**Chapter 8: The So-Called Starter Pokémon**

Seeing that Kane was still a child, the Ditto vendor thought to himself, *This kid will be easy to deceive. Otherwise, who would buy this Ditto? But what if his family finds out and comes back to make trouble? *

The vendor hesitated on the spot, unsure of what to do.

Kane had already seen through his thoughts.

"Are you selling or not? If not, I'm leaving," Kane said impatiently.

"I'm Selling, I'm selling! But no refunds once you buy it."

"I can guarantee I won't return it."

Kane's words were layered with meaning. He wouldn't regret buying it, and neither would his family, but he didn't guarantee anything beyond that.

The vendor, still uneasy, said, "You have to sign a contract saying once you buy this Pokémon, there's no returning it, ever."

"Fine, but I'm only offering 2,000 Pokédollars," Kane said.

"What? 2,000? Impossible, no way," the vendor protested, waving his hands.

" Okay fine then " Kane snorted and turned to leave 

"Wait, wait!"

Seeing Kane about to walk away, the vendor hurriedly grabbed him. "Fine, 2,000 it is but just know I'm selling it to u at a loss, so let's make a contract."

Kane knew the ins and outs of this trade all too well. No one wanted Ditto anymore, and the buying price was only around 1,500 Pokédollars. A Ditto's food is all liquid-based, making it tricky to raise. The vendor wanted to get rid of it fast. If Kane had offered 1,500, the vendor probably would have accepted it, but asking for 500 more was safer.

There were always some stubborn merchants who'd rather let it rot in their hands than sell it cheaply.

The vendor and Kane wrote up the contract, sealed the deal, and exchanged the money for the Pokéball.

Kane took the Pokéball with Ditto inside and left without looking back.

The vendor, feeling relieved, exhaled deeply, glancing at the 2,000 Pokédollars in his hand. "Not bad, still made 500."

By the time Kane left the Pokémon market, it was already late. He hopped on his bike and rode home.

Buying Ditto today was unexpected—a pleasant surprise, one could say.

Of course, Ditto wouldn't be his main battler. Given Kane's deep knowledge of Pokémon, Ditto could easily handle weaker trainers. But against experts, using Ditto was a recipe for disaster. Could you predict every move an experienced trainer's Pokémon might know?

And after all, Ditto is still Ditto. Experienced trainers know their Pokémon inside and out. Could a substitute like Ditto match the synergy and experience between a skilled trainer and their real Pokémon? Don't be ridiculous. Some speedy Pokémon could even defeat you before you had a chance to transform.

But right now, Ditto was indispensable to Kane. Its most important use was for his disguise purposes. In the coming years, Kane knew he'd live multiple lives under different identities.

Using Ditto to deal with various trainers and their Pokémon, coupled with his own skills, would give him an advantage no other Pokémon could provide.

Now that he had his first Pokémon, Ditto might be small in significance, but it was crucial.

All in all, today's purchase felt like a bit of a win—a first step. Thinking back to his previous life, it had taken him four years to get his first Pokémon.

When Kane got home, shivering from the cold after the long day, he opened the door and checked on the old man. Nothing seemed unusual.

Back in his room, Kane released Ditto from its Pokéball, pointed to the corner by the bed, and said, "There's some milk over there, drink it."

The poor Ditto, having not eaten all day, sniffed out the food and downed five bottles of milk in one go.

Kane walked over to Ditto. "You full?"

Ditto nodded.

"From this day forward, I am your owner. I'll keep you fed and hydrated, but you must be loyal and prove your worth. I don't raise weaklings."

Ditto blinked up at Kane, sensing his seriousness.

Seeing this, Kane snapped, "Did you hear me?"

Ditto jumped in surprise and quickly nodded.

"Good. Rest now. We have work to do tomorrow."

Kane lay down, trying to sleep. But life had played such a big trick on him that he still couldn't quite adjust.

*Since I'm here, I may as well make the most of it. * No matter how tough the road ahead, Kane resolved to move forward with his head held high.

Eventually, he drifted into a restless sleep.

The next morning, Kane quickly got ready and had a bottle of milk himself, while Ditto drank three more.

As he was about to leave the house, Kane turned to Ditto and said, "Can you transform into a ring?"

Ditto shook its head.

"A bracelet?"

Still no.

"How about a sun hat?"

Finally, Ditto nodded and transformed into a sun hat, which Kane placed on his head.

"It seems Ditto hasn't yet mastered transforming into non-living objects. I'll need to work on that once other things are sorted out."

Kane had a clear goal for the day.

He hopped on his bike and headed toward Thunderbolt Town, northwest of Ecruteak City.

There was a large Pokémon breeding house in Thunderbolt Town, and its owner was none other than Tatsuo, Kane's savior in his previous life.

In his past life, when Kane was ten, he was kicked out of the orphanage. He had nowhere to go and nearly starved to death on the streets. Tatsuo found him, took him back to his breeding house, helped him regain his confidence, and even gave him his first Pokémon—a Spinarak.

At the start of this life, Kane had often wondered what his first Pokémon would be, thinking he had to choose wisely. After all, a starter Pokémon is significant.

But after everything that had happened, he realized how naive he had been.

*A starter Pokémon...*

Does everyone's first Pokémon have to be some legendary powerhouse? Look at Ash, the kid next door to Professor Oak. He got Pikachu.

And for people like Kane, a so-called starter Pokémon is just a stepping stone. You get one, and you move on. Don't expect much, don't even ask for much. It's just a tool to help you capture stronger Pokémon. When it's no longer useful, don't waste resources on it. Let it go or just sell for some cash.

Kane was still grateful to Tatsuo, but now all he needed was to use his good relationship with him to secure a work permit.

Kane got up early, and by the time he arrived in Thunderbolt Town, the breeding house was already open.

He walked in confidently, knowing what he wanted.

"Is Tatsuo here?"

Hearing someone call out, a man in his fifties came out, looking energetic.

"I'm Tatsuo. What can i help you with, kid?"

Kane explained why he was there, but Tatsuo refused because of his age.

But Kane didn't give up. If even someone as kind-hearted as Tatsuo didn't agree, he'd have little hope elsewhere.

Would he really have to return to the orphanage and repeat the mistakes of his past life?

Feeling desperate, Kane pulled off a tear-jerking performance, sharing every dark detail about the orphanage, making Tatsuo feel that sending him back there would be a death sentence.

Seeing the poor boy in front of him, Tatsuo's compassion swelled. However, he hesitated, held back by the rules of the League.