A group of boys and girls, around eight or nine years old, gathered together, pointing excitedly at a Nidorino about one meter long.
"It's real, it's real! It's actually a Nidorino! I'm going to catch it as my first Pokémon and become a future Pokémon Trainer!"
One little boy cheered excitedly, pulling out a red-and-white Poké Ball from his pocket. It was the most basic type, commonly sold in shopping malls across major cities. However, due to its low price, its quality and effectiveness were nothing special.
The boy threw the ball with all his might. Nidorino glanced at it and merely tapped it lightly with the tip of its horn. The Poké Ball was instantly deflected, and since it was the cheapest kind, combined with Nidorino's horn strength, cracks appeared on the ball's surface.
"Ah! That was the Poké Ball I bought with my New Year's money!"
The boy ran over, picked up his now-broken Poké Ball, and said sorrowfully.
"Heh, then it's my turn next! I'm going to capture this Nidorino and train it properly!"
After the boy failed, a little girl also took out a Poké Ball and threw it. This time, due to her precise aim, the ball hit Nidorino's body directly. The Poké Ball activated, attempting to capture Nidorino. However, just as the girl was about to cheer, a cracking sound echoed—the Poké Ball shattered into pieces, and Nidorino broke free.
"M-My Poké Ball broke too..."
Like the boy before her, the girl also became upset. Seeing this, none of the other children dared to try capturing Nidorino, fearing their Poké Balls would be destroyed as well.
Ryuuske shook his head slightly. It was only because this Pokémon lived near human settlements that it had such a mild temperament. Due to frequent interactions with humans, its wild nature had been largely tamed. If they had encountered a wild Pokémon in the depths of the plains or forests—where humans rarely set foot—recklessly throwing Poké Balls like this would have enraged it. Nidorino's horn wasn't just for show. In a real encounter, these kids would have been skewered in no time.
However, precisely because the Pokémon near human settlements weren't dangerous, parents allowed their children to play outside. Ten-year-olds were still too young to understand the dangers of this world. Becoming a Pokémon Trainer meant accepting the risk of death.
"Hahaha! You can't catch Pokémon like that. To capture them, you need to weaken them first!"
Just then, a boy around fifteen years old walked over. He wore a simple sleeveless jacket, and his cap was worn backward in an attempt to look cool. As soon as he arrived, the children cheered.
"Yay! It's Big Brother Ash!"
The kids immediately gathered around him as if he were their leader.
"Hehe, just watch me! Go, Froakie! Use Water Gun on that Nidorino!"
The boy, called Ash, adjusted his cap and threw a Poké Ball. A Froakie appeared and immediately shot a strong jet of water from its hands, hitting Nidorino squarely on the head.
"Huh? It still has energy left? Froakie, don't stop! Fire another Water Gun!"
Froakie raised its other hand, launching another blast of water. With both hands firing at once, the force of the attack, combined with the water-type energy, overwhelmed Nidorino. Since Pokémon near towns weren't particularly strong, it didn't take long for Nidorino to become disoriented and lose its ability to resist.
Ash threw a Poké Ball, and this time, unlike before, the capture was effortless.
"See? This is the right way to catch a Pokémon. Here, this Nidorino is for you guys!"
Ash handed the Poké Ball to the children. One of them immediately grabbed it and ran toward Pallet Town, while the others, realizing the prize was being taken, rushed after him.
Watching the children laugh and play, Ash also grinned happily.
As for whether the Nidorino would listen to the kids, Ash clearly hadn't considered that at all.
At that moment, Ash noticed Ryuuske and walked over, greeting him casually.
"Hey! Are you from Pallet Town too? I don't think I've seen you before… Whoa! What kind of Pokémon is that? It's so cool!"
Spotting Ryuuske's Rapidash, Ash instantly got excited and tried to reach out to touch it. However, Rapidash snorted, shooting a few sparks from its mouth. It glared at Ash, making him awkwardly retract his hand with a sheepish grin.
Looking at Ash in front of him, Ryuuske felt something odd. Though it had been years since he watched the Pokémon anime as a kid—and he never even finished it—he still knew that Ash couldn't possibly be this competent. After all, the guy was infamous for the nickname Ash-tarded!
As for his age, that wasn't surprising. In this real-world version of Pokémon, trainers weren't allowed to start their journey until they were fifteen. If kids were sent out at ten, they wouldn't last more than a few days before being killed by wild Pokémon. The idea that Pokémon attacks wouldn't harm humans was completely false—in reality, killing was frighteningly easy. Just look at what happened to those poor people and Pokémon in that Team Rocket research facility…
"You're Ash, right? My name is Ryuuske. I don't live in Pallet Town but at Professor Oak's lab a little further away."
"Professor Oak's lab? You mean that grumpy, stubborn old man's place?"
Ash showed no hesitation in chatting with Ryuuske like an old friend.
"Grumpy and stubborn? Haha, where did you even hear that? Professor Oak is actually a pretty nice guy."
Ryuuske chuckled, shaking his head. He patted his Rapidash and said, "Alright, I won't chat for long. I need to go buy some ingredients for dinner—otherwise, I'll go hungry tonight."
"You're grocery shopping? Then you should go to Auntie Jinzi's shop in town! Her veggies are cheap and delicious!"
Ash offered his advice enthusiastically.
"I know, this isn't my first time shopping here. But thanks for the tip! See you next time!"
Waving at Ash, Ryuuske commanded Rapidash to gallop toward town.
Ash also waved in return. Once Ryuuske's figure disappeared, he picked up his Poké Ball and spoke to the Pokémon inside.
"...He seems like a pretty good guy, huh? What do you think, Froakie?"
Inside the ball, Froakie lifted one hand slightly, as if agreeing with Ash.
—
After purchasing dinner ingredients in Pallet Town, Ryuuske quickly returned to Professor Oak's lab, thanks to Rapidash's speed, which rivaled that of a high-speed car.
At his age, he could have already set out as a new Pokémon Trainer. However, due to the inhumane experiments he had endured at the Team Rocket research facility, his body had been left extremely weak. He had stayed at Professor Oak's lab for over a month to recover before embarking on his journey.
Though, lately, he was beginning to suspect that Professor Oak was asking him to stay longer—not because of his health, but because the professor wanted to keep eating his cooking.
As night fell, another day passed. After reading under his desk lamp until his eyes grew tired, Ryuuske tidied up and prepared for bed.
[Someone is coming.]
Suddenly, Mewtwo's voice echoed in his mind. Even inside its Poké Ball, Mewtwo's psychic abilities allowed it to sense a considerable distance. The Master Ball had numerous functions—it could block the Pokémon's powers or allow them to use their abilities freely.
"Someone?"
Ryuuske's first thought was that it might be Team Rocket coming after him again after a month's rest.
However, before he could prepare, a voice from downstairs shouted loudly.
"Hey! Is anyone home? Someone open the door! This weird Pokémon with seeds on its back ran off—does it belong to you guys?"
That voice sounded very familiar—it was Ash, whom he had just met earlier that afternoon.
To be continued…
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