The next morning, Brian went back to the shop. That was when he discovered something interesting—apparently, only he could sell energy cubes in exchange for rare candy prizes.
From morning until noon, he managed to sell only ten cubes. In the afternoon, he met with a broker to discuss a piece of land on the outskirts of Arca.
"Hello, sir. I'm Vate."
"Hello. I've seen the land—how much is the price?" Brian asked.
"Two acres with a manor. The owner is asking for fifty million."
"Can it be lowered?"
"Sorry, sir. That's already the lowest."
Brian thought for a moment, then signed the purchase contract. Right after that, he contacted a construction company.
The following day, he met with the company's project manager. Brian decided to completely rebuild the manor in a modern style, add a Pokémon farm, and construct a residence for a trusted aide. He also planned a shop slightly larger than the one he was currently renting.
The entire project was estimated to take five months, with costs exceeding eighty million—most of it going into the Pokémon farm.
Time passed quickly. Over the next four months, Brian visited the Yellow Forest weekly. By then, he had collected one thousand rare candies for Grass-type Pokémon, thanks to the steady sales of energy cubes. His shop had grown quite well-known in Arca City.
In that time, he had also trained his two Pokémon:
EeveeType: NormalGender: FemaleAbility: AdaptabilityQualification: BlueLevel: 10Skills: Growl, Wish, Tackle, Quick Attack
TangrowthType: GrassGender: MaleAbility: ChlorophyllQualification: BlueLevel: 75Skills: Absorb, Bind, Stun Spore, Mega Drain, Vine Whip, Poison Powder, Ancient Power, Giga Drain, Sleep Powder, Slam, Power Whip, Ingrain, Grassy Terrain
Tangrowth had reached its limit at the peak of King level. With blue-level talent, advancing to Champion was impossible—it would require purple or gold talent.
Eevee, meanwhile, had only reached level 10 without the use of rare candy, as Brian had yet to start selling Normal-type energy cubes. In his plan, once the new shop was built on his own land, he would sell them together with Protectors and Metal Coats.
With Tangrowth and two Steelix golems, Brian was confident he could keep the business secure.
When construction neared completion, Brian decided it was time to look for trustworthy subordinates. From the novels he had read in his previous life, he knew it was difficult to face enemies without loyal friends or aides.
He wandered into the back alleys of Arca City, having heard of children who often stole food from street vendors. As soon as he learned about them, he decided he would recruit them.
In this world, many children were victims of wars between nations—or of disasters caused by legendary Pokémon like Kyogre and Groudon. In the first five years after the catastrophe, the Alliance had still funded abandoned children. Now, however, they only provided for those under fourteen, claiming that anyone older was capable of supporting themselves.
To Brian, fourteen was still far too young. In his previous world, seventeen or eighteen was considered the start of adulthood.
As he walked deeper into the alleys, he saw the darker side of Arca City—poverty, and thugs lingering in the shadows.
He came across five teenagers—two girls and three boys, looking about fourteen or fifteen—being berated by a middle-aged man. The teens handed him some money, and after pocketing it, the man scolded them again before walking away.
When the man was gone, Brian approached."Why work for him? Couldn't you just run away?"
The teens looked at him. One boy, looking slightly older than the rest, answered, "We could run away, but we have three younger siblings—one is ten, the other two are only seven. That man has a Houndour. If we run and get caught, he'll kill them."
"Wait—sister? Aren't you from the Arca City orphanage?"
"No. We're from Light City. The Alliance moved some older kids here to work, so we signed up. But when we arrived, that man tricked us."
"Then why not report him to the Alliance officers?" Brian asked, frowning.
"We did. But it turned out one of the officers was working with him. So… this is our life now."
Brian understood. Whether in this world or his previous one, such corruption existed everywhere.
"How about working for me instead? I'll deal with that man." His offer was both out of pity and a recognition of their potential as loyal followers.
The five stared at him. They had met others before who claimed they would help—but once those people learned the man had Alliance connections, they walked away without another word.
"Are you serious?" one of the girls asked hopefully.
"Yes. So, what do you say?"
"If… if we go with you, what will we do?" the older boy asked cautiously, worried they might simply end up trading one tyrant for another.
"You'll work as shop assistants—and you can also help as Pokémon caretakers."
"Caretakers?" the girl asked.
"Yes. I run a Pokémon nursery."
The five exchanged glances and quietly discussed it before agreeing to go with Brian. He followed them to a run-down house on the city's outskirts to collect their younger siblings.
In total, there were eight children. Brian arranged for all of them to stay in a hotel while the dormitory, shop, and breeding area were completed—just five days away from being finished.