After reaching Fuschia City, Eric immediately boarded the train that went to Saffron City.
The bullet train ride from Fuchsia City to Saffron City was quiet. Eric stared out the window, watching the scenery blur past. The transition from a literal warzone back to the peaceful, bustling metropolis of Kanto's largest city was jarring.
Once he stepped off the train, his first priority was comfort. He had millions of Pokédollars sitting in his untraceable account, and after surviving the Ancient Kingdom's invasion, he wasn't going to hold back.
He booked the penthouse suite at the Saffron Grand Hotel.
But before he could crash, he visited the Saffron Central Pokémon Center.
Fearow had taken a brutal Poison Jab from an Advanced-level Skuntank. While Eric had treated the immediate damage with Full Restores and his own breeder knowledge on the island, the lingering toxic energy needed professional care. As an Advanced Breeder in terms of knowledge, he knew exactly what his Pokémon needed, but nothing beat the specialized equipment and abilities of the Center's staff.
Inside the advanced medical wing, Nurse Joy, assisted by a Blissey and two Chansey, worked their magic. The sheer volume of pure, soothing Normal-type energy they pumped into Fearow repaired her damaged tissue and energy pathways perfectly.
Eric watched them work through the observation glass.
'Having a dedicated medical Pokémon would be incredibly useful,' he thought.
Chansey and Blissey were notoriously rare. The Joy family held a near-absolute monopoly on their breeding and distribution. But with Eric's current income, acquiring one wasn't impossible. If he had enough money and the right connections, he could likely secure a Happiny egg in the future.
'Something to consider for later.'
Ignoring those thoughts for now, Eric retrieved his fully healed Fearow and made his way to the hotel.
As soon as he entered the penthouse suite, he stripped off his ash-stained jacket and stepped into a steaming hot shower. The hot water washed away the dirt, sweat, and the lingering scent of smoke and burnt ozone.
When he finally stepped out, dressed in a fresh set of casual clothes, he felt human again.
He released his entire team in the spacious, carpeted living area.
Poliwrath immediately took a meditative stance near the floor-to-ceiling window. Fearow nestled into a plush rug, looking completely revitalized. Growlithe chased his own tail for a moment before curling up next to Ralts and Gardevoir, who were sitting calmly by the bed.
And Haunter simply sank into the shadows of the room, letting out a tired but contented sigh.
The team had fought incredibly hard. They had fought far above their weight class and survived. But they were exhausted. Haunter, especially, needed time. Pushing his Ghost-type energy to the boundary of Grade 5 (Supreme) had put an immense strain on his core. He needed to rest and let his energy naturally stabilize before he even thought about battling again.
'We're doing absolutely nothing for a week,' Eric decided.
He collapsed backward onto the massive, king-sized bed, staring up at the chandelier on the ceiling.
His thoughts drifted back to the Williams estate. He thought of many things. He thought about Seth Williams, a man who had an unimaginable level of strength that he hid behind a smile.
He thought about the 18-year-old girl who had just watched her father vanish into a spatial tear, likely to his death. Yet, instead of breaking down, she had immediately mounted her Charizard, wiped out the remaining threats, and then stood tall against the aristocratic vultures trying to dismantle her home.
She protected her little sister, commanded the room, and retained her fierce, unyielding pride.
'That is true strength,' Eric realized.
His own mentality shifted quietly in the dark room. Until now, his entire driving force had been reactive. He trained to escape the bottom. He grew stronger so he wouldn't be bullied, so he wouldn't be cornered in an alleyway and left to die like the original owner of this body.
But seeing the Ancient Kingdom, the Champion-level clashes, and the ruthless politics of the League... Eric realized that simply playing defensively in the shallows wasn't enough. The ocean was full of leviathans.
He didn't just need enough strength to survive; he needed absolute, structural control over his own destiny.
He couldn't just be a lone wolf reacting to whatever calamity the world threw at him. He needed to build a foundation so unshakable, so inherently powerful, that no spatial tear, no ancient war, and no aristocratic scheme could ever dictate his life. He needed to transition from a survivor trying not to lose, to a powerhouse playing to win.
He closed his eyes, his resolve turning as cold and hard as steel.
The next seven days were a blur of absolute relaxation.
Eric didn't train. He didn't look at the League news. He didn't do anything that he didn't want to.
He ordered absurd amounts of high-end room service for himself, and carefully hand-crafted premium Poke blocks for his team.
Growlithe and Ralts spent their days playing tag across the massive living room, the timid Psychic-type slowly coming out of her shell under the fire pup's boundless enthusiasm. Gardevoir rested, her fractured core continuing to soothe under the steady diet of advanced Poke blocks. Poliwrath meditated, and Fearow rested lazily.
Haunter spent most of the week sleeping in the dark, his erratic flickering slowly smoothing out as his core permanently adapted to the density of his new power.
For Eric, the week of absolute peace was exactly what he needed. His mind cleared, his body recovered, and his bond with his team deepened.
It was a complete detox. A necessary pause to digest the gains from the intense ordeal.
------------------------------------------
Character images available on Patreon (free access).
If you want early access to the upcoming chapters (25+ chapters) or just want to support me, you can do that at:
www.patreon.com/GhostQuill407