There's Something Off About My Pokémon. [4]

Despite the expense, Lu Cheng still yearned to become a Pokémon trainer. After all, it had been his childhood dream. Over the past few weeks, he had been studying extra hard for the Pokémon Trainer program at Jiangnan University. His parents had noticed his dedication and were starting to think about how they could ease the burden on their son.

"Honey, don't you think Cheng has been acting a bit off lately?"

"Is he overworking himself? Don't worry, I went through the same thing back in my day."

"No, it's not that. He's been sitting in front of his computer for three hours without moving."

"He's probably just absorbed in whatever he's watching. You know how young people are."

Lu Cheng's dad crouched outside his door, with his mom resting her chin on his head. The two of them peeked through the crack in the door, whispering to each other. Suddenly, Lu Cheng let out a deep breath, stretched, and turned off his computer before stepping out of his room. His parents had no time to hide and were caught face-to-face with their son, feeling a bit awkward.

"Dad? Mom?" Lu Cheng asked, surprised. "What are you two doing by the door?"

His mom nudged his dad with her elbow and looked up at the ceiling. Sweating nervously, his dad chuckled and said, "Dinner's ready. We've been calling you, but you didn't respond, so we came up to get you." He couldn't exactly admit that they were worried about him being overwhelmed by exam pressure!

"Oh, is it that late already? I'll be down in a minute." Lu Cheng didn't suspect anything. He glanced at the clock and headed downstairs. His parents followed, exchanging glances.

Mom: You ask him!

Dad: Why is it always me?

Mom: ?

Dad: Fine, I'll ask.

The three of them sat at the dinner table, with an empty seat reserved for Magmar, who was still in the kitchen making chicken soup. Over the past month, Magmar had gone to great lengths to prepare nutritious meals for Lu Cheng. As he eyed the delicious spread in front of him, Lu Cheng's appetite surged, completely unaware of his parents' unusual expressions. His mom shot his dad a look, urging him to speak.

Clearing his throat awkwardly, Lu Cheng's dad began, "Cheng, is there something on your mind lately?"

"No, not really," Lu Cheng replied, confused, a grain of rice still stuck to his lip.

"Cheng, I understand if you've started developing feelings for someone, but you can't neglect your studies because of it. Remember, your top priority right now is the college entrance exams..." his dad began to lecture.

"Huh?" Lu Cheng was even more confused. Where was this coming from?

His mom coughed heavily and glared at his dad before serving more food with a smile. "Don't listen to your dad's nonsense. He's just overthinking things!"

His dad, realizing he had fulfilled his task, quickly shoveled food into his mouth, retreating from the conversation. Lu Cheng, finally catching on, realized his parents thought he was dating someone and had come to trick him into confessing! These two clowns!

Lu Cheng couldn't help but laugh, but then he remembered there was something he actually needed to discuss. "Oh, Dad, I'll be old enough to get my first Pokéball from the neighborhood office next week, but I haven't decided on a starter Pokémon yet."

"Oh, that's right. You're almost an adult!" Both parents froze for a moment, realizing how fast time had flown. To them, Lu Cheng was still their little boy who hadn't grown up yet.

His parents had clearly forgotten! Sighing, Lu Cheng continued, "I've been researching the best starter Pokémon for new trainers."

"For beginners, grass-type Pokémon are good. I think Oddish would be a solid choice—easy to raise and take care of," his dad said, trying to sound knowledgeable, as someone who owned a Magmar.

His mom rolled her eyes. "Our son is going to be a trainer, not a gardener. Oddish? Do you know how weak it is? People would laugh at him!"

Feeling embarrassed, his dad muttered, "Well, it can evolve..."

"Are you buying the Evolution Stone?" she shot back.

Evolution Stones cost around 500,000 to 600,000 yuan and were often hard to come by. That's why she dismissed Oddish, despite its potential to evolve into Vileplume or Bellossom. Without an Evolution Stone, it would only evolve into Gloom, which was not an ideal option for a budding trainer. Lu Cheng had also considered Oddish, but its purple form and the expensive Evolution Stones made him rethink it. Besides, Gloom was notorious for its stench. Even in its Pokéball, it would still reek. Trainers with a Gloom often found themselves avoided by others.

Now thoroughly embarrassed, Lu Cheng's dad continued to focus on his meal. Lu Cheng's mom spoke up again, "We'll visit the breeding house this weekend to see if we can find a suitable Pokémon. If not, your grandpa in the countryside might have some connections."

Breeding houses, run by the Pokémon Association, specialized in hatching and selling Pokémon eggs. Most new trainers bought their first Pokémon from these establishments. Pokémon hatched from eggs were generally more attached to their trainers and easier to train.

Lu Cheng nodded. He had already done some research and knew that breeding houses didn't typically sell rare Pokémon, as they catered to the general public. Most of the Pokémon they offered were reasonably priced, such as Rattata, Pidgey, or Caterpie. Rattata sold for about 2,000 to 3,000 yuan, Caterpie went for around 1,000 yuan, and Pidgey was a bit more expensive at over 5,000 yuan.

Pidgey was the starter Pokémon Lu Cheng had his eye on. It was the common regional bird, had three stages of evolution, and wasn't too pricey. Plus, when it evolved into Pidgeot, it could save him some money on plane tickets! Most importantly, Pidgey didn't look intimidating. His neighbor, Uncle Wang, owned one, and it looked just like the original version, albeit with sharper angles and a fiercer appearance. But that only made it look cooler!

While Lu Cheng was lost in thought, his phone buzzed. He glanced down at the screen.

Senior: (File)

Senior: "I've compiled the score cutoffs and admission guidelines for the Pokémon Trainer program at Jiangnan University over the past few years. Make sure you review them!"

"I'm full!" Lu Cheng suddenly announced, standing up and rushing upstairs.

"He still says he's not in a relationship," his mom whispered to his dad. "That's definitely some girl messaging him!"