[EXP Share: A cutting-edge product developed by the Devon Corporation. When equipped, the Pokémon will automatically absorb training results and battle experience from any Pokémon within a 100-meter radius engaged in training or battle. Your hospitality last night greatly impressed Steven, who decided to gift you this rare item as a token of thanks.]
Kawaki removed the EXP Share from Growlithe's head and examined it carefully. The device looked like something out of a sci-fi movie—more like an alien helmet than a Pokémon tool.
"One hundred meters, and it absorbs experience passively…"
The 100-meter limitation killed any hopes Kawaki had of simply farming experience by watching televised battles.
But even so—it was more than enough.
This effect was leagues ahead of its in-game counterpart.
In earlier Pokémon games, EXP Share only granted the holder a fraction of the experience from one battle.
But here? As long as Growlithe stayed within 100 meters of any number of Pokémon battles, it would continue gaining experience—no cap, no restrictions.
In other words, the more battles that took place, the faster Growlithe's "level" would skyrocket like a rocket launch.
And there was one unspoken mechanic: the stronger the battling Pokémon, the more experience Growlithe would gain.
Kawaki knew he couldn't just leave the daycare and go AFK near a Gym to farm.
So, there was only one solution—bring the battles to him.
If battles were what he needed, then he had to make the daycare a place where battles happened regularly.
And where were Pokémon battles most common?
Gyms, urban battle arenas, and the Pokémon League.
But the problem was—there was no Gym in Fallarbor Town.
And he wasn't about to give up running the daycare to open a dojo.
After thinking it through, Kawaki came up with an idea.
The very next morning, trainers passing through the route from Meteor Falls to Fallarbor spotted a giant banner outside the daycare.
Bold letters stretched across the cloth:
[Kawaki Daycare Presents: "King of the Ring" Challenge! The final champion who defends the throne will receive a rare, high-potential Pokémon egg! No entry fee! All you need is a Pokémon to participate! In addition to the egg, the winner will also receive a special mystery prize from the owner! Register now with Bewear at the front!]
The exaggerated marketing instantly caught attention.
All eyes were glued to eight specific words: "Rare and high-potential Pokémon egg!"
If there was one thing that never failed to lure trainers in—it was rare Pokémon.
At first, only two or three trainers came in to ask about it.
But within the hour, the number grew to over a dozen.
Fallarbor Town was a hub for Pokémon Contests, and nearby locations like Mt. Chimney and Meteor Falls drew in many adventurous trainers daily.
Most of them stayed at the Pokémon Center in town—just like in the anime.
Word spread like wildfire.
Soon, nearly everyone at the Pokémon Center knew about the King of the Ring tournament hosted at a nearby daycare—with a rare Pokémon egg as the grand prize.
Trainers loved a good challenge.
In no time, Kawaki's daycare was packed wall to wall.
And when they saw what was inside?
Their jaws dropped.
"Clefairy?!"
"So many Clefairy?!"
"Those are so rare!"
"They're eating whipped cream cake—so cute!!"
"What kind of Pokémon is that? I've never seen it before!" one trainer pointed at Bewear.
"You noob! That's an Alolan Pokémon. No wonder you haven't seen it."
The trainers packed into the lobby, chatting noisily and excitedly.
Kawaki watched with a calm smile.
Truth be told, the "no entry fee" thing was just bait.
He ran a daycare-slash-inn. Gather a bunch of people in one place, and eventually… they'd get thirsty. Or hungry.
And then? They'd buy his snacks and drinks.
Sure enough, Clefairy servers soon began carrying trays of berry juice to customers.
By noon, Kawaki had already made a decent profit.
All homemade, low cost, high margin.
Some trainers even chose to stay overnight at the daycare to participate in the tournament—every guestroom was booked.
And the event boosted overall business.
Several trainers chose to leave their Pokémon for training and move tutoring.
Kawaki accepted all of them. For him, it was all just a matter of thought—literally.
The day the tournament began, Kawaki looked out at the crowd of over a hundred trainers, the corners of his lips curving upward.
Not massive numbers, but enough.
Growlithe sat by his side, EXP Share still attached, wagging its tail in anticipation.
"Watch closely. Learn well," Kawaki told him.
"Woof woof!" Growlithe barked excitedly.
Kawaki stepped forward.
"Welcome, everyone, to the first King of the Ring Challenge at Kawaki Daycare. I'm your host and owner, Kawaki."
"The rules are simple: the challenge is divided between defenders and challengers. Each trainer may use up to six Pokémon. Of course, if you're confident enough to go solo, you may send out just one."
"Challengers must defeat all six of the defender's Pokémon to take their place. After each match, the defender may recover their Pokémon by any means they wish."
"Now then—step up, prove your strength, and become the King of the Ring! Win the final prize!"
His voice ignited the competitive flame in every trainer present.
Some knew the later you entered, the greater the advantage—but a few couldn't resist the glory of being first.
"I'll go first!"
A confident teenager, around fifteen or sixteen, stepped onto the battlefield.
With a dramatic sweep of his arm, he threw a Pokéball—out came a sleek, powerful Blaziken.
Smirking, he looked around. "Its ability is Speed Boost. The longer the fight, the stronger we get."
"Don't get cocky!" a blue-haired girl stepped forward to challenge him.
She tossed her Pokéball—out came a Slaking!
Kawaki's eyes narrowed.
Growlithe, Chingling, Bewear, and a bunch of Clefairy munching on popcorn watched from the sidelines.
Blaziken vs. Slaking. What a way to start the first round.
Perfect.
The more intense the battles, the more experience Growlithe would absorb.