Who needs a girlfriend when you have Pokémon?

Leaving aside the super rookie on the TV set next door who treats Pikachu as his pet for ages, even a new trainer these days will leave their closest Pokémon outside with them when they have nothing to do. Pokémon aren't like huskies that can run away and disappear, so what are you afraid of?

Dr. Birch probably realized that his words were not convincing at all, and after a moment of embarrassment, he quickly changed the subject.

"That was a truly beautiful battle. As expected of Senri's son... cough cough, no..." Dr. Obako stopped mid-sentence, seemingly realizing something was amiss, and immediately said seriously, "...truly a genius who passed the League's assessment at the age of six!"

To be honest, Rowe had long since become indifferent to the evaluation of being "the son of a thousand miles," but Dr. Birch seemed to feel that this evaluation completely negated Rowe's own efforts, as if Rowe's excellence was entirely due to his father's influence.

However, as a Pokémon professor, he knew better than anyone else that a Pokémon trainer's talent was not hereditary. If one did not have a strong love for Pokémon and put in enough effort, it would be absolutely impossible to have such outstanding strength at this age.

This is due to Luo Wei's own strength, and has absolutely nothing to do with who his father is...

"Haha, you flatter me~"

"By the way, Rowe is already twelve years old. How about it? Have you thought about challenging the Gym Leader and winning a badge?"

"Ok!"

When this was mentioned, Rowe immediately perked up. In fact, Rowe had already considered this matter when he was ten years old, because many trainers started their journey to challenge Gym Leaders after getting their first Pokémon partner at the age of ten.

Each region has eight gyms. Defeating the gym leader will earn you a badge representing the gym. Collect all eight badges, traverse the Champion Road, and arrive at the Pokémon League, where you can challenge the Elite Four who guard the league.

This is certainly not an easy path. Most trainers are already quite remarkable if they can obtain one or two badges in their lifetime, because Gym Leaders will adjust their lineups based on the number of badges a challenger possesses.

After all, if you go all out against a new trainer right from the start, it's like encountering a mid-way boss on the way out of the beginner village, and probably very few people will be able to get the badge.

Gym leaders usually start showing their true strength from the fifth badge onwards, because reaching this level proves that the trainer who comes to challenge them has strength far above the average level and deserves the gym leader's serious attention.

However, most trainers can't even last five badges. Starting with the third badge, many trainers will begin to feel significant pressure when facing Gym Leaders who are starting to show some of their skills.

For example, a childhood nightmare...

...The large milk tank uses scrolling!

Conservatively speaking, the number of Cyndaquil that Miltank used Rolling to launch them back then, if lined up, could circle the Johto region twice...

In short, challenging Gym Leaders to win badges is the most direct way for a Trainer to prove themselves, and as a rookie Trainer, Rowe naturally has no doubt that this is his goal.

However, as soon as Luo Wei finished speaking, his excitement faltered, and his expression became somewhat conflicted.

"Haha, is it because you care about your mom and are afraid she'll be lonely? What a thoughtful and good child!"

Dr. Birch instantly saw through Lowe's thoughts. As the saying goes, "While parents are alive, one should not travel far." Lowe's father was already busy with work and often traveled for business, rarely returning home.

If Luo Wei goes out again, his mother will be all alone at home. His husband and son have all run away. It's impossible for her not to feel lonely.

Besides, once the journey begins, there will inevitably be various trials and tribulations along the way, and a mother can't help but worry when her child is away from home...

For all these reasons, Luo Wei had been unable to make up his mind for two years, but finally decided to tell his mother that he wanted to embark on a journey.

However, he had already made his decision...

...Today is his twelfth birthday. More importantly, they moved to Petalburg City today. It's not far from Petalburg City where his father works. His father has become a gym leader, so there shouldn't be any major job changes for him in the short term.

In this way, the father would have more time to come home and visit the mother, so even if Luo Wei went on a long trip, the mother wouldn't be lonely at home alone.

This is the perfect opportunity, and on his birthday tonight, Luo Wei hopes to voice his wish.

He is about to embark on a journey to formally begin his training as a trainer!

"I've made up my mind!"

After hesitating for a moment, Luo Wei raised his head and answered with utmost seriousness...

"...I see, hmm, that look is certainly very convincing."

At this point, Dr. Birch recalled something he'd casually remarked when Senri told him that Rowe and his mother were moving in, and for a moment, he found it incredibly amusing…

...This family of three is truly "of one mind"!

"Oh, right..." Professor Birch slapped his forehead, as if he had remembered something, "I need to go back to the lab first. Haruka is collecting experimental data for me on Route 103. Could you please go find her and bring her back to the lab?"

Route 103 isn't far from here either; it's just north through Gumei Town. Luo Wei immediately agreed.

"No problem, I'll cover it!"

"Then, I'll leave it to you..."

"Hmm, should I escort you back to the research institute first, just in case something unexpected happens?"

"You kid...you can be really hurtful sometimes!"

After repeatedly assuring everyone that he was definitely fine, Dr. Birch watched Rowe leave in the direction of Ancient Rose Town. For a moment, he shook his head, both amused and exasperated, and then muttered to himself as if he had thought of something.

"In that case, perhaps we could entrust 'that research' to Rowe. If it were him, maybe..."

Chapter 6 UB01: Parasite

——Hoenn Region - Route 103——

"Hmm, let me see... Zigzag Bear, Long-winged Gull, Coyote, okay, the Pokédex for this area is now complete~"

A young girl, who looked to be no more than ten years old and wore a red headband, was fiddling with a device about the size of her palm in the surrounding grass.

At the girl's feet followed a Pokémon that reached about knee-high, covered in orange-red feathers, and resembled a chick...

The girl, dressed in light sportswear, moved briskly through the grass, while her Pokémon, with wings that clearly couldn't fly, trotted along behind her...

After repeatedly confirming that there were no more undiscovered Pokémon in the area, the girl put away her equipment with satisfaction and glanced at the time.

"Oh dear, it's already this late? I need to hurry back. Speaking of which... Luo Wei should be here by now, right? It's been three years. I wonder how he's doing..."

Needless to say, the girl with the red headband is none other than Haruka, Dr. Oda's daughter and Lowell's childhood friend in theory.

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

As they were talking, the girl was preparing to pack her things and head home, but just as she was about to take a step, she suddenly felt a chill and goosebumps rose all over her body.

"?!"

In her astonishment, her body had already moved first. She propelled herself forward with her toes, and with a light leap, she rolled on the ground... As the grass blades flew, she jumped into the waist-high grass in front of her.

In the blink of an eye, a figure suddenly appeared from where Xiaoyao had been, flying directly towards her previous spot. However, because Xiaoyao dodged in time, the figure missed its target entirely...

Having missed its target, the figure immediately began searching for Xiaoyao's whereabouts. Xiaoyao, who was hiding in the grass, had already clearly seen what had attacked her.

"Uh, Pokémon? Are there... any Pokémon like this around here?"

It was a semi-transparent creature that looked like a jellyfish. Its huge umbrella-shaped head swayed around, and its semi-transparent body, resembling a cloak, appeared and disappeared in the air, making it look incredibly dreamlike.

May immediately took out her device and pointed it at the jellyfish-like Pokémon. However, the device screen flickered, and in the end, no corresponding Pokémon message appeared, only a strange string of code...

And at the top of this code string are these words—

——UB-01: Parasite!

There are pictures here, which can be viewed after the updated version

"Ah, this... could it be the thing that Dad's research institute has been researching recently..."

May couldn't help but mutter something under her breath. Just then, the strange jellyfish-like Pokémon raised its tentacles. The translucent tentacles swayed seemingly randomly in the air, as if it were "sensing" something.

Two seconds later, the swaying tentacles suddenly turned and pointed directly at the bushes where Haruka was hiding.

"!"

Oh no, we've been discovered!

Xiaoyao immediately realized this, and without hesitation, she raised her hand and waved...

"...Turkey, Charge Flame!"

Instead of waiting to be attacked, take the initiative! Problems caused by Pokémon can be solved through Pokémon battles!

This is basically the foundation of this world. From global crises to everyday greetings, everything can turn into a tense and exciting Pokémon battle.

Upon receiving the command, the turkey immediately puffed out its small chest, and its hard beak collided up and down, creating a shower of golden-red sparks...

The flying sparks instantly transformed into a string of flames that enveloped Torchic's entire body. The little guy launched himself up like a cannonball and crashed directly into the jellyfish-like Pokémon.

With a muffled thud, the golden-red flames shattered on the jellyfish-like Pokémon. The impact caused the Pokémon to sway, but it did not retreat an inch.

Instead, the enormous recoil force bounced back onto Torchic, and the little guy was immediately jolted back by the force, flapping his little wings and tumbling and jumping back to May's feet.

"Well……"

Xiaoyao glanced at it and saw that the jellyfish-shaped Pokémon was completely unaffected. It had taken a hit from the Charged Flame Attack, but didn't even have a white mark on its body...

Although Torchic's attack didn't deal much damage, as the golden-red flames dissipated, two golden rays flashed across Torchic's body...

"The fire-type attack didn't work. Is this guy a rock-type or water-type Pokémon?"

As Professor Birch's daughter, she naturally possesses a wealth of Pokémon knowledge, and type advantages and disadvantages are common knowledge that every trainer must master.

Moreover, as the daughter of a Pokémon professor, May naturally knows that a Pokémon's type can usually be determined by its appearance, but sometimes... the appearance is completely the opposite.

Under normal circumstances, upon seeing a jellyfish like this, one would generally guess it's a Water, Psychic, or Ghost type...

How the hell could anyone have guessed it was a Poison/Rock type?!

However, given that there's a tree among them, it's not too surprising that something that looks like a grass-type creature turns out to be a rock-type.

Seeing that her Fire-type Charged Flame Strike hadn't dealt any damage, May immediately changed her tactics...

"A flash of lightning!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Torchic immediately launched himself into the air again, while the jellyfish-like Pokémon retaliated by waving its tentacles...

However, the tentacles that reached out did not touch the Torchic's body; instead, the Torchic swiftly dodged its attack...

...Clearly, when Torchic used Charged Flame Strike just now, its movements weren't that quick.

Charged Flame Strike is a skill that can increase the user's speed. Starting with this move is also intended to further increase the suppressive power by increasing speed.

In addition, May's Torchic also possesses the valuable "Speed ​​Up" ability, which allows it to continuously increase its speed during battle.

With its Flame Burst and Speed ​​Boost abilities, Torchic has already accelerated twice in a row, widening the speed gap with its opponent.

However, the turkey's attack once again slammed into its opponent, but still failed to cause any significant damage.

The jellyfish Pokémon that had taken two hits waved its tentacles again, but this time there were even more of them.

Its entire body was covered in tentacles, blocking all of Torchic's escape routes from all sides...

"see through!"