At noon that day, Cole and Keith decided to return to the dormitory to rest after lunch.
Daniel had once again disappeared. This had become a frequent habit lately — vanishing as soon as school let out.
Just as the two arrived at the dormitory, they spotted Daniel running back from outside with an excited expression, clutching a Poké Ball in his hand.
"Look what I got!" He exclaimed, holding up the Poké Ball triumphantly.
Cole thought for a moment, then looked up at him and said, "Don't tell me there's a Jynx inside that Poké Ball!"
Daniel stared at him in astonishment, "Cole, how are you always so smart?"
So it really was...
Keith quickly stepped forward, grabbing Daniel's hand, "Daniel, stealing is wrong. I'll take you to Officer Jenny so you can turn yourself in and seek leniency."
Daniel shook off his hand immediately, "What are you talking about? I didn't steal anything."
"Then where did you get your Jynx? Isn't it one of Professor Oak's Pokémon?" Cole asked.
Hearing this, Daniel smiled smugly and pressed the button on the Poké Ball, releasing Jynx.
"Jynx, Professor Oak gave you to me, right?"
Jynx happily nodded, then puckered her lips and planted a firm kiss on Daniel's cheek, leaving a bright red lipstick mark.
"Ohhh~~~" After the kiss, Daniel became dizzy, "Jynx kissed me!"
Unlike Daniel's Furfrou and Tsareena, who treated him very coldly and sometimes even beat him up, Jynx was completely different — treating him with great enthusiasm.
After giving Daniel that passionate kiss, Jynx now offered him a hug.
Cole and Keith soon learned why Professor Oak had given Jynx to Daniel.
This particular Jynx had been with several trainers before, but each time ended up being returned to the laboratory. She had developed a peculiar habit of kissing her trainer — when happy, sad, or upset — a behavior that began when she was a Smoochum.
As a Smoochum, this habit was considered cute, and trainers enjoyed the occasional kiss as a form of entertainment. However, after evolving into Jynx, things changed. Being kissed several times daily was something most trainers couldn't tolerate, resulting in Jynx repeatedly being returned to Professor Oak's laboratory.
But as they say, there's always a certain type of person in this world — the oddballs — and Daniel was definitely one of them. Not only did he not mind Jynx's kisses, he actually enjoyed them.
He had been secretly visiting her, and after proving his commitment over time, Professor Oak finally agreed to entrust Jynx to him.
Well, Daniel was still a pervert...
After hearing the story, Cole and Keith fell into silence.
"I will never abandon Jynx in the future."
"Jynx~"
A trainer and his Pokémon gazed at each other affectionately. Witnessing this scene, Cole and Keith couldn't help but shudder simultaneously.
✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲✲
Afternoon arrived in the blink of an eye. Today, Cole and his classmates would be leaving Pallet Town for their outdoor activity — a Pokémon hunting expedition.
Designated Pokémon hunting zones existed in almost every region. The rules were straightforward: pay P$500 as an entrance fee to receive thirty hunting balls, then capture Pokémon freely within the allotted time.
However, there was one crucial restriction — Pokémon battles were strictly prohibited.
The Pokémon in these hunting zones were typically there because they had been abandoned or rescued from poachers. This made them extremely wary of humans, making captures exceptionally difficult without battling.
Most participants couldn't use all their hunting balls, and some unlucky ones failed to capture even a single Pokémon.
Despite these challenges, the hunting zones offered one significant advantage: they contained rare Pokémon and species from other regions, most of which had been confiscated from poachers.
Cole and his classmates had a clear objective today: capture as many Pokémon as possible in the hunting zone. More captures meant more points.
This competition differed from previous ranking matches. While first place previously earned only 10 points, now each captured Pokémon was worth one point. Better yet, capturing a rare Pokémon or one not native to the region earned an additional point.
This meant potentially earning a full 60 points if all 30 hunting balls were used to capture only rare or non-native Pokémon.
Everyone viewed this as a perfect opportunity to make a comeback, eagerly waiting to dethrone Cole from his temporary first-place position.
That afternoon, everyone boarded a bus headed for the hunting zone, with Professor Oak accompanying them this time.
Kanto's hunting zone was located near Crimson City. Cole and his group arrived there around two in the afternoon.
Seeing Professor Oak's team, the guards immediately let them through.
After paying the entrance fee, Professor Oak led several teachers to bring out boxes of hunting balls. Holding a megaphone to his lips, he addressed everyone.
"You have only two hours to capture Pokémon. You must return within that time, or your results will be invalidated. I wish everyone success. Please be careful while capturing Pokémon — do not take unnecessary risks. Now, come forward in an orderly manner to collect your hunting balls!"
About half an hour later, Cole and his classmates entered the hunting zone with their hunting balls. All their own Pokémon had been confiscated by the teachers.
The top three finishers in this competition would have the privilege of choosing one of the captured Pokémon to take home. Since Professor Oak was funding everyone's entry into the hunting zone, all captured Pokémon belonged to him.
The hunting zone wasn't a place just anyone could enter. Because of the many rare Pokémon there, people without special qualifications weren't allowed to capture Pokémon, even if they paid. Cole and his classmates could participate in this outdoor activity only because of Professor Oak's efforts.
Upon entering the hunting zone, everyone immediately scattered, eager to find Pokémon.
Cole was walking across a grassy field when he spotted a herd of Tauros charging toward him. He quickly used Teleport to dodge — being hit by them would have been disastrous. He didn't have a superhuman physique, after all.
He didn't attempt to capture the Tauros for two reasons: first, they were in the middle of a stampede, making them difficult to capture; second, they were neither rare nor non-native Pokémon. He still had some ambition.
As the Tauros gradually disappeared into the distance, Cole heard rustling sounds coming from a nearby bush. He tiptoed over and saw it was just a Rattata.
Upon seeing the human, the Rattata seemed terrified. It couldn't even run away — it just buried its head in the bushes with its little bottom trembling uncontrollably.
'The Pokémon in this hunting zone really aren't very sociable. I'm quite handsome, you know — no need to be so frightened.' Cole thought, "I mean no harm. Don't be afraid. I'll leave right away."
He ran off after that. As he ran, he came upon a small forest.
"Mo~ Mo~ Mo~"
"Mo~ Mo~ Mo~"
"Mo~ Mo~ Mo~"
Waves of joyful playful sounds came from the forest. Cole followed them and soon spotted three Pokémon rolling around on the grassland in the center of the forest.
"Eevee!" The moment he saw these three Pokémon, his eyes lit up.
Rare Pokémon had just appeared, right? But... is that how Eevee sounds? Don't try to fool me into thinking I've never seen an Eevee before!
Of course Cole had seen Eevee before. He remembered that when Valerie challenged the Coumarine Gym years ago, she had an Eevee among her Pokémon. But that was several years ago, and he couldn't remember at all what sound Eevee made back then.
"Hello there!" Whether they were Eevees or not, he approached them anyway.
Despite his efforts to appear approachable, the three Eevees panicked the moment they saw him. One ran left, one ran right, and one ran forward. The result? None of them escaped — they crashed into each other and all ended up in a heap on their bottoms.
"Mo~"
"Mo~"
"Mo~"
Then, to Cole's surprise, the three Eevees' bodies twisted and distorted, eventually transforming into three Pidgeys that flapped their wings and flew toward the sky.
The ability to transform... that could only be either Mew or Ditto.
Mew was obviously impossible — where would you find three Mews together? They had to be Dittos.
Dittos were great! Though not considered powerful Pokémon, they were certainly rare. Who would have thought he'd encounter three at once!
Cole couldn't let them escape. His eyes began to glow purple, and the three Pidgeys froze instantly in midair. With his powerful Psychic abilities, he didn't need to bring Pokémon with him — he himself was essentially a powerful Psychic-type Pokémon.
"Mo~"
"Mo~"
"Mo~"
The Pidgeys, transformed from Dittos, struggled helplessly in the air, but under Cole's mental control, they slowly floated toward him.
A few minutes later, the three Dittos were contentedly cuddling in his hands, his palms emitting a soft glow — the sign of his Special Ability technique.
No matter how fiercely they had resisted before, after enjoying a full spa treatment, they were hopelessly addicted!
Just like that, Cole successfully captured three rare Dittos in his hunting balls.
However, he soon released all three again.
"Ditto, do you know where I can find more Pokémon nearby?"
To quickly find other Pokémon, relying on locals for directions was always the best approach — a trick Cole had found infallible.
"Mo~"
"Mo~"
"Mo~"
The three Dittos transformed into Tauros and even invited Cole to climb onto their backs.
With the Tauros leading the way, he encountered Pidgey flocks, Ekans, and Diglett colonies. Unfortunately, none were rare Pokémon, so he didn't capture any.
As the Dittos were about to lead Cole in search of more Pokémon, he had a sudden realization, "Ditto, do you know where I can find Eevees?"
If they had transformed into Eevees earlier, they must have seen them before. This logical connection had just clicked in Cole's mind.
Hearing his question, the Dittos nodded enthusiastically.
Cole's face lit up, "Can you take me to them?"
"Mo~"
"Mo~"
"Mo~"
The Dittos agreed readily, then carried Cole as they galloped away. Soon, they arrived at a flower-covered riverbank.
"Vee~"
"Vee~"
"Vee~"
That was it — the authentic Eevee sound.
Nearby, Eevee calls echoed from a bush, suggesting several of them were playing hide-and-seek.
One Ditto shifted back from its Tauros form to its original shape, scurried to the edge of the bush, and called out. Within moments, three Eevees bounded out happily.
Midway through their approach, they spotted Cole standing behind the Ditto. They skidded to an abrupt halt, huddling together and trembling.
The Eevees shot accusatory glances at the Dittos, their expressions clearly saying: How could you bring a human here?
Since childhood, these Eevees had been warned by their parents that humans were dangerous creatures to be avoided at all costs.
The Eevees and Dittos were evidently good friends, which explained why the Eevees had rushed from the bushes at the Dittos' call. One Ditto scurried to the Eevees and communicated something in their unintelligible language. Gradually, the three Eevees grew less fearful and approached Cole with cautious curiosity.
Cole dismounted from the Tauros-shaped Ditto and treated the Eevees to an impromptu spa session.
"Vee~"
"Vee~"
"Vee~"
The Eevees purred with unmistakable pleasure.
Within minutes, they lay contentedly on his lap, their expressions clearly begging for more petting.
From the nearby river, two Vaporeons surfaced carrying water plants in their mouths — food they had gathered for their young.
To their horror, they discovered their children sprawled across a human's lap, licking his hands and wagging their tails like domesticated Growlithes.
"Vaporeon~"
"Vapo~"
The Vaporeons cried out in alarm and immediately fired water jets at Cole.
"Hmm?"
Sensing danger, Cole instantly used his Psychic Powers to halt the water jets mid-air. When he identified the two Vaporeons as his attackers, his lips curved into a smile.
Minutes later, the Vaporeons, just like their offspring, were rolling on their backs before him. One displayed a comical talent for facial expressions — cycling between blissful enjoyment and utter mortification.
Damn human! Fuck~ that feels good, do it again!
After capturing the three Eevees and two Vaporeons, Cole climbed back onto the Tauros-transformed Ditto and resumed his journey.
Along the way, he encountered Valerie.
Noticing the three Tauros beside Cole, Valerie's face filled with envy.
"Cole, you've already caught three Tauros! That's amazing!"
Cole asked, "What about you? How's your progress?"
Valerie's expression contorted as if in pain, "Don't even ask. I haven't caught a single one. What's with the Pokémon here? They bolt as soon as they spot humans — impossible to catch!"
Cole merely smiled without comment, then continued on his way.
✲✲✲
T/N: Hey! Liked what you read? Support your friendly neighborhood translator on Patreon! Think of it as buying me a coffee... or ten!
For just $1.50 (that's less than your daily meme budget), get extra chapters! Want more? $2 gets you bonus content, $5 unlocks premium stories, and $10 makes you my hero (and gets you everything I have, including earlier acess to new books)! You can have access to almost 15 books!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)
https://www.patreon.com/collection/1305384