"Brother Icarus, can I go on missions with you now?"
The girl, holding her Poké Ball tightly, looked at him with bright, hopeful eyes.
"Hmm… yeah, you can," Icarus nodded after a moment. "But you still need to fully control your strength first."
With Airi now officially at the standard level, she was no longer a liability.
Then Icarus turned to the other boy.
"By the way, Shitou, are you okay hunting alone in the wild now?"
"I'm fine staying in the outer areas alone," Shitou replied with a nod.
After a month of experience, he had already adapted. Even if he hunted alone, the only downside was slightly lower efficiency—and maybe missing out on faster targets like Rattata.
Still… something in him stirred.
I need to reach the standard level as soon as possible.
His gaze shifted to Geodude.
"Geodude!"
As if sensing his determination, Geodude raised its fists.
"Yeah… let's work hard together."
For the first time, Shitou truly let go of comparing himself to Airi. Her strength was hers—but Geodude was his.
And that bond had quietly deepened.
The three chatted about their Pokémon for a while, exchanging insights and observations. Before they realized it, it was already past 10 PM.
"Alright, that's enough for today. Go get some rest," Icarus said, checking the time.
"Okay."
"Got it!"
Shitou left first without hesitation—his usual straightforward style.
Icarus didn't mind.
Then Airi stood up as well.
"See you tomorrow, Brother Icarus!"
"Wait," he called out. "I've got something for you."
"Hm? What is it?"
Icarus took out a USB drive and handed it over.
"This is a basic training guide for Poliwhirl. I exchanged it using contribution points. If you wait to earn it yourself, it'll slow you down too much."
He paused, then added more seriously:
"You've got natural talent. Use it well."
For a second, Airi froze.
Then—
"Brother Icarus… you're too kind!"
She hugged him quickly in gratitude, then immediately turned and ran out, face flushed.
"…That girl," Icarus muttered, shaking his head. "Didn't expect I'd get ambushed like that."
About ten minutes later, his phone buzzed.
One message was a bank notification:
₹150,000 transferred to your account. Balance: ₹1,680,000.
The second message was from Airi:
"Brother Icarus, thank you so much.
I noticed you used an energy crystal during Poliwhirl's evolution.
I can earn money now too—I can't let you keep paying for everything.
I transferred 150k. Don't send it back (-ω-`)
I know contribution points can't be bought, but this is my gratitude!"
Looking at the message, Icarus smiled.
"Looks like I profited."
In reality, the training guide cost him only 50 contribution points, and the energy crystal about the same—roughly ₹100,000 total.
Still, he accepted it.
Then his thoughts shifted.
Should I give her some of the Beedrill honey?
He still had about 130 kilograms left.
That honey had already pushed both Victreebel and Pidgeotto into elite-tier potential.
Unlike Airi's evolution, there were no dramatic changes—just subtle improvements:
Victreebel's leaves became deeper green, with darker markings
Pidgeotto's body grew slightly larger, feathers thicker and glossier
He had told them it was due to long-term training methods—not the honey.
And they believed him.
That was good.
Because if people found out…
things could get dangerous.
After thinking for a long time, Icarus zipped the bag shut.
"Not yet."
If he gave it to Airi, he'd have to give some to Shitou too.
That would cost too much—and more importantly, it could expose everything.
"I'll wait."
He lay down and quickly fell asleep.
Over the next few days:
Icarus completed two more missions solo
Airi stayed home, mastering her new strength with Poliwhirl
Shitou adapted fully to solo hunting
Still, Icarus kept a quiet eye on him—occasionally sending Pidgeotto to check from above.
Because deep down, his judgment was clear:
Airi had talent.
But Shitou had loyalty.
And in this world—
loyalty was worth more than talent.