Chapter 8: Chapter 8 - At 20, a Pokémon Policeman
Chapter 8 - At 20, a Pokémon Policeman
Barbara knew that her father and Quinn needed rest, so she didn't disturb them, waiting until nightfall before waking them up after preparing dinner.
Knock, knock.
"Come in."
Barbara pushed open the door and saw Quinn holding a silver bell, her eyes lighting up. "What a beautiful bell! Is it for a pet?"
Quinn put away the Soothing Bell and had a strange expression. "Uh, you can think of it that way."
This was an item Quinn pulled out of the computer—a Pokémon item that would be given to a Pokémon. He felt a bit disappointed that it wasn't a Legendary Egg or a Master Ball.
[Name: Soothing Bell]
[Type: Other]
[Quality: ★]
[Effect: Increases the Pokémon's affection when held.]
[Description: A melodious bell that soothes the Pokémon carrying it, making it easier for the Pokémon to become more intimate with its Trainer.]
The effect was basically the same as in the game. However, what caught Quinn's attention more was the small inscription engraved on the bell—a complex ancient script that the system automatically translated for Quinn.
"Please take care of that child and find him."
Looking at the lump under the blanket, Quinn smiled. No wonder the reward was the Soothing Bell; it was prepared for Manaphy.
However, Quinn had already shared a bed with Manaphy, and his feelings were already soothed. The Soothing Bell felt a bit redundant.
Quinn shook the bell, the pleasant sound calming his restless heart. There was no need to rush; there were plenty of opportunities to earn points in Gotham. He just needed to take it step by step.
He held the bell between his fingers and wondered if it would work on humans as well, or if it was because he was an exception... Just then, Barbara knocked on the door and came in, calling him for dinner.
Initially, Quinn felt a bit uneasy about living with the Gordons, but both Gordon and Barbara treated him like family, and he quickly adapted to the warm atmosphere and became part of it.
After dinner, Quinn volunteered to help with the dishes, which pleased Gordon. He admired tough men, and even more so, tough men who took care of their families.
In the kitchen, Quinn's hands moved swiftly and skillfully as he cleaned the utensils. When Barbara asked about it, he explained that his family owned a restaurant, and he often helped out during busy times. Over time, his skills naturally became proficient.
"In that case, your culinary skills must be excellent," Barbara brushed her bangs to the side, "Can you teach me to cook Chinese food? I've always wanted to try, but it's hard to get started just from watching videos."
Barbara complained, "The chefs in the videos always use vague measurements like 'a handful,' 'moderate amount,' and 'generous amount.' It's hard to gauge how much seasoning to add, so it always ends up too salty or too sweet."
Quinn understood. Even his own father was the same. He had taken a long time to figure out the right measurements for the dishes.
"Each chef has their own habits. I recommend following your instincts and going with what feels right."
Barbara wasn't starting from scratch, and she couldn't make terrible dark cuisine. She supported her chin with her hand, "Following my instincts, will that ruin the original flavors?"
Quinn shrugged, "Let me tell you an open secret—most Chinese food in America isn't real Chinese food, including the ones in Chinatown. If you want to taste authentic Chinese food, you'll have to visit China."
"Including your family's restaurant?"
"Yep, he once made a dish called strawberry sauce tofu. I almost got into a fight with my dad when I first tried it."
Strawberry sauce tofu was a dish created by Quinn's father, a variation of mapo tofu. It looked colorful and vibrant on the outside, but the taste was so watery that Quinn would never forget it.
"Do you have to sabotage your own family's business like this? Your dad must've been furious when he found out."
Barbara giggled. At that moment, Gordon walked in, and she pushed her wheelchair away from the kitchen, leaving plenty of space for the two men.
"Barbara hasn't laughed so happily in a long time. Thank you, Quinn."
Gordon took a beer from the fridge and offered it to Quinn, who declined, stating that alcohol would affect his judgment.
Gordon didn't insist and opened one for himself. "Alcohol helps to relax a tense mind. I used to avoid drinking and smoking, but look at me now."
He pointed at the full fridge of beer, "I can't live without this damn alcohol anymore."
As he chugged down a whole can of beer, he seemed a bit tipsy.
"tomorrow is your official first day on the job. Have you thought about which department you want to work in? I can arrange it for you."
Unlike the promotion systems in other cities, due to Gotham's unique security situation, Gordon was in charge of all the police department appointments. It was a matter of favoritism, and as long as one gained Gordon's trust, they could quickly get promoted.
The reason behind this was simple. If they didn't want the police department to become a puppet of some gang, there had to be a one-man show, and during Gordon's tenure, that was how things were done.
The Gotham police might not be trusted, and many people might not trust Batman, but everyone trusted James Gordon. He was worth the trust.
And to live up to that trust, Gordon had sacrificed not just himself but also his family.
Facing the olive branch thrown by Gordon, Quinn's answer was, "A beat cop. I want to be a beat cop."
Gordon was very surprised because the position Quinn requested was too low, as low as it could get.
A beat cop was the lowest rank in the entire American police system. They were commonly referred to as "rookies" and were usually responsible for maintaining order and safety in a specific neighborhood, spending most of their time patrolling.
However, this was Gotham, and the situation here was different. With the increasing prevalence of super-powered crime, patrolling the streets had become quite dangerous for beat cops.
To what extent was the attrition rate? Let's put it this way—Gotham's police department had stopped appointing beat cops altogether, as many neighborhoods were no longer under police control.
The Penguin, Black Mask, Joker, and others had divided Gotham into several territories, maintaining a fragile balance under the control of the Court of Owls.
Quinn proposed, "Commissioner, didn't you arrange for me to work with Kevin? I'll start as a beat cop in the same neighborhood he was born and raised."
"Well... since you've made up your mind, I won't say much more."
Gordon's expression was subtle. In Gotham, there was only one beat cop—Quinn. Following the principle of handling work based on districts, the district he would be assigned to was...
The entire Gotham.
____
In the white consciousness space, Quinn stood between the water pool and the computer, hesitating.
He currently had 113 points remaining, so he could try another draw. The question was, which pool should he draw from?
Based on the cryptic hints the system had given him, Quinn could discern the differences between the two pools.
On the right-hand side was a water pool, and the draw method was "fishing." It would randomly grant him items and abilities from various world settings, the so-called "Mixed Pool."
On the left-hand side was a computer, just like the storage system used in Pokémon games, which would allow him to "selectively extract" items from the Pokémon world setting, the "Single UP Pool."
Each type of pool had its advantages and disadvantages. The Mixed Pool had extremely high upper and lower limits, meaning he could draw out godly artifacts or mere pieces of junk.
The Single UP Pool, on the other hand, could only provide Pokémon-related items. However, there were many powerful items associated with Pokémon, and anything related to legendary Pokémon would be top-notch.
Arriving at the computer, Quinn opened the extraction interface, pondered for a moment, and typed a line of text.
"Please give me the power to protect everyone."
Since the computer wasn't connected to the internet, Quinn couldn't send this message to anyone. However, he believed that someone would see it.
Moving the cursor to the extraction button, Quinn hit the enter key, and his points instantly dropped to thirteen.
At the same time, a brand-new document box was transported into Quinn's hands.
[Name: Items from the Devon Corp]
[Type: Other]
[Quality: ☆]
[Special Effects: Storage]
[Description: While the Devon Corp was flourishing in Slateport City, one of its employees accidentally lost a document box containing company items during a business trip.
"Whoever picks this up, please return it to me! Waaahhh!"]
"The description puts 'accidentally' in quotation marks... It probably wasn't an accident, but rather someone temporarily 'borrowed' it, right?"
Let's mourn for the poor employee for three seconds. In another world, Quinn would like to return the box, but he couldn't in this case. However, the great being behind the scenes would likely compensate the owner with something else... right?
Quinn picked up the document box and weighed it. It was quite heavy, indicating that it probably contained many items.
"Only one item can be drawn at a time, so they bundled things up and sent them to me. How thoughtful." Quinn rubbed his hands in excitement.
Next was the thrilling and suspenseful unboxing time.
Quinn opened the box, and a golden light illuminated his face.
"Wow! A Gold Legend!"
Quinn provided his own commentary, expressing his excitement. Before him was one of the items.
[Name: One-time use TM "Swords Dance"]
[Type: Other]
[Quality: ★★★]
[Attribute: Normal]
[Special Effects: Increases the user's attack power by 2 stages]
[Description: A CD that allows a Pokémon to learn the move "Swords Dance." It disappears after use.]
According to the Pokémon calculation formula, each stage represented a 50% increase in attributes, with a maximum of 6 stages, or a 300% increase.
Using Swords Dance once would increase the user's attack power by 2 stages, and after using it three times, the attack power would increase by four times, a straightforward and practical ability fitting of its 3-star quality.
Quinn stuck out his tongue and licked his dry lips. "Since Manaphy and I can communicate telepathically, and the Soothe Bell works on me, then this Move Tutor should also..."
Quinn held the CD and silently activated it. The CD instantly disappeared, and a vast flow of information poured into Quinn's consciousness.
In a dark room, Manaphy, who was sleeping, frowned. It dreamed that it was locked in a glass jar, experiencing the miserable daily life of being poked with needles.
At this moment, Quinn suddenly opened his eyes. Beside him, Manaphy unconsciously moved closer to him, as if sensing the presence of a kindred spirit, and its frown gradually eased.
Quinn felt the changes happening in his body.
"I can finally transform into a Pokémon."
___
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