Technical Machines, also known as TM discs, are tools used by Pokémon Trainers to teach their Pokémon specific moves.
Often referred to as "skill discs," most TMs are single-use. Once consumed, they're rendered useless, which makes each one exceptionally valuable.
"Chloé, I've made my choice. These are the ones I want," Sieg said, handing the completed exchange form to her.
Seeing Sieg casually demand all five of the skill discs that the Joy family had planned to invest in him, she couldn't help but advise him, "Sieg, you really don't need to demand all five TMs so soon. Who knows, you might end up raising more Pokémon in the future."
Though her words were gentle, Sieg could read between the lines, she was subtly reminding him just how precious these discs were.
And she wasn't wrong. Each TM was worth a fortune, especially the ones Sieg had chosen. Even if you had a few hundred thousand Pokédollars, some of them would still be impossible to find.
"Don't worry, Chloé. I just hope you'll help put in a good word for me, maybe it'll ease the current situation a little," Sieg replied resolute.
He softened his tone by calling her "Chloé" instead of her full name. After all, she was his only bridge to the Joy family. It was important to maintain a good relationship.
"Hmph, you little smooth-talker. Now you remember to call me Chloé?" she huffed, still clearly salty about the confession Sieg had turned down a few days earlier.
She shot him a look, her face slightly flushed with tsundere pride.
"I'll see what I can do, but 'Protect' is going to be tricky. You know how insanely popular that move is. Even within our family, supply is tight."
She skimmed through the form, and when she saw that he had selected a TM for "Protect," she couldn't help but look speechless.
"Since when was this kid so greedy?" she muttered inwardly.
"Hehe, thanks, Chloé! If 'Protect' isn't available, I'll take 'Substitute' instead."
With Sieg's cheeky grin still lingering, the two parted ways after he left the hall.
Back in his room, Sieg flopped onto his bed, eyes staring up at the ceiling, filled with glee.
"The Joy family really is loaded... I mean, they're actually willing to give someone outside their family TMs for moves like Protect, Hyper Beam, and Giga Impact."
The TM catalog Sieg had reviewed with Chloé covered nearly every move currently available on the market.
Only a few exceptions like weather moves, Rain Dance, Sandstorm, Sunny Day, and terrain moves like Grassy Terrain were missing.
It even included Outrage!
Still, Sieg wasn't being overly greedy. He'd only picked 1 TM for Protect, one for Tailwind, and one for Substitute.
Since Crawdaunt could learn Protect naturally, Sieg saved one disc and swapped it for Substitute instead.
As for Chloé's suggestion to save some of the TMs for later, Sieg scoffed at the idea.
To him, something only belonged to you once it was in your hands. Rather than leaving those excellent resources as mere words on a form, it was far better to turn them into tangible combat strength.
The move Protect was self-explanatory, it was a technique almost every Pokémon could learn. A powerful defense-type skill that could block any level of incoming attack.
It was absurdly expensive. On the black market, Protect could easily go for 800,000 Pokédollars, sometimes even more than a million.
And the worst part? No matter how much money you had, no one was willing to sell.
They simply couldn't be found. "The Tailwind TM will be perfect for Murkrow. It's exactly what I need to fix our speed gap."
Of all his Pokémon, Murkrow had the highest potential. Even the Eevee hatched from Petalburg Gym was a notch below.
Aside from wanting to give each Pokémon a TM for Protect, Sieg had reserved the Tailwind disc for Murkrow.
A small token of favoritism, perhaps.
Thinking about all this, Sieg's thoughts slowly drifted. He crossed his arms behind his head, eyes gently closing as sleep took him away.
The next morning, Sieg was still asleep when a hurried knock on his door jolted him awake.
"Ugh, so early in the morning?"
Still half-asleep, Sieg went to open the door, only to be startled by the person standing there.
"Chloé? What are you doing here?!"
He quickly buttoned up his pajamas, hiding his bare chest in a flash.
She turned away, cheeks slightly red. "The TMs you picked arrived. The family really values you. I can't believe they actually sent the Protect TM!"
Her brows raised in mild surprise, and when she looked at Sieg again, her gaze unconsciously drifted back to his chest.
Sieg didn't even bother changing shoes, rushing downstairs in his slippers.
Chloé followed behind, grumbling to herself. "Ugh, such a reckless kid…"
Down in the first-floor hall, the space was quiet and cold in the early morning light. Apart from a few staff members, no other Trainers were around.
"There. That's the Pokémon Learning Machine. The instructions are posted beside it. I'm sure someone as smart as you won't mess it up," she said, pointing toward a complicated-looking machine in the corner.
The Pokémon Learning Machine could directly upload the moves encoded in a TM into a Pokémon's mind, allowing them to learn the skill instantly.
It was one of the most advanced technologies in the Pokémon world, rumored to have been developed by Silph Co. in Kanto. Not long after the prototype was completed, the League had forcibly acquired the tech and absorbed the entire research team.
Though controversial, this invention had made Silph Co. famous overnight.
Sieg flipped through the manual briefly, then followed the instructions. He slotted Murkrow's Poké Ball into the machine, then inserted the TM into the central storage chamber.
Once he pressed the start button, the machine whirred to life, emitting a deep, resonant hum.
Thankfully, the hall was still empty. If anyone else had been there to witness someone using five TMs all at once, jaws would've hit the floor.
For most Trainers, training a Pokémon to learn even a single new move was a monumental task. Learning multiple techniques at once? Nearly impossible.
But Sieg was different. Murkrow's potential was terrifying, and with the League's training manual, the Joy family's abundant resources, and data from the Petalburg Gym at his disposal, everything aligned perfectly.
For other Pokémon, trying to learn too much at once might be overwhelming.
But for Murkrow, it was effortless.
After using the final TM, Substitute, for Crawdaunt, Sieg couldn't help but smile. Satisfaction welled up in his heart.
Everything was going exactly as planned.