Link didn't wake up until nearly noon the next day. After a leisurely lunch, he finally began preparing for training.
He knew exactly the kind of path he wanted to take. Life had already been hard enough back on Blue Star, he wasn't about to waste more energy on harsh self-discipline now that he could survive just fine without it.
A bit of light training was all he was willing to commit to. He definitely had no interest in following the path of other fanfiction protagonists who sought out Biscuit Krueger as a master and subjected themselves to her brutal training regimen.
Not only did he lack the talent for that, but seriously, long-term intense training like that might sound great in a novel, but almost nobody could endure it in real life.
Still, Link had to admit, Nen really was something that tied closely to a person's individuality.
That's why being a "Pokémon Master" felt like the perfect fit for him, it aligned with traveling and exploring the world, and just by doing that, he could enhance his Nen and bond with new Pokémon. No rigorous meditation or back-breaking drills required.
But before starting today's training, there was one important thing he needed to confirm.
Not long after, a hotel staff member delivered the morning paper to his room. Link's eyes immediately shot to the top-right corner—1998.
Perfect. According to memory, Gon participated in the 287th Hunter Exam in 1999. Those exams always began on January 7th each year.
That meant this was the year before the main story kicked off.
In fact, he remembered Hisoka had been disqualified this year for injuring a proctor and would have to wait until next year to try again.
All this meant he had plenty of time to develop before the main events started, a crucial detail and the main reason he'd asked for the newspaper in the first place. Everything else in the paper was secondary.
Yesterday was his first day in this world. With Gardevoir by his side giving him confidence, he'd gone straight to settle his money issues.
And naturally, his winning streak at gambling was thanks to Gardevoir's help.
With her powerful psychic abilities, seeing through dice cups to predict the outcome was practically effortless.
Now that his immediate concerns were handled, Link could finally devote himself to his first true training session.
He changed into a loose martial arts robe and stood in a natural, relaxed posture, trying to sense the flow of Nen through his body.
According to Wing's teachings to Gon and Killua, this was the best way to begin learning Ten.
Nen flowed through him like blood, from the top of his head to his right shoulder, then down through his arms and legs, circulating over to his left side. As it sank lower, he pictured the energy dancing faintly around his body.
These techniques he'd learned straight from the anime and was now putting into practice. Another reason he didn't feel the need to take on a master, he already knew most of the foundational knowledge.
As a long-time Hunter x Hunter fan, he had memorized a ton of information from the series. While some details were fuzzy, he was more than capable of building a solid base on his own.
After a long moment, Link suddenly opened his tightly shut eyes, a sharp gleam flickering within them.
The thin veil of Nen surrounding him began to swell like an inflating balloon, enveloping his entire body in a concentrated aura.
Once it reached a critical point, the energy burst out like a dam breaking, flooding the room with invisible force.
The sudden surge of Nen created strong gusts that made his robe billow wildly. His hair lifted from his head, caught in the upward current of power, making him look eerily like a Super Saiyan.
This—was Ren.
A full-force release of gathered Nen.
In fact, one of the most basic ways to gauge a Nen user's current aura capacity was by measuring how long they could maintain Ren.
The longer they could sustain it, the greater their energy reserves.
While in Ren, Link began trying to redirect his aura, slowly guiding it upward toward his eyes.
This was his first attempt at Gyo, a technique that allowed users to focus Nen into their eyes and see hidden aura.
On paper, Gyo wasn't all that difficult; with enough practice, anyone could manage a basic version of it.
But it wasn't that simple, either. You had to control the strength of the aura precisely, too much pressure and you could injure your own eyes.
And if you weren't careful with energy usage, you could burn through your aura too quickly. After all, Nen battles could go on for a while. If you used up all your energy just trying to see, you'd be toast.
After thirty seconds, the turbulent Nen settled down into a calmer state, though noticeably weaker than before.
Link was drenched in sweat. His robe clung to his lean frame, soaked through.
He had managed to sustain Ren at full power for half a minute.
That was his first real training result.
It might not sound like much, but compared to many characters from the original series, it was actually quite impressive.
After resting for a bit, Link mentally reviewed every step of the process, over and over again.
Until he received his identification documents, he'd stay holed up in this room, training diligently.
It's not like he had much else to do anyway. Aside from eating and sleeping, training was all that remained.
…
Time flew by. Before he knew it, seven days had passed.
It was now the evening of the seventh day.
According to the hotel owner's original promise, today was the latest he should receive his identification.
But so far, not even a hair of it had shown up.
Link sat cross-legged on the bed. His handsome features looked a bit tired, but his eyes were sharp and focused, a faint white aura flickering across their surface.
He had already grasped the basics of Gyo.
"Heh, what a small-minded frog in a well. No sense of scale at all," Link muttered with a mocking grin.
Truth was, he'd known for a while that Pierce never intended to help him get his ID.
Think about it, sure, maybe you didn't need a photo on the document, but a name? That's the bare minimum.
And Link had never once told him his name.
The only reason he hadn't acted sooner was because he'd been too focused on training to bother.
But now, after seven days and successfully learning Gyo, his patience has run dry.
He was more than ready to start traveling, to explore new regions, experience unknown sights, and collect Pokémon of his own.
As for that ID? Pierce could hand it over now, or he'd force him to hand it over.
Either way…
He was getting it today.