Pokémon Simulation: Hunting The Protagonists

"Blue!"

Ethan held Oddish in his arms and greeted the kind-looking lady in front of him.

After losing his family and the privileges of being a wealthy heir, Ethan had experienced the bitter taste of life—falling from grace and being abandoned by those he once trusted.

But Aria, Blue, and a handful of others were among the rare few who stood by his side during those dark times.

"Ethan, sit down and eat."

"Huh? This Pokémon?"

It was Blue's first time seeing Oddish. The close bond between the two was evident.

"This Oddish must be your starter Pokémon, right?"

"That's right." Ethan smiled, moving Oddish closer to Blue. "Cute, isn't she?"

"Cute, just like you were when you were little," Blue said with a smile.

Oddish blushed from the direct compliment, looking a little shy.

Ethan glanced at the dining table. Every dish was one of his favorites.

With his parents' indulgence, Ethan had been living a life most young people could only dream of—without realizing how precious it was.

It wasn't until he truly lost everything that he understood how hard his parents had worked to build that life for him.

And what had he done with it? He squandered it, using a background he hadn't earned to act recklessly and bully his classmates.

When his privileged identity as a rich heir was stripped away, all that remained was his status as a Pokémon trainer.

Even in that field, he was mediocre at best.

That made him an easy target for the so-called "Children of Fate," who would humiliate him repeatedly.

Looking back at those petty school conflicts compared to the fierce battles he would face later with top trainers, it seemed downright childish and naive.

Ethan devoured his meal with rare enthusiasm, while Oddish ate with impeccable elegance.

Blue couldn't help but chuckle.

"Who would've thought two personalities so different could get along so well? Pokémon are truly magical creatures."

"By the way, Ethan, I overheard you talking with your cousin earlier. Are you really going to trade away the Master's Home breeding house quota?"

"Yeah." Ethan nodded.

"You silly boy! Don't you know how valuable that quota is?" Blue sighed in exasperation, assuming Ethan didn't understand its worth.

"You should've discussed this with your parents first."

"It's fine," Ethan said with a smile. "The quota is good, but it's not very useful to me."

"After all, the Master's Home quota only lets you receive an egg.

Whether it's the time it takes for the Pokémon to hatch or the effort and money required to raise it in its infancy, that's not an easy task for a new trainer.

Without experience, it's easy to waste a lot of time researching and buying essentials in the early stages."

"So, compared to Pokémon eggs, already active Pokémon are a better fit for me."

"Besides, school is starting in about ten days. The academy will organize a visit to its breeding house, where we'll each receive a Pokémon."

Ethan's eyes sparkled at the thought.

In the academy's breeding house, Tyler—one of the Children of Fate—would encounter a powerful Mudkip with innate strength.

That Mudkip would later evolve into a Swampert and become Tyler's ace.

Ethan clearly remembered how that Swampert helped Tyler capture the legendary Zapdos.

And Ethan's second target was to intercept this Mudkip before Tyler could get his hands on it.

Hearing his explanation, Blue finally understood.

She gave Ethan an incredulous look.

Having known him for so long, she was surprised to see such cunning from him—using an unused breeding house quota to gain leverage and benefit himself, and then calmly analyzing the pros and cons of raising different types of Pokémon.

It was hard to believe this was the same carefree, academically challenged Ethan she knew.

She couldn't help but feel a little sentimental.

This boy was growing up without her even noticing.

Meanwhile, Jayden returned home and recounted everything to his father.

"You said Ethan wants ownership of that shop?"

Ethan's second uncle, Brandon, appeared to be an honest and kind-hearted middle-aged man.

Anyone who looked at his face would assume he was a decent person.

But in reality, Brandon was a ruthless schemer who wouldn't hesitate to harm his own brother and sister-in-law for profit—or sell out his nephew and niece.

Jayden nodded vigorously.

Despite his father's kind appearance, he knew how strict and calculating Brandon could be.

"Strange. Did something happen recently that I don't know about?"

Brandon had been planning to sell the failing shop for a while, but Ethan's sudden interest made him wary.

He called a few contacts to ask if there had been any recent changes in the North Street area.

After several calls, the answer remained the same—nothing had changed.

Brandon grew even more suspicious.

"Did your cousin mention why he wants the shop?"

"He… he said he wants a quiet place with fewer people so he can turn it into a breeding house for his Pokémon after becoming a trainer," Jayden stammered.

"Ah, that makes sense." Brandon nodded thoughtfully.

The shop had a backyard that wasn't huge but was spacious enough for a dozen Pokémon to move around freely.

He found nothing unusual in the explanation.

After all, many trainers preferred setting up their own breeding houses for better reliability.

Finally, Brandon shook his head, dismissing his doubts as paranoia.

He instructed his secretary to prepare the necessary documents and handed them to Jayden.

After all, in his eyes, a breeding house quota for one of the Big Three was far more valuable than a money-losing shop.