"Officer Jenny, you finally made it! If you were any later, these old bones of mine would've fallen apart!"
Mr. Fuego sobbed uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face.
"These two youngsters are the ones who captured the suspects," Officer Jenny said while untying them. "You should thank them directly~"
At that moment, Teruhiko suddenly spoke up.
"That young man over there—your name is Peter, right?"
"Huh?"
Peter, who had been looking around the factory, turned his head. "Mr. Teruhiko… you know me?"
"Haha… didn't we meet in Jubilife City before?" Teruhiko laughed. "You even refused to help me hand out flyers."
"…Wait."
Peter squinted. "You're that evil clown?!"
The words slipped out before his brain could stop them.
"Ah—no, no, no!" He quickly backpedaled. "I mean—you're a successful entrepreneur. Heh… heh…"
He scratched his head awkwardly.
Teruhiko: "...Do you perhaps have some kind of misunderstanding about me?"
Everyone: "..."
-----
A short while later, the group exited the steel factory.
At Officer Jenny's request, Peter still needed to go to the police station to give a statement—and receive his reward.
Due to Skuntank's Explosion, a large portion of the flower fields had been destroyed. Countless Pokémon were bustling about, repairing the damage.
Seeing this, Arboliva stopped walking and looked up at Peter.
Peter smiled gently.
"Go on, then~ While the Gracidea flowers haven't bloomed yet, help everyone restore this place to how it used to be."
"Li—va~"
Arboliva let out a cheerful cry and joined the effort.
With Seed Sower, Arboliva was probably one of the most suitable Pokémon in the world for this kind of work…
"Then… Shaymin, I'll be heading off now~"
Marley waved at Shaymin.
"Hm?" Peter paused. "That Shaymin—it's not yours?"
Marley shook her head.
"I'd love to capture one, but Pokémon like Shaymin belong to nature itself. They'd never willingly accept being bound by a Poké Ball…"
"So every year, I simply accompany Shaymin as they cross Mount Coronet, chasing the changing seasons. It also helps me train Arcanine's speed."
As she spoke, she gently rubbed Arcanine's head.
"I see…"
Peter couldn't help feeling a bit disappointed. He'd actually hoped to capture a Shaymin himself.
...
About ten minutes later—
Police Station.
"Alright, Peter. As the biggest contributor, these are your rewards~"
Officer Jenny said as she handed him an envelope.
Inside were 500,000 Poké Dollars, along with a Floaroma Town Honorary Citizen Medal.
With this badge, all purchases within Floaroma Town would receive a 20% discount.
"Thank you… but Officer Jenny," Peter hesitated, then asked,
"Could you also issue me a Pokédex?"
In small towns like Floaroma, Pokédex distribution and starter registration were usually handled by Pokémon Centers or police stations.
After all, a Pokédex recorded trainer information and served as an identity credential—basically the Pokémon world's version of an ID card.
"Huh? You don't have one yet?"
Officer Jenny was surprised. She casually pulled out the newest Pokédex from a cabinet.
"Here—consider it a gift from your big sister~"
"Nice!" Peter grinned.
...
"Beep. Trainer information registered: Peter.
Pokédex initializing…"
Walking out of the police station, Peter happily fiddled with his Pokédex.
He was now—officially—a Pokémon Trainer.
"Peter, there's something I'd like to discuss with you. Do you have a moment?"
Teruhiko asked.
"Hm? Sure~ Uncle, give me just a second…"
Peter called out to Marley, who was about to leave.
"Marley, are you staying in Floaroma Town for the next couple of days?"
"Yes. I'll leave together with Shaymin."
"Then how about a battle when the time comes? One-on-one. I want to challenge your Arcanine."
"…Alright. No problem."
Marley gave a polite bow before walking away.
Peter, meanwhile, followed Uncle Teruhiko into a nearby café.
….
"It's like this," Teruhiko said. "I'd like you to become a brand ambassador for Pokétch. What do you think?"
"Me?"
Peter pointed at himself, frowning.
"I don't get it. Pokétch is already wildly popular across Sinnoh, isn't it? Why would you need me?"
Teruhiko chuckled.
"You really have no awareness of being a million-follower influencer, do you…"
"I've been watching you for a long time. In my eyes, you're a rising star among Trainers. With your existing fanbase, you could bring long-term value to my company."
"I see…"
Peter straightened up. "Then what kind of terms are you offering, President Teruhiko?"
"3 Million Poké Dollars per month. We'll market under your name—you just need to regularly shoot promotional videos and integrate our products into your content."
"As your Arena Rank increases, the pay scales up as well.
Silver: 6 million.
Gold: 10 million.
Diamond: 20 million.
If you place in the Lily of the Valley Conference, there'll be additional bonuses. How does that sound?"
Peter fell silent.
Perhaps because he'd saved Teruhiko's life, the offer was indeed generous.
But Peter also knew something else very clearly.
Pokétch… would eventually be eliminated.
By Generation IX, everyone was using Rotom Phones.
And the company behind Rotom Phones?
…Was owned by Nemona's parents.
Wait.
Rotom phones?
Peter's eyes lit up.
Didn't he already have a Rotom?
He looked up at Teruhiko again.
In Peter's eyes, the company president was no longer a "sugar daddy"—
But a lamb waiting for slaughter.
…
"Ahem…" Peter coughed lightly.
"To be honest, I do recognize your products, and endorsement isn't an issue. But…"
"But what?" Teruhiko frowned.
"But… no one can guarantee that Pokétch will survive in the long term."
"What?!" Teruhiko's expression darkened. "What are you implying?"
"Don't rush," Peter said calmly.
"I mean that all products must iterate. And right now, Pokétch's form factor severely limits its future use cases."
He pulled out his Pokegear Mate 60.
"Look—this is the Pokegear Mate 60 flagship edition I bought. Satellite video calls, AI remote control, ultra-fast capture, telephoto macro—you name it. Every feature is leagues ahead of the competition."
"But none of that exists in Pokétch products."
"Besides some cute Pokémon interaction features, it lacks real uniqueness. Its impact on daily life—and on Trainer development—is extremely limited."
"Stop. Stop. STOP."
Teruhiko raised a hand. "What exactly are you trying to say?"
Peter smiled faintly.
"Uncle… I see sharp thinking and rare vision in you. A once-in-a-century business genius."
"…And actually, I happen to have a perfect business project here."
"Go on," Teruhiko snorted.
"I'd like to see what kind of insight a rookie like you thinks he has."
Peter pulled out his newly acquired Pokédex.
Displayed on the screen—
Was Rotom's data.
Rotom — Plasma Pokémon
Its orange body serves as its core, surrounded by blue, semi-transparent plasma that can form hands.
It is said to turn into electrical current and enter various appliances, often using them as bodies to play pranks—earning it a notorious reputation.
Peter slowly raised his gaze.
His smile deepened.
"Now tell me, President Teruhiko…"
"What do you think would happen—
if a Pokétch…
learned how to think?"
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