[“Starlight Ore contains toxins.
Coral Berries are even more poisonous.
Although both ingredients can enhance an Aron’s resistance to Ground-type attacks…”]
[“When the toxins from the two substances overlap, long-term consumption may damage the Aron’s nervous system.
At present, no targeted treatment has been developed.”]
[“Theoretically feasible, but the practical viability is low.”]
It took Suguru Natsume almost an hour to finish reading the entire post.
In the end, the hundred thousand yen he had spent could hardly be considered worthwhile.
Still, the article was not completely useless.
At the very least, it had given him a potentially valuable idea.
“But I have a cheat.”
Suguru’s lips curved into a faint smile.
Both Starlight Ore and Coral Berries contained toxins.
When consumed together, their poisonous properties would amplify each other.
Worse still, no medicine had yet been developed to specifically treat the resulting damage.
Of course, if an Aron consumed only small quantities with long intervals between each dose, its naturally sturdy constitution should prevent any serious harm.
However, doing that would also greatly reduce the benefits of the diet.
Suguru turned his attention toward the System Shop.
[Universal Antidote]
[As long as it’s poison, I can cure it.]
[Price: 100 System Points per bottle.]
[One hundred points.]
That was still within an acceptable range.
More importantly, judging from its description, the antidote was extremely powerful.
Over the past month, Suguru had already learned one important fact—
Everything sold in the System Shop was of exceptional quality.
Moreover, the product descriptions never lied.
There was no false advertising.
No exaggerated marketing.
And certainly no hidden side effects that the system had conveniently forgotten to mention.
In that case, as long as Suguru purchased the Universal Antidote, the feeding plan described in the article could theoretically be implemented.
While he was considering the details, a massive shadow suddenly descended over the courtyard.
A Corviknight far larger than an ordinary member of its species landed in the rear garden.
Its enormous steel wings stirred up a powerful gust of wind as its talons touched the ground.
A man leapt down from its back.
His facial features resembled Suguru’s by nearly seventy or eighty percent.
“Thanks for the ride, Corviknight.”
The man gently patted Corviknight’s body before returning it to its Poké Ball.
Several Pokémon resting nearby immediately noticed his arrival.
They rushed over excitedly and surrounded him.
Some rubbed their heads against his arms.
Others tugged at his clothes or called out repeatedly, demanding his attention.
The man greeted every one of them affectionately.
He stroked one Pokémon’s head, patted another’s shoulder, and spent quite some time playing with them before finally managing to free himself from the enthusiastic crowd.
The newcomer was naturally Suguru’s father—
Senri Natsume.
Suguru had been reading the article in the living room when he heard the commotion from the rear garden.
Knowing that his father had returned, he made his way outside.
Sure enough, Senri was still reuniting with his Pokémon.
Most of those residing in the rear garden were members of his secondary team or lower-level Pokémon that he did not frequently use in important battles.
“Dad.”
Only after Senri finished greeting his Pokémon did Suguru call out to him.
Senri turned around and studied his son.
He walked over, stopping directly in front of him.
For several seconds, he said nothing.
Then, after a long silence, he finally spoke.
“You’ve grown taller again.”
That was all he managed to say.
Because of the additional point of Physique he had received from the system, Suguru’s already developing body had begun growing even faster. Visit novelping.com for the full chapter.
He was now nearly one hundred and eighty-five centimeters tall.
Gardevoir had already been forced to replace practically every piece of clothing in his wardrobe.
“Beldum, this is my father.”
Suguru introduced the silver-white Pokémon floating beside him.
“Bzz.”
Beldum’s single red eye shifted toward Senri.
It gave him a brief nod, though its body remained close to Suguru.
“Where’s Hatsumi?”
After returning inside with his son, Senri looked around but did not see his youngest daughter.
“She went out with a classmate.”
“I see.”
A trace of deep helplessness appeared on Senri’s face.
“She still doesn’t want to see me?”
“That’s normal.”
Suguru dropped onto the sofa and spoke in an indifferent tone.
“Honestly, if we weren’t related by blood, even I probably wouldn’t bother with you.”
Senri released a heavy sigh.
He did not attempt to argue.
Instead, he reached into his coat and removed a Poké Ball.
He held it out toward Suguru.
“An Aron?”
Suguru looked at the Poké Ball in surprise.
“Mm.”
Senri nodded.
Aron was an indispensable member of the Steel-type team Suguru intended to build.
After a brief moment of surprise, Suguru reached out and firmly accepted the Poké Ball.
“This little one was only born recently,” Senri explained.
Suguru pressed the release mechanism.
Pop!
A flash of light emerged from the Poké Ball.
When the light faded, a small Pokémon appeared on the floor.
Its head and four short legs were covered in gray-white metal armor.
Bright blue eyes peered out from openings in its helmet-like skull, and its overall appearance resembled a tiny armored puppy.
At the same time, a status panel appeared before Suguru.
…
Pokémon Status
Name: Aron
Type: Steel/Rock
Level: 1
Aptitude: Quasi-Champion
Ability: Heavy Metal
Held Item: None
Gender: Male
Natural Moves: Tackle, Harden
TM Moves: None
Inherited Moves: Endeavor, Stomp, Head Smash
…
Another Pokémon with Quasi-Champion aptitude.
Even among the direct descendants of Yamato’s Eight Great Houses, not everyone began their journey with Quasi-Champion Pokémon.
Most were given Pokémon possessing Elite-grade aptitude.
The fact that both of Suguru’s first two Pokémon possessed Quasi-Champion aptitude was not merely because he had an extraordinary grandfather.
The most important reason was his Perfect Steel Heart.
Suguru was the heir whom the entire Natsume family had chosen to cultivate with all its strength.
Naturally, every Pokémon entrusted to him had to possess the finest potential available.
That was also why the family had waited an entire month after giving him Beldum before presenting him with a second Pokémon.
Pokémon born with Quasi-Champion aptitude were simply too rare.
Even most of the Pokémon belonging to Suguru’s father and grandfather had initially possessed only Elite-grade aptitude. Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
They had reached the Quasi-Champion grade only after years of meticulous cultivation and the consumption of countless precious resources.
A Pokémon’s innate aptitude was largely inherited from its parents.
Within the Natsume family, there were several male and female Aggron possessing Quasi-Champion aptitude.
Every one of them had also reached at least the Elite tier in actual strength.
If two Quasi-Champion-aptitude Aggron produced a child together, there was a considerable chance that the offspring would inherit Quasi-Champion potential.
However, there was one important problem.
Why should the parents agree to hand their child over to Suguru?
Even if a Pokémon acknowledged someone as its Trainer, that did not mean the Trainer could give away its children without permission.
Pokémon and Trainers stood as equals.
A Trainer was not inherently superior to their Pokémon.
Furthermore, the stronger a Pokémon became, the more difficult it was for it to reproduce.
The time required to produce a healthy offspring also increased dramatically.
If both parents had reached the Quasi-Champion tier, spending more than ten years producing a single child was perfectly normal.
After all, Pokémon at that level could live for hundreds—or even thousands—of years.
From their perspective, a decade was not especially long.
But that did not make the child any less precious.
I spent more than ten years bringing this one child into the world.
Even if you’re my Trainer, you can’t simply take my baby away whenever you please.
“This Aron is the child of my Aggron and one of the female Aggron belonging to the family,” Senri explained.
His Aggron was male, while the family’s was female.
Originally, the female Aggron had absolutely refused to entrust her newborn child to a stranger.
However, her attitude changed after learning the identity of the Trainer selected for Aron.
Suguru Natsume.
The second possessor of the Perfect Steel Heart in the Natsume family’s thousand-year history.
No matter how reluctant the mother Aggron might have been to part with her child, she eventually agreed.
After all, by following Suguru, Aron would almost certainly surpass both of its parents someday.
“Hello, Aron.”
Suguru crouched in front of the tiny Pokémon.
His voice naturally softened, and his eyes revealed undisguised affection.
Aron had originally been filled with confusion and fear.
It had only recently left its mother and suddenly found itself placed before an unfamiliar human who was apparently supposed to become its Trainer.
It did not understand what was happening.
It did not know whether it would ever see its mother again.
Yet the moment Aron looked at Suguru and felt the irresistible attraction radiating from his Perfect Steel Heart—
All its fear and confusion vanished.
Suguru slowly extended his hand.
Aron stared at it for only a moment.
Then, without the slightest hesitation, it stepped forward and pressed its armored head against his palm.
“Good boy.”
Suguru smiled and gently stroked its cool metallic head.
“Bzz… Bzz…”
A faint magnetic vibration came from beside him.
Suguru turned his head.
Beldum was staring at Aron with an unmistakably jealous look in its single crimson eye.
Originally, Beldum had thought that gaining another companion would be a good thing.
Now, however, it had realized the truth.
This newcomer had come to compete for their Trainer’s affection!
“You’re a good boy too.”
Thanks to the Perfect Steel Heart, Suguru immediately sensed Beldum’s thoughts.
He reached out with his other hand and began stroking its metallic head.
Beldum’s eye instantly narrowed in pleasure.
At the same time, it looked down at Aron with the confidence of an established senior.
Its thoughts were practically written across its face.
You think you can compete with me for Suguru’s affection?
You’re still a hundred years too early!