“It is a special Pokémon from the Alola region, known as Totem Pokémon.”
“Totem? The one at Mt. Chimney…” [TN: I have been using overlord in place of totem for Mt. Chimney’s Altaria.]
“Not the same,” Master Victor said.
“The totem of Mt. Chimney’s Altaria is a status, a testament to its strength within the Mt. Chimney area, whereas the name of this Totem Raticate is more like a unique term belonging to the Alola region.”
Master Victor explained.
“Look carefully, there’s something special about this Raticate.”
The video then showed a brief battle, and Terrance was amazed to discover that during the fight, the Totem Raticate’s entire body emitted a mysterious aura!
“Did you notice? What makes it different from ordinary Pokémon.”
“Yes,” Terrance nodded firmly. Although he didn’t know what was the mysterious energy that was emanating from its body, it was definitely very special.
“Master Victor…”
Terrance looked at him, believing that showing him this video wasn’t just to introduce the Totem Pokémon of the Alola region.
“Totem Pokémon are powerful Pokémon that appear at the end of the Island Challenge as a trial. Battling them is also part of the Island Challenge,” Master Victor said with a smile.
“So, to obtain a Z-Ring, one ultimately has to battle a Pokémon of this size?” Terrance was stunned.
“Although their type or Ability don’t change, nor do they learn moves beyond their species’ limits, the Totem Pokémon… are really powerful,” Victor said.
“Are you… interested?”
“Yes…” Terrance instinctively responded, then suddenly felt something was off and looked at Master Victor in surprise. What did he mean by this?
“During my research trip in the Alola region, while collaborating with the Aether Foundation on studying Ultra Beasts, I discovered something special.”
“This special aspect seems to be connected to Totem Pokémon. It’s a clue and an unfinished research path.”
“And the endpoint of the research should be the origin of the Totem Aura,” Master Victor began.
“Setting aside the difference in size, the benefits Totem Aura can bring to a Pokémon are no less than the power boost from using a stat-enhancing move.”
“You haven’t undergone the Intermediate Breeder exam yet, have you? At your current level, participating doesn’t hold much significance. Instead, it would be better to research and discover something new in a specific field. Researching the Totem Aura is a good choice. If you’re interested, I can entrust you with the data I’ve gathered over the past two years.”
“Master Victor…” Terrance didn’t know what to say.
Was this research significant? Extremely significant. If Terrance succeeded, the honor of Senior Breeder would be within easy reach!
It could even be a crucial step toward him becoming a Top Breeder.
But Terrance couldn’t understand why such an important research project would be entrusted to him by Master Victor.
“Heh heh.” As if seeing through Terrance’s doubts, Master Victor chuckled and said, “It’s actually not as important as you think. This research path is still a work in progress, and whether it will yield any results is still unknown. Besides, I have countless unresolved challenges in the field of genetics that I haven’t fully explored yet, so I can’t afford to divert my attention to this. Rather than let it go to waste, it’s better to leave it to you youngsters to explore further.”
“At my age, I can’t keep running around Alola.”
Master Victor smiled inwardly. Although his reasoning made sense, it was also just an excuse. This research data and its direction could be considered a gift for Terrance. Although they hadn’t officially established a master-disciple relationship, Master Victor already regarded Terrance as his pupil. This gift was also a test.
If Terrance could successfully complete the research, he would become a Senior Breeder—the youngest Senior Breeder.
If Terrance were to also inherit his legacy as a Top Breeder, his status would become truly remarkable. Master Victor, intending to take Terrance as a disciple, wanted him to reach even greater heights. While the title of a Senior Breeder wasn’t much in Master Victor’s eyes, it was an essential milestone and an accumulation of experience for Terrance to continue advancing in the field of research.
Moreover, taking on the youngest Senior Breeder as a disciple would also reflect well on him!
Master Victor smiled warmly at the astonished expression on Terrance’s face. He couldn’t think of a reason why Terrance would refuse.
“I… am willing to continue this research!” Terrance declared.
This is by no means an insignificant research. Possessing Totem Aura is equivalent to having an inherent boost akin to that of a stat-enhancing move. This is not only a significant breakthrough in the field of Breeding but also an irreplaceable enhancement to his capabilities as a Trainer, greatly amplifying his strength!
“But… my Gym…” Terrance said with a wry smile.
Researching Totem Aura might mean staying in Alola for a long time. But he had only just become a Gym Leader!
This was truly… a difficult choice to make.
“The Gym?” Master Victor said indifferently. With his status, he had long surpassed the level of a Gym Leader and naturally didn’t think much of the Gym Leader profession. A single rare Pokémon he raised could fetch a price from major families that far exceeded the long-term earnings of an average Gym Leader.
“It’s simple. You just need to transfer your position as Gym Leader to someone else. The conditions for inheriting a Gym are much simpler than establishing one,” Master Victor said casually. This left Terrance feeling quite exasperated.
Although that was technically true, he had barely warmed the seat as Gym Leader, and handing it over so soon might have some impact on Fallarbor Gym’s public opinion. But then, Terrance shook his head. Compared to the honor of becoming a Senior Breeder, this matter indeed seemed trivial.
The Gym’s reputation could still be managed. Terrance had always been searching for the path to becoming a Senior Breeder, and now that the opportunity was right in front of him, he had to seize it.
Moreover…this also resolves a concern of Terrance’s. No matter what, having a Gym means he no longer has to worry excessively about everyone at Old Green House. Meanwhile, he could continue improving himself without being held back by the responsibilities of a Gym Leader.
“If you encounter any difficulties, feel free to contact me. I still have some influence in the Hoenn League,” Master Victor offered, concerned that Terrance might face issues during the process of transferring the Gym.
Considering that Terrance had just become a Gym Leader, such a situation was indeed possible. If the Hoenn League restricted the transfer of Terrance’s Gym Leader position, there would be little he could do about it.
“Alright.” Terrance stopped hesitating.
Master Victor laughed heartily, nodded in satisfaction, and said, “Starting tomorrow, we’ll head to the snow mountain over there to wait for the Ice Vulpix to hatch.”
Terrance nodded. He wasn’t particularly worried about the Gym. If any Trainers had scheduled challenges, the Gym Leader could delay them for up to a month. Besides, the Ice Vulpix would hatch in less than a week.
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