Chapter Ninety: The Apothecary’s Trial by Fire

"Arcanine, Bite!"
"Scizor, Double Slash!"
"Weavile, Metal Claw!"
"Houndoom, Flamethrower!"
...

Am's opponents were not professional Pokémon hunters, but they were undoubtedly Rocket Team combat operatives. Group fights and back-alley brawls were their specialty.

Even when they were not in battle, each of them still had one or two Pokémon out...

Am had ridden his Rhyhorn in out of nowhere and slammed down hard, even landing a quake on them. The blow had indeed done considerable damage; a whole swath of them was flat on the ground at once!

But that was only the opening shock. Immediately after, they were beset from every direction!

Of course, Am's side showed no weakness either.

Sunny Day, Sleep Powder, Hypnosis, Light Screen, Toxic Spikes...

Am had already arranged the tactics long ago: put every sleeping move to use, have Boom raise Light Screen, and let Coffin scatter Toxic Spikes across the field!

For an instant, they even seized the upper hand.

Ordinarily, though, a battle like this would almost certainly not play out so smoothly. Even among the rank and file, a level-thirty Pokémon was still a level-thirty Pokémon, but...

The Pokémon on Am's side had all entered the field already buffed!

Various enhancing tonics had been taken beforehand.

In the games, in single-player mode, there are all kinds of boosting items that can be used directly in battle to improve a Pokémon's condition: the so-called Power Up, Guard Up, and similar items...

In PvP, however, items are forbidden—only held items carried by the Pokémon themselves take effect automatically.

In this world, such tonics existed as well.

In professional competition, outside items are likewise prohibited. Only items carried by the Pokémon itself, or berry-based tonics already consumed in advance, are permitted under the rules; otherwise it is a serious violation.

The advantage, though, was that in this world, using tonics did not consume a turn. They could be taken beforehand.

And for Am, the one thing he never lacked was tonics. Beforehand, he had already given every one of his Pokémon a full set of enhancement tonics...

This was a real fight, not a match, and not the act of capturing wild Pokémon!

There were no rules to constrain him, nor any need to care whether the other side consented.

For Pokémon, a boosted state was extremely important. It was not merely a matter of being "more excited" or "performing better," but something more like a key unlocking the body itself.

A Pokémon's ability and its techniques were both deeply tied to its genes. The genes in this world—especially those of Pokémon—though also arranged in a double helix, were a completely different matter from the genes of Am's original world. They directly affected a Pokémon's strength and state.

For Pokémon, the gene chain was more akin to meridians in martial arts novels...

Ordinary trainers might not pay much attention to such things, but the instructional videos from Professor Giantwood had taught Am these very "basic" principles.

From those videos, Am had come to understand that the genes governing various abilities were a set of six paired sequences. In their normal state, these six paired sequences were always "aroused" and "silent," meaning ordinary condition.

When strengthened, they became "aroused" and "aroused," manifesting as an elevated state, increasing the corresponding ability, or rather removing one layer of restriction.

Conversely, when weakened, they became "silent" and "silent," likewise manifesting as "silent"—a diminished state, or an additional layer of restriction.

Because this gene segment consisted of six sequences, the maximum strengthened state, with all gene locks fully opened, was sixfold arousal; and by the same token, sixfold silence was the maximum weakened state.

As in the games, the effect of stat boosts on Pokémon was extremely noticeable.

Measured in human terms of "combat power," two levels of enhancement—two boosts—could already double the value for that attribute.

Unfortunately, the effects of the same tonic could not stack, because it was essentially the tonic continuing to work. Even doubling the dose merely extended the duration.

And repeated use of tonics was not good for a Pokémon's health either.

Still, boosting with tonics had its own advantage: precisely because the tonic was continuously effective, it would not wear off simply because the Pokémon was returned to its ball, unlike a skill-based buff.

Am had заранее given all of his own Pokémon, as well as Misty's, including Haunter, a full set of enhancement tonics, which was why they appeared on the field already boosted.

Various enhancement tonics were not easy to formulate.

Generally speaking, a tier-one potion master could only create ordinary enhancement tonics, divided into six kinds: Attack, Defense, Special Attack, Special Defense, Speed, and Accuracy. "Vitality" was a Pokémon's own ability to withstand damage; there was no "aroused-silent" gene pair for it, and thus no enhancement or weakening.

These six enhancement tonics each boosted the corresponding ability by one stage.

This class of battle tonic was the most mature in technique, usable by all Pokémon, mass-producible, and the kind sold in stores.

A two-stage boosting tonic, the high-efficiency enhancement tonic, already had to be formulated differently depending on the Pokémon species. It belonged to the expert tier. Not every expert-level potion master mastered it... but Am did!

As for the strongest recorded tonic to date, the potent enhancement tonic, it could achieve a three-stage boost...

Am could only formulate the speed-only potent enhancement tonic for Grass-type Pokémon!

In other words, Venusaur and Exeggutor now had a 150 percent increase to Speed in numerical terms, while all other stats were boosted by 100 percent.

Although Vitality could not be boosted, there was the Accuracy Enhancement Tonic, which lay outside the usual combat-power statistics. Its essence was to increase reaction speed and perception, thereby improving "accuracy."

With the full set of enhancements, Venusaur, Exeggutor, Nidorino, and Rhyhorn, all just over level thirty, had panel combat power comparable to level sixty or seventy, while Electrode and Ditto at level fifty were only slightly behind max level in terms of Vitality.

So a capable "potion master"—or simply someone with overwhelming wealth—was formidable in actual combat.

And Am also knew how to formulate Empowerment Tonics, which let a Pokémon enter battle with its skills already primed. The formula had been given to Am by Grandma Rei, and could not be found on the market at all.

The Pokémon hunters in this group, who were likely members of Team Rocket, were not especially impressive in strength. The ordinary members were inferior even to professional trainers, perhaps even to stronger beginners—otherwise they would not have been reduced to the lowest rungs of Team Rocket.

As for the lone junior leader, just as he was beginning to react, Coffin had already transformed into Cofagrigus!

Four shadow hands sprang out. One held a key and stabbed at the keyhole of the iron cage behind him, while the other three all reached for the junior leader in front.

Seeing that "Leader Surge" had actually become a Cofagrigus, the junior officer Ah Jian knew he had been tricked—but it was already too late...

Since this was already a real battle, attacking the trainer was of course perfectly normal!

Misty had not come out at all. Instead, Starmie, Staryu, Psyduck, all of whom had also taken their tonics beforehand, were released. Even Goldeen, Horsea, and Magikarp, who had not taken any medicine and were not suited to land combat, were let out as well.

Though Ivysaur had opened Sunny Day at once to maximize the advantage, rendering Water-type moves useless, Starmie and Psyduck both knew Psychic-type techniques, while Goldeen and Horsea had only ever been there for atmosphere anyway...

As for Magikarp, it was merely leaping around the battlefield in cheerful fashion.

Misty had never experienced real combat before and was too nervous, which was why in a moment of panic she had released every Pokémon she could.

The Rocket hunters on the field, caught off guard, either rolled their eyes back and collapsed into sleep, or were jolted by electricity until they cried out for father and mother. And once they started running, they had to face Toxic Spikes scattered everywhere...

Cofagrigus, after all!

Why should it always be about output?

Am had already helped Coffin awaken its inherited Toxic Spikes. The discovery that a Pokémon transformed from Ditto could still awaken inherited skills made Am feel that he and Coffin were even more "fated" together.

"Ow!" Ah Jian performed a clumsy rolling dodge and escaped Cofagrigus' shadow hand, but his elbow scraped against the Toxic Spikes on the ground. At once his face turned purple, and he felt numbness spread from his elbow through his entire body.

In irritation, he kicked the Magikarp hopping about nearby. "You jump, you son of a--"

The next moment, the Magikarp he had kicked was bathed in the radiance of evolution.

Ah Jian: ...

Seeing Magikarp actually evolve, Am was also a little surprised, though in truth, anger was indeed one of the conditions for Magikarp's evolution!

Hastily, Am threw a set of enhancement tonics toward Magikarp as well.

At the same time, after Coffin forced back Ah Jian and his Pokémon, it opened one iron cage, while Am slipped through a twisted gap smashed open by A-Duan into another cage. The captured Pokémon were all injured or suffering from various negative conditions, which was why they had been confined in electrified cages.

Now, Rhyhorn's earthquake from above had basically crippled the electrified equipment. As long as Am healed the stronger ones among them...

"Aah!"

Just then Misty suddenly screamed. It turned out someone had tried to flee to seek help, only to run straight into Misty, who had no Pokémon beside her at all...

---

Note 1: Specifically, as in the games, the strength of an N-stage stat increase is equal to (2+N)/2. That is, two boosts double the stat, while six boosts raise it to 400 percent. Conversely, an N-stage decrease is equal to 2/(2+N), so two drops halve it and six drops reduce it to one quarter.

Note 2: Skill-based boosts or debuffs reset when the Pokémon is returned to its ball. The exact principle of Poké Balls will be explained later; it is roughly equivalent to "sleeping." Boosts caused by tonics persist because the tonic remains active in the body, so when the Pokémon is sent out again the effect returns as well. The difference is that tonic effects do not stack, while skill-based ones can. In addition, both boosts and debuffs have durations, and each use of a skill consumes stamina, so unless an enemy is already visible, or is about to emerge from an ambush shortly, the boosted state is not maintained indefinitely.

"Brother Shen!"
"Mm!"

As Shen Changqing walked along the road, whenever he met someone familiar, they would exchange greetings or nod to one another.

But no matter who it was, no one wore extra expression on their face, as if indifferent to everything.

To this, Shen Changqing was already used to it.

This was the Demon Suppression Office, an institution tasked with safeguarding the stability of Great Qin, whose main duty was to slay demons, monsters, and all manner of uncanny beings, though it also had a few other side businesses.

It could be said that everyone in the Demon Suppression Office had blood on their hands.

When a person had grown accustomed to life and death, many things became faint and remote.

When he first came to this world, Shen Changqing had been somewhat unaccustomed to it, but after a long while, he had gradually grown used to it.

The Demon Suppression Office was vast.

Those who could remain in it were either formidable experts or people with the potential to become such experts.

Shen Changqing belonged to the latter.

Within the Demon Suppression Office there were two occupations: the Guardian and the Exorcist.

Anyone who entered the office began at the lowest level, as an Exorcist, then advanced step by step, with hopes of eventually becoming a Guardian.

Shen Changqing's former self had been an apprentice Exorcist in the Demon Suppression Office, the lowest rank among Exorcists.

With his predecessor's memories, he was extremely familiar with the office's environment.

It did not take long before Shen Changqing stopped before a pavilion.

Unlike the other killing fields of the Demon Suppression Office, this pavilion stood like a crane among chickens, bringing a different kind of quiet to the blood-soaked premises.

At the moment, its doors stood open, and people occasionally went in and out.

After only a brief hesitation, Shen Changqing stepped inside.

Once within, the surroundings changed abruptly.

A wave of ink fragrance mixed with a faint scent of blood rushed toward him, causing his brows to furrow instinctively, though they soon relaxed again.

The bloody odor that clung to everyone in the Demon Suppression Office was almost impossible to wash away.