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Chapter 3: Next Stop, Home
🕑 Added 2025-10-29 02:46:16 +0000 UTCAustin Room, Pokémon Center
After Austin used the random Pokémon item lottery ticket, a chessboard-like grid appeared before him.
A glowing white dot flickered across the screen before finally stopping on a round, transparent stone — a gem with red and yellow hues swirling at its core.
“Ding~ Congratulations, Host! You’ve drawn the Diancite with an extremely low probability!”
“…?”
Austin stared at the message for a long moment.
Where on earth am I supposed to find you a Diancie?
The Diancite appeared in his system inventory, shining faintly.
Diancite: A mysterious Mega Stone that allows Diancie to Mega Evolve when held.
Austin retrieved the stone from his inventory, letting it rest in his palm. It shimmered faintly under the Pokémon Center’s light.
He was familiar with Diancie — a Mythical Pokémon from the Kalos region, said to be a mutated Carbink that radiated a soft pink glow. There was usually only one Diancie among a colony of Carbink, but that didn’t necessarily mean it was unique in the world.
He recalled the Diancie from the Kalos underground kingdom, though it made sense that other colonies might produce one elsewhere. If he could find a Carbink community, then maybe… just maybe, he could discover a Diancie of his own.
His current Identification Eye skill was still elementary. Perhaps once it leveled up, it could detect mutation traits among Carbink more accurately.
Finding a Diancie had already become one of Austin’s long-term goals.
The quest tracker updated automatically to [In Progress], though there wasn’t much he could do about it right now.
The Breeding House would take time to rebuild. He didn’t have a girlfriend yet, and helping Roland fulfill her dream was even further down the road.
Cynthia, at just twenty-two, had already ruled the Sinnoh League for years and was renowned as an archaeologist.
Her younger sister, Rolanda, might share that ambition — but even she knew how hard it was to reach those heights.
Austin sighed. He was sighing too much today.
Let’s shelve that for now.
For the moment, his priority was to evaluate his own condition — and figure out how to gain more skill experience.
He clenched his fists, feeling a subtle pulse of strength surge through him. His physique had noticeably improved.
Super Human Physique, huh?
He smirked.
Alright, call Bruno for me!
Then paused. ...Yeah, maybe not. I’d get flattened.
Bruno’s raw strength was no joke — easily top-tier, beyond even many Masters.
Thankfully, the Identification Eye compensated for Austin’s lack of a Pokédex.
He activated the ability and turned toward his Lucario.
Name: Ryu
Gender: Male
Type: Fighting, Steel
Ability: Inner Focus (Prevents flinching from opponent’s attacks)
Moves: Swords Dance, Calm Mind, Aura Sphere, Comet Punch, Bone Rush, Flash Cannon, Ice Punch, Thunder Punch, Bullet Punch, Force Palm, Protect, Quick Guard...
Strength Rating: Platinum (Initial)
Evaluation: A strong and well-taken care of Pokémon.
Reality wasn’t like the games — Pokémon weren’t limited to just four moves.
Austin’s grandfather, a top-tier Breeder, had taught him early on to help Ryu master both Ice Punch and Thunder Punch — two of the Elemental Punches.
“Luca.”
Ryu, sensing Austin’s gaze, patted its stomach expectantly.
Austin chuckled. “Yeah, yeah. I’ll get your food ready.”
He set everything else aside and began preparing a meal for Lucario and the Arcanine.
Austin had always preferred to make his Pokémon’s food by hand — a skill his grandfather had instilled in him since childhood.
His grandfather’s voice echoed in his memory:
“An excellent Breeder must prepare food tailored to each Pokémon’s goals, condition, and taste. To raise strong Pokémon, you have to start with what they eat. Never cut corners.”
Since raising Lucario and Arcanine, Austin had come to understand those words deeply.
Pokémon breeding wasn’t just about patience — it was about money. A lot of it.
Raising an Elite-level Pokémon required both aptitude and serious financial investment.
Austin had only raised Lucario and Arcanine so far, and even that had drained his wallet more than he cared to admit.
Now, with the System’s help, maybe things would get a little easier.
“Same as usual? Spicy?”
Ryu nodded, looking determined.
“Luca!”
(Extra spicy!)
Austin grinned. His Lucario had a strange palate — the hotter, the better.
As a berry expert, he knew his ingredients well. Lansat Berries, Liechi Berries, and Salac Berries were ideal, but they were practically impossible to find on the open market.
So, he settled for Leppa and Cheri Berries instead.
He placed their right ratios into his small household berry mixer and began placing specific instructions into the machine according to his recipe. The turntable spun rapidly, blending the mix into a vivid red paste.
Fifteen minutes later, the machine dispensed translucent red cubes, which Austin sprinkled with powdered berries for flavor.
He used the Identification Eye once more — the glowing screen displayed the final result.
Item: Spicy Energy Cubes
Quality: Excellent
Effect: Enhances physical attack and stamina recovery rate for Fighting-type Pokémon.
Austin smiled in satisfaction.
“Dinner’s ready, buddy.”
Ryu’s eyes sparkled. “Lucariooo!”
He was already quite skilled when it came to preparing food for Lucario. At this point, he thought his technique could easily rival that of a professional Breeder.
He’d also prepared portions for Arcanine and his newly caught Shiny Metang.
Since he didn’t yet know Metang’s preferred taste, Austin made its food according to the general flavor profiles that most Steel and Psychic types enjoyed. If it didn’t like it, he could always grind a few different berries into powder or adjust the seasoning later.
“Alright, dig in.”
"Rio."
(Thank you!)
Ryu had been waiting patiently. It carefully tied a napkin around its neck, sat neatly at the table, and began eating the Pokéblocks with a spoon — as calm as ever.
Lucario lived by one rule: Calmness is key.
The moment it took the first bite, the familiar notification chime echoed in Austin’s mind.
“Ding! Gained 7 points of Energy Cube proficiency.”
Austin watched Lucario closely, studying every movement. Noticing his trainer’s gaze, Lucario looked up briefly with a grin.
(It’s delicious!)
Each time Ryu took a bite, another notification followed.
“Ding! Gained 9 points of Energy Cube proficiency.”
“Ding! Gained 8 points of Energy Cube proficiency.”
When he finally finished, Austin checked his status screen.
Energy Cube (Intermediate): 2,598 / 10,000
From this, he drew a clear conclusion — every time one of his Pokémon ate the Energy Cubes he made, his crafting proficiency increased. Apparently, it happened with every single bite.
...Though having the system ping every few seconds was getting a bit much.
Ding!
"Would you like to switch to total proficiency notification mode?"
“Yes. Now that’s user-friendly,” Austin muttered with a raised brow.
After making lunch for Ryu and the others, Austin borrowed the Pokémon Center’s kitchen to cook something simple for himself.
As he began chopping vegetables, another notification popped up in his mind.
“Ding! Gained 1 point of Cooking proficiency.”
If this were a game, there would probably be a glowing “+1” floating over his head every few seconds.
“Ding! Gained 1 point of Cooking proficiency.”
He chuckled.
If only studying worked like this… one problem solved, +1 proficiency. I’d have breezed into a top university by now.
He plated the noodles with a satisfied grin.
“A bowl of vegetable and egg noodles… maybe a bit heavy on the salt.”
Slander! he thought. I just like salty food!
This trip had served its purpose — Austin’s main goal had been to capture that Shiny Metang.
After retrieving his Pokémon from Nurse Joy, Austin boarded the train heading home.
