That was as far as Owen's dietary planning for Eevee went for now.
He knew his recent spending was a bit high, but the newborn stage is critical for Pokémon; nutrition has to keep up. Only with a solid start could Eevee grow strong and healthy.
Owen lingered for a bit, put down the recipe, and pulled out his summer homework.
Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Mock Papers.
Even though he was now a Trainer, he still had to do homework. The core subjects—Language, Math, English, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology—were unavoidable.
For students at Key High Schools, a written Pokémon knowledge exam and a practical battle exam were simply added on top of that.
Not every Trainer ends up supporting themselves through battles. Many lack the talent for combat, and for them, the economic burden of the Trainer title can become a drag. Most of them transition to other careers after graduating from college.
However, the Trainer status has unique advantages in almost every field, thanks to their Pokémon partners. Acrobats, magicians, construction workers, journalists, actors, nurses, doctors, researchers, firefighters—the list goes on.
Think about it: in a fire, is it faster to use chemical extinguishers or the abilities of a Water-type Pokémon? More importantly, a qualified firefighter with a Water-type can enter a burning building directly to save victims.
They could use moves like Sand Attack to smother flames or Flash Fire to draw heat away.
Or take a doctor. A doctor paired with a Pokémon that can use Hypnosis or precise Psychic powers could calm patients better or perform surgeries with supernatural perfection. These professionals still need their Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Math.
Owen wanted to be a pure, battle-oriented Trainer, but he understood these foundations were mandatory.
Even with national policies favoring Trainers, the government had no reason to abandon traditional sciences; talent in other areas remained vital.
On the bright side, Owen felt he could ace the Pokémon written exam without even trying. Compared to the Breeder's License Exam, it was child's play.
Identify the Pokémon from the picture.Match the move to the Pokémon.Write out the type-effectiveness chart from memory.Analyze legal scenarios regarding Trainer-Pokémon laws.
If he couldn't get a high score on those, he might as well give up.
The Social Butterfly
By noon, Eevee was still asleep, so Owen ordered takeout for himself.
He hadn't rushed to tell his working parents about Eevee's birth, intending to surprise them in the evening.
However, "silly" Owen forgot they were on his social media. The moment he posted a picture of the sleeping Eevee to his feed, he was caught.
Dad: It hatched? Did you feed it?
Owen replied to Dad: Fed it, fed it.
Mom: As cute as you were when you were little. Feels like I'm raising a second son.
Owen replied to Mom: ??? I'll take that as a compliment. But I think Eevee is a girl.
Meanwhile, the Class 2-12 group chat was buzzing. It hadn't stopped since yesterday. Every time a student's egg hatched, a crowd would pop up to chat for hours. Not long after Owen finished his lunch and uploaded Eevee's photo, the group exploded.
"Holy crap, that's way too cute! I hope my Mankey is that adorable."
"Dream on. Do you have any idea how fierce a Mankey looks? Use your head," someone immediately mocked.
"Hey, watch it! My Mankey's gonna kick your butt once it hatches."
"Bring it! My Poliwag isn't scared of your Mankey..."
These idiots... group chatting really makes them happy, Owen thought. He lurked for a while until so many people @'d him that he had to surface.
"Alright, I know my Eevee is cute. No need to be jealous. I'll let you hold her when school starts—but girls only."
He hit send. A moment of silence followed, then the screen was flooded with "Shameless!" and "Scoundrel!"
But there were other responses too. Joanna: "Really? It's a deal."
Tiffany: "Awesome!"
Leo: "I'm looking forward to it."
Tiffany: "Wait, Leo, you're a guy. What are you looking forward to?"
They chatted about Eevee for an hour before the topic shifted. Class Rep: "Has everyone downloaded the Pokédex App yet?"
Student A: "It keeps crashing on my phone. Piece of junk [Phone Brand]."
The Pokédex App was essential software. By using the phone's camera to scan a Pokémon, you could get basic data—a literal "cheat code" for rookie Trainers.
Owen realized he'd almost forgotten about it, though he doubted he'd need it much.
"Blaming the phone instead of the app... sounds like you've hated that phone for a while," Owen typed, then added:
"I'll take Eevee to the Pokémon Center to activate my Trainer ID once she wakes up. You need a Trainer ID to log into the app, right?"
"Yeah... ugh, my phone's getting hot. I'm going to look at new phones." "Go ahead," Owen replied.
Waking Up
Suddenly, Owen heard a strange noise. He turned around to see little Eevee waking up on the bed.
She had opened her eyes groggily but wasn't fully awake yet. She rolled around on the bed, her tumbling unraveling the entire Silk Scarf.
"Vee..."
She seemed confused about her surroundings. It wasn't until she realized she had lost her "blanket" that she jolted awake, jumping up and looking around in total confusion: Σ(°△°|||)︴
Snap!
Owen's fast fingers caught the moment on camera.
"Vee!"
The sound of the shutter acted as a beacon. Eevee pinpointed Owen's location and, without a second thought, ran joyfully over and jumped into his arms.
"How was your nap?" Owen tapped Eevee's forehead with his finger. My adorable, silly little Eevee...
"Vee, Vee!" Eevee nodded, full of energy.
Then... her stomach let out a loud growl.
Owen laughed. As expected of a newborn, her digestion was incredibly fast. He remembered feeling stuffed for ages after drinking a bottle of Moomoo Milk.
"Climb up here," Owen said, pointing to his shoulder. "I'll get your milk ready, and after you eat, I'll take you out for a walk."
Eevee was very obedient. She climbed up onto Owen's shoulder, settling into a pose much like Ash's Pikachu.
Feeling the warmth against his neck, Owen hummed. It's actually quite comfortable... not as heavy as I thought.
He decided then and there: unless it was absolutely necessary, he would let Eevee stay by his side rather than keeping her in a Poké Ball.
"Ah, almost forgot... after activating the ID, I need to buy a Poké Ball for her."
Once the ID was activated, he could legally purchase one. He'd then need to bind the Poké Ball's data to Eevee at the Pokémon Center.
A Trainer ID bond plus a Poké Ball registration—that was effectively Eevee's birth certificate and ID card.