Shiro wasn't shaken by Edgar's words. He just listened in silence.
The old man, on the other hand, was getting irritated by his stubbornness. Was everything he said going in one ear and out the other? These weren't empty slogans. Did the boy in front of him really not understand what he was saying?
"You..." Edgar clenched his teeth, thinking hard, then said, "Don't you ever think about... that girl Marnie? You've known each other for so long. Your relationship is close, almost like childhood sweethearts. And then there's Nessa. Isn't she fond of you too? Wouldn't it be nice to stay in Galar, surrounded by both of them? If you wander off for a few years, by the time you return, they might already be married."
"...No," Shiro muttered, his eyes twitching.
Since when was Marnie that close to him? Childhood sweethearts? And why did everyone seem to assume there was something going on between them? Honestly, she probably preferred a Blipbug or a Rookidee by the roadside over him.
As for Nessa? That was pure nonsense. At best, they were just friends.
She did look nice, sure... but that wasn't the point!
This old man really had no bottom line with his bullshit.
Shiro said firmly, "I know myself. I don't think either of them actually likes me."
As a trainer, his focus should be on raising his Pokémon. If he wasted time on these distractions, his journey would never go far.
Before he saw what lay at the top, before his Corviknight could defeat even a legendary, he wasn't going to think about those things.
"Fine..." Edgar sighed when he realized he couldn't convince him. With his hands behind his back, he spoke, "I just hope I won't receive an order from the company to hunt you down one day, Shiro."
Shiro opened his mouth but couldn't bring himself to say with certainty that it wouldn't happen.
He watched the old man slowly walk away and vanish into the shadows. Moments later, he turned back toward the lobby, entered the elevator, and returned to his room.
* * *
After washing up, he went to the training room to feed his Pokémon, then finally returned to his bedroom to rest.
He had been busy these days. Aside from occasionally practicing psychic powers with Unown A in the mornings, he hadn't done physical training in a long time. Yet he could feel his body continuing to grow stronger.
Maybe it was the blessing from Zamazenta. But it still wasn't strong enough to serve as a real trump card.
At the very least, he needed to reach Bruno's level, able to take an Onix head-on with his bare body. Well... if he could withstand attacks from an Advanced-level Pokémon, that would be enough for him.
Most trainers in this world were stuck around Advanced-level anyway. In wild battles, the greatest danger was being ambushed from the side or rear. If his body could endure hits from Advanced-level Pokémon, he'd never have to fear being beaten by some ordinary trainer through a sneak attack.
The only thing that disappointed him was his psychic ability. Right now, all it allowed him to do was glance at a Pokémon's basic data. Even telepathy had to be relayed through Unown A, which wasn't all that useful.
If only his powers were stronger. If he could use them like hands, maybe just to pick up a cup... then he wouldn't even need to get up.
He thought about it, then sat up from the sofa and picked up his glass of water.
'Impossible…' Unown A appeared right on cue with a verbal strike. 'With your psychic ability, after twenty years of training, you might barely be able to use telekinesis on a cup.'
"Pffft—"
Water sprayed from his mouth. He covered it with his hand quickly.
"Why didn't you say that earlier?" He glared at the creature.
If twenty years of training only let him move a glass, then what was the point?
Had Unown A just tricked him from the start?
'Hey... you never asked how long you'd have to train,' Unown A floated lazily back onto his shoulder. Stretching one crooked leg, it added, 'Besides, I wasn't sure of your talent back then. Now it's clear. Both your natural and training talents are useless.'
Shiro's face twisted like he was constipated. Pressing his lips together, he pulled his laptop out of his bag and opened it, planning to check the researcher's site for some proof of geniuses to feel a little better.
He had grown fond of the site recently.
Every researcher there seemed like a talent. They spoke well, and only asked questions he already knew the answers to. Of course, when he didn't know something, he just skipped it.
But right as he logged on, Unown A floated over with a serious face, blocking the keyboard with its single eye fixed on him.
'There's a way,' it said. 'A way to completely change your psychic powers. Even your training talent could transform.'
"...?"
Shiro heard the tone and immediately felt it was another empty promise. He grabbed the creature by one leg, tossed it aside, and said flatly, "Go on, I'm listening."
It floated back, rubbing its crooked legs together like hands. Its eye curved into a smiling crescent.
'It's Mesprit. A legendary Pokémon of the psychic type that rules over emotions. If it helps you unlock your psychic power, you'll instantly grow to the point where…'
"Where?" Shiro tilted his head.
'Where you won't need to stretch out your hand to pick up a cup,' it said with full seriousness.
"Oh..."
That promise wasn't appealing at all.
He brushed Unown A aside once more and checked his inbox to see if any researchers had messaged him.
Following his talks Professors Rowan and Elm, he'd gotten the hang of things. He only added well-known researchers and professors as friends. Then he struck up conversations, exchanged knowledge, and slowly built connections.
That was how it worked. Talk enough and familiarity grew.
Who said he was a stranger in the outside world? The world of Pokémon research was his home.
Clicking on the notification with a flashing red dot, he pushed away Unown A who was trying to lean in again, and read the contents.
Juniper: "May I ask when you would be available? I don't need any literature, I simply want to learn more about Galar's history and legends. I'm especially curious about the Dynamax phenomenon and the Darkest Day."
"Hm..." Shiro leaned his head on one hand, ignoring Unown A bouncing around in front of him.
It wanted him to rescue Mesprit?
That was like asking a Blipbug to pry open a Rookidee's throat to see if it had siblings inside.
More likely, the moment they reached that underground lab, the controlled Mesprit would probably blast them with psychic energy first.
He shook his head at the thought, then casually typed his response:
"I should be attending the next Pokémon Academic Summit. Let's talk in person then. I really don't have much time right now."
The reply came almost instantly.
"Alright, thank you very much."
"Huh?" Shiro blinked in mild surprise. He closed the chat window, then grabbed the wriggling Unown A before him.
"Come on, A. Can't you be as quiet as G? Mesprit's not your mother. Why do you care so much?"
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!