Chapter Seventeen: Visiting the Master of the Thousand Miles Pavilion

[A simple serving of braised pork can increase one's racial value by 0.4 after consumption.]

Looking at the braised pork in his hand, Zhao Fang thoughtfully noted this combination in his notebook. He was experimenting with various ways to combine different berries to see how much they could boost the racial value. So far, no matter how he tried, the highest he could achieve fluctuated between 0.1 and 0.9. For the dish that boosted the value to 0.9, Zhao Fang had to use as many as seven different berries to reach that effect.

It seemed he would need to purchase more advanced berries in the future. The ones Zhao Fang could afford now were all quite common, such as those that cured paralysis. The higher-grade berries were available in Orange Blossom City, but their prices were steep. Zhao Fang saw a Mist Lotus Berry selling for a thousand Alliance Coins, but he still planned to buy it tomorrow with the card that merchant Roger had given him. After all, he still had four thousand Alliance Coins left on that card, so he might as well spend them as he wished.

Glancing out the window, Zhao Fang noticed that the sky had already grown dark. He looked at the card in his hand, his expression somber.

Originally, Zhao Fang had planned to leave Orange Blossom City that very night, taking his Pokémon food with him to feed Dreepy. He believed that, by slowly building a bond, his Pokémon food with its remarkable effects would surely win over Dreepy's appetite, making it easy to capture. However, with the unexpected appearance of Roger the merchant, Zhao Fang's plans were thrown into disarray. He didn't believe for a second that a merchant who would give him a card with eavesdropping and tracking devices wouldn't send someone to keep an eye on him if he left Orange Blossom City at night.

"Magikarp, you did really well today. You must be tired, so eat up," Zhao Fang said, patting Magikarp's body. Although this inn was cheap, it still had a bathtub. While the water couldn't compare to the comfort of a stream or the sea, it was far better than flopping around on the floor.

Magikarp buried its head in the braised pork, eating hungrily. It could feel itself growing stronger with every bite of the delicious Pokémon food.

Patiently, Zhao Fang waited for Magikarp to finish, then collected the empty plate, washed it clean, and stowed it in his backpack.

Today in a shop, Zhao Fang had seen a newly released Alliance backpack, reportedly inspired by the spatial powers of Palkia, which could compress lifeless items, allowing a single backpack to hold as much as three or four regular ones. But the price was astronomical.

Even if he had ten of Roger's crystal cards, Zhao Fang doubted he could afford such an expensive high-tech gadget.

...

"Ashu, why did you pin this on that guy?" In the security bureau’s holding cell, a burly man with scratch marks on his head sat on the ground, questioning his companion.

"Of course, to make things difficult for him," Ashu replied darkly, seated on the floor. He never expected to be bested by a mere kid. If he had lost to a competent trainer, it would have been understandable, but to be knocked out by a frying pan...

The memory soured Ashu’s expression. That's why, after regaining consciousness and sizing up the situation, he deliberately made his statement.

He knew these people all too well; the rare Pokémon that had gone missing wasn't on him, and only the two of them were present at the time. By saying what he did, he could at least cause some trouble for someone else.

"Tsk tsk, that's just like you. But it looks like we'll be stuck here for a long time," the burly man said, his face filled with gloom. He’d already heard from Officer Jenny that for crimes like theirs, they’d probably be sent to Prison Island for hard labor.

"..." Ashu sat in silence. He hadn't told anyone else in the organization about this, and since both he and his companion were at the bottom of the hierarchy, it was unlikely anyone would come to their rescue.

"What a rude awakening," Ashu sighed, gazing at the moon outside the bars, a trace of melancholy in his eyes.

...

When Zhao Fang woke up the next morning, he yawned and checked the doorway, spotting a single strand of hair on the ground. He couldn’t help but smile.

The night before, he’d wedged a hair in the door—a trick he’d learned online before transmigrating. Unless the door was opened, the hair wouldn’t fall, and now it had proven useful in this world as well.

"So tired... At least I can spend another thousand Alliance Coins today. That’s something to be happy about," Zhao Fang said aloud, deliberately picking up the card with the bugging device.

He was certain that whoever entered his room last night was one of Roger’s men. But if they found nothing, perhaps their suspicions would gradually fade.

Today, Zhao Fang decided to take Magikarp to battle a few trainers, spending almost all the money on the card. Once he resolved the issue with the card, he could finally go bond with Dreepy.

Thinking of this lifted his spirits. He quickly washed up, released Magikarp, and started preparing breakfast for it.

Although Zhao Fang had been something of a shut-in in his previous life, he could still cook. Avoiding takeout meant saving more money for games and figurines, so he'd honed his culinary skills. He wasn’t a master chef, but he could handle the basics of home cooking.

Soon, Zhao Fang placed a bowl of noodles in front of Magikarp.

"Magikarp, eat up quickly. After breakfast, we’re going out to find some trainers for battles, so you can grow stronger as soon as possible," Zhao Fang said with a cheerful pat.

Once Magikarp had finished the breakfast that could raise its racial value by 0.2, Zhao Fang recalled it into its Poké Ball, shouldered his bag, and left the inn.

The innkeeper gave Zhao Fang a sincere smile, which he returned in kind. Zhao Fang suspected the owner had been bribed by Roger, but it didn’t matter—he already had his plan in place.

"Let’s go, Magikarp. Let’s check out Mr. Norman’s gym," Zhao Fang said, tightening his backpack and heading toward the Normal-type Gym in Orange Blossom City.

Zhao Fang was quite curious about Mr. Norman. After all, it was Mr. Norman who had helped him catch his starter Pokémon, Magikarp. Out of gratitude and propriety, Zhao Fang felt he had to pay a visit, though Mr. Norman probably wouldn’t recognize an ordinary citizen from Littleroot Town like him.