When Roggenrola passed the early stages of development and Tetsuya was about to begin its training, his plans were suddenly interrupted.
"What? You want me to take your place on this year's St. Anne's cruise?" Tetsuya stared at Brock in confusion.
Brock smiled sheepishly. "Hey, I've just been really busy lately. Every year, the St. Anne invites gym representatives for a visit—kind of a social gathering.
I was supposed to go, but I really don't have the time. You know my family situation. Do me a favor?"
Brock clasped his hands together in a pleading gesture.
After nearly a month of training together, the two had become familiar with each other. Beyond their professional roles, they were close in age and had similar interests, so the initial stiffness in their relationship had long since faded.
"No way. If you don't have time, that doesn't mean I do. I still need to train Roggenrola." Tetsuya frowned. "Besides, what's the point of me going?"
He had no desire to mingle with the privileged offspring of the League's top brass. It was far too soon for that.
"Really not interested?" Brock probed.
"Really not interested."
"Two million Pokédollars for the errand."
"Deal."
As the saying goes, it's not about having no time or interest—it's just about the price being right.
Tetsuya readily accepted Brock's offer. After all, it was easy money, and the trip would only take a week.
All in all, he came out ahead. The St. Anne was massive, and he could train while enjoying top-tier amenities.
"I knew it. You only talk in money. That hurts, man." Brock sighed dramatically.
Over the past month, he had completely figured Tetsuya out—his heart was ruled by money.
"This is fair compensation for labor," Tetsuya replied indifferently. "Relationships cost money, you know? Do you realize how hard it is to make a living these days? I'm not some rich guy like you."
He grinned. "My heart is shaped like a Pokédollar. If I could, I'd cash it in."
"Oh, by the way, there's a tournament on the ship. The champion gets an evolution stone of their choice plus a Charcoal with a 10% boost effect."
Brock spoke casually, then grumbled, "The sponsors are those three rich brothers from Stone Town. Seriously, they have way too much money."
Before Brock could react, Tetsuya had already closed the distance, grabbing him and shoving him to the ground.
"What?! You're making me compete for you too?" he asked, feigning outrage. "With that small frame of yours, if you try to run, I might not even catch you. Believe it or not, I'd make sure you wouldn't get away next time."
"Ow, ow, that hurts! If you actually win, you can keep all the rewards. Plus, I'll bump your pay to five million!" Brock pleaded, resorting to his ultimate technique—throwing money at the problem.
"No problem! Please stand up, and be careful! I'm so sorry!" Tetsuya immediately changed his tone, helping Brock up with exaggerated politeness.
Brock dusted himself off. "Hmph. That was fast."
He reached into his pocket and pulled out a ticket. "Here, this is the ticket for the St. Anne. Don't lose it. There's only one."
"Don't worry," Tetsuya replied, well aware of its value. Whether it was the potential tournament prize or Brock's hefty errand fee, just the ticket itself was worth a fortune. On the market, a single St. Anne ticket sold for five million Pokédollars.
And considering the room Brock had secured for him, it definitely wasn't just any cabin. A VIP suite ticket alone was priced at no less than twelve million.
After all, the St. Anne—the world's most luxurious cruise ship—only docked in Vermilion City twice a year. Once for departure, once for return, with a weeklong voyage in between.
Everyone wanted to experience it. With so many wealthy people in Kanto, plenty were willing to pay top dollar just to board.
"What if I sell it?" Tetsuya suddenly mused.
"If you dare sell it, I'll beat you to death." Brock's expression darkened instantly.
Tetsuya quickly raised his hands in surrender, signaling that he was joking and would never actually do such a thing.
Brock sighed, shaking his head. This was just how Tetsuya was—steady in battle and training, but prone to moments of absurdity.
"At least try to do well in the competition and bring some honor to Pewter Gym."
Seeing Tetsuya's puzzled expression, Brock elaborated.
"This is basically an annual networking event. Usually, gyms send their future successors or key investors to represent them.
The Pokémon battles serve as a showcase to see if any exceptional talent emerges. For the gym leaders, it's a chance to brag about their Pokémon and build connections.
Most of the competitors are the same age. Only those between 16 and 20 can participate, so given your ability, you actually have a solid chance."
Tetsuya nodded in understanding, but then frowned. "Wait, what kind of tournament format is this?"
"2v2 in the preliminaries. The semifinals and finals are 3v3," Brock admitted awkwardly.
Tetsuya shot him a deadpan look. "Where am I supposed to find a third Pokémon?"
"Doesn't your Roggenrola count? Besides, your Combusken and Pidgeot are strong enough that no one can match them. You could just use Roggenrola for experience."
Brock, knowing he was pushing it, tried his best to justify the situation.
Tetsuya scrutinized him before realization dawned. "Wait—you only have two Pokémon, don't you? No wonder you don't want to go. You're scared of getting stomped and embarrassing yourself!"
"Nonsense! It's perfectly normal for a 16-year-old like me to lose against them! Besides, there's no shame in losing due to youth and inexperience.
For your information, my Geodude just hit Normal-tier, and my Onix recently broke into Elite-tier…" Brock's face reddened as he rattled off excuses.
Tetsuya ignored him, instead turning his attention to the date on the ticket.
Checking the time, he saw there were still ten days before departure.
After a moment of thought, he decided that with Pewter Gym's training facilities and his own training regimen, it should be enough time to get Roggenrola to at least a decent level.
After all, leveling up early on was relatively easy. Roggenrola mainly needed to absorb energy to prepare for evolution.
It should be fine to use in the competition. Either way, with Pidgeot and Combusken as his main fighters, winning wasn't his biggest concern—loyalty was.
"…And a lot of them aren't even as strong as me, you…" Brock was still talking when—
"Oh, by the way, what's for lunch?" Tetsuya abruptly interrupted.
Caught off guard, Brock instinctively responded, "Stewed potatoes and braised synthetic beef, with stir-fried greens and steamed eggs."
"Sounds good. I'll go train first. See you later."
"Alright."
Brock nodded and turned toward the kitchen. The two had a system—one trained while the other cooked, alternating daily. Today was Brock's turn.
But something felt off. He immediately turned around—only to find that Tetsuya had already bolted, vanishing who-knows-where.
Sighing, Brock shook his head. He'd bring it up again at dinner. For now, he had a meal to prepare.