set is through inheriting moves from its parents. When it comes to determining which moves, if any, a Pokemon can pass down to its offspring, there are several factors to consider. A Pokemon Breeder's expertise lies in their ability to skillfully create powerful Pokemon Eggs with powerful moves inherited from their parents.
Lucas stopped reading when Delia told him that lunch was ready. His excitement continued to build as he delved deeper into the world of Pokemon Breeders. He was excited to begin experimenting and create his own Pokemon Eggs, with the potential to make incredibly powerful Pokemon.
They rented a carriage in town to travel to the harbour. Lucas glanced out of the carriage with curiosity as they journeyed along the road. Interestingly, despite its short length of just a few miles, this road was known as Route 0.
"There is a passenger ferry coming in today from Fuchsia City," the driver told them. "It should have already arrived by now. I don't understand why it would choose to make a stop here, given that our harbour is known for its unreliability."
"Really?" Delia exclaimed. "How long will it be here for?"
"Only for a day," the driver replied. "It's heading to Azalea Town in Western Kanto tomorrow."
The former Johto region was referred to as Western Kanto.
"We may have to share our carriage with some passengers on the way back," Delia said.
"We could always go on foot," Lucas suggested. "It's a nice day outside. It won't take us long to walk back to Pallet Town."
He didn't mind the exercise because there was always a chance that he might stumble across some more hidden items.
"There are plenty of taxi carriages heading for the harbour," the driver said. "You don't have to worry."
They reached the harbour and disembarked from the carriage. Lucas trailed behind Delia and Ash as they made their way towards a row of stalls lining the street. The entire area was bustling with people as the tourists disembarked from the ferry and awaited the carriages that would transport them to Pallet Town.
The harbour was rather small and had a somewhat run-down appearance, making it unsuitable for hosting a large number of tourists. Alongside the pier, there were a few warehouses, and the sole street had several buildings that provided essential services for the harbour's operations.
Lucas waited while Delia haggled with a stall owner. She was trying to buy fresh seafood that had been imported from elsewhere. The world relied on large fisheries to meet the population's seafood demand, but Pallet Town did not have a fishery of their own.
Ash caught Lucas's attention by grabbing his arm. "Lucas, look over there!"
Lucas's gaze followed his pointing finger towards the steps leading up to the inn. A beautiful woman wearing a traditional kimono stood there with her luggage at her feet, surrounded by a group of men who appeared to have some bad intentions.
"What a bunch of bullies," Lucas said, observing the situation with a frown. "Will she be okay?"
"Dude, do you know who she is?" Ash asked, his voice filled with disbelief. "The real question should be whether they will be alright."
"Who is she?"
"That is Sabrina, the gym leader for Saffron City," Ash said.
"Really? What is she doing here?"
"Let's go ask her," Ash said, as he dashed towards Sabrina.
"Ash!" Lucas called, but the boy ignored him.
"Is something wrong?" Delia asked distractedly.
Lucas reassured her that nothing was wrong and followed Ash as the boy approached Sabrina. A man stepped forward and pushed the boy, causing him to tumble to the ground.
"Hey, asshole," Lucas shouted as he helped Ash to his feet."What the hell is your problem?"
"Beat it punk," the man said. "Don't interfere with our business."
"You might want to look behind you," Lucas suggested as he watched Sabrina summon a Pokemon. The other men surrounding her no longer appeared confident. They wore expressions of terror as they slowly retreated from Sabrina.
Lucas didn't blame them, considering how scary the smirking Pokemon looked.
Species: Gengar
Level: 57
Condition: Perfect
Threat Level: Zero
The man in front of Lucas remained completely unaware of the danger. "What? Listen, get lost before I rearrange your face, punk."
"Gengar!"
The man's expression rapidly transformed into fear as turned to face the Pokemon standing behind him. He stood paralysed, as the Pokemon opened its mouth menacingly, giving the impression that it was about to swallow him whole. Finally, the man managed to overcome his paralysis and ran away.
"Your Gengar is totally cool!" Ash exclaimed.
Lucas observed the girl more closely now that he was standing in front of her. She possessed a pale complexion and luxuriously long black hair. However, the most noticeable thing about her was the lack of expression on her face. It remained unchanged during the entire exchange with the men, as if the encounter didn't even register with her. Didn't she feel any fear?
Sabrina returned Gengar to her Pokeball and turned to address them. "Can I help you?"
"Hey, Miss Sabrina," Ash greeted her. "Can I get your autograph?"
"Meeting a fan here? How unexpected," Sabrina stated. She bent down and rummaged through one of her bags. Once she had acquired a pen and paper, she signed her autograph for the boy.
"Thanks," Ash grinned, hugging the paper to his chest.
"Are you okay?" Lucas asked. "That must have been terrifying being surrounded by those men."
"Was that the correct emotional response?" Sabrina asked with the same blank expression. "There are so many nuances to these pesky emotions."
Sabrina returned to rummaging in her bag and retrieved a small notebook. Lucas watched with bemusement as she jotted down a note. Was this girl for real?
"May I ask what you are doing here?"
"I have taken a sabbatical from the gym to explore the world and gain some life experiences," Sabrina stated.
"What kind of life experiences?"
"None of your business."
So, what do you think? Sabrina is Lucas' main love interest in this story. She is twenty years old but has very little life experience. It's going to be fun developing their relationship. But the romance will develop slowly, as Lucas focuses on launching his Pokemon Breeder career.
Thanks for reading.