A Humble Dream

"I want you to tell me how I can become a Trainer." After spacing out for a few seconds, the little boy spoke seriously, though nervously.

Sato said nothing after hearing this. He merely raised his head and looked toward Spirit Fruit Town not far away. It was peaceful, tranquil, comfortable, and prosperous.

"Why do you want to become a Trainer?"

"Huh? Well... Trainers are amazing. They can command so many Pokémon in battle. I want to become a Trainer too, become a super strong person like Mr. Lance, and then defeat the bad guys!"

The more excited the little boy became, the more he spoke. He even waved his fists around a couple of times, as if he could become an Elite Four member—or even a Champion—the very next second.

Sato suddenly remembered that his own reasons for becoming a Trainer had initially been much the same—simple and naïve.

"Spirit Fruit Town is great. You never have to worry about food or drink, life is peaceful, you don't have to venture into the mountains, and there's no danger." Sato held Spinarak, which hung from his chest, and spoke very seriously.

"What's so great about it? Spirit Fruit Town is boring to death. Everyone's life is already decided. If I don't go out and see the world, I already know what I'll be like ten years from now without even thinking about it!" The little boy pointed at the busy adults in the fruit forest, his tone far more resolute than before.

"Do you have a Starter Pokémon?"

"No." The little boy looked somewhat dejected. A Starter Pokémon was important, and he did not want to casually pick one from among the Butterfree in the fruit forest.

"Do you have travel funds?"

"...No." He clenched his fists. This was something a child like him could not solve. His parents earned enough for the family to live comfortably, but they had no extra money to support him on a journey.

"How much do you know about Pokémon?"

The little boy suddenly felt a little regretful. He did not want Sato to look down on him, so he gritted his teeth and said, "I should know quite a lot."

"Then tell me, under what circumstances would Confusion be effective against a Dark-type Pokémon?"

"Huh?" The little boy froze. He had long since memorized the type advantage chart, but Sato's very first question contradicted his most basic understanding. For a time, he stammered, unsure what to say.

Sato sighed softly. His question was not difficult to answer. Anyone who knew even a little about Psychic-type Pokémon would know of a move called Miracle Eye.

"See this? I got this injury while traveling, and it's considered minor. More than once, I've seen human corpses being devoured by vicious Pokémon in the wilderness." Sato lifted his bandaged right hand and gave it a slight shake.

The little boy's face instantly went pale. Words like "corpse" and "devoured" were far beyond what a child under ten could imagine.

"And among those who were killed, the most numerous were New Trainers who were young, lacking in strength, and without wilderness survival experience!"

The little boy was too frightened to speak. His calves trembled slightly. He was scared. He had never known that becoming a Trainer could be so dangerous.

Seeing the little boy like this, Sato did not continue frightening him. He gently tossed String Ball out. String Ball nimbly shot out String Shot, grabbed a branch, and began to swing back and forth, clearly having a great time.

After the little boy ran off, Sato absent-mindedly had Zoroark train Larvitar and String Ball's Evasion Ability. He himself went off to one side, lowering his head with a desolate air about him.

The matter of the underground laboratory and the little boy's actions forced Sato to seriously consider the true Pokémon League once more.

In order to purge the Underground Forces, they did not hesitate to smear Team Rocket and blacken their name to the utmost. A massive collapse had suddenly Appeared In Front Of the National Park, and the incident had already been exposed by the news.

Just as Sato had expected, although the laboratory had not been exposed at the most opportune time, the media's series of reports all pinned the blame on Team Rocket.

For a time, Team Rocket became like rats crossing the street, despised by everyone. Voices of opposition filled every corner of the Johto Region, growing louder and louder!

As the profession of Trainer rose in popularity, Trainers setting out on journeys at every moment were as numerous as crucian carp crossing a river, endless in number.

That little boy from earlier, as well as Sato himself in his previous life, had both been influenced by the League's propaganda. Yet while talented young Trainers emerged one after another, the number of Trainers dying in the wilderness each year likewise increased day by day.

To reduce such incidents, the Pokédex and Starter Pokémon were introduced. Through a series of measures, the League promoted the importance of Starter Pokémon and Pokédexes, shifting the focus of children who wanted to become Trainers.

After a series of selections, a small number of Trainers with decent talent could obtain Starter Pokémon and Pokédexes.

There were fewer people traveling blindly. By offering Starter Pokémon, Pokédexes, free treatment at Pokémon Centers, and other forms of support, the Pokémon League firmly drew the attention of high-quality Trainers, making it highly likely that they would join the Pokémon League in the future.

They would stop at nothing to achieve their goals, yet they also placed great importance on cultivating talent. Among the Pokémon League's core leadership, there had to be more than one formidable figure or great talent.

Setting these worries aside, Sato focused on guiding the Pokémon through their training. His recent destination had always been Goldenrod City, because before long, something extremely important would happen there. If he could fish for some benefits in troubled waters, the Pokémon's strength would surely improve considerably in a short time.

Since his injuries had not yet recovered, Sato still chose to stay in Spirit Fruit Town for a while longer. Takenō treated him quite well, and he rather enjoyed this peaceful life.

However, Sato had thought the little boy would not come again, but the next day, he appeared in front of Sato once more.

"I want to become a Trainer. I want to become stronger. I don't want to be a fruit farmer for the rest of my life!"

"Are you not afraid of dying?"

"I am. That's why I have to become stronger. I've seen dead people before. A rampaging Nidoking once attacked the town, and Uncle Yankang, someone I knew, died. In the end, Grandpa Yamada drove it away. The adults wouldn't let us go, but I hid nearby and secretly saw it."

The little boy was somewhat out of breath. Clearly, he had thought over those words for a long time before saying them.

Sato did not know Yankang. Yamada was Grandma Takenō's husband. He only had a relatively long-lived and easy-to-raise Jumpluff left by his side. The rest of his Pokémon, including his strongest Heracross, had all died of old age.

Sato glanced at the little boy staring at him with dark eyes and asked slowly, "What's your name?"

"Zhuzhen!"

"My name is Sato. You can come watch me train, but whether or not you can become a Trainer is something for you and your parents to decide, not me."

"I know. I'll work hard!"

Sato said nothing and turned around to continue training. String Ball stared blankly at Zhuzhen, because he realized that Sato seemed much fairer than him.

How could someone be this dark? String Ball did not understand.

Over the next few days, Sato selectively demonstrated some Basic Training methods in front of Zhuzhen. He did not explain anything, only watched to see how much Zhuzhen could understand on his own.

One morning, Sato had trained for nearly Half an Hour, yet Zhuzhen had still not come over. Just as he was wondering why, Zhuzhen excitedly came before him while holding a Hoppip.

Thank you to reader Little Z Little Z for the 500 Book Coin reward! Thank you all for your Recommendation Tickets! Thank you, everyone!!