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"Follow me!"
The middle-aged woman in a white coat gestured to Jack and led him out of the hall, deeper into the Pokémon Alliance building. They walked through a long corridor and arrived at a room marked "Breeder Room."
In front of Jack, a vast ecological dome came into view. Beneath its transparent cover, Pidgeotto soared gracefully through the air. Heracross was perched on the ground, busily drawing nectar from the bulb-shaped seed on Bulbasaur's back, while Charmander and Squirtle appeared to be arguing in an open space.
The woman placed her palm on a fingerprint scanner at the door. With a soft beep, the Breeder Room's door opened slowly.
"Go in," she said, motioning Jack forward. "The Pokémon inside are untamed. If any of them choose to go with you, you can catch them using a Poké Ball."
"By myself?" Jack asked, surprised.
The Breeder Room contained many Pokémon, and unlike the Pokémon given to Rookie Trainers, this was a facility for experienced individuals to adopt Pokémon. It housed not only low-level Pokémon but also higher-level and even professional-grade Pokémon.
Jack hesitated. With no staff accompanying him, what if he encountered danger? Or worse, what if someone secretly caught multiple Pokémon without permission?
Sensing his unease, the woman in the white coat reassured him. "Don't worry. There are many Alliance Trainer Pokémon stationed in the Breeder Room. If you're in danger, just call out loudly. And if something happens too quickly for you to react, a special Pokémon is present to handle everything instantly."
"Handle everything instantly?" Jack glanced back at the Pokémon he had seen earlier. Based on his observations and prior research, he had a fair idea of the power levels inside the room. For such comprehensive safety measures, there had to be at least one Gym-level Psychic or Ghost-type Pokémon overseeing the Breeder Room.
"Also," the woman added in a firm tone, "don't get any ideas about sneaking out with multiple Pokémon. If caught, you'll lose all the Pokémon you've captured and face a hefty fine."
Her tone suggested she'd given this warning many times before. It seemed Jack wasn't the first to express such concerns.
"Understood," Jack said, stepping into the Breeder Room. The door closed slowly behind him with a soft thud.
"Phew…"
Taking a deep breath, Jack noticed that despite being an enclosed space, the air inside was fresh and invigorating, mimicking the outdoors.
As Jack wandered through the room, the Pokémon barely acknowledged him. Familiar with human presence, they continued playing among themselves, unconcerned by the newcomer.
Walking around, Jack noticed a few others also selecting Pokémon in the Breeder Room. One of them, a young woman in her twenties, had just tamed a 3-star Mareep.
"Dad, Mom, can we take this Poochyena, please?"
It was a family of three. The child, who appeared to be in his early teens, clung to his parents' hands and pointed excitedly at a playful Poochyena. Canine Pokémon were often the first choice for families adopting Pokémon, given their loyalty and approachable nature.
"Alright, let's go with this Poochyena." The father pulled out a Poké Ball and gently lobbed it toward the Poochyena. In a matter of moments, the capture was successful.
"Yay!" The child jumped up in delight. For trainers claiming Pokémon, the Pokémon Alliance did not provide Poké Balls, but for regular families, the first Poké Ball was given free of charge.
"What if the capture fails?"
"Come on, this is the Pokémon Alliance. If that happens, you can easily buy another Poké Ball," someone replied confidently.
Failures, however, were rare. Pokémon in the Breeder Room weren't wild; most understood their purpose and, unless a trainer was particularly unpleasant, they usually agreed to be caught.
Jack shook his head slightly. That Poochyena was just a 2-star Pokémon. Still, for an average family, adopting a Pokémon was more about companionship than strength. For them, having a Pokémon was akin to owning a pet in Jack's previous life—combat prowess wasn't a priority.
Continuing to explore, Jack spotted Charmander, Bulbasaur, Squirtle, Treecko, Chimchar, and other Pokémon considered highly prized starters. Their qualifications were no less than 3 stars, but none exceeded that level either.
After some time, Jack arrived at a large tree, beneath which a Pokémon lay peacefully asleep.
Species: Snorlax
Type: Normal
Gender: Male
Level: 45
Qualification: ★★★
Item: None
Ability: Thick Fat (Grants resistance to Fire- and Ice-type moves due to its protective layer of fat.)
Moves: Tackle, Rest, Sleep Talk, Body Slam, Heavy Slam, Amnesia, High Horsepower
Egg Moves: None
This Snorlax had a Pokémon Alliance job card hanging around its neck, identifying it as one of the Trainer Alliance's guardians mentioned earlier.
Jack observed the sleeping Pokémon. He couldn't help but wonder if calling for help now would actually wake Snorlax. Even asleep, a Level 45 Snorlax's sheer weight and presence were enough to intimidate most Pokémon. The Houndoom and Magneton Jack had encountered at the black market likely wouldn't stand a chance against it.
After lingering for a moment, Jack moved on.
"Chirp~ Chirp~"
A cheerful sound echoed from above. Looking up, Jack spotted a flock of Swablu gliding gracefully through the air.
Jack's eyes were drawn to one Swablu flying on the far left, its movement slightly different from the others.