"Woo~"
"Squirtle, Squirtle!"
"Bulba, Bulba!"
Three Pokémon appeared before Maki. Among them, the voices of Bulbasaur and Squirtle were the most distinct—so much so that Maki almost felt like borrowing some money from Squirtle. Surely it wouldn't refuse, right?
Despite being the starter Pokémon, each of the three clearly had different personalities.
From the moment it emerged from its Poké Ball, Charmander stood still, its tail swaying up and down. The flame on its tail, a symbol of its vitality, flickered with its movements. Its gaze immediately locked onto Maki, the unfamiliar presence in the room.
Bulbasaur, after greeting the group, sprawled on the ground, seemingly uninterested in moving. It played idly with a vine extended from its body.
Squirtle was the liveliest of the trio. It dashed straight into Professor Oak's arms, its blue head nuzzling affectionately against him, eyes forming crescent shapes of joy.
"Oh dear, my back!"
Professor Oak struggled to hold the suddenly energetic Squirtle. Still, he seemed accustomed to the little one's antics, managing the situation with practiced ease.
"This Squirtle is the youngest. It was sent here shortly after being born, so it's particularly attached to people it trusts," Professor Oak explained with a somewhat embarrassed smile.
Maki nodded in understanding and turned his attention to Charmander. To his surprise, the Pokémon was already looking back at him.
Professor Oak's expression shifted slightly—surprise flickered across his face but was quickly masked.
"Alright, little one, come down now," Professor Oak said, carefully lowering Squirtle. His back clearly couldn't take much more.
"Squirtle!"
Though reluctant, Squirtle was obedient. It didn't make a fuss, instead trotting over to play with Bulbasaur.
"Have you already decided which Pokémon to choose?" Professor Oak asked, watching Maki and Charmander engage in a silent staring contest. "Many rookie Trainers make up their minds beforehand. It looks like this Charmander likes you quite a bit, though."
"I don't have a fixed choice," Maki admitted. "If I had to pick, I'd say I'm leaning toward Charmander. But since this is my first Pokémon, I want to prepare properly. If our personalities clash, it could make things troublesome."
Among the Kanto starters, Charmander had always been Maki's favorite. One word: cool!
In his past life, Charizard had an affectionate nickname among gamers: "Buffizard." It was like the developers treated it as their favorite child, showering it with all the best things.
Other than Mewtwo, Charizard was the only Pokémon with two Mega Evolution forms. Even its Gigantamax form debuted earlier than Blastoise or Venusaur, making the latter two feel like afterthoughts.
Still, those reasons alone weren't enough to dictate Maki's choice.
"That's a good perspective," Professor Oak said with a smile. "The bond between a Trainer and their Pokémon is much like the bond between people. A Pokémon whose personality matches yours will naturally help you achieve better results in training. Many rookies overlook this. Passion is great, but after that initial spark, you need to work on understanding and cooperating with your Pokémon."
Maki crouched to bring himself to Charmander's eye level. Slowly, he extended a hand toward it.
Charmander tilted its head, unsure what Maki intended. It glanced between Maki's hand and its own paw before gingerly reaching out to mimic the gesture, placing its paw in Maki's palm.
"Char?"
Charmander tilted its head again, as if asking if it had done the right thing.
"That's right. Clever little one."
Maki smiled, using his other hand to gently pat Charmander's head. Despite years in this world, it was at this moment that he truly felt the charm of Pokémon—not as tools for battle or subjects for research, but as real companions.
"Char!"
Charmander seemed thrilled by the head pats, hopping in place on its stubby legs.
The heartwarming scene gave Professor Oak a moment of reflection, but he quickly remembered something important.
"This Charmander is exceptionally gifted, but it does have a minor quirk," Professor Oak said.
"Huh?"
Maki paused, turning to ask about the issue, but a flash of red darted past his eyes before he could finish.
"Well… this Charmander inherited the move Crunch from its parents. It has a peculiar fondness for using its mouth. If it likes someone, it might accidentally give them a nip."
"Do you mean… this?" Maki pointed to Charmander, now dangling mid-air, firmly latched onto his head with its teeth.
"Yes! That's it!" Professor Oak confirmed cheerfully. "This shows how quickly you've bonded with it. Wonderful!"
"Professor, shouldn't you have mentioned this important detail earlier? Ow, ow, ow!"
Fortunately, people in this world had stronger physical constitutions compared to those in his past life. While not everyone was a superhero, they were definitely tougher.
Still, this hurt!
Maki grabbed Charmander's sides, carefully prying it off his head.
"Let go!"
Charmander complied easily since it hadn't bitten down hard—it was more a playful gesture than an attack.
"What a peculiar habit…"
Maki looked at the grinning Charmander in his arms, unsure whether to laugh or cry.
"You'll get used to it after a few more bites. A Trainer should be ready to endure at least that much, right?"
"Professor, you're only saying that because you've been bitten plenty of times, aren't you?"
Maki gave Oak an exasperated look.
"True, its little quirk can be a bit troublesome," Oak admitted. "But this Charmander's talent is undeniable. In addition to Crunch, it knows another very powerful move. You can set it down to try."
Taking the advice, Maki carefully placed Charmander on the ground. After some hesitation, he turned it to face Professor Oak and stepped a few paces back—just in case.
"Alright, go ahead."
"…You don't need to be that cautious."
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