Max smiled as he followed his little sister into the house.
"Mom! Dad! Brother is back!" she shouted excitedly.
Hearing her hurried footsteps and loud cries, his mother came out of the kitchen. The moment she saw Max, her face broke into a warm smile.
"My son, you're finally back! Are you injured?"
She hurried toward him, carefully checking his body for any signs of injury.
His father also came in from the backyard, his hands still dirty as if he had been working. He looked Max up and down, and after confirming that his son was unharmed, he simply nodded in relief.
Max's parents were simple people. Like most parents, they worked hard and did everything they could for their children.
However, they had always opposed his decision to become a herb gatherer. Entering the Shadow Pine Forest without a Pokémon was far too dangerous.
In Black Stone Town, ordinary families could hardly afford to own a Pokémon. Only a few wealthy families had enough money to buy one.
Moreover, owning a Pokémon and being a Pokémon Trainer were two entirely different things.
Even if someone managed to obtain a Pokémon, that alone didn't make them a true Trainer. At best, they could be called a quasi-trainer. Without the proper strength and training, they were barely any different from ordinary people.
"Yes, Mom, I'm fine. Look! I even earned 500 Poké Dollars on this trip!"
Max smiled as he handed her the money pouch.
His mother froze in surprise.
"Five hundred Poké Dollars?"
She carefully opened the pouch and looked inside. Five shiny silver Poké Dollars lay within.
In this world, one silver Poké Dollar was worth one hundred bronze Poké Dollars, while one gold Poké Dollar was worth one hundred silver Poké Dollars.
For an ordinary family in Black Stone Town, five silver coins were no small fortune.
His father looked equally surprised, while his little sister, Ciri, jumped up and down with excitement.
"Wow! That's so much money!"
His mother's eyes glistened with tears as she looked at him.
"You must have suffered so much to earn all this money."
She returned the pouch to him before gently checking him for injuries one more time.
"It's good that you're safe. Keep this money somewhere secure. If you save enough, perhaps you'll be able to buy yourself a Pokémon someday."
She paused before adding with a gentle smile, "And if you manage to save even more, you might have enough to get married someday, too."
Max could only smile awkwardly at her words.
His father glanced at him once more before returning to his work, apparently satisfied that his son was safe.
Meanwhile, Ciri continued jumping around excitedly.
"My brother is earning so much money! He's going to buy me the Pokémon I want!"
Seeing her little sister's excitement, Max couldn't help but smile.
His mother chuckled at Ciri's antics before turning toward the kitchen.
"Now, go wash up and get ready. I'll prepare your favourite dish."
The moment Ciri heard this, her eyes lit up.
"I want some too! I want some too! I want the Pidgey dish!"
Her excited cries echoed throughout the house.
Watching his mother return to the kitchen and his little sister hop around happily, Max felt a warmth spread through his heart.
For a moment, all the dangers he had faced in the Shadow Pine Forest seemed distant.
He smiled softly before turning toward his room.
However, the moment he closed the door behind him, the smile disappeared from his face.
His expression grew serious.
'All my injuries have healed.'
He examined his body carefully, recalling the wounds he had suffered during his trip.
'But this doesn't make any sense. Energy Powder shouldn't have such incredible healing effects. Besides, my previous body was completely ordinary.'
He frowned as he considered the possibilities.
' natural recovery ability of a Pokémon Trainer's body isint this good'
He had seen apprentice Pokémon Trainers in Black Stone Town before. Although they were rare, a few could still be found in the town. Most of them were only at the elementry apprentice stage.
Yet he had never heard of an apprentice Trainer possessing such extraordinary recovery abilities.
Even if a Trainer's body was stronger than an ordinary person's, recovering from serious injuries in such a short time was simply unreasonable.
Max fell silent.
Something about my body has changed.
He walked over to his bed and sat down. After rummaging through his bag, he pulled out a dagger.
It was the dagger he had bought specifically for his trips into the Shadow Pine Forest. Although it was an ordinary weapon, it had proved useful during his hunt for the Paras.
Max stared at the dagger for a moment before turning his attention to his palm.
His eyes narrowed.
After hesitating briefly, he gritted his teeth and suddenly slashed the dagger across his palm.
Blood immediately welled up from the wound.
"Hiss!"
His face twitched as a sharp wave of pain shot through his hand. He stared intently at his bleeding palm, watching every little change.
A few seconds passed.
The bleeding gradually slowed before stopping completely. Then, right before his eyes, the wound began to close.
Within less than a minute, the cut had vanished.
Max wiped away the remaining blood and examined his palm carefully.
Smooth skin.
No wound.
Not even a scar.
He sucked in a cold breath.
Then, an ecstatic expression spread across his face, and he burst into laughter.
"Hahaha! My Goldfinger is finally here!"
He clenched his healed hand, his eyes shining with excitement.
"What terrifying recovery ability!"