1st Item - A Heroic Bitterness!

If Black, with the Artificial Intelligence residing in his mind, still didn't know who he was dealing with, then it would have been the greatest shame.

The person standing in front of him was no mere witch. Nor was she an old lady.

Black looked at Timeline and wondered where and how the things had gone so wrong?! Over 1300 years of lifetime… and for the first time he got to know how it feels to be at the mercy of someone. He hadn't felt so powerless even when he faced the man who cursed him with the Yellow Sign before his resurrection.

I never heard of something like this happening, Black contemplated, the Ad Infinitum already preparing for thousands of scenarios in vain. Is she Timeline? Or has the Timeline descended in the Trolley-Witch? Or is this the way by which Timeline materializes in the material world? How does she know my Main Mission's Objective?!!

An even greater question Black didn't dare ask himself was that if Timeline already knew his intention about toppling the storyline, then why hadn't she done something about it till now?

The old witch smiled in return to his questions.

"You need not worry about all this nonsense, young man?" she said, still standing with a hunched back. "If you want to worry about someone, then shouldn't it be that young fellow? He keeps pestering me to direct you to the sea…"

Huh?! Black felt puzzled.

"… The Pokemon World's Timeline's Backlash," the Ad Infinitum beeped, calculating the answer in a matter of fractions of a second and clearing the doubt.

"That's right…" the Timeline nodded. "In fact…"

Suddenly, the Trolley-Witch's head snapped to the left, her old gaze penetrating through the window and looking out. Her lips twisted in anger… then she sighed. "Dogs and Chickens are the worst…" she said, shaking her head. "Alright. I am pressed for time, no matter how ironic it sounds. So… Three Items. Not one more. Not one less.

"… Do you agree?"

Black absolutely did not.

Who knew what price she would demand of him? Given his path would very well lead to the storyline's destruction, who knew what trap she would lay out in front of him?

"… No…" the Ad Infinitum didn't even think that much, beeping out a word instantly. It was a cold word, resulting from weighing all the risks and rewards.

The Timeline was an existence even the Deep Ones could only influence and not mess with.

It would be utterly stupid to even consider agreeing to the strange and unclear deal. Neither Black knew the Items he would be buying nor did he know what would be the price.

Yet, as if a planet-size volcano had erupted inside him, the feeling was bubbling like never before.

His Luck was pushing him to go against the AI once more.

Black wanted to trust the Ad Infinitum. It was a safe way… but… he hadn't reached the Peak of Absolute Power among the Contestants of the 3rd Set by playing it safe, either.

So he went with neither AI nor Luck and instead, like good old times, trusted his guts.

"I agree…" Black said, mustering up all Calm he could at this moment. "… only if I get to reject an Item after hearing its price."

The Timeline observed Black meaningfully. Then she nodded and smiled. "Reasonable."

Meanwhile, Harry and Ron had been talking and eating as if Black had never joined them.

Suddenly, the Trolley-Witch turned around and picked up a Chocolate Frog box from the ones bought by Harry Potter. She brought her gaze forward, smiling at the confectionery. "Marvelous little things, aren't they," she said, excited. "Here's your first Item, young man."

Black took the closed box as the Timeline passed it to him. "What's the Price?"

The old witch smiled playfully. "You must eat the chocolate frog inside."

Black's brows rose, not believing it was that easy.

"… it's really... bitter," the Timeline added, noticing the young Black's expression.

Should I open it or not? Black asked himself.

"… You are an Item," the Ad Infinitum beeped, reminding the Homunculus. "… Open it."

This time the Luck sent no warning or nudge. So, going with the AI, Black opened the box.

Inside, there was a chocolate frog, of course. Before it could jump away, Black's hand flashed, grabbing it. There was no pause in between his actions. The moment he caught the frog was also the moment he threw it in his mouth, gulping it in one go.

It's only bitter if I taste it… Black smirked.

And then the entire world shifted in his eyes.

If there was a height bitterness could achieve in the Multiverse, then what Black tasted was a touch beyond that.

Every inch of his muscles, his very cells, felt it, rejecting the taste.

Black grabbed his throat, his arms, his mouth, and then his face. Hundreds of tongues appeared over his body as they tried to rub away the taste, but failed. Thousands of tiny hands squirmed out near the tongues before beginning to furiously scrub them. Millions of taste buds appeared and simulated the feeling the sweetness and sourness to counter the overwhelming bitterness.

It was all in vain.

Black squirmed on the floor, looking like an eldritch abomination.

As if this wasn't enough, for the very first time after his creation, Black received a notification he didn't even know could show up.

…

[

Quality: 99% (-1%)

]

…

It ended then.

In pure horror, Black and Ad Infinitum processed the notification.

Not because of a world-ending attack. Not because of fighting an 11th-floor Contestant. Not because of fighting the Demon King from the Verse Fusion Random World.

Black lost his first percentage in Quality because of… taste.

"How was it?" the Timeline prodded, frowning. "Was it too bitter?"

His tongue out like a dog, and huffing and puffing, Black returned to his seat, his Calm dead. Slowly, he brought the fallen chocolate frog card into his hand, promising himself to blow the entire planet if the reward failed to counter the risk.

But the moment he looked at the card, his dark eyes widened beyond belief.

The card… was empty. It was plain white. No storyline Character. No mythical wizard or witch. Nothing.

And if it wasn't for the Stats hovering over it, Black would have truly lost this gamble.

…

[

Item: Chocolate Frog Card

Grade: Heroic (Consumable)

Specification: A trading card that displays pictures of famous witches and wizards and gives small amounts of information about them

Requirement: NA

Attributes: NA

Effect:

 1. Imprison an existence into the White Void

 2. Transfigure the imprisoned existence into a Chocolate Frog

 3. Upon eating the Chocolate Frog, increase the Contestant's Active Attributes by 10% of the transfigured existence's Stats

 4. Upon eating the Chocolate Frog, let the Contestant choose 1 Ability and 2 Skills from the transfigured existence's Stats

Quality: 100%

WARNING: The Item can only be used against Contestants

]

…

Black's heart thumped.

Slowly, and deliberately, he looked up and met the Timeline's gaze, the Calm resurrecting within him. "Why?" he asked, following his instincts.

This was his first high grade Item, ignoring Eon Soul Dew. But what made it so… desirable was that he could use it. He could use it whenever he wanted.

It was a Heroic Item! 

Even the 5th Set's Contestants could only hope to obtain one in their lifetimes.

Black just didn't get the reason behind this generosity. But the Timeline only smiled in return, her old hands already holding the second Item.

Black looked at the bottle of red-orange juice and his heart almost gave out.

*******************

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Good luck.