Pokemon: Helping Pokemon Pays Off

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...

Returning home, Cyclizar had already gone to rest. The noise of Kabukicho didn't bother him at all, but Hoshino couldn't sleep.

On his phone screen, an eye-catching, glaring dot appeared right next to him—it represented the Braixen from earlier!

He had noticed this the moment the Pokémon entered the izakaya, which was why he proactively tried to build a connection and lower her guard so they could talk properly.

"Worked for two and a half years... has a Trainer... left forgotten in the backyard... even willing to work one last night here without pay..."

Hoshino recorded all of this in his phone's notes. The device never seemed to need charging, which was quite convenient.

In reality, Slowking had provided all this information. Looking back on what the owner had said before leaving, it was clear—this so-called "Slow" boss was far from clueless. When had he noticed that Hoshino was particularly interested in Braixen?

Analyzing everything together, it was obvious that Braixen loved her job at the Slowpoke Izakaya. She had waited all these days just to finally find the chance to formally resign.

But after tonight, there would be no more opportunities. She had been kept in the backyard for so long, and now that her trainer had finally remembered her, they planned to take Braixen on their journey. That meant she could no longer continue working here.

"A Pokémon and her trainer... so this is what's troubling her? Being left in the backyard for so long, then suddenly being remembered—she should be happy about that. The bond is still there. But going on a journey with her trainer means giving up the job she loves most."

After thinking it through, Hoshino understood why Slowking had told him to stay out of it. This was a personal matter between Braixen and her trainer, and if he interfered recklessly, Braixen would be the one to suffer.

"This is tricky... The most important thing is to ease her distress over choosing. And the root of that problem... is her trainer!"

Catching pokémons, leaving them in the backyard to expand their collection, then ignoring them for two years—or even longer—just for the sake of filling the Pokédex…

What kind of behavior was that? Should he call it irresponsibility?

At the very least, Hoshino had no respect for this kind of trainer. In fact, he found it repulsive!

Honestly, he also hoped Braixen could stay at the izakaya. If he gained her friendship, he could help promote his future plans while working there.

But what if Braixen and her trainer were truly close? That would complicate things. So, for now, he decided not to act immediately. He would first observe this trainer.

If they turned out to be a decent person, Hoshino would abandon his plan and instead help Braixen come to terms with its decision.

But if the trainer was truly as bad as he suspected... then, no hard feelings—he'd let Cyclizar run them over at full speed.

"I need to be careful with this... Hopefully, I won't end up making things worse."

This was, after all, his first real attempt at helping a Pokémon. And he was acting entirely on his own initiative—without Braixen's knowledge.

Still, for the sake of his future agency, he needed more experience. This operation had to be taken seriously!

Because of this, Hoshino stayed up all night. His phone still had no internet, so he couldn't do much else—he just waited.

Finally, at around 3 a.m., Braixen left the Slowpoke Izakaya. Naturally, she wouldn't wait until dawn to return.

"So tired… Let's go!"

"Cycli~"

Hoshino woke up Cyclizar. The moment he was up, he was full of energy. They quietly followed Braixen through the alleys—avoiding the main streets, where a lone human would stand out too much among the many Pokémon.

As expected, stray Meowths chased after them again, but they were fast enough to escape.

Braixen didn't notice she was being followed. After leaving the izakaya, her mood seemed to sink again. Perhaps she was relieved to have finally completed her last shift—her expression was slightly better than before.

She eventually arrived at a research facility on the southern edge of Hau'oli City, heading straight for an underground hole and slipping inside. It seemed this was her usual way in and out.

Hoshino and Cyclizar stopped. They couldn't follow any further—the map showed that this place was a small Pokémon research institute.

The facility's ecological park housed Pokémon entrusted by Trainers who had gone on journeys. It wasn't just someone's personal backyard.

"Didn't expect it to be a place like this. Trouble... I can't squeeze through that hole."

Hoshino took off his goggles and let them hang around his neck. He stared at the high wall, lost in thought. It was still too early for anyone to arrive and open the front door for him.

"Damn, no choice but to head back..."

He wasn't about to ask Cyclizar to ram a hole through the wall. Otherwise, the authorities would drag him straight to the police station by morning. He had just written an apology letter yesterday—getting caught again so soon would be embarrassing.

Just as he was about to turn away, Cyclizar suddenly noticed something. He dashed over to the hole and picked up a stick from the ground with his mouth.

"Huh? Wait! Don't break it!"

Hoshino quickly took the stick from Cyclizar. He recognized it—it was the one tucked into Braixen's tail! It must have gotten knocked loose when she crawled through the hole absentmindedly…

Just then, a sound came from nearby. Hoshino and Cyclizar quickly hid behind a tree, observing the situation.

Braixen had crawled back out of the hole, looking anxious—she was searching for the stick!

Hoshino was about to toss the stick back quietly when—

A man's voice suddenly came from a distance: "What are you doing here?"

"Braixen!"

Braixen looked toward the source of the voice. From the shadows of the dimly lit forest, a man in a suit emerged, accompanied by a Toxicroak.

Hoshino, using the moonlight, examined the man. He didn't recognize him, but his face seemed friendly.

The man walked up to Braixen and gently patted her head. His expression was filled with concern.

"I couldn't find you all night. You had me worried sick—I thought something had happened to you."

"braixen…"

"What's wrong?"

"Braix!"

Braixen clutched her tail, calling out anxiously. The man took one look and immediately understood. After a brief moment of contemplation, he asked, "Did you lose that branch… the one that was your mother's keepsake?"

"Braix!"

"I see… Don't worry, I'll help you find it. That branch is very important to you, after all. But for now, you should go back and rest. I can tell you've been up all night—you'll wear yourself out like this."

As the man gently stroked Braixen's head, she hesitated for a moment but then nodded, trusting her trainer. She turned and crawled back through the hole in the ground.

Watching this, the man let out a weary sigh and muttered to himself, "So this is where you've been sneaking out from… You really had me worried. But I can't rest yet—I still need to find that branch for you."

As the man gradually walked away, Hoshino, who had been secretly observing the whole time, also sighed. The flickering indicator for Braixen on his phone had disappeared, meaning she no longer needed help. she trusted her trainer's words.

"Looks like I was worrying for nothing. Damn, I wasted all that effort… Turns out this guy is actually decent. You got lucky this time…"

Hoshino chuckled to himself. He wasn't too annoyed—since Braixen no longer needed his help, he'd just have to find another way. Maybe he could build a good relationship with Nai-chan and ask for her help instead?

"With Nai-chan's personality, making friends should be easy. It's worth a try."

With that thought, he turned around and left with Cyclizar, retracing his steps.

But in the stillness of the forest, even the slightest sound carried far—especially the voice of someone on a phone call…

"Has Grafaiai arrived? Alright, let's do the trade tonight. I've been after that Pokémon for ages—I've even been to Paldea twice and never found one."

"…"

"We already agreed, didn't we? I'll trade you Braixen for it. They are just like Typhlosion—both are Fire-type starters, no difference. And mine's way rarer than a Grafaiai. Wild ones are nearly impossible to find."

"…"

"I caught her ages ago. To be honest, I forgot I even had a Braixen in my backyard until you said you wanted a Fire-type starter. Oh, and she lost her branch or something, so now I have to waste time finding another one. Such a hassle…"

"…"

"Alright, as long as you don't mind, then we're set. Meet me at Grand Wave Beach tonight—don't keep me waiting."

As the man's voice faded into the distance, Hoshino stood frozen in place, his face curling into a wicked grin.

His fists clenched unconsciously.

"…You bastard. My fist has spoken."