Entering the lounge, Jiang Han found a corner and sat down.
The lounge was very quiet, with only the occasional sound of footsteps and low conversations from the corridor. Several posters of pokémon battles hung on the walls, and the water dispenser in the corner emitted a slight hum.
The newcomers who had successfully captured their pokémon were all sitting here, enjoying this moment of peace.
Capturing their first pokémon had taken a huge toll on this group of rookies.
However, some had very smooth captures and were currently interacting with their Pokémon.
Before long, a staff member brought over the Poké Ball containing the healed Sandile.
"Number 1, your Pokémon." The staff member glanced at Jiang Han, his tone flat.
Jiang Han took the Poké Ball and nodded.
Throughout the fight, he had used the crowbar to strike non-vital areas, skillfully avoiding lethal spots like the eyes and belly. Therefore, Sandile hadn't sustained serious injuries and recovered after some simple treatment.
Pressing the button on the Poké Ball, Sandile appeared on the floor.
As soon as it landed, it immediately looked around warily, finally locking its gaze onto Jiang Han with a look of caution in its eyes.
Jiang Han squatted down, carefully observing the little guy before him. Just as described in the introduction, its teeth and claws were impeccably sharp.
The black patterns on its back formed regular stripes, shimmering with a faint luster under the lights.
He reached out and grabbed Sandile's tail.
Sandile whipped its head around, opening its mouth to bite down.
Jiang Han's gaze sharpened as he stared it down.
Sandile's movement froze. In the end, it didn't dare to actually bite, only letting out a low, threatening whimper.
"Quite the temper you have." Jiang Han let go, not at all angry.
This Sandile clearly still felt some resistance toward him, but Jiang Han didn't mind. The relationship with a Pokémon requires time to build, and he was confident he could fully tame this little crocodile.
"Truly beautiful." Jiang Han observed Sandile's patterns, muttering to himself, "This build, this potential—those three hundred points weren't wasted."
He pulled a large handful of pokéblocks and a dozen or so Poké Balls from his coat.
He had scavenged these pokéblocks from other people's containment rooms. Each room was equipped with some pokéblocks and three Poké Balls; many newcomers had left immediately after successfully capturing their Pokémon.
Once a capture was successful, the containment room would open automatically, so Jiang Han had naturally taken the remaining supplies.
After all, even the smallest bit of meat is still meat.
The instructors and staff turned a blind eye to this. They were just low-grade goods anyway, and the loss was within the budget.
"Eat up, don't be shy." Jiang Han placed the low-grade pokéblocks in front of Sandile. "Follow me, and I'll treat you well."
The pokéblocks emitted a faint aroma.
Sandile's nose twitched a few times. It gave Jiang Han a wary look before lowering its head to start eating.
It ate very quickly, its tail wagging excitedly.
Clearly, it had never seen so many pokéblocks before.
Jiang Han looked at the pokéblocks, calculating in his mind. "These low-grade goods are poor quality; they don't even have corresponding attributes. They can only provide basic energy."
pokéblocks come in different attributes and grades, categorized as Low, Intermediate, and advanced, as well as exclusive formulas corresponding to a pokémon's type.
The Sandile before him was a Dark-type and Ground-type, making it most suitable for pokéblocks of those two attributes.
Long-term consumption of attribute-specific pokéblocks can increase a pokémon's comprehension of moves and energy usage for that type; it is an indispensable food for pokémon.
Jiang Han had learned how to make pokéblocks in the training camp. He was the only one among the 15th Batch of newcomers who had learned to make Low-grade pokéblocks.
Making pokéblocks granted an extra 50 bonus points. It was precisely because of this skill that his score had risen from 200 to 250, putting him a full 70 points ahead of second place!
"A pity I'm out of points."
"Exchanging for Sandile used up all my points. I need to find a way to earn some more before heading to the Hoenn region."
"After all, I'll be a stranger in a strange land in Hoenn. I need to prepare the pokéblocks for my Pokémon in advance, just in case."
He was already calculating his next move in his head.
Just then, a provocative voice came from behind him.
"Number 1, do you dare to duel me?"
Jiang Han turned his head.
The speaker was a sturdily built youth, ranked Number 7.
He held a Poké Ball in his hand, a look of indignation on his face.
It was obvious—having just successfully captured a Pokémon, he had gained a bit of power and was starting to get cocky.
Several other newcomers in the lounge stopped what they were doing and turned their gazes over.
Jiang Han stood up and brushed the dust off his pants.
"A duel?"
"That's right."
Number 7 took two steps forward. "I'm not convinced. Why do you get to be first? Just because you know how to make a few pokéblocks?"
Having said that, the youth pointed at Number 2 nearby and shouted.
"Are you convinced? If Number 1 didn't know how to make pokéblocks, he'd only have 200 points—just 20 more than you!"
Number 2 was a girl. Clearly, she had no desire to deal with this idiot.
Over the past four years, she had been working hard to catch up to Jiang Han, only to realize the gap between them grew larger the more she tried. Thus, faced with Number 7's provocation, she chose to ignore him.
She simply continued stroking the Eevee in her arms.
The youth's voice was not quiet, drawing the attention of many people.
Jiang Han looked at him and didn't answer immediately.
The Pokémon Number 7 had chosen was a Nidoran. Judging by the bandages on his hands, the capture process probably hadn't gone very smoothly.
"What do you want to bet?" Jiang Han asked.
The youth froze, clearly not expecting Jiang Han to be so direct.
"Betting points." He gritted his teeth. "I'll bet 20 points. Do you dare?"
Jiang Han shook his head.
"I'm not interested in your pittance."
After saying this, Jiang Han crossed his legs, humming a little tune while stroking his Sandile, as if completely ignoring Number 7.
But was Jiang Han really uninterested in 20 points?
No, he was practically starving for them, but at a time like this, he couldn't show it.
From four years of observation, Jiang Han knew this meathead Number 7 didn't have much of a brain. He had reached his rank entirely through brute force during the combat assessments.
So, Jiang Han was certain this fool would fall for his reverse psychology.
And what happened next was predictable.
Jiang Han's dismissal successfully riled up the youth's emotions.
Seeing Jiang Han leave him hanging, Number 7's face turned beet red, and his fists clenched tight.
"40 points!"
The youth's voice roared out, nearly cracking.
That was every single point he had left. Not everyone was like Jiang Han, willing to spend all their points to exchange for a pokémon; many kept a surplus to use as resources for future training.
It was truly a gift falling into his lap.
Looking at the youth's impulsive behavior, Jiang Han couldn't help but sneer inwardly, but he immediately put on a grand, generous front.
"Now that's spirit!"
With a wide sweep of his arm, Jiang Han pulled out a betting agreement and tossed it to Number 7.
"Since you're willing to bet all your points, I'll match it!"
"I'll bet 40 points as well!"
Seeing Jiang Han's equally bold display, the youth readily pressed his thumbprint onto the agreement.
Number 1 and Number 7 bet 40 points each.
Both will use pokémon for the battle!
"Very well, the bet is set."
Jiang Han quickly took back the agreement. "The thumbprint is on it; the bet is final and cannot be retracted."
"Hmph! I won't go back on it!"
The youth snorted coldly, as if venting his emotions.
Seeing this, Number 2 couldn't help but turn her head away. Looking at the youth blinded by hot-bloodedness, she cursed under her breath.
"Idiot."