Chapter Seven: Traits are Divine Grace and Extraordinary Luck!

Bamboo Frost made his way to the Rocket Tower, the courier bird perched on his shoulder, eating and drinking as usual, seemingly unfazed by the surroundings. According to his own trainer, this old popsicle was so out of touch that calling him a country bumpkin would be an insult to country bumpkins everywhere. Naturally, he was curious about modern facilities, and the likelihood of him being swayed by advertisements was even higher than that of the elderly.

"The Rocket Tower really is quite imposing," he mused.

The arcade he had originally intended to visit had been replaced by an entire floor within the tower, now part of a highly integrated commercial complex. As the automatic doors slid open with a hum, not even the courier bird noticed before a group of men and women in black suits rushed over, popping small party cannons in Bamboo Frost's direction.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

"Congratulations, sir! You are the one-thousandth guest to enter Rocket Tower this morning!"

Bamboo Frost: ...?

What an old-fashioned promotional trick; he'd nearly forgotten such things existed.

The lead black suit, all smiles, continued, "Congratulations, you've won a one-million credit shopping spree and a Rocket uniform personally signed by Director Sakaki!"

Bamboo Frost was silent for a moment. "I have a question."

"Of course, sir."

"I'm here to sell something."

The manager in the black suit was taken aback. "You want to sell something to Rocket Group?!"

Bamboo Frost nodded. "I saw your group’s advertisement on the way in. I assumed you offered such services."

The manager was curious. "May I ask what you'd like to sell? If it's berries or evolutionary stones, I’d recommend selling to the League; their purchase price is much higher than ours."

"No, it's a mechanical blueprint," Bamboo Frost replied. "Hold on, let me throw this packaging away."

The courier bird took flight, guiding Bamboo Frost to a nearby trash bin.

A million-credit spending limit was quite something; it meant many coveted items could now be within reach. Bamboo Frost tossed the packaging into the bin and then fell silent.

What did he just see?

The manager watched as Bamboo Frost reached into the trash can, a shiver running down his spine.

Oh no, is this man mentally unstable? I'd better request a Psychic Pokémon from the back to assist with this situation!

"Here, you might be interested in this," Bamboo Frost said, passing over a beautifully packaged box containing a meticulously polished blue stone.

"This is..." The manager was stunned. "A Water Stone?!"

The familiar logo on the packaging—it seemed to be a Rocket Group product, and one that had only recently been sold.

"Yes, probably dropped by some careless fool. Keep it safe; you’ll likely have a disgruntled customer come looking for it soon."

Most likely someone mistook their shopping bag for trash and threw it out—such problems were common in these super-malls with food courts.

The manager couldn't help but look Bamboo Frost up and down. "Do you have the Pickup ability?"

He was joking, of course, but the man's luck bordered on the absurd.

A lucky customer was one thing, but to find a Water Stone just by tossing out some trash?

If a customer had been pickpocketed in the mall, that would be the Rocket Group's responsibility. But if they were just absent-minded, there was nothing anyone could do.

"I don't have the Pickup ability," Bamboo Frost replied. "Can you make the decision about the blueprint? I can give you half of it for reference."

"Uh, please give me a moment to report this," the manager said, waving his hand for an attendant to escort Bamboo Frost to the VIP lounge and fast-track a one-million credit shopping card. No matter what, the lucky customer’s reward had to be delivered.

Half an hour later, the manager returned, blueprint in hand, beaming as he entered the lounge.

"Sir—no, esteemed researcher, how should I address you?"

"Bamboo Frost."

The manager nodded. "Mr. Bamboo Frost, our head of the technical department would like to speak with you."

"The head of technical department?" Direct contact with upper management? Or perhaps just the aura of a lucky customer at work.

The manager was quite proud. "Yes, our technical chief. I'm sure you've heard of him."

A strange feeling welled up in Bamboo Frost's chest.

Could it be...

"Vermilion Gym Leader, Lt. Surge!"

The video call screen lit up, and Lt. Surge’s large face filled the display.

"Hey, hey, so this is our esteemed researcher? What a beautiful lady you are."

Bamboo Frost's face darkened. "Sorry, Lt. Surge, I'm a man."

Lt. Surge: ...What?

A man?!

"Oh, my apologies. Let's get back to business," Lt. Surge shifted gears immediately. "Your battery blueprint is impressive; name your price."

Bamboo Frost cut to the chase. "How much can you offer?"

He just needed a quick sum of money. The blueprint wasn’t especially valuable—its merit lay in technical innovation.

Lt. Surge paused. "Ah, I see you’re the focused researcher type. I’ve reviewed your blueprint. To be honest, the scale is small, but the ingenuity lies in its concept and mechanical structure."

"Your design is meant for small Pokémon. In my hands, it can be adapted into a super battery for large Pokémon."

"The greatest advantage is its structural stability and safety—it could even be used to retrofit hazardous electrical facilities."

Lt. Surge stroked the Raichu at his side. "For example, modified so that Electric-types like Manectric or Electivire could use it en masse."

"Oh, perhaps you’re unfamiliar with Electivire—it’s the evolved form of Electabuzz, capable of storing enough power to keep a city running for a day or two."

Bamboo Frost massaged his brow. "Alright, Vermilion Gym Leader, just name a price. I trust your expertise, but I’m not an expert in your field."

"Haha, sorry, I got carried away," Lt. Surge said with a grin. "Since you’re our group’s lucky customer and I have a favor to ask, I’m willing to pay five million for the complete blueprint. If you wish, you can also take a share in future profits."

The blueprint would need further review and investment for research and improvement, but business wasn’t simply a matter of calculations.

Once he finished refining the blueprint, whether it led to a technological revolution or became a Rocket Group exclusive, the profits would be substantial.

Five million for a blueprint with no experimental data or prototype—clearly, Lt. Surge wanted to make a friend.

Researchers like this might pull something extraordinary out of nowhere—you wanted to maintain good relations.

Besides, with Rocket Group’s current standing, being stingy over such matters would be foolish. Lt. Surge, a man of great experience, would never make that mistake.

A minor expense, easily written off, requiring no report to the Boss.

"That’s a fair price," Bamboo Frost thought. "Whatever the amount, as long as it lasts me for a while. I can’t always rely on the ‘pocket money’ given by Dr. Rowan and Professor Oak."

Financial independence—this was an essential prerequisite to embark on a journey.

"Haha, what a forthright man—we’ll get along well."

Lt. Surge roared with laughter. "But, handsome sir, if you wish to avoid further misunderstandings, I suggest tidying up your appearance."

The manager caught on instantly. "There’s a famous stylist’s shop in the building—let me take you there right now."

"Good, I’ll leave it to you. The payment will be processed immediately," Lt. Surge said, ending the video call. Leaning back in his chair, he sipped his coffee and gently scratched Raichu’s head.

Now this was the life—a department head at his desk, and results falling from the sky.

"You seem quite pleased," a voice remarked.

Lt. Surge nearly spilled his coffee on his uniform. "Sabrina, next time, please announce yourself before entering my office. Your psychic powers make you come and go without a trace—that’s not how they should be used."

"Apologies," replied the woman with long, straight black hair, her expression blank and tone perfunctory. She glanced at the scan file on the desk.

"This is the battery blueprint you mentioned?"

Lt. Surge was surprised. "You heard that? Is there a document for me to sign off on?"

"Not really. It's my break time—I just let the Spoon of Destiny guide me around," Sabrina replied, picking up the blueprint. "Hmm, it will benefit you greatly, and the group as a whole as well."

"Thanks for the blessing," Lt. Surge grinned. As a powerful psychic, Sabrina’s words carried weight. This month’s performance—no, this half year’s performance—might just be secured in one stroke!

Back at Rocket Tower, Bamboo Frost continued to stroll, now carrying two cards: the lucky customer’s shopping card and the payment from Lt. Surge.

The accompanying manager wiped sweat from his brow continuously.

As an honored guest, Bamboo Frost naturally didn’t have to pay for anything today.

But there was a problem...

Once again, congratulations and celebratory cheers sounded as the shop owner, beaming, handed Bamboo Frost the special grand prize—an Eevee’s basic evolution stone set.

Water, Fire, and Thunder stones.

Bamboo Frost glanced at the manager. "This is legitimate commerce; there’s no need to curry favor with me like this."

The manager nearly shook his head off. "No, sir, please let me explain!"

He truly had not gone out of his way to please Bamboo Frost!

In every store with a lottery along their route, the grand prize had always fallen to him!

"Beili," the courier bird muttered, scratching its head, beginning to suspect Bamboo Frost’s true identity.

Its small satchel had grown into a large suitcase, stuffed full of various gifts.

The courier bird was starting to suspect this old popsicle was actually a human-form Togepi—and it even had evidence.

Trailing behind, besides the manager, was a small group of onlookers hoping to bask in his luck or perhaps just witness this living, breathing super-lucky star.

From a business perspective, the manager saw this as boosting sales—excellent.

But personally, he felt his scalp prickling, a tinge of envy creeping in—the typical jealousy of the perpetually unlucky toward the eternally fortunate.

Winning a grand prize once could be put down to luck. But not missing a single one? That was simply outrageous!