What's required to adopt a Pokémon in the Pokémon world?
First, paperwork.
The Alliance mandates registering adopter information to prevent re-abandonment. Orphanages are also required to conduct regular follow-up visits to ensure adopted Pokémon aren't resold or mistreated.
These processes are designed to minimize inconvenience for adopters. Follow-up visits occur once a year for two years. After that, they're no longer mandatory.
This was a good system.
Taylor had considered adopting pets before, but some organizations had requirements so extensive they felt like a manual.
Very thick.
They demanded random video checks, and failing three could revoke adoption rights. Monthly inspections were also required, which felt overly burdensome.
Taylor understood these strict rules aimed to prevent abuse, but they had discouraged him from adopting.
"Ms. Rhea, per the Alliance's *Pokémon Adoption Policy 2.0 Implementation Version*, I'll contact you within the year for a follow-up visit to check on their well-being," Taylor said politely.
Rhea, well-prepared, nodded readily.
Officer Jenny then led Rhea, Nova, and Dusk away.
Seeing the two Pokémon hesitate to leave, Taylor crouched down and rubbed their heads.
Kuro and Blaze stood behind him, watching their friends. Though Casey didn't appear, Taylor knew it was observing.
Welcoming new Pokémon and saying goodbye were routine at the orphanage.
"Nova(Meowth), Dusk(Poochyena), live happily in your new home, okay?" Taylor said gently.
Nova nuzzled his hand, its tail curling affectionately.
Dusk expressed itself more simply, licking Taylor's face.
After seeing off the reluctant but hopeful Pokémon, Taylor took a deep breath and stood up.
He pulled a notebook from his pocket.
Taylor found the names of Nova and Dusk in his notebook and drew a circle around them.
"Two more children have been adopted," Taylor said, looking at the notebook in his hand.
Listed above were all the stray Pokémon Taylor had taken in. There weren't many, filling less than two pages. After all, he had only run this welfare home for two months.
Officer Jenny had followed Rhea away, as she still had official business to attend to.
After resolving the adoptions of Nova and Dusk, Taylor returned to the infirmary, opened the door, and checked on the Teddiursa brought in that morning.
The Teddiursa was sleeping soundly, and Taylor could sense the sleepiness emanating from its spirit.
It would take a long time for the little guy to recover, so Taylor didn't stay long, as he had other tasks to handle today.
Taylor returned to his office, changed into decent clothes, grabbed his briefcase, and walked out.
"Casey, remember to guard the house! Kuro, call me if anything happens!" Taylor shouted. The leaves nearby floated up, danced briefly, and fell back down. Kuro made a crackling sound, and Taylor knew the two little guys had heard him.
Casey was the name Taylor gave to Abra.
Taylor wasn't great at naming; he just gave them simple names.
Pushing his old bicycle out the door, Taylor saw the shadow of the Viridian City Gym in the distance.
"Kanto, Viridian City, Giovanni, what the hell is this start?" Though it wasn't his first time seeing the Viridian City Gym, Taylor couldn't help but complain.
When he arrived in the Pokémon world, Taylor didn't know where he was. After receiving the system's novice gift package, which included an identity and a welfare home, he realized he had been sent to Viridian City.
The good news was that Taylor had the Viridian Power, a unique ability in the Pokémon world.
The bad news was that Giovanni also possessed the Viridian Power.
Perhaps due to a strange connection between those with the Viridian Power, Giovanni knew Taylor had it too and had once tried to recruit him as an elite trainer for the gym. Taylor refused.
What kind of Pokémon joke was that?
Join Giovanni's gym?
Taylor feared that within days, Giovanni would test him to see if he could be recruited into Team Rocket.
Taylor had no desire to board Team Rocket's ship.
"Let's see..." Taylor took his cell phone from his briefcase and checked it.
Besides entertaining people who came to adopt Pokémon today, he also needed to conduct a return visit.
The person he was visiting was an old man, about eighty-three years old.
People of such advanced age were typically not allowed to adopt Pokémon. No one could predict when the old man might pass away, leaving the Pokémon's care in question.
However, because the old man was a soldier who had made significant contributions to the Alliance, the Alliance had made an exception, and Taylor accommodated the request.
Most importantly, the old man's matching rate was an impressive 80%.
"Huh... No. 32, Bilan Street, Viridian City?" Taylor reviewed the information, hopped on his bicycle, and hurriedly rode toward the target location.
When he arrived at the old man's door, Taylor immediately spotted the adopted Pokémon.
"A-Bo!" Taylor waved. A-Bo, lazily basking in the sun, raised its head and stared at him with cold snake eyes but soon recognized him.
"Young friend Taylor, have you eaten?" An old man pushed open the door, a smile spreading across his face when he saw Taylor.
"Grandpa Shike, I've already had breakfast," Taylor replied, quickly stopping his bicycle and locking it casually. He smiled a bit awkwardly.
Shike was A-Bo's adopter. At the time of adoption, A-Bo was still an Ekans, not an Arbok. To Taylor's surprise, in just two months, Ekans had evolved into Arbok.
A-Bo slithered to Taylor's side, flicking its tongue. It wrapped its tail gently around Taylor's calf and rubbed against him affectionately.
"Okay, A-Bo, let me go inside first," Taylor said, touching A-Bo's head with a mix of amusement and helplessness. This guy had evolved, but it hadn't outgrown its habit of curling its tail around people to express affection.