It was late at night as Ethan sat in a chair in the front lobby of the Pokemon center, on a computer. He’d spent the last several hours doing research, studying, and comparing what he knew to what was fact.

First of all, which wasn’t much of a surprise, was that Pokemon didn’t have levels. While they did gain experience battling, it wasn’t as rigid as a system. Wild Pokemon battled each other to grow stronger, but they only killed each other for food, or when someone, or a Pokemon, entered their territory.

Almost every Pokemon was capable of eating berries, and they typically kept their homes and territories around the wild trees. Unknowingly, Ethan creating his giant berry field probably saved the lives of hundreds or thousands of Pokemon. It also made sense on why the Oddish and Hoppip moved right next to him, as he wasn’t a threat, and food was plentiful.

Next, egg groups were a thing, but there wasn’t a complete compendium on which pokemon was in each group. From his rushed research, he cross examined his mental list of Pokemon with what was published, and they were the same. Unlike the games though, the female didn’t dictate what species the child would become. It was usually fifty-fifty, but some species were female only, or had very low female percentages throughout their population. Such examples were Pokemon like Jynx, who were strictly female, and Pokemon like Combee, who were a majority male.

It was a very interesting topic, and he’d have to do more research later on.

Next, IV’s and EV’s weren’t a thing. Base stats, as he knew them, were kinda there. That’s to say, if an untrained Magikarp, which was considered an extremely weak pokemon, was to go against an untrained Diglett, the Diglett would win the majority of the time. Strictly because of the standard power levels of the Pokemon.

Pokemon learned through training, which was why some Pokemon actively sought out a human trainer to grow stronger. From what he researched, training was more fluid, and each Trainer had their own methods. Some fighting types were trained in martial arts, while some Psychics focus on speed and the more esoteric mental aspects. It was a really diverse and a hotly debated topic.

When it came to Move Tutors, they did exist, but not in the way Ethan had imagined. Usually, a person becomes an expert in a given attack, or more rarely a specific type. They would then offer their services to aspiring trainers in return for PokeDollars, the standard currency. Teaching a move took time, and Trainers would leave their Pokemon with the Move Tutor until their training was complete. The more difficult the move, the longer it would take, and the more it would cost.

What was surprising, was being a generalist Pokemon Trainer or Move Tutor was typically seen as unprofessional. Diverting the majority of your time to a specific type was seen as being more serious, but that wasn’t to say that being a generalist was impossible. The majority of teens who went on their Pokemon journey went the generalist route, but most teens never managed to make it past four badges. That also included the type specialists, which made Ethan laugh at the conflicting evidence. He was sure Champion Cynthia had made sure that generalists were more popular.

Speaking of teens, Ethan was glad to learn that most children started their journey at the age of sixteen, not the dreadful ten which was in the games. That was good news to him.

He did look up Ash Ketchum out of curiosity, and found that unlike the games, the boy did indeed age here. Right now, he is nineteen years old and is currently in Hoenn doing the circuit of gyms there. Ethan couldn't find much detailed information about him, but he assumed that giving out private information wasn’t such a good idea everywhere. At least he learned that he existed, and going by how Looker cut him off earlier, Ash meeting legendaries was a thing.

As he was done with hardcore research, he wanted to spend some time looking at pictures of some of his favorite Pokemon. Maybe they were larger or smaller than he thought, or maybe they were very odd looking in real life! He wanted to see.

As he started typing some names of his favorite Pokemon into the computer he heard the clacking of heels approach from behind. A few times throughout the day, Nurse Joy would come over and make sure that he was doing okay and if he needed any help, so this wasn’t an odd occurrence.

What was odd, was that he didn’t recognise the voice speaking from behind him.

“Emolga? I haven’t seen too many of those. Are you interested in them?” A feminine voice spoke from over his shoulder.

Turning his head, Ethan saw a woman around his age, which was in the late twenties. She sported long blonde hair and some business casual attire. She looked nice enough, and seemed generally interested in what he was researching. It was nice to talk to people again, so he indulged in this eventful conversation.

“They’re one of my favorites. I’ve never seen one before, so I was looking to see how they looked. They’re from Unova.”

He looked through some pictures of the flying squirrel Pokemon and found it to be just as cute and adorable as he suspected. Just like in the games, they could hover in the air under their own power, but they could also run along the ground and climb trees like a normal squirrel. He never got to see that in the games.

“They’re very rare as well.” The woman commented.

He didn’t know that, but he hadn’t been searching for very long. Maybe in the future he’d run into one. “Do you have any favorites?”

The woman smiled. “I like all Pokemon. I couldn’t choose between them.”

Ethan nodded sagely. “A very diplomatic answer. I’m sure your Pokemon appreciated that.”

The woman laughed and chose another topic as Ethan continued searching up some of his favorites. “Do you have any favorite trainers? Gym Leaders? Champions?”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Ethan paused in his search and thought for a moment. “Well, Professor Oak is up there for sure, if you still count him as a trainer. I think Gym Leader Koga from Kanto and Gym Leader Whitney from Johto are also very underrated. Champion Cynthia being a generalist really makes her stand out, and she’s probably one of the strongest champions if my knowledge is anything to go by. Maybe I’m wrong though. How about you?”

The woman tapped her chin in thought. “I think Elite Four Karen is rising through the ranks quickly. Though, I agree that Cynthia is the strongest. Her Garchomp is unbeatable.”

Ethan nodded along as he looked at some pictures of Sylveons. Another extremely rare pokemon. Why did all of his favorites have to be so rare? “She has a Glaceon and Gastrodon too. At least, I think she does.”

“She does. They’re not used very often, but they’re as strong as the others. They don’t like to battle as much. Only every once in a while.”

The woman stood and stopped looking over his shoulder. “Well, have fun looking up Pokemon. I have to get going.”

“Thanks. It was nice to meet you. Stay safe out there.” Ethan gave the woman a wave as she threw on a dark trenchcoat and left the Pokemon Center. In the corner of his eye, he caught Nurse Joy smirking at him from behind the receptionist desk, and he frowned in suspicion. “What…?”

“Nothing. Though, It’s pretty late. I think it's time for you to get some rest.” She held her smirk and waved toward the back of the center, where his hospital room was located.

Having done enough research to figure out that he most definitely didn’t want to become a serious trainer, Ethan decided that this was a good place to stop for today. It was late, and if he had to guess, tomorrow was going to be a long day.

—-----------------------

The next morning, Ethan was laying in his hospital bed eating a breakfast comprising some berry jam, toast, and eggs from an unknown source, when Agent Looker arrived. Looker walked up and tossed a sealed envelope onto his lap.

Ethan swallowed and placed his toast aside as he grabbed the envelope. “What’s this?”

“Your registration. A league official dropped it off last night.” He gestured towards the envelope as he took a seat in the chair next to the bed. “Go ahead, open it up.”

Ethan gently opened up the tan envelope and took out the contents. First, was a large pamphlet going over all the benefits and requirements for being a resident of Sinnoh. That was obviously important information, but he’d look over that later. Next was a small rectangular ID. On the top, in giant bold red letters, it read ‘Pokemon Trainer’. Ethan observed that there was very little information filled in as he looked it over. Well, it at least had his date of birth and given name, but it didn’t have a photo or an address.

Looking to Looker, Ethan held up the flimsy piece of plastic and waved it about. “Is this actually going to work anywhere? Also, why does it say Pokemon Trainer? I don’t think that’s what I’d like to do.”

Looker looked unbothered. “It’ll work just fine. I had them make a Trainer ID because it works the same way as a normal ID. If you ever choose to run the circuit, then you can. If not, then it’s no big deal.”

After the ID was a medium-sized square wooden case. Flipping it open, Ethan saw the inside was empty. He swept his gaze to Looker, and without having to ask, Looker explained. “Badge case. Again, don’t worry about it.”

There was a phone inside. Pretty cheap looking, if he was being honest, but it was indeed a smart phone and appeared brand new.

Last inside was a simple folded piece of paper, and a singular Pokeball. After unfolding it, Ethan read through the letter.

Congratulations, Mr Reed.

We are delighted to inform you that you have officially become a Pokémon Trainer. Your passion for Pokémon and your dedication to learning and growth have brought you to this exciting milestone.

As you embark on your journey, you'll encounter countless adventures, form strong bonds with your Pokemon, and discover the wonders of the Sinnoh region. Enclosed you will find your Trainer ID, and your first Pokeball to begin your adventure.

We wish you the best of luck on your journey. May you achieve great success, make lasting friendships, and become an outstanding Pokemon Trainer.

Someone scribbled on a small section at the end of the letter.

Welcome to the world of Pokemon!

Sincerely,

Champion Cynthia.

“Oh, I bet the kids love that.” Ethan murmured as he noticed the signature at the bottom. He doubted the champion herself took the time to write out her signature to every aspiring trainer. Some poor assistant probably had carpal tunnel at this point.

Reading the note over again, Ethan looked to Looker yet again. “So, I’m officially a resident?”

Looker nodded as he kicked his feet up onto the side of his bed. “Yup. Figure out what you want to do yet?”

Looker wasn’t expecting an answer, but after doing his research, Ethan had indeed thought of his path. If he couldn’t choose between being a breeder or a move tutor, then he’d be both.

“Actually, yes. I think I’d like to be a breeder and a move tutor. Given my prior knowledge and some research last night, I think I stand a pretty good chance at being successful. I even taught some wild Pokemon some moves before.”

Looker was looking toward the ceiling, contemplating Ethan’s choice. After a few seconds, he kicked his feet off the bed and flashed him a smile. “Sounds like a pretty good idea. Now, where are you going to set up your operation?”

“Do I have options? You said the League would help with setting me up, but I'm going to be honest with you. The only thing that’s been given to me since I arrived here was a hard time.” Ethan grumbled as he ate the rest of his breakfast.

Looker stuffed his hands into his pockets and shrugged. “I think I know of a fairly good plot of land. It has a bunch of berry trees on it already. It’s a little off the beaten path, but I think that can be solved pretty easily. You probably need to let the big momma Ursaring that lives near know what you’re planning though.”

Ethan paused, toast hanging from his mouth. “You can’t be serious…”

Looker looked dead serious. “Ethan, you’ve spent so much effort there already. You know the local Pokemon, and creating a proper home and path is much easier than building you a ranch from scratch. While the League wants to help you, it has its limits.”

Thinking back, the clearing was large enough to host a proper house, breeding pen, and already has trees full of berries to feed the Pokemon with. The only issue was the location. He didn’t actually know where it was located.

“You got a map? I don’t actually know where it is. I only know it’s in Eterna Forest. Isn’t that like… protected land or something?”

Looker looked amused. “Oh, it’s protected alright. Protected by loads of Pokemon that is. I think you vastly underestimate the size of the forest. This isn’t a game, Ethan. That forest spans nearly a hundred miles. There’s already some predetermined paths created by the rangers so that trainers can safely traverse the forest. We’d just need to see if we can connect one to your little slice of land. Set up a sign, and get your name out there.”

The more Looker talked, the more the idea sounded… alright. The main issue with being lost in the forest was not being able to leave and not being able to talk to other people. If there was a path and he knew where he could go, then it didn’t sound too bad. Also, he’d be lying is he said he didn’t miss his Oddish and Hoppip.

Ethan gave Looker a slight smile. “Well, let’s get a map. Shall we?”