After weighing the pros and cons, Ethan decided to make the exchange.
He wasn't the type to hesitate or overthink. Right now, strengthening himself was what mattered most.
The future could wait—at the moment, he had no choice anyway.
With a series of rapid clicks, the points that the original Ethan had painstakingly saved up were instantly reduced to just 45.
The three training manuals alone cost 1,000 points.
Two boxes of Beginner Ground-Type Pokéblocks took another 200 points, enough to cover Cubone's initial training needs.
Quickly shutting down the computer, Ethan let out a deep breath.
There were far too many tempting things on the platform—it was dizzying. Thankfully, with no points left, he couldn't redeem anything else, or it would've been very difficult to resist spending more.
The items he had exchanged for would be delivered tomorrow by a Delibird courier—Team Rocket's exclusive air-shipping service, which was always very reliable.
Turning to look at the quietly waiting Cubone, Ethan couldn't help but smile again.
"Tomorrow the training manuals will arrive. Then we'll start your training."
As he spoke, Ethan gently patted Cubone's hard skull once more.
This time, Cubone didn't freeze up. Instead, a faint trace of doubt flickered in its eyes.
Today's Trainer seemed… different.
But it wasn't a bad thing.
At dawn, Ethan woke up still a little dazed.
Looking around at the unfamiliar surroundings, and at Cubone, who had risen even earlier, he finally confirmed this wasn't a dream.
Fortunately, he hadn't left much behind in his old life. Now that Cubone was here with him, he felt a quiet sense of contentment.
From now on… I am Ethan Bright.
He thought to himself, and immediately felt a weight lift off his shoulders, as though breaking free from invisible shackles.
Moved by the moment, he instinctively placed his hand on Cubone's skull.
"Cuba?"
Cubone tilted its head, glancing at Ethan with a puzzled look—was he… interested in the skull it wore?
If he really wants it… should I give it to him.
With the shop's grand opening approaching, the day was busy as ever.
Captain Yuzo had indeed begun hiring, and with his practiced manner, no one could have guessed he was actually an undercover Team Rocket intelligence officer.
Meanwhile, Ethan had been assigned a new task.
The shop sign had arrived, and it was his job to oversee the workers installing it.
[Jessie & James Ramen Shop]
Ethan's eyes widened in shock. How could he not recognize such famous names—the true "main characters"?
And if his memory was right, in the original anime there really had been an episode featuring this ramen shop.
What was it about again?
What was it?!
Oh—that's right… the Shiny Metagross!
In the Diamond & Pearl series of the anime, the true stars—Team Rocket's trio—had a falling out.
Meowth felt he had found his life's purpose working at the ramen shop. Jessie went off to compete in Pokémon Contests. And James, left on his own, tried to rebuild the team—risking everything to capture a Shiny Metagross.
And that ramen shop was none other than the [Jessie & James Ramen Shop] standing before him.
Which meant… the Shiny Metagross should be…
Ethan suddenly spun around, scanning the surroundings.
Directly north of town, a barren, iron-gray rocky mountain stood out starkly against the landscape.
"Hey, what's that mountain called?"
Ethan grabbed one of the sign-installation workers and asked urgently.
"Huh? What mountain?"
"The one to the north, that bare rocky one!"
"Oh, that? Doesn't have a name. We just call it Rock Mountain."
The worker looked a bit puzzled but answered politely since Ethan was the employer.
"Are there any famous Pokémon up there?"
"Famous? Nah. I've lived here for decades and never heard of anything like that."
Hearing this, Ethan's emotions eased slightly.
Ash and Pikachu's story hadn't even started yet. Who knew how long it would take for the plot to reach Sinnoh?
For now, whether Rock Mountain housed a Shiny Metagross was still uncertain.
Even if it did, he wasn't strong enough to handle it yet.
But knowing the story in advance meant he couldn't just sit around and wait.
After stepping into the ramen shop, Ethan asked Captain Yuzo again—was this Jessie and James really the Jessie and James he knew of?
The answer was obvious. Ethan's gaze toward Rock Mountain burned even hotter.
And more importantly…
"Cubone, let's give it our best!"
Cubone froze at Ethan's sudden encouragement but still nodded seriously.
Well then… give it my best.
Even if I don't really know why I'm giving it my best.
But Ethan was already thinking ahead—Metagross, a Steel + Psychic-type, was weak to Ground-type moves.
And Cubone's Bonemerang, one of the rare Ground-type moves that could actually strike airborne opponents, gave them a unique advantage.
Just from those two points alone, there was a lot of potential to work with.
By noon, a bright-red, slightly goofy-looking Delibird flapped into the ramen shop's backyard, delivering the much-needed Pokémon training manuals.
Ethan wasn't foolish. He knew better than to assume that just because he had watched over a thousand episodes of the anime, read special manga editions, seen the Legendary Pokémon movies, and played the handheld games, he could automatically raise powerful Pokémon in this real world.
His real advantage was only that he knew certain story events, rare treasures, and the locations of special Pokémon ahead of time.
Right now, though, the most important thing was still training.
After a busy day, it was once again Captain Yuzo who cooked dinner.
Tonight's dish was seafood ramen, and the taste was delicious.
Ethan once again drank the broth down to the last drop, already imagining how wildly successful the shop's business would be in the future.
After dinner, it was finally time to rest.
Cubone's eyes sparkled brightly as it looked up at Ethan, its usual loneliness and coldness already much lessened.
Of course, this warmth was directed only toward Ethan.
"Your early training won't be too hard. Let's try it together, okay?"
Cubone nodded with great seriousness, as though preparing for some grand mission.
After saying goodbye to Captain Yuzo, Ethan led Cubone out of the ramen shop.
He wasn't avoiding training with the others—it was just that some basic exercises were more suitable outdoors.
For example: aerobic exercise—running.
At a nearby park, Ethan found a quiet corner and started warming up with Cubone.
"Make sure your arms stay straight. Match your breathing to your movement…"
"Your bone club is an essential weapon, so your running rhythm has to account for its weight…"
"And don't forget to warm up your tail—it helps keep your balance while running…"
Perhaps because of crossing into this world, Ethan now possessed a small gift that many protagonists seemed to share: an enhanced memory.
The three books he had studied earlier in the day were now firmly imprinted in his mind. He could already start tailoring a training plan based on Cubone's condition.
Cubone was equally serious. Its little tail swayed rhythmically—up and down, side to side.
It followed Ethan's instructions without hesitation. That kind of trust left a deep impression on Ethan.
What a lovable little partner.
With warm-ups done, it was time to run!
"Let's jog one lap around the park. If you can't keep going, just tell me."
One lap was about 400 meters. For Cubone, who had only recently outgrown its infancy stage and was still at its base form, completing the run wouldn't be easy.
Especially since its legs were still short.
Cubone didn't say a word—it simply took its position, waiting for Ethan's command.
"Then let's go!"
As soon as the words left Ethan's mouth, Cubone charged off, its little legs pumping furiously.
Ethan followed close behind, calling out reminders:
"Don't rush! Keep a steady pace!"
Hearing that, Cubone slowed down despite still having energy to spare, obediently following instructions.
The first 200 meters were no problem. But after that, Cubone began to struggle.
Remembering Ethan's advice, it immediately realized the truth of it.
"Cubone, you can do it! The finish line is just ahead!"
Encouragement came from behind, and Cubone felt a sudden surge of strength from within, carrying it forward.
And so, at last, it completed the 400 meters.
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