Pokémon: Trainers Start as Bounty Hunters.

"You encountered Suicune? What did it communicate with you?"

Before Tetsuya could finish his usual polite conversation, Dr. Yamanashi interrupted him impatiently and got straight to the point.

Tetsuya was used to this researcher's style, so he slightly modified and paraphrased what Mizuki had said.

Throughout the call, exclamations from Professor Yamanashi and Professor Oak could be heard from the other end.

"That's about it."

Tetsuya, who had ordered dinner during his spare time, finished his report while chewing his food in a slurred manner.

"Interesting, really interesting."

Dr. Yamanashi looked at the points he had summarized and couldn't help but sigh.

"Didn't the mythical beasts that came into contact with humans before mention these things?"

Tetsuya was quite curious; surely this information wouldn't be kept secret by a legendary Pokémon? Judging from Suicune's expression, it didn't seem to mind revealing it at all.

He didn't believe that he was the only one who had ever seen the mythical beasts in person and had ever interacted with them.

While Ho-Oh, Rayquaza, and even Lugia, the first-tier gods, may not have actually met humans in a real sense, there must be quite a few third-tier and even second-tier gods who have interacted with humans.

In his mind, Lorelei, who had already captured Articuno, was the best example.

"Well, I guess so, but the information there is definitely not as detailed and accurate as yours."

The two PhDs were also somewhat helpless.

Not everyone shares the same thoughts as Tetsuya.

The biggest problems, besides the fact that mythical beasts rarely appear in front of humans to communicate on their own and the language barrier between species, are mainly due to the so-called information barrier.

Upon closer examination, the fact that the alliance was initially formed more as a product of reconciliation and compromise among various powerful families led to this problem.

Although the alliance's situation has greatly improved over the years under the leadership of several alliance chairmen, some things cannot be made up for in a short period of time, especially knowledge about mythical beasts.

Moreover, Tetsuya's thinking is indeed closer to that of a research scholar.

When trainers in the Pokémon world see a legendary Pokémon, their first reaction is usually "to capture it," rather than asking a question.

In this situation, it's already a miracle that they weren't killed by the mythical beast.

"Ok."

Tetsuya could accept this.

In any situation, some extremely advanced and cutting-edge knowledge is often understood and mastered by the fewest people.

After explaining the relevant information, Tetsuya briefly reported his findings to the two doctors.

Normally he would never say it, but for example, the rainbow branch he asked Suicune for could come in handy at this moment, as he did with Nurse Joy.

However, there's no need to hide so much from the two PhDs.

Aside from his deepest secrets, these two doctors probably wouldn't care about anything else.

"Suicune's Water Gem, let me think... I remember there was a record of its effects."

Professor Yamanashi, who also had a deep understanding of Pokémon items, stroked his chin thoughtfully.

After all, if he didn't have a full understanding of Pokémon items, he couldn't have figured out so many Pokémon that could evolve using items.

If there are wise people in this world, the two people Tetsuya is talking to right now must be two of them, and together they are comparable to a Pokémon encyclopedia.

It's no exaggeration to say that most of the research related to elves in the world falls within the knowledge base of these two doctors.

"Ah, I remember now."

Besides functioning like a regular Water Gem to sense water-type energy, it can also be placed on an unhatched water-type Pokémon egg in an environment where sea incense is burning, which seems to enhance its potential.

Of course, unlike the first purpose, this cannot be used for a sustained period of time; it can only be used once.

Dr. Yamanashi clapped his hands excitedly and said to Tetsuya.

Tetsuya even slowed down his eating speed because of this news.

He quickly drank some water to swallow his food and asked anxiously, "Are there any restrictions? Can it only be used on Pokémon with Champion or Elite Four-level potential?"

This is a very important point; the value of this water gem changes drastically with each level it rises in.

As for the first use, what is that?

With the potential for improvement right there, who would care about the effect of gaining spiritual energy that can be achieved simply by spending a little money?

"There is no relevant statistical data for this. The sample size is too small to prove anything."

Dr. Yamanashi's regretful words were like a bucket of water poured over Tetsuya's head.

Come to think of it, the person who discovered this method is a genius. Who in their right mind would do something like this, let alone draw conclusions from a large amount of data? It's unrealistic from a quantitative perspective.

Tetsuya could only express his regret.

But it's not bad either.

In Tetsuya's original plan, once all six of his Pokémon had reached the level of a near-Elite Four member, he would begin to train the next batch of Pokémon.

He's a powerful trainer, after all; it would be a bit embarrassing to only have six Pokémon.

Moreover, experienced trainers generally have at least two or even three teams of Pokémon, mainly to meet the requirement of having the ability to respond freely to different situations and needs.

It's not that one team of Pokémon is necessarily stronger than another team; it just means that their focuses might be different.

Tetsuya was initially unsure what kind of Pokémon he would choose for his seventh Pokémon, but now he's at least certain it will be a Water-type Pokémon.

Raising new Pokémon has been a long-standing plan, and even someone as talented (or overpowered) as Tetsuya cannot guarantee that his Pokémon will quickly advance from a near-Elite Four member to an Elite Four member.

Controlling one's own energy through bonds sounds easy, but it's actually incredibly difficult; otherwise, so many near-Elite Four Pokémon wouldn't be stuck at this stage.

Thankfully, Nobuhiko taught him a lot at the Golden City Fighting Dojo, and Tetsuya has been practicing all this time, otherwise the difficulty of breaking through to the Elite Four level would have been more than doubled.

Tetsuya suddenly sighed, realizing that if he hadn't been taken in as a disciple by Master A-Si, his progress in strength would have been much slower in the future.

"Then we'll go and study these things first. Contact us if you need anything."

Through the wristwatch, Tetsuya also heard Dr. Yamanashi's impatient voice.

"Okay, both doctors, please remember to eat and rest."

Amidst Tetsuya's polite greeting, the call was abruptly ended, and the familiar busy tone sounded again.

“ε=('ο｀*))) Sigh”

He sighed helplessly again. It really was exactly the same.

He quickly shoveled down the last bite of rice and began his first major undertaking since waking up—"Guys! Time to eat!"

Six beams of red light flashed, accompanied by different cries, and the entire room immediately became much smaller.

Tetsuya, now a nutritionist, transforms into a three-headed, six-armed being, frantically preparing dinner for his six companions at a speed so fast that only afterimages can be seen.

He genuinely didn't understand why the mealtime scenes in the previous anime were portrayed as so relaxed, since Brock was the one who prepared all of Ash's group's meals.

It's safe to say that she's a full-time "nanny" who has taken care of a group of younger siblings since they were little; her abilities in this area are terrifying.

Of course, this is probably also related to Tetsuya taking charge of everything.

"Oh my god—" "Beep—"

The eldest and second eldest brothers, who were the first to start eating, enthusiastically discussed the taste of their respective foods.

Tasting it is out of the question. The recipe for Pidta, which emphasizes a light and slightly sour flavor, is completely in a state of avoiding the spicy and even deadly food on the other side.

Conversely, the same applies to blazing chickens; they have little interest in the bland and tasteless food of Pidgeot.

"Let's go. We'll make up for today's training tonight."

Once all the companions had finished eating and digesting, Tetsuya snapped his fingers, signaling that they were about to face another grueling training session.

Only through persistent training day after day can a spirit become stronger.

the next day.

After checking out of Yoshika City, Tetsuya embarked on another journey.

"The Forest of Heracross...is located at..."

He was holding a rather old, yellowed map in his hand, pondering how to proceed.

Now that we've come to the historic city of Jodo, there are many places we must visit.

Heraklion Forest is a prime example of a protected area.

Heracross, who lives here, is a renowned "strongman" elf in the Johto region.

Even the weakest among these giant rhinoceros beetle-like creatures can lift objects a hundred times their own weight, which is quite astonishing.

In addition, it has an exceptionally hard carapace and strong legs.

Aside from being four times weaker to Flying type and having a limited range of moves, Heracross is an ideal Pokémon for all novice trainers.

Its gentle nature is a big plus.

Of course, for a skilled trainer, these few shortcomings are enough to declare it a unilateral rejection.

A gentle temperament is a good thing for a new trainer, but it's a different story for a powerful trainer.

Even though Heracross is not bad at fighting, his lack of desire to win at crucial moments is a fatal flaw.

Its neighbor is the best example of this shortcoming.

At the far right of the Hercules Forest is a river, and on the opposite bank is the Keros Forest, the forest commonly known as the forest where the Great Horned Clan lives.

Unlike the gentle Heracross, the Caelus, which also enjoys drinking tree sap and nectar, has a rather unpleasant temperament and will often cross the river to harass the Heracross.

If this happened to a Pokémon with a bit of a temper, then Piero would definitely be driven far away by the stronger one.

After all, conflicts over food and territory are a bottom line for wild elves.

However, the powerful Heracross made a completely different choice.

They would only passively repel Keros and would not take any further action.

If it weren't for the fact that Kelos, an elf, is afraid of the cold and spends much of its time hiding in the ground, it's hard to say whether Kelos would have relentlessly pushed Heracross out of their territory.

If even the struggle for food is only this intense, then it's not hard to imagine the abilities Heracross can display in regular combat.

Many people regret this.

Of course, those exceptional Heracross who love fighting are quite popular, but unfortunately, they are very few and far between.

Tetsuya's trip to the Forest of Heracross wasn't to capture a battle-hardened Heracross; he wasn't particularly interested in these enlarged insect sprites.

Even though Heracross's appearance is considered quite good among Bug-type Pokémon, it doesn't matter.

He went there mainly for the sweetness.

This type of fairy food, commonly produced by the three honeybees in the Sinnoh region, can also be found in the area where Heracross lives.

Or, to put it another way, as long as a place produces sweet produce, Heracross will migrate there with their entire tribe, and the order of arrival still needs to be clarified.

Sweet nectar, with its sweet and fragrant aroma, serves to attract wild creatures of all sizes and kinds.

For bounty hunters who frequently live in the wild, besides its role in completing missions and finding targets, its greater function lies in distracting the Pokémon chasing them.

It is even effective against bee-like creatures that are in a frenzy of fighting, and even urchins in their breeding season.

This is a lifesaver!

So although it's not uncommon, sweetness has always been in high demand and short supply in the market.

The Sinnoh League, as the main producer, has earned a lot of extra money from other regions thanks to this specialty product.

Since Tetsuya will be spending a lot of time in the wild, sweet treats are naturally an essential item. Rather than spending money and time to acquire them, he chooses to collect them using his own abilities.

He quickly found a direction and headed there.

In a corner that Zhe hadn't noticed, a very familiar elf covered in white fur reappeared behind him, silently watching his departing figure.

Chapter 310 Forest Guard and Temporary Conscription

The Johto Regional Forest Guard is part of the Fylene Regional Ranger League. Its members are mainly regional rangers who have not passed the final test, and a very small number of recognized trainers.

The so-called final test refers to the assessment of the application of hunting gliders.

Regional Rangers who are unable to use the Hunting Cauldron to soothe frightened Pokémon, release controlled Pokémon, or communicate with Pokémon can only be considered as candidates to join the Forest Guard in their respective regions to maintain peace in the forest.