Hmm... what kind of Pokémon should I choose?
Cheng Tian gave it serious thought. This concerned his future, so he had to be careful.
After class, Bai Yun and Lin Lin came over. "Well, A-Tian? Have you decided what Pokémon you want?"
Cheng Tian shook his head. "I'm planning to visit the Pokémon Day Care after school and decide then." Lin Lin smiled at him. "There's no need for all that trouble. If nothing works out, just have Bai Yun find you one."
Bai Yun nodded. "Come on, what's a little favor between us? If it comes to it, I'll ask my dad. I guarantee I'll get you one you're happy with-even a starter Pokémon."
Cheng Tian waved his hand. "You don't have to go asking your dad just for me. I just haven't decided what Pokémon to choose yet." "All right." Bai Yun nodded.
They were close, but even brothers had to keep their accounts straight. A starter Pokémon was expensive, and one with good potential could cost four times as much. Cheng Tian couldn't take advantage of his buddy like that.
What kind of Pokémon should I choose?
In terms of growth potential, the starter Pokémon offered by the League were naturally his first choice. They had three evolutionary stages, base stat totals above 500, and were all well suited for beginners to raise.
Aside from their less-than-friendly prices, their advantages were practically endless.
As for ease of raising, Grass-type Pokémon were the obvious first choice.
They cost little to raise, developed fighting strength quickly, and excelled in drawn-out battles. As long as they weren't knocked out in one hit, they could use plenty of support moves to torment their opponents or gain an advantage.
Stun Spore, Poison Powder, Sleep Powder. Ingrain, Synthesis, Leech Seed, and so on.
They were definitely the first choice for battles of attrition. Besides, if strength wasn't a priority, they could survive with a little water and sunlight. They were extremely easy to raise.
Still, if he really couldn't find a Pokémon he liked, he would have to settle for a Grass-type.
After a morning of classes, everyone was distracted. Clearly, they were all thinking about which Pokémon to choose. After all, not everyone could afford a starter Pokémon.
Bai Yun left first with Lin Lin. Before leaving, he told Cheng Tian that if he couldn't find a suitable Pokémon, he would help him get one.
After thanking him, Cheng Tian set off for the Pokémon Day Care.
He crossed two intersections, receiving a call from his mother along the way. Cheng Tian told her he wanted to visit the Pokémon Day Care first.
After Cheng Tian's Mother reminded him to stay safe, Cheng Tian hung up. He had just stepped forward when a shrill whistle rang out.
Cheng Tian looked back and saw a police officer stopping a Tauros. Someone was riding on the Tauros's back, clearly a student from the schoolbag they carried.
The officer wore a stern expression, with a Growlithe sitting beside him. Two Pokémon stat panels appeared before Cheng Tian's eyes.
Pokémon: Growlithe Sex: Male Nature: Brave Ability: Intimidate Level: 28 Egg Moves: Scary Face (lv6), Thunder Fang (lv6), Dig (lv4) Learned Moves: Leer (lv8), Ember (lv9), Howl (lv8), Bite (lv10), Flame Wheel (lv8), Helping Hand (lv4), Agility (lv3), Fire Fang (lv10) Tutored Moves: Protect (lv10) Pokémon: Tauros Sex: Male Nature: Adamant Ability: Anger Point Level: 19 Egg Moves: Stone Edge (lv3), Body Slam (lv5), Bulldoze (lv3) Learned Moves: Tackle (lv6), Tail Whip (lv5), Work Up (lv3), Payback (lv3), Assurance (lv5) Tutored Moves: None
Cheng Tian was deeply envious. That police officer actually had a Growlithe with him.
Growlithe was an excellent Puppy Pokémon. After evolving with a Fire Stone, Arcanine was not only majestic and handsome, but also boasted a base stat total of 555.
That was higher than many starter Pokémon!
The officer was reprimanding the student. "You're underage and don't have a Pokémon riding license. Call your parents."
The student looked miserable. "Please, officer, I'm almost home! Besides, my Tauros hasn't caused any trouble."
The officer glared. "Are you waiting for something to happen? Tauros is a large land Pokémon. What's a student like you doing riding one? Call your parents and have them come get you."
Cheng Tian chose not to keep watching this farce, since the Pokémon Day Care was right across the street.
He pushed open the Pokémon Day Care's front door, and a salesperson approached with a standard professional smile. "Hello, young man. Are you here to look at Pokémon?"
Cheng Tian nodded. "I'd like to see what Pokémon you have."
The salesperson deliberately put on an excited expression. "You've come at just the right time! We've just received three starter Pokémon. You can take a look at them first."
Cheng Tian's eyes lit up. "Sure, please show me." "This way."
The salesperson led Cheng Tian down a long corridor to a large glass window. Beyond it, a Turtwig and a Treecko were on a patch of grass, while a Popplio splashed around in a small pond nearby.
The salesperson pitched them to Cheng Tian. "These are our starter Pokémon. Do any of them catch your eye?"
Little did the salesperson know that, while those words were being spoken, Cheng Tian had already finished examining all three starter Pokémon's information.
Pokémon: Turtwig Sex: Male Nature: Slow Ability: Overgrow Level: 5 Egg Moves: Worry Seed (lv2), Amnesia (lv1) Learned Moves: Tackle (lv2), Withdraw (lv2) Tutored Moves: None Pokémon: Popplio Sex: Female Nature: Timid Ability: Torrent Level: 5 Egg Moves: Round (lv3), Aqua Ring (lv1), Icy Wind (lv1) Learned Moves: Growl (lv2), Pound (lv1), Water Gun (lv3) Tutored Moves: None
None of the three starter Pokémon particularly appealed to Cheng Tian. The Treecko's information was much like Turtwig's. Unfortunately, both had Overgrow, rather than the hidden Ability Unburden.
Still, they were starter Pokémon-rare creatures with great potential. So Cheng Tian asked, "How much do they cost?"
The salesperson chuckled. "Turtwig is 200,000 League coins, and Treecko is 230,000. Popplio is relatively uncommon even among starter Pokémon, so she's a little more expensive, at around 280,000 League coins. Of course, since you're a student, our Pokémon Day Care is currently running a back-to-school promotion. No matter which Pokémon you buy, we'll include two cases of Moomoo Milk. If you buy a starter Pokémon, we can give you two percent off."
Cheng Tian's heart jolted. Although he didn't know how much his dad had set aside for him to raise Pokémon, these prices were far beyond what he could afford.
His family wasn't wealthy. This was ridiculous.
Next, Cheng Tian had the salesperson show him the other Grass-type Pokémon.
Bellsprout, Oddish, Tangela...
Without exception, despite their low prices, Cheng Tian chose not to buy any of them.
It would be such a shame to settle like this for his very first Pokémon.
Leaving the Pokémon Day Care, Cheng Tian returned home. As soon as he entered, he saw Cheng Tian's Father sitting on the sofa, stroking Yamper. When Yamper saw Cheng Tian return, the Pokémon gave a happy "Woof!" His father smiled and asked him a question.
"Did you visit the Pokémon Day Care today? Did any Pokémon catch your eye?"
Cheng Tian shook his head. "No. I didn't really like any of them." Hearing this, Cheng Tian's Father comforted him. "It's all right. If nothing works out, we'll buy a starter Pokémon."
Although the expense would hurt, he could still buy one for his child. However poor they were, they couldn't skimp on education!
Cheng Tian was touched. They were only an ordinary family; buying a starter Pokémon wasn't something they could do at the drop of a hat. He said, "No need, Dad. I've already decided what my first Pokémon will be."
"Oh? Good, then. Let's eat first."
After hurriedly finishing his meal, Cheng Tian returned to his room and lay down on the bed.
"Ah, no money." Cheng Tian sighed.
He still hadn't decided which Pokémon to choose. He had only said that to reassure his dad.
Just as Cheng Tian's thoughts wandered, his phone suddenly chimed with a text notification.
He picked up his phone and saw that it was a message from Bai Yun.
"How did it go, A-Tian? Did you find a Pokémon you wanted after looking around the Pokémon Day Care?"
Cheng Tian tapped out a reply and sent it. "Not yet. They were either too expensive or not to my liking."
Bai Yun comforted him. "It's okay. I can ask my dad to get you one. If all else fails, we can go catch one ourselves."
Reading that, Cheng Tian suddenly snapped to his senses.
That's right! If there aren't any I like, why not catch one myself?!
Why waste all that money?
At the thought, Cheng Tian's eyes lit up. He quickly replied, "Right! I've got my own hands and feet. Why waste that money? Thanks, Bai Yun." Then he promptly switched off his phone.
Meanwhile, Bai Yun, who had only tossed out the suggestion casually, stared blankly at his screen.
Bai Yun: "?"
Sorry, since the updates have already progressed much further, I can only edit this chapter to insert a few words here.
I hope that before you've carefully finished reading a book, you won't make too many judgments. Please don't use whatever books you've read, however many you've read, or your own experience to sum up someone else's hard work.
Playing prophet is very irritating. Not only can it mislead other readers and affect their assessment of the book, but it can also affect the author's mood while writing.
I hope everyone will finish reading carefully before sharing their opinions and comments. I won't delete comments, so I hope you'll all comment rationally and thoughtfully.
Before you continue