Pokémon: I’m Really Not a Team Rocket Spy

"Ahem, nothing, nothing. Doesn't it look fine?"

Maki quickly clicked confirm, dismissing Charmander's protests. How could he not save a photo like this for keeps?

He then navigated to his own profile page. Next to the freshly set Charmander avatar, a Poké Ball icon was displayed—the standard red-and-white ball mandated by the League, indicating that Maki was currently ranked in the Poké Ball level.

Below the avatar were twenty star symbols, four of which were lit up while the remaining sixteen remained gray. This reflected Maki's current battle score of four, meaning he still needed fourteen more wins to advance to Great Ball level—assuming he won every single match.

Maki switched to the exchange page, where all League-available items were displayed. From basic Poké Balls to rare Evolution Stones, the League spared no expense in this area.

A standard Poké Ball cost just 1 BP (Battle Point) to exchange, but even the most basic Evolution Stones, like Water and Fire Stones, cost a whopping 200 BP. Higher-quality Evolution Stones were also available, but their prices were significantly steeper.

Additionally, the League offered TM (Technical Machine) skills for purchase. Classic moves like "Punch Combo" were available, but their prices weren't cheap—200 BP for the former (equivalent to an Evolution Stone) and an exorbitant 500 BP for the latter. It felt like daylight robbery!

However, the League's high prices were understandable. If the threshold were set too low, trainers would flood in to claim TMs for any Pokémon they had. The League wouldn't be able to keep up!

To their credit, the League guaranteed results: If a Pokémon failed to learn the move, the opportunity to try again would be preserved indefinitely—a thoughtful touch.

Maki glanced at his BP total: 4 BP. Just enough to buy four Poké Balls. How generous.

No matter a trainer's ranking within the Poké Ball level—whether they were a complete novice or just one win away from reaching Great Ball tier—winning a single battle earned 1 BP. The League's rewards were notoriously stingy, and this didn't improve until reaching Great Ball tier.

Curious, Maki scrolled through the list. He'd heard that, with enough BP, trainers could even exchange for rare Pokémon eggs. However, none were visible on his screen—most likely because his rank was too low.

It wasn't as if he could afford anything significant anyway. If he really needed Poké Balls, it would be more practical to buy them at a department store. Spending BP on them felt like a waste.

Back in his Pokémon Center room, Maki gave Charmander a massage to relax its muscles. Although Charmander hadn't sustained any injuries in the last battle, the massage was still beneficial.

"How's that? Feels good?"

"Charrr~"

Charmander let out a contented sound, clearly enjoying itself. It had completely forgotten about Maki using its embarrassing photo as an avatar.

After finishing the massage, Maki worked up a light sweat. He treated himself to a relaxing bath before going to bed.

The next morning, Maki was rudely awakened by his phone's ringtone.

Still half-asleep, he opened his eyes. Charmander, also disturbed by the call, looked at Maki's phone with a grumpy expression.

"Hello? Who is it?"

Maki answered the call, but the moment he brought the phone to his ear, a deafening voice blasted through, forcing him to pull it away.

"Maki! Do you know what time it is? Don't tell me you're still asleep! Get up already—I'm waiting outside the Pokémon Center!"

The exuberant voice on the other end nearly made Maki's ears ring. The grogginess disappeared instantly.

The person calling was none other than Lance, who had come looking for a battle. A glance at the time—7 a.m.—confirmed Lance's ridiculous enthusiasm. Was this guy so eager to crush him again?

While Maki had narrowly won their last battle, luck had played a significant role. This time, he wasn't optimistic about his chances. Yet here Lance was, bright and early, ready for a rematch.

"On my way!"

Reluctantly, Maki dragged himself out of bed.

In his youth, Maki had admired three types of people: those who went to bed the moment they said they would, those who got up immediately when their alarm rang, and those who went to the restroom without taking their phones. Now, he was being forced to become one of them.

After a quick wash, Maki called out to Charmander, who was attempting to go back to sleep, and headed out to meet Lance.

Fortunately, he hadn't stayed at Sabrina's gym last night. If he had, it would have been awkward to explain why he couldn't teleport there using her powers. Telling Lance he'd been out gaming at a net café wasn't an option either.

"Maki, over here!"

As soon as Maki stepped out of the Pokémon Center, he spotted Lance waving enthusiastically. Along with him were a few female trainers, who were glaring at Maki with curious intensity, wondering who Lance was waiting for.

Their smoldering jealousy was doused when they saw Maki, only to be reignited like a raging bonfire.

Wow! Another handsome trainer!

Though Maki looked younger than Lance, he clearly had his own charm.

Seeing Lance's lack of concern for his surroundings, Maki's eyebrow twitched. Did this guy not realize how much attention he attracted?

Thankfully, Lance hadn't yet developed his signature habit of wearing a cape everywhere. If he had, Maki might've outright refused to be seen with him. The secondhand embarrassment would have been unbearable.

Clenching his teeth, Maki walked up to Lance and tugged on his arm, trying to move him away from the crowd.

"Maki, you—"

"Hold it. Save it for later."

After dragging Lance to a quieter spot, Lance finally asked, "Why'd you pull me away like that?"

"You clearly have no idea how flamboyant you look in that outfit," Maki replied, exasperated.

"Really? I think it looks fine," Lance said, glancing at his clothes with a puzzled expression.

"Next time, just find a less crowded place to meet me, alright?"

"Got it!"

Lance nodded obediently, not arguing further.

Maki then handed over a small box he had prepared in advance.

"This is a batch of PokéBlocks made specifically for your Dratini. It should be fine."

Without even opening the box to check, Lance accepted it with full trust.

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