Chapter 76: The First Generation of the Three Noble Families

Cheng Cheng settled into Dr. Oak’s home, and the next morning, after breakfast, everyone headed to the research institute. When they arrived, they found four children standing at the entrance. The moment they spotted Dr. Oak, the children rushed over.

“Dr. Oak, I’m Mimi. I’m here today to receive my starter Pokémon,” one of them announced.

“Yes, we can’t wait any longer!” another child said excitedly.

Cheng Cheng hadn’t realized today was the day trainers came to receive their first Pokémon. He was not a League trainer and had never received a starter Pokémon himself, so he had never experienced the anticipation and joy of that moment. It must be an unforgettable milestone in one’s life.

“All right, all right, your Pokémon are ready. Come with me and choose!” Dr. Oak said, leading the four children inside, with Cheng Cheng and Shigeru following behind.

“Shigeru, could you please bring out the Pokémon I’ve prepared for the kids?”

“Yes, Dr. Oak.”

Cheng Cheng walked after Dr. Oak into the main hall of the institute.

“Where are our Pokémon?” the children asked eagerly.

“Calm down! You’ll see your Pokémon very soon.”

A few minutes later, Shigeru brought out a square container divided into three compartments, each holding three Pokémon.

“Grandpa, I’ve brought the Pokémon,” Shigeru said.

“Thank you, Shigeru.”

Dr. Oak took Poké Balls from each compartment and released one from each.

“All right, everyone, come out.”

The three Pokémon—Squirtle, Bulbasaur, and Charmander—appeared. The four children crowded around them, examining each one before making their choices.

“Dr. Oak, I want this Charmander.”

“I want Charmander too, Dr. Oak.”

“I’ll take Squirtle.”

“I’ll choose Bulbasaur.”

Two chose Charmander, while the others picked Squirtle and Bulbasaur.

Watching the scene, Cheng Cheng suddenly remembered the day Ash received Pikachu. Ash had overslept, and the three starters had already been taken, so he was given Pikachu instead. But could it be that Dr. Oak only ever had the three starters? Clearly not—today, Shigeru had brought nine of them, which meant Dr. Oak must have deliberately set things up so Ash would get Pikachu.

It seemed Dr. Oak knew this Pikachu was special. But how? Even Cheng Cheng, using the system, hadn’t detected anything extraordinary about Pikachu; it was simply the protagonist’s aura at work. Even if Pikachu had shown some impressive power before, it shouldn’t have been stronger than the three starters. Besides, Pikachu had already evolved at that time and wasn’t especially powerful. Why, then, would Dr. Oak give Ash Pikachu? Cheng Cheng couldn’t figure it out.

“All right, now that you’ve chosen your Pokémon, congratulations—you are officially Pokémon trainers,” Dr. Oak announced, interrupting Cheng Cheng’s thoughts.

“Here are your Pokédexes and Poké Balls,” he said, handing them over.

“Thank you, Dr. Oak!”

“You’re welcome. I hope you all become outstanding Pokémon trainers.”

“We will, Dr. Oak. Goodbye!”

The four children then left.

“Well, the children who came for their Pokémon today have all received them. Let’s get started with today’s research,” Dr. Oak said.

“Grandpa, there were supposed to be five trainers coming today. One hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Oh, is that so? No matter. Let’s do our research while we wait.”

Cheng Cheng was a little excited at the prospect of doing research alongside Dr. Oak; it was sure to be a wonderful experience. However, instead of heading to the laboratory, Dr. Oak led everyone into the ecological park behind the building.

“Dr. Oak, why are we here?” Cheng Cheng asked.

“We’re here to observe and research Fairy-type Pokémon, of course!”

“But shouldn’t research be conducted inside the laboratory?”

“No, no. Pokémon are living beings, with unique thoughts and personalities, just like us. If we observe them only in the lab, we miss their true natures. Only in the wild, where they act naturally, can we truly understand their characteristics.”

“I see. That makes sense,” Cheng Cheng replied.

“Which Pokémon are we studying today?” he continued.

“From my observations, Clefairy displays the most prominent Fairy traits, so I’ve decided to focus on it,” Dr. Oak explained.

“What about Cleffa?” Cheng Cheng asked. “Cleffa is Clefairy’s pre-evolution and represents the most basic state. Wouldn’t studying Cleffa help even more with Fairy-type research?”

“I’ve considered that, but I’ve looked for a long time and never found a Cleffa. Clefairy itself is quite rare; it took some effort to catch two from Mt. Moon. As for Cleffa, I haven’t seen any.”

“Since Clefairy evolves from Cleffa, observing Clefairy should still yield useful results,” Dr. Oak said.

“I don’t think that’s quite right,” Cheng Cheng argued.

“Oh? Why not?”

“Because of evolution.”

“Evolution?”

“Yes, Dr. Oak. Do you remember the Eevee family?”

“Of course.”

“Eevee evolves into different types by being exposed to various evolution stones. However, Sylveon, the Fairy evolution, doesn’t require a stone.”

“No stone? Then how does it evolve?” Dr. Oak asked.

“I’m not sure myself, but I’ve seen Eevee evolve into Sylveon before. It seems to happen when there’s a strong bond between Eevee and its trainer.”

“A bond? I see. And how does that relate to Cleffa?”

“If Eevee evolves into Sylveon through a deep connection with its trainer, Cleffa might also evolve into Clefairy through emotional resonance. So the relationship between Pokémon and trainer could influence evolution, making it even more meaningful to study Cleffa.”

“That’s a good point, but we don’t have a Cleffa at the moment. Finding one might take some time,” Dr. Oak replied.

“In that case, I’d like to try my luck at Mt. Moon,” Cheng Cheng offered.

“You want to go to Mt. Moon?”

“Yes. I can’t be of much help here, so I’d like to see if I can find a Cleffa there.”

“Are you going alone?”

“Yes, it would be more convenient for me.”

“The journey from Pallet Town to Mt. Moon is quite long. You should go with Shigeru—he can drive you there.”

“All right, that works for me. Shigeru, I’ll be relying on you.”

“I’d be happy to help,” Shigeru replied.

So it was decided that Cheng Cheng and Shigeru would head to Mt. Moon together.

“Once you’re ready, set off,” Dr. Oak said.

“Understood, Dr. Oak.”

Just then, a young man in a white lab coat came running over.

“It’s Ken. What’s the matter?” Dr. Oak asked.

Ken? Cheng Cheng glanced at him—he looked familiar. Wasn’t he the one who traveled with Ash and Misty in the Orange Islands? He was a Pokémon observer, currently helping out at Dr. Oak’s institute.

“Dr. Oak, a new trainer has arrived. He seems to be here to get his first Pokémon.”

“Oh, I thought he wouldn’t make it. Since he’s here, let’s go greet him. Will you all come along?”

“I’d like to see as well,” Cheng Cheng said, curious about this late-arriving trainer.

They all returned to the institute’s main hall, where a boy with jet-black hair and a yellow backpack stood waiting. His features were striking and pleasant, giving off a strong impression. Cheng Cheng sensed a powerful aura about him—checking with the system, his combat power was off the charts.

“3210!”

A humanoid Pokémon? Could this be another Ash?

“It’s Zhi!” Dr. Oak exclaimed.

“Sorry I’m late, Dr. Oak,” the boy said.

“No worries. Your home is far from the institute, so it’s only natural to be a bit late. Now, come choose your Pokémon!”

Dr. Oak produced three Poké Balls and released the Pokémon inside. Cheng Cheng’s eyes widened at the sight: Charmander, Kangaskhan, and Dratini.

These were starter Pokémon? Aside from Charmander, which was relatively normal, what was with the other two? But even the Charmander was unusual, as Dr. Oak explained.

“These three are the offspring of my own Pokémon. This Charmander is the child of my Charizard and another Charizard. My Charizard has been with me since I was young, so this Charmander is exceptionally strong. Kangaskhan and Dratini are also the children of my Pokémon. Now, which will you choose?”

Was this a joke? The offspring of three champion-level Pokémon, just given away like this? Was this Zhi Dr. Oak’s secret child? Or secret grandchild? Was Shigeru the fake one all along?

It was one thing to fall behind Ash—but now even this mysterious Zhi seemed to surpass him. Cheng Cheng began to doubt Shigeru’s status.

“But Dr. Oak, shouldn’t there be a Squirtle and a Bulbasaur as well?” Zhi asked.

Cheng Cheng nearly wanted to smash his head open to see what was inside. These three Pokémon, if properly raised, could become pseudo-legendaries! How could he still be picky?

“You’re late. Squirtle and Bulbasaur are already gone. So you can only choose from these three,” Dr. Oak replied, completely unfazed. Cheng Cheng was impressed.

“All right, then I’ll choose Charmander,” Zhi decided.

“Here’s its Poké Ball, as well as five empty Poké Balls and a Pokédex. You are now officially a Pokémon trainer—work hard,” Dr. Oak said.

“Thank you, Dr. Oak. I’ll set out right away.”

And so, under Cheng Cheng’s murderous glare, Zhi departed the institute to begin his journey. Cheng Cheng realized that perhaps a future Elite Four member had just been born.