"I'll gladly accept the reward from Elite Four member Bruno in advance, then!"
Silas was the first to respond, his confidence shining through.
After all, he was aiming for a top placement anyway—if there was a little bonus on the side, that was just an unexpected perk.
Though he wasn't particularly fond of Rage Buns—a local specialty sweet that looked like buns but were actually wagashi (traditional Japanese sweets, often filled with red bean paste)—he didn't mind trying them.
Even Bruno himself, despite his Elite Four status, couldn't always get them. More than once, he'd been left frustrated after missing out.
And besides, this time, the reward came from Bruno himself.
Not just anyone had the chance to receive a gift personally from one of the Elite Four—even if it was only a small snack.
"Ha! Are you looking down on us or what?"
Yezo couldn't help laughing out loud. The tone of Silas's words made it sound like he didn't take the rest of them seriously at all.
"I'm not looking down on you," Silas replied with mock arrogance, "I'm looking down on all of you~."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Fighting side by side really was the fastest way to deepen bonds.
Even though this was their first official collaboration, each person's true personality was already showing—there was none of that awkward politeness from when they'd first met.
"Come on," said Hiroki Silph, glancing at the time, "let's head to my family's private island nearby to rest for the night."
"The one south of Two Island?" asked Jun Yuto naturally. "Our family actually wanted to buy that one from the League, but your family beat us to it."
For these rich heirs, it was perfectly normal to own properties all over the place.
Two Island, also known as Friendship Island, lay east of One Island—the smallest among the Seven Islands.
It was a major trade port with foreign regions, its open-air market famous for selling Poké Balls not manufactured by Silph Co. For instance, it was one of the few places to find Timer Balls, which became easier to use as battles dragged on.
But that wasn't the main reason trainers flocked there.
After all, Poké Balls were mainly produced by Silph Co. and Devon Corp., and both companies offered a vast variety. A single rare ball wasn't enough to justify traveling to such a remote sea route.
The real reason many League-affiliated trainers—from not only Kanto, but other regions as well—came here was because of a certain place: the Cape House in Cape Brink Bay.
It was home to one of the League's few special Move Tutors capable of teaching the Ultimate Moves—exclusive powerful techniques for starter Pokémon.
Of course, meeting this Move Tutor wasn't easy. Trainers usually had to complete a trial before earning the right to have their Pokémon taught.
"If you'd like your starter Pokémon to learn their Ultimate Moves, I can give you all an opportunity," Bruno said with a grin.
Typical Silph family—never missing a single profitable opportunity.
Hiroki Silph smiled in return. He knew full well his intentions were obvious, but this was also a way to test how much support the League was willing to give them.
And from the look of things—it was quite generous.
"Tonight?" asked Yuji Tachibana, visibly excited.
"Tomorrow morning," Bruno corrected, rolling his eyes. "Look at the time—it's already late. Even the Move Tutor needs rest."
"Heh, right," Yuji scratched his head awkwardly. He was just too eager.
The Ultimate Moves—also known as Exclusive Starter Techniques—were:
Frenzy Plant (Grass-type)
Blast Burn (Fire-type)
Hydro Cannon (Water-type)
According to League data, their base power was 150, the same as the Normal-type move Hyper Beam.
Their side effect was also identical—after using it, the Pokémon would need to recharge, leaving them unable to act for a turn.
But in practice, the true power of a move wasn't so simple to measure.
A Pokémon's own type greatly affected how strong a move could become.
Under equal conditions, a Fire-type Pokémon using a Fire-type move would naturally deal more damage than a Normal-type Pokémon using that same move.
This is known as STAB—short for Same-Type Attack Bonus.
When a move's type matches one of the user's types, its power increases by 20% to 50%, depending on the system or interpretation.
Of course, STAB doesn't apply to fixed-damage moves like Dragon Rage or to moves with variable power like Return.
For example, if a Charizard—a Fire-type Pokémon from Kanto—uses Blast Burn, its theoretical maximum power could reach 225, an astonishing figure.
That was nearly the ceiling for move power in the League's battle standards.
No wonder Yuji was thrilled—having such a devastating finishing move would massively increase their odds of victory in future battles.
He wasn't the only one excited, though. Everyone else felt the same, even if they didn't express it as openly.
"Don't get too hyped just yet," Bruno said, smiling faintly at the eager faces around him. "Even if I can skip the trial for you, not every Pokémon qualifies to learn an Ultimate Move."
He didn't want to see them all looking heartbroken tomorrow.
According to the League's internal statistics, even among trainers who passed the Move Tutor's trial, only around 50% of their Pokémon successfully learned the move.
That alone showed how difficult it was.
And while these young people were all top-tier elites, that didn't mean every one of their Pokémon could meet the criteria—especially without going through the preliminary trial.
Bruno understood the trial's importance. It wasn't just a test—it was a specialized training process designed to help Pokémon prepare for the enormous strain of mastering an Ultimate Move.
Even if a trainer and Pokémon failed to learn the move afterward, their bond and coordination would still grow tremendously.
A sly grin tugged at Bruno's lips. Truth be told, this had been a sudden idea of his.
As a member of the Elite Four, he had the authority to make such arrangements—but he rarely used it.
Ultimately, learning an Ultimate Move at Cape Brink wasn't just about the result—it was about the journey.
Skipping the trial didn't necessarily make things easier.
Bruno guessed maybe five or six of them might succeed. The thought made him more and more curious about tomorrow's outcome.
It was one of his rare little indulgences.
"Alright, let's go—our family yacht is here."
Soon after, following Hiroki Silph's lead, everyone—including Bruno—boarded the Silph family's luxury yacht and sailed toward the private island south of Two Island.
"Everyone, please follow the servants to your rooms first," Hiroki instructed. "Once you've freshened up, dinner will be served.
And if you'd like, feel free to stay here for a few days. I've already told the staff—all the leisure facilities and restaurants will be open 24 hours for the duration of your stay."
Naturally, as guests, no one had any complaints.
Silas followed one of the male attendants to his assigned room.
"If you need anything, Master Silas, please don't hesitate to call me," the attendant, Chudo, said politely with a bow before leaving.
Silas headed straight for the bathroom. Today had been more exhausting than usual—he hadn't stopped for a moment.
He was covered in dust from explosions and ice fragments from battles. If he didn't clean up, he'd probably start growing moss.
Twenty minutes later…
The boys, now refreshed and neatly dressed, gathered in the dining hall and ate heartily.
Wealth really did make a difference, Silas thought between bites.
From the look of it, even the Silph family didn't come to this island often—it was more like a rest spot than a residence.
Yet even so, the place was fully stocked with high-end natural ingredients, including fresh vegetables and meat from non-Pokémon animals.
"Really? But I still don't think that method suits Ground-type Pokémon very well."
"I'd focus on improving its diet to enhance its resistance to Water-type moves instead."
Of course, as Pokémon Trainers, even at the dinner table, they couldn't stop discussing training and breeding strategies.
"I agree. That method might help overcome psychological fear, but it won't actually reduce the type damage caused by Water-type attacks."
"Even so, overcoming psychological fear is already a huge step. Sometimes, if a Pokémon instinctively dodges when facing a super-effective move, that hesitation can cost valuable time and even affect the outcome of a battle."
"The main issue is that such training methods are too harsh on the Pokémon—it's practically a form of torture. Ground-types might handle it a little better than Rock-types, but even that's limited. Still, you can't say for sure. With enough long-term conditioning, maybe it could have some effect. Pokémon can indeed change dramatically under external influences."
Just moments ago, Seiichirō Sasaki had casually suggested an idea: could Ground-type Pokémon develop a resistance to Water-type attacks by training underwater or constantly being exposed to the impact of water?
Silas found the idea oddly familiar. Wasn't that the same method used by Ash's future travel companion—in the anime?
Except, unlike Sasaki, who was just musing about it, that kid had actually gone through with it.
Of course, for these young elites, there were far better and more scientific ways to enhance a Pokémon's type resistance than resorting to such extreme methods.
The group eagerly discussed the topic while Silas occasionally joined in, sipping from his drink.
"By the way… are the girls still not ready?" asked Yezo, who was just as bored.
As a Trainer specializing in Dark-type Pokémon, he wasn't very interested in the finer points of Ground-type training.
"Nope. Wanna bet? It's been twenty minutes since we guys came out for dinner. I bet they'll take another twenty."
Silas replied casually.
He might have been single for years, but in his previous life—a world full of instant information—he'd learned one thing well: girls always took time to get ready. That much never changed, no matter the world.
Yezo didn't take the bait, though. He wasn't stupid—he just thought twenty more minutes sounded excessive. He did have sisters, after all.
In the end, Silas was proven right. The girls arrived ten minutes later than even his prediction, linking arms as they entered the dining hall.
By then, the boys had nearly finished eating and were chatting idly on the side.
Once everyone was done, Hiroki Silph, the host, suggested heading to the beach outside.
"Same here. I'm used to training at fixed times—it's hard to change that." Silas followed suit.
Officer Jenny and Nurse Joy also declined politely.
"Alright then. We'll go play. You guys get some rest," Hiroki said, glancing at the others. Eleven of them were still up for it, so he took them out.
The two men and two women who stayed behind went their separate ways.
"Seriously, we should spar sometime," Soshu said to Silas with a grin. "I'm curious about your real combat skills—not Pokémon battles, I mean you yourself."
Their voices drifted faintly as they talked, fading down the corridor.
The Next Morning — 8:00 AM
After finishing their morning run around the island, Silas, Soshu, and Bruno returned to the dining hall for breakfast.
"Good morning," greeted Joy and Jenny.
"Morning," the three men replied casually, sitting down to eat.
One by one, the others trickled in.
Playtime was over—none of them had forgotten the real reason they were here. Besides, their daily training schedule usually began around this time anyway.
"Last night, I spoke with the League and that instructor. After breakfast, I'll take you all there," said Bruno between bites.
"I'm done!"
Jun, the last one to arrive, hurriedly grabbed two slices of bread and a bottle of milk, clearly eager to go.
"I think we're all about ready," another added.
One after another, the rest echoed the sentiment.
Bruno sighed, shaking his head. "So impatient…"
Still, he couldn't help smiling. That youthful energy—that drive—was exactly what he wanted to see. If these kids were calm and patient, that would've been strange.
"Alright then, let's go."
He stood up decisively, leading the group out.
When they reached the shore, Bruno stripped off his shirt and dove straight into the water, swimming without a word.
"Wait, don't tell me we're swimming there?" Kaidō Rukuhira's voice trembled. He wasn't exactly known for physical strength.
Sure, swimming a kilometer wasn't much, but that kind of intense exercise first thing in the morning sounded brutal.
Everyone groaned in unison.
"Not just swimming," Silas added casually. He already knew what was coming—Bruno had told him during their run earlier.
He didn't share the details, though. If he had, they'd be groaning even louder.
"Let's move!" Soshu followed after his uncle into the water.
Silas waited until everyone else had jumped in before taking up the rear.
Twenty minutes later…
"Don't tell me we're going around the whole island?" Kaidō groaned again in despair.
Bruno was leading them north from the eastern sea near Two Island, showing no sign of going ashore.
For reference, the Silph family's private island was southeast of Two Island, while Cape Brink—where the "End of the World House" was located—was on the northwest side.
If they were really swimming there instead of walking over land, that distance was absolutely insane.
"Better save your energy," Silas called out calmly. "Don't forget—there's a cliff behind the End of the World House."
His words made the group collectively groan louder.
Fortunately, this world's humans had much stronger physical capabilities than ordinary people. Otherwise, even just swimming twenty kilometers would have been enough to leave someone half-dead—never mind the cliff climbing that awaited them after.
Seventeen people swam hard across the sparkling blue sea.
The night before, Bruno had already arranged for the area to be cleared of Pokémon—otherwise, Tentacruel and its kind wouldn't have been so kind to intruders in their territory.
"How much farther…?" came another weary moan across the calm water.
.....
Hi For access to additional chapters of
Director in Hollywood (40 chpaters)
Made In Hollywood (60 Chapters)
Pokemon:Bounty Hunter(30 Chapters)
Douluo Dalu: Reincarnated as Yan(40 Chapters)
Hollywood:From Razzie to Legend(40 Chapters)
The Great Ruler(30 Chapters)
Join pateron.com/Translaterappu