[Ding!]
[Daily Mission issued.]
[Mission Objective: Participate in ten battles using Beldum.]
[Mission Rewards: 200 System Points and Beldum’s Special Attack +1.]
[Failure Penalty: None.]
At exactly eight o’clock in the morning, while Suguru Natsume was eating breakfast, the system’s familiar voice rang through his mind as expected.
Ten battles using Beldum.
There was no requirement concerning the opponents’ levels, nor did it say that he had to win.
In other words, as long as Beldum participated in ten proper battles, the mission would be considered complete.
The Daily Missions had never been particularly difficult.
As long as Suguru put in a reasonable amount of effort, they could generally be completed without trouble.
However, today’s mission was slightly different.
In addition to the usual System Points, it offered a special reward.
[Beldum’s Special Attack +1.]
That was far more valuable than a mere two hundred points.
A Pokémon’s overall strength was closely connected to its six fundamental stats:
HP.
Attack.
Defense.
Special Attack.
Special Defense.
Speed.
The higher a Pokémon’s value in one of those areas, the more outstanding its corresponding ability would naturally become.
Aside from increasing through level-ups, those six stats could also be strengthened with rare medicines, special training materials, and valuable resources.
Every Pokémon could grow stronger by leveling.
The true difference between ordinary Trainers and wealthy or talented Trainers lay in the latter method.
Whether they were medicines or treasures capable of improving a Pokémon’s fundamental stats, all of them were extremely expensive.
Furthermore, such improvements were not limitless.
Once a Pokémon’s body reached a certain threshold, ordinary resources would cease to have any effect.
To strengthen it further, the Trainer would need treasures that were even rarer and more valuable.
That was why two Pokémon of the same species and level could display completely different levels of strength even when their Trainers possessed similar command ability.
The primary reason was often simple—
One Pokémon’s six fundamental stats were significantly higher than the other’s.
That was also why Pokémon raised by genius Trainers could frequently defeat opponents above their own level.
Some truly monstrous prodigies could even defeat an Elite-tier Pokémon while their own partner was still only at the Quasi-Elite tier.
As long as the Quasi-Elite Pokémon’s six fundamental stats were comparable to those of an Elite-tier opponent, defeating it was theoretically possible.
That was precisely why people often said—
Level did not necessarily represent combat power.
“Gardevoir, I’m finished.”
While Suguru was lost in thought, he had already eaten the last of his breakfast.
“Garde.”
Gardevoir nodded gently before beginning to clear the table.
She was his mother’s Pokémon.
Ever since Suguru and his two sisters were young, Gardevoir had personally looked after all three of them.
The Natsume family naturally employed professional servants for such work, but whenever it concerned the three siblings, Gardevoir preferred to take care of everything herself.
That had become even more noticeable after Suguru’s parents had fallen out with each other and his mother returned to his maternal grandfather’s home.
Since then, Gardevoir had devoted even more attention to Suguru, Aya, and Hatsumi.
As for why their parents had fallen out—
That was a story for another time.
“Gardevoir, I’m going out in a little while.
I probably won’t be home for lunch, so you only need to prepare Hatsumi’s portion.”
“Garde.”
Understood.
Be careful on your way.
Perhaps because they had been raised by Gardevoir since childhood, Suguru and both of his sisters could understand her perfectly.
For anyone else to understand her words, Gardevoir would have to communicate through telepathy.
Gardevoir was a Pokémon that possessed beauty and power in equal measure.
She was also gentle, considerate, and exceptionally loyal.
In terms of rarity alone, Gardevoir’s evolutionary line was almost comparable to that of a pseudo-legendary.
Suguru did not ask the family chauffeur to drive him.
Instead, he chose one of the cars in the garage and drove by himself to a battle club in Shirogane City.
“Welcome, sir.
How may I assist you today?”
The moment he entered the lobby, an attractive young receptionist approached him.
Her eyes brightened slightly as she studied Suguru.
Judging solely from his posture and bearing, it was obvious that he was no ordinary person.
As the direct heir of a millennium-old great house, Suguru did not need to deliberately display his status.
The confidence and refinement cultivated by the Natsume family had already been engraved into his every movement.
It was a kind of presence that small families could never imitate, no matter how much money they spent.
“I’m here for Pokémon battles,” Suguru replied.
He glanced around the spacious lobby before adding,
“This is my first time here.
Explain how everything works.”
Normally, Suguru trained by battling the professional Trainers employed by his family.
The only reason he had chosen to come here today was that he felt like going outside for a change.
Ever since summer vacation began, he had spent nearly all his time inside the family estate.
Hatsumi constantly called him a shut-in.
Suguru had never bothered denying it.
After all, he genuinely did possess many of a shut-in’s characteristics.
Today, he had simply grown tired of remaining in the same place and felt the sudden urge to move around.
“Sir, have you only recently become a registered Trainer?” the receptionist asked.
“Yes.”
“Our club provides professional sparring partners at three different levels.”
She opened the club’s information page on the tablet in her hands.
“Regular-tier sparring matches cost ten thousand yen per battle.”
“Ace-tier matches cost fifty thousand yen per battle.”
“And Gym-tier matches cost one hundred thousand yen per battle.”
“If you register as a member, all battle fees will receive a ten-percent discount.”
Pokémon Training was one of the world’s most popular professions.
Naturally, countless supporting industries had developed around it.
Shirogane City was both the capital of Kogane Prefecture and one of Japan’s five great supercities.
Within the city alone, there were more than a hundred battle clubs of various sizes.
The purpose of these establishments was to provide Trainers with safe, professional environments where they could gain practical battle experience.
Of course, a Trainer could simply visit a public battlefield and challenge another Trainer.
That would still provide battle experience.
However, the amount they could learn would be limited.
Most people would not deliberately choose an opponent vastly stronger than themselves.
They would usually search for someone whose strength was roughly equal to their own.
And even if they lost, their opponent had no obligation to carefully explain every mistake they had made.
Public battlefields also charged fees for using their facilities.
Battle clubs were different.
Their sparring partners were trained professionals.
Some had previously served as assistants to Gym Leaders, while others were reserve candidates preparing to become Gym Trainers themselves.
During a match, they would deliberately guide the flow of battle instead of simply overwhelming their clients.
Afterward, they would analyze the Trainer’s performance and offer advice based on their own experience.
The difference was essentially the same as teaching oneself and receiving professional instruction.
As long as their families could afford it, many young Trainers preferred battle clubs.
Suguru, however, had only come to complete his Daily Mission.
He had no interest in the club’s advice.
Practically anyone he could casually call over from the Natsume estate would be more skilled than the Trainers working here.
“Gym-tier,” Suguru said without hesitation.
“Ten battles.”
He then registered for a membership without wasting time on further discussion.
In this life, Suguru had almost no concept of money.
The Natsume family was one of Japan’s Eight Great Houses.
At the same time, it controlled more than seventy percent of the nation’s metallic mineral resources and possessed a considerable share of the domestic real estate industry.
The family’s control over metal mines was closely related to its Steel-type specialization.
Many Steel-type Pokémon enjoyed eating various metallic ores and rocks.
Naturally, the Natsume family wanted the rarest and highest-quality metal resources firmly under its control.
Whoever controlled those mines effectively controlled the food supply of a significant portion of Japan’s Steel-type Pokémon.
“May I ask what level your Pokémon is, sir?”
The receptionist’s smile grew even brighter after Suguru purchased a membership and booked ten Gym-tier matches in one breath.
She would receive a commission from the transaction, after all.
“Level Nine.”
“Understood, sir.
Please follow me.
I’ll take you to the battlefield.”
The receptionist tapped several times on her tablet.
She then led Suguru into an elevator and pressed the button for the eighth floor.
A short while later, the elevator doors slid open.
The entire floor had been converted into an indoor battle area.
“Please wait here for a moment, sir.”
The receptionist gestured toward the battlefield ahead.
“Your battle instructor will arrive shortly.”