c2. The Red And White Poké Ball Cap Is The True Form Of Red!
"Xiao Chi, remember to rest early!"
From the bottom of the stairs, a gentle female voice called up to the boy sitting alone in his room.
"Got it, Aunt Delia!"
Even though Chi Hong was usually quiet and terse, often answering with nothing but "…" he still rarely failed to respond to Delia's reminders.
That woman's name was Delia Ketchum yes, the same Delia known from the anime as Ash's mother. In this version of the world, she lived next door in Pallet Town, and often looked after Chi Hong, who had no family of his own here. She cooked for him, nagged him, reminded him of little things. To Red, she had become something like a mother figure, and he treated her with the respect he had once reserved for his own mother back on Blue Star.
"Then I'll go back. Ash… honestly, I don't know what you're doing in there all day!"
Delia turned off the living room lamp, glanced upstairs once more, and then headed out the door. Her voice drifted away as she muttered: "If only Ash could be as reliable and sensible as Xiao Chi…"
"..."
Red sat silently at his desk upstairs, chin propped on one hand, watching the flickering light of the television. Professor Oak's Pokémon lecture was still running, the same broadcast from earlier. Red's crimson eyes never left the screen.
Because tonight was no ordinary night.
Tomorrow was the day of departure.
In the Blue Star world he had come from, the games had shown Trainers beginning their journeys at ten years old. But this was no game, no anime exaggeration. In the real Pokémon world of the manga, ten was far too young barely a child. No sane authority would send a kid into the wild filled with Beedrill, Ekans, and Onix.
Here, the rule of the Pokémon League was clear: sixteen marked the age of adulthood. Only then could a youth apply for their license, receive a starter, and begin their life as a Trainer or other Pokémon-related profession.
And Red had just turned sixteen. Tomorrow he would finally stand as an adult, ready to receive his first partner Pokémon. His chest tightened in anticipation he had waited years for this.
But reality, unlike the games, was harsher. In the world governed by the Pokémon League, starter Pokémon what the Kanto region called the Three Starters (Bulbasaur, Charmander, and Squirtle) were not handed out freely.
Each family that wished their child to receive one of the three had to contribute an annual League tax in Pokéyen (sharp gold, as the system called it). Only those who had consistently paid since birth were entitled to receive one of the classic starters at sixteen.
There were, of course, alternatives. Families who could not afford the full annual fee could choose to pay half. In that case, the child would still be allowed to begin their journey at sixteen, but instead of a Bulbasaur, Squirtle, or Charmander, they would be paired with a more common Pokémon Rattata, Poliwag, or even a Pidgey.
And finally, there was the most difficult path: those who paid only the basic Trainer registration fee. These applicants would still receive an official Trainer license from the League, but no starter Pokémon at all. Instead, they would be left to fend for themselves catching their own partner in the wild with little more than an empty Poké Ball.
Red, however, was different. The guardianship arrangements made for him had ensured his League dues were fully paid. Which meant tomorrow he would stand in Professor Oak's laboratory, choosing from among the original Kanto trio.
Bulbasaur. Charmander. Squirtle.
The destiny of a true Pokémon Trainer was about to begin.
During the more than ten years of living in Pallet Town, although Chihong's character was cold on the surface, he was never a loner, and over time he also made many friends.
In Pallet Town, the very first person he had met was, of course, Professor Samuel Oak the famous researcher whose laboratory stood proudly at the heart of town.
Relying on his vast knowledge of Pokémon from his past-life memories, Chihong had quickly found a way to make contact with Professor Oak and, through diligence, earned a position as one of the Professor's research assistants.
It became a very stable livelihood.
Although his prior knowledge gave him a wide base of understanding, he soon realized that book learning and memories from another world were not enough to match Oak's decades of firsthand research. Professor Oak, after all, was recognized across Kanto and beyond as the world's foremost authority on Pokémon ecology.
Thus, working under Oak was a tremendous advantage for Chihong.
Not only did it resolve his own needs for food, money, and shelter, but it gave him daily access to the Professor's research and firsthand lessons about Pokémon biology, behavior, and training methods.
It was truly killing two Pidgey with one stone.
For that reason, Red never regretted saving and paying the full sixteen years' worth of League tax. With those dues covered, he was guaranteed a chance to receive one of the official Kanto Starters when he came of age.
As for which one he would choose was there even a question?
…
…
"Then, this Pokémon class ends here. See you all next time!"
On the television, Professor Oak gave a small bow and wave, concluding his broadcast lecture.
By now, the sky outside Pallet Town had fully darkened. The bright full moon hung high over the rooftops, silver light bathing the countryside.
"..."
Red sat by his window, watching quietly. He was not the only one in town awake—many youths of Pallet Town who would be taking their first step as official Trainers tomorrow were also staring at that same moon, lost in thought.
Well… almost all of them. There were some exceptions. Red did not name them, but he thought of a certain smug rival who lived just across town.
Still, tonight the moon seemed more beautiful than ever before. Even though he had seen countless moons in both his current life and his past one, tonight's light struck him as especially pure brighter, sharper, more real.
…
…
The next morning, dawn arrived!
"Pii~Pii!"
The sound of Pidgey's cries carried over the rooftops of Pallet Town, announcing the beginning of a brand new day.
Inside a small house on the outskirts of town
A pure black shirt. Simple black trousers.
A red-and-white jacket slipped over them.
His medium-length black hair looked sharp in the sunlight.
"…."
Standing before the mirror, Chihong looked at his reflection. The clothes were familiar, iconic, and seeing them made the corners of his mouth curl faintly. But as he studied himself, he realized something was missing.
His gaze shifted and there it was, hanging on the bedpost.
The red-and-white cap with a Poké Ball symbol.
He reached out, turned it in his hands, and set it onto his head with practiced ease.
Now, he looked exactly like the Trainer he was destined to become. Now, he was truly Red.
He reached under his desk, pulling out a large expandable travel pack an advanced model produced by the Silph Co. of Saffron City. Its interior had been reinforced with special technology to store far more than its size suggested.
One by one, he placed inside the supplies he had prepared: fresh water, Pokémon food, energy cubes, Moomoo Milk, dried meats, preserved human food, cooking utensils, folding table, camping gear, and a collapsible tent.
All ready.
He slung the backpack over his shoulder, checked every switch in the house lights, gas, water and finally stood at the doorway.
His crimson eyes swept across the little home that had sheltered him for over a decade. For a long moment he simply stood there, taking it all in, then finally let out the faintest of breaths.
And without hesitation, he closed the door behind him.
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