"Those who've successfully bonded with their Pokémon, stay here. As for those who didn't, don't be discouraged—there will be more chances in the future," Tsunade announced, her gaze sweeping over the gathered crowd.
This whole effort had been something of a test—to see if it could truly benefit Konoha. And if it did, they would definitely expand the program, selecting more civilians in the future to receive Pokémon.
"Sigh, can't believe I didn't manage to catch one…"
"Yeah, same here. Let's go. Guess we'll just have to wait for the next opportunity."
"Next time Lady Hokage holds something like this, I swear I'll succeed."
"Right! I'm not giving up. I'll be ready!"
Hearing Tsunade's words, the disappointed ones managed to pull themselves together and slowly left.
As they trickled away, the ones who had succeeded stayed behind, eyes brimming with anticipation as they turned toward Tsunade.
Ryo gave them a quick once-over, then said to Tsunade, "Not bad. In the end, 106 people managed to bond with a Pokémon. That's a solid ratio."
Internally, he was a bit surprised as well. Just from this hundred or so people, he'd received two treasure chests from the system.
"Hahaha—" Tsunade laughed heartily. "You think this happened by luck? I put a lot of work into preparing these people!"
Ryo rolled his eyes at her and didn't bother commenting further.
Tsunade's smile quickly faded into a more serious expression. "Alright, everyone, come forward to receive your energy cubes. For the first week, your sole focus is to train your Pokémon properly. If by the end of the week your partner hasn't reached level ten, you're out."
After all, these people weren't being supported just to lounge around. They needed pressure to perform.
At those words, a visible wave of tension passed over the group. Worry settled on many faces, but they quickly stepped forward to accept their energy cubes.
After the distribution, Tsunade addressed them again. "If you want to check your Pokémon's level, head to the Pokémon Training Division on Main Street, next to the Hokage Tower. There are free Pokédex terminals there—but you're not allowed to take them with you."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
Seeing that they had no questions, Tsunade gave a final wave. "That's all. Head home and make sure to train your Pokémon seriously this week. If you're unsure how to train, there are books and instructors at the Training Division—go and learn."
The crowd's spirits visibly lifted at that. Excited, they began to disperse, making their way toward the center of the village.
Until now, their main fear had been a lack of knowledge—after all, they were civilians, not shinobi. How could they not be nervous about training a creature they barely understood?
But now that they knew where to learn, they felt hopeful. Better get there early, or they might miss their chance.
As the last of them disappeared into the distance, Tsunade turned to Ryo. "You really think this will work?"
Ryo looked at her uncertain face, then gave her a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Relax. It's not like I expect them to train their Pokémon to Kage-level strength. But if they work hard, making it to jōnin level isn't out of reach."
That seemed to calm her a little. She nodded, her usual composure returning. With a brief farewell, she took her leave.
As Hokage, her plate was always full. Now that this matter was settled, she had no reason to stick around.
Ryo sighed and headed back inside the wooden house.
In the backyard, Cynthia glanced at his retreating figure. "Tsunade left?"
Ryo nodded. "Yeah, she's gone."
Cynthia gave a short nod and didn't ask further.
"Everyone, dinner's ready!"
At that moment, Gardevoir's voice rang out, and everyone began heading toward the long table in the backyard.
After dinner, the sky gradually darkened. The evening breeze was cool and refreshing, and the group sat outside enjoying the peaceful moment.
Ryo straightened up as he looked toward the distant hillside, where some wild Pokémon had come down and were quietly nibbling on energy cubes. "Tomorrow, I'm heading out. I'll leave things here to you guys."
Everyone froze for a second.
Hoopa, always the quickest to react, bounced to Ryo's side. "Ryo, are we going out to play again? Yay! Hoopa really wants to explore!"
Ryo twitched at Hoopa's response. I'm going out to look for story characters—not on a vacation, he thought. But with Hoopa, it always felt like a road trip.
"You're leaving again?" Cynthia frowned, now realizing what he meant.
Ryo nodded in confirmation.
"How long this time?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?" Cynthia raised a brow.
He nodded again. "Could be a couple days… could be a couple months."
"No way!" Cynthia suddenly stood up. "Then I'm coming with you."
"You are?" Ryo blinked in surprise, looking at her curiously.
Cynthia nodded firmly. "Yes. I'm not letting you go out alone with the Pokémon again."
"Besides," she added, "I haven't really seen this world yet."
Hearing the first line, Ryo's mouth twitched slightly. So she was still hung up on Hoopa's little casino stunt?
But when she brought up the second point, he fell silent. Cynthia really hadn't gone anywhere since arriving in this world—she barely even left the Pokémon Home.
"Alright, this time… you can come with me," Ryo said with a nod, agreeing to her request.
A smile flickered in Cynthia's eyes the moment she heard that.
Nearby, Dragonite and Gardevoir exchanged glances, both turning to look at Ryo. He noticed immediately and understood what they were thinking.
He scratched his head. "Gardevoir will come with me this time."
"Huh?""What was that?"
Dragonite's surprised noise was followed by puzzled looks from the members of the Akatsuki team.
"You're taking Gardevoir with you? Then what are we supposed to eat?" Deidara asked, clearly worried. None of them could cook, and they'd basically been surviving thanks to Gardevoir's meals.
Without her, they'd be starving within a day.
"Raaawrr," Dragonite agreed with a nod, supporting the group's concern.
"You guys can figure out food yourselves," Ryo replied with finality. "That's decided. And don't worry, Dragonite. With Hoopa around, we can hop back every few days. You and Gardevoir can switch out."
Dragonite seemed satisfied with that, giving a firm nod in approval.
The Akatsuki guys, however, looked like they were about to cry. Their lips twitched as they stared at Ryo, expressions full of betrayal.
He was really going to leave them behind without a second thought.
Akio didn't even try to hide his bitterness. "You're seriously just leaving us to fend for ourselves…"
Ryo acted like he hadn't heard, already walking away as if everything was settled.
Meanwhile, Gardevoir had already begun preparing her travel bag. Her face was calm, but her excitement was visible in every movement.
This was going to be her first time truly exploring the world outside the base, and the thought filled her with anticipation.
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