"Hey, Rambo! Did you pick your Pokémon too?" Larry greeted Rambo enthusiastically as he emerged from the breeding center.
"Yes, I did. We're going to be great partners," Rambo said, looking fondly at the Poké Ball in his hand.
"What did you choose? Let me guess, Elekid or Magnemite? Elekid is pretty strong, especially when it evolves into Electabuzz. Its brute strength and size are nothing to sneeze at. But Magnemite is also a solid choice, with its Steel and Electric dual-type giving it excellent resistances, making it a formidable tank," Larry rattled off, showcasing his extensive knowledge.
"Neither. I chose Shinx," Rambo said proudly, holding up the Poké Ball for Larry to see.
"Shinx? That's an unusual Pokémon. What type is it? Just a single type?" Larry's curiosity was piqued, and he quickly asked for more details about Shinx.
"It's an Electric type. That's all I know for now. It's a Pokémon from the A2 region, so I'll need to do some research in the library to find out more. What about you? Which Pokémon did you choose?" Rambo asked in return.
"You know me, I love Steel-type Pokémon, so I picked this little guy," Larry said, pulling a Poké Ball from his pocket and releasing the Pokémon inside.
The Pokémon had a round body, four short legs, and a large, round head. Its body was dark gray, and it had light blue eyes. Parts of its head, legs, and back were covered with steel armor, and it had a horn on its back.
"Is this... Aron?" Rambo crouched down to get a closer look at the steel beast. It seemed very lively and cheerful, happily circling around Larry's feet.
"Yeah, and its ability is Rock Head. You can tell its head armor is thicker compared to other Arons," Larry said, patting Aron's head.
"It's not a local Pokémon either, right? If I remember correctly, Aron is native to the neighboring Z6 region," Rambo recalled from his lessons. He vaguely remembered that the Aron species had caused some trouble in the Z6 region, but the specifics eluded him.
"Yes, it's native to the Z6 region. Do you remember Mrs. Jane's class? She told us that Aron once caused a major incident in the Z6 region. A group of Arons hidden under a city secretly gnawed on all the iron objects at night, causing multiple traffic accidents. They even chewed through power cables, leading to a sudden blackout in the entire city," Larry recounted with growing enthusiasm. Aron, seemingly understanding Larry, chirped in agreement.
"Now that you mention it, I remember. Arons love to eat iron ore. It must be expensive to keep one. But I guess that's not a problem for you," Rambo remarked, recalling that Larry was secretly one of the wealthy kids in their class.
"Haha, it's manageable. I've got it all under control," Larry replied confidently.
Suddenly, the voice of Mrs. Jane, the class teacher of Class 6G, interrupted their conversation. "Students who have received their Pokémon, line up and return to class. Do not loiter here. Remember to keep your Pokémon in their Poké Balls. If I catch any of you letting your Pokémon run loose on campus, you'll be in big trouble!"
"Looks like we have to head back," Larry said, returning Aron to its Poké Ball and turning to Rambo.
"Yeah. I'm planning to go to the library after school. Do you want to come with me?" Rambo asked. He needed to find information on Shinx, which wasn't covered in their textbooks.
"I can't today. I've got some things to take care of at home," Larry thought for a moment before politely declining Rambo's invitation.
"That's too bad, haha," Rambo replied, not taking it to heart. They then headed back to the classroom together for their next lesson.
Mrs. Jane is one of the few Level 3 Pokémon Trainers in the school. Her Pokémon have an average level of 35, which is significantly higher than the average level of 20 among ordinary people's Pokémon in this era. It is said that her ace Pokémon has successfully reached level 40 and can hold its own for 20 minutes even against the principal in a battle.
Class 6G.
"Students, I assume you've all just received your ideal Pokémon? You must treat them well and never abandon them, or else... the federal government has related criminal laws in this regard that you should be aware of." Mrs. Jane's serious expression made the students listen attentively, even calming their excitement from receiving their new Pokémon.
"Of course, I believe my students are not the kind of people who would abandon their Pokémon, so I'm not worried about you in that aspect. What I need to say next is important for your future education, so please pay attention." Mrs. Jane paused and looked around the class, ensuring everyone was focused before continuing, "This is your final year of high school. In ten months, you will be taking the Global Entrance Exam. I wish you all the best in achieving excellent results and bringing glory to our school."
"The Global Entrance Exam consists of two parts: a written exam and a practical exam. The written exam accounts for 40% of your total score. For those who are not confident in the practical exam, you should focus more on the written part. As for the practical exam, the specific assessment method has not been disclosed yet this year. Therefore, you should work on improving the strength of your Pokémon. The school will also hold special training classes, which you must attend," Mrs. Jane explained briefly about the Global Entrance Exam before starting the day's lesson.
Class time always seemed to pass quickly. Rambo felt that no sooner had he started than it was already time to leave. Looking at his notebook filled with notes and his to-do list for the day, Rambo felt a bit overwhelmed.
However, this was the effort required to become a powerful trainer, and he had to push through even if it was tough.
After school, he said goodbye to Larry and headed to Centralia Mall near the school. He needed to visit the Pokémon food specialty store to buy supplies for Shinx. On the way, he let Shinx out of its Poké Ball to walk alongside him and stretch its legs.
The federal government did not restrict Pokémon from being on the streets, except for larger and more aggressive Pokémon, which required a permit. Clearly, Shinx did not fall into this category.
Entering the store, Rambo was dazzled by the variety of products. Fortunately, each shelf was marked with symbols representing different types of Pokémon food.
After finding the lightning bolt symbol for Electric-type Pokémon, Rambo began selecting suitable food for Shinx.
"Generic Electric-type Pokémon food... not quite right. It's better to get something specifically for Shinx," Rambo thought, shaking his head at the different flavors of generic Electric-type Pokémon food. He believed that targeted food would be more beneficial for Shinx's development.
"High-protein food for Electric-type Pokémon, this looks good. Shinx is still a bit small, so eating this along with proper strength training might help it evolve before the Global Entrance Exam and make it bigger than its peers." After deciding on Shinx's developmental plan, Rambo purchased the Pokémon food and moved on to his next destination.
Rambo also bought Shinx some plush toys, a toy ball, a cat teaser, and even catnip as toys and rewards at Centralia Mall.
His next stop was the library. Pokémon were not allowed to roam freely inside the library, so after coaxing Shinx, Rambo put it back into its Poké Ball before entering.
After spending some time searching, Rambo finally found the encyclopedia of Pokémon from the A2 region. With the book in hand, he found a quiet spot in the library to sit down.
"Shinx... found it. Electric type, with the abilities Rivalry or Intimidate. I wonder which one you have?" Rambo glanced at the Poké Ball he had just placed on the table, Shinx's Poké Ball. He wanted Shinx to accompany him in this way while he looked up information, hoping it might also strengthen their bond.
"Shinx generates electricity by vibrating its body. The muscles in its front legs are designed to produce electricity through movement. Whenever it moves, the muscles contract and generate electricity. If you see it trembling with excitement, it means it's generating a lot of electricity." Rambo murmured to himself as he noted down Shinx's characteristics and habits.
"Hey, isn't that Rambo? What a coincidence," Ylisa said as she noticed Rambo looking up information and sat down across from him.
Ylisa was a student from the neighboring Class 6H and a privileged official's daughter. Her father was the Gym Leader of Wuvnarile City, specializing in Ground-type Pokémon.
"It is a coincidence. What brings you here?" Rambo looked up at Ylisa.
Ylisa had beautiful black hair tied up in a high ponytail and was still wearing her school uniform, embodying the essence of youthful school life.
"I'm here to find some information, just like you." Ylisa glanced at the encyclopedia in Rambo's hand and noticed the picture of Shinx on the page.
"So this is your starter Pokémon, a cute little kitty," Ylisa remarked, pointing at the picture of Shinx.
"Yeah, this is my starter, Shinx. What about you?" Rambo was curious about what Pokémon Ylisa had chosen. Given her family's reputation for Ground-type Pokémon, he assumed her starter would be a Ground-type as well.
"Wooper," Ylisa said with a smile. Then she stood up and left, leaving Rambo with the image of her graceful departure.
