After parting ways with Cynthia, Rei Akagi returned to the research institute dormitory with Gastly.
After finishing dinner, Gastly squatted in front of the living room screen playing Pokémon, while Rei Akagi comfortably sank into the sofa, preparing to review the rewards he had gained recently.
Cough.
Remember the original publishing website domain: twkan.com.
Ahem…
Xiao-A, um…
Do you have any products that would meet my needs right now and are cheap?
A translucent interface appeared. A chibi pixel Arceus jumped out while holding a "90% OFF" sign. Above it, the label "Special Discount Item" flashed wildly.
Special Discount Recommendation (Limited-time 90% Off)
Mini Pokéblock Maker — 100 Battle Points
(Technology 100 years ahead!)
PS: Includes a Basic Berry Gift Pack worth 10 Battle Points.
Rei Akagi's face darkened.
This lousy system…
It's really scheming.
But having the technology without the machine wouldn't work.
Buy!
A flash of white light appeared.
Rei Akagi stared at the wrench that had appeared in his hand and fell into silence.
Arceus!
Don't let me run into you on Di'an Avenue!
Otherwise you're going to regret it!
With a gloomy face, he walked into the kitchen and took out the Basic Berry Gift Pack from his storage space.
He sorted the berries—Oran Berry, Pinap Berry, Cheri Berry, and others—then lined them up neatly across the counter.
Following the instruction manual, he set the machine's ratios and carefully fed the berries one by one into the inconspicuous opening at the head of the wrench.
Holding his breath, he pressed the start button.
Bzzzz—
The wrench emitted a faint but distinct vibration.
A moment later…
An irregular dark object dropped out of the wrench's tail.
Well.
Aside from being opaque and not exactly cube-shaped…
Rei Akagi was confident it was definitely a qualified Pokéblock .
Without changing his expression, he tossed it into the trash can.
He then continued producing five or six more Pokéblock s…
Well—let's call them Pokéblock s.
Finally, after nearly half an hour of experimentation in the kitchen, the wrench vibrated again.
A cube with a soft orange glow and a relatively proper shape fell into his palm.
"Oran Berry… Pinap Berry… and finally Cheri Berry…"
"It worked!"
A trace of excitement flashed through Rei Akagi's eyes.
He carefully took a bite.
Hmm…
Sour, sweet, and spicy all at once.
After his expression changed several times, he let out a long breath.
Perfect.
He called out loudly:
"Gastly, come over for a snack!"
Gastly, immersed in the game, looked up upon hearing his voice. With its signature wide grin, it slowly floated over.
"Gastly~"
"Here. I made this Pokéblock myself. Tell me how it tastes."
Rei Akagi handed over the perfect orange cube with a hint of pride.
Gastly: (＾∇＾)
↓
Gastly: ( T⌓T )
The little guy arrived smiling.
It floated away almost crying.
"Wow, it ate it so fast. My skills must be incredible!"
Watching Gastly's world-weary retreating figure, Rei Akagi nodded with satisfaction, giving his cooking abilities high praise before turning back to continue advancing his Pokéblock crafting career.
At that moment, Gastly suddenly returned.
It floated back holding Rei Akagi's vibrating phone, the painful aftertaste of the earlier "delicacy" still lingering on its face.
"Gastly!"
"Oh, a phone call? Thanks, Gastly. I'll make you some more delicious Pokéblock s as a midnight snack later."
Rei Akagi casually took the phone.
He completely failed to notice the look of despair on Gastly's face when it heard the words Pokéblock , nor the speed at which it fled afterward.
The screen showed an unfamiliar number.
"Hello?"
"BOSS—!"
An extremely excited voice exploded through the phone.
"I've unified all the underground gangs in Eterna City!"
Rei Akagi silently moved the phone half a meter away from his ear.
Ah.
Now he knew who it was.
The unlucky kid from Gym Leader Fantina's family.
"First of all, I'm not your boss. Second, I'm not interested in you unifying underground gangs. Third, I'm a law-abiding citizen of the Pokémon League."
Rei Akagi spoke calmly and prepared to hang up.
"Don't, Boss!"
Fantina's voice suddenly carried a hint of crying.
"The other gang leaders all came to pledge allegiance after watching the video of you crushing my dad! If you're not the boss, I'm doomed!"
Rei Akagi: "..."
Why are these idle social troublemakers so creative?
He was about to refuse firmly when a memory flashed through his mind—
Back when he had fought Team Rainbow Rocket alone.
Building his own organization…
The thought had just appeared when the system popped up another notification.
System Notification:
Build your own faction! How can the savior of the world remain alone?
Raise your banner and followers will gather like clouds!
Reward: After establishing a faction, rewards will be granted based on development progress.
Meanwhile, Fantina was still wailing on the phone.
"Hello? Boss? Are you still there? Please don't abandon me!"
"...You really want me to be your boss, right?"
Rei Akagi smirked slightly.
He switched the phone to speaker mode and opened a browser to search for relevant information.
"That's right! Not just me—after watching the video of you absolutely crushing my dad, the other gang leaders think so too."
Fantina sounded sincere.
But Rei Akagi's attention wasn't really on him anymore.
After carefully reviewing development trends across major Pokémon Leagues, industry analysis reports, and market choices of major corporate groups, Rei Akagi reached a conclusion.
The high-tech sector was monopolized by large international conglomerates.
Patent-based manufacturing companies had limited long-term growth.
In the end, he turned his attention to the service industry.
The delivery and takeout industries were still emerging fields in the Sinnoh Region..
The market hadn't yet been fully divided.
It was the perfect entry opportunity.
"Alright. As a test, I'll give you a mission."
"Go start a logistics company. Turn your subordinates into couriers and food delivery riders."
"I've already planned it. Start with a pilot program in Eterna City. Once it becomes profitable, develop an online platform, then expand into major cities."
Rei Akagi stretched lazily as he walked out of the kitchen toward the window.
"Underground gangs can't make it onto the big stage."
"If you're going to do something, do it big."
"The company will be a normal logistics company—but through logistics we can quickly build our own intelligence network."
"Until we control the entire Sinnoh League ."
Fantina fell silent on the other end of the phone.
Apparently the enormous promise had completely overwhelmed him.
After a moment, he stammered:
"Y-Yes! Mission accepted!"
The call ended.
Rei Akagi looked out at the dazzling night scenery beyond the window.
His mood had never been better.
Build a faction? Control the League?
Don't be ridiculous.
He had no time to build his own organization.
Everything he said just now was teasing a kid—just giving them something to do so they'd stop bothering him.
His real goal was a retired lazy life.
Living in a big house.
Marrying a beautiful wife.
Not sitting in a dark office all day like some crime boss petting a cat.
However…
Rei Akagi rubbed his chin, a mischievous smile appearing on his face.
Having a group of idle troublemakers contribute to society was actually a pretty good thing.
A great deed for the Pokémon League.
As for whether they would fail—
Come on.
Not only was the Gym Leader's son leading them, but just one gang already had over eighty members.
Add a few more gangs and they'd easily have hundreds of people working together.
What couldn't they accomplish?
It was just a logistics company.
Perfect.
"Come on, Gastly. I'll make you some Pokéblock s."
"GAAASTLY—!"
◇ BONUS & SUPPORT ◇
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 10 reviews — drop a comment!
◇ 1 bonus chapter for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ Read 70 chapters ahead on P@treon → patreon.com/Sagamaster789