Pokémon: From Pirate to Just

"Selling it to you isn't a problem, but I do have two questions," Sieg said, his gaze calm but sharp. "First, who is this Ability Capsule meant for?"

As he spoke, Sieg pulled out the capsule from inside his coat. The blue-violet shell shimmered under the light, instantly catching Reggie's attention. His eyes locked onto it like a magnet, and no matter how he tried, he simply couldn't look away.

"It's for one of my Pokémon, Rhydon. It's a Ground and Rock-type, but… its ability is Lightning Rod..." Reggie answered seriously, face completely straight.

Sieg's expression, however, grew increasingly strange.

"Lightning Rod," huh?

That was honestly a pretty solid ability.

It attracted all Electric-type moves to the user, nullifying damage while boosting Special Attack. Immunity, redirection, and power-up all in one.

Three major advantages packed into a single trait. Against trainers who specialized in Electric-types, it was an absolute nightmare.

But the issue was… Rhydon was a Ground and Rock-type.

Let's be real. If someone sends out an Electric-type Pokémon, would they really use Electric moves against something completely immune to them?

"…No wonder. Your Pokémon's ability and typing combo is kind of… off."

Sieg let out a helpless laugh, shaking his head. But thinking about it differently, if Reggie had managed to capture and train a Rhydon despite such an obvious flaw, then this Rhydon was probably something special, or perhaps it had extraordinary potential.

Special enough that Reggie was willing to spend an Ability Capsule on it rather than abandoning it.

This crossed into the realm of personal strategy, though. Even if Sieg was curious, it wasn't his place to ask further. Delving into the secrets of another trainer's Pokémon was a major taboo in the trainer world.

"Alright, then. My second question: what's your Staraptor's ability? Reckless or Intimidate?"

Even now, Sieg hadn't figured it out. When Staraptor first entered the field, it had shown an aggressive, vicious expression. Was that Intimidate… or just an act?

If it really was Intimidate, then why had Brave Bird been so incredibly powerful later on?

"My battle strategy usually involves gathering info on enemy Pokémon before formulating a plan," Reggie explained calmly. "So in turn, I keep my own Pokémon's data tightly under wraps..."

"That's why I have my Staraptor purposely fake the Intimidate ability at the start of battles. But in truth, its actual ability is its hidden one, Reckless."

Sieg listened closely, quietly admiring the depth of Reggie's thinking. As expected, talents were everywhere in this world, each more ingenious than the last.

"You really can't ever underestimate your opponent..."

He reminded himself silently. It was time to reign in his own arrogance. If he didn't, he'd end up like Reggie here, or worse, like Paul in the future.

With his questions answered, Sieg finally sold the Ability Capsule to Reggie. Although… the price was just a teensy bit high.

Besides that, he also asked Reggie to share his unique training technique, the one for faking the Intimidate ability.

"Tsk tsk, that's 1.5 million Pokédollars just for one Ability Capsule," Sieg muttered to himself. He glanced at his balance, which now totaled 2.8 million Pokédollars. Instantly, his mood lifted again.

For the next half month, Sieg remained in Verdanturf Town, focusing on training. Sometimes he ventured to the outskirts for wilderness survival drills, other times he entered battle club tournaments to sharpen Eevee's combat skills.

During this period, Reggie once again challenged him to a battle.

The tension between them had eased considerably. Sieg realized that, aside from being a little proud, arrogant, overconfident, smug, sharp-tongued, and relentlessly stubborn, Reggie was actually quite decent in other areas.

Especially when it came to Pokémon training, Reggie's ideas were undeniably innovative, even brilliant. That method of faking Intimidate? Totally ingenious.

Even with Sieg's current insight, he couldn't find a single flaw in it.

Reggie... was a true prodigy!

"Reggie, the Verdanturf Cavern is full of danger. I've drawn this map myself, it should help you a bit."

Sieg handed over a hand-drawn map. Reggie was finally leaving Verdanturf to resume his journey.

Sieg's path would take him northeast from the town's southwest corner, but Reggie was heading in the opposite direction, to Rustboro City and Petalburg City, places Sieg had already passed through.

"Thank you, Sieg. I hope we meet again at the League Tournament. And when we do, we'll have a battle that shakes the heavens!"

This time, Reggie didn't say anything annoying. Instead, his words carried a tone of mutual respect.

As he watched Reggie's figure fade into the distance, Sieg turned to face the setting sun and muttered under his breath, "It's about time I left too. I've been here too long already."

After a few more days of rest, Sieg departed Verdanturf Town. Before leaving, he made sure to exchange contact info with the elderly move tutor, just in case he needed his services again in the future. It was always good to build up connections.

The next morning, Sieg resumed his journey. His next destination: Lavaridge Town, located at the northeastern edge of Verdanturf.

The two towns were quite close, separated only by a small forest.

"Technically, the official travel route recommends heading east along Route 117 toward Mauville City."

After all, that path was far safer than venturing through the wild forest.

But Mauville's Gym specialized in Electric-types, which was a terrible match for Sieg's current team. In contrast, Lavaridge's Fire-type Gym felt like a much better fit.

"Plus, I've heard the hot springs there are really popular. Supposedly, they can even cure certain illnesses."

Sieg had experienced ocean waves and babbling brooks, but never once had he experienced a hot spring.

That night, deep within the forest…

Sieg worked with his Pokémon to set up camp. Murkrow circled above the campfire area, staying alert for any wild Pokémon.

Eevee dragged a cloth mat across the grass and eagerly laid down on it, enjoying the soft surface beneath her fur.

Sharpedo was surprisingly calm. He rested quietly in a collapsible portable pool Sieg had bought earlier.

The night fell silently over the forest, accompanied by crisp crackles from the campfire.

Sieg sat beside the fire, its glow reflecting in his tired yet hopeful eyes.

He curled up slightly, holding Eevee tightly in his arms.

At this moment, Eevee was like a quiet little angel. Her soft fur brushed gently against Sieg's skin, bringing a warm and delicate touch.

Sieg looked down at her, his gaze filled with tenderness.

In his hand was a small device, resembling a remote with a sensor on top.

It was a Bond Level Detector.

A new product just released at the Verdanturf Poké Shop.

He carefully swept the scanner over Eevee, a beam of red light flashing across her body. Then he aimed it at himself.

Suddenly, the once-blank screen on the device lit up with seven dazzling heart icons!

Maximum affection!

The device only had seven hearts in total, and now they were all lit up. It was undeniable proof of the deep and extraordinary bond between Sieg and his beloved Eevee.

At that thought, Sieg looked once more at her nestled peacefully in his arms.

Her eyes were shut tightly, breathing calm and steady. She had clearly drifted into a sweet dream.

"Has Eevee's experience already reached the threshold for evolution?" Sieg wondered silently, stroking her fur with increasing gentleness.

His heart was full of joy.