Selene clasped her hands behind her back and said with a cheerful grin,
"Brother Silas, I heard the League's Breeding House recently received a batch of special Pokémon from other regions. I'm planning to choose a new partner!"
The meaning behind her words was obvious.
She wanted Silas to accompany her.
Silas naturally had no reason to refuse.
Since arriving in this world, he had mostly encountered Pokémon native to the Hoenn region. Pokémon from other regions were something he had only seen through the internet.
This was a perfect opportunity to broaden his horizons.
And it also meant spending more time with Selene.
...
The League Breeding House stood in the most prominent location along the commercial street of Fallarbor Town.
A steady stream of visitors flowed in and out.
After all, most people in the world never interacted with the gray markets, so they had no idea the black market even existed.
For ordinary citizens, there were only two legitimate ways to obtain Pokémon:
1. Catching them in the wild.
2. Purchasing them from the League's official Breeding House.
The Pokémon League strictly prohibited any other organization or individual from selling Pokémon.
Pokémon were the foundation of this world.
Naturally, the League tightly controlled all industries related to them.
....
"Wow… there are so many people."
Selene looked helplessly at the crowded entrance.
Nearly everyone passing by was holding either a newly hatched Pokémon or a beautifully decorated Pokémon Egg.
Some adults had even brought their children to pick out their first partner before starting their journeys.
Silas smiled slightly.
"Selene, you should think about what Pokémon you want beforehand."
Selene crouched down thoughtfully and began counting on her fingers.
"Brother Silas is right… I've wanted a Chikorita for a long time. It's so cute."
"A Swablu would be nice too… but Dragon-types are so rare. I wonder if the Breeding House even has one."
She seemed to be suffering from serious decision paralysis.
However, every Pokémon she listed had both good appearance and solid battle potential.
It was clear she had actually thought about it carefully.
Silas gave a suggestion.
"You could consider building a weather team."
"Your Glaceon has the Hidden Ability Ice Body, which restores HP in snowy weather."
"And your Jumpluff has Chlorophyll, which greatly boosts Speed under sunlight."
Selene's current team was a mixed composition.
That kind of team was difficult to counter directly.But it also made it harder to form a stable strategy core.
As they chatted casually, Silas naturally displayed his extensive knowledge of Pokémon training and breeding.
As expected…
Selene's eyes were already sparkling with admiration.
"Brother Silas, you know so much!"
"It's almost the same as the team planning my parents suggested for me!"
Looking at Silas speaking confidently, admiration quietly appeared in her eyes.
After all, her parents had said the same thing:
Pokémon teams should be built around Abilitiesand typesynergy.
....
As soon as they entered the Breeding House, a staff member wearing glasses approached them.
He had the appearance of a scholarly researcher.
"How may I help you?"
"Are you here to purchase a Pokémon, or to look up information?"
His tone was polite, but faintly impatient.
He had already received over twenty visitors today.
Yet almost none had come to actually buy Pokémon.
Most people only came to look around or attend the free educational lectures.
In the Pokémon world, many civilians who first become trainers know almost nothing about Pokémon.
Even basic knowledge such as:
Type advantages
Pokémon Abilities
Move mechanics
was only vaguely understood.
(Just like Ash at the beginning of the anime, although he was also kind of a idiot too in that regards.)
For ordinary people, knowledge was difficult to obtain.
Besides expensive school tuition, the only alternative was studying rare books.
Therefore, the public Pokémon classes offered by the Breeding House were extremely popular.
After all, not every beginner trainer could afford a Pokédex.
Even the most basic Pokédex cost tens of thousands of PokéDollars.
.....
Selene tiptoed slightly and asked eagerly,
"I'd like to buy a baby Pokémon to raise."
"I heard your Breeding House recently received new Pokémon. Do you have any Chikorita babies or eggs?"
The staff member's eyes instantly lit up.
Big customer.
Selene's outfit alone screamed wealth.
Every piece of clothing she wore was designer branded.
Although Silas dressed modestly, the six Luxury Balls hanging from his belt were dazzling.
Each Luxury Ball cost tens of thousands of PokéDollars, dozens of times the price of a normal Poké Ball.
Even well-off trainers usually only bought one for their ace Pokémon.
"Please follow me."
"This way is the Grass-type indoor habitat."
.....
The Breeding House habitats were carefully built under strict League standards.
Pokémon raised here were guaranteed to have stable temperaments.
They would not attack their trainers maliciously.
From a safety perspective, it was extremely reassuring.
However, there were also drawbacks.
Pokémon raised in such sheltered environments often lacked strong combat instincts.
They were generally less fierce than wild Pokémon.
Soon they arrived at the Chikorita habitat.
The environment was beautiful.
The entire room resembled a miniature forest filled with greenery.
A fresh fragrance filled the air , a common trait among Grass-type Pokémon.
Four adorable Chikorita were currently playing together.
When they noticed visitors enter:
Two of them immediately hid inside a bush of flowers.
The other two approached curiously and sniffed Silas and Selene.
"Ahhh! They're so cute!"
Selene's heart melted instantly.
Chikorita, one of the Johto starter Pokémon, was extremely popular among female trainers.
Often even more popular than the other two starters.
However, Selene didn't forget the important task.
After receiving the information sheets from the staff, she began reading carefully.
"Hm… this one has the Hidden Ability Leaf Guard."
"But Meganium can learn Aromatherapy and Safeguard, right? Wouldn't that overlap too much?"
"Oh! This one inherited Grassy Terrain!"
"The quality of this batch of Chikorita is really high."
"And this one already knows Grass Pledge and Synthesis?! Such amazing talent! Even better than my Jumpluff!"
Selene stared at the four Chikorita in front of her.
And once again…
She fell into a severe case of decision paralysis.
All four were adorable.
And each had its own advantages.
<><><><><><>
(End of chapter)