Chapter 174: Secretary's Duties
The day after the Mercenary Guild opened, Ryan's estate was packed with people. The reason was simple: Ryan had stated in his recruitment advertisement that each member of the Mercenary Guild would be given three starter Pokémon. The Day Care would also be open to employees, and with enough quest points, one could enter the Day Care and choose a Pokémon.
Everyone was immediately excited, especially children from poor families, who found it difficult to obtain their own starter Pokémon. Trainers were also rare in this world, with most serving as support roles rather than full trainers.
Even the League's recruiters wouldn't be so generous as to give everyone three starter Pokémon. But Ryan wasn't bothered. He gave his members three Pokémon: Gyarados, Trapinch, and Aron.
Gyarados evolved from Magikarp and was relatively rare, but Magikarp were plentiful. Ryan purchased TMs and had several Pokémon train them up. Level 20 was easy to reach, and Magikarp evolved into Gyarados without any difficulty.
As for Trapinch, it truly lived up to its reputation. Given ample food, it reproduced very rapidly.
As for Aron, Ryan also obtained them from the League. While Aron were relatively difficult to breed, they were plentiful. Plus, Aron ate metal, so if members wanted to keep them healthy, they'd need to earn money first.
These three Pokémon also served as water-crossing mounts, flying mounts, and tanks. They were incredibly versatile, and with a sturdy tank protecting them, they offered a significant safety factor.
As for quest points, they were also Ryan's idea. Don't think he was losing out by opening the Day Care to members. He considered the possibility of top-tier Pokémon being captured, so he decided to set up a system whereby Pokémon are captured and exchanged for points.
Depending on the Pokémon's potential and rarity, anyone who captured a Pokémon from the Day Care should receive a profit of at least half a top-tier Pokémon's value. This way, Ryan wouldn't lose out, as not everyone could catch a top-tier Pokémon.
Regarding the Day Care, Ryan also reclassified the rewards based on the Pokémon's potential and rarity. At least the valuable ones had increased prices, while the common ones were reduced. Since no one had raised any objections so far, Ryan felt comfortable with the system.
Regarding recruitment, Ryan publicly stated that he was only recruiting combat personnel, but he wasn't picky about requirements. Internally, Ryan divided the personnel into: combat personnel, clerical staff, healing team members, capture team members, scientific researchers, equipment developers, intelligence operatives, and elite team members (promoted from combat personnel).
Those with average skills were assigned to the capture team, while those with good combat capabilities were assigned to the combat team. Of course, Ryan wouldn't overlook talents in other areas either.
Clerical staff would be responsible for dispatching missions and handling intelligence facilities. The healing team would assist the combat team, handling logistics and medical treatment. The intelligence operatives were the most important, and Ryan assigned Courtney to this task. After all, this woman was very sharp. She had observed the entire process from the shadows and, for now, she was completely loyal to Ryan.
Ryan was the boss of the Mercenary Guild, and Courtney and Lillie were his secretaries, or so he liked to think. Lillie and Courtney were both intelligent and had been a great help to Ryan in handling issues. As the saying goes, "Secretaries handle the work."
As for scientific researchers and equipment developers, he was currently unsure where to place them. Ryan planned to acquire several related companies and bring them under his organization to help with their research. His primary target was the equipment development company that helped him build the Plate collector. Their efficiency was impressive, making Ryan's acquisition worth the substantial price.
As for elite combatants, only a few currently met the criteria. Ryan's test for combat teams involved battling against Bellossom. Although Bellossom had been retired from Ryan's main team, her strength was evident. Those who could battle Bellossom for five rounds without losing would join the combat team, while those who lost would join the capture team. Those who excelled would become candidates for elite combatants, while those who could defeat Bellossom would be promoted directly to elite combatants.
Ryan had currently given elite combatant positions to Ruby and the others. After all, they were all protagonists from the Pokémon Adventures manga, and their potential for future growth was undoubtedly limitless. He had also recruited Gold and Crystal. Since they hadn't yet matured and weren't favored by the League, it was easy to recruit them.
There were a few elite candidates left in the combat team. Ryan reviewed their profiles and found seven: Zinnia, Shelly, Len, Tou, Sai, Nan, and Hoku.
Shelly was a wandering girl from the Draconid people, recruited by Zinnia. She was rumored to be participating in the Ever Grande Conference. Len was the only male among the seven, a squinty-eyed man with a cheerful smile. However, he opened his eyes during a battle with Bellossom and nearly defeated her.
He was from Saffron City. The remaining four were quadruplets. They were currently homeless and a bit reserved, but their abilities were impressive, and their synergy was remarkable. The four sisters worked well together, making them a formidable force.
After reviewing the information, Ryan handed it to Courtney, who was standing by, and said, "Pay special attention to these individuals. If they perform well, they'll be promoted directly to the elite combat team. Also, please help me process these documents. I'll pick them up tomorrow."
Courtney's eye twitched, and she suppressed her irritation as she said, "There's too much. You can handle it yourself."
"I'll raise your salary, and you can pick whatever you want. Just help me finish it today," Ryan said with a wave of his hand.
"Okay, boss," Courtney left with a smile on her face.
Lillie just came in with two drinks and said, "You know, Sister Courtney is completely at your mercy."
Ryan took the juice, took a sip and said, "There's no way around it. I'm the only one who can help her now. I didn't expect that her childhood rival was Gary's sister."
"Childhood trauma isn't so easy to get over. She's just someone who's had it rough," Lillie said. "After we finish our work, we'll go meet up with Ruby and the others."
"Yeah, I know," Ryan rubbed his temple and said. "Managing an organization is still very tiring. Although this group is relatively loose, I still have to control the general direction. Lillie, I feel like my traveling days are coming to an end."
"It's okay, I'll stay with you," Lillie said softly. "Once the Mercenary Guild is on track, most of the problems will be trivial. The holographic communicator is also being produced at a rapid pace, and communication will be more convenient."
"How is the points system coming along?" Ryan asked.
"Currently, mid-level Pokémon are rated at 1 point, with a range of 1 to 20 points depending on rarity. High-level Pokémon are rated at 50 points, with a range of 50 to 100 points. Top-tier Pokémon are rated at 100 points, with a range of 100 to 1000 points. Once you reach 500 points, you can go to the Day Care and select Pokémon, regardless of potential," Lillie said.
"Daily quests mostly involve capturing Pokémon. We can also issue guild quests and have them help us with tasks. While it's a bit more organized, this is just the outer circle; the core is still in our hands. The combat teams are also training intensively, with Phoebe and Glacia as instructors."
Ryan nodded. While they weren't yet a force to be reckoned with, he was optimistic about their future. He tapped his fingers on the table and said, "Let's focus on the Tentacool first. While individually Tentacool are weak, in large numbers they can suppress most Pokémon.
Furthermore, they're scattered across the ocean, forming a vast intelligence network. At least we don't have to worry about attacks from the sea."
"Hasn't Kyogre settled in the waters off Pallet Town? Is there still a need to worry?" Lillie asked, puzzled.
"You should never intend to harm others, but you must guard against them," Ryan said. "The League has suffered such a heavy loss, so they might resort to some underhanded tactics. We must completely deter them. Once our intelligence operatives are trained, we'll disperse them. We need to know what the League is up to."
"Okay, I'll give the instructions later," Lillie said, putting away the empty cup.
Then Lillie left the room. Ryan closed his eyes in thought, toying with a pure white sphere in his hand.
(End of Chapter)
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