Chapter 111:

As soon as Cain's words echoed through the air, the receptionist's expression froze momentarily before transforming into a beaming smile. "Oh, alright! Give me just a moment."

This time, the wait was a breeze.

"Sorry about that. It was our fault. This Nidoran has the Hustle ability, which means its value will be doubled. If everything looks good to you, we'll deposit the amount directly onto your ID card."

Cain nodded in agreement. A dark yellow aptitude Nidoran with the Hustle ability was worth as much as a light green/green aptitude Nidoran with a different ability. The price was more than fair, and Cain was happy with it.

With Cain's affirmation, the receptionist typed away on the computer, recording his mission completion rate.

"Congratulations! You've earned enough points to be promoted to a one-star hunter. This is your medal. Keep it safe." The receptionist retrieved a golden star medal from under the counter, with the words 'one-star' etched into its surface.

The Hunter's Guild's stars were exquisite, a true testament to the skilled artisans who crafted them. There was hardly anyone who could or would fake them, so people with mismatched stars were a rare sight.

If someone dared to replicate a Hunter's Star and got caught, they'd have the wrath of the Guild upon them. They'd learn quickly why 'Sun Dog' was a name that struck fear into the hearts of many.

As a master of tracking and capturing rare Pokémon, Cain knew that finding an ordinary person was child's play.

Cain took the Hunter's Star with gratitude, but he didn't put it on right away.

The receptionist wasn't in the slightest bit bothered when Cain didn't leave right after completing his mission. She asked politely, "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Cain removed a Pokeball from his belt and placed it on the counter. The receptionist's eyes flickered with recognition when she saw it.

Many hunters who were part of the Hunter's Guild didn't just capture their mission target. If they stumbled upon an extraordinary or rare Pokemon, they'd capture it too and submit it for points and Pokédollars.

The process was called "matching mission." Hunters would seek out a mission in the list that was suitable for their newly captured Pokemon, accept it, and submit it for completion. It was an efficient way to earn more points and Pokédollars.

Just as the receptionist was about to speak, Cain pulled out another Pokeball, and then another, and another...

The receptionist's eyes began to twitch as Cain produced a total of ten Pokeballs. Counting the one he'd used to complete his mission, that made eleven!

It was an impressive feat, considering that Hunter's Guild missions required Pokemon with an intermediate aptitude and above. Meaning only Pokemon with a yellow aptitude and higher would be accepted.

Out of the ten Pokeballs Cain placed on the counter, one contained a light green aptitude Arbok. It was the highest aptitude Pokemon among the lot. Another eight belonged to the Nidoran family, and all had a yellow aptitude and above, thanks to their exceptional parents. The last one was a dark yellow aptitude Mankey Cain had caught on his way to Ecruteak City. Its moves and ability were pretty decent, so Cain captured it for points.

"May I ask if these Pokemon have all reached intermediate aptitude? You have to know that the lowest requirement for missions issued by the Hunter's Guild is intermediate aptitude," the receptionist asked with some hesitation.

Tools existed in the Pokemon World to determine a Pokemon's aptitude, but they weren't cheap. A 1-star hunter like Cain likely couldn't afford them. The receptionist needed to be sure that Cain's Pokemon were up to par before she could approve them for missions.

In response to the receptionist's question, Cain simply nodded.

Satisfied with Cain's response, the receptionist didn't press the matter any further. However, a hint of suspicion lingered in her eyes.

Eleven intermediate aptitude Pokemon in one go - it was a rare sight indeed. The receptionist couldn't help but wonder if intermediate aptitude Pokemon were that common now, or if Cain was trying to pull a fast one on her.

The Hunter's Guild's aptitude assessment was free, but if the Pokemon submitted didn't meet the standards repeatedly, it would hurt the hunter's credibility. This could lead to them being barred from taking on certain missions, and that was not something any hunter wanted.

But the receptionist was a professional. She put her doubts aside and got to work, sending each Pokeball through the Transmission Device to the back of the Hunter's Guild. The queue behind Cain was getting restless, and if his Pokemon weren't up to snuff, he'd soon hear about it.

The wait was longer this time, but after twenty minutes, the receptionist's computer pinged with the data for all ten Pokemon. She rubbed her eyes, hardly daring to believe what she saw.

"All the data's in. All ten Pokemon meet the requirements. Would you like to match them with missions?" she asked, her disbelief still evident in her voice.

Cain remained calm and composed. In his previous life, he'd once brought twenty Pokemon to the Hunter's Guild for missions, and that feat had earned him the nickname "Lucky Joker".

"Match them," Cain said, his voice steady.

The receptionist got to work, operating the computer to match missions with Cain's Pokemon. The mission list was scanned, and as each Pokemon's data was processed, the list adjusted accordingly to meet the requirements.