On the road back to Azalea Town, August had once again reverted to his disguised appearance—the same one he had used when visiting Kurt.
As he walked, he checked the system notification in his mind.
[Although you failed to gaslight Silver into joining the International Police, you ultimately succeeded thanks to Blue’s persuasion. Title unlocked: “Giovanni, Your Son Is in My Hands!”]
August: “…”
I mean, I like the title and all… but could we at least acknowledge the facts here?
Clearly, it was Blue who interfered and ruined my gaslighting—wait, no, don’t let the system twist this! When did I ever gaslight Silver!?
Shaking off his thoughts, August turned his attention to the reward selection.
[Please choose your reward:]
[1. Rainbow Feather]
[2. Red Orb]
[3. Blue Orb]
Seeing these three options, August was speechless.
System, if you’re out of ideas, just say so—there’s no need to be this half-hearted about it.
The [Red and Blue Orbs] again?
Was this the third time they had shown up?
You really want me to get involved in Hoenn’s Legendary Pokémon conflict that badly, huh?
August fell into deep thought as he considered his choices.
Of the three, the [Rainbow Feather] was the most immediately useful—he could hand it over to Kurt and have him complete the [GS Ball].
But… after getting spoiled by baby Lugia’s shedding season, he had grown a bit picky.
Just one measly [Rainbow Feather]?
As August mulled over his options, Silver suddenly spoke up beside him.
“If we’re just heading to Azalea Town, there’s no need for a disguise.”
Silver himself was currently wearing a black wig to cover his naturally red hair.
August temporarily set aside the reward selection and raised an eyebrow. “I thought you weren’t the curious type.”
Earlier, when he had instructed Silver to wear a disguise, Silver hadn’t questioned it.
Now, Silver simply looked at him, waiting for an answer.
August sighed. Silver’s calm and indifferent reaction wasn’t very entertaining.
I kind of miss Gary…
Still, he explained, “It’s for security reasons. You know that Team Rocket and the Masked Man’s faction are at war in Johto right now. As the Kanto Division’s commander, I stand out too much. If I get recognized, it’ll be a massive headache.”
“As for the other reason…” August paused for a moment. “It’s a bit complicated. Even if I explained it, you probably wouldn’t believe me. Once we’re back in Kanto, in Saffron City, I’ll let Blue explain it to you.”
Silver frowned slightly at August’s evasiveness.
But August was his superior, and he wasn’t strong enough to beat him in a fight, so he let the matter drop for now.
Just then, the path ahead opened up.
“We’re here—Azalea Town!”
…
Inside the workshop, Kurt was busy working alongside his Shuckle, carefully crafting [GS Balls] by hand.
When August entered with Silver, Kurt glanced up and said, “You’re early. It hasn’t been seven days yet.”
They had originally agreed on a one-week deadline, but it had only been six and a half days. He still had two more [GS Balls] left to finish.
“There’s enough material for two more. If you’re in a hurry, you can take the finished ones now.”
With that, Kurt pushed forward a neatly arranged box filled with semi-finished [GS Balls].
August did a quick count—thirty-one in total.
Kurt had even thoughtfully included a manual detailing how to weave Ho-Oh’s feathers into a capture net, which was necessary to complete the [GS Ball]’s transformation into a fully functional version.
However, August didn’t take the box. “No rush. I’ll wait here for a while. Where’s Chie? I have a gift for her.”
Hearing this, Kurt turned his head and called out, “Chie! August says he has a present for you.”
“I’m coming, Grandpa!”
Chie skipped excitedly out of the back room, her face beaming. “Big Brother August!”
August smiled and handed her a Poké Ball.
“I heard you’ve been wanting a Pokémon of your own. I caught this one in the forest outside Azalea Town—it should be a good fit for you.”
The moment she saw the Poké Ball in August’s hand, Chie’s eyes lit up. When she heard his words, her face filled with pure joy.
“Thank you, Big Brother August!”
She eagerly took the Poké Ball and pressed the release button.
Poof!
A burst of white light flashed—
A long-bodied Furret, its fur a mix of cream and brown, appeared before her.
This Furret was one that August had encountered while searching for Silver.
Back then, the poor thing had been so startled by Arcanine’s Intimidate that it panicked and ran straight into a tree, knocking itself unconscious.
Since nobody else seemed to want it, August had simply tossed a Poké Ball at it, capturing it to give to Chie as a belated gift.
Furret curiously examined Chie. Once it recognized her as its Trainer, it immediately began running excitedly around her in circles.
Silver, watching from the side, was momentarily taken aback.
He hadn’t expected August to be… this considerate.
Kurt, observing the scene, nodded approvingly and said, “Chie, take good care of your Pokémon.”
Then, after a moment of thought, he reached into a nearby box and pulled out a [Friend Ball]. “Here, use this.”
Chie had been learning about Poké Ball crafting from Kurt, so she immediately understood. Without hesitation, she swapped Furret into the [Friend Ball].
As soon as the switch was made, Furret instantly became even more affectionate, clinging closely to Chie.
Seeing the dramatic effect, August was now genuinely curious about the mechanics of the [Friend Ball].
However, he didn’t interrupt Kurt’s work.
Only after Kurt finished the last two [GS Balls]—bringing the total to thirty-three—and packed them all neatly into the box, did August finally speak.
“Kurt, would you be interested in becoming the official Poké Ball supplier for the International Police’s Kanto Division?”
“You know we often take on dangerous missions, and our Pokémon need to be at their best. A master craftsman like you would be invaluable in providing high-quality Poké Balls.”
Kurt looked up, visibly surprised.
Seeing his hesitation, August added, “I know you only make Poké Balls for Trainers you personally deem worthy. Don’t worry—”
With a grin, he clapped a hand on Silver’s shoulder.
“This guy right here? He’s already the weakest Trainer in our Kanto Division. Silver, show Kurt what you’ve got.”
Silver: “???”
For the first time, his usually icy expression cracked.
Kurt, however, quickly recovered from his initial surprise and waved his hand dismissively. “No need. I was just surprised that you’re willing to invest in such expensive Apricorn Balls. I don’t doubt the International Police’s abilities.”
In the Pokémon world, there were two main schools of thought when it came to Poké Balls:
-
The Traditionalists, who believed in hand-crafted Apricorn Balls, considering them to be superior due to their special effects. They viewed them as the mark of a truly skilled Trainer.
-
The Industrialists, who favored mass-produced Poké Balls for their affordability and accessibility. They argued that modern manufacturing had made Pokémon training more accessible to the masses.
Because Apricorn Balls relied on individual craftsmanship, their quality varied, their prices were high, and they were difficult to mass-produce. This led to constant criticism from the Industrialist camp.
To them, if Trainers wanted higher-quality Poké Balls, they could just buy [Ultra Balls] or [Great Balls], both of which were cheaper than Apricorn Balls while still offering superior capture rates.
This debate had been going on ever since the first Poké Ball factory was established.
But as technology advanced, mass-produced Poké Balls had completely overtaken the market, leaving Traditionalists like Kurt struggling to keep up.
Nowadays, even Kurt had to focus on high-end custom orders just to stay in business.
So he hadn’t expected August to come in wanting to buy Apricorn Balls in bulk.
August, however, didn’t care about the ideological debate.
He had too much budget left over, and with the fiscal year coming to an end, he needed to spend it fast—otherwise, headquarters might cut his funding next year.
Since Kurt’s Apricorn Balls were all high-quality and had special effects, they might prove useful down the line.
And so, the two quickly struck a deal.
At half the market price, August bought Kurt’s entire stock of Apricorn Balls, with an agreement to place additional orders as needed.
With that settled, August had completed his objectives in Azalea Town.
Before leaving, he took out one of the semi-finished [GS Balls] and handed it to Kurt.
Seeing Kurt’s confused expression, August said, “If someone ever comes asking for a GS Ball, and you have no choice but to give them one, hand them this.”
This was a precaution in case Pryce ever came knocking, demanding [GS Balls] from Kurt.
By giving him a fake option, Kurt would at least have something to protect himself.
After all, Kurt had made a lot of [GS Balls] for August—August didn’t want anything bad happening to him.
Kurt didn’t fully understand, but he still accepted the [GS Ball].
Truth be told, he had wanted to keep one as a collector’s item but had been too embarrassed to ask.
With everything wrapped up, August bid farewell.
“Take care, Kurt!”
Under Chie’s reluctant gaze, August and Silver left the workshop.
…
“So… we’re heading back to Kanto now?” Silver asked.
“That’s right,” August nodded. “But before that, we need to return Arcanine.”
He shook the Poké Ball in his hand.
Following the familiar path, they arrived at Slowpoke Well—
Where August expected to find the International Police agent who had loaned him the Arcanine.
Per their agreement, the agent was supposed to wait here until August had found Silver and could return the Pokémon.
But after searching the area—
There was no sign of the agent.
In fact, even the Slowpoke that usually lazed around the well were completely gone.
August’s expression darkened.
Something’s not right.
—
This is a fan translation of 人在实教，一之濑你会后悔的 by 作者：白良. All rights to the original work belong to the creator. Please support them by exploring their original work or sharing it with others if you can. Thank you for reading and supporting my efforts to bring this story to a wider audience!
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