"Grandpa Arai, good afternoon!"
"I specially brought you the famous soft pastries from East Street to thank you for your guidance. My Bellsprout successfully evolved!"
As soon as Icarus entered the shop and saw that there were no customers inside, he placed two beautifully packaged boxes of pastries on the counter.
"Oh?!"
The old man who had been napping on a recliner immediately sat up and walked over.
"You're saying your Bellsprout evolved?"
Ignoring the pastries completely, Mr. Arai looked shocked when he heard the news.
He knew exactly how low the success rate of that evolution plan was. He had seen the notes himself. Because the success rate was so poor, the plan had almost no practical value, which was why he had casually given the information to Icarus.
He hadn't expected the boy's Bellsprout to have such perseverance.
"Ahem… no need to thank me. I already received the information fee."
"But let me see your Weepinbell first."
To be safe, seeing was believing. Mr. Arai waved his hand and looked at Icarus seriously.
"Of course."
"Come out, Weepinbell!"
Icarus nodded respectfully.
"Spri~!"
A flash of red light appeared, and Weepinbell materialized in front of the old man.
"The purple markings… and its body size has increased noticeably."
"This kid actually has some talent."
Mr. Arai carefully examined the Pokémon.
Since he had given the information casually at the time, he didn't remember every detail. But he clearly remembered one thing: the purple markings on the face, which indicated greatly enhanced poison toxicity.
"Alright, you can return it."
"You've got some ability, kid."
"So tell me—was that evolution plan worth it?"
Mr. Arai asked deliberately. He wanted to test whether the boy had learned the method from someone else, since the plan itself carried considerable risk.
Icarus immediately bowed again with a sincere expression.
"I still have to thank you, Grandpa Arai. Thank you for your guidance."
Seeing the boy's respectful attitude, Mr. Arai's cold expression softened slightly.
"No matter how talented you are, you're still just a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old kid."
A faint smile appeared on the old man's face.
"You seem like a thoughtful person. So tell me—why did you really come here today?"
"Hehe… Grandpa Arai, I just came to thank you. That's all."
Icarus waved his hands awkwardly, acting like a shy teenager who wanted to ask something but didn't dare.
"Oh? Is that so?"
"Then I'll accept these pastries. You can leave now, boy."
The old man replied with a half-smile, clearly unconvinced.
"Ahem… to tell you the truth…"
"I actually have another Pokémon—Pidgey. It's about to evolve soon, so I hoped you might help me determine the best energy crystal combination."
Seeing the old man's expression, Icarus knew he couldn't keep pretending, so he finally explained with an embarrassed look.
"Oh, so that's why you're here."
"You want another evolution plan, huh?"
Mr. Arai chuckled and scolded jokingly.
"Well… I trust you, Grandpa Arai. You're a good person, so I wanted to ask for your guidance again."
Suppressing the discomfort in his heart, Icarus bowed deeply once more.
"What's the aptitude of your Pidgey?" Mr. Arai asked after thinking for a moment.
"It's good low-tier quality, Grandpa Arai. Please give me your advice!"
The moment he heard the question, Icarus knew things were likely going well.
"You're a lucky kid. Two Pokémon with good aptitude—impressive."
"Wait here a moment. I'll watch the shop for a bit, then go to the back to think about it and check some records."
"Alright! Thank you, Grandpa Arai!"
Hearing the reply, Icarus was overjoyed and immediately began tidying the store shelves obediently.
"Hmm…"
Mr. Arai glanced at him, nodded, and slowly walked toward the back room.
---
This boy might actually be worth recruiting into the family…
Since the Gym Leader's branch family had risen to power, their third branch had declined significantly.
They had been reduced to managing peripheral businesses like this shop. Resources were nothing like they used to be.
Thinking about this, Mr. Arai turned on the dedicated computer in the back room and logged into the Gym's internal network.
Within the limits of his access authority, he searched for a relatively safe evolution plan for Pidgey.
After browsing for a while, he finally settled on one.
A high-grade Flying-type energy crystal, supplemented by two Gym-level Pidgeot feathers, and finally a low-grade Normal-type energy crystal.
This plan had a good chance of improving aptitude by two levels. It also wasn't overly painful for the Pokémon.
The downside was the high cost.
But all the materials were conveniently available in the shop—meaning the third branch of the Arai family could profit from the sale.
After memorizing the plan, Mr. Arai slowly returned to the front of the shop.
Just in time to see Icarus still wiping down the display cabinets.
"Alright, boy. Stop wiping and come here."
He waved him over.
"Yes, Grandpa Arai! I'll finish this part first!"
Although he was impatient inside, Icarus wiped the last cabinet carefully to maintain his obedient image. Then he sat neatly in front of the counter with a notebook ready.
Mr. Arai studied him for a moment before speaking.
"First, I want to ask you something."
"Would you be willing to marry into the Arai family and become the live-in son-in-law of our third branch?"
"If you agree, I'll give you this evolution plan for free."
"Our branch will also support you. Some knowledge resources and evolution materials could be sold to you at cost."
"If you prove capable enough, some might even be free."
Icarus froze.
"Ah… this…"
He hadn't expected to be recruited as a son-in-law just for asking about an evolution plan.
For a moment, he was completely stunned.
He quickly recalled something Uncle Sam had once mentioned while chatting—the complicated situation within the Arai family.
After thinking for a while, he reluctantly decided to refuse.
"Grandpa Arai… I'm sorry."
"I've only just reached adulthood, so I haven't really thought about marriage yet…"
Although he was tempted, the mention of the third branch made him cautious.
"In that case," Mr. Arai said coldly after being rejected, "the information fee for this evolution plan will be 10,000 Pokédollars."
"For someone with good aptitude like yours, the chance of skipping a level during evolution is higher."
"Of course, if you change your mind, you can come back anytime."
"Alright, Grandpa Arai."
Icarus immediately handed over his bank card.
"You can swipe it."
"I trust you."
He knew that after rejecting the offer, this was probably the last time he could obtain such information through money alone.
The price was high—almost the same as the exchange cost within Team Rocket.
But since the materials were available here, it was still worth it.
At the same time, thinking about possible future interactions, Icarus maintained a respectful attitude toward the old man.
---
Author's Note:
In this extraordinary world, the legal age of adulthood is 15, so please don't compare it with real-world standards.
Also, if any readers have ideas about the conflict between the Gym Leader's main family and the third branch, feel free to share. This chapter intentionally hints at that family background.
(End of Chapter 120)
-----------Author---------------
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