Pokemon: The Gameboy Effect-Chapter 205: Promotion

[A/N: Another brave soul has entered the fray—welcome, Wolv96! At this rate, I might have to start writing with turbo mode on. As promised, here's your bonus Chapter!)

John wrapped up the day's battle in just an hour and a half.

Sitting atop his Venusaur like a general leading an unstoppable force, he moved through the battlefield like a bulldozer, cutting down every opponent in his path. His reputation preceded him—thirty trainers had fallen to his overwhelming strength, and the remaining ten had chosen to scatter rather than face him head-on. When the dust settled, the rankings were clear. The second through seventh places had been determined, and the last standing opponent stepped forward to challenge John in a final, inevitable defeat.

His rival's Pokemon was a Grotle—a sturdy Grass-type that, under normal circumstances, might have put up a fight. But against John's battle-hardened Venusaur, it didn't stand a chance. A single Vine Whip was all it took to end the match. Trainers who had expected Water-types to dominate the competition were proven wrong—most of the Fire-type users had been taken out early, leaving Grass and Water-types to battle it out. And in the end, Grass-types reigned supreme.

The speed at which the tournament concluded caught the officials off guard. What was originally scheduled for the next day—the "Ascension Ceremony"—was instead moved up to that very afternoon. Azure, the head of the camp, personally handed out awards and promotion certificates to the eight top trainers, working from the lowest rank to the highest.

John was last.

The moment Azure pulled out John's certificate, the entire hall fell silent. Everyone's eyes locked onto the document in his hands.

John had entered the breeder camp as a junior breeder. By all expectations, his victory should have promoted him to the intermediate rank. But the certificate Azure held up bore a title far beyond that.

Senior Breeder.

A promotion of two ranks at once.

This was unprecedented in the camp's history.

Yet, could anyone argue against it?

No. Not a single person in the room dared to raise an objection. If anything, they knew John was already worthy of an even higher title.

Breeding was about raising Pokemon to be faster, stronger, and better. John had taken a Bulbasaur and turned it into a powerhouse of a Venusaur in just a month. Not even a Master Breeder could guarantee such results.

Azure sighed, almost apologetically. "The Breeder Association requires an official review for Master-level promotions, so this is the highest I can grant you right now. Senior Breeder is the best I can do."

Even with those words, everyone knew Azure had pushed the system as far as it would allow. Giving John two promotions at once was already bending the rules.

John accepted the certificate with a nod. "Thank you. I wasn't expecting this." With this recognition, he could start preparing to open his own breeding center when he returned home.

Azure smiled and handed him a small box. "You deserve it. Here's something extra."

The entire hall leaned in, curiosity burning in their eyes. Whatever was in that box had to be something special.

John opened it slightly, and inside lay a deep crimson seed—a Miracle Seed, a powerful held item for Grass-type Pokemon. But this one was different. The blood-red hue suggested it had unique properties.

"Thank you again," John said, understanding the value of the gift. It was clear that Azure had selected this item specifically for his Venusaur.

"If you ever need advice on breeding, you know where to find me," Azure said. Then, lowering his voice, he added, "Also... you might want to start wearing a mask when you go out."

John frowned. "Why?"

Azure chuckled but offered no explanation. Instead, he stepped back, leaving John and the other top trainers to receive the applause of the audience.

Yet, the applause was sparse.

After all, John had wiped out over thirty trainers in record time. The competitors who had been swiftly eliminated were in no mood to cheer for the man who had crushed their dreams.

Later that evening, a five-star hotel hosted a reception and banquet for all breeders. It was tradition—an opportunity for trainers to socialize, exchange knowledge, and forge connections before leaving camp the next day.

Despite their resentment, many of the eliminated trainers still wanted to befriend John. Anyone with a shred of foresight could see his potential. As a member of Scarlet's lab and a student of the prestigious Prinsipal Badman, John was destined for greatness. It wouldn't be long before he became one of the most influential trainers in the country.

But John wasn't interested in networking.

Just like Scarlet before him, he despised forced social interactions. Rather than attend the dinner, he opted to stay in his room, ordering food from room service.

He sat by the floor-to-ceiling window, leaning back on the plush sofa, his focus on his Gameboy.

Updat𝓮d fr𝙤m ƒгeeweɓn૦vel.com.

On-screen, his in-game character was en route to Kalos by plane.

"Thirty billion? Yeah, no way I can afford that. Guess I'm staying on Earth," he muttered to himself.

The flight to Kalos was only a day's journey. While airborne, he browsed through his inventory, checking out his Pokemon and items. When his eyes landed on the Miracle Seed Azure had given him, he smirked.

[Bloodthirsty Miracle Seed: Increases the power of Grass-type moves by 40%, Grants all Grass-type moves the ability to absorb HP, Boosts HP recovery from absorption moves by an additional 20%]

Absorption—one of the greatest assets of Grass-types. Dealing damage while simultaneously restoring health was a game-changer. And the stronger the move, the more devastating the effect.

Absorb → Mega Drain → Giga Drain

At its peak, Giga Drain had a base power of 75 and restored 50% of the damage dealt. With this Miracle Seed, that power would skyrocket to 105, and the healing would reach an insane 70%.

That meant Venusaur could sustain itself endlessly, draining opponent after opponent. A rival's Pokemon could spend minutes wearing it down, only to have it fully recover in seconds. And if the next Pokemon got hit with another Giga Drain, John's Venusaur would just keep going.

The realization hit the trainers at the banquet like a ton of bricks.

This wasn't just an advantage—it was outright domination.

John's opponents, already numb from their losses, stared blankly at their plates. What was even the point of fighting someone like him?

They all came to the same conclusion.

Against John's Venusaur, surrender was the only viable strategy.