Time slipped away quietly amidst morning training sessions and tactical discussions in the study. Finally, the day arrived for Hora to embark on his journey.
As the morning light crawled over the window frame, Hora had already finished washing up. He changed into a brand-new deep blue training outfit. Strapped to his white leather belt was a red-and-white Poké Ball containing his only partner—Kakuna.
During this time, under his mother's guidance, Farfetch'd's "sparring," and Venusaur's protection, the bond and coordination between him and his Pokémon had improved by leaps and bounds.
"Good morning, Mom." Hora walked downstairs and greeted her with a smile as she poured hot milk into a cup. He sat at the table and picked up a sandwich.
His mother looked back at him, her eyes filled with the bittersweet realization that her child was finally leaving home. She lightly brushed the tablecloth. "Today is the day you set off. It's a pity your father is still in Kalos and couldn't make it back. If he were here, he'd be nagging you for ages, talking about everything from battle safety to how many antidotes you should pack."
"It's better that he's not here," Hora said, taking a bite of his sandwich with a mischievous grin. "When I return from my journey with a fully evolved Beedrill and new partners, I'll tell him about all my victories. That'll be a real surprise for him!"
"You certainly have a lot on your mind," his mother laughed, her gaze becoming even more doting. "But you're right. I'm already looking forward to seeing the look on his face."
Just then, the sound of heavy footsteps approached. Venusaur lumbered out of the storage room, its deep green vines flexibly coiled around a gray sports backpack. Its leaves brushed against Hora's shoulder as if saying goodbye.
His mother took the bag and handed it to Hora, whispering a thank you to Venusaur. "Inside are three changes of clothes. I also put in five empty Poké Balls so it's convenient if you find a Pokémon you want to catch."
She paused, remembering something. "Don't worry about travel expenses. After you collect your new partner from Professor Oak and register your Trainer ID in the League system, give me a call, and I'll transfer the money to your new account."
"Got it!" Hora replied with a mouthful of sandwich, taking a large gulp of milk.
Watching him eat, his mother suddenly asked, "By the way, have you decided which Pokémon you want from Professor Oak? Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur?"
Hora swallowed his food and wiped his mouth, his eyes steady. "I've decided. I want Bulbasaur."
Beside him, Venusaur let out a loud, happy "Vana~!", its leaves shaking with excitement as if cheering for one of its own kind being chosen.
"Bulbasaur..." His mother nodded thoughtfully. "A good choice. It's the same one I chose when I first set out. But I'm curious—why not the high-attack Charmander or the sturdy Squirtle? They usually have a better advantage in early battles."
"Hehe, because Bulbasaur is easy to raise!" Hora winked. It was a half-truth.
He knew that compared to the other two, the Grass-type Bulbasaur was low-maintenance. As long as there was sunlight and water, it could sustain itself through photosynthesis. Of course, he also knew that if he were lazy and only relied on sun and water, Bulbasaur would become malnourished and its combat power would bottom out.
The more important reason was strategic: Bulbasaur's dual typing (Grass/Poison) complemented Kakuna's (Bug/Poison). For a rookie starting a journey, the combination of the two offered incredible flexibility in status-effect battles and crowd control, allowing for more varied tactics.
Furthermore, he had his secret weapon—the System. He was confident he could push Bulbasaur's potential to the limit.
After breakfast, Hora shouldered his backpack and touched the Poké Ball on his belt. He felt a slight vibration from within, like a partner responding to his expectations. He hugged his mother one last time, patted Venusaur's broad leaves, and turned to head toward the Oak Research Lab.
The morning sun of Pallet Town shone on the stone path, and the air smelled of grass and earth. Before he even reached the lab, he saw a bright silver sports car parked at the entrance. A group of girls in pink-and-white cheerleader outfits surrounded the car, chattering away.
"Of course it's him," Hora shook his head helplessly.
Only one person in town would pull off such a flashy, attention-seeking stunt: Gary (Shigeru), the boy the locals jokingly called the "show-off teen." He, Gary, and Ash had grown up together. Compared to Ash's mindless obsession with "getting stronger," Gary had a natural arrogance. Everything he said and did screamed "I'm the best," but because his family background and actual skills were genuinely superior to his peers, it was hard to truly hate him.
"That Gary... he loves being the center of attention as much as ever."
A somewhat helpless voice suddenly sounded from behind. Hora whipped around, and a flash of surprise crossed his eyes when he saw the newcomer.
It was a boy with tidy black hair, wisps of fringe falling over his forehead. He wore a red baseball cap low, but not low enough to hide his sharp, clean eyes. He was dressed simply and efficiently in a red short-sleeved shirt and blue trousers.
Red!
Hora recognized him instantly. Like Ash and Gary, Red was a child of Pallet Town, but he was a year older. Technically, he should have set out on his journey with the previous year's group. Why was he at the lab entrance today?
Hora still remembered his shock when he first met Red. In his past life's memories, Professor Oak spoke of Red as the "Natural Fighter," the prototype for Ash. There was never a setting where both existed at the same time. When he had asked the System about it, he received only the cold reply: "Data not recorded."
He eventually realized that while this was the Pokémon world, it didn't perfectly overlap with the stories he remembered. Every person and every Pokémon here followed their own unique trajectory.
"Big brother Red," Hora greeted him with a smile.
He had a lot of respect for Red—not just because he was older, but because Red was the undisputed "King of the Kids" in Pallet Town. He had a brilliant tactical mind and was always willing to help others solve training problems. Even the arrogant Gary toned down his attitude in front of Red.
Red stepped forward with a warm smile. His gaze landed on the Poké Ball at Hora's waist before looking toward the lab. "So, you're setting off today? Have you picked which of the three starters you want from Professor Oak?"
"I have. I'm going with Bulbasaur," Hora nodded, his fingers unconsciously rubbing his Poké Ball. "I figured its Grass/Poison typing would pair well with my Kakuna for some tactical combos."
"Bulbasaur, huh?" Red raised an eyebrow, a hint of approval in his eyes. "A very solid choice. Durable in the early stages, and its combat power doesn't weaken after it evolves. But remember, Grass-types can't just rely on the sun. You need to train their physical stamina and skill transitions, or they'll be hard-countered by Fire-types."
After some brief small talk, Red and Hora walked into the Professor Oak Research Lab together, where Gary was already waiting.