Chapter 12: The first reactions
"Are these the Pokémon for this update?"
At the Pokémon Center in Seaside City, a crowd gathered. Some were merely curious, while others were avid pet enthusiasts.
However, the information displayed by the Pokémon Center left many perplexed.
"Is that a mouse?" A person exclaimed, pointing at Rattata's holographic projection. "And this, a massive caterpillar??? With horns?!"
"There are caterpillars with leaves on their heads!"
Caterpie and Weedle lay displayed, intriguing and confusing onlookers.
"And bats!" Another person gestured to Zubat.
"What's with this giant praying mantis? But it's oddly charming!" Scyther's appearance still held a certain allure.
"What's John thinking? Are these supposed to be pets???" Someone complained.
Listening to the comments and complaints from afar, John's head throbbed. There were plenty of attractive Pokémon!
He had come to witness how players reacted to Pokémon while also selected his own Pokémon.
Though not fully prepared to immerse himself in the game, claiming Pokémon was still a necessity.
The scene unfolded just as he envisioned. While not everyone came, those who did lingered, engrossed in learning more about Pokémon from the illustrated booklets.
Their curiosity sparked a budding interest in Pokémon, often the first step towards affection.
Of course, apart from those frantically pushing without gaining anything.
Within the Pokémon Center, several battlefields were set up, and players were already engaging in battles using basic moves.
Hit, hit... hit.
In one arena, a long-haired girl in a purple knee-length skirt dominated the field. That was Lily.
Leveraging her status as a private server player and using the information given by John to her, Lily exploited these new players to gain experience, drawing a crowd to watch her battles.
Many who thought themselves clever went to acquire Pokémon like hers, only to be disappointed.
For Lily had chosen a snake-like Pokémon with a dark blue back, a light white belly, and white fins on either side of its head—a Dratini!
Among the Pokémon distributed, aside from the rare starter trio, John introduced only one Dratini and one Scyther.
Scyther was added for its strength, while Dratini was added solely for its rarity.
Though Dratini itself wasn't that overpowered, its final evolution, the quasi-legendary Dragonite, held immense power.
Among the 151 first-generation Pokémon, only Mewtwo surpassed it in rank, showcasing its might.
John, on the other hand, opted for Pikachu.
However, this Pikachu was perhaps too adorable. John thought that he wouldn't be able to evolve this Pikachu into Raichu because of its cuteness.
"Pika? PikaPika"
Perhaps sensing John's hesitation, Pikachu perched on his shoulder softly cooed, nuzzling its soft fur against his ear in agreement.
"It's up to you! Scyther!"
Meanwhile, the Scyther that John had been observing was finally chosen by someone captivated by its appearance.
John's gaze followed the person, observing as they released Scyther from its Poké Ball and scanned it with their newly acquired Pokedex.
"So you're Scyther, I can see that you are as dashing as me!"
"Scythe!"
Scyther raised its scythes in a fighting stance.
"You think we're equally dashing, don't you? That's why I chose you!"
John: "...I think it just wants to fight."
John couldn't resist intervening, reminding the person just in time.
"Huh? Is that so?"
The person looked at the serious expression of Scyther, thanking John, "Alright! Let's battle!"
With enthusiasm, they led Scyther to the battlefield.
"Scythe!"
"Let's go and battle scyther!"
John observed that not only was the scyther strong, but even his new trainer was pretty good at directing in battles. Both of them soon defeated all of their opponents. Then the real game began as now it was time for the battle between Scyther and Lily's Dragonite.
"Now, the real show begins!"
With the entrance of Scyther, the arena gained another warrior. John brought Pikachu to watch discreetly, activating the camera in the process.
Scyther, specially chosen by John to promote Pokémon, needed to engage in a captivating battle for optimal promotion. And what better opponent than Lily?
Though Dratini and Sycther were currently similar in terms of power, but Lily's command prowess far surpassed that of these novices, making for an engaging battle!
Observing from the sidelines, John couldn't shake off the feeling of déjà vu, almost like seeing a familiar figure wearing a hat.
As the battle unfolded, John found himself lost in thought.
A/N: donate some power stones guys, also does anyone know how to enter into the rankings?