Pokémon: Helping Pokémon Pays Off [24]
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School ends at 4 PM, and Kabukicho starts bustling at 6 PM, so there's no rush to head back.
However, after deliberately tricking Selene in the morning, now the entire class harbors no goodwill towards him, completely isolating him.
He has successfully pitted himself against the whole class, but true to his nature, he doesn't care about others' opinions of him. Even if everyone dislikes him, he would just ignore it and sleep peacefully.
In his previous life, he lived like this for over twenty years. Even after suddenly transmigrating and reverting to a 15-year-old, it's not something that changes easily...
After school, under the cold stares of everyone, he left the classroom alone. But unlike before, he's no longer alone like before; Cyclizar was waiting outside to head back together.
"Cy~"
"Let's go to the commercial district first!"
Hoshino needs to find a part-time job where he can work a few hours after school each day and switch to other jobs on weekends.
Riding on Cyclizar, he recalled the battle from the morning. As Selene mentioned, he couldn't command Cyclizar to use moves.
Although Cyclizar is strong, not being able to use moves renders that strength meaningless. That Rowlet was very agile; without tricking the opponent, Cyclizar wouldn't have been able to catch it, and the battle could have dragged on without a clear winner before class resumed.
"But there's nothing I can do..."
Hoshino felt helpless about this. He planned to save up money and, during the winter break, find a suitable Pokémon for himself—one that can battle...
Hau'oli City's commercial district is the most bustling area in the city. Even on weekdays, it's filled with people shopping and enjoying themselves.
Drawing from experience, he quickly found a part-time job at a claw machine shop in the shopping plaza. His main task is to maintain order, patrol the store, and assist customers with various issues.
Perhaps due to his "amiable" demeanor and appearance post-injury, the boss hired him without hesitation, offering a decent wage.
Moreover, this shop allows Pokémon to work. Cyclizar also passed the interview, though His wage is slightly lower. His main task is also to maintain order.
Typically, evenings are the busiest times in the commercial district, so his working hours are from 5 PM to 10 PM. On weekends, he can work full days, with pay calculated hourly.
The reason he chose the claw machine shop is because Cyclizar wanted a Rowlet plushie, so why not try to win one...
In urgent need of money, he started working that very day. By the time the boss happily settled his wages at 10 PM, there were hardly any customers left in the store.
"In the end, it's mostly kids and couples—so noisy..."
Hoshino complained a bit, but after work, he could finally relax. Since Cyclizar worked alongside him, they earned double wages this time.
"Cy~"
"Alright, let's go win a plushie."
During work, he observed which machines were easier and which were harder, forming a general idea.
Being a claw machine expert himself, he intended to guide Cyclizar. After all, winning it personally makes it more meaningful!
Hoshino led Cyclizar to a claw machine filled with Substitute plushies. Among them were a few Alola starter Pokémon plushies; this was the only machine in the store that had them.
"Got the coins?"
"Cy!"
"Alright, let me show you how this works!"
Hoshino had Cyclizar watch from the side. He then inserted two coins, grabbed the joystick with one hand, and placed the other on the button, starting the operation.
With a focused expression, he maneuvered the claw, swiftly lowered it to grab a Substitute plushie, then skillfully swung the joystick, causing the plushie to drop right into the prize chute.
"See? It's that simple!"
Hoshino smiled, retrieving the Substitute plushie. Cyclizar watched, becoming instantly excited.
"Cy!"
"Don't rush; playing this requires patience. Now it's your turn; I'll guide you."
"Cy!"
Cyclizar inserted two coins and, imitating Hoshino's earlier actions, began operating the machine earnestly. However, being his first time playing such a game, he couldn't even grab a Substitute plushie, let alone a Rowlet one.
Under Hoshino's careful guidance, and after several failures that resulted in the boss reclaiming half of Cyclizar's earnings for the day, he finally succeeded once, retrieving a Substitute plushie, which made him extremely happy.
"Cy~ Cy~"
"Yes, keep it up. I see Rowlet's feet in the middle pile; let's move those Substitute plushies out of the way first."
"Cy!"
Cyclizar continued operating. Hoshino thought for a moment and decided not to give any more hints, curious about what he would do next.
After one success, things became much easier. Cyclizar managed to grab several Substitute plushies in succession, while Hoshino helped collect them.
However, as the number of plushies decreased, it became increasingly difficult to grab them. There were instances where the claw missed entirely or the plushie slipped off midway.
Eventually, the boss reclaimed all of Cyclizar's earnings. Their haul consisted of ten Substitute plushies, yet Rowlet still only had its feet visible—a significant loss.
"Cy..."
Cyclizar turned around pitifully, tears welling up. he felt inadequate, unable to grab the desired plushie, and didn't want to continue after losing all his money.
After packing up the Substitute plushies, Hoshino patted his head and smiled encouragingly, "It's okay to lose. I'll get more coins for you. No matter what, never give up!"
He wasn't concerned about the money. Since he promised to help Cyclizar get the Rowlet plushie, he intended to fulfill that promise. To him, commitments made to Pokémon are very important.
Thus, the wage reclamation plan resumed. After their shift ended at 10 PM, they stayed until 11 PM, nearly spending all their earnings for the night.
With the last two coins inserted, Cyclizar focused entirely, not daring to relax. Hoshino observed intently and began directing.
Watching the claw wobble as it descended, one prong hooked onto the tag on Rowlet's backside—this was the moment!
"Swing it over now!"
"Cy!"
Cyclizar reacted instantly, nearly breaking the joystick, and finally pulled Rowlet out from amidst the Substitute plushies, successfully dropping it into the prize chute!
"Cy!"
Seeing the plushie fall, Cyclizar was ecstatic, as if he had achieved an unprecedented accomplishment, and playfully bit Hoshino's head.
"Ouch, ouch..."
After freeing himself, Hoshino was happy for him. He then retrieved the plushie and was slightly taken aback—it was light green with cat ears.
"It's a limited-edition crossover: Rowlet dressed as Litten! We've hit the jackpot!"
"Cy~ Cy~"
The two rejoiced like children, while the boss, who had reclaimed their wages, was even happier in the distance...
In the end, they had 21 Substitute plushies and 1 crossover Rowlet plushie. Although they spent almost all their earnings, it was worth it.
Cyclizar hugged the Rowlet plushie, overjoyed. Hoshino packed up the Substitute plushies, preparing to head home for dinner.
Just then, he noticed something. Using his remaining earnings, he exchanged for two more coins, inserted them, and skillfully grabbed another Substitute plushie.
"Cy?"
Cyclizar was puzzled, wondering why he did that when they already had so many.
"Hehe, we've struck gold today!"
Hoshino retrieved the plushie and showed it to Cyclizar. This Substitute plushie had a different color scheme, with a tire-like protrusion on its belly and blush marks on its face—resembling someone familiar?
"Cy?"
"That's right, it's your Substitute plushie!"
He hadn't expected to find this among them. Considering Cyclizar's signature move, "Shed Tail," involves creating a substitute, it made sense.
"Cy~"
Seeing this miniature version of itself, Cyclizar was momentarily stunned but didn't accept it. Having the Rowlet plushie was enough; this one should be for Hoshino.
"Alright then, let's take them home and display them. The house is quite empty; it's time to add some decor. Let's head home now~"
"Cy~"