Chapter 6 Looking for a job

Hu Yang felt a surge of happiness, but he kept his cool exterior. After bidding Officer Jenny farewell politely, he took Cramorant to a local ramen joint.

Initially, he believed that the currency in this world, the Alliance coins, was equivalent to the Japanese yen. However, when he paid the bill, he discovered that it was actually equivalent to Chinese RMB.

He now possessed a total of 480 Alliance coins, and after indulging in some delicious ramen, he was left with only 470.

"I need to find a job," Hu Yang thought to himself.

As for his dreams of becoming a Pokémon trainer, well, he'd have to wait until he had enough money.

After enjoying his meal, Hu Yang bought a cozy hoodie and a pair of khaki pants from a street vendor for 140 yuan. He then headed to a hot spring in Tangchi to freshen up.

Feeling clean and refreshed, he returned to the police station, this time alone, as he had recalled Cramorant into its Poké Ball.

He stood outside the station's door for a moment, ensuring that the Officer Jenny from earlier was not present. Then, with an air of confidence, he strolled inside and approached the Officer Jenny at the front desk.

"Hello, I'd like to apply for identity registration," he said.

Officer Jenny, upon hearing his voice, looked up and immediately had a strange expression upon seeing him. Hu Yang's heart raced.

The next moment, Officer Jenny asked, "Didn't you say your friend needed to apply for an ID?"

Hu Yang's anxiety escalated. He cursed his luck that all Officer Jennys looked the same and couldn't recognize him.

Well, there was no point in pretending any longer. It was time for a showdown.

"Actually," Hu Yang began, "the 'friend' I mentioned earlier is actually me..."

He proceeded to create a fictional backstory about his parents who despised human society.

"So, why did you say it was your friend?" Officer Jenny inquired.

Hu Yang took a deep breath and explained, "Because before my parents passed away, they warned me never to trust anyone in the human world."

Officer Jenny seemed to understand and fetched a form from her drawer. She asked, "I remember your name is Hu Yang, right?"

"Yes, Hu from the 'Hu Yang' tree," Hu Yang replied. He filled in his age, gender, and other basic information on the form and handed it back to Officer Jenny.

After uploading the information to the Hoenn Region database, Officer Jenny provided Hu Yang with an ID card similar to a regular ID card. She said, "Alright, you are now officially an Alliance-recognized individual and a legal citizen."

"Thank you," Hu Yang said with relief.

With the identity issue resolved, it was time to tackle the job search.

Upon leaving the police station, Hu Yang began exploring Petalburg City, a place he knew well from the Pokémon game. In the game, it was the first town to have a Gym and also May's hometown.

In reality, Petalburg City was far from the small, game-like town he remembered. It was more like a bustling fifth-tier city.

"Petalburg Gym... The Gym Leader must be Norman, who specializes in Normal-type Pokémon," Hu Yang mused. He knew that this was a distant goal for now, so he only observed the Gym from the outside and moved on.

As he wandered through the city, Hu Yang noticed numerous job advertisements in front of shops and on telephone poles:

"Blue Sky Pokemon Coffee Shop: Hiring a coffee maker. Requirements: Excellent communication skills and professional coffee-making abilities. Weekly salary: 700 Alliance coins."

"Milemei Restaurant: Recruiting three cleaners. Main duties include floor cleaning and dishwashing. Requirements: Hardworking. Monthly salary: 5000 Alliance coins."

"Qihang Advertisement Company: Hiring ten publicity planners. Requirements: Proficiency in software like Photoshop and Word, advertising majors preferred. Monthly salary: 6800 Alliance coins."

One advertisement in particular caught Hu Yang's eye:

"Petalburg Pokemon Primary Rank School: Seeking two Teachers. Requirements: Deep knowledge of Pokémon ecology, familiarity with specific Pokémon information, passion for Pokémon, and experience as a trainer or breeder preferred. Monthly salary: 6000 Alliance coins. The school provides staff dormitories and three free meals daily. Interested candidates can take the test at the school."

The absence of education requirements intrigued him. He had traveled a long way, and this job seemed like the perfect fit.

After some consideration, Hu Yang made his way to the Pokemon Primary Rank School as indicated in the advertisement.

Upon expressing his interest, the female teacher responsible for receiving applicants looked at him skeptically and asked, "Are you really ten years old?"

Hu Yang was at a loss for words. He decided that from now on, he'd claim to be twelve years old. He attributed his youthful appearance to late growth spurts.

The female teacher, still doubtful, discussed the matter with the Principal over the phone. Surprisingly, the Principal's response was a simple "let him try."

"Alright then, follow me," the female teacher instructed.

Hu Yang followed her and arrived at a crowded classroom door. Most of the applicants were young, ranging from seventeen to twenty-something.

The female teacher explained, "Everyone here is applying for this job, but we only need two teachers at the moment."

Hu Yang thought, "That's pretty competitive."

"You've come just in time; the test is about to begin," the female teacher announced to the group.

Hu Yang realized that he had rushed over and forgotten to bring a pen. The female teacher noticed this and was suspicious that he might be playing a prank.

"Are you serious?" she asked.

Hu Yang had to reassure her with actions, but thankfully, a girl with freckles nearby offered him a pen.

"Thank you," Hu Yang said, reaching for his wallet. "How much do I owe you?"

The girl chuckled shyly and replied, "You don't need to pay. Are you also here to apply for the job?"

Hu Yang nodded with gratitude.

"Alright, let's get started then!" the girl said, patting his head.

Hu Yang couldn't help but feel exasperated. He might not be a real ten-year-old, but everyone treated him like one.

The test began shortly after. It consisted of three parts: a written test that assessed knowledge of Pokémon types and habits, an on-site assessment where applicants had to identify Pokémon injuries and select the appropriate healing Berry, and finally, a practical assessment involving teamwork and solving Pokémon-related scenarios.

Hu Yang was assigned to a group tasked with assessing a Swellow. He carefully examined the Swellow's injuries, which included a subtle twitching of its body and a faint burnt smell on its left wing. It wasn't burns, though; Swellow wouldn't lie motionless if it were burned.

Instead, it seemed to be paralyzed.

Hu Yang decided to use his unique abilities to assess the situation:

[Race: Swellow ]

Attribute: Normal, Flying

Characteristic Trait: Courage

Species Strength: 455 (Life: 60, Attack: 85, Defense: 60, Special Attack: 75, Special Defense: 50, Speed: 125)

Known moves: Peck, Quick Attack, Air Slash, Brave Bird, Aerial Ace

Current mood: confusion

Physical status: paralyzed (electrically paralyzed, unable to move)

friendliness: 0 (you don't know it, it doesn't know You)

As he suspected, the Swellow was paralyzed and confused. To remedy this, he needed a Cheri Berry for paralysis and a Persim Berry for confusion.

Without using his unique abilities, Hu Yang easily identified the necessary Berries among the assortment provided. He fed both Berries to the Swellow and stepped back, declaring, "Done."

His fellow candidates and the proctor were taken aback, and they instinctively glanced at the wall clock. Less than two minutes had passed.

"How did he do it so quickly?" they wondered.

The proctor, aware of the subtle complexities intentionally set up in the assessment, was amazed. He asked Hu Yang in surprise, "Are you a Pokémon Breeder?"

Recruiting a Breeder would allow their school to advertise specialized Breeder training, ensuring a consistent source of candidates in the future.