Chapter 6: GAL Module Activated! Don't Just Randomly Raise My Affection!
"The Sword of the Land..."
Bea murmured the name. Her pupils contracted as she instantly remembered something.
Although she didn't use [PokéTV] very often, she would still check out the hot videos on the trending list when she had time.
This morning, she had seen the video Iono shared on her feed and curiously clicked on it.
She hadn't known what to expect.
But when she saw it, even she was shocked.
Bea regularly sparred with her Machamp and other Fighting-type Pokémon, but that was, at most, a form of physical conditioning. Even she wasn't foolish enough to try and tank a Pokémon's move.
The slightest mistake, and it could genuinely be fatal!
What was most admirable about the young man in the video wasn't his terrifying physique, but his courage.
Bea asked herself honestly: if it were her, she didn't think she could remain so calm while facing a Pokémon's Solar Blade. Her first instinct would have been to dodge.
"This is the dojo from the video?"
"It's a little too... rustic."
Bea pressed her lips together, swallowing the less-than-polite words. She walked forward and knocked lightly on the wooden door.
Knock, knock, knock—!
She was extremely curious if what he said in the video—about a "thousand-year-old sword art"—was true or not.
Although it looked incredible in the video, seeing it with her own eyes would be best.
A moment later, the wooden door opened. A black-haired young man, rubbing his eyes and yawning, called out, "Who is it—"
When he saw the girl standing in front of him, he froze.
...
"Hello. My name is Bea."
"I'm the Gym Leader of the Stow-on-Side Stadium!" the spirited-looking, tan-skinned girl with short gray hair announced.
Asher was a bit surprised. He had just finished his work, only to run into a Gym Leader.
And not just any, but the local Fighting-type Leader, the famously stoic Bea.
She's actually quite beautiful, he thought.
Asher looked her up and down. Just as he was about to speak, a line of text suddenly flashed before his eyes.
[Detection of key-point conversation with the opposite sex. GAL Module activated successfully!]
[Loading...!]
The next second, several lines of text appeared in Asher's vision.
[Option A: "Hello, my name is Asher, the master of the Sword of the Land dojo."]
[Option B: "Heh, a relic of a bygone era. An antique physical-attacker Gym Leader. Not even worth a single Fairy-type."]
[Option C: "Is your Machamp a lonely, No Guard, large-leek, Shiny, female Machamp?"]
"...?"
Asher stared at the options, speechless with exasperation.
These options... especially B and C... were they a joke?
Option B... if he actually said that, was he not afraid of getting beaten up?
And Option C... if he said that, he'd just be branded as a total pervert!
The only viable choice was A.
Asher's mouth twitched. He sighed internally and silently made his choice.
"Hello, my name is Asher, the master of the Sword of the Land dojo," Asher said with a smile.
He subconsciously glanced up and saw the text floating over Bea's head.
[Bea (Dateable)]
[Current Affection: 5]
Dude, I haven't even decided to go down this route!
Don't just add affection points for me!
"I know. I saw the video you posted on [PokéTV]. Your technique and swordsmanship are very impressive."
"Among all the people I know, those who can do what you do are few and far between," Bea praised him, her expression serious and her lips upturned slightly.
She genuinely admired a young man like Asher, who was so dedicated to training. She even felt a sense of camaraderie.
In this day and age, Trainers who chose to temper their own bodies were incredibly rare. Most people would choose to rely more on the power of their Pokémon.
"Thank you for the compliment."
"It's nothing, really. In ancient times, humans relied on their own strength to defeat Pokémon," Asher said, waving his hand humbly.
He was joking.
Even in this era, you could have that freak of nature, Ash, who could crack Mewtwo's shield with a single punch. And that was on top of him being an Aura Guardian.
Asher didn't think he could compare to that, at least not until he'd raised his RPG stats a lot more.
"Who can really say what happened in ancient times?"
"Please, just call me Bea. You don't need to be so formal."
Bea shook her head, looking around at the structure. "This dojo... it's still under construction, I assume?"
"Where is your Farfetch'd partner?"
She had a strong impression of that Farfetch'd, the one that used Solar Blade. Its level must be high; it was probably close to evolving into a Sirfetch'd.
"As you can see, the whole dojo is under construction."
Asher took out a Pokéball and shrugged. "Farfetch'd and I were busy all day. I've already let it go rest."
"I see," Bea said, nodding in understanding. But at the same time, she felt something was off.
A dojo of this size... could it really be built by just one person and one Farfetch'd?
It seemed... the Pokémon Asher owned... were far more than just one!
That was the only way to explain how he could build the prototype of a dojo in such a short amount of time!
Does he have a Conkeldurr?
No, looking at this wooden structure... a Timburr is more likely.
"Right. Asher, I remember you said in your video that you use a thousand-year-old ancient sword art. Is that true?" Bea remembered her main reason for coming and quickly asked.
She had never heard of an ancient technique with such a long history.
"That's right."
Asher nodded, his expression serious. "My sword art was passed down from the People of the Vale kingdom, a thousand years ago. It comes from the Eindoak region."
"In that era, Pokémon were called 'magic beasts.' This sword art, which uses weapons to block Pokémon, was born from that necessity."
"Of course, in this era, it's better to use this sword art for physical fitness."
"After all, the relationship between people and Pokémon should be built on bonds."
After listening to Asher's explanation, Bea finally understood the origin of the sword art, and her interest grew.
A technique with such a long lineage... if she could experience it for herself, perhaps it could make her even stronger?
Thinking of this, Bea looked at the young man.
"Asher, could I ask you for a favor?"
The girl pointed inside the dojo. Her face was slightly red, but her gaze was firm. "I want to experience this thousand-year-old ancient sword art for myself!"
She was confident in her own strength!
She sparred with her Machamp all the time. Her reflexes and her body were already far beyond those of a normal person!
"Er... I don't think that's a good idea."
"Bea, you're a Fighting-type Gym Leader. I'm just an ordinary Trainer. Besides, this sword art won't help you grow."
Asher coughed lightly, his tone helpless.
He really didn't want to fight a pretty girl. If word got out, what if he got canceled online?
He didn't want to be known as "the guy who beats up beautiful girls."
"I think it will be helpful."
"If you agree, I will help you promote the dojo and publicly endorse the power of your sword art," Bea said, raising an eyebrow, her expression dead serious.
Asher paused, sinking into thought.
If Bea helped him promote it, the dojo's popularity would definitely rise to another level.
And for him, sparring was nothing but beneficial.
A battle with Bea might even raise his stats again.
Finally, Asher nodded.
"Alright. But I have to warn you."
"There's a very high wall between an armed and an unarmed fighter."