Chapter 13: Selecting the First Spirit

Although there were restrictions, Hu Yang did not forcefully confine the Ancient Moon Bird to its Poké Ball. He readjusted his own schedule so that, when he had no classes, he could accompany the Ancient Moon Bird outdoors: he would jog along the shore at dawn while the Ancient Moon Bird hunted fish in the pond.

“Phew...”

After running for thirty minutes, Hu Yang stopped, drenched in sweat, to catch his breath. Gazing at the distant sunset glow on the horizon, he began to seriously contemplate his future.

Rather than being a teacher here for the rest of his life, he longed to become a trainer who, like Ash, would travel the world on grand adventures.

But for a trainer without family backing or a Pokédex, the road ahead would undoubtedly be difficult. As a transmigrator, Hu Yang had neither of these things. In this world, he was a person with no background or legal identity, someone the League would never entrust with a Pokédex.

“A trainer, huh...” Hu Yang looked at the Ancient Moon Bird, taking a deep breath as he steeled himself. If necessary, he would save up for a few years before setting out.

As the writer Lu Xun once said: “There was no path in this world, but as more people walk it, a path is made.”

Moreover, from what he had learned, this world offered not only the highest-level League tournaments, but also many smaller competitions. To attract trainers, these events often had generous prize money.

Or, he could pursue another route—the path of a Breeder.

By passing the League’s assessment, he could become a professional Breeder. Trainers would then seek him out for customized training plans for their Pokémon, and he could earn a handsome income from it.

Of course, there was a third path: participating in the Grand Festival, becoming a star-like Coordinator Trainer. With enough fame, sponsors would come to him for endorsements.

For ordinary people, the most challenging path of the three was undoubtedly that of a Breeder, as it demanded an extraordinary range of knowledge—not just about different Pokémon, but also about pharmacy, botany, and other highly specialized fields. Only those with exceptional intellect could hope to succeed.

Hu Yang lay on the grass, leisurely watching the clouds bathed in the sunset. Before deciding which path to take, he needed to acquire a Pokémon capable of battle.

As for whether one could capture Pokémon before the age of ten, the League had no strict regulations. But only at the age of ten could one register as a trainer and earn the right to travel. This was quite similar to how, in his past life, one had to be eighteen to enter an internet café.

As for Ash’s circumstances in the anime, Hu Yang now realized after some research that it was more about ceremony—a ritual to mark the beginning of a new journey.

The first month passed in a flash. As soon as Hu Yang received his salary, he began searching for his first Pokémon.

Magikarp, Feebas, as well as those Pokémon in Petalburg Woods that required little investment and grew quickly, all became his candidates.

Every day after class, Hu Yang would take the Ancient Moon Bird into the woods to wander around. Besides the Master Ball containing the Ancient Moon Bird, he had two standard red-and-white Poké Balls. Each one cost two hundred League coins at the friendly mart. When he learned this, Hu Yang could only slap his thigh and marvel at his own foresight—picking up those balls had saved him four hundred coins.

Thank you, Pokémon hunters!

Petalburg Woods was home to a wide variety of wild Pokémon, the most common being Wurmple and Caterpie. But Hu Yang had no intention of catching them. Though their evolutions—Beautifly and Butterfree—were adorable, he dared not handle them before they evolved.

He was, after all, terribly afraid of boneless, soft-bodied creatures. Especially Caterpie—giant green worms thirty centimeters long. The psychological trauma of that first Caterpie crawling slowly across him after he transmigrated was still deeply embedded in his mind.

Now, whenever he saw one, he couldn’t help but imagine the sensation of its soft body, or even wonder if it would burst with a squeeze...

Ugh!

Shuddering, Hu Yang quickly looked away from the Caterpie in the tree.

Other common residents of the woods included Seedot, Taillow, Shroomish, and Nincada. Near the riverside, he could spot Gulpin and Azurill, but these were skittish—before he could get close, they would leap into the water and vanish.

Awkward.

Hu Yang and the Ancient Moon Bird stood by the river, at a loss. Since the Ancient Moon Bird couldn’t fight proactively, battling wild Pokémon to capture them wasn’t an option. That left only the possibility of catching Pokémon that couldn’t resist.

But... Hu Yang pictured Magikarp and Feebas. Though both had great potential, they were utterly incapable of battle before evolving. Feebas, in particular, had notoriously difficult evolution conditions. In the games, it needed a Beauty stat of 170 or to be traded while holding a Prism Scale to become Milotic.

But this was reality—game mechanics didn’t apply. From what Hu Yang had learned, no one in this world seemed to know how Feebas evolved into Milotic. Wild Milotic were exceedingly rare, with only a handful of recorded sightings by humans.

Though he had a golden finger, Hu Yang avoided using its functions apart from appraisal, lest he somehow create another Ancient Moon Bird by accident.

Which left him with...

Just then, a soft voice called out behind him.

“Ralts!”

Hu Yang turned to see the Ralts he had encountered before standing there. It seemed delighted, its jewel-like eyes full of curiosity.

He glanced around, but saw no sign of its father, Gardevoir.

Squatting down, he asked kindly, “Did you sneak out again?”

“Ralts...” Ralts stuck out its tongue shyly, understanding him.

They could communicate!

Ralts then looked at the Poké Ball in his hand.

“Ralts~”

Hu Yang was taken aback. Though he’d suspected this before, actually encountering it was still unbelievable. He asked, “You want to come with me?”

“Ralts!” Ralts nodded its little head eagerly.

But Hu Yang hesitated. He was certainly happy to have a Pokémon offer itself to him, but this Ralts had family—its father had chased after it last time. If he caught it now, who knew if Gardevoir would appear by his bedside that night.

Seeing Hu Yang’s reluctance, Ralts’ expression fell. “Ralts...”

Hu Yang: “...”

He asked, “Is it because I saved you before that you want to follow me?”

Ralts nodded. “Ralts!”

Hu Yang felt he needed to clarify, to avoid any misunderstanding. “That wasn’t me who saved you—it was the Ancient Moon Bird. I couldn’t beat those two bad guys, and I never intended to rescue you.”

After all, at the time, Ralts was a stranger to him, and he was no hot-blooded youth from an anime.

Ralts seemed not to understand; it hesitated, then reached out its small white hand and gently touched Hu Yang’s chest.

“Ralts...” No, that’s not it—it could feel...

Hu Yang paused, glancing down at his chest. He remembered that Ralts was timid, always hiding at the slightest hint of hostility.

But when Ralts sensed positive, optimistic emotions from humans, it would approach them of its own accord, and its body would gradually warm.