John accepted the reputation quest from the senior disciple.
The mission content was straightforward: defeat Pokemon driven mad by excessive Dynamax energy across the Isle of Armor. The targets were the Pokemon lairs scattered throughout the island.
It was perfect timing. Whether John wanted to earn "watts", the currency needed for the reputation store, or increase his standing with Master Ma’s martial arts school, he needed to clear these Pokemon dens anyway. Two birds with one stone.
However, when he saw the reputation requirements, his optimism deflated slightly.
The math was brutal. From Ordinary Disciple to Core Disciple required 1,000 reputation points. From Core Disciple to Personal Disciple demanded another 5,000 points, a total of 6,000 reputation needed to reach Kubfu.
Each completed quest only awarded 1 reputation point.
Six thousand missions. At an average of fifteen minutes per quest, that meant 1,500 hours of grinding. Even if he somehow managed to play nonstop without eating or sleeping, it would take over two months of continuous effort.
For the sake of his sanity, and his health, John figured he’d need to spread those 1,500 hours across six months. Half a year to earn a legendary Pokemon wasn’t terrible, all things considered.
Beyond reaching the required reputation, each promotion tier required completing special advancement trials. Similar to the training clothes quest Mustard had given him initially, but presumably more challenging.
John wasn’t particularly worried about the trials themselves. His current strength was approaching Elite Four level, and he doubted Mustard would demand Champion-level skills just to become a Personal Disciple. That would defeat the purpose of having disciples at all.
No, the real challenge would be grinding through those 6,000 reputation points.
"Well, I needed to level up my Pokemon anyway," John mused, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "The Pokemon levels here are high enough to provide real training value. I can record the refresh times of the dens, and when they’re empty, I’ll come back to the Isle of Armor for reputation grinding. It’s actually not that bad when I think about it."
This legendary Pokemon felt different from his previous encounters, like the power plant incident or the situation in Altomare’s water capital. Those had been chance encounters, strokes of luck. This Kubfu was something he could methodically work toward, a goal with clear requirements laid out in front of him.
Six months of training while working toward a legendary Pokemon? John could live with that trade-off.
He already possessed the three major battle mechanics: MEGA Evolution, Z-Moves, and Dynamax. With those tools in his arsenal, he wasn’t in any particular rush to explore other regions. Opening dungeons and challenging gyms could wait.
John’s decision crystallized. For the next six months, his primary goal would be earning that Personal Disciple rank and claiming Kubfu as his own.
Three months later - July
The blazing summer heat was in full swing across most regions, but the Ranch maintained its pleasant spring-like climate. Sunlight streamed down from the azure sky, bathing the pasture in warm, golden light. Across the emerald grassland, flames danced and flowed as two groups engaged in heated competition.
John stood on his balcony, watching the Arcanine pack and Rapidash herd charging across the field, jostling and colliding as they fought over a colorful ball. He’d designed this little tournament to keep them entertained, and to prevent them from getting restless. The prize was premium Pokeblocks, adding just enough stakes to make things interesting.
The result? Eight brawls in three days.
As long as nobody got seriously injured, John didn’t intervene. Pokemon grew stronger through battle, after all. Especially his shiny Arcanine, his "little golden sun", whose physique had been steadily bulking up. The guy seemed to relish leading his pack brothers into scraps with the Rapidash.
"Aero..." The obsidian Aerodactyl spread its wings and flapped them irritably, batting away John’s reaching hand with obvious disdain before repositioning itself on another section of the balcony railing.
"Why do your cries sound more and more like a Murkrow?" John observed, eyeing the ancient Pokemon’s increasingly crow-like mannerisms. He reached out to pet its rocky hide again, but Aerodactyl simply turned its head away with characteristic aloofness.
At that moment, a small, hardworking figure returned from duty.
Delibird fluttered down onto the balcony, wings beating rapidly as it tugged at its white delivery sack. Sweat beaded on its red feathers from the exertion of refereeing the grassland competition, thankfully, it had managed to stay airborne long enough to avoid getting trampled by the feuding fire-types.
"Deli deli..." Delibird panted, wiping its brow and placing its wings on its hips with an air of satisfied accomplishment.
Spotting John, the penguin Pokemon quietly reached into its bag and produced a sphere of swirling, multicolored light.
John accepted the gift casually. The Present exploded immediately upon contact, releasing gentle white smoke infused with pale green healing energy that seeped into his skin.
While Delibird’s Present attack had an 80% chance of being explosive, John had long since figured out that his Delibird could control the outcome. Since he’d never wronged the little guy, he trusted that any gifts would be beneficial rather than... combustible.
"Thanks," John said, patting Delibird’s head affectionately.
"Deli!" Delibird chirped, covering its head shyly at the praise.
Scooping up the delivery Pokemon and settling it on his shoulder, John called to Gardevoir as he headed downstairs.
"Gather everyone together for lunch. We’re heading out afterward."
John had received a call from his Senior, Damien, the previous night. The Avian Santcuary had finally opened, and participants needed to arrive at Draconia’s premier tourist destination, the "Celestial Realm", within the next day.
The Graves family maintained their ancestral home in the Celestial Realm, where the entrance to the Mystic Realm was hidden among the area’s natural hot springs. It would be John’s first visit to the famous resort region, making this trip both business and pleasure.
"Garde..." Gardevoir nodded gracefully, clasping her hands together at chest level. Psychic waves immediately rippled outward from her position, spreading across the vast expanse of the ranch.
Though tens of thousands of Pokemon called the Ranch home, only John’s personal team felt the telepathic summons.
Greninja had been napping peacefully on the surface of the central lake when the psychic pulse reached him. In one fluid motion, the ninja Pokemon splashed upward, created a Substitute, grabbed his own body mid-air, and spun like a discus thrower before launching himself toward the house. Water jets activated mid-flight, turning him into a blue streak cutting through the air like a flying fish.
From the sky, John’s ranch would have looked like a hub of sudden activity as various Pokemon converged on the main building.
In the cavern network near the ranch’s edge, Steelix and Aggron stirred from their slumber. Steelix’s massive head struck the ground with enough force to create a tunnel, while Aggron thundered along behind, both making their way toward John’s location with surprising speed for their size.
High above in the cloud layer, the Totem-sized Salamence and Gyarados emerged from their aerial patrol, roaring their acknowledgment before descending to land outside the front door.
Within just over ten minutes, John’s entire core team had assembled, ready for whatever adventure awaited them in the Avian Sanctuary.