Pokémon Simulation: Hunting The Protagonists

"This is the starter Pokémon you chose?"

Elena curiously played with Oddish.

She thought Ethan, with his competitive and attention-seeking personality, would most likely choose a fire-type, fighting-type, or dragon-type Pokémon—something fierce and combative.

But she never expected him to pick Oddish, a Pokémon that even many ordinary trainers avoided.

After all, Oddish's gentle nature and evolution into Gloom—a Pokémon most people tried to stay far away from—made it less suitable for battle.

However, for rookie trainers just starting out, Oddish was definitely one of the friendliest and easiest Pokémon to raise.

"Don't underestimate her. This little one is far stronger than you think," Ethan said.

"Hmph!" Elena crossed her arms. "And don't underestimate me! I've seen plenty of talented Oddish. There's nothing I haven't encountered before!"

Ten minutes later.

Oddish used Razor Leaf, slicing the wooden training post on the skill demonstration platform cleanly in half.

Elena's crystal-clear eyes widened slightly, and the nearby staff member in charge of the area was left speechless, utterly shocked.

A Pokémon with this level of strength—was it really just a rookie Pokémon?

It was even more powerful than some Pokémon she'd seen that were above level 20!

The staff member gave Ethan an envious glance.

Anyone familiar with the Pokémon industry knew that if a rookie trainer managed to get a gifted, exceptionally strong starter Pokémon, their early training would feel like playing on easy mode.

A single day of training for such a Pokémon was equivalent to seven days of training for others.

As the level gap grew, the difference in strength would become even more apparent.

The only comfort for the staff member was that this extraordinary Pokémon was just an Oddish.

If it had been one of the rare starter Pokémon, she wouldn't have been able to sleep out of sheer jealousy.

"Amazing!" Elena crouched down and clapped for Oddish in encouragement.

Oddish smiled shyly.

"This talented Pokémon was a gift from your third uncle's family?" Elena found it hard to believe.

A level 10 Oddish with such strength—it was tempting, even for her.

Elena clearly remembered how greedy her third uncle's family was.

She couldn't believe they'd be so generous this time.

"Actually, her innate talent isn't that outstanding. She's a pretty common type."

"What makes her special is her strong adaptability to grass-type energy and her natural talent for comprehending moves. That's why I plan to get her more TMs to broaden her attack options," Ethan explained.

He handed Elena a piece of paper with a list of TMs.

Elena took it instinctively, but her eyes widened when she saw the densely packed list of moves.

Moves like Protect, Substitute, Charm, and Hidden Power were understandable.

But Swords Dance, Energy Ball, Dazzling Gleam, and Toxic—those were top-tier TMs.

Even Toxic, the cheapest among them, cost over a million Alliance credits.

As for Swords Dance, it would easily cost three to four million.

After all, this move could boost physical attack by two stages without any drawbacks, making it highly sought after even by Elite trainers.

"Most of these are fine, but... what's with Drain Punch?"

"Can Oddish even learn that?" Elena's eyes flashed with confusion as she glanced between the paper and the adorable Oddish.

Ethan shook his head. "Oddish can't learn Drain Punch, but Gloom can."

He once saw a trainer use a Gloom that had not only learned Drain Punch, but also defeated a nearly KO'd Ursaring in a comeback after boosting with Swords Dance.

That scene left a deep impression on him.

"You've even planned out her evolution strategy!" Elena chuckled helplessly.

She continued, "Let's see—Protect TM: 50,000 credits.

Substitute TM: 100,000 credits.

Charm TM: 50,000 credits.

Seed Bomb TM: 200,000 credits.

Swagger TM: 50,000 credits.

Reflect TM: 150,000 credits.

Hidden Power TM: 300,000 credits.

Drain Punch TM: 400,000 credits.

Eight TMs in total—1.3 million Alliance credits."

"As for Swords Dance, Energy Ball, Toxic, Dazzling Gleam, and Grass Knot, they're all high-demand TMs. Even the store doesn't have many in stock. I'll keep an eye out for you," Elena said.

Ethan nodded.

He knew how rare TMs like Swords Dance and Energy Ball were, so he didn't have high hopes from the start.

For now, he was already satisfied with getting Protect, Substitute, Reflect, and Drain Punch.

As they left the skill demonstration area, Elena called over a staff member and instructed her to prepare the requested TMs for Ethan.

Then, she accompanied Ethan to lunch.

While Ethan went to order food, Elena sat at the table and called her father.