Catching More Than Pokemon

After the Pokemon battle ended, the examiner—who was visibly taken with Ralts's rare Shiny form—suggested they snap a quick photo together. Holding up her Pokégear with a bright grin, she motioned for John and Ralts to join in.

Ralts, still a little bashful, glanced up at John, who gave an encouraging smile. With a quiet "Ralt…" it moved closer, allowing the examiner to get her photo. Afterward, she introduced herself as Lucy and flashed John an even brighter smile. "Mind if we keep in touch?" she asked, extending her Pokégear for a contact exchange.

John raised an eyebrow. 'Well, that's unexpected,' he thought, though he couldn't shake the feeling that Lucy was just as interested in his Shiny Pokémon as she was in him. Then again, in the world of Pokemon, a Shiny Ralts was practically a VIP pass to making friends. He shrugged, exchanged contacts, and smiled back.

As he left the exam hall, he mused, 'If she can't catch a Shiny, I guess catching its trainer isn't a bad backup plan.' Pokemon trainers knew how these subtle power moves worked, and John figured there was no harm in a little networking.

The Pokemon battle marked the final part of Riverstone University's entrance exam, so with that done, John had only to wait for the results, which would be published online in three days. He planned to stick around Dragoncrest City until then. If Riverstone didn't work out, he could always consider Dragonis Breeding College, another reputable school nearby.

Back at his hotel, John flopped onto the bed, pulled out his Gameboy, and resumed his usual grind. His in-game character was still in Dewford Town, trekking through Granite Cave in search of Shiny Pokemon. He'd been at it for days, battling every wild encounter that popped up.

"The odds for Shinies must be rigged," he muttered, leaning back. "There's no way I haven't found one after 3,000 battles." Just as he was about to lose hope, a Pokemon with red gloves appeared on the screen. His eyes lit up.

'Finally!' he thought, expecting a Hitmonchan. But, no—it was a Shiny Makuhita: big, clumsy, and grinning right at him.

John sighed. "Not exactly what I was hoping for." Still, a Shiny was a Shiny, so he threw a Poké Ball and caught it after a couple of tries. He then checked its stats:

[Makuhita (Fighting-Type)] (Shiny)

[Level: 14]

[Ability: Perseverance (Increases attack by 50% when in a status condition; attack remains at full power even when burned)]

[Individual values: HP (31), Attack (31), Special Attack (12), Defense (20), Special Defense (27), Speed ​​(31)]

[Held Item: Black Belt (10% boost to Fighting-type moves)]

John looked over the stats. With high values in HP, Attack, and Speed, it made a decent tank. But up against heavy hitters like Aggron and Snorlax, it wasn't likely to dominate. After a moment's thought, he decided the Shiny Makuhita would make a better mascot than a battler.

Before stashing it in his PC, he swiped the Black Belt and equipped it on his Torchic. "If only I could swipe items from wild Pokémon in real life—easy money!" he chuckled to himself.

The Black Belt could fetch 50,000 Pokédollars on the open market, thanks to its 10% boost to Fighting moves. High-tier items like that were always in demand, and though they didn't sell for much in-game, real-world currency and items were becoming increasingly interconnected.

After a while, John returned to training his Ralts, managing to get it from level 18 to 20 in just a few hours. 'Two more levels,' he thought eagerly, 'and Ralts will evolve into Kirlia.'

The next afternoon, as John was about to order takeout, his Pokégear buzzed. It was Grace, a friend from his hometown, calling him up.

"Hey, John!" Her voice was bright, and he could sense a bit of mischief in her tone. "Have you had lunch yet?"

"Not yet," he replied, a bit surprised. He hadn't expected to hear from her today.

"How about joining me? I've got a few friends here. You'll like them," she teased.

John smirked. "Are they cute? Because if not, I'll pass."

Grace laughed. "Yes, you shallow child. And one of them is second only to me in charm, so be nice!"

John chuckled, leaning back on the bed. "Second to you? Now I'm really not interested."

Grace groaned, though he couldn't see her rolling her eyes. "Oh, stop it! Just get down here. We're at the snack street by Ember Lake. Hurry up!" And with that, she hung up, leaving him little choice.

Grinning, John threw on a fresh shirt and headed downstairs. High school nostalgia aside, he wasn't going to pass up lunch with a familiar face—and maybe a cute one or two. He hopped into a cab, setting his sights on the bustling snack street by Ember Lake. It was time to unwind, let the day's catches—both Pokémon and people—sink in, and maybe add a few more memories to his adventure.