Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, it was June 24th.
Owen was officially on summer break. Even more excitingly, in just a short while, he would be heading to the public Breeding House to purchase his starter Pokémon egg.
In the Republic of China, there are four conditions to becoming a Trainer:
You must be at least sixteen years old.
You must pass the Trainer physical examination.
You must pay your annual taxes.
You must own a Pokémon.
Owen was exactly the right age, and the physical exam—organized by the school—was something he had already passed.
Once he obtained the Pokémon egg, he could take the Breeding House's certificate straight to the Pokémon Center to pay his fees and register.
Once the Pokémon hatched and he activated his Trainer ID, he could officially call himself a Trainer.
Professional Trainers have the right to use 95% of public facilities worldwide for free, but they have to pass rigorous exams held by the Trainer Association to get a license. The requirements are high, but the perks are excellent.
The requirements for an Amateur Trainer are lower, but the benefits are still quite good. Most importantly, at this stage in society, only those with Trainer status can legally own Pokémon and Poké Balls.
In fact, the mere eligibility for discounted services at Pokémon Centers and Poké Marts makes the status irresistible to anyone who owns a Pokémon.
You could say a Trainer ID is an essential pass; without it, there is nowhere to treat a sick or injured Pokémon.
Private Pokémon hospitals are virtually non-existent in this country—medical services are entirely monopolized by the Pokémon Centers under the Trainer Association.
For the past half-month, Owen had been trying to learn as much as possible while refining his "Grass-type Pokémon training Plan." No one noticed a change in him; even his parents didn't feel anything strange. After all, despite possessing two sets of memories, Owen was still Owen.
"Son, are you packed? Don't miss the appointment," his father called from the living room.
"Just a second!" In his bedroom, Owen adjusted his clothes in front of the mirror, trying to look as natural as possible. "Coming!"
Hearing the excitement in his voice, his parents shared a smile in the living room.
They didn't usually get holidays, but they had both taken today off for a very simple reason: to accompany Owen to the Breeding House to buy or pre-order his Pokémon egg.
For someone of Owen's age, a legal guardian must be present. And frankly, without adults to foot the bill, Owen couldn't afford it.
His entire life savings—the bank card where he kept his New Year's money—only had about 6,000 credits left. That might buy a normal pet, but a Pokémon egg was out of the question.
Owen was indeed thrilled; he had been waiting for this for fifteen days. Once he emerged from his room, the family didn't linger and set off immediately.
An Unexpected Encounter
Fairview had five high schools, but only Fairview High was recognized by the Trainer Association and the Ministry of Education as a school qualified to train Trainers.
There were about 400 juniors in Owen's grade, and most of them would be visiting the Breeding House over these few days to purchase their eggs.
On the street leading to the Breeding House, Owen saw a constant stream of parents bringing students in and other parents heading home with students cradling eggs.
Fairview wasn't a small city, but in this situation, running into acquaintances was inevitable. Not long after leaving the house, Owen let out a surprised "Oh!" He had run into someone he knew—a classmate from Class 2-12.
"Officer Lin, Joanna," Owen grinned, walking up to greet them.
The man was in civilian clothes and looked about the same age as Owen's parents. The girl beside him was quite beautiful, with a heroic aura and a very distinct temperament.
"Oh, you're Joanna's classmate. Hello there," Officer Lin replied with a smile. Owen's parents had met him a few times at parent-teacher conferences, so the adults immediately struck up a polite conversation.
Owen wanted to chat more with Officer Lin, who was a legendary figure in Fairview—the Captain of the Criminal Investigation Bureau.
He had cracked numerous theft and murder cases involving Pokémon and was quite famous.
This was the first "living" Professional Trainer Owen had ever met.
"Owen, guess what I—" Joanna started.
"Growlithe," Owen interrupted.
"You're no fun at all," Joanna said, sounding annoyed. It's a terrible feeling when someone guesses your news halfway through a sentence.
"I didn't even have to guess..." Owen held back a retort. Everyone in class knew Joanna had been raised by Officer Lin to be a cop. And Growlithe and Arcanine were practically the standard-issue partners for officers in this country.
Growlithe are clever, brave, and loyal with an incredible sense of smell. Once they catch a scent, they never forget it, and they can even sense a person's emotions. They are hailed as the perfect police dogs.
While the species was rare, with Joanna's family background, pre-ordering one was easy, and they could certainly afford the upkeep.
The families walked together for a while since they were headed the same way, but as they approached the Breeding House, they had to split up to find their respective guides.
As the Lins walked away, Owen's father rubbed his chin. "Son, are you planning on dating after you graduate?"
"A waste of time," Owen said calmly.
"I think Joanna is quite nice," his father said seriously.
"I'm just afraid she wouldn't be interested in your son," his mother added.
"..." Owen stared at the sky. His parents were great, but they were a bit eccentric. It was exhausting.
The Breeding House
"You're Group 51, the Owen family, right?"
"That's us."
Upon arrival, Owen's father made a call. Soon, a young man with glasses stepped out from the Breeding House and greeted them with a smile. Owen's spirits lifted. It was finally starting.
"Thank you all for coming. Please follow me. By the way, my name is White," the young man said, smiling again.
Public Breeding Houses and Pokémon Centers are both subordinate institutions of the Trainer Association.
Currently, the only places in the country where you can legally buy Pokémon or eggs are public Breeding Houses. Buying or selling through other channels is illegal, with very few exceptions.
It is worth noting that the owners and most employees of these houses are official Breeders who have passed the Association's exams.
They are experts in Pokémon knowledge, especially incubation and care. Therefore, any egg sold here is guaranteed to have good talent and be free of disease—though the price, naturally, is a bit higher.
Despite being called a "house," the facility was massive, laid out like a large plaza with clearly defined sections. As they followed White inside, the family listened to his introduction and nodded along.
"I assume you've looked into the species we have available before coming, Mr. Owen. Is there anything in particular you've set your heart on?"
"We don't really know much; it's up to the boy to choose," Owen's mother said. "The school taught them the basics, but he said he wanted to see them in person before deciding."
"That's for the best," White replied. "Let the child decide for himself."