Pokémon: Sandstorm Sovereign

Chapter 75: Drowning in Debt

Crimson City Pokémon Center.

Outside the operating room.

Basalt sat ramrod straight on a hallway bench, staring blankly ahead. An entire hour had passed since Bronzor had been wheeled into surgery. His initial anxiety had slowly given way to a tense, quiet calm as he waited for the results.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Bronzor will be fine," Shaw said, walking over and placing a reassuring hand on Basalt's shoulder.

Shaw had already reported the situation with Bronzor and the strange occurrences at Dragon's Tooth Oasis to his superiors. The report had been taken very seriously. The higher-ups suspected that there might be a hidden secret realm within the oasis, one that could potentially fully merge with their world.

But that was a problem for people far above his pay grade. He was just a small-time squad leader for the Desert Rescue Team. After filing his report, he had returned to the Pokémon Center, surprised to find the surgery was still ongoing.

Ding-dong.

The door to the operating room slid open, and a female doctor in a white coat stepped out. Her face was obscured by a surgical mask.

"Who is the trainer for Bronzor?" she asked.

"I am!" Basalt shot to his feet, raising his hand.

"Bronzor's physical injuries have been stabilized," the doctor began, then paused. She looked at Basalt and said softly, "However... it appears Bronzor's mind has also suffered significant trauma. Its psychic energy is almost completely depleted, which is why it has fallen into a deep coma. To treat this condition, we'll need to use the pure energy from a Psychic Gem to nourish it. Only then does it have a chance of recovery."

She added a crucial disclaimer. "But I must be clear. The damage to its mind is severe. Even with a Psychic Gem, there's no guarantee it will make a one-hundred-percent recovery."

The pure energy within attribute gems wasn't just for training; it was a vital resource for healing. But they were incredibly expensive. A single standard gem started at 100,000 Poké Dollars—a price most people couldn't afford. The doctor fell silent, her gaze fixed on Basalt, waiting for his decision.

Whether Bronzor lived or died was now up to its "family."

Without a second's hesitation, Basalt stepped forward and grabbed the doctor's hand. "Use the Psychic Gem," he blurted out. "Please, Doctor, you have to save my Bronzor!"

Though the gem was expensive, Basalt still had nearly 400,000 in his savings. He could manage. He had finally found a Pokémon he connected with, and he wasn't going to give up on it. He would spend every last Poké Dollar he had if it meant saving it. In that moment, he was profoundly grateful for the money he had earned. Without it, Bronzor would have been left to die.

"Very well. Please go to the front desk and pay the surgical fee immediately. I will prepare for the next phase of the procedure," the doctor said, nodding. She gave Basalt an approving look before turning and re-entering the operating room.

When Basalt returned from paying the fee, the next stage of Bronzor's treatment had already begun. Shaw was still there, sitting quietly.

Another half-hour passed before the doctor emerged again. This time, a Chansey followed her out, pushing a gurney. Bronzor, however, was not on it.

The doctor's forehead was beaded with sweat. She took off her mask and took a deep breath, her expression grim. "Your Bronzor is... special," she told Basalt. "Its psychic energy level is exceptionally high. The energy from a single standard Psychic Gem was not nearly enough to heal the damage."

"Based on my calculations," she continued, her eyes meeting Basalt's, "to fully heal Bronzor's psychic trauma, we will need at least five more standard Psychic Gems. Or... one medium-grade Psychic Gem. The effect of that would be much better." She waited for his answer.

Exceptionally high psychic energy? Five more gems? Or one medium-grade one?

Basalt's expression was conflicted. He glanced at Shaw. If he weren't absolutely certain this was a legitimate, government-run Pokémon Center staffed by licensed professionals, he would have suspected this was some kind of elaborate scam. Are you sure you're not just trying to milk me for money?

Five standard gems was 500,000 Poké Dollars. Most ordinary families didn't have that much cash on hand. As for a medium-grade gem, that was a whole other tier. While similar to a standard gem, it contained far more potent and pure energy, and its price reflected that: one million Poké Dollars.

Whether it was 500,000 or a million, both figures were far beyond what he could afford. He had just spent 100,000, leaving him with less than 300,000 in his account.

Basalt lowered his head. He thought about Bronzor's performance in their battle, then the doctor's words. High psychic energy... Does that mean its psychic abilities are far stronger than others of its species? In other words, this Bronzor has immense potential?

He had only just caught it; they hadn't even had time to bond.

Taking a deep breath, Basalt made a decision. He would go all in. Bet it all. Turn this bicycle into a motorcycle.

His gaze became firm. "Doctor, use the medium-grade gem to treat Bronzor. I'll raise the money as fast as I can. But... please, give me a little time."

He couldn't abandon a Pokémon he felt such a connection to. Money could be earned again, but if he let his new partner die, he knew he would never be able to forgive himself. Besides, Bronzor's performance had already shown it was anything but ordinary. If it hadn't been so badly injured, Drilbur might not have even won. This was a gamble worth taking.

"Please be as quick as you can. Bronzor's condition can't wait," the doctor urged.

"Understood."

Basalt nodded, turned, and immediately called Jack from the Meteor Club on his Pokédex. They had previously agreed on a 300,000 sponsorship deal. He explained the situation, and to his surprise, Jack was incredibly supportive. He not only agreed to prepay the full 300,000 but also lent Basalt an additional 200,000 on the spot. Basalt was overjoyed. He had been preparing to call Ms. Anya and Coach Miles to ask for loans, but now it seemed he wouldn't have to bother them.

After hanging up with Jack, Basalt called Frank. Since joining the club, Frank had been incredibly friendly, and their relationship had grown stronger over time, especially after Basalt won the qualifier. Frank had practically started treating him like a big brother. Basalt knew Frank came from a wealthy family, so he wouldn't forget to ask him. He had originally planned to ask Frank for 100,000 and his aunt for another 100,000, spreading the debt around so as not to scare off any one lender—the art of borrowing. But Frank, in a grand gesture, immediately offered to lend him the full 200,000. Basalt was so moved he was almost at a loss for words.

Five minutes later, all the funds were in his account. The light above the operating room door lit up once more.

An hour later, the doctor appeared again. This time, the still-unconscious Bronzor was with her, being pushed by the Chansey.

"The surgery was a success," the doctor announced, a tired smile finally gracing her lips. "Bronzor's psychic trauma should be fully repaired. Now, we just have to wait for it to wake up."

Basalt was ecstatic. It seemed his gamble had paid off.

"However," the doctor continued, "we can't ignore the physical wound on its back. To fully repair that, it will need to consume specific types of iron ore. We can discuss the details after it wakes up. I've treated the wound for now, so it won't get any worse."

"Okay, thank you so much, Doctor!" Basalt nodded and bowed deeply in gratitude. He could see how exhausted she was from the back-to-back surgeries.

"Now that Bronzor is out of danger, I can rest easy," Shaw said, saying his goodbyes after the doctor left. "I have other duties to attend to, so I'll be on my way." As a rescue squad leader, he was a busy man. He had only stayed this long out of the kindness of his heart.

By now, it was 8:00 PM. His aunt, uncle, and cousin Faye finally arrived at the Pokémon Center. Although Crimson City was just one city within the vast Savanah Region, it was as large as an entire province. The trip that took Shaw and Basalt less than half an hour by Skarmory had taken his relatives over three hours by car.

They were relieved to see he was okay. To avoid worrying them, Basalt decided not to mention the million-plus Poké Dollars he had just spent to save Bronzor.

"Auntie, Uncle, Faye, you all must be exhausted," Basalt said softly in the hospital room. "You should go home and rest. I'll stay here and watch over things."

Though Bronzor was out of immediate danger, it still hadn't woken up. Someone needed to stay with it. As its trainer, Basalt knew it was his responsibility.

After persuading his family to leave, he found a chair and sat down quietly.

"I hope you wake up soon," he whispered with a small smile. He leaned back in the chair, closed his eyes, and quickly drifted off to sleep. It had been an incredibly long and eventful day, and he was completely drained.

☆☆☆

-> SUPPORT ME WITH POWER STONE

-> FOR EVERY 200 PS = BOUNS CHAPTER

☆☆☆

-> 20 Advanced chapters Now Available on Patreon!!

-> https://www.pat-reon.co-m/c/Inkshaper

(Just remove the hyphen (-) to access patreon normally)

If you like this novel please consider leaving a review that's help the story a lot Thank you