'Am I really discussing what my starter will be?' I think to myself in surprise. All my nervousness from before has gone away, and I'm not exactly sure why I've adapted so fast.
Ignoring that, becoming a psychic apprentice is probably the most interesting choice out of the options. Still, it's better to get Dad's opinion on what I should do, considering he's experienced being a trainer, or in his case, a forest ranger.
Which is just a type of Pokémon trainer like any other role.
"What do you think? My choice to become a trainer was a little rushed," I say, scratching the back of my head. That makes him pause for a moment as Mum starts handing each of us our food.
I was really interested in what someone from this world would suggest to a newer trainer. It's not like starter Pokémon couldn't be found in the wild, and there are plenty of instances of trainers just using whatever their parents got them, or whatever Pokémon they caught first.
There was this one dude in the anime that had all three kanto starters in their second stage. Lucky bastard.
Most importantly, though, a starter is my day one.
"I'd personally go for a partner Pokémon from the professor two towns over, champ. My Rillaboom, as a Grookey the Galar League gave me, outgrew my whole team in just one year," he says, his words making me nod in impressed, a little disbelief. "Other than that, becoming a psychic apprentice for a few years must be nice. You get paid on top of a free Pokémon."
Now that was a deal breaker.
Was it a bit sad to refuse a psychic Pokémon just because I didn't want to work for a few years? Perhaps. But I'd rather travel the region and do who knows what than lock myself into something like that right now.
"I'd rather travel."
My answer is something he completely agrees with. He doesn't say too much after that, but it's safe to say a starter Pokémon is the best choice.
"That's fair. I'm sure I can book you a time to go get a partner Pokémon sometime next week. I'll have to ask my friend for some help, though," he adds, grumbling a little. "We forest rangers don't get paid too pretty, but the benefits are nice."
Mum, who hears this, giggles and massages his shoulders.
"Thank you, Dad," I mutter, a smile creeping up on my face.
One thing I do notice is what he called such Pokémon.
Partner Pokémon?
In all fairness, starter Pokémon can be found in the wild naturally, even if it's a bit rare.
Dad had a Rillaboom, Ludicolo, Shiftry, Eldegoss, Breloom, and Tropius. From what I can remember, he was a relatively strong trainer, but he never participated in the major division gym circuit of Galar.
'I should ask sometime how many badges he has.'
Either way, none of those really tickle my fancy. Game-based statistics don't really exist here, but I'd still rather pick from a region's starter trio than end up with a Lotad of all things.
I definitely had a bias toward starter Pokémon. Especially since in every playthrough, one is always on my team no matter what, even if it's my second, third, or whatever attempt.
They never get abandoned.
"Honey, are you there?" I hear Mum's worried words hit my ear. Looking up, both my parents are staring at me with concern.
"What's wrong?"
"Champ, your eyes are glowing again. Come on, eat up. You need some muscle on those arms," Dad says, smoothly changing the topic to my small stature.
'I really do need to start working out.' Seeing my skinny arms, my hand finally goes to my cutlery and I start to dig in.
---
The days start to pass, my life in the Pokémon world uneventful to say the least.
Dad books the appointment with the Galar League pretty quickly and gets me scheduled for a starter. After snooping around a bit, there are some advertisements, and seeing the prices of these starters…
They're definitely targeting middle to upper-class families. Not that payment is any of my problem with Dad having a seventy-five percent discount, which is crazy in itself. It costs 1.2 million Pokédollars, which isn't as ridiculous as it sounds considering it's not USD.
Still, it's not cheap in any form. I definitely think buying a partner Pokemon is an investment in itself because of the price.
The options stayed in the back of my head, looping every now and then when I'm bored or lying in bed staring at the ceiling, but I'm not obsessing. Life keeps going in the meantime. For one, I start working at Mum's café again.
That… was weird.
The café itself is situated near the coast of Spikemuth. Right next to the beach, with its counter, coffee machines, and a couple of round tables that are barely ever filled. From inside, I can sometimes see Wingull or Shellos wandering past, which still catches my attention more than it probably should.
'Wingull has a good hidden ability with [Drizzle], while Shellos has an amazing typing in general...'
One thing that's eerie is the relatively dark town. From the outside, it looks almost boxed in by layers of metal. Why the hell is there a large overhang covering the main entrance district of the town?
The café sits far off towards the coast of Spikemuth, which is not too great with getting customers.
After a bit of time spent here, I realize a few things. Mum doesn't really need to work. I realize that pretty quickly.
Dad's ranger salary isn't huge, but for a place like Spikemuth, he does more than fine with the added benefits of his job, which I still don't fully understand. For Mum, the café is more of a hobby to pass the time, which I respect.
Muscle memory kicks in fast. Cleaning tables. Running cups. Working the register. The only time I really falter is when a small, green shape suddenly appears at my feet.
"Oh sh-"
Hot coffee sloshes as the cup falls dangerously. Gossifleur stares up at me, completely unfazed as the liquid heads her way. In a split second, I use my psychic powers to stop the cup and its contents mid-air.
"Gosi (Whoa)!" The little bastard looks on with sparkles in its eyes. This is the fourth time she's done this, and the feeling to punt the runt is really strong.
Using psychic powers is sort of like using my imagination.
I picture what I want to occur, and it happens, depending on how heavy the object is and what I'm trying to do with it. I'm not superhuman, and floating a large book is my limit for now.
Other talents I've been able to discover is my multi-tasking. So controlling more than a singular object isn't too hard.
But crushing something with my powers is a whole other matter. Maybe a piece of paper is doable. All my time spent at home is tinkering and pushing my powers to their limit, right up until a migraine hits.
'Don't do it, don't do it,' I think to myself, staring at the Pokémon.
Gossifleur just blinks with a cocky smile.
Then shuffles a little closer anyway.
"…You little shit," I whisper, carefully setting the cup down before nudging her back with my foot.
Mum laughs from behind the counter. "She likes you."
'Now I'm just being rage baited. Mother, I love you, but I swear to god… or Arceus?' I clench my teeth, narrowing my eyes. Thankfully, after that, things settle into a rhythm. Work. Home. Dinner. The occasional conversation about starters that never quite goes anywhere. Dad doesn't push. Mum doesn't pry. They just let me exist.
In the downtime, I do what I always do.
I snoop around the web.
Getting information here is a bit harder. Not medieval or anything, just clunkier. Most people still rely on TV broadcasts and scheduled programs if they want to watch league matches or gym battles.
Online content exists, sure, but it feels closer to early subscription services than the endless on-demand libraries I'm used to. Forums. Articles. Highlight reels uploaded days after the fact.
Still, it's enough.
I learn that Opal is firmly planted in the Major Division. No surprise there with her specializing in Fairy-types. Kabu, though, is in a bit of a predicament in the Minor Division this year. According to articles, he's been in the Major Division for a long time.
Spikemuth has an old guy named Alfred as the Minor Division gym leader, specializing in Dark-types, which honestly opens the door for him to be related to Piers and Marnie.
The structure of the region fascinates me.
Every two years, there's the Gym Leader Tournament. The top eight make up the Major Division gyms with all the funding and benefits. Beneath that, normal trainers earn eight Minor Division badges and enter the Ascension Cup.
I bookmark it to read later.
There's another article that catches my eye. Written by Pokémon Tech in Kanto. It categorizes Pokémon strength into rough levels, ones that actually line up with what I remember from the anime.
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
Baby > Lv. 1-10
Novice > Lv. 10-15
Trainer > Lv. 15-35
Ace > Lv. 35-50
Veteran > Lv. 50-58
⊹ ࣪ ﹏𓊝﹏𓂁﹏⊹ ࣪ ˖
After Veteran, though, things stop being clearly defined. It's interesting to note that Ace trainers are bellow Veteran.
"Alright, champ. The Flying Taxi should be here any minute. I'll see you later today," Dad says, nudging me forward before leaving me alone.
I step outside and look up just in time to see a massive shadow pass overhead. Nearby, there's another kid my age waiting, white-and-black hair messy and spiky, posture terrible. A Galarian Linoone rests at his feet.
Soon after, a Corviknight descends from the sky, wings beating with controlled power, metal feathers catching the light. The Flying Taxi hovers briefly before lowering itself to street level.
My jaw drops.
'That thing is huge.'
The escort hops down. "Code 3092."
We nod and climb aboard, which means he's getting his starter too. Awkward eye contact. A curt nod exchanged.
Fair enough.
The Corviknight takes off.
The town drops away beneath us, metal walkways shrinking into lines as the strange boxed-in feeling of Spikemuth gives way to open air. Wind rushes past, cool and clean.