Pokémon: Starting From Zero as a Legendary Pokémon Chapter 40 40: The Trainer Trapped by His Pokémon

Most trainers, in truth, do not behave like Ash—replacing their entire team and raising new Pokémon every ti they enter a new region.

One reason is simple: limited resources.

Ordinary trainers simply cannot afford to support that many Pokémon.

Reggie was a textbook example.

Born into an ordinary family, he had built a respectable team through sheer effort.

He shared deep bonds with them, so wherever he traveled, they traveled with him.

In other words, if he wanted to train new Pokémon, he would have to set his old partners aside.

But a person's energy is limited.

So is their capacity for emotional investnt.

You can nurture one team, maybe two—but once the number grows too large, it becos difficult for a trainer to truly give their heart to newly joined Pokémon.

A Pokémon's growth is closely tied to its bond with its trainer.

The stronger the trainer's emotional investnt, the faster the Pokémon develops.

Of course, this varies from person to person.

So trainers—like Ash—possess endless passion.

"More than making these children stronger," Reggie said quietly, "I think what I really want is to settle down with them."

"Brother."

Shinji grew anxious.

He never imagined that a single battle could extinguish his brother's fighting spirit.

How could this happen?

Should he bla Sora?

There was no basis for that.

What did Sora do wrong? The match had been completely fair.

If anything, having such a powerful trainer agree to a full six-on-six battle had been a stroke of luck for them.

"Isn't there more to it than that?" Sora interrupted gently.

"You want to retire for your younger brother's sake, don't you?"

"Mr. Sora…"

Reggie's eyes widened in surprise.

He hadn't expected his thoughts to be seen through so easily.

"For ?"

"But…"

Now Shinji was completely confused.

"It's about money, isn't it?" Sora continued.

He understood Reggie's decision.

The path of a trainer was incredibly expensive.

You competed in tournants, earned recognition, built your reputation, and beca known.

But prize money alone was never enough to sustain that journey.

Looking at Reggie, Sora felt as though he were seeing his past self.

Well—almost.

He still wasn't wealthy now.

He was still figuring out ways to make money.

"Your brother wants to beco a trainer too," Sora said.

"And as far as I know, receiving a starter Pokémon from a Professor and registering as a League trainer requires a substantial paynt."

It was like insurance.

First, you needed identification.

Then you paid fees for a certain period before qualifying to receive a starter Pokémon.

Not even counting the value of the starter itself, the official status of a registered League trainer was already extrely valuable.

Back when he had first arrived in this world, Sora had once been offered the sa opportunity.

He could have settled in that city for five years, paid the required fees regularly, and eventually gained League citizenship.

But he refused.

He didn't want to spend five years of his life rooted in one place.

"Mr. Sora, saying that out loud puts in a difficult position," Reggie said with a wry smile.

He glanced at Shinji, whose eyes had begun to redden.

He knew his younger brother well—that was why he had carried all the pressure alone.

"If that's the case, then I don't have to beco a trainer!" Shinji blurted.

Their household had always been supported by his brother alone.

He couldn't accept those sacrifices without guilt.

"Don't talk nonsense."

Reggie laughed and lightly chopped Shinji on the head.

"I'm not retiring because of you."

"True," Sora nodded.

"During our battle, I could feel your love for your Pokémon. How should I put it… Reggie, you're a little too gentle."

"Am I?"

Reggie scratched his head awkwardly.

"Maybe that's just my limit."

"That's not true!"

Shinji imdiately objected.

His brother was anything but weak.

"Don't misunderstand," Sora clarified calmly.

"I never said gentleness was a bad thing."

"Your brother loves his Pokémon. And that bond makes it impossible for him to abandon them."

"What do you an?"

Shinji still couldn't follow the logic.

"He already has the ability to earn money now," Sora explained.

"If he wanted to, he could leave his current team behind and focus entirely on raising new Pokémon."

Sotis, that was the harsh reality.

Older partners might have suffered from poor early training—limited nutrition, limited resources—leaving their foundations damaged.

No matter how hard they tried now, they might never reach Level 60 or Level 70.

To break through, a trainer often had to start fresh with new Pokémon.

But—

Would Reggie be willing to do that?

To use the hard-earned money won alongside his old teammates to raise new ones?

New Pokémon who would grow stronger, win fa, and gain recognition—

While the old ones were quietly left behind?

How cruel would that feel to those veterans?

Sora called Reggie gentle because he was trapped in that dilemma.

mories of struggling together.

Monts of mutual support with the simplest resources.

Reggie's heart was already bound to his partners.

He couldn't transfer that bond to newcors.

Doing so would feel like a betrayal.

"You really saw right through ," Reggie admitted softly.

He understood why Sora had spoken so openly.

It wasn't to criticize him.

It was to prevent Shinji from walking down the wrong path.

His brother's retirent wasn't due to lack of talent.

He had simply missed the optimal window.

"So, Shinji," Reggie said gently, "you don't need to carry any burden."

"I've saved enough money. You'll be able to start with proper resources—give every Pokémon the best care from the very beginning."

"I understand…"

Shinji clenched his fists.

"I'll carry your dream forward, brother."

"Well," Sora said thoughtfully, "in my opinion, being a little gentle isn't such a bad thing."

"Mr. Sora?"

"Yeah."

He nodded and placed his hand on the flower atop Lilligant's head.

"I'll never forget the days when this girl and I worked together—sweating side by side in the fields."

Even after gaining Ogerpon, Ursaluna, and Victini, Sora would never forget Lilligant.

Without her, he would never have made it this far.

Of course, Sora wasn't in the sa situation as Reggie.

With Victini's support, Lilligant would eventually grow strong enough to stand among a Champion's main team—around Level 70 to 80.

anwhile, after hearing both Sora and Reggie speak, Shinji's outlook on Pokémon began to shift—subtly diverging from the path he had taken in the original tiline.

He would still train his Pokémon strictly.

He would still demand excellence.

But outside of training—

He would rember that a trainer's honor, wealth, and status were never earned by the trainer alone.

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