After defeating the Bug Catcher, the exploration of Petalburg Woods had only just begun.

  Along the way, he was treated to the cssic programming of Randomized Emerald.

  "Starter Mudkip, unknown ability. Looks decent."

  "A Hippowdon? And it has No Guard? If it learns Fissure ter on, that's going to be way too busted."

  "Why is it Groudon again? This is the fifth one I've seen in Petalburg Woods. The Hoenn Weather Trio really are as common as stray dogs..."

  Hakuya ordered Sprigatito to one-shot the roadblock Groudon with Petal Blizzard, casually offering his critiques on the encounters.

  He had to admit, the Pokémon and abilities rolling along this route were actually pretty good.

  Unfortunately, after the incident where a certain Pressure-ability Legendary scammed him out of over 200 Poké Balls, he was only window-shopping for now.

  He couldn't afford to cospy as a Poké Ball-chucking fanatic anymore. If he wanted to become a "Legendary-spamming protagonist" sooner rather than ter, he needed to save up his Poké Dolrs to buy Great Balls with higher catch rates from the Mart.

  "Nya-ha~"

  "Hmm? Have we finally reached the vilin plot of the game?"

  Just as Hakuya rounded the corner of the main path deep inside Petalburg Woods, he witnessed a cssic forest mugging unfolding right in front of him.

  "You're a Pokémon trainer, right? Please, you have to help me!"

  Looking at the Devon Corporation researcher who scrambled to hide behind him in three quick steps, Hakuya's lip twitched, but he immediately sent out Sprigatito to intercept the grunt in front of him.

  Unlike the original story, when the battle started, the Team Aqua grunt didn't send out a Poochyena. Instead, he tossed out an unnervingly massive Sharpedo.

  Aside from its bizarre size, what truly confused Hakuya was that this Sharpedo's performance in combat was entirely unnatural.

  Sharpedo: Water/Dark-type.

  A textbook example of a gss-cannon Pokémon.

  With abysmal base stats of 40 in both Defense and Special Defense, it couldn't even stomach a normal STAB move, let alone a super-effective Grass-type attack.

  Yet, defying all logic, this Team Aqua grunt's Sharpedo not only tanked Sprigatito's [Petal Blizzard] without flinching, but it also had the energy to retaliate.

  —A hyper-aggressive combo of [Focus Energy] + [Night Ssh].

  High base damage stacked with a guaranteed critical hit forced Sprigatito, despite her type advantage, to scramble away in a panic.

  It wasn't until he switched in his "wheelchair" carry, Milcery, that Hakuya fully figured out this Sharpedo's build.

  The Schooling ability.

  In battle, if its HP was above 25%, it would transform into its School Form, meaning its base stats skyrocketed to a terrifying 620.

  No wonder Sprigatito, fighting it without her All-Around Form active, couldn't gain the upper hand in a direct csh.

  After smoothly commanding Milcery to banish the Sharpedo with a [Draining Kiss], Hakuya followed his usual routine: extorting "protection money" from the grunt who had tried to rob someone but ended up getting brutally beaten instead.

  He had to admit, they really lived up to their reputation as Hoenn's premier evil syndicate.

  Even a nameless grunt had managed to save up nearly 20,000 Poké Dolrs from years of mugging trainers on the road.

  Adding this sum, Hakuya's savings instantly broke the 100,000 threshold, enough to buy over a hundred Great Balls from the Mart.

  After the Team Aqua grunt greased his soles and ran for his life, the Devon Corporation researcher hiding behind Hakuya let out a long breath like a man who had just survived the apocalypse. Then, from out of nowhere, he pulled out a glowing stone pte.

  "Phew... that was too close! Thanks to you, the important documents are safe. Here, take this as a token of my gratitude."

  [Obtained Legend Pte x 1]

  [Legend Pte: A stone pte imbued with the power of all creation. Using it on a certain Pokémon grants it the power of all types.]

  "???"

  Looking at the calm researcher who acted as if he had just handed over an ordinary potion, Hakuya looked down at the divine artifact pced in his hand and couldn't help but summon a giant question mark in his brain.

  Bro, did the Devon Corporation raid Arceus's personal vault or something?

  How else would they have this kind of bullshit?

  "Whatever. I'll just keep it for now and use it as a set piece once I catch Arceus in a Poké Ball."

  Unable to fathom how this guy stole an artifact directly from Pokémon God, Hakuya shook his head and shoved the Legend Pte into his system inventory.

  Once he collected all the Gym Badges or got a Master Ball, catching Arceus would be a walk in the park anyway.

  Just as Hakuya finished this story event and was about to walk out of Petalburg Woods, the randomized simutor's timer hit zero.

  ...

  Returning from Randomized Emerald back to reality in Viridian City, exactly one hour had passed in the real world.

  Dusk had just fallen, and the trees lining the street shook off the st rays of the sunset. Wind chimes hanging from the eaves swayed gently, producing a crisp, soothing melody.

  "Nya-ha, nya-ha~"

  "Come on, let's go for a walk around the neighborhood."

  Seeing Sprigatito poke her little head out from his jacket, curiously taking in the sights of the street, Hakuya smiled, rubbed her head, and made the suggestion.

  To be honest, ever since crossing over into the Pokémon world, he had either been camping out as a fisherman with Misty or engaging in deathmatches with demonic NPCs in Randomized Emerald. He hadn't actually taken the time to stroll through a town and experience the local culture.

  Now that he had some free time, it was the perfect opportunity to explore.

  "Nya-ha~"

  Walking north along the street as the moonlight deepened, a warm, lively slice of life came into view.

  —The buildings on both sides featured dark brown wood-paneled exteriors, with scattered lights spilling through the window frames.

  The sweet aroma of honey crepes wafted from some windows. On other windowsills, Growlithe napped peacefully, their fluffy tails occasionally sweeping the ledge and startling the resting Volbeat, which fluttered into the air, their glowing tails leaving pale green streaks against the night sky.

  "Nya-ha~"

  It didn't take long for Sprigatito to pnt herself outside a crepe stand, refusing to move. Her nose twitched as she inhaled the rich, sugary scent. Swallowing hard, she looked up at her trainer with big, teary eyes.

  "Alright, alright, I'll buy you one."

  Three minutes ter, Hakuya fed the honey crepe to Sprigatito before turning his gaze to Milcery, who had been floating quietly by his side the whole time.

  "Milcery, do you want one too?"

  Unlike Sprigatito—who could be jealous one second, stubborn the next, and change her mood at the drop of a hat—Milcery was always soft, sweet, and gentle. She was like an innocent little girl who just quietly trailed behind him.

  "Nai."

  Faced with her trainer's question, Milcery thought for a moment before tilting her head slightly, indicating she was fine either way.

  For some unknown reason, whenever he saw this little creature looking so incredibly cute and innocent, Hakuya couldn't suppress the urge to reach out, pinch her cheeks, and squeeze them until she cried.

  "NAI!!!"

  Blushing furiously, Milcery fled in panic.