Time flew by, and soon it was the day to receive the First Partner Pokémon.
"Then I'll be going, Auntie Hanako."
Yu Feng, with his backpack on, stood at the door, waving goodbye to Delia.
"Alright, Xiao Feng, you must take good care of yourself."
Delia was very worried, but then she thought that he had grown up in the wild since he was a child, so he might be more familiar with the wild than with home.
"But, where's Ash?"
Yu Feng was a bit strange, wondering why he was up but Ash wasn't.
"That child, Ash, he's still not awake."
Speaking of Ash, Delia was quite helpless. Last night, she repeatedly told him to go to bed early, but he still hadn't woken up.
If she didn't teach him a lesson, he would never truly understand what it meant to get proper rest.
"Don't worry, I'll call him in a bit. He won't be late; the laboratory is very close from here."
Delia waved her hand, reassuring Yu Feng. Since it was close, being a bit late wouldn't matter much, it just meant Ash might not get the Pokémon he wanted.
However, that child didn't really have any Pokémon he disliked, so being a bit late was fine.
"Alright then."
Seeing Delia say that, Yu Feng could only give up on the idea of calling Ash earlier. In fact, even if he went early, he might not get Pikachu.
Yu Feng had no choice but to walk towards Professor Oak's Laboratory by himself.
Looking at the small Pokémon running past on the road, Yu Feng still felt a sense of wonder. Seeing Pokémon in the forest before was not as incredible as seeing them in a human residential area.
Of course, there had always been an impulse in his heart, which appeared the first time he heard Delia mention the China Alliance. His subconscious told him that if he wanted to know his origins, he had to go to the China Alliance.
Of course, those things were still far away. His current goal was to get his First Partner Pokémon from Professor Oak. In this regard, these regions were better than the China Alliance.
Auntie Hanako said that the population base in the China Alliance was too large, and the breeding facilities specifically for First Partner Pokémon simply couldn't keep up with the number of students graduating each year. Out of necessity, they chose to provide a limited supply in each area.
In most cases, they would mix Pokémon like Pidgey and Oddish with First Partner Pokémon and let students choose, with the outcome entirely depending on luck.
Unconsciously lost in thought, Yu Feng had already arrived at Professor Oak's Laboratory. Today was slightly different from the last time he came.
Today, the laboratory's main door was wide open, and he could even see a child walking out joyfully, holding a Poké Ball.
Following the path from his memory, Yu Feng arrived at the place where Pokémon were distributed.
"Oh, you're here, Xiao Feng."
Professor Oak, who was waiting for new Trainers in the laboratory, spotted Yu Feng as soon as he entered and greeted him warmly.
"I'm here, Professor."
Yu Feng politely responded to the Professor, and at the same time, Shiny Kirlia spontaneously appeared, her eyes fixed on Professor Oak to prevent him from doing anything irrational.
"Ah hahaha, so, Xiao Feng, have you chosen your First Partner Pokémon?"
Looking at Shiny Kirlia, who was wary of him, Professor Oak couldn't help but scratch his head awkwardly. It seemed his actions the first time had made the little one quite hostile towards him.
"I've chosen, Professor."
Yu Feng nodded and handed the list Professor Oak had given him initially back to the Professor.
"Oh, really? Is it Fennekin to continue the Psychic type, or Litten to broaden your attacking options?"
Professor Oak put the list back in its place and asked Yu Feng about his choice with some curiosity. Although he was recommended by an old friend, choosing a Pokémon was also an art.
"Neither, it's Charmander."
Yu Feng shook his head, pointing to the Poké Ball with a flame pattern on Professor Oak's desk.
"Charmander? That's rare. I thought you would choose a Pokémon from another region."
Professor Oak looked at Yu Feng with some surprise. After all, very few people who could choose Pokémon from other regions would choose a local one.
"No, primarily because Charizard can fly, and currently, the only known Mega Evolution is available here with your First Partner Pokémon and Professor Birch's."
Yu Feng still explained to Professor Oak the reason for choosing Charizard.
"Is that so? I forgot that people from your side should be very clear about this."
Professor Oak pondered for a moment and then remembered that Yu Feng was not from Pallet Town, so it was normal for him to know so much.
"Alright, then I'll entrust this child to your care."
Without saying much more, Professor Oak retrieved Charmander's Poké Ball from the machine behind him.
Then, he took out a blue machine and five Poké Balls from a box and handed them to Yu Feng.
"These five Poké Balls are a gift for new Pokémon Trainers setting off."
"And this is a Pokédex specially customized for you. It can display information about the Pokémon you encounter. This is a test version, so I'd appreciate it if you could help collect information on the Pokémon you meet during your journey."
He handed the blue Pokédex to Yu Feng, and at the same time, released Charmander, teaching Yu Feng how to use the machine.
With a 'beep,' the blue Pokédex scanned Charmander, and a mechanical voice introduced Charmander.
"Charmander, the Lizard Pokémon. From the time it is born, a flame burns at the tip of its tail. Its life will end if the flame ever goes out."
"That's roughly how it works. Just scan any Pokémon you haven't seen before. It's best to catch one if you can."
"Oh, by the way, you probably haven't linked the transfer destination for your Poké Balls yet, have you? How about linking it to my laboratory?"
As the Pokédex's voice finished, Professor Oak asked for Yu Feng's opinion.
"Then I'll leave it to you, Professor."
Yu Feng bowed gratefully to the Professor. After all, even if he caught few Pokémon, there would still be dozens. His home didn't have storage technology, so being able to keep them at the Professor's place was ideal.
"It's no trouble. After all, if you catch rare Pokémon, I can record the information immediately."
"But it looks like this little guy really likes you."
Professor Oak also patted his head and laughed heartily, then looked at Charmander, who was constantly tugging at Yu Feng's pants, and was incredibly happy.
Trainers who can be liked by Pokémon so quickly are rare. Even with First Partner Pokémon, there are cases where they don't take to their Trainer.
"Yes, this little guy is very cute."
"Lee!"
Yu Feng picked up Charmander, very fond of this naturally friendly little one. And Charmander, hearing Yu Feng say he liked her, was also very happy, with the flame on her tail burning brightly.
"That's about it. If you want to challenge the Alliance, remember to register at the Pokémon Center. Having a Pokédex will be more convenient than paper documents."
Professor Oak, as if remembering something, held up a finger to remind Yu Feng. After all, new Trainers always want to challenge the Alliance. Some people only realize halfway through that they haven't registered, and it's quite embarrassing when registration closes by the time they go to sign up.
Just as the two were talking, a familiar voice came over.
"Grandpa, is Squirtle still there?"