The next day, John Smith woke up early. After eating the breakfast Lumi had carefully prepared, he left for the Conservation Base to pick up his Pokémon.
After leaving home, John hailed a taxi directly to the Sunyshore City Pokémon Conservation Base. Since his parents weren't home and he didn't have a driver's license, taking a taxi was his only option.
Sitting in the taxi, John looked out the window and saw a beautiful picture of Pokémon and humans coexisting harmoniously: bird Pokémon in yellow and blue uniforms actively delivering takeout; fashionable ladies walking their Furfrou or Delcatty; energetic young men riding Gogoat... one even ran a red light and was caught by a traffic cop... it seemed his driver's license was in jeopardy.
"When will I be able to ride a Pokémon and gallop freely?" Although the example he saw wasn't very positive, John still yearned for the experience of riding a Pokémon. Currently, he didn't even have a Pokémon he could ride, let alone the Alliance's riding certificate he would need to obtain.
Checking his phone, John realized it would still be a while before they reached the Conservation Base. He decided to take a nap, as he had woken up quite early... Squeal—
The sound of the brakes and the jolt of the car stopping woke John.
"We're here, that'll be fifty-eight dollars."
After paying the fare, John got out of the car and walked for about ten meters. Turning a corner, he saw a massive complex of buildings, neatly arranged across a vast field, with a unique appearance that exuded a sense of modern technology.
Behind the buildings were over a dozen huge Ecology Parks, shaped like inverted bowls. Different Pokémon require different living environments, and to ensure the Pokémon's comfort and stable reproduction, Conservation Bases always construct Ecology Parks.
In front of the main gate of the complex stood a huge stone tablet engraved with "Sunyshore City Conservation Base."
The Pokémon Conservation Base is a place established by the Elf Alliance for breeding young Pokémon.
For Rookie Trainers, it's generally not recommended to directly purchase Pokémon eggs. This is mainly because the species of the hatched Pokémon are unknown (unless both parents are the same species), their talents vary, and it's largely a matter of luck. Currently, the Elf Alliance does not have the ability to directly detect Pokémon eggs; the technology obtained through secret realms and ruins can only detect Pokémon that have already hatched.
Since most domesticated Pokémon are reluctant to have children, and even if they do, they are often unwilling to raise them—after all, not everyone is wealthy enough to support too many Pokémon—this official organization was established.
The 'seed' Pokémon in the Conservation Base come from various sources, mainly divided into three types: one type consists of Pokémon caught during the exploration of secret realms that were either not captured or unwilling to be captured; another type includes stray Pokémon and those abandoned by irresponsible Trainers; the last type are Pokémon left behind by individuals who contributed to the Alliance after their passing (considered a form of retirement for disabled veterans).
Wild Pokémon, due to various reasons, are generally not brought into the Conservation Base as breeding stock.
The Conservation Base uses these Pokémon as 'seeds' to breed and nurture young Pokémon. Some of the bred young Pokémon become the next generation of 'seeds' within the Conservation Base, while others are sent to official or private breeding houses for sale, similar to pet breeding centers and pet shops in the real world.
Most of these bases are located in the suburbs, with no residential areas for dozens of kilometers around. This is to prevent ordinary people from being accidentally injured by small Pokémon that might escape from the base, or from having their personal property damaged. Another reason is that land prices in the suburbs are relatively cheap, as Conservation Bases typically occupy a significant amount of land... Upon arriving at the base entrance, the guard recognized John, "Oh, isn't this John? You're here to pick up a Pokémon, right? Please wait a moment, I'll call Supervisor Zach right away."
With that, he picked up the phone and dialed a number.
Outsiders are not allowed to enter the Conservation Base freely. Ordinary people who wish to buy Pokémon usually go to breeding houses located in the city. Only those with a Pokémon Receive Card are permitted to obtain Pokémon from the Conservation Base.
After waiting for a short while at the entrance, a handsome man, about thirty years old, walked out of the base.
"John, you came alone? Why didn't you let me know beforehand? If your mom finds out, she'll blame me again."
Seeing John, the man immediately greeted him warmly.
"Brother Zach, I've grown up. I'm an independent person now. You shouldn't treat me like a child anymore."
John, who had already recognized the man in front of him, replied in a familiar tone.
"Alright, alright, John has grown up. You're here to pick up your first Pokémon, right? Okay, come on in with me first."
Following John's words, Zach led him into the base.
On the way into the base, many people greeted Zach warmly.
As one of only two disciples of an Advanced level Breeder in the base, coupled with his early achievement of becoming a Mid-level Breeder and becoming the supervisor of the Conservation Base at an age under 30, Zach was naturally someone many people tried to curry favor with.
Upon entering the base, John eagerly spoke, "Brother Zach, do you have Snivy in the base? I want to choose a Snivy."
Hearing John's words, Zach's expression first turned to confusion, and then he seemed to understand something: "John, first of all, there are no Snivy in the base. Even if there were, I wouldn't dare to give you one. Didn't your mom tell you? She has already prepared a Pokémon for you in advance."
Hearing that there were no Snivy, John was initially disappointed. But upon hearing that his mom had already prepared a Pokémon for him, John immediately perked up.
"What kind of Pokémon is it?"
"Come with me and you'll find out." As if wanting to tease John, Zach kept him in suspense... Ecology Park Number One is the largest and most luxurious Ecology Park in this Conservation Base. It houses the most precious Pokémon in the entire base—an Elite Four-level Luxray.
It was originally an overlord in a secret realm, but due to its overly aggressive nature during the exploration of the secret realm, its leg was broken by the Pokémon of the Elite Four-level Trainer leading the team. After the secret realm was fully explored, it was arranged to retire here, and incidentally, see if it could leave behind some offspring... John followed Zach all the way to a constant temperature room in Ecology Park Number One. In this room, about twenty square meters, besides various breeding facilities, there was only a transparent incubator. Inside the incubator, a Shinx, seemingly just born, lay quietly sleeping.
"Brother Zach, is this Shinx..." As if realizing something, John asked Zach with a trembling heart.
"It seems you've probably guessed it. That's right, this Shinx is the child of that Elite Four-level Luxray. Your mom went through a lot of trouble to get this for you. There are so many people fighting over the offspring of a Heavenly King-level Pokémon; you're a lucky kid."
Zach saw through John's thoughts and smiled as he gave the answer, his tone carrying a hint of envy.
"Meow~ (つω｀)~"
As if sensing someone's presence, the sleeping Shinx opened its eyes.
Seeing John lie in front of the incubator, the Shinx seemed startled and immediately scurried backward.
"Meow? 〣 〣"
Seeing this, Zach quickly stepped forward to comfort the Shinx: "Little one, don't be afraid. This is the Trainer I found for you. What do you think?"
This Shinx must have been told some things about Trainers after its birth. Looking at the big boy in front of it, the Shinx nodded happily.
"Meow~ ^ω^"
"It seems to like you quite a lot," Zach said, looking at the boy and Pokémon who clearly had taken a liking to each other. He pulled out a pre-prepared Luxury Ball from his pocket and said to John, "Here, capture your first Pokémon."
"Thank you, Brother Zach." After thanking him, John took the Luxury Ball and turned to look at the Shinx, "Shinx, will you be my Pokémon?"
"Meow~ ≧≦"
Upon receiving an affirmative reply, John immediately opened the Luxury Ball and put the Shinx inside.
"Shinx, Get ☆ Daze!"
Looking at the Luxury Ball containing the Shinx, John, in a moment of chuunibyou, couldn't help but strike Zhi Ye's signature pose.
Looking at John posing in front of him, Zach smiled helplessly, "Alright, didn't you say you've grown up? And you're still acting silly! After getting your Pokémon, you still need to register. Come with me quickly."
John, realizing his embarrassment, scratched his head and quickly followed.