After a night of well-earned rest at the orphanage, Zen stood in front of the Viridian City Ranger Building.
It was a large, sturdy structure made of reinforced wood and steel, built to withstand the occasional Pokémon attack. The Poké Ball-shaped Ranger emblem was displayed above the entrance, shining in the morning sunlight.
Zen took a deep breath.
This was it.
Pushing open the glass doors, he stepped inside.
The interior of the Ranger building was bustling with activity. Rangers in uniform moved back and forth, talking into radios, checking maps, and tending to Pokémon brought in from the wild.
At the front desk, a woman with short auburn hair and a confident smirk greeted him. She wore a dark green Ranger uniform, and her sharp golden eyes studied him seriously.
"You must be Zen."
Zen blinked. "Uh, yeah?"
She chuckled. "Ray already told me about you."
The woman extended her hand. "Lara. I'm the branch manager of Viridian City's Rangers."
Zen shook her hand, noting the firm grip.
"So, Lara," Zen said, "Ray told me to come here. What now?"
Lara leaned against the counter, arms crossed.
"Well, first, let me explain a few things."
She motioned to a nearby ranking chart on the wall.
"In the Pokémon Rangers, we work by rank. The higher your rank, the more responsibility and privileges you get."
She pointed at the chart:
• Apprentice – Beginner Rangers still in training.
• Newbie – Officially recognized but with limited duties.
• Basic – Can take on standard missions.
• Pro – Can lead small teams and access better resources.
• Captain – The strongest field Rangers, in charge of large operations.
• Commander – Leaders of entire cities or regions.
• Elite – The highest-ranking Rangers, working directly under the Pokémon League.
Zen's eyes widened. "Wait… so what rank are you?"
Lara smirked. I'm just a Pro-Rank Ranger and manage things here in the city, unlike Ray, he Captain rank."
Zen's head snapped up. "Wait—Ray's a Captain?!"
Lara laughed. "Yep. Strongest Ranger in Viridian City."
Zen suddenly felt a lot more respect for the grizzled man.
As they spoke, Lara's expression darkened.
"By the way, about those Team Rocket grunts you took down…"
Zen straightened. "Yeah? What about them?"
She sighed. "Turns out they weren't just some random grunt that bypass our patrol ranger. They had inside help."
Zen's. "You mean…?"
Lara nodded. "There was a Team Rocket spy inside the Rangers. That's why they were able to sneak into Viridian Forest without setting off alarms."
Zen clenched his fists. "Did you catch them?"
Lara smirked. "Oh, we will."
Zen let out a slow breath. It made sense now—why Team Rocket was so confident doing illegal thing in daylight. But at least he helped stop part of their operation.
"Anyway," Lara said, pulling out a small card. "Time to make it official."
She slid the Ranger ID Card across the counter.
"Before I activate it, I need to register your Pokémon. Let's see them."
Zen took out Kakuna and Red's Poké Balls and released them.
Kakuna's shiny purple shell gleamed under the room's lights, while Red hovered beside it, his tiny wings buzzing.
Lara's eyebrows shot up. "Whoa."
She looked at Kakuna. "A shiny? That's rare."
Then she glanced at Ledyba. "And this one… it's not even from Kanto."
Zen scratched his head. "Yeah, I just found out last week. He's a Ledyba, a Johto Pokémon."
Lara whistled. "Well, kid, looks like you're already collecting rare Pokémon."
She typed some information into the computer, then handed Zen's completed Ranger ID to him.
Ranger ID:
Zen
Age: 8
Rank: Apprentice
Pokémon:
• Kakuna (Shiny - Purple)
• Ledyba
Zen turned the card in his hands, feeling a small sense of pride.
He was officially a Pokémon Ranger Apprentice.
As Zen admired his new ID, Ray entered the building.
The gruff man smirked. "Hey, kid. You haven't even started working, and you already have a huge merit to your name."
Zen blinked. "Merit?"
Ray raised an eyebrow. "You think we work just for money?"
Lara chuckled. "Let me explain."
She pulled up a digital screen showing the Ranger System.
Ranger System
Available Items:
• Poké Ball
• Potion
• Antidote
• Paralyze Heal
• Awakening
• Burn Heal
• Repel
• Load More+
Zen stared. "Wait… what's this?"
Lara smirked. "Merit Points. Rangers earn merit by completing missions. You can spend them on supplies, training, or even Pokémon gear. The higher your rank, the better the rewards."
Ray swiped Zen's card through the system.
Ding!
+900 Merit Points Added
Zen's eyes widened. "Wait—I just got 900 points?!"
Ray chuckled. "Taking down Team Rocket grunts and rescuing Pokémon? Yeah, that's worth a lot."
Zen looked back at the item list. So, this was how Rangers got their supplies…
Lara leaned against the counter. "My advice? Save your points. It's hard to earn merit, and most of the basic items you can buy at a Poké Mart."
Zen nodded. "Got it."
Lara stretched. "Alright, kid, that's enough info for today. Come back tomorrow for your first real assignment."
Zen took his ID and pocketed it.
"Thanks, Lara. Thanks, Ray."
Ray waved him off. "Don't make me regret giving you that merit."
Lara grinned. "Get some rest, Rookie."
Zen smirked. "See you tomorrow."
And with that, he stepped out of the Ranger building, feeling one step closer to something great or he just going to be another 9 to 5 goverment worker.
________
Man living in pokemon world seem very hard
8 year old but already have to work..