"Holy—what… what is THIS?!"
Peter could barely believe his eyes.
Speed: 2.
Attack: 91?!
And the Ability—
It wasn't Truant at all!
It was Steadfast?!
Peter stood there, utterly dumbfounded, his mind erupting like a stormy sea.
From the very first moment he had seen this Slakoth, he'd had a strange feeling.
Those arms—thick, powerful, practically on par with a Vigoroth's—were never just for show.
But even so…
He hadn't expected it to be this outrageous.
Just one look at the stat panel was enough.
Peter had already made his decision.
He was going to become this Slakoth's Trainer.
Slowly crouching down, Peter took out a high-grade Pokéblock and placed it in front of the Slakoth.
"Hungry? You can try this. I think you'll like it~"
"Slak…"
The Slakoth didn't eat.
Instead, it kept its head raised, staring straight at him.
"Don't worry," Peter said softly, smiling as he narrowed his eyes. He gently rubbed its head.
"I won't send you back."
"I want to be your Trainer. Is that okay?"
"Slak…?"
The Slakoth froze for a moment—then slowly rolled onto its side, deliberately exposing its atrophied hind legs.
Those two legs together weren't even as thick as a forearm.
They were caked with dust and mud, scarred with old wounds that time had never healed.
Even though Peter had braced himself, his heart still trembled at the sight.
A body like this…
A body that had forced a Slakoth to overcome its very nature and awaken Steadfast…
How could it not be accompanied by a painful past?
"…Hah."
Peter exhaled, then gently lifted the Slakoth into his arms.
The Slakoth lowered its head slightly.
It wanted to accept this human's invitation—but experience had taught it one cruel truth:
It was weak.
So weak that in battle, it couldn't even move freely.
That was why, when Peter formally extended his invitation, it hesitated instead.
It didn't want to become a burden.
It didn't want to hold this boy back.
"Maybe… in everyone else's eyes," Peter said slowly, his voice calm and steady,
"you're not a good Pokémon to raise."
The light in the Slakoth's bright eyes dimmed a little.
"But—you are you."
"You aren't something that anyone, anything, or any rule gets to define."
The Slakoth lifted its head again.
Its gaze met Peter's deep, unwavering eyes.
"On the contrary," Peter continued,
"I think you possess qualities that no other Slakoth has ever had."
"Your resilience. Your defiance. Your stubborn will to survive."
"They shine far brighter than a pair of healthy legs. Don't you think?"
"Slak…"
Tears welled up in the Slakoth's eyes.
Before coming here, it had already heard this boy's words.
Even through a screen, it had recognized him instantly.
And now—
From this very person, it had finally received something it had never been given in its life.
Recognition.
"Slakoth," Peter said firmly,
"become my Pokémon."
"Believe me—we will stand at the top of the world one day."
"And you… you will be my strongest trump card."
"SLAAAK—!!!"
The Slakoth threw itself into Peter's arms, tears streaming uncontrollably.
It knew it.
It had finally found its place to belong.
And this boy—
had brought a single beam of hope into its dark, colorless world, becoming the only brilliant light it would ever need.
[Ding! Slakoth has acknowledged you!
Reward: Master Points ×10!]
The system notification chimed in Peter's ears.
He took out a Luxury Ball, smiling gently.
"Alright then… here we go~"
"Slak!"
The Slakoth nodded hard, pressing its claw onto the Poké Ball's button.
A flash of red light—
and it was drawn inside.
"Beep… click!"
No shaking.
Amid a shower of starlight—
Capture successful.
…
Peter released it again, smiling as he rubbed its head.
"From now on, let's work together, Slakoth."
"Slak~!"
"Ai~"
Little Indeedee floated over, carrying food and washing supplies.
It carefully cleaned Slakoth up and made sure it ate its fill.
Before long, all four Pokémon had become familiar with one another.
After learning Slakoth's story, the original trio all expressed their willingness to look after it—
especially Indeedee, who paid it extra attention.
That warmth—
the feeling of a small family—finally gave Slakoth a true sense of belonging.
Letting the four Pokémon play together in the room, Peter opened the system panel.
With the funds Norman had given him…
It was time to officially begin the pay-to-win plan.
Slakoth's congenital defect meant its Speed Talent could never recover.
So there was only one path left.
One-Punch Man.
That meant cultivating the Huge Power Ability.
[Ding! 1,000,000 Poké Dollars deducted.
Obtained: Huge Power Spinach Cultivation Plan]
[Powerleaf Spinach Cultivation Plan]
By distilling and concentrating Leppa Berry juice, soak spinach seeds and plant them in "soft soil."
Mix the items Power Enhancer, Full Restore, Attack Booster, and Fresh Farm Manure in a 1:7:4:8 ratio to create fertilizer "Might Tonic," then apply.
Growth cycle: 3 days.
[Powerleaf Spinach]
A bizarre vegetable that tastes like literal crap.
One bite causes vomiting for two and a half days; swallowing it leads to diarrhea for three days.
Long-term consumption and full adaptation may cultivate the Huge Power Ability.
[Ding! One-time spending requirement met.
Bonus obtained: Berry Planting Pot ×1, Spinach Seeds ×several]
[Berry Planting Pot]
A pot containing high-quality soft soil, suitable for planting Berries.
PS: Works even better with a Blastoise watering can~
"..."
Peter fell silent.
This "Powerleaf Spinach" cultivation process involved four special items.
And every single one of them was absurdly expensive.
Power Enhancer:
A one-time enhancer. In battle, it raises Attack by one stage.
In reality, it's a targeted daily training medicine.
Price: 1,000 Poké Dollars.Full Restore:
No explanation needed—the most expensive medicine there is.
Fully restores HP and cures all status conditions.
A literal life-saving miracle drug.
Price: 10,000 Poké Dollars.Attack Booster:
In-game: +10 Attack EVs.
In reality: a high-end aristocratic training drug.
Price: 50,000 Poké Dollars.
As for Leppa Berries—they were rare, sure, but compared to the others, almost cheap.
The most outrageous part?
After spending all that money—
The spinach still tasted like crap.
And came with vomiting and diarrhea as side effects.
Peter's mouth twitched violently.
"This spinach has to be made of gold, right…?
Not just expensive—this stuff is basically toxic."
He glanced at the little Slakoth, who had absolutely no idea what its future held.
Then, completely out of nowhere, Peter asked:
"Slakoth… do you like eating shit?"
Slakoth:
"Slak???"
…
In the end, Peter explained everything to Slakoth as simply as possible.
After hearing that it could grow stronger, Slakoth didn't hesitate for even a second before agreeing.
In its hardest days, it had eaten grass roots and dirt just to survive.
What was crap-flavored spinach compared to that?
No—
This was Powerleaf Spinach!
Peter shook his head helplessly.
He had originally planned to use this spinach to cultivate Huge Power in other physical attackers too.
But now that he thought about it—
This flavor alone would scare off 99% of Pokémon.
"…Maybe this thing was meant for Slakoth alone."
With a quiet sigh, Peter went online and ordered several full sets of the required items.
Abilities weren't changed overnight.
And when it came to growth—
the earlier, the better.
--------------
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