–+–
Sera opened her eyes, her hand instinctively reaching out to the bedside until her fingers brushed against the simulator, reminding her that she didn’t need to go searching for it.
Why was she still so nervous?
It wasn’t as if the simulator needed to be hunted down; it would simply appear in her hand the moment she thought about using it.
Sera knew the answer perfectly well.
It was because of the Pokémon named Ogerpon.
[Ogerpon misses you.]
[Ogerpon is calling out to you…]
Sera activated the simulator, and the system prompts appeared the instant the screen lit up.
“What a clingy little one.”
A faint smile touched the girl’s face.
When she noticed Ogerpon was fast asleep, cradling its mask, she decided not to disturb it.
Yesterday, the system had rewarded her with 1 Effort Value.
According to the system notes, Sera could consume Effort Values to enhance her own capabilities as a Trainer.
Things like stamina, reaction time, physical strength, and even psychic or aura abilities—all could be acquired by spending these points.
Of course, the stat boost from a single point wouldn’t be anything spectacular.
Effort Values were primarily earned through the leveling up of her Pokémon; for every level her Pokémon gained, Sera would receive 1 corresponding Effort Value.
Additionally, the system would occasionally trigger random missions, which provided further rewards upon completion.
Sera noticed a new random mission had popped up today.
–+–
[The Ogre of Oni Mountain]
[For ages, the world has called Ogerpon a malevolent ogre.
To make this reputation truly well-deserved, embark on a path to conquer Oni Mountain alongside Ogerpon!]
[Mission Goal: Defeat 10 Pokémon in Oni Mountain.
No level limit.
Current progress: 0/10]
[Mission Rewards: Effort Value x1, Raising Points x10]
–+–
“Hmm…”
Sera stared at the mission description, her expression turning subtle.
So, Ogerpon had a nickname like “malevolent ogre”?
It was such a cute, lovely little thing—who on earth was spreading these rumors?
Still, the mission rewards looked quite decent.
One Effort Value point was better than nothing, not to mention the 10 Raising Points.
If she converted all those points into Apricorns or berries, she would have enough to build a small mountain and bury Ogerpon in it.
—I’ll give it a try once Ogerpon wakes up.
Sera made up her mind and began to consider what to do with her Effort Value.
There wasn’t much use in hoarding them, so after some thought, she set her sights on psychic powers.
She was incredibly curious about what it actually felt like to use psychic abilities in the world of Pokémon.
“Redeem!”
[You have consumed 1 Effort Value.
Your psychic powers have been enhanced.]
[You have sensed a faint telekinetic power.]
Information about “Confusion” flashed through Sera’s mind.
50 power, 100 accuracy, 25 PP…
Of course, it wasn’t really like the move in the games.
A single point wouldn’t be enough to make her capable of launching actual psychic attacks; this was just standard telekinesis.
Sera found she could now exert a slight mental influence over the physical world.
She excitedly imagined the glass on her table moving.
According to her will, the glass tipped over, stopping just before it could roll off the edge and shatter on the floor.
At this strength, it was far too weak to be useful in a real battle, but if she continued to earn Effort Values and hone her telekinesis, one day she might reach the level of someone like Sabrina.
The future looked promising!
–+–
After a simple breakfast, the girl headed toward Kurt’s house.
She needed to give the old craftsman an answer today regarding his request from yesterday.
Even though the sudden activation of the Electronic Pokémon Raising System had been a surprise, Sera had already long since decided on her future path.
After a night’s rest, her heart was free of any hesitation.
Kurt’s house served as both his home and his workshop.
As she pushed the door open, the little girl inside was the first to notice her.
“Sister Sera, good morning!”
“Morning, Maizie.”
Maizie was Kurt’s granddaughter, who would occasionally assist him in making Poké Balls.
The old man, however, didn’t want his young granddaughter stuck at home working every day and often tried to coax her out to play.
Ever since Sera had arrived, Maizie barely spent any time in the workshop at all.
Sera greeted her with a smile, while at the other end of the workshop, Kurt wiped his hands on a towel and walked over.
“Sera, have you thought it through?”
“Yes.” The girl nodded.
“Master Kurt, I’ve decided to set out on a journey as a Poké Ball artisan.”
She couldn’t stay in Azalea Town forever.
The old craftsman was getting on in years, but he still cherished the craft of hand-making Poké Balls; it was both his livelihood and an indispensable joy in his life.
If Sera opened a competing workshop in town, she would only be stealing business from her mentor.
For that reason alone, she knew she couldn’t stay.
Moreover, Sera had always been curious about the outside world.
She had only kept that curiosity in check because she lacked a Pokémon, choosing instead to stay in Azalea Town to hone her skills.
Now that she had mastered a faint telekinetic ability—though admittedly useless in battle for now—it would be enough to get by on her travels once she strengthened it a little further.
“A journey, you say?” The old man pondered for a moment before nodding slightly.
“As long as you’ve thought it through, I won’t press you.
But if you want to set out in the name of my apprentice, you must complete one final test.”
She had thought yesterday that she was already finished with her apprenticeship, yet here he was, asking for another test.
Sera couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
“Go deliver this order to Bugsy,” Kurt said, oblivious to her thoughts, his arms crossed.
“He sent a request a while back for a Fast Ball.
I want you to craft one independently and deliver it to him yourself.
Complete this, and I will consider your apprenticeship officially concluded.”
She realized what he was doing immediately.
Bugsy was the Gym Leader of the Azalea Gym, and there were very few artisans in the entire Johto region who could craft custom Apricorn Balls.
If Sera could produce a high-quality Fast Ball, Bugsy would surely recognize her talent.
With that connection established, it would open the door for plenty of future orders.
The old man was simply worried that she wouldn’t have any business right after striking out on her own, so he was handing her one of his own clients.
“No problem.” Sera nodded seriously, her expression determined.
“I will craft that Fast Ball with the utmost care and pass your test.”
Kurt’s expression softened.
He looked at the petite, white-haired girl before him, recalling the day they first met.
Sera had always been different from the other youths.
From the very beginning, Kurt knew she was the most suitable person to inherit his craft.
Hand-making Poké Balls required both patience and experience.
Sera had truly dedicated herself to learning under him for three years.
Kurt was looking forward to her traveling the world and showing everyone outside of Azalea Town the ancestral techniques of their craft.
As for whether Sera would fail her final test?
Kurt hadn’t even considered the possibility.