Pokemon: Bounty Hunter

"Verification complete. Mission confirmed as completed."

"The difficulty level of this mission is C. Completion rate: 100%. Rewards: 50,000 Pokédollars (post-tax), deposited into your ID card."

"Total completed missions: S-rank: 0, A-rank: 0, B-rank: 1, C-rank: 42, D-rank: 132, E-rank and below: 201. Current Hunter Rank: C."

Lines of text flashed rapidly across the screen.

Silas barely reacted. After confirming that the rewards had been deposited, he withdrew his ID card and left the Hunter's Guild Hall.

He first stopped by the department store to buy some Pokémon food and daily necessities. Then, he spent 50 Pokédollars to take a Dodrio taxi back to his small villa on the outskirts of Viridian City. Behind the villa, a few common Berry Trees were growing.

Viridian City, located near Viridian Forest, had plenty of land but a sparse population. While property prices in the city center weren't cheap, housing in the outskirts was relatively affordable.

Even the city center's housing prices were just average. After all, most Trainers and Hunters who came here for adventure didn't settle permanently—staying at the Pokémon Center's accommodations was more than enough for them.

Silas had checked before his small suburban villa cost about the same as a restroom in Saffron City. Even if he wanted to exchange it for a house in Viridian City's center, it would only be enough for a tiny single-room apartment. Absolutely ridiculous.

The reason was simple: every now and then, Pokémon would wander out of Viridian Forest. If they were aggressive, they could even break into houses and attack people.

That's why most residents preferred living in the city center, where they wouldn't have to deal with such dangers.

But Silas didn't mind. He was a Trainer, after all—handling such situations was no big deal for him.

Once he arrived home, the first thing Silas did was release Pidgeotto.

He filled its personal feeding bowl with food specially made for bird Pokémon, then added his own secret recipe blend before placing a bowl of Miltank's milk beside it.

Seeing Pidgeotto start eating, Silas walked into the bathroom for a shower.

After finishing his shower, he stepped out, still drying his hair.

His bare upper body revealed numerous scars accumulated over the years. However, his well-defined eight-pack abs and powerful biceps were a testament to his exceptional physical fitness.

Looking outside, he noticed that Pidgeotto had finished eating and was now freely moving around the backyard.

Silas plopped onto the couch and silently thought: "Zero, open Pidgeotto's status panel."

In an instant, streams of data and reports flowed into his mind. A blue panel, visible only to him, appeared before his eyes.

[Pidgeotto]

Category: Bird Pokémon

Type: Normal/Flying

Height: 1.3m (Average: 1.1m)

Weight: 36kg (Average: 30kg)

Ability: Keen Eye (Prevents accuracy from being lowered.)

Hidden Ability: Big Pecks (Prevents Defense from being lowered. Pokémon with this ability tend to be physically stronger than their counterparts.)

Moveset: Tackle, Growl, Peck, Sand Attack, Gust, Quick Attack, Whirlwind, Feather Dance, Agility, Twister (Egg Move)

Level: 33 (Advanced)

Potential: Elite

Training Recommendations:

Strengthen Wing Power: Targeted weight training followed by massage therapy. (Detailed techniques provided below.)

Improve Reaction Speed: Supplement with neural stimulants. (Recipe: 20g of Shimmer Grass…)

Enhance Bone Strength: Supplement with specialized nutrition. (Recipe: 10g of Marowak bone, 20g of Miltank milk…)

Seeing the data displayed by Zero, Silas's eyes lit up.

Compared to yesterday, Pidgeotto had leveled up by one.

Although level alone didn't fully determine a Pokémon's strength, it was still an accurate reflection of its current condition.

Tetsuya wasn't sure what level would be displayed on the panel for the Pseudo-Elite stage, but from his current knowledge:

Level 1-5 was Infant Stage

Level 5-15 was Beginner Stage

Level 15-30 was Standard Stage

Level 30+ was Advanced Stage (where Pidgeotto currently stood)

Given this arithmetic progression, the Pseudo-Elite threshold was likely Level 45 or higher—or, more likely, Level 50 as a major milestone.

Silas also wasn't sure at what level Pidgeotto would evolve. However, based on his knowledge and personal experience, he estimated that his Pidgeotto would most likely evolve into a Pidgeot within three to four more level-ups.

With a single thought, Silas closed the interface and began eating the dinner he had brought home.

Zero was something that had accompanied Silas when he was Reincarnated to this world. Although he didn't fully understand how it worked, it was likely related to the intelligent computer chip implanted in his brain in his past life.

During the process of Reincarnation,the chip and his soul must have fused together.

At first, Silas had no idea he had brought the chip along.

It wasn't until he turned 11 years old that he suddenly heard a voice in his mind:

"Energy fully charged. System booting up."

On instinct, he called out the name of the AI chip from his previous life—Zero.

And just like that, the interface appeared before his eyes.

Silas soon discovered that whenever he observed a Pokémon, the interface would automatically display its detailed information—including a training plan. However, the recommendations were based solely on his own accumulated knowledge.

This meant that for wild Pokémon and Pokémon eggs, Zero could only estimate their general level and potential but couldn't provide detailed training plans. Unless the Pokémon became his own and was carefully raised, the interface wouldn't have complete data to generate precise strategies or track skill mastery.

Even so, this ability had thrilled Silas when he first discovered it.

The Pokémon world revolved around Pokémon themselves.

Various professions had developed around them—Researchers, Breeders, Trainers, and more. Each category had its own subdivisions, but the most sought-after profession was being an Advanced Trainer.

Without a doubt, Zero had the potential to help Silas become an outstanding Trainer and Breeder.

As long as he learned enough knowledge, even if he didn't fully understand how to apply it, Zero could provide him with the most optimal guidance.

The Level Display allowed him to track his Pokémon's progress.

The Potential Rating helped him identify the most promising Pokémon.

The Training Plans served as a roadmap for power growth.

However, all of this required money.

Silas let out a bitter laugh.

Although he had earned a considerable amount of money over the past four years since he started living independently, it was still nothing compared to the cost of properly raising Pokémon.

Silas glanced at his Pidgeotto outside.

When he first discovered he had a cheat ability, he had fantasized about being the center of the world—imagining himself starting with a pseudo-legendary Pokémon.

But reality hit him fast.

Forget about pseudo-legendaries—he wasn't even qualified to receive a regional starter Pokémon from the Pokémon League. Even slightly above-average Pokémon eggs were out of his reach.

In this world, strength dictated everything.

A Pokémon with outstanding potential had a high chance of producing an exceptional Trainer.

Why were pseudo-legendaries so sought after?

Because every pseudo-legendary species, once fully evolved, could at least reach the Pseudo-Elite rank.

Most would eventually grow into Elite Four-level Pokémon.

Some, if exceptionally gifted, could even challenge for the Champion's throne.

For this reason, all powerful pseudo-legendary Pokémon were controlled by the world's ruling elite.

Even in underground black markets, if a pseudo-legendary Pokémon egg ever appeared, the price would be beyond Silas's imagination.

Starter Pokémon, known as the "Regional Starters," were given exclusively to the League's elite families, along with a Pokédex.

To qualify, a family had to:

1. Pay a continuous fee of 500,000 Pokédollars per year for 10 consecutive years.

2. Have a completely clean background.

3. Be part of the League's high-ranking personnel.

For Silas, this was completely out of reach.