At this moment, Ash's eyes gleamed; he wanted to thoroughly research and learn more about Pokémon.
"Hmm… not bad, not bad."
Perhaps due to exhaustion, Pikachu had already fallen sound asleep, emitting soft snores.
Seeing Pikachu sleeping so soundly, Ash felt at ease delving deeper into Gardevoir and Milotic.
Just as Ash was engrossed, footsteps suddenly echoed from the doorway, and Ash's heart skipped a beat.
"Could it be that Mom is checking on me?"
Ash quickly put away the album, turned off the light, and pretended to be sound asleep, executing the actions fluidly.
Soon after, the door was gently pushed open, with no significant sound, almost as if it were deliberate.
"This child, still so careless, he didn't even pull up his blanket properly."
Delia carefully pulled up the blanket, then her gaze lingered on Ash's face; it was unclear what she was thinking.
Ash, at this moment, was still feigning sleep, but the corners of his mouth had subtly curved upwards.
He didn't know why, but the more serious the situation, the more Ash wanted to laugh. However, he quickly suppressed it.
Delia still hadn't left, looking at Ash thoughtfully, making it hard not to suspect if his actions had been discovered.
Ash secretly thought to himself, "Mom, please leave quickly, I really can't hold it in anymore!"
A moment later, Delia, feeling relieved, walked out of the room and gently closed the door.
"Finally, she's gone. I was suffocating."
Ash gasped for air; just now, he hadn't dared to even breathe, fearing he might burst out laughing.
However, Ash didn't go back to researching Gardevoir, because he was afraid Delia might pull a trick and catch him red-handed!
"Sleep, sleep." Ash yawned, contentedly drifting off to sweet dreams.
As for what kind of sweet dreams, those who know, know; we are all gentlemen, so there's no need to elaborate.
The next morning, a warm ray of sunshine streamed in, illuminating the clean and tidy room.
"Ash, wake up, today is the day to choose your Pokémon."
Delia called from downstairs; though her voice was clear, her tone was exceedingly gentle.
"What? So sleepy…" Ash treated Pikachu like an alarm clock and tossed him out.
"Pika, Pika???" Pikachu's eyes widened like brass bells. (??? . ???)????
Pikachu was a bit stunned from the fall, then stood up, jumped back onto the bed, "Pikachu!!"
Zzzzt, after a Thunder Shock, Ash felt his bones tingle.
This completely woke Ash up, and he even enjoyed a… After washing up, Ash changed his clothes, looking as familiar as ever, full of youthful energy.
"Mom, choosing a Pokémon? But our family's financial situation…"
Delia had painstakingly raised Ash by herself, which was already incredibly difficult.
Delia smiled softly, "Silly child, buying a Pokémon doesn't cost much money."
Although Delia said so, Ash was still a bit skeptical. According to his recent understanding, a common Pokémon costs at least ten thousand Poké Coins.
If it came to it, he already had Pikachu, so he wouldn't need to buy another Pokémon for now.
Moreover, as a basic requirement for going out to train, having one Pokémon was already enough.
Now that he had Poké Balls, at the very least, he could catch wild Pidgey or Oddish.
"Mom, I think having Pikachu is enough; there's no need to buy another Pokémon."
Ash had made up his mind; he didn't want to put too much pressure on his family over this matter.
In this Pokémon world, there are a total of one hundred levels, and every ten levels marks a significant dividing line.
Aptitude is divided into: Entry, Junior, Common, Superior, Advanced, Gym, Elite, Champion, Master, Legendary.
Of course, Pokémon in this world also have differences in base stats; for example, Pidgey's base stats are 251.
Although base stats are often used to determine a Pokémon's potential, it's not a definitive rule.
It's not the Pokémon that's weak, but the Trainer, as the Reverse-Type Master once proved.
Delia stroked Ash's head, "Ash, I know you're doing this for Mom, but this matter cannot be taken lightly."
Delia's tone was very gentle, like she was speaking to a helpless child, full of motherly love from beginning to end.
"But…" Ash wanted to say something more, but Delia interrupted him.
"Ash, Mom's greatest wish is to see you become a Pokémon Master. If possible, your father's matter…"
Ash nodded slightly, saying nothing further.
A moment later, the two had arrived in the city.
The bustling streets were filled with people, a vibrant environment where humans and Pokémon coexisted harmoniously.
You could see Growlithe guiding the blind, or Sudowoodo displayed at storefronts.
Pokémon had deeply integrated into this world, becoming an irreplaceable part of life.
"Let's go, Ash, let's check out this store." Delia held Ash's hand, afraid he might be unwilling to enter.
A middle-aged man in a suit quickly walked over, greeting them with a smile, "Welcome, are you looking to buy a Pokémon?"
Delia nodded slightly, "Please, I'd like to buy a Pokémon for this child."
The middle-aged man gestured for them to follow, "This way, please. Our store has Pokémon Eggs and Pokémon for sale; you can take a look first."
Looking at the neatly arranged, still-hatching eggs on the shelves, Ash was indeed a bit tempted.
Delia looked at Ash, "Ash, what kind of Pokémon do you want?"
"A Pokémon? I don't think I've decided yet."
Ash knew that once he chose a Pokémon, he would be responsible for it until the end, so he had to choose carefully.
But he had to admit, he actually wanted a Starter Pokémon, like Gary's Bulbasaur, or Charmander, or Squirtle.
However, Ash was all too aware of his family's financial situation; a Starter Pokémon would cost at least over a hundred thousand Poké Coins.
The middle-aged man in the suit quickly said, "Our most popular Pokémon are Geodude, Sunkern, and Magikarp."
Ash nodded slightly, looking at the prices of these Pokémon; they were indeed not particularly expensive, around ten thousand Poké Coins.
However, such an expense would still be several months' living costs for an ordinary family.
"Ash, how about this Nidoran♂?" Delia looked at the Nidoran♂, feeling it looked quite good.
Although Delia was just a housewife now, she had a good understanding of Pokémon.
Once Nidoran♂ evolves into Nidoking, its strength would skyrocket several times over.
"Nidoran♂? It's indeed quite good, otherwise…"
Suddenly, Ash saw some Pokémon Eggs in a box on the ground.