Time flew by, and before he knew it, June 24th had arrived.
Yun was officially on summer break.
What was even more exciting was that in just a little while, he would be heading to a public breeding house to purchase his first starter Pokémon egg.
In Huaguo, there were four requirements to become a Pokémon Trainer:
First, you had to be at least sixteen years old.
Second, you needed to pass the trainer physical exam.
Third, you had to pay the annual trainer tax.
And fourth, you had to own at least one Pokémon.
Yun had just turned the right age. The school had organized the physical exam for everyone, and he passed. Once he got his egg, all he had to do was take the certificate from the breeding house to the Pokémon Center for tax registration.
Once the egg hatched and he activated his Trainer ID, he could officially call himself a Trainer.
Professional Trainers had the right to use 95% of public facilities for free. But becoming one required passing a gauntlet of assessments from the Trainer Association. The standards were high, but so were the benefits.
Even the requirements for becoming a regular Trainer weren't too steep—and the perks weren't bad either.
Most importantly, at present, being a Trainer was the only legal status that allowed private citizens to own Pokémon and Poké Balls.
In fact, just having access to the discounted services at Pokémon Centers and Friendly Shops made it nearly impossible to resist becoming a Trainer.
You could say the identity of a regular Trainer was a must-have pass. Without it, there'd be no place to treat a sick or injured Pokémon. Private Pokémon hospitals were nearly non-existent in Huaguo—medical services were entirely monopolized by the Trainer Association's Pokémon Centers.
For the past half month, Yun had been diving deep into research while also refining the Grass-type Pokémon training plan he'd devised.
No one noticed any change in him—not even his parents. After all, even with two sets of memories, Yun was still himself.
"Son, are you ready yet? Don't miss the appointment!" his dad called from the living room.
"Just a sec," Yun replied from his bedroom, adjusting his clothes in the mirror and doing his best to look natural.
"Coming now!"
His quick response drew a smile from both parents waiting in the living room—they could hear the excitement in his voice.
Yun's mom and dad usually didn't get days off, but today they both requested leave for one reason: to accompany their son to the breeding house to purchase—or at least reserve—a Pokémon egg.
At Yun's age, he had to be accompanied by a guardian.
Not to mention, he couldn't afford one on his own. His only savings came from a single red envelope bank card from New Year's, and it had barely over 6,000 yuan left.
That amount might be enough for an ordinary pet, but a Pokémon egg? No chance.
Yun really was excited—he'd been waiting half a month for this.
Once he stepped out of the bedroom, the family didn't dawdle any longer and set out right away.
Pingcheng had five high schools, but only Pingcheng No. 1 High was officially recognized by both the Trainer Association and the Ministry of Education as qualified to cultivate future Trainers.
Among this year's soon-to-be seniors at Pingcheng No. 1—around 400 students—everyone would be visiting the breeding house in the next few days to make their reservations or purchases.
On the street leading to the breeding house, the flow of people was steady. Some parents were leading their kids toward it, while others carried students cradling their new Pokémon eggs on the way back.
Though Pingcheng wasn't a small city, in this kind of scene, bumping into familiar faces was inevitable.
Sure enough, not long after stepping outside, Yun let out a soft "Oh?"—he had spotted someone he knew.
It was a classmate from his own Year 2 Class 12.
"Uncle Lin! Lin Jing!" Yun grinned and stepped forward to greet them.
The man, dressed in casual clothes and about the same age as Yun's parents, was standing beside a striking young girl. She had a bold, confident air and a unique presence.
"Oh, you're Xiao Jing's classmate. Hello there," Uncle Lin said with a warm smile.
Yun's parents had met the Lins a few times at parent-teacher meetings, and as soon as they saw each other, the small talk began flowing.
Yun had wanted to chat more with Uncle Lin himself, but seeing how his parents were deep in conversation, he turned to Lin Jing instead.
This Uncle Lin wasn't just any parent—he was a legend in Pingcheng. Captain of the city's Criminal Investigation Division, he had cracked numerous theft and murder cases involving Pokémon. He was practically a local celebrity.
And now, here stood Yun, meeting his very first real-life professional Trainer.
"Yun, can you guess what I got?" Lin Jing asked with a smile.
"Growlithe," Yun answered instantly.
"You're no fun at all," Lin Jing pouted.
She hadn't even finished her sentence and he'd already guessed it. How frustrating.
"I mean, do I even need to guess?" Yun rolled his eyes. Everyone knew that Lin Jing had been raised like a junior police cadet by her father. Growlithe and Arcanine were practically the standard-issue partners for Huaguo's police force.
Growlithe were sharp, brave, and fiercely loyal. Their sense of smell was so strong that once they caught a scent, they'd never forget it. They could even sense emotions through scent alone. It was no wonder they were hailed as the ultimate police Pokémon.
Though rare, with the Lin family's background, getting a Growlithe was no big deal—they could easily afford both the egg and its future training.
Running into classmates was just a coincidence, but since their routes aligned, both families walked together for a while.
As they neared the breeding house, they eventually had to split up to find their assigned guides.
After the Lins left, Yun's dad suddenly stroked his chin and said, "Son, are you planning to start dating after graduation?"
"Waste of time," Yun replied flatly.
"I think that Lin Jing girl is great," Dad said seriously.
"Too bad she probably doesn't think the same about your son," Mom added with a grin.
"…," Yun looked up at the sky.
His parents were great in every way—except their total lack of seriousness. It was exhausting.
"You're number 51, the Yun family, right?"
"That's us."
After arriving, Yun's dad made a quick phone call. Before long, a young man wearing glasses stepped out from the breeding house with a welcoming smile.
As soon as Yun saw him, his heart raced—things were finally starting.
"Thank you for waiting. Please, come with me. Oh, and I'm Bai Shi," the bespectacled man said cheerfully, repeating his name as he guided them inside.
Public breeding houses and Pokémon Centers were both under the jurisdiction of the Trainer Association. In Huaguo, they were the only legal places to purchase Pokémon or Pokémon eggs.
Any other channel was considered illegal—though rare exceptions did exist.
Worth mentioning: the breeders working here were all certified professionals who had passed the Breeders' Association's rigorous exams. They had in-depth knowledge of raising and caring for all sorts of Pokémon, including hatching and postnatal care.
As a result, any Pokémon or egg available for sale here would have excellent potential and be free of any health issues. Of course… that also meant the price would be higher.
Despite the name "house," the facility was enormous—more like a plaza, neatly divided into sections.
As they followed Bai Shi inside, he explained things along the way, and all three nodded attentively.
"I assume you've already looked into the types of Pokémon eggs we offer?" Bai Shi asked. "Any favorites?"
"We're not really sure, best to let the kid decide," Yun's mom replied. "They went over all this in school, but he said he wanted to see them in person before choosing."
"That's a wise choice," Bai Shi said with a nod. "Letting the child decide is best."
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