After Ye left, Carver took some time to recall the original owner's memories.
As far as he knew, the Pokémon League in this world did provide starter Pokémon for children who turned ten.
But every year, there were many children turning ten all over the region—in big cities, towns, and even small villages…
Even in the Hoenn League, it was impossible to accommodate all of them.
Because of this, children in more remote towns who wanted to become Trainers had only two options:
Capture a Pokémon by themselves—like the Bug Catcher kids who use nets to catch Caterpie or Wurmple before they evolve and become stronger.
Buy a Pokémon egg from a nearby breeding house.
The good news was that, regardless of how a Trainer got their first Pokémon, whether through the League's starters or catching one themselves, both were equally entitled to free services at Pokémon Centers during their journey.
"Jenny is even helping me promote the breeding house. I really should find a way to thank her properly," Carver murmured.
By 4 PM, it seemed unlikely any more customers would visit.
Carver locked the doors and windows, grabbed a few Poké Balls, and headed out to the forest behind the breeding house with Bewear.
The massive canopy of trees blocked out most of the sunlight. The leaves were thick and lush, and when the wind blew through, the whole forest rustled like a thousand birds singing in unison.
Looking at the green ocean of trees, Carver couldn't help but exclaim, "What a beautiful view!"
It was a stark contrast to the steel and concrete of bustling cities.
The scent of nature was invigorating, bringing a sense of peace and tranquility. Just being there made him feel like he could relax completely.
From the surrounding bushes, there were rustling sounds. Wild Pokémon living there were startled by the presence of humans and fled in a panic.
"Guu~!"
Bewear seemed happy too.
Carver remembered that the original owner's father had been a forest ranger here. Because of the fertile soil and lush vegetation, the forest was rich with natural resources and wild Pokémon, which inevitably attracted the attention of some bad people.
In fact, when the original owner was six years old, Pokémon hunters had tried to poach Pokémon from this very forest.
Thankfully, the original owner's father stopped them, called the police, and had them arrested.
Carver and Bewear currently stood at the edge of the forest.
Perhaps because it was close to the road, the Pokémon living here were neither many nor rare.
Carver looked at the Pokémon scattered in the grass and began naming them one by one.
"Zigzagoon, a Normal-type, just like a little raccoon. So cute."
"Is that a Wurmple? And its evolutions, Silcoon and Beautifly!"
Carver watched with curiosity as a Beautifly fluttered gracefully among the flowers.
Unfortunately, as soon as it spotted him and Bewear, it frantically flew away.
"Am I that scary?" Carver asked in disbelief.
But then he quickly realized it wasn't him that Beautifly was afraid of—it was Bewear!
At that moment, Bewear was scanning the surroundings with a stern expression, staying vigilant in case a wild Pokémon tried to attack Carver.
"That can't be, right?" Carver wondered aloud.
But just as he finished speaking, a Mightyena lunged out of the bushes, jaws wide and fangs gleaming, ready to bite.
Carver's pupils shrank.
But in the next instant, a familiar figure stepped in front of him.
Bewear's expression darkened, and it threw a punch—Huge Power activated.
The Mightyena was sent flying, crashing into the distant grass, completely unconscious.
Carver: "!!!"
With the danger gone, Bewear turned around, grinning happily at Carver.
"Guu!"
All good! We can keep going!
Carver: "…"
It seemed that the deeper they went, the fewer human traces there were, and the more diverse the Pokémon species became.
High above, Seedot hung from tree branches, absorbing nutrients.
Under piles of fallen leaves, Shroomish sat motionless.
Clusters of Oddish grouped together, pretending to be ordinary bushes.
Sunkern lay sprawled out in the sunlight, soaking up the rays.
Carver even spotted what seemed like the silhouette of a Ralts, but when he tried to get a closer look, the Pokémon used Teleport and vanished.
He couldn't tell if it was a Ralts or an Abra.
"Guu?" Bewear tilted its head in confusion.
By now, the sky was gradually darkening.
Even though they didn't encounter many Grass-type Pokémon, Carver already had a few in mind.
"Too bad we didn't find any Water-types."
The area was mostly forest—there were no rivers, and Water-type Pokémon typically only appeared near water sources.
"In that case, let's solve the Grass-type problem first."
Carver set his sights on an Oddish standing alone, separate from the other Oddish around it.
[Pokémon: Oddish]
Gender: Female
Ability: Run Away
Moves: Absorb, Sweet Scent, Stun Spore, Sleep Powder, Acid, Nature Power, Synthesis, Ingrain
Status: Healthy
Mood: 😊 Happy
Joy: 20
Friendship: 0 (You are strangers to each other)
Description: I'm just a happy little plant! — Oddish.
"A loner Oddish?" Carver was surprised. Definitely a unique one.
But that wasn't the only thing unique about this Oddish.
"Nature Power, Synthesis, Ingrain… I didn't expect this Oddish to know all three of these moves. Are these egg moves? Or did it learn them naturally?"
Either way, it didn't change the fact that this was an exceptional Oddish.
If it were the former, it meant its parents were powerful and passed down those moves.
If it were the latter, it meant this Oddish had incredible natural talent.
Either way, it was a rare find!
Carver glanced over at the other Oddish in the area.
Unlike this special one, the others only knew a few basic moves like Absorb, Sweet Scent, Stun Spore, and Sleep Powder.
"Well, I guess you're the one."
Oddish, a Grass-type Pokémon, with the Chlorophyll ability, had two potential final evolutions: Vileplume and Bellossom.
If it evolved into Bellossom, it would be perfect for Carver's needs. It could use Grass-type energy to tend to the herbs and vegetables, and its dances could summon sunlight to help crops grow. It was the ideal match for his Herb Garden.
Even better, Bellossom could act as a support Pokémon, serving as a healer to restore the health and status of injured Pokémon in the breeding house.