Xiao Zuo walked to Meowth and squatted down to look at him.
Seeing Xiao Zuo squat down, Meowth, who had been grooming his fur, also stopped to see what Xiao Zuo was going to do.
“Meowth, I know you were abandoned before and don’t trust anyone. But we’ve known each other for a long time now. I won’t abandon you like others, nor will I let you get hurt again. I need you now. Are you willing to continue this journey with me? We’ll work hard and grow stronger together.”
After speaking, Xiao Zuo reached out his hand, holding a slightly worn red and white pokemon ball, and offered it to Meowth.
He wanted Meowth to choose for himself; if Meowth was willing to become his Pokemon voluntarily, then no battle would be needed.
Meowth looked at the pokemon ball in front of him, a hint of hesitation flashing in his eyes.
He remembered the pain of being abandoned by humans in the past, and his heart was filled with wariness.
But Xiao Zuo’s sincere gaze wavered him; he felt the warmth and determination in Xiao Zuo’s words.
After a long while, Meowth slowly raised his paw and gently touched the pokemon ball.
The pokemon ball opened, and a soft red light absorbed Meowth. The ball shook three times before stopping, indicating that Meowth had accepted Xiao Zuo.
A joyful smile appeared on Xiao Zuo’s face as he picked up the pokemon ball and said, “Thank you, Meowth. From now on, let’s fight side by side.”
Then, Xiao Zuo released Meowth, picked him up, and shouted to the sky, “I caught a Pokemon! I have a Pokemon now!”
Inside the house, Xiao Zuo’s mother and sister stood by the window, watching the incredibly happy Xiao Zuo outside. His mother smiled with relief.
She knew how much hardship her child had endured and what this moment meant.
As a mother, who wouldn’t want her child to succeed and live a carefree life?
Xiao Zuo didn't completely lose himself in excitement. After calming down, Xiao Zuo first carried Meowth into the house to tell his mother and sister.
Meowth was his initial Pokemon. Then he took out some sitrus berry for Meowth as breakfast, while he himself took out a small notebook and started writing something with a pen.
Xiao Zuo was writing about Meowth’s future path, how to train him, what Meowth’s strengths were, and how he should proceed in the future, setting a plan for himself.
While Xiao Zuo was making his plan, his mother walked over and said,
“Xiao Zuo, you need to prepare many things to become a Trainer. Here, take this.”
As she spoke, his mother opened a cloth bag, revealing two gem rings, one large and one small.
Xiao Zuo, of course, knew what these were: his mother and father’s wedding rings. When the three of them were driven out of the family back then,
They had no money, took nothing, and only brought their personal belongings.
Ever since his father’s accident, his mother had always carried his father’s ring with her.
When they first left home, they had no money and, coming from a wealthy family, didn’t know how to navigate the outside world.
His mother had already pawned all her belongings and jewelry except for these two rings. When she brought them out today, Xiao Zuo immediately understood his mother’s intention.
“Xiao Zuo, there’s nothing valuable left in the house, only this. To become a Trainer, you must first have an identity and also need equipment. These two rings were custom-made by your father when he proposed to me; they still have some value and should be enough for you to prepare basic equipment. Take them and pawn them. Your father and I couldn’t provide you with better conditions, so consider this our small contribution for you.”
After she finished speaking, tears welled up in his mother’s eyes. She knew that once these rings were gone, it would be difficult for them to return.
Her connection and longing for her husband would also vanish. However, for her son to succeed and no longer live a hard life, this was what every mother must do.
Xiao Zuo gripped his mother’s hand tightly, his eyes red.
“Mom, I can’t take these rings. I will earn everything I need through my own abilities. Mom, I know you would give everything for me and my sister. But as your son, I can’t just let you keep giving. I’ve grown up now. Your son will work hard for his future path. You don’t need to worry about your son, Mom, rest assured.”
His mother looked at her son, understanding that her child had grown up, but she did not withdraw her hand and said,
“Xiao Zuo, I know you’ve grown up and can make your own decisions, but this is the first step your father and I are taking together for you. You are still young; don’t put so much pressure on yourself. I’m not doing this on a whim. This is also your father’s idea; if he were still here, he would definitely do the same. Alright, don’t refuse. For the prosperity of our family, what does this amount to? Go on now.”
After speaking, his mother turned around, picked up her bag, and left for work in town.
Xiao Zuo looked at the rings in his hand, feeling immense pain. He secretly vowed that he would definitely make a name for himself, otherwise, he would be letting down his family’s sacrifices.
Xiao Zuo absolutely did not want to sell his parents’ rings.
However, becoming a Trainer indeed required a large sum of money, and his family simply couldn’t afford it.
Xiao Zuo sat down and wrote in his small notebook the estimated expenses if he were to start his journey.
First, registering as a Trainer required 20,000 Alliance Coins.
Then, he needed to buy some pokemon balls, at least ten for initial use as backup.
Because a team should have at least six Pokemon, and catching them isn't 100% guaranteed, he needed to prepare some, costing 5,000 yuan.
He also needed Pokemon food. When traveling, food is more practical. Let's calculate for one month first.
Meowth alone would need one can of food daily, so thirty cans for a month, which is three hundred yuan. These all needed to be prepared in advance.
He wouldn't buy a pokemon illustrated handbook for now. It wasn't impractical; on the contrary, a pokemon illustrated handbook was very important, but its price of 100,000 yuan was simply unacceptable.
Then there were outdoor supplies like backpacks and tents. If he went out, he definitely couldn't stay at a Pokemon Center or an inn; he would have to stay outdoors, otherwise, the expenses would be too high.
There was also the arrangement for the Pokemon Center; if he trained and battled in the future, he would visit the Pokemon Center very frequently, and that money also had to be factored in.
After calculating all this, Xiao Zuo figured that if he were to leave now, he would need to prepare at least 50,000 to 60,000 yuan.
If he sold his parents’ rings, it would certainly be enough, but Xiao Zuo still couldn’t get past that hurdle in his heart.
In the afternoon, Xiao Zuo was familiarizing himself with Meowth’s moves in the yard. Since he didn’t have a pokemon illustrated handbook, he couldn’t see Meowth’s ability and moves, so he could only let him demonstrate them.
Meowth currently knew three skills: Growl, Scratch, and Fake Out.
Based on this set of skills, Xiao Zuo thought this Meowth’s level should be below ten.
According to his previous memories, Meowth could learn many skills, and multi-element skills were Meowth’s strength.
“According to my plan, Meowth is a Pokemon that focuses on physical attacks, so his skill set should primarily be physical attacks. Multi-element skills would allow him to deal with most enemies. It seems choosing Meowth as my first Pokemon was indeed the right choice.”
Meowth is a Normal Pokemon and can learn skills of other types, so Xiao Zuo planned for Meowth to have multi-element skills.
After checking the moves, Xiao Zuo took Meowth and walked towards the town.
Xiao Zuo first wanted to see if there were any items or skill discs in town that could help Meowth, and also check the prices of necessary equipment.
The town where Xiao Zuo was located was called Lin Yuan Town, a town under Rainbow City, with a population of about tens of thousands.
There were no other large factories nearby, and the residents lived a very leisurely life.
Xiao Zuo first went to the Pokemon Center to inquire about becoming a Trainer.
“Hello, to become an Alliance Trainer, you need to pay a registration fee of 20,000 Alliance Coins, pass a basic Pokemon knowledge assessment, and you must own at least one Pokemon.”
After hearing this, Xiao Zuo silently calculated his current knowledge base, thinking that there was also an exam. He then walked out of the Pokemon Center.
He turned and walked towards a small shop selling Pokemon items.
The shop was dazzling with various items.
pokemon balls were displayed on the first shelf, including the most common red and white balls, the higher-grade Great Ball, and the even better Ultra Ball. There were only these three types.
Further back were various sprays and medicines. Xiao Zuo approached the counter and asked,
“Hello, do you have skill discs here?”
Xiao Zuo’s main goal was skill discs; he wanted to see how much they cost.
“Hello, sir, we do have skill discs here, they are at the very back.”
Xiao Zuo walked in the direction the clerk pointed and saw several discs in a glass cabinet, with the skill and price marked below each one.
(Cut) Normal-type skill, priced at 30,000 yuan
(Karate Chop) Fighting-type skill, priced at 50,000 yuan
(Bite) Dark-type skill, priced at 40,000 yuan
(Mega Drain) Grass-type skill, 50,000 yuan
(Water Pulse) Water-type skill, 60,000 yuan
(Flamethrower) Fire-type skill, 100,000 yuan
(Protect) Normal-type skill, 150,000 yuan
(Sing) Normal-type skill, 30,000 yuan
(Earthquake) Ground-type skill, 100,000 yuan
Looking at these skills, Xiao Zuo fell silent.
Good heavens, each of these costs tens of thousands! No wonder only rich people can become masters. With these relatively powerful skills alone, who can afford them without money?
Xiao Zuo didn’t linger there; it wasn’t a place he could afford to shop.
Just as he was about to leave the shop, Xiao Zuo suddenly saw Pokemon items for sale at the storefront.
Xiao Zuo knew about Pokemon items, some for boosting attack, others for increasing recovery. Looking at the prices, he was once again dealt a painful blow.
(Focus Sash) Priced at 200,000 yuan
However, there was only this one item. It seemed that small towns indeed had fewer items for sale. For high-level items, he would still have to go to a department store.
