Pokémon: The Master who emerged from the slums

Just then, Laura, the teacher, announced that the students could begin choosing their first Pokémon.

James shook off the scattered thoughts in his mind and focused back on the present.

The order in which students would receive their Pokémon was based on their overall grades. In theory, those with a stronger grasp of Pokémon knowledge and a better physical condition had a significant advantage, whether it came to battles, raising Pokémon, or future adventures. This system was designed to give talented students the best opportunity to showcase their potential.

After all, the number of Pokémon was limited. If everyone chose the same Pokémon, the League's supply would run out.

James, due to his comprehensive understanding of Pokémon and his consistently top-ranked grades, was naturally given the privilege of choosing first.

When his name was called, James stepped forward. Following Laura's gesture, he walked slowly to one of the shelves.

The shelf in front of him only held ten Poké Balls, much fewer than the 40-50 balls on other shelves. This stark contrast stood out to James.

On the labels above the Poké Balls, the word "Machop" was clearly written. This was the Pokémon James had chosen after careful consideration.

Machop was one of the few fully evolved Pokémon available, with a base stat total exceeding 500. Compared to the other Pokémon, which required significant resources to raise but had limited growth, Machop offered great value and had a guaranteed strong potential.

James paused briefly in front of the shelf, but didn't immediately pick a ball. A glint of blue light flashed in his eyes, and suddenly, detailed information about the Pokémon inside the Poké Balls appeared in his mind.

As the seconds ticked by, a flicker of disappointment crossed his expression. But just then, his gaze stopped at one of the Poké Balls.

Lines of information immediately floated into his mind:

Pokémon: MachopType: FightingLevel: LV5Gender: MaleAbility: No Guard (This ability ensures that both the user's and the opponent's moves will always hit.)Moves: Low Kick, Leer, Focus Energy, RevengeInherited Moves: Reversal, Bullet Punch, Quick GuardTMs: Fire PunchNotes: Machop loves physical training and spends every day in the mountains, pushing himself to the limit. He never feels satisfied after a full day of training, often using large boulders to exercise.

Seeing this information, James didn't hesitate for a second and immediately took the Poké Ball.

"Wow, I can't believe my luck — I actually got a Machop with three inherited moves! Unfortunately, the system doesn't allow me to see the Pokémon's potential, but with three inherited moves, its potential must be decent."

As James glanced at the other Poké Balls, he shook his head in mild regret. Among the remaining eight Machops, none had inherited any moves. The last Machop had only inherited the move "Scratch," suggesting that its father was likely a "Gothitelle."

James' Machop, on the other hand, had a "Primeape" as its father. Given that it was a Fighting-type, its potential for battle was looking excellent.

Though it didn't have the hidden ability "Inner Focus," "No Guard" was still an outstanding ability in battle.

After James made his choice, the others also began selecting their Pokémon, one by one. Interestingly, two other boys chose Machop as well, but they ended up with the versions that didn't have any inherited moves.

James didn't mention the Machop with inherited moves to them. After all, knowing the detailed information about the Pokémon in the Poké Balls was already an extraordinary advantage. If others discovered that James had this ability, it would be a dangerous situation for an ordinary civilian like him.

Once the last student had chosen their Pokémon, the selection for today was complete. Since it was Saturday, everyone headed home after receiving their Pokémon.

When James opened his Poké Ball, a red light quickly shot out, and there stood a gray Machop with red eyes, black pupils, and three tile-like structures on its head.

The newly released Machop looked around curiously, and its gaze eventually settled on James, who stood smiling in front of it.

James crouched down to the Machop's level, which was about 0.8 meters tall, and greeted it warmly, "Hello! My name is James. I look forward to working with you!"

Machop blinked in surprise but quickly extended its hand, shaking James' hand gently.

Just then, James remembered something. He walked over to his bag, which he had placed on a nearby table, and began rummaging through it.

Soon, he found a small white box with blue patterns on it.

James applied a little pressure to the box, and it clicked open. A sweet aroma of berries wafted out.

Inside the box were Energy Cubes, the everyday food for Pokémon. James had prepared these in advance to build a good relationship with his first Pokémon.

Unfortunately, the Energy Cubes were still at an amateur level of quality, and James had wasted a significant amount in the process of making them.

To put it in perspective, one high-grade Energy Cube could cost up to 1,000 credits — that was for the most basic ones.

If James made and sold more, he probably wouldn't have to worry about money in the future. However, selling Energy Cubes required certification, and without it, he would face massive fines.

James hoped that, in the future, once he obtained his certification, he wouldn't have to work at the library anymore. Because advanced knowledge was monopolized by the upper class, he could only hope that the system might reward him with some high-level breeder resources.