Michael wasn’t dissatisfied with having a cheat ability.
It was just that…
didn’t it arrive a little too late?
Even the production team’s hardest-working donkey would shake its head at this timing.
While Michael silently grumbled to himself, the Special Hint System seemed to have encountered something unexpected.
It froze for a moment before a new line of text slowly appeared.
[According to my analysis, although the host is among the weakest of Champion-level Trainers, you are indeed a genuine Champion-ranked Trainer.
It seems…
this system arrived too late?] “What do you mean among the weakest?
Apologize right now, kora!” Michael fired back with practiced tongue-clicking emphasis.
Although he was well aware of his true strength, since Geeta hadn’t gone all out in their battle, it still rubbed him the wrong way to be mocked by a system that had the nerve to admit it had shown up late.
However, while Michael continued inspecting his newly acquired land, the cheat system seemed to freeze up again.
Every now and then, lines like “Running self-diagnostics…” would appear.
Michael paid it no mind.
Based on his many years of browsing the internet in his previous life, he figured there was no way to get rid of the thing anyway.
He might as well focus on something productive.
By the time he had finished walking around the undeveloped property, mentally planning where to build each structure and where to designate the ranching areas, the system finally spoke again.
[Binding complete.
Although the host has already achieved the goal of becoming a Champion, there is still plenty of room for further growth.
How about traveling to other regions?] “That’s a nice suggestion,” Michael replied firmly, “but I’ll have to decline.” He looked at the ridiculous dancing text floating in front of his eyes, as if it were afraid he might somehow fail to notice it.
[…] Seeing the system fall silent, Michael realized that compared to the emotionless notification systems from the web novels he’d read before transmigrating, this one felt much more like an actual conversation partner with emotions of its own.
Still, judging from how desperately it was trying to get his attention, he could tell without even thinking that the system had no authority to force him to do anything.
Other than its mysterious “hint” function, it probably couldn’t do much besides bantering with him.
Which was honestly fine.
If it had been one of those systems that handed out mandatory quests, Michael would’ve rather died on the spot than lose his freedom…
Well, except he would feel bad about leaving behind the Pokémon who had accompanied him every step of the way.
After all, he’d finally escaped the soul-crushing life of 996 work schedules, overtime until coughing up blood, and even having New Year’s Eve holiday shifts rescheduled.
Now he was nothing more than an ordinary farmer who wanted to enjoy a peaceful, leisurely retirement.
“…Within the land, among the clouds~ and beneath that girl’s skirt~” Humming a familiar tune under his breath, Michael wandered around like a retired old man until he arrived before the only building standing on the vast property he had purchased.
It was a three-story Western-style house that clearly showed its age.
Michael remembered what Cabo Poco’s mayor had told him.
An elderly couple with no children had once lived here, relying only on each other.
Several years ago, after both of them passed away, the house and surrounding land had been left abandoned.
The reason Michael had been able to buy such a large, albeit neglected, piece of land with enormous potential was because of a clause in the couple’s will.
After their deaths, the entire property had been donated to Cabo Poco free of charge.
If the town ever decided to sell the land, every penny from the sale was to be used for the town’s development.
They truly were kind-hearted people in every sense of the word.
Walking into the house, Michael toured every floor and quickly gained a good understanding of what the elderly couple had left behind.
The house itself covered nearly two hundred square meters.
Every room one would expect was present, and the third floor even featured a balcony where flowers and plants could be grown while enjoying the sunshine.
Although the house was a little old, it was practically his dream home.
As long as he gave it a thorough cleaning and cleared away the dust-covered old furniture, it would be ready to move into.
“Though…
some of this stuff definitely needs to be thrown out.” Michael planned to clean the house first, then head into town to buy bedding and other necessities before moving in that very night.
Aside from the essential expenses for raising his Pokémon, nearly all the money he’d managed to save over the past year had gone toward buying this land.
As for the inn where he was currently staying…
He might as well check out.
There would certainly be plenty more expenses waiting for him in the future.
Thinking that some of the heavier furniture would be impossible for him to move alone, Michael took a Poké Ball from his belt.
A smile appeared on his face as he pressed the release button.
A flash of red light erupted.
Standing before him was a Swampert, noticeably more muscular than others of its species, with eyes that carried an intimidating fierceness.
It looked like the kind of Pokémon that could shake the earth with a single punch, or make a little girl burst into tears.
Yet the moment its fierce gaze met Michael’s smiling eyes, its expression visibly softened.
“Swampert, could you help me move these outside so they can get some sunlight?” Michael smiled as he pointed toward the furniture that had accumulated years of dust and carried a faint musty smell.
There were tables, chairs, sofas, and several sealed cardboard boxes whose contents were unknown.
Swampert gave a slight nod.
Its thick, reassuringly powerful arms effortlessly lifted the old sofa, weathered by years of time, and carried it outside.
“Heave-ho!” At the same time, Michael rolled up his sleeves and walked over to the stack of sealed boxes, intending to move them into the sunlight while the weather was good and see what they contained.
If they held keepsakes belonging to the elderly couple, he’d bring them to their graves.
If they were something else, he’d sort through them and see whether any could be put to use in constructing the ranching or farming sections of his future farm.
That way, he could save himself a bit of money.
After buying the land, he didn’t have much cash left.
He needed to spend every penny wisely.
[Inside the third cardboard box from the left, directly ahead and slightly to your right, is a mysterious crystal.
It will significantly improve your strength.] Michael paused mid-motion.
Raising an eyebrow, he looked toward the box the system had indicated.
Without saying a word, he walked over, crouched down before it, and a clear look of curiosity appeared on his face.
‘An item that can improve my strength?’ It seemed the system still hadn’t given up.
Apparently, it intended to strengthen him through more indirect means.
Wanting to test just how accurate its hint ability really was, Michael took out a small utility knife and sliced through the tape sealing the cardboard box before rummaging through its contents.
It didn’t take long before he found what the system had referred to as the “mysterious crystal.” Its exterior was wrapped in a bright blue crystalline shell that continued to sparkle even beneath layers of dust.
But the shell wasn’t the important part.
The true treasure was the grayish-black chunk of raw ore sealed within it.
“So it’s this…” Michael couldn’t help but marvel.
He had considered countless possibilities for what the system might deem an item capable of increasing his strength.
But never, not even once, had he imagined it would be the indispensable material for Paldea’s Terastal phenomenon.
Raw Tera Orb Ore.