True beginnings are always marked by pure white, the color that symbolizes departure.
After obtaining the system and Tyranitar, Sam did not remain at home any longer. He went out immediately, preparing to visit Professor Oak and officially receive his starter Pokémon.
Joban City was not far from Pallet Town, and it didn't take long for Sam to arrive.
As the most iconic building in Pallet Town, Professor Oak's Laboratory was easy to find.
After briefly asking a few townspeople for directions, Sam soon stood in front of the laboratory.
There were no guards stationed outside. Sam entered without any difficulty.
"You're here to receive your starter Pokémon, right?"
The moment he stepped inside, a familiar voice stopped him.
Sam turned around and saw Professor Oak.
Professor Oak waved at him kindly and gestured for him to follow.
Under Professor Oak's guidance, the two quickly arrived at the backyard of the laboratory, the place where trainers officially received their starter Pokémon.
Sam had thought he arrived early, but to his surprise, someone had arrived before him.
Two children, both around fourteen years old, were already waiting in the backyard.
"Grandpa, hurry up! I can't wait to start my journey!"
The boy who spoke was no stranger to Sam.
Gary, Ash's rival in the anime.
At this moment, Gary was brimming with confidence, his expression proud and spirited, as though he was already imagining his glorious future as a Trainer.
"Alright, alright, don't rush, Gary," Professor Oak said with a smile. "Since everyone's here, let's begin choosing your starter Pokémon."
"Come out, Squirtle, Bulbasaur, Charmander."
As the three Pokémon appeared, Sam immediately activated the Detection Eye.
All of them had Elite-level potential?
As expected of Professor Oak, his standards were extraordinary. The Pokémon he prepared for the starters all possessed extremely high potential.
"This must be because of Gary," Sam thought.
Ordinary trainers would never receive such high-quality starters. Even if Professor Oak had access to them, it wouldn't normally be this easy.
Because Tyranitar already existed, Sam felt rather indifferent toward this selection.
Whether it was Squirtle, Charmander, or Bulbasaur made little difference to him.
More importantly, he no longer had the right to choose.
Starter Pokémon were selected in order of arrival. Whoever arrived first chose first; the last person could only take what remained.
As expected, Gary chose Squirtle without hesitation.
Next, the other child, after some thought, chose Charmander.
That left only one Pokémon for Sam.
Bulbasaur.
Perhaps because it had been chosen last, Bulbasaur seemed somewhat dejected, lowering its head in disappointment.
Sam bent down, gently picked Bulbasaur up, and smiled.
"From now on, let's take care of each other, Bulbasaur."
The smile seemed to infect it. Bulbasaur's mood quickly improved.
"Seed! Seed!"
Professor Oak nodded in satisfaction.
He was someone who truly loved Pokémon, and Sam's gentle attitude greatly increased his favorability.
"By the way," Professor Oak said as he handed each of them a device, "this is the Pokédex. Take good care of it, and report immediately if it's lost."
…
After leaving Professor Oak's Laboratory, Sam did not rush off to challenge a Gym like Gary.
Unlike Gary, he had only just arrived in this world. Recklessly challenging Gyms was not the best choice for him right now.
Familiarizing himself with Pokémon battles was his current priority.
Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering Side Mission One: First Battle.
Win a battle against a wild Pokémon.
Rewards vary based on battle performance: lowest C-rank, highest SSS-rank.
Note: Limited to Bulbasaur.
The restriction on Bulbasaur prevented Sam from relying on Tyranitar to clear the task.
"Come on, Bulbasaur. Let's find an opponent."
"Seed! Seed!"
As a starter Pokémon specifically bred by the Alliance, Bulbasaur was not unfamiliar with combat.
However, this was its first battle alongside a Trainer, and it was clearly a little nervous.
Pallet Town, known as the Pure White Town,
had the best ecological environment in the entire Kanto region.
That was precisely why Professor Oak had established his laboratory here.
A healthy environment meant an abundance of wild Pokémon.
Less than half an hour after leaving the laboratory, Sam had already encountered several wild Pokémon near the town.
However, finding a suitable opponent for Bulbasaur was not easy.
In order to obtain the highest possible mission rating, Sam carefully evaluated his options. Finally, at dusk, he found the right choice.
By a stream, a tadpole-like Pokémon with a blue body and a white belly was happily playing in the water.
Poliwag.
This was it.
Sam did not launch a sneak attack. Such behavior was generally looked down upon.
Aside from evil organizations like Team Rocket, very few people resorted to ambushes in Pokémon battles.
The proper way to start a battle was to issue a formal challenge.
Unless they disliked fighting, most Pokémon would not refuse.
"Poliwag, would you like to battle my Bulbasaur?"
Sam was lucky.
After hearing the challenge, Poliwag happily accepted. It clearly enjoyed battling.
As the fight was about to begin, the surrounding Pokémon stopped what they were doing and turned their attention toward the two combatants, watching with interest.
No matter the world, there was never a shortage of spectators.
---
[Pokémon]: Poliwag
[Type]: Water
[Strength]: Beginner, Intermediate
[Potential]: Elite