[Special Quest: Show Teacher Boo your strength—make him submit in awe and worship you!]
[Reward: Dragon-type laws +0.9%, Steel-type laws +0.9%]
Tch—!
The moment Shiko saw that generous reward, he immediately straightened up inside the Poké Ball.
0.9% Dragon and 0.9% Steel!
That was the equivalent of getting nine Dragon Gems and nine Steel Gems at once!
With such a massive temptation, how could he not be moved?
This would directly push both of those laws to 1%!
But being tempted was one thing—he wasn't about to charge out and let people appraise him like some product in a shop window.
You needed a ticket to watch a movie.
So why should he show up without an appearance fee?
Hearing Shiko's demand, Himeko let out a quiet sigh of relief.
That way, she wouldn't be stuck in an awkward bind.
"Teacher Boo, how about we make a bet?"
"I bet my Pokémon will absolutely overturn your understanding and open your eyes!"
Himeko looked at Teacher Boo, smiling with confidence.
"Hoh—little girl, you've really got confidence!"
Teacher Boo froze for a moment, then broke into hearty laughter.
Good grief!
This was the first time he'd heard someone say something like that to him!
He was a scholar who had basically devoted his entire life to Pokémon research.
He had even participated in compiling the Pokémon encyclopedia and the Pokédex.
By Teacher Boo's own words—
In this world, there were practically no Pokémon he hadn't seen.
Himeko's statement immediately stirred Teacher Boo's interest—and his competitive spirit.
"Fine. Then tell me—how are we betting, and what's the stake?"
Teacher Boo asked, looking at her.
"Simple."
"If I win, you give me a Dragon- or Steel-type gem!"
"If I lose, I'll work for you for free. Any Pokémon or material your research needs, I'll help you find it—free of charge!"
Himeko said.
The moment she finished, the surrounding onlookers erupted into an uproar.
The stake right out of the gate was a type-boosting gem!
And not just any—rare Dragon or Steel!
Wasn't that a bit like asking for the moon?
Everyone thought Teacher Boo would shake his head, reject it, and make her lower the terms.
But to their surprise, the old man pondered for a moment… and then nodded.
"Alright! Just for that confidence, I'll bet with you."
"Don't disappoint me."
Teacher Boo nodded, anticipation showing in his eyes.
Seeing Teacher Boo agree, Himeko felt much more at ease.
Getting a gem as Shiko's appearance fee wasn't a bad condition at all.
"Then please take a look—how well have I trained my Pokémon?"
As soon as she spoke, Himeko took a Luxury Ball from her waist.
A figure suddenly appeared in the field.
"Shu-bi!!"
Lopunny's pink, mature, "big-sister" look immediately seized everyone's attention.
"Damn! A shiny Pokémon!"
"Whoa—this Lopunny's presence is insane!"
"You can tell it's strong just by looking!"
"No wonder she's so confident—she's got real skill!"
"…"
The crowd couldn't help bursting into gasps.
Starting with a rare shiny Pokémon—
That truly caught everyone off guard.
"Not bad."
Teacher Boo observed for a while and gave a seemingly lukewarm evaluation.
But coming from him, those words meant something completely different.
By his strict standards, something he called "not bad" meant there were basically no major issues in training and development—it was already at the level of being raised and honed according to an optimal plan.
Aisa's heart jolted.
She couldn't help turning her head to glance at her own Dragonite.
Even her Elite Four–level Dragonite had never, ever received that kind of evaluation from Teacher Boo!
Teacher Boo always managed to pick out a huge list of flaws from Dragonite, every single time.
"The nurturing is fine. In the future, increase the weight for its weighted training. Otherwise the effect won't be obvious."
Teacher Boo added a brief comment.
Himeko nodded to herself.
As expected—experience really did matter.
With one look, Teacher Boo could tell she had put Lopunny through weighted training to build strength.
"Then what about this one?"
Himeko recalled Lopunny and tossed out another Poké Ball.
Under everyone's curious gaze—
A Pokémon wearing a white pleated skirt, like a fresh and delicate young girl, appeared before them.
Kirlia!
That was a fairly uncommon Psychic-type Pokémon!
Teacher Boo's eyes brightened slightly when he saw it.
But if it was only a Kirlia, then for him, there was nothing surprising about it.
Yet in the very next second—
A powerful surge of Psychic-type energy swept over everyone like a tidal wave.
It slammed into their minds, making them feel a sudden tearing pain.
"Such strong Psychic-type energy!"
Teacher Boo was shocked, his face filling with astonishment.
This time, his expression turned serious and solemn.
He carefully examined Kirlia in front of him.
When the surrounding onlookers finally recovered from that mental storm—
Teacher Boo at last gave his evaluation.
"A very good Kirlia."
Very good!?
Hearing those three words from Teacher Boo, everyone present thought they must be hallucinating.
No way.
Was this really the same Teacher Boo—always sharp-tongued, with standards and vision higher than the sky?
A Pokémon actually earned a "very good" from him?
That earlier Lopunny was already extremely outstanding—nearly perfect!
So what did that make this Kirlia?
Just thinking about it made people's scalps go numb.
"It has extremely powerful Psychic-type energy. It should be an inborn gift."
"But its control isn't proficient enough yet. You need to put more effort into that."
Teacher Boo gave a thorough critique.
The surprise in his expression gradually settled.
Kirlia's talent had genuinely shocked him.
Across decades of research, Pokémon this gifted were exceptionally rare.
Every single one could grow to an unquestionably outrageous height.
"You little girl have really good luck—having two Pokémon this outstanding."
"Your future is truly limitless."
Teacher Boo praised Himeko sincerely.
He already understood why the higher-ups valued Himeko so much.
"But with just these two Pokémon, you still can't overturn my understanding and truly open my eyes."
Teacher Boo's tone shifted as he smiled at Himeko.
"There's still one more."
Himeko took the last Poké Ball from her waist and held it in her hand.
In an instant, everyone's eyes focused on that Poké Ball.
Feeling the attention, Himeko cleared her throat.
"Um—could everyone make a bit more space? I'm worried it won't be enough."
"And if anyone here has a weak heart, I suggest you prepare some quick-acting heart pills first."
"Because what comes next… might scare everyone."
(End of Chapter)
[200 Power Stones = 1 Extra Chapter]
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