As the dust settled over the battlefield, a system notification appeared before John's eyes:
[Dungeon "Po Town-Team Skull Base" (completed), rewards as follows:
-Random Advanced Pokémon Item
-Rare Technical Record
-Totem Stickers x10
-Bug Z-Crystal (First-time completion bonus)
-Poisonium-Z (First-time completion bonus)]
"Kind of stingy," John muttered, reviewing the rewards with a critical eye.
In other regions, even minor criminal organizations like Team Rocket's Mahogany Town base in Johto would at least drop a Mega Stone. Yet here he was, having defeated the more competent Team Skull, and all he got were two Z-Crystals?
The advanced Pokémon item and rare Technical Machine were standard fare at best. Ten Totem Stickers felt like nothing more than a participation trophy.
On second thought, John reconsidered his assessment. Given Team Skull's notoriously low standing and dire financial situation, at least before Guzma started working for the Aether Foundation, he couldn't have expected much more.
"Whatever. Monthly raids here for treasures wouldn't be a bad idea," he concluded pragmatically.
John reviewed his spoils more carefully. The Technical Machine contained "Swords Dance", quite practical, raising a Pokémon's Attack stat sharply by two stages at once. Perfect timing too, as Garchomp hadn't learned it yet. John immediately used the TM to boost his dragon's offensive capabilities further.
The advanced item was labeled "Focus Black Belt."
[Focus Black Belt: Increases Fighting-type move power by 40%. After using a Fighting-type move, subsequent non-Fighting moves gain power equal to the number of consecutive Fighting-type moves used x10%, up to a maximum of 100% additional power.]
John had to read the description twice before understanding its mechanics.
After testing it, the pattern became clear: If Blaziken used Force Palm first, then followed with a non-Fighting move like Blaze Kick, the fire attack would deal 110% of its normal damage.
If Blaziken opened with Double Kick and then used Blaze Kick, the fire attack would deal 120% damage.
When John experimented with a sequence of Double Kick followed by Force Palm, four total hits, and then Blaze Kick, the resulting fire attack delivered 140% of its standard power.
The pattern confirmed his theory: each Fighting-type hit added to the multiplier, maxing out at ten consecutive hits for a 100% boost to the follow-up non-Fighting attack.
"No question about it," John said to himself. "Blaziken is the perfect match for this Focus Black Belt."
Conveniently, his Blaziken had already absorbed the "Inferno Charcoal" item, and didn't have an exclusive equip slot filled. The blazing bird Pokémon had been carrying a general treasure-tier item anyway.
After equipping Blaziken with the Focus Black Belt, John departed from Po Town.
He checked his Totem Sticker collection: 98 stickers. Just two away from unlocking the fifth Totem Pokémon.
"Shame those other Skull grunts didn't show up for a fight," he mused. The system had ejected him from the dungeon immediately after defeating Guzma, denying him any additional sticker opportunities.
No matter, Ula'ula Island had plenty of places to hunt for Totem Stickers!
John decided to make a detour to Mount Hokulani. On the mountainside, he easily discovered two Totem Stickers tucked away in hidden spots. At the Hokulani Observatory nearby, he found three more.
"One hundred and three stickers?" John's eyebrows raised in surprise. "Could Professor Oak offer more than five exchanges?"
Using Gardevoir's Teleport, John returned to the Pokémon Center in Malie City, then had Flygon use Fly to reach Heahea City. From there, he made his way to Heahea Beach to find Professor Oak.
As in their previous meetings, Professor Oak verified John's Totem Sticker count, then presented him with three Pokeballs containing different Totem Pokémon, allowing John to choose one to take.
The Totem Pokémon offered for collecting 60 stickers were: Vikavolt, Salazzle, and Gyarados.
"Totem Gyarados and Vikavolt?" John's eyes lit up with interest.
He dismissed Salazzle without a second thought. Compared to the other two, it was underwhelming, not to mention its rather unconventional appearance.
Between Gyarados and Vikavolt, John hesitated briefly before selecting Gyarados. His reasoning was simple: he already had a shiny Gyarados in his collection. This Totem Gyarados wouldn't become part of his main team but would be perfect for breeding and selling. The more popular choice was the obvious pick for the marketplace.
Examining the Totem Gyarados, John noted its impressive stats: perfect IVs in Attack, HP, Defense, and Speed, four perfect stats total. Its ability was Intimidate.
"Not bad at all," he murmured. "If it had a perfect Attack stat, the most crucial one, it would fetch an even higher price." Still, the combination of Totem status and four perfect IVs meant this Gyarados would sell for several times more than the pseudo-legendary dragon types on the market!
John could already envision the buzz this would create at his breeding house's next auction.
Approaching Professor Oak again, the professor produced another three Pokeballs.
The Totem Pokémon rewards for collecting 80 stickers were: Toucannon, Arcanine, and Mudsdale.
Without hesitation, John selected the Totem Arcanine.
Checking its individual values, he saw perfect IVs in Attack, Special Attack, and Speed, three perfect stats. Its ability was Justified.
This blazing canine with its incredible 130 base Speed wasn't destined for the market. John decided to keep it as a gift for his loyal Growlithe, a reward for their partnership and the countless battles they'd fought together.
Some debts of gratitude required personal delivery.
Finally, John approached Professor Oak for the fifth exchange. Based on his memories of the game's original version, this should be when the dragon pseudo-legendary Totem Pokémon became available.
But with the numerous changes he'd already encountered in this version, John felt a twinge of uncertainty. Professor Oak had originally offered only five Totem Pokémon exchanges, yet John now had 103 stickers, with undoubtedly more to be found on Poni Island, the last major location in the Alola region. Perhaps a sixth exchange awaited?
If so, would the dragon-type pseudo-legendary still be available on the fifth exchange, or had the reward schedule shifted?
Professor Oak presented three more Pokeballs.
The Totem Pokémon rewards for collecting 100 stickers were: Kommo-o, Goodra, and Salamence.
"Jackpot!" John's eyes widened with excitement. Three dragon-type pseudo-legendaries to choose from!