Chapter Five: A Bounty of Rewards

Yesterday, after catching a Ralts, Cheng Cheng managed to acquire several more Pokémon. For the stronger ones, he used Chimecho in battle; for the weaker, he relied on Ralts. His luck had been good, but then he ran into trouble—the most dreaded encounter in the forest region—a swarm of Beedrill.

A loud, ominous buzzing filled the air as a massive swarm of Beedrill chased after Cheng Cheng. He hadn't intended to provoke these terrifying Pokémon, but when he spotted a green Beedrill among them, he couldn't resist.

Cheng Cheng’s plan was to defeat the green Beedrill as quickly as possible and flee before the others noticed, yet he was still discovered.

“Damn it.”

There was nothing he could do. Cheng Cheng’s team was simply too weak—he only had Chimecho, Ralts, and the newly hatched Abra at his disposal. If he could use Pokémon of other types, he could have thrown out all the ones he’d caught in the past days and dealt with the Beedrill swarm without any trouble. As things stood, all he could do was run.

“Damn it, enough running. Chimecho, use Psywave on the Beedrill!”

“Chime~”

Chimecho’s Psywave did affect the Beedrill, but not in a good way—it only served to enrage them further.

“Run!” Cheng Cheng yelled, grabbing Chimecho with one hand and sprinting away at full speed.

He was starting to panic. If this kept up, he’d be finished. But just then, he spotted a river.

“There’s a river… Thank goodness, we’re saved.”

He dashed toward the water, took a flying leap, and plunged straight in. Quickly, he recalled Chimecho into its Poké Ball and held his breath underwater.

After three minutes, Cheng Cheng surfaced for air, only to find dozens of Beedrill floating around him.

“Heh, hello there!” he greeted nervously.

“Run.”

Cheng Cheng dove back underwater—this time, he didn’t stay put but swam downstream. After about a hundred meters, he surfaced again. The Beedrill had not followed.

Cheng Cheng swam to the shore, climbed out, and headed in the opposite direction from the Beedrill.

As night fell, he dared not light a fire to dry his clothes; the glow would attract too many Pokémon. He had to strip off his wet clothes, thankful he’d brought a spare set—otherwise, he’d be shivering in the cold night wind.

Early the next morning, Cheng Cheng strapped on his backpack, brought Chimecho, and returned home. Three days of capturing Pokémon in the wild had yielded plenty, and his team had grown stronger.

He returned to the breeding house, went up to his room on the second floor, tossed his backpack aside, and immediately went to shower.

Afterward, he lay in bed, savoring the comfort of home.

“Come out, Chimecho, Abra, Ralts.”

In just a few days, all three had grown.

Pokémon: Chimecho

Type: Psychic
Level: 35
Rank: Yellow
Rarity: Rare
Ability: Levitate
HP: 40/65
...
Total Stats: 260/425
Held Item: None
Moves: Bind, Growl, Astonish, Confusion, Tackle, Uproar, Yawn, Psywave, Double-Edge.

Pokémon: Abra

Type: Psychic
Rank: Light Blue
Rarity: Rare
Level: 4
Ability: Inner Focus
Hidden Ability: Magic Guard
HP: 14/25
...
Total Stats: 50/310
Held Item: Twisted Spoon
Moves: Teleport

Pokémon: Ralts

Type: Psychic/Fairy
Level: 16
Rank: Light Green
Rarity: Rare
Ability: Synchronize
Special Ability: Super Senses
HP: 21/28
...
Total Stats: 114/198
Held Item: None
Moves: Growl, Confusion, Double Team, Teleport

Now it was time to submit the mission.

“System, submit the task.”

“Ding! Pokémon capture mission complete. Statistics as follows:
Red, common: 2
Deep red, common: 1
Light orange, common: 2
Orange, common: 4
Orange, rare: 1
Deep orange, common: 5
Light yellow, common: 7
Light yellow, rare: 2
Yellow, common: 6
Yellow, rare: 1
Deep yellow, common: 2
Light green, common: 1
Green, rare: 1

Total value: 1.9 million.
Successfully exchanged: 1.52 million, credited to host's account.
Additionally, the host has captured a Psychic-type Ralts. The system will not reclaim Ralts; it remains the host’s property.”

Cheng Cheng was relieved to see that the Psychic-types he caught belonged to him. Even if the system hadn’t mentioned it, he would have insisted—he was quite fond of this Ralts.

“System, why did I receive less money? Are you taking a cut when you reclaim Pokémon?”

“What cut! This system is strictly official and accepts no bribes. The twenty percent deducted is a service fee. Also, the prices are set for Pokémon of the same rank, but even among those, individual differences cause price fluctuations. Furthermore, the quoted prices are based on level 30 Pokémon. None of yours exceed level 30, so getting eighty percent is already pretty good.”

After considering the system’s explanation, Cheng Cheng had to admit it made sense. Then, realizing he’d just pocketed over a million, excitement took over. He’d never seen so much money before, and now the breeding house could finally be renovated. Still, a full makeover would be no small feat.

“Ding! The system has detected your intention to renovate the breeding house. To make it better and help you become a master Psychic-type breeder more quickly, the system offers a one-stop renovation service. You may choose your preferred style.”

“Wow, that’s amazing! The system always has a solution for every problem.”

Cheng Cheng opened the system page and browsed the five renovation options, each more enticing than the last. But even the cheapest cost fifty thousand league coins, which dampened his enthusiasm.

Still, after seeing the system’s options, he couldn’t bring himself to settle for an ordinary renovation. It just wouldn’t feel right. Gritting his teeth, Cheng Cheng selected a sixty-thousand-coin package, haggling with the system to use the extra ten thousand to redo the second floor as well.

“Ding! Congratulations, host. You have acquired the one-stop renovation service. Please sleep, and by morning, the renovation will be complete. Because the process is noisy, the system will assist you in sleeping deeply. Prepare yourself, and notify the system when you’re ready.”

Cheng Cheng was already exhausted, so the arrangement suited him perfectly. After a quick meal, he lay down on his bed and soon fell into a deep, system-induced sleep, as the system began its transformation of the breeding house.