Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect

"Tyranitar~~"

The colossal figure of Totem Tyranitar lounged in the courtyard, its sheer size making it resemble a living mountain. John handed over a fist-sized Hard Stone to the Pokémon, watching as Tyranitar tossed it into its mouth like someone casually eating grapes.

"Tyra! Tyranitar!"

The Pokémon extended its clawed hand again, clearly unsatisfied. John sighed and handed over another Hard Stone. Tyranitar quickly devoured it, finally appearing content as it lay back in the yard to digest its meal.

That was the tenth stone for the day.

Hard Stones weren't ordinary rocks—they were specialized items for Pokemon, each costing around $1,000. Feeding Tyranitar was no small expense; ten stones a day meant $10,000 spent daily, or a staggering $300,000 monthly.

If John weren't making a fortune as a Berry farmer—thanks to his thriving business—he wouldn't have been able to afford raising such a Pokémon.

Of course, he could have used regular rocks instead, which would have reduced the cost significantly. But if he was going to raise Tyranitar, he wanted it to become the strongest it could be. Ten Hard Stones daily, along with specially crafted PokeBlocks, were essential.

John reached out and patted Tyranitar's tough hide. The giant Pokémon had been a surprising addition to his team. After earning a Badge at the Petalburg Gym, John released it in his courtyard for the first time, expecting a fierce and unruly demeanor. Instead, the massive Pokémon plopped down, patted its stomach, and started calling out for food.

It didn't stop whining until John shoved a heap of PokeBlocks into its mouth.

Tyranitar had since developed some peculiar habits. Its favorite pastime was dismantling the rock garden in the yard and reassembling it like Lego blocks. Recently, it had even swiped a pair of sunglasses John left on the balcony, attempting to wear them. The glasses didn't last long—they shattered when the Pokémon accidentally bumped its head on the stone archway.

Now, Tyranitar sported a new pair of Pokémon-special sunglasses, giving it a menacing look despite its childlike antics.

John couldn't wrap his head around how a wild LV52 Totem Pokemon could act so playful. How had it survived in the wild with such a temperament?

Then again, maybe it was because Tyranitar was so strong that it could afford to act carefree, like a spoiled child who'd never known real danger.

As John glanced around the courtyard, he realized something—his current living space was far too small. Tyranitar sprawled across the entire yard, blocking the path from the house to the gate.

When he had first captured Onix, it was obvious the Pokemon wouldn't fit anywhere in his dorm. Onix had to stay in its Poke Ball most of the time. But Tyranitar was different—it enjoyed being outside, and its massive presence now made the yard feel cramped.

There was another issue: John's other large Pokemon. His Hariyama had started learning advanced moves like Dynamic Punch and Stone Edge alongside Blaziken and Garchomp. Their training sessions were becoming increasingly destructive, and the courtyard couldn't handle the chaos anymore.

"Maybe I should move," John muttered, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

The idea had merit, but finding a new place was easier said than done. Properties near Riverstone University were either too small or prohibitively expensive. Living farther away wasn't an option either—it would make attending classes a logistical nightmare.

"I need advice from someone local," John decided. He remembered that his advisor, Daisy, was originally from Dragoncrest City.

Grabbing his phone, he dialed her number.

"John? What's up?" Daisy's cheerful voice answered after a few rings.

"Hey, Daisy. I recently added a pretty large Pokemon to my team, and my dorm is feeling a bit cramped. Do you know of any places near the university with larger yards?"

Daisy chuckled. "I heard about that. Rumor has it you caught a massive Tyranitar. You've got half the students talking about it!"

John laughed awkwardly. He figured Tyranitar's size and presence in the dormitory area hadn't gone unnoticed.

"Well, now I need more space," he admitted.

Daisy hummed thoughtfully. "There's a high-end Trainer villa complex just outside the city. Each villa comes with a spacious natural habitat designed specifically for raising large Pokémon."

"That sounds perfect!"

"It's not cheap, though. Each villa costs over $10 million," Daisy added, her tone almost apologetic.

John winced. While his fruit farming business was lucrative—bringing in nearly $4 million a month—raising Pokémon like Tyranitar and Garchomp was equally expensive. Maintaining his team already ate up most of his income, leaving little room for extravagant purchases.

"Can I rent one of those villas instead?" John asked hopefully.

"Unfortunately, no," Daisy replied. "They're custom-built, and most buyers are elite Trainers or Gym Leaders. Renting isn't an option."

"Well, that's disappointing," John muttered.

"Wait," Daisy said suddenly. "Why limit yourself to off-campus housing? There are larger accommodations available within the university."

"On campus?" John raised an eyebrow. "I thought the dorms here were all the same size."

"Not dorms," Daisy clarified. "Have you heard about the Trial Islands? Each island has housing built for Trainers during its construction. I know for a fact there are still some empty villas on Scarlett's Trial Island."

John perked up. Scarlett was one of his professors and also ran the lab John worked in as a research assistant.

"I didn't know students could live there," John said.

"They can, but you'd need permission from the island's owner. Since you're part of Scarlett's lab, he might let you use one of the villas."

"That's worth a shot. Thanks, Daisy!"

"No problem. Good luck, and let me know how it goes!"

After hanging up, John glanced back at Tyranitar, who had started stacking rocks again, humming contentedly to itself. If moving to one of the Trial Islands meant giving his Pokémon the space they needed, he was all in.

Now, he just needed to convince Scarlett to let him stay there.