Pokemon: With Title System

Chapter 71: Blueport city and Gary

Dr. Sakuragi's hesitation was within Asahi's expectations.

Given the current state of the League, working as a consultant for the International Police indeed carried some risks. The missing former colleagues were still fresh in everyone's memory—it was hard not to feel uneasy about it.

So, Asahi prepared some leverage.

"I heard that your research requires a lot of high-precision equipment. As it happens, I have a partnership with Devon Corporation. I think getting a batch of customized research instruments at a discounted price shouldn't be a problem."

"This..."

Dr. Sakuragi hesitated.

His research did require many specialized devices, and Silph Co.'s prices were quite high. If he could use Asahi's connections to get cheaper yet high-quality equipment from Devon Corp, it would definitely be a huge advantage.

Clearly, Dr. Sakuragi was tempted.

"Additionally," Asahi continued, "I'm also quite close with Lance. If you ever want to apply for a research grant from the League, I might be able to help facilitate the process."

"I..."

Seeing that Dr. Sakuragi still had more to say, Asahi pressed on.

"Oh, and one more thing—our Kanto division has a dedicated research fund meant to support technical advancements for our members. Currently, no one is using it. If you're willing to take on this research role, this fund will be at your disposal."

"....."

Dr. Sakuragi fell silent.

He couldn't refuse—the offer was just too good!

Even though Asahi hadn't spent a single cent of his own and had merely leveraged his connections and resources, every single condition he presented had perfectly hit Dr. Sakuragi's weak points.

"What exactly would my work entail?" Dr. Sakuragi asked.

Hearing this, Asahi smiled.

"It's simple—just analyze the data I provide and conduct research on certain special items."

Asahi thought about the meteorite he had in his possession.

Perhaps… with Dr. Sakuragi's expertise, he could finally decipher its mysteries.

Hearing that it was primarily data analysis and research, Dr. Sakuragi hesitated no further and accepted the position as an International Police consultant for the Kanto division.

Since this was merely a consultant role rather than a formal position, Asahi only needed to inform Lance, and just like that, Dr. Sakuragi officially joined.

However, to Asahi's surprise, Dr. Sakuragi actually declined the research funding designated for technical equipment development.

In his words, his expertise lay in Pokémon ecology and data analysis, not technology development. Instead, he recommended someone else to Asahi.

Asahi glanced at the business card Dr. Sakuragi handed him.

"Bill?"

---

By the time they left the meteorological research facility, it was already evening.

From Dr. Sakuragi, Asahi had also obtained some records from the Vermilion Shipping Association.

"I wasn't expecting this bonus," he mused.

Flipping through the documents, Asahi saw that they contained a decade's worth of shipping records from the Vermilion Shipping Association. He immediately sent them to Lance, hoping they would assist in his ongoing investigations.

"So… does this mean we now have four members in the Kanto division?" Green asked in good spirits.

Asahi shook his head.

Green, confused, counted on her fingers. "Lance, you, me, and now Dr. Sakuragi—that's four, right?"

Although the Kanto division had been nothing more than an empty shell when she first joined, thanks to Asahi's efforts (and her assistance, of course), the foundation was finally being rebuilt.

At this pace, it wouldn't be long before the Kanto division returned to its former strength.

By then, she would be a senior member!

The thought pleased Green…

…until Asahi poured a bucket of cold water on her enthusiasm.

"Lance mentioned recently that, given my exceptional performance and the accomplishments I've achieved, International Police Headquarters is considering appointing me as the new interim head of the Kanto division. That means he'll be stepping down soon."

Green processed this for a moment.

…Was this good news or bad news?

Bad news: The Kanto division was about to lose Lance, the only true powerhouse within the International Police.

Good news: Once Asahi became the director, they'd have even more freedom!

Realizing this, Green convinced herself that it wasn't so bad. "Three members is still okay… it's the same as when I first joined."

But then, Asahi shook his head again.

"Dr. Sakuragi is still primarily a Pokémon Professor," Asahi explained. "He's just a consultant—an external staff member—and only provides intelligence support. So, technically…"

Asahi sighed. "That means, soon enough, the Kanto division will be down to just you and me."

Green: "..."

Didn't that mean the Kanto division was about to have fewer people than when she first joined?!

They had just delivered a devastating blow to Team Rocket—once Team Rocket found out, there was no doubt they would retaliate.

Could a two-person Kanto division really survive?

In the end, Asahi was the one comforting Green, assuring her that as long as he was around, the Kanto division's future was bright.

Besides, having fewer people had its perks—no bureaucratic restrictions, and they'd have the entire department's budget to themselves!

Once Asahi became the director, they could eat whatever they wanted, stay in the finest hotels—

Green was skeptical at first, but Asahi's grand vision of luxury started sounding more appealing… and she felt a little bit better.

"So what's our next move? Should we go meet this Bill that Dr. Sakuragi mentioned?"

"Bill? That can wait…" Asahi stretched lazily. "For now, let's just enjoy our vacation!"

---

Bluepool City

One of Kanto's most famous resort cities.

Sunshine, beaches, ocean waves—this place was paradise for vacationers.

Gardevoir was lounging on a beach chair.

Eevee was fully engrossed in building a sandcastle.

Dragonair elegantly leaped out of the water, droplets catching the sunlight and creating a dazzling rainbow of colors.

Meanwhile, Mudkip, Clefable, Jigglypuff, and Shelgon were huddled around a barbecue, staring hungrily at the sizzling food.

Oh—actually, not Shelgon.

It didn't have a mouth, so it couldn't drool.

"All done!" Asahi handed out grilled meat to his Pokémon.

Shelgon watched as the others happily devoured their food, then closed its eyes and tried to imagine that it was the one eating.

Asahi watched this unfold and sighed.

"…Why do you put yourself through this? You know you can't eat yet."

Seeing Shelgon's determined look, Asahi patted its shell.

"Don't worry—once you evolve, you'll be able to eat all you want."

"Ka…gon!"

Just as Shelgon was swearing its resolve to evolve, Green finally emerged from the changing room in her swimsuit.

To be honest… Asahi was a little stunned.

When did Green get such a great figure?

"Well? What do you think?"

Noticing Asahi staring, Green smirked and even did a little spin to show off her swimsuit.

She had carefully picked it out to suit her body type.

Asahi gave her a thumbs-up. Just as he was about to say something—

A loud commotion came from nearby.

Instinctively, Asahi turned to look.

A familiar figure was walking toward them—surrounded by a group of swimsuit-clad girls.

"…Gary?"

Hearing his name, Gary glanced around—then spotted Asahi and Green on the beach.

"Asahi! And… your girlfriend?"

Breaking free from his "fan club," Gary ran over to them.

"She's not my girlfriend," Asahi corrected. "And what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be challenging Gyms?"

Gary let out an annoyed sigh.

"I was in Vermilion City, ready to challenge Lt. Surge, but then… I decided to take a one-day break before battling. The next morning, Surge got arrested."

Asahi: "..."

Well, well—the first real "victim" of Surge's arrest had just appeared.

Of course, Asahi wasn't about to admit he was the one responsible. Instead, he nodded and sympathized with Gary.

"Yeah… that was some bad timing. Who would've thought Lt. Surge was actually a Team Rocket executive?"

Gary sighed and let it go.

Then, his fighting spirit reignited.

"Since we ran into each other, how about a Pokémon battle?"

After leaving Celadon City, he had asked his grandfather about Asahi.

From Professor Oak, Gary learned that aside from being a university lecturer, Asahi was primarily a researcher.

And in Gary's experience, researchers weren't particularly strong trainers.

That knowledge completely eased his doubts—and now, he was eager to battle Asahi.

"Do we really need to…?" Asahi hesitated.

Although Gary had challenged him before, Professor Oak had always treated him well. Beating his grandson too badly just felt mean.

"It's just friendly sparring! Even if you lose, I won't make fun of you!" Gary insisted.

Hearing that, Green couldn't help but feel sorry for Gary.

To be fair, he was a strong trainer.

But of all people to challenge… he chose Asahi.

"...Alright," Asahi finally agreed.

He glanced at his Pokémon, then waved over Eevee.

"Eevee, you're up."

Gary was perplexed.

"…You're using Eevee?"

He had assumed Asahi would pick Shelgon.

Meanwhile, far off in the distance, Gardevoir lay on a beach chair, completely relaxed—because she already knew how this battle was going to end.