"What are you two staring at?"
Chimchar stared at Owen; Owen stared at Chimchar. Initially, Granny Sun thought they were undergoing some profound mutual selection process.
However, ten seconds passed, then twenty... until two full minutes had gone by, and they were still locked in a dead stare. Granny Sun began to feel something was off.
"Wuk," Chimchar finally grunted, turning its head away.
"Looks like I won the staring contest," Owen chuckled. "So, are you willing to be my Pokémon now?"
Chimchar was speechless. Who was having a contest with you? And when did I lose?
A moment ago, Chimchar had been curious about what kind of trainer would choose it. Now it was certain of one thing: this trainer had skin thicker than a boulder.
"A staring contest? Well... that's certainly a unique way to get to know each other," Granny Sun remarked. "So, Chimchar, are you willing to go with this person?"
The relationship between a trainer and a Pokémon isn't just master and pet; Pokémon have their own right to choose. If Chimchar didn't approve of Owen, the breeding center had the right to let Owen pick again.
Chimchar fell silent. It lived a good life here; it had been here since birth. Though it knew its purpose, the thought of leaving with a stranger made it hesitate.
Is Owen worth following?
Looking at Owen again, Chimchar noticed his eyes were slightly red—likely a side effect of the staring.
After a moment of contemplation, Chimchar stood up. Although it didn't acknowledge the "staring contest," it decided that since Owen had put so much "effort" and "sincerity" into winning its approval, it would give him a chance.
Chimchar reached out its hand.
Owen blinked, then reached out and shook Chimchar's hand. As he did, he blinked again, and a single tear rolled down his cheek.
Chimchar froze. Tears?
"Wuk-wuk!" Chimchar quickly wiped the tear from Owen's face. Look, I just agreed to be your Pokémon, there's no need to get that emotional about it.
Maybe this trainer isn't so bad after all?
"Thanks, I'm fine."
Owen rubbed his eyes. They were stinging like crazy. He really shouldn't have stayed up all night playing games with Eevee after finishing his revision; his eyes just couldn't take the strain.
...
Exiting the breeding center, Owen bumped into a beaming Xu. "Senior Xu? What happened to you?"
Xu's smile was ear-to-ear. "Oh, sorry, lost my composure there. Anyway, which one did you pick?"
The Club President quickly changed the subject. He couldn't exactly tell Owen that while he was busy picking a Pokémon, he had managed to score a chat with a pretty senior, could he?
"Uh... Chimchar." Owen held up a Pokéball with a flame insignia. "Now I just need to go to the Pokémon Center to register it."
"If you have other things to do, Senior, I can go by myself," Owen added.
"Yeah, I'll wait here for the other club members. Give me a call if you need anything," Xu Changliang nodded.
Owen thanked him and turned to leave. Tsk, the world is going to the dogs. Everyone's just thinking about romance; how are we supposed to make the varsity team like this? This President has no future...
After Owen left, Granny Sun handled the registration on her end, primarily notifying the breeder who had originally hatched the Chimchar.
...
Name: Owen
Starter: Eevee
Second Pokémon: Magneton
Third Pokémon: Chimchar
Registration complete. Owen took a taxi back to campus and returned to his dorm.
A moment later, Owen's three Pokémon were gathered in the room.
"Eevee, Magneton, welcome your new teammate! Get to know each other!" Owen tossed out the line and scurried off to find the Pokéblocks, leaving the three Pokémon to stare at each other.
Magneton hovered in the air, Eevee hopped onto the bed, and Chimchar stood on the floor.
Eevee and Magneton stared at Chimchar. Chimchar stared back.
Chimwar: ???
The little monkey was dazed. It felt like it had walked into a den of thieves. Why did everyone in this place love staring so much?
Chimchar looked down at itself. Orange fur, light red palms, and belly... it looked at the flame on its tail. Nothing weird. It looked back at Eevee and Magneton with a hint of annoyance.
"Vee-vee!!" Eevee suddenly waved a paw. This one isn't bad. Looks like it has working hands—finally, someone who can play games with me. Way more reliable than Magneton.
"Mag-neee!"
Magneton also hummed a welcome. With a Pokémon that has hands and feet around, surely I won't have to use my Psychic powers for cleaning duty anymore?
In Owen's team, a natural "chain of exploitation" was already forming...
Chimchar took a deep breath. It wasn't quite used to this level of "enthusiasm."
Just then, Owen returned with three small plates containing the Pokéblocks he had prepared. This was their lunch.
"Chimchar, this is for you." Owen handed the plate with the purple-red and light blue blocks to the newcomer.
Chimchar looked at the food in confusion. What is this? It picked up a purple-red block, sniffed it, and took a small bite.
In the next second, Chimchar's expression transformed. It began devouring the remaining blocks with a ferocity it had never shown before.
Delicious!
It had never tasted anything like this at the breeding center. And it wasn't just the taste; as the Pokéblocks went down, two warm currents flowed through its body. Chimchar could clearly feel the nutrients beginning to refine its physical form.
Owen watched the satisfied Chimchar and smiled. A kid is still a kid; they can't resist gourmet food. Pokéblocks were the ultimate bait in any world.
"Wuk!" After finishing, Chimchar looked at Owen with a "is there more?" expression, licking its lips. Then, it looked a bit embarrassed. Did I eat too fast?
"Vee." Seeing Chimchar's appetite, Eevee nodded in approval and pushed one of its own blocks onto Chimchar's plate.
"Mag." Not to be outdone, Magneton used its Psychic power to quickly move two blocks from its own plate to Chimchar's.
Looking at the extra food, Chimchar felt a wave of emotion. These teammates... are actually pretty great?
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