Chapter 290: Urgent Spending Spree
Sensing Rayquaza's emotions through Viridian Power wasn't an easy task.
Yellow closed her eyes and, as usual, placed her hand on Rayquaza's body.
After several days of contact, she had grown quite familiar with the Legendary Pokémon.
Thanks to the soothing nature of Viridian Power, Rayquaza simply treated her touch like a relaxing massage, closing its eyes in enjoyment.
But this time, instead of just vague goodwill, Yellow sensed something more precise.
The emotion Rayquaza conveyed was… laziness?
Opening her eyes, she looked up at Rayquaza, which was now half-lidded, appearing completely at ease.
It matched her perception exactly!
After so much effort, she had finally succeeded. Excited, Yellow turned to share the news with Asahi.
But the moment she spun around—
She was met with Zinnia's face, mere inches away.
"Z-Zinnia…?" Yellow stammered nervously.
Zinnia, noticing Rayquaza's gaze shifting toward her, quickly clarified, "Don't be nervous! I just wanted to ask—you only have one Pokémon, right?"
Yellow, unsure where this was going, nodded instinctively.
Her only Pokémon was the Pikachu she had rescued in Viridian Forest and named "Chuchu."
She glanced toward the nearby pool, where Chuchu was happily playing in the water with Eevee.
Zinnia smiled knowingly.
She had been racking her brain on how to form a good relationship with Yellow.
Now, she had found her chance.
Reaching into her pocket, she pulled out a Poké Ball and tossed it.
Pop!
A Pokémon appeared before them—a beige, mushroom-like creature with green spots.
A Pokémon Yellow had never seen before!
"This is Shroomish—an excellent choice for beginner trainers," Zinnia said in her best big-sisterly tone. "If you want to help more Pokémon, having just one won't be enough… Consider this my gift to you!"
She had specifically asked her clan to catch this Shroomish for her in Hoenn.
It had excellent potential.
"Kino~"
At first, Shroomish seemed reluctant.
But the moment it sensed the aura of Viridian Power emanating from Yellow, it immediately ran to her side, clinging to her leg.
No matter how Yellow tried to pry it off, Shroomish wouldn't budge.
Clearly, it had chosen her.
"This…"
Yellow was at a loss.
She had never received a Pokémon as a gift before.
Her first instinct was to refuse, but she was afraid of hurting Shroomish's feelings.
As she hesitated, Asahi spoke up.
"Take it."
He glanced at Zinnia, who was now looking away, pretending to admire the scenery.
He saw right through her little scheme.
But he didn't mind.
Viridian Power wasn't something that could be obtained just by wanting it.
Zinnia's plan was doomed from the start.
Hearing Asahi's approval, Yellow relaxed. Looking down at the adorable Shroomish, she smiled.
She crouched down to pick it up—
"Wait!"
Both Asahi and Zinnia reached out to stop her.
But it was too late.
The moment Yellow hugged Shroomish, she blinked in confusion, tried to say something—then promptly collapsed into a deep sleep.
Leaving behind an innocent-looking Shroomish, a resigned Asahi, and a sheepishly grinning Zinnia.
Effect: Spore Ability.
In the games, physical contact with a Pokémon with this ability had a 30% chance of causing paralysis, poisoning, or sleep.
In reality, hugging a Shroomish meant a 100% chance of falling asleep.
---
After obtaining her second Pokémon, Yellow's battle training officially began.
However, given her young age and lack of advanced battle skills, Asahi outsourced the task to Sabrina.
How she handled it, he didn't know.
All he knew was that, in the end, the one actually training Yellow was Gary—whose face practically screamed "joy."
---
"Regarding the Hoenn mission report…"
After several days, Green finally finished compiling the report.
But she hesitated.
As per Asahi's request, the report downplayed his role significantly, emphasizing the contributions of herself, Sabrina, Gary, and Zinnia in stopping Team Magma, Team Aqua, and Groudon.
Wasn't this a bit… excessive?
"This is a minor issue," Asahi said, closing his book with a faint smile. "You all did play crucial roles—fighting Groudon, assisting with arrests, everything."
"Besides, I've been promoted too quickly already. Advancing further will take time, but all of you still have room to grow."
"And let's be honest—anyone with half a brain at HQ will recognize my contributions. Just because I don't highlight them doesn't mean they don't exist."
His reasoning was sound.
So, Green didn't argue further.
She submitted the report.
As always, the HQ operator was incredibly diligent, responding with an "Acknowledged" almost instantly.
Asahi sighed.
If only Gary were this dedicated.
Maybe he should send him to HQ for some training?
Asahi rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
Meanwhile, Gary, in the middle of training Yellow, suddenly shivered.
---
Perhaps due to the report's length, HQ's response came two days later.
As expected, it had the usual overly formal tone:
"We deeply appreciate your invaluable contributions to the peace and stability of the Alliance…"
A long string of politically correct fluff.
Asahi scrolled straight to the bottom.
The rewards were as expected.
He had been promoted from Superintendent to Chief Superintendent, while Green, Sabrina, Gary, and Zinnia each received a rank-up as well.
However, one thing gave Asahi a headache.
HQ had increased his operational budget again.
Maybe because the mission was such a major success, his already difficult-to-spend funds had doubled.
If he didn't spend it all, HQ might take it back… and if he let that happen, other departments would probably lynch him.
A frustratingly good problem to have.
Of course, this was just the official response.
Shortly after, he received a phone call.
The voice on the other end was familiar—it was HQ's liaison officer, someone Asahi had only seen once during his initial briefing.
As expected of HQ's elite, the officer got straight to the point.
"Asahi, there are a few questions regarding this incident."
"Go ahead," Asahi replied casually.
Reports could never cover everything. There were always follow-ups.
"First question… Based on your assessment, do Groudon and Kyogre pose any further threat to the Alliance?"
Considering the sheer devastation they had caused, confirming their status was crucial.
Without hesitation, Asahi answered, "No. At least, not for the foreseeable future."
"Why?" the officer asked instinctively.
That was… too fast of an answer.
Asahi smirked.
"Because unless they want to get beaten up again, they'll stay put."
A long silence followed.
So long, in fact, that Asahi wondered if the call had disconnected.
Then, finally, the officer spoke again.
"Regarding Rayquaza, do you have any difficulties in caring for it? Do you need any assistance?"
---
After observing Gary's training session with Yellow for a while, Sabrina returned to the living room.
The moment she stepped in, she saw Asahi and Green sitting across from each other at the table, both deep in thought, frowning.
Knowing that Asahi had just finished reporting to HQ, she couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong?"
Did HQ send some bad news?
As Sabrina started overthinking, Asahi sighed. "HQ keeps increasing our budget. The year-end accounting is coming up, and I can't spend it all!"
Sabrina: "..."
She had thought something serious had happened.
But now that she thought about it, she wasn't even sure how much their department's budget was.
Wasn't this just a spending spree problem?
Given her own spending habits, she figured she might be able to help.
So, she asked.
Then Asahi gave her a number.
"...?"
Sabrina fell silent.
Now there were two people staring blankly at the table.
---
Gary finished his lesson and walked in with Yellow.
The moment he entered the living room, he saw Asahi, Sabrina, Green, Zinnia, and Courtney all gathered around the round table—each lost in deep thought.
(What's going on? Did something serious happen?)
He hesitated, but the heavy atmosphere infected him. His face turned solemn as he quietly took a seat, pretending to ponder deeply as well.
After a while, though, he couldn't keep up the act.
Just as he was about to ask what was happening—
BANG!
Asahi suddenly slammed the table, his expression serious. "This can't go on!"
Gary jumped in shock.
Then he heard Asahi declare, "We must spend this money!"
...Spending money?
Gary was speechless. He had thought this was some grave issue.
But when it came to spending money, he suddenly perked up.
"What do you all want?" Asahi looked around.
If they had to spend it, they might as well use it on what they wanted.
Hearing this, Green thought for a moment. "I'd like a new database. The old one is getting outdated."
"Noted."
Asahi jotted it down—one data center.
Courtney tilted her head. "I want a small plot of land… for growing berries."
It was just a personal hobby.
"Got it." One large botanical garden.
Zinnia, finally seeing an opportunity, tried to contain her excitement and carefully suggested, "I want to improve Lord Rayquaza's living conditions!"
She couldn't stand seeing her beloved Dragon God sleep out in the open. The morning dew soaking Rayquaza's scales pained her heart.
This Rayquaza fangirl was hopeless.
Asahi shook his head but still noted it down—one custom Rayquaza suite.
Sabrina, who had been silently watching, hesitated when Asahi turned to her. "A meditation room," she finally said.
While Saffron Gym already had one, having one here would save her the hassle of traveling back and forth.
"Understood."
He wrote down four meditation rooms—one for Mewtwo, one for Mew, one for Sabrina, and one for Gardevoir.
Finally, it was Gary's turn. He grinned enthusiastically. "I want—"
Before he could finish, Asahi nodded. "Got it—one multifunctional training ground."
Gary froze.
But… he hadn't said what he wanted yet?!
He considered arguing, but after glancing at Asahi, he swallowed his words.
Fine. A training ground was good too.
With all that settled, Asahi added his own plan—building an airship similar to Giovanni's for worldwide travel.
He also messaged Professor Rowan, Silver, and Ethan, asking what they wanted.
With a satisfied sigh, he muttered, "This should be enough to spend it all… I think."
Wait.
There was still Yellow.
Looking at the little girl quietly sipping her juice, Asahi realized that while she wasn't part of the International Police, she was his student. He shouldn't leave her out.
After a brief moment of thought, he pulled out two feathers from his personal collection—one Rainbow Wing and one Silver Wing—and tucked them into her straw hat as decorations.
Yellow hesitantly touched the feathers on her hat, then smiled brightly.
---
Asahi idly fiddled with a Red Chain in his hand.
Eevee, nestled in his lap, seemed to sense something. Its ears twitched, and it turned to look at the chain.
At first glance, it appeared to be nothing more than an ordinary red-dyed chain.
Curious, Eevee cautiously reached out a paw.
Tap!
It pressed down on the chain.
Nothing happened.
Just as Eevee was about to feel disappointed, it failed to notice the mischievous grin spreading across Asahi's face.
Then—
Asahi infused the Aura into the chain.
Clatter!
In an instant, the Red Chain came to life, swiftly binding Eevee into a snug little ball.
....
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