Pokémon: Trainers Start as Bounty Hunters.

So he had already seen a real first-level god long ago.

"It's not impossible."

Ignoring Tetsuya's silence, Liu Bo overturned his previous conclusion.

“It is said that the Xernias in our region have a good relationship with the Shirabi tribe. Maybe you just happened to run into them catching up.”

Upon hearing Liu Bo's statement, Tetsuya, who was in a state of shock, said that he would remember it.

He had no reason not to believe Uncle Liu.

On one hand, the opponent's immense strength is enough to prove many things, and there are very few things that a trainer with such strength would not know.

If you really want to know, just ask someone; no one will refuse.

On the other hand, Liu Bo's family background and interpersonal relationships are also very important factors.

Aside from the fact that the other party is the gym leader of the ninja town from ancient times to the present, Professor Oak is one of Liu Bo's friends.

Tetsuya might not know other information, but as a transmigrator, he had a lot to say about the fact that Professor Oak and Celebi had a good relationship.

Incidentally, he found a sketchbook on a bookshelf in a corner of Oak's lab—the sketchbook contained incredibly clear and detailed drawings of Celebi. (Note 1)

Anyway, Tetsuya didn't believe that anyone who had never seen a real Celebi could draw it so realistically. Even Professor Oak, who was extremely good at sketching Pokémon, couldn't do it.

The snow-covered forest has returned to tranquility.

However, unlike his slightly nervous state of mind just now, Tetsuya was completely dizzy at this moment.

He was just passing by and wanted to have some fun, but he was unlucky enough to run into the flood. How did he end up being told that he had already met Celebi and Xerneas?

This is a genuine first-level god.

Could it be that I am the so-called protagonist of this world?

Even someone as self-controlled as Tetsuya couldn't help but start daydreaming at this moment.

Then he saw Uncle Liu leaning on a cane beside him.

Uncle Liu, with his full head of white hair, seemed incredibly frail; he could be knocked over with the slightest push.

"An illusion, all of it is an illusion."

Tetsuya immediately calmed down and repeatedly reminded himself.

Encountering mythical beasts is nothing special; judging from this guy's appearance, he's probably dealt with countless mythical beasts.

Professor Oak probably didn't tell him these things because he felt that knowing them wouldn't be of any significance to Tetsuya at the moment, and would only disturb his mind.

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Note 1: This is an official Easter egg that connects the game and the movie.

Chapter 316 On Making Money and Life (As usual, I'll revise this later)

"In short, that's roughly it."

Tetsuya shrugged and said to Morio.

He has now returned to the forest ranger command center.

As for Liu Bo, he left after solving the ice problem raised by Tetsuya.

"Alright, although I don't know how Lord Liu did it, now that the problem is solved, everything is fine."

Hearing Tetsuya's explanation, Morio felt relieved.

Actually, it's not difficult to do it, Tetsuya muttered to himself, it's just that having the ability is difficult.

He personally witnessed Uncle Liu solve the problem of ice and water flow using a champion-level armored clam.

There's absolutely no technology involved.

Tetsuya had no doubt that Liu Bo's Cloyster was probably much stronger than Lorelei's main Cloyster.

You could say that experience truly matters.

I wonder just how strong Granny Kikuko, who was from the same era as Uncle Liu, really was.

Tetsuya now feels that, besides Kona, Kikuko is also a key factor in Wataru's inability to ascend to the Kanto championship throne.

Who knows what kind of strength this old man is hiding?

"If there's nothing else, I'll be going now."

After chatting for a while, Tetsuya naturally took his leave.

He could have just packed up and left long ago, but Mori-onna dumped the problem on him.

So he had no choice but to return to the command center and report his extra work to Morio.

"Thank you for your hard work. You will receive a reward after everything is finished and you report back."

Morio thanked him gratefully.

Of course, for Tetsuya, the latter part of the content is what is truly meaningful.

He treasures all the credit he earned from the alliance.

Stepping out of the command center, looking at the still snow-covered forest outside, Tetsuya took a deep breath.

The tranquility that follows exhaustion is truly comforting.

However, he subconsciously checked the time and realized that the most urgent thing now was to find a place to have lunch.

As for why they don't eat at the command center...

Seeing how hard they were working, Tetsuya figured they wouldn't be able to eat anytime soon, so he figured he might as well work out in the wild himself.

Besides, his companions also needed to replenish their energy.

Thinking of this, Tetsuya sighed again, feeling a headache coming on.

He felt a pang of pain in his heart every time he ate a meal.

These two are all gold-devouring beasts.

It's no exaggeration to say that Tetsuya's daily food expenses for his Pokémon are equivalent to half a year's expenses for an average family in the League.

"No, no, this can't go on. We need to find a way to make money sustainably."

Because of the ever-decreasing number of savings on his bank statement, Tetsuya, who had just turned nineteen, made a painful decision and finally decided to find an industry that could provide him with financial support.

Even the richest person can't just sit around and live off their wealth, especially since he's actually a penniless wretch.

Don't misunderstand, I'm not being kept.

Although Cynthia does regularly send him money for Togepi's training program, this amount is not much for Tetsuya right now.

Moreover, this plan cannot last forever.

Based on the data on Pocoby recently provided by Cynthia, Tetsuya pessimistically believes that this kind of job that brings in money on a fixed cycle will be gone in three months.

By then, the money in his bank account will disappear much faster than it is now.

Before that, he must resolve his financial problems.

Money earned from completing tasks and selling items is never very stable, and it could be troublesome if something goes wrong.

"It's tough!"

Walking through the forest, Tetsuya was deep in thought and couldn't help but let out a wail.

It's easier said than done, but this problem is far from easy to solve.

Many industries are already firmly controlled by large companies, so the fastest way for him to obtain funds is actually to find a company to sponsor him.

For example, German, Schiruff, and Enda.

These groups and companies have been eyeing him for who knows how long.

However, Tetsuya was still rather unwilling, because there's no such thing as a free lunch.

Once he accepts the funding, he will find himself unable to control many of his own destiny.

This is completely different from the help provided by Professor Yamanashi, Professor Oak, and even Pewter City Gym Leader and Aya.

The help they provided cannot be measured in monetary terms.

To be frank, Tetsuya felt it wasn't worth it. Many things can't be solved simply by having enough money, especially in the world of Pokémon.

The problem is that you might have the money, but not the luck.

Moreover, it's not that he has no ways or avenues to make money; he just wants something more stable.

"Specifically designed to help train elves with specific roles? No way."

The first way Tetsuya could think of to make money was, of course, by relying on his own breeding abilities and Zero.

However, this plan was immediately rejected.

Because too many people are doing it, and this method will consume a lot of his energy and time.

Examples include the various Pokémon bred specifically for performances in Eastgate Town of the Johto region, the Slugs bred specifically to assist Officer Jenny in Slugtown, the Google bred specifically for navigation by the Suzuka family in the Mystic Forest, and the Donphans bred specifically for finding agate in Donphan Valley.

These industries that use elves to make money all require a huge investment of time and energy.

It's not that Tetsuya is unwilling to invest time and energy, but rather that this kind of industry, which requires continuous investment, is not suitable for him, whose goal is to become a Pokémon Master.

His purpose in making money is to become stronger, not to delay the time it takes for him to become stronger; he can't afford to lose more than he gains.

"So, is it the cultivation program or the sale of energy cubes?"

Considering his identity as a breeder, Tetsuya also thought of another related profession.

To put it simply, it's similar to the nurturing and beauty salon that Master Xiaoxue opened in Rainbow City before, except that its business scope is more precise.

But soon, Tetsuya subconsciously shook his head again.

The problem with this idea is that he doesn't have many trusting and generous clients.

The best clients are, of course, people like Cynthia, but with a few exceptions, why would such people bother with him? They are perfectly capable of finding breeders they consider to be far superior.

They were unaware that Tetsuya possessed a bug-like existence called Zero.

He rejected both low-end and high-end jobs in the field of nurturing families, so what else is there?

He doesn't know how to make Poké Balls; he also doesn't know how to create any Pokémon-related items.

"Forget it, I'll stick to being a bounty hunter for now."

Tetsuya, whose head was throbbing from thinking, quickly gave up.

There are plenty of people who become Elite 1 trainers by working their way up from bounty hunters, right? He doesn't think he can't do it.

At least, the financial problem can be solved during his travels; it just takes more time and effort.

Tetsuya's sudden consideration of establishing his own business stemmed primarily from his concern that he would lose a stable source of income once he ended his travels and settled in a fixed region.

Don't you see that many dojo owners opened their dojos for this very reason?

"Hey." Zheye was stunned.

Come to think of it, opening a dojo later on wouldn't be a bad idea.

Not only can you have your own backyard to raise Pokémon and plant trees and fruit trees, but you can also do quests issued by the League and, incidentally, get a share of the city's tax revenue.

However, the problem is that this requires a bit too much skill.

He was all alone, unlike those family-run dojos that had been passed down from ancient times.

Besides, there isn't a particularly suitable city to open a dojo for him.

The profits from some remote, dead-end cities are less than what he could have made by spending more time cultivating his family.

In addition, it is said that the main things done at the dojo are not easy at all. I should find some time to ask Senior Brother Si and Xiao Gang about it.

Despite all this thought, Tetsuya's hands and feet didn't slow down at all.

He quickly found an open space and started making lunch.

The biggest advantage that being a cultivator brings him is that he spends far less money on energy blocks than before.

He used to have to order from others, but now he can make it all himself.

Not only did it eliminate the middleman's handling fees and customization fees, but it also gave him more peace of mind regarding the raw materials and the results.