Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 47: Golden Magikarp and Chansey

After raiding the prize counter and letting Green pick out a few items, Asahi realized something unexpected:

Even after claiming a significant haul, he still had more than half of his tokens left!

"How much did I even win earlier?"

Asahi was baffled. All he remembered was winning over and over again—but he'd lost count of just how many times.

Meanwhile, the game corner staff looked visibly stressed as they eyed the pile of tokens still waiting to be cashed in.

Hoping to reduce the damage, one of them suggested nervously:

"Sir, would you like to exchange some tokens for Pokémon instead? Some customers recently exchanged for a rare 3D-printed Porygon!"

It wasn't entirely a lie. Pokémon required much less effort for the staff to source, especially when compared to high-value items like Ultra Balls or Full Restores.

The Pokémon were "donated" by Team Rocket, after all. For the staff, convincing Asahi to take Pokémon instead of costly items was the lesser evil.

Initially, Asahi was about to refuse.

This was Team Rocket's game corner, after all. Where the Pokémon came from was pretty obvious to someone like him. Most likely, these Pokémon weren't just untrusting—they probably had deep-seated issues from being captured under questionable methods.

But after a moment's thought, Asahi reconsidered.

Perhaps these Pokémon could serve as evidence to back his claims to Lance.

Feigning interest, Asahi said, "Alright then. What Pokémon do you have available?"

Hearing this, the staff eagerly handed him a list of available Pokémon.

Asahi skimmed through the catalog. Compared to the limited options available in the games, this list was much more diverse, featuring a wide range of Pokémon from both the Kanto and Johto regions.

However, the more valuable Pokémon came at exorbitant costs.

Green leaned over to check the list as well. After scanning it, she frowned and asked:

"Why isn't Dratini on the list? I thought you used it as an advertisement?"

She wasn't wrong. The game corner had once heavily marketed Dratini as a prize to attract trainers.

Hearing her question, the staff member hesitated before replying nervously:

"Well... Dratini is quite expensive, so it wasn't listed here."

"Oh? How expensive are we talking?" Asahi gestured to the massive stack of tokens nearby. "More than these?"

The staff member struggled to respond, stammering and fumbling for words.

His behavior was enough for Asahi and Green to see through the situation immediately.

Dratini was nothing more than a bait-and-switch.

The staff had no intention of actually giving away Dratini. They relied on the idea that most players wouldn't win enough tokens to afford it in the first place. And even if someone did manage to win big, Dratini likely wasn't available in the first place.

Team Rocket might have had some Dratini stashed away, but they weren't going to let them sit idly in a game corner waiting to be redeemed.

"So it was all a scam."

Asahi shrugged, brushing off the disappointment.

"Well, that's fine. Let's forget about Dratini for now."

Setting the issue aside, his eyes fell on another entry on the list:

"Alright, how about this Golden Magikarp? Do you have it in stock?"

The staff member perked up immediately. "Yes, we have that one!"

Green raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Hold on. Are you sure it's not just a regular Magikarp painted gold? I've seen scammers try that trick before."

Her comment brought back memories for Asahi, too—like the infamous scam on the S.S. Anne involving a "Golden Magikarp" that turned out to be fake.

"Don't worry, miss. You can inspect it yourself!"

The staff member quickly fetched a Great Ball from the storage room.

When the ball opened, a golden-scaled Magikarp flopped onto the counter. Its shimmering scales caught the light, making it clear that this wasn't just a paint job.

The golden Magikarp blinked blankly, its mouth opening and closing rhythmically as it bounced on the table.

After inspecting it carefully, Asahi confirmed it was the real deal.

"It's legit," he muttered.

Rare shiny Pokémon like this were prized, not just for their unique appearance but also for their symbolism of luck and wealth.

Without hesitation, Asahi marked it down as one of his prize selections.

"Alright, I'll take this Magikarp. What else do you have that's interesting?"

The staff member, seeing Asahi's interest shift, quickly listed more options.

"We also have a Chansey available—it's quite rare and has proven popular among trainers for its high HP and supportive abilities."

Asahi's ears perked up. Chansey was another excellent prize, though for entirely different reasons.

"Let me see it," he said.

The staff obediently brought out another Great Ball and released its contents.

With a cheerful cry, a pink Chansey appeared, holding its signature egg in its pouch. Its round face radiated warmth and friendliness, instantly making Green's expression soften.

"This one's good too," Asahi said after a brief inspection.

"Alright, I'll take the Chansey and Magikarp for now," he said.

But even after claiming both Pokémon, he still had plenty of tokens left.

"Man, I could practically clean this place out," Asahi muttered under his breath.

Hearing this, the staff member standing nearby nearly burst into tears.

"Sir, please be merciful…"

Asahi reached out to touch the shimmering Magikarp while using his Viridian Force to sense its emotions. He confirmed it was indeed a genuine golden Magikarp.

Fortunately, although the Magikarp's thoughts were somewhat peculiar and hard to interpret, its overall mental state was stable. Asahi had been prepared to offer psychological guidance but was relieved it wouldn't be necessary.

"I'll take this Magikarp!" Asahi declared, then turned to Green.

"Your turn. Pick one too—I'll help you check for any issues!"

Green knew Asahi's ability to sense Pokémon's emotions, so she immediately understood the subtext of his offer.

After examining four different Pokémon, Asahi finally chose a Chansey for Green. Its capture method seemed legitimate, and it didn't have any significant emotional trauma.

It looked like Green was continuing to build her pink-themed Pokémon team.

With that settled, Asahi waved his hand and added the remaining three Pokémon to the list as well—these had clear signs of psychological issues and would serve as evidence to present to Lance.

"Also, give me fifty sets of assorted berries. And for the remaining tokens, convert them all into Rainbow Department Store gift cards!"

After spending every last token, Asahi left the Rainbow Game Corner with a backpack full of items, Green in tow, and the staff watching him leave as though they'd just been freed from a curse.

"He's finally gone," someone muttered.

In the surveillance room, the suited man—the head of security—clipped his sixth Pokéball onto his belt. He turned to two subordinates and barked:

"This operation cannot fail! If you screw this up, even if I let you off, the higher-ups won't! Got it?"

"Understood!" The subordinates stood at attention, their faces grim.

The security chief led them out through the game corner's back door, following the tracker's signal.

---

In a Quiet Alley

Green stood beside Asahi, idly playing with her newly acquired Chansey. Suddenly, she plucked a small tracker—disguised as a pendant—from her bag.

"Are all Team Rocket's tracking methods this sloppy?" she asked incredulously.

The tracker was so obvious that it felt insulting.

"No, it's not that their methods are sloppy—it's that our disguises are too good," Asahi replied.

"They think we're just ordinary tourists. Besides, the real pros are in their elite divisions. Why would anyone competent be assigned to manage a game corner?"

He then turned to face the shadows of the alley.

"Isn't that right, Mr. Security Chief?"

***

To read an advance 60+ chapters before public release

And

Support me at [email protected]/NahinS77