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Pokémon: Starting From Zero as a Legendary Pokémon

Chapter 40: The Trainer Trapped by His Pokémon · Nov 09, 2026

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Chapter List (222)

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1 Chapter 1: Victini 2026-11-09
2 Chapter 2: An Outdated Era 2026-11-09
3 Chapter 3: I Choose You, Lilligant 2026-11-09
4 Chapter 4: The Terrifying Energy Ball 2026-11-09
5 Chapter 5: The True Value of an Infinite Pokémon 2026-11-09
6 Chapter 6: Pokémon Levels 2026-11-09
7 Chapter 7: Harsh Lands Breed Harsh People 2026-11-09
8 Chapter 8: Victini, Move Out! 2026-11-09
9 Chapter 9: Ogerpon — What the Heck?! 2026-11-09
10 Chapter 10: Why Are the People Here So Mean? 2026-11-09
11 Chapter 11: Sora Kenji — Son, Your Dad Is Waiting for You to Come Back 2026-11-09
12 Chapter 12: First Meeting with Ogerpon 2026-11-09
13 Chapter 13: A Promise with Ponpon 2026-11-09
14 Chapter 14: Repairing the Mask 2026-11-09
15 Chapter 15: In the Pokémon World, There Are Still More Good People Than Bad 2026-11-09
16 Chapter 16: Recruiting Ogerpon 2026-11-09
17 Chapter 17: Ponpon’s Potential 2026-11-09
18 Chapter 18: Ogerpon vs. Victini Combo 2026-11-09
19 Chapter 19: A Chain of Triggered Abilities 2026-11-09
20 Chapter 20: The True Weight of a Legendary Pokémon 2026-11-09
21 Chapter 21: Bloodmoon Ursaluna 2026-11-09
22 Chapter 22: Sora — Don’t Blame Me for Playing Dirty, Big Guy 2026-11-09
23 Chapter 23: The Hisuian Pokémon That Doesn’t Play Fair 2026-11-09
24 Chapter 24: Bloodmoon Ursaluna, Get! 2026-11-09
25 Chapter 25: Peat Block 2026-11-09
26 Chapter 26: Time to Find a Rich Sponsor 2026-11-09
27 Chapter 27: The Loyal Three Return 2026-11-09
28 Chapter 28: ’C-Can We Make Peace?’ 2026-11-09
29 Chapter 29: The Loyal Three — Defeated 2026-11-09
30 Chapter 30: Leaving Kitakami 2026-11-09
31 Chapter 31: Pachirisu and Buneary 2026-11-09
32 Chapter 32: Capturing Eevee 2026-11-09
33 Chapter 33: Eevee Awakens 2026-11-09
34 Chapter 34: The Reggie Brothers 2026-11-09
35 Chapter 35: Reggie’s Shock 2026-11-09
36 Chapter 36: The Battle 2026-11-09
37 Chapter 37: Ogerpon, Change Masks 2026-11-09
38 Chapter 38: The Unreasonable Ivy Cudgel 2026-11-09
39 Chapter 39: Reggie’s Crushing Defeat 2026-11-09
40 Chapter 40: The Trainer Trapped by His Pokémon 2026-11-09
41 Chapter 41: Eevee’s Evolution Path 2026-11-09
42 Chapter 42: Eterna City 2026-11-09
43 Chapter 43: Cynthia 2026-11-09
44 Chapter 44: The First Meeting with the Sinnoh Champion 2026-11-09
45 Chapter 45: The First Step to Winning Cynthia Over 2026-11-09
46 Chapter 46: The Peat Block Deal 2026-11-09
47 Chapter 47: The Big Shopping Spree 2026-11-09
48 Chapter 48: Target — The Azoth Kingdom! 2026-11-09
49 Chapter 49: Sylveon 2026-11-09
50 Chapter 50: Amaura, Get! 2026-11-09

Chapter 40: Chapter 40: The Trainer Trapped by His Pokémon

Most trainers, in truth, do not behave like Ash—replacing their entire team and raising new Pokémon every time they enter a new region.

One reason is simple: limited resources.

Ordinary trainers simply cannot afford to support that many Pokémon.

Reggie was a textbook example.

Born into an ordinary family, he had built a respectable team through sheer effort.

He shared deep bonds with them, so wherever he traveled, they traveled with him.

In other words, if he wanted to train new Pokémon, he would have to set his old partners aside.

But a person’s energy is limited.

So is their capacity for emotional investment.

You can nurture one team, maybe two—but once the number grows too large, it becomes difficult for a trainer to truly give their heart to newly joined Pokémon.

A Pokémon’s growth is closely tied to its bond with its trainer.

The stronger the trainer’s emotional investment, the faster the Pokémon develops.

Of course, this varies from person to person.

Some trainers—like Ash—possess endless passion.

”More than making these children stronger,” Reggie said quietly, ”I think what I really want is to settle down with them.”

”Brother.”

Shinji grew anxious.

He never imagined that a single battle could extinguish his brother’s fighting spirit.

How could this happen?

Should he blame Sora?

There was no basis for that.

What did Sora do wrong? The match had been completely fair.

If anything, having such a powerful trainer agree to a full six-on-six battle had been a stroke of luck for them.

”Isn’t there more to it than that?” Sora interrupted gently.

”You want to retire for your younger brother’s sake, don’t you?”

”Mr. Sora...”

Reggie’s eyes widened in surprise.

He hadn’t expected his thoughts to be seen through so easily.

”For me?”

”But...”

Now Shinji was completely confused.

”It’s about money, isn’t it?” Sora continued.

He understood Reggie’s decision.

The path of a trainer was incredibly expensive.

You competed in tournaments, earned recognition, built your reputation, and became known.

But prize money alone was never enough to sustain that journey.

Looking at Reggie, Sora felt as though he were seeing his past self.

Well—almost.

He still wasn’t wealthy now.

He was still figuring out ways to make money.

”Your brother wants to become a trainer too,” Sora said.

”And as far as I know, receiving a starter Pokémon from a Professor and registering as a League trainer requires a substantial payment.”

It was like insurance.

First, you needed identification.

Then you paid fees for a certain period before qualifying to receive a starter Pokémon.

Not even counting the value of the starter itself, the official status of a registered League trainer was already extremely valuable.

Back when he had first arrived in this world, Sora had once been offered the same opportunity.

He could have settled in that city for five years, paid the required fees regularly, and eventually gained League citizenship.

But he refused.

He didn’t want to spend five years of his life rooted in one place.

”Mr. Sora, saying that out loud puts me in a difficult position,” Reggie said with a wry smile.

He glanced at Shinji, whose eyes had begun to redden.

He knew his younger brother well—that was why he had carried all the pressure alone.

”If that’s the case, then I don’t have to become a trainer!” Shinji blurted.

Their household had always been supported by his brother alone.

He couldn’t accept those sacrifices without guilt.

”Don’t talk nonsense.”

Reggie laughed and lightly chopped Shinji on the head.

”I’m not retiring because of you.”

”True,” Sora nodded.

”During our battle, I could feel your love for your Pokémon. How should I put it... Reggie, you’re a little too gentle.”

”Am I?”

Reggie scratched his head awkwardly.

”Maybe that’s just my limit.”

”That’s not true!”

Shinji immediately objected.

His brother was anything but weak.

”Don’t misunderstand,” Sora clarified calmly.

”I never said gentleness was a bad thing.”

”Your brother loves his Pokémon. And that bond makes it impossible for him to abandon them.”

”What do you mean?”

Shinji still couldn’t follow the logic.

”He already has the ability to earn money now,” Sora explained.

”If he wanted to, he could leave his current team behind and focus entirely on raising new Pokémon.”

Sometimes, that was the harsh reality.

Older partners might have suffered from poor early training—limited nutrition, limited resources—leaving their foundations damaged.

No matter how hard they tried now, they might never reach Level 60 or Level 70.

To break through, a trainer often had to start fresh with new Pokémon.

But—

Would Reggie be willing to do that?

To use the hard-earned money won alongside his old teammates to raise new ones?

New Pokémon who would grow stronger, win fame, and gain recognition—

While the old ones were quietly left behind?

How cruel would that feel to those veterans?

Sora called Reggie gentle because he was trapped in that dilemma.

Memories of struggling together.

Moments of mutual support with the simplest resources.

Reggie’s heart was already bound to his partners.

He couldn’t transfer that bond to newcomers.

Doing so would feel like a betrayal.

”You really saw right through me,” Reggie admitted softly.

He understood why Sora had spoken so openly.

It wasn’t to criticize him.

It was to prevent Shinji from walking down the wrong path.

His brother’s retirement wasn’t due to lack of talent.

He had simply missed the optimal window.

”So, Shinji,” Reggie said gently, ”you don’t need to carry any burden.”

”I’ve saved enough money. You’ll be able to start with proper resources—give every Pokémon the best care from the very beginning.”

”I understand...”

Shinji clenched his fists.

”I’ll carry your dream forward, brother.”

”Well,” Sora said thoughtfully, ”in my opinion, being a little gentle isn’t such a bad thing.”

”Mr. Sora?”

”Yeah.”

He nodded and placed his hand on the flower atop Lilligant’s head.

”I’ll never forget the days when this girl and I worked together—sweating side by side in the fields.”

Even after gaining Ogerpon, Ursaluna, and Victini, Sora would never forget Lilligant.

Without her, he would never have made it this far.

Of course, Sora wasn’t in the same situation as Reggie.

With Victini’s support, Lilligant would eventually grow strong enough to stand among a Champion’s main team—around Level 70 to 80.

Meanwhile, after hearing both Sora and Reggie speak, Shinji’s outlook on Pokémon began to shift—subtly diverging from the path he had taken in the original timeline.

He would still train his Pokémon strictly.

He would still demand excellence.

But outside of training—

He would remember that a trainer’s honor, wealth, and status were never earned by the trainer alone.

—------------------------------

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