...
The next day,
Natsu hauled his sorry ass out of bed early, Weedle on his shoulder, and hit the streets with a grand total of $3,500 jingling in his pocket.
Before, when he was broke, he didn't give a damn about what he wore. Now, with a little cash, he figured he needed to upgrade his threads. At least something that didn't make him look like he'd been dragged through a hedge backward.
Can't exactly make a good impression as a sparring partner if you look like a hobo, can you?
He needed those extra sparring tasks; the Silph Pokémon Battle Club charged an arm and a leg, and his measly $8,000 basic salary wouldn't be enough to fully fund his ambitious Weedle training plan.
He blew over $100 transforming himself from a ragamuffin into something resembling a presentable human being. Not exactly fashion show material, but at least the clothes fit and were clean.
Leaving the clothing store.
Natsu headed straight for a Pokémon breeding bookstore. He picked up several breeding books on Bug-type Pokémon and Poison-type Pokémon.
He knew a lot about Pokémon, probably more than most people in this world, but his knowledge had a gaping flaw. It was mostly limited to Pokémon types, moves, ability, and some move combinations he'd memorized from the PM games he used to play.
But Pokémon in games were just data, dead code. These Pokémon here? They were living, breathing creatures.
You couldn't just "train" them like in a game. You had to base it on reality. So he desperately needed theoretical knowledge: about Pokémon breeding, physical changes, personality shifts, all that good stuff. For now, books were his only teachers.
He clutched several books like "Bug Type Pokémon's Habits and Eating Rules," "Poison Type Pokémon's In-depth Interpretation and Expansion of Toxins," and "In-depth Analysis of Evolution from Weedle to Beedrill." The titles promised the moon, but whether they'd actually deliver remained to be seen. He'd have to read them first. But the price of these damn books! Five books in total, and it cost him nearly $500. Knowledge, apparently, was the most expensive commodity.
After buying the books, he had one more crucial stop. Two of his three goals for today were already checked off.
He walked into a store that sold Pokémon food. "Sir, what do you need?" a clerk greeted him.
The shelves were piled high with all sorts of goods: cute-looking Pokémon snacks, various Pokéblocks labeled for different Pokémon, energy food, and an entire shelf of milk. The most expensive and famous was the Moo Moo Milk from the Johto Region.
The Weedle, perched on Natsu's shoulders, stared at the fragrant array of food, practically drooling.
Natsu gently patted him to calm his excited little heart, then turned to the clerk. "Is there any food suitable for Pokémon like Weedle? Something similar to a Pokéblock?"
The clerk looked at the Weedle on Natsu's shoulder with a hint of embarrassment. "Sorry, sir, exclusive Pokémon food needs to be customized. If you need it, you can leave a request. We'll adjust and strengthen it according to your Pokémon's characteristic and your preferred direction, then custom-match the food." The clerk was surprisingly patient, not showing any contempt despite Natsu only having a Weedle. But it was obvious that special Pokémon food would be insanely expensive, far beyond Natsu's meager financial reach right now.
"Is there a Pokéblock that's more suitable for Bug-type Pokémon? If it can be compatible with the Poison-type Attribute, that would be the best, of course." Natsu had to settle for second best.
"Then I suggest you take a look at these models," the clerk said, pulling out a few boxes with crystal-clear Pokéblocks inside.
The Weedle's eyes narrowed, sniffing the enticing aroma. This clearly showed how tempting these Pokéblocks were for the little bug.
"These two are Primary Rank Pokéblocks," the clerk explained, pointing to two of the boxes. "They're suitable for Bug and Poison-type Pokémon respectively. Long-term consumption can slightly improve a Pokémon's abilities and is more conducive to a Pokémon's use of its own Attribute energy and development." One was a turquoise Pokéblock, the other light purple. While both were crystal clear, they had obvious impurities visible to the naked eye. Standard stuff, probably made in bulk.
"What about this one?" Natsu asked, eyeing a box next to them.
The clerk's smile widened. "This is an Intermediate Rank Pokéblock. We call it a Fluorescent Pokéblock, which perfectly combines the energy of Bug and Poison-type, and the material is the most suitable for the taste of Bug-type Pokémon." The clerk gave a very detailed, almost poetic, introduction to this Pokéblock.
Natsu's emotions were stirred. He couldn't help but ask, "What about the price?"
The clerk's smile grew even wider, almost predatory. "Because it's an Intermediate Rank Pokéblock, the price will be slightly more expensive: $50 per-pieces."
'$50?!'
Natsu's expression stiffened. He guessed Pokémon Pokéblocks would be expensive, but he never thought they'd be that high. This was just an Intermediate Rank Pokéblock; he couldn't even imagine the terrifying price of Top Rank or even Premium Pokéblocks.
These Pokéblocks contained extremely high energy. The Weedle's current food intake was about 2-3 pieces per meal, three meals a day. So that's 6-9 pieces a day, a conservative estimate. Even if it was 7 per day, that's $350. Natsu felt a toothache just counting.
As if sensing his dilemma, the clerk smoothly continued, "Of course, the other two Primary Rank Pokéblocks are also quite good products, and the price is only $20 per-pieces. So the price-performance ratio will be much higher."
Natsu shook his head decisively. Weedle's starting point was already worse than other Pokémon. If he chose to cut corners on food, he didn't know when he'd be able to meet his training goals.
After thinking it over, he said, "Please pack 50 pieces of those Fluorescent Pokéblocks for me first." The money left in his hand wasn't much, and 50 Pokéblocks should be enough for the Weedle to eat for a few days.
If the club didn't arrange any sparring tasks for him in the next few days, he'd probably be eating dirt again. But whether he ate dirt or not, Natsu wouldn't be stingy with the Weedle's food.
"Okay." The clerk gave him a surprised look. He didn't expect this Trainer, dressed in ordinary clothes and looking a little malnourished, to be so willing to splurge on a Weedle.
"By the way, how is this Moo Moo Milk sold?" Milk, he knew, could make the Weedle's body stronger and improve his carapace growth.
"A bottle of Moo Moo Milk is 450ml, and the price is $50. Regular Pokémon Milk is $10 per bottle," the clerk said while packing the Pokéblocks.
Miltank's milk was truly comparable to gold. He scoffed, "Is there a discount for buying so much?"
"This…" The clerk looked a little embarrassed, then, as if making a monumental decision, said, "I can give you a 5% discount. Most people don't get discounts in our store."
Natsu knew all about these sales tactics; he didn't bother to call him out. A discount was better than nothing. After calculating how much money he had left, he said, "Then give me 8 bottles of Moo Moo Milk, and then 10 bottles of regular Pokémon Milk."
"Okay, please wait."
Finally, after spending all but 50 Alliance Coins from his pocket, he took the bus back to the club, laden with a huge bag of goodies. Fortunately, he didn't have to worry about his own food; the club provided catering. While it wasn't exactly gourmet cuisine, as long as he could eat enough, Natsu didn't care.
As long as his Weedle could grow up strong, all his hard work would be worth it.
...
(End of this chapter)