Chapter 96: The Proper Way to Make Use of the Imperial Younger Brother

Du Qiang deliberately ignored the other's odd career suggestions, feeling instead a bit surprised.

"You really didn't know? If I remember correctly, the curriculum at Joy Academy includes hands-on medical training. You've never treated a Pokémon?"

"Good question. I have treated Pokémon, but the academy's so big that the injured ones are usually those troublesome creatures on the back mountain," Zhu Suihan shrugged. "What I'm saying is, I basically never saw the same one twice, so there's no way to notice any changes in them. That's about it."

Well, at least the theory about being a human power bank checks out.

The white-haired monkey didn't consider this some fantastical superpower, but rather thought it resembled an ability that only appeared in the Scarlet and Violet era.

Given his own ambiguous age as something of an antique, this ability probably related to the 'Ancient Activity' trait.

Simply put, under harsh sunlight, a Pokémon's certain power could increase—especially speed.

Apart from the requirement of harsh sunlight, there was an even more convenient trigger: the boost energy developed by the Area Zero researchers.

Zhu Suihan suddenly looked up. "Let me ask you: Is this enhancement permanent or temporary?"

Du communicated with Dragonite for a moment. "It's permanent. It's nothing like the temporary boost from enhancement moves."

Alright then, so it's a magic-proof power bank—makes sense.

Not only are the energy cubes I make a bit like experience candy, it seems I'm a human-shaped experience candy myself.

The big brother who empowers others—confirmed.

Zhu Suihan shook his head. "Thanks for the intel. I think I understand the process now."

Looks like I'll need to be careful in the future, lest I accidentally hand someone a massive power-up.

"How significant is the enhancement?"

Dragonite's eyes lit up. "A full body massage?"

Are you offering me a full body massage, big guy?

Lapras and Alcremie immediately shot hostile glances at the chubby dragon before them.

Are you trying to make our trainer your personal laborer?

You've got a lot of nerve.

Du cleared his throat. "The boost is solid. For Dragonite's current level, it's as good as skipping two and a half months of training."

And that was just from a squeeze of the arm. Frankly, hearing Dragonite suggest a full body massage had him tempted too.

"‘Solid,’ you say," Zhu Suihan nodded woodenly, suddenly feeling Du's way of speaking was rather lacking in humility.

You call that kind of improvement just 'solid,' do you?

Zhu Suihan stroked his chin. "You'll be competing in this year's Quartz League Conference, right?"

Du was taken aback. "Of course. Even if I can't become regional champion directly, winning the conference will earn me a chance to challenge the Elite Four."

"As long as I choose and challenge within the allotted time. My plan is to do it in one go, so the elders in my family stop nagging me about my destiny."

Some trainers consider reaching the semifinals a success, but with Du's family background, the bare minimum is to become regional champion.

As for making it into the Elite Four, that's up to fate—but the higher, the better.

As for regional champion, Du just needs some more polish—no need to rush.

"Oh, I've just had another idea. When the conference starts, I'll set up a booth outside the venue offering my massage service."

The white-haired monkey stroked his chin. "Hmm, this shouldn't be detected as doping, since it's a legitimate power boost."

What's wrong with a sentient creature having a sudden revelation in the moment?

Don't ask; if you ask, it's just a held item!

Contestant: Dragon Tamer Du

Main Pokémon: Dragonite

Held Item: [White-Haired Monkey's Enhancement Blessing]

Effect: Permanent power increase.

Du: ......

"True, this can't be detected as using a banned item, but such balance-breaking antics would absolutely get you arrested by the league officials."

Any trainer strong enough to reach the Quartz League isn't weak; unless they're unlucky with the random matchup system, the battles are usually evenly matched.

If someone started pulling this kind of stunt outside the arena, it would be as egregious as the persistent gambling rings that plague the sport.

Worse yet, if this guy ever got involved with the gray market gambling scene, that would be truly terrifying.

The white-haired monkey could make decisions based on the betting odds, then power up one side before the match, personally manipulating the results for a massive profit.

And then, at the very least, he'd be facing extra charges—likely maxed out—possibly not even getting a chance at rehabilitation for the rest of his life.

Locked up for life—without question!

Du felt drained, his resolve to join the league's internal investigator system only strengthened.

This kind of person is just too dangerous!

It's not that the other wears his criminal intent on his sleeve—those types wouldn't even get past Officer Jenny.

Zhu Suihan is the type who knows exactly what's allowed and what's not, but insists on finding ways to push the boundaries and break the rules.

If someone like this isn't managed properly, someday even his senior Jing might have to bring him to justice with a heavy heart.

And until that day, no one can predict what Zhu Suihan might do next.

Joining the investigator system would at least allow him to keep a closer watch on this guy.

No matter which division, they all aim to fight crime and purge evil—but right now, Du's priority is to keep Zhu Suihan in check.

It seems nobody realizes this guy has a hidden potential to become an outlaw; at most, they just think this Joy Academy student doesn't quite fit the campus mold.

As we all know, if a support can wipe out the enemy, that's still a form of assistance and protection.

So, as long as you eradicate all evil—reduce any breeding ground for problems to ashes—even the wildest outlaw can be strictly guarded against.

But thinking along these lines, Du found it hard to bear.

Even if he succeeded, and received a medal at the annual investigator's ceremony, with the host inviting him to say a few words to inspire others—how would he explain himself?

Would he say the main reason he joined the investigator system was to keep an eye on his friend, who might turn outlaw at any moment?

That would be beyond absurd—

It would be surreal.

"What's wrong? You suddenly look so troubled."

Zhu Suihan tried to reassure him. "Don't worry. Even if the potion is expensive, for an old and established clan like yours, it's nothing."

Du wanted to say that money wasn't his concern, but he held back.

If the other started digging, would he really have to admit he was afraid of him becoming a menace to society?

No matter how honest he was, he could never say that out loud.

What if saying it triggered his friend's outlaw potential?

"Let's try it, then. I'll give your Dragonite a comprehensive physical checkup. You'd better have some energy cubes and nutrient solutions ready," Zhu Suihan reminded him. Boosting vitality is great, but energy doesn't come out of thin air.

This isn't a battle bond recharge, after all.

"But let me tell you first, I will need to use instruments to measure Dragonite's data for later comparison. Are you okay with that?"

"As long as it doesn't affect Dragonite physically, it's fine," Du replied without hesitation, knowing Zhu Suihan needed a data sample for comparison. Dragonite's condition wasn't exactly top secret.

"Good."

...

"Kaillou!"

Dragonite's fierce roar echoed across the open ground. He'd been holding back ever since the research lab incident. If Du hadn't been using his Dragon Tamer's power to communicate and soothe him, the damages would have far exceeded the cost of just one lab.

He's fired up, brothers!

A surge of fighting spirit swept through the entire Joy Academy. Not only the Gyarados in the lake, but even the terrifying big shots on the back mountain all turned to look toward the research building.

"Banjira..."

The biggest boss in the back mountain, Tyranitar, picked up a chunk of ore and tossed it into his mouth.

A powerful dragon-type energy, but still a ways off compared to himself.

Let the others have their fun. Recently, even the big guy in the lake had a huge boost; a dragon cub like this is a minor issue.

"As expected, the result is better than I imagined," Zhu Suihan said, glancing at the two data charts in his hand. "Roughly how much was the increase?"

Du was both delighted and surprised.

"This is the main strength of a regional Elite Four! Dragonite is now definitely on par with the main Pokémon of any regional Elite Four!"

Zhu Suihan closed his notebook. "Hmm, the boost is even greater than for Dratini. I think I understand the logic now."

As Du's ace, Dragonite's daily training and nutrition were top-notch.

Put simply, whether it was move practice or physical conditioning, part of it had accumulated as 'foundation'—akin to stored experience points in the games.

As the empowering big brother, all he did was convert those accumulated experience points into a form best suited for Dragonite, making it even stronger.

In the safest way possible, he activated Dragonite's power to the very limit it could handle.

With Dragonite now stronger, future 'accumulated experience' would be even greater, and after another boost from him, a virtuous cycle would emerge.

As for Lapras and Alcremie, though they trained daily on the lake, their minds and bodies had nearly been dulled by the white-haired monkey's routines, leading to that kind of "blind spot under the lamp" situation.

"That explanation fits perfectly," Du said, watching Dragonite chow down on his food stash and feeling a headache coming on.

He'd packed extra for this week-long trip, worried about the quality of food outside.

Dratini and Dragonite had nearly cleaned him out.

He'd have to ask the elders still in negotiations if they'd brought any extra supplies.

Having figured this out, Du turned to Zhu Suihan, eyes alight.

"I know you love berries. How about we..."

Zhu Suihan laughed. "You'll have to pay extra."

"Ten-year-old berries, market price. Ten for Dratini, thirty for Dragonite," Du replied without hesitation. "My other two partners are Dragonair. I'll leave them to you next."

What a generous boss!