"Is that so? What a pity."
Professor Oak sighed but didn't insist on keeping Maki. Considering what he knew about Maki's background, Oak automatically filled in the blanks with a tragic backstory: "He's driven to become stronger to avenge his parents, who were taken by some evil organization." Oak felt even more regretful after imagining this.
"What a good kid he is!"
"Well then, I wish you the best in becoming a Pokémon Master!"
Professor Oak smiled as he retrieved Squirtle and Bulbasaur.
At this point in time, it seemed the Pokédex hadn't yet been invented, so Oak didn't hand one to Maki.
Maki wasn't entirely sure which version of the Pokémon world he had landed in—was it the games, the anime, or the manga?
Based on the intel he had gathered from Team Rocket, Maki leaned toward the idea that this was a hybrid of multiple Pokémon worlds.
Just then, Professor Oak's communicator rang.
Pausing for a moment, Oak gave Maki an apologetic look before answering the call.
"Hello? Oh, it's Oak. Oh! I was wondering who it could be—it's Professor Elm! What's going on?"
Oak greeted the person on the other end warmly, and from the conversation, Maki could tell it was Professor Elm, the renowned Pokémon researcher from Johto who specialized in Pokémon evolution. A graduate of Celadon University, Elm was a junior to Oak. Despite his age, he had already become a top expert in his field.
"What? You need me to come over? Alright, I'll head over as soon as I wrap things up here."
From what Maki overheard, it seemed Elm wanted Oak to visit him in Johto.
"I'll be taking my leave, then."
Though Maki didn't catch the specifics of the conversation, he had a vague guess.
In the Pokémon Gold/Silver games, Oak appears in Johto at the start of the story.
Could this be connected to that part of the story?
However, as far as Maki could remember, Oak didn't do much in the Gold/Silver games aside from giving out a Pokémon Egg.
"Ah, something unexpected has come up here as well, so I won't be able to see you off."
Oak ran a hand over his thinning hair and smiled apologetically.
Maki left the lab with his Charmander in tow. Since it was a newly acquired Pokémon, keeping it outside its Poké Ball would help strengthen their bond.
Walking along the path, Maki glanced at the Charmander happily waddling beside him and said, "Ahem, Charmander, let's set some ground rules, okay?"
"Char?"
"Well, it's really just one rule: Could you... maybe not bite my head?"
Maki looked at Charmander helplessly. The little Pokémon was great in every way, but its habit of nipping was something that needed to be addressed. Even though Charmander had good control, an accidental hard bite could be problematic.
"Char..."
Charmander drooped its head, looking a bit upset. Biting might have been its way of expressing affection.
"I know you mean well, but if this becomes a habit and you evolve into Charizard... well..."
The thought of a full-grown Charizard biting him made Maki's lips twitch.
This has to stop now!
After a bit of coaxing, Charmander perked up quickly—it was still just a child, carefree and full of energy.
The road from Pallet Town to Viridian City was straightforward, and Maki soon arrived.
Although this was his hometown, Maki wasn't very familiar with Viridian City. As one of Kanto's largest cities, it was easy to get lost, even with a map.
Maki had spent most of his time at the Viridian Gym with Giovanni and Silver, rarely venturing out.
Still, he recognized key locations like the Pokémon Center. Following his sense of direction, he headed straight there.
"Hello, are there any available rooms?"
Maki asked Nurse Joy at the front desk. His Charmander, clearly tired from the journey, yawned and tugged at Maki's pants.
"Don't worry, Charmander. We'll rest soon," Maki reassured it with a smile.
"Yes, we have rooms available. May I see your Trainer ID?"
Maki handed over the ID Giovanni had arranged for him.
"You are registered as a League Trainer, so you can use our rooms free of charge. I also see you haven't signed up for the Pokémon League yet—would you like me to register you?"
Nurse Joy smiled warmly as she looked up his details.
"Yes, please."
Maki nodded.
The Pokémon League was open to all Trainers, but unlike the Indigo League in the anime, it didn't require Gym Badges to enter. Instead, it operated on a tiered ranking system: Poké Ball, Great Ball, Ultra Ball, and finally Master Ball.
Each major city had arenas where Trainers could compete at any time. Matches were scheduled through a real-time registration system—sign up whenever you want, and if another Trainer of similar rank registers, a match will be arranged.
Poké Ball rank only required one Pokémon to participate, but Trainers had to pass a qualification test to ensure they were competent.
Those who achieved at least one victory at Poké Ball rank received monthly point rewards that could be exchanged for prizes. Though the rewards were modest, they were free, after all.
At higher ranks, like Great Ball or above, Trainers needed at least two Pokémon to compete.
The system encouraged double battles, which tested a Trainer's skill and synergy with their Pokémon.
Double battles were also more entertaining for spectators. Selling tickets was a major revenue source for the League, offsetting the high costs of maintaining battle arenas.
"Your registration is complete. You can take the qualification test at the Pokémon Association whenever you're ready. Your room is number 310. Just scan your Trainer ID to access it." Nurse Joy said with a warm smile, handing back the ID.
"Thank you," Maki replied politely.
With that, he headed off to find his room, accompanied by his Charmander, who had recently taught itself the move Yawn.
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