After Tiffany left with her materials, Owen was the only one left in the clubroom. He didn't idle; instead, he began using the club's library and his phone to cross-reference data, digesting the new memories he had acquired.
Suddenly, his stomach let out an unceremonious growl.
Gurgle...
"Forgot to eat. I wonder if the cafeteria is still open during the exams."
"Let's go take a look..."
Owen packed up and checked the time. It was nearly 2:00 PM. The chances of getting a hot meal were slim, but he mainly wanted to hit the campus convenience store for a bun and maybe a bottle of juice.
Reality, however, was disappointing. On a day like this, the shopkeepers had long since packed up. After a fruitless search, a helpless Owen left the school and found a small restaurant nearby.
"Waiter, Shredded Chicken with Garlic Sauce over rice, please."
"Coming right up!" the young server called back.
Wait a second!
Sitting down in a cool spot near the air conditioner, Owen fell into deep thought.
Shredded Chicken? What kind of meat?
Right—in his memories, this world saw Pokémon and ordinary animals coexisting. Although ecosystems suffered severe damage when the Secret Realms first appeared, decades of human intervention had stabilized the environment.
The price of that balance was that most ordinary animals were confined to zoos, farms, or specific nature reserves. The true "wild" had become a paradise for Pokémon.
How Pokémon and ordinary animals harmoniously share an ecosystem remains one of the major scientific hurdles for humanity.
It turned out that mixing the two was usually a bad idea. Owen recalled a news story about a Trainer who left his pet Teacup Poodle alone in the house with his Fire-type Pokémon, a Growlithe. He returned home to find the poodle had nearly been burned to a crisp...
"Pfft..." Owen chuckled at the memory. What a genius. That was a mild example; it wasn't uncommon for ordinary animals to end up as prey for Pokémon. After all, the combat power was on completely different scales.
Soon, the food arrived. Owen was genuinely famished and finished the plate in minutes, washing it down with an ice-cold Coke. He felt immensely satisfied.
"I'll scan the QR code to pay." Owen wiped his mouth with a tissue and waved his phone toward the counter.
Selecting a Partner
Leaving the restaurant, Owen decided against going back to school and headed home instead.
His house was usually empty between 6:00 AM and 10:00 PM. His father was an electrician, and his mother worked in retail at a mall; both worked late shifts.
Safe in his room, Owen had only one thing on his mind: Which starter Pokémon is right for me?
Though it would be a while before he could visit a Breeding House to buy a Pokémon Egg, there was no harm in planning ahead.
Hmm...
Suicune is pretty...
Articuno isn't bad either.
Or maybe... Diancie?
After a moment, Owen realized he was being delusional.
"With my family's financial situation, a Grass-type is definitely the top choice."
His homeroom teacher had hinted at this, and Mr. Lee, the club advisor, had suggested the same.
Searching online, Owen found that the Fairview Public Breeding House had quite a variety of Grass-type eggs available: Bellsprout, Oddish, Hoppip, Sunkern, Paras...
But...
"No Bulbasaur... no Treecko... no Turtwig... not a single Starter Trio species!"
Looking closer, his sharp eyes caught a "Pre-order Notice" in the corner of the webpage. Clicking the help icon, he understood: if you wanted rare Pokémon eggs, you had to submit a formal request to the Breeding House well in advance.
"Forget it, I probably couldn't afford the rare ones anyway."
Owen did the math. He had a massive tuition bill for his senior year. Additionally, every first-time Trainer registration requires at least five years of taxes paid upfront.
Then he had to set aside money for supplements and specialized food for the year. The money left over for the egg itself was meager. His budget was tight.
Everyone wanted a rare Pokémon with high potential as their first partner—Owen included—but considering his family's finances, he could only sigh and close those tabs.
"Easy to raise, high potential—I'll focus on those two tags. Grass-types it is. Plus, Grass-type eggs seem to be the cheapest on average."
Regarding ease of care, Grass-types were undisputed champions. Most could survive on sunlight alone. Of course, if some cheapskate actually raised one that way for a year, the Pokémon's combat ability would be pathetic.
After scrolling for a while, Owen grew frustrated. He realized his "choice paralysis" was kicking in; every option looked good in its own way.
"Is there no other way?"
"Wait... there's still that."
Owen's eyes lit up. How could he have forgotten the anime? He must have been discouraged by those Breeder exam questions. Ash's long journey through various regions surely held some inspiration.
"I remember a plot point where Ash's Grotle accidentally swallowed its own Energy Ball move. It suddenly powered up and showed incredible strength."
Thinking of this, Owen quickly searched for the move "Energy Ball." Unfortunately, the information was sparse.
Online data only stated it was a move containing massive energy and listed which Pokémon could learn it.
That didn't matter; he had his own memories of the move.
"Energy Ball: The user draws power from nature and fires it. That's the game description. I shouldn't be wrong.
But how did Grotle swallowing it lead to a power boost? And would this 'Overdrive' method work for other Grass-types... regardless, I'll mark it down. Energy Ball is a must-have."
Owen smiled smugly, feeling like he had found a lead.
"Maybe I can build my own Training plan around the concept of 'Internalizing Energy Ball for Power'?"
"Though it feels a bit risky. Would swallowing the ball cause internal injuries...?"
"Assuming it does, can I fix them?"
"Let's see... Synthesis is a must. Giga Drain, definitely. Growth would be useful. Also Ingrain, Grassy Terrain..."
Owen grabbed a pen and notebook, diving into his notes.
The pen scratched across the paper. Looking at the words and diagrams forming on the page, Owen felt a spark of realization.
Regardless of whether this specific plan was feasible or if he would even end up with a Grass-type, he felt he couldn't stop.
This was his first time truly thinking like a Trainer.