Hana's eyes widened, and she looked at her son. If not for her genuine worry about the incident more than a week ago, she might even joke that Anthony has a fever or something. Just a month ago, Anthony got curious about how Hana and her husband, Ben, were able to maintain the conditions of their pokemons and make them the powerhouses that they are, besides, of course, already having a good species line.
So naturally, Hana explained that she was an Associate Field Researcher, someone who gets to get commanded by professors from time to time to go to dangerous locations, mostly just to help with an annual update on Pokémon population while also helping stop poachers from catching rare pokemons.
To be an Associate Field Researcher directly under the command of Prof. Oak, she needed three qualifications, One is at least a Breeder 1 license, something that needed extensive preparations and study before taking the licensure exams for Breeders, this can only be taken at 10 years old and Hana herself needed to stop competing for the Champion's league to review at 11 years old.
Second, one needed to be a trainer, and third, one needed a year's worth of apprenticeship in the Pokémon Professor's lab and learn Titration and Gravimetry as well as general dos and don'ts on taking care of pokemons, this can be done before turning 10, however. Before being one, like Anthony has said, she's quite a mediocre trainer who only has Charizard to brag about.
Now, she has become some sort of a legendary figure in the Pokémon world before retiring to take care of Anthony.
Going back, Hana can still remember how Anthony looks disinterested in this matter, actually, if she really thought about it, Anthony, with how he insisted in transferring all of her books to his room to read them last year might just want to become a breeder-trainer hybrid, which is not bad, but a Breeder 1 won't get automatic monthly salary at all if he just had the exam for credentials and didn't pursue the path seriously.
"What made you change your mind?"
Hana smiled, interested in the answer of her son, after all, she's the promoter of the tough love mantra of the Dover household and is even adamant about just lending a Charmander to his son and making him catch his own Pokémon instead of giving him one in the first place.
Anthony went silent for a few seconds before saying.
"Now that I think about it, going to places and getting to take pictures of pokemons while also going on a journey besides going from gym to gym seems kind of fun, though it's still tiring."
Anthony's personality is that he's quite silent because he learned early the pleasures of reading books, and has some not-so-understandable answers; this one is one of them. After all, not only did Hana tell the tale of the adventures she had, but also their dangers.
After all, no matter how pokemons are called to be companions of humans, cataloguing the populations of Ghost types or other territorial pokemons will surely not result in a very companion-like confrontation if she and Ben are careless. Sometimes, they even need to go on top of a volcano, take a large telescope, and then focus it downwards to see the pokemons that live inside them.
And yes, Hana and Ben find these endeavors exciting, but they won't call it fun for their son, no matter how they want to foster independence.
"You have to think this through more... though you and your dad will be very happy if you become one yourself, we will not let you take a path just because it sounds fun."
Anthony nodded. This is the reason why he knew his parents in this world are not assholes, because even though they are adamant about having him forge his own path, they will immediately put a tight leash on his neck if he were ever to do something so reckless, just like what he had implied.
"Actually, in one week, I will be going to Pallet to renew my contract for the rentals of my Pokemons and my breeder's license. Maybe the Pokémon Professor himself can give you a hands-on experience on how to be a researcher?"
Anthony's eyes lit up at this, and he nodded, even though he knew that his mother was quite resourceful with her connection and wanted to one day use them for his own "privileges"; he never thought that this particular conversation would lead to him seeing such an important person.
"Alright then."
Anthony replied, and immediately, his mother, Hana, seemed to be able to remember something; she diverted the topic and said.
"By the way, do you already have an idea of what Pokémon you will capture?"
Hana seems to be interested in this matter, which Anthony is also mulling about. Quite frankly, he still wanted one of the three starters, preferably a Charmander because it's cool, but he knew that parenting styles are parenting styles, so he had to prepare himself to catch pokemons as what his parents had told him.
"Unfortunately, not yet, I'm busy playing around with Blastoise and waiting for Charizard... but I'll do it today."
One has to note that the original Anthony has a hobby of looking for information either on internet or in books, so he was never the physical cataloguing type, but the current Anthony is very curious of the world, so there is no way he will be passing on such a golden opportunity to tour around the periphery of the Fuchsia Town.
"Today, huh, alright then, Kangaskhan will escort you to routes 15, 18, and 19, okay?"
Hana smiled while saying as such and patted the head of Anthony. The duo started to talk about more casual stuff, though Anthony continued his masquerading as a curious man by asking things like what's inside the flower on Venusaur's back or why Scizor's hands look like a stapler instead of a pair of scissors, among others.
Before long, the Pokemons who are also talking on their own finished their meal and then neatly arranged their giant pails before bonding with their trainer and her child, after which, the mother and son duo collected the pails and washed them before doing their own things.
Anthony, in particular, started to pack his notebook and his pen, though in his mind, he couldn't help but lament.
_So I can't go to the Safari Zone, huh? Well, I'm not a trainer yet, and using someone else's Pokémon inside the zone is not allowed. Not to mention Rhyhorns, Schyters, Nidoran male and female, and even Dragonair can be seen there, pokemons that are very hard to control._
Anthony went out of his room, found his mom, and asked if she could recall all of her pokemons inside their pokeballs so that he could catalog all possible choices. This made Hana smile.
"So you will also consider a bug or a flying, huh?"
Hana immediately agreed after saying as such before going to her room to fetch the pokeballs of her partners, seemingly pleased that her son is not disgruntled with her parenting style and with what's the coolest pokemon in pop culture to become his partner.
Anthony saw this and didn't say anything, and when his mom arrived back at the kitchen with her trainer's belt, she went to the mini farm and recalled Venusaur, Charizard (who came back within the time Ben Dover is home), Scizor, and Kangaskhan before saying: "The stage is yours."
Anthony nodded at this and started listing out the pokemons he could see that landed in the berry trees. These pokemons are allowed to pluck them, and normally, there would only be a few because of the strong pokemons of his mother that helps control over eating from the Spearows and Pidgeys. Now, however, the Pidgeys and Spearows have noticed that the giants in the farm are absent, so they started to crowd around the bushes and trees around the area.
_So it's just Pidgeys and Spearows huh, also, it seems like they treat this farm like a river to the normal animals on my world as they don't go over their natural competition against each other and silently eats berries or predates bug types... these two are kind of hard to capture as they can escape and I'm not a skilled trainer yet._
For safekeeping, Anthony just listed down these two pokemons as his possible prospect, after which, he once again called his mom to release the pokemons and drive the overcrowding Pidgeys and Spearows away. After that, he went inside the berry tree and the bushes forest to look for the remaining bug types that are not eaten.
_So it's the worm-based bug types as expected, huh... also, they started to hide inside the bushes after that little fiasco and again hid when Venusaur and Scizor appeared, they also seem to be quite fond of the mom and baby Kangaskhan..._
As Anthony observed the small forest, he scribbled down the bug types present in the area: Caterpie, Weedle, and Wurmple. Caterpies are the most common, and Wurmple is just a single pair. No Metapods, Kakuna, Silcoon, or Cascoon.
Unfortunately, the reading of the previous Anthony is just pokemons he was interested in, like the pokemons of his mom and dad, also the compulsory study of the laws and code of ethics of the world of Pokémon, so he doesn't know how to observe what or which are the ones with good potential.
The current Anthony... is also interested in them, unfortunately, as his Gen 1 team is full of these pokemons, except for Scyther before Scizor was released in Gen 2 because he didn't find it cool enough, which is odd.
_I have to pursue knowledge about all pokemons too..._
It was a good thing that the current Anthony is already full of methods to memorize and simulate the knowledge in his mind, so this won't really be a problem. Anthony took around 30 minutes to look for bug types and maybe some grass types. Unfortunately, there are none.
_If I go with bug types, I would want something like a Scyther... but a Buterfree or a Beedrill is fine too... though I don't know about Dustox or Beautifly..._
Anthony sighed at this before turning back, he still needs to watch the nocturnal pokemons, though it will only most probably be Zubat, who knows if there are Oddishes or Meowths that will free-load for food during the night.
_For now, I'll go to Route 15, though as far as I know, that's where Oddish will appear; there are also Bellsprouts, Dittos, and Venonats. I'll go to the right side of the dock area of route 19 too, I want non-fish-like pokemons if I ever get to have a water type partner... lastly, to route 18 while avoiding the cycling road._
Drafting his plans, Anthony walked towards his house, alongside him is mother and the child Kangaskhan that will be going with him for the mom's Surf move.
_The Pokémon Company is accurate in the darnest things and yet can't change the typing of Charizard._
Such were his thoughts before hearing a loud shout.
"ANTHONY, HOW WAS YOUR BRAIN!!!???"
Anthony, Mama, and baby Kangaskhan stopped and saw a boy in a casual t-shirt with a green lizard that has a red belly up to its neck part, it has a yellow-colored sclera and a vertical slit pupil, but what might be its most striking feature is its long leaf for a tail.
One of Anthony's friends, Glen, who will start his Pokémon journey the same year as him, shouted at Anthony while his new Pokémon, gifted by his father, who's in Hoenn, Treecko, is in his head, bowing politely at the strangers.
_That's Hoenn's Treecko... how rare._
Anthony, who has a rather blank face, has his eyes lit up, Treecko, or more specifically Sceptile is very rare in Kanto region, specially when the regulations in catching rare pokemons that has a population lower than a certain threshold is imposed, no trainer that didn't received it as a gift or through trade ever had one. He went to the fence area to meet with his friend, and then said.
"Yes, it's alright. Cool Pokémon by the way."
Anthony complimented, and while he did, the three pokemons also greeted each other, bowing respectfully.
"Yes, Treecko is a gift from my father, who's currently travelling in Hoenn. We just came back from Prof. Oak's lab to help him facilitate the gifting process, and then I suddenly heard that you passed out while bumping your head because you flew from the back of Charizard, so I rushed over."
Anthony remembered that there were also kids who visited him and played with him and his dad, so he nodded.
"I'm alright now, thank you for your concern."
As Glen nodded too, the young man, alongside his Treecko, looked at the notebook and pen in the hands of Anthony.
"What are those for?"
Glen asked, and as he did, Anthony replied, remembering that Glen knew that his mom wouldn't make him have a baby of one of her pokemons.
"My mom said that I can temporarily battle with a Charmander baby of Charizard to catch my Pokémon, so I catalogued the pokemons in our mini farm and am on my way to do the same in routes 15, 19, and 18."
Hearing this, Glen's eyes lit up.