Chapter 10: Aloha City

After returning home, Ryoma discussed the idea of working with his parents.

Now that he was a beginner Trainer and had a Sandshrew as a Pokémon, he felt that if he worked on a construction site, there would surely be plenty of jobs wanting to hire him.

"Work on a construction site?"

"That's not urgent. You're only eighteen now. Your mom and I feel it would be better for you to continue school for a few more years," Ryoma's father hesitated.

"Uh, go to school?"

"Come on, Dad, you know my grades are a mess. If you have the spare money to send me to a school, you might as well find me a decent construction site job."

Ryoma rolled his eyes; going to school sounded worse than being killed!

"When we're talking about school, we're not referring to traditional schools but Trainer schools, which teach knowledge related to Pokémon," Ryoma's father emphasized.

"Knowledge about Pokémon?"

Hearing his father's words, Ryoma's eyes suddenly lit up. Although he had a wealth of knowledge about Pokémon in his head, he knew nothing about breeding them.

"Dad, do you have a way to get me into a Pokémon academy?" Ryoma asked with hopeful excitement.

"I have no way to make that happen, but you could repeat a year. Now that you're a beginner Trainer, while you might not be able to get into Aloha Pokémon Academy, getting into a Pokémon technical school wouldn't be bad either!" Ryoma's father shot him a glance.

This so-called Pokémon technical school was a newly popular institution in recent years. As Pokémon became more integrated into society, people began to realize the convenience they brought to daily life, leading to the emergence of many new professions like Pokémon security and Pokémon movers.

"Repeat a year, huh?"

Upon hearing that phrase, Ryoma immediately became dispirited, feeling somewhat depressed.

He had already seen this year's Pokémon school examination questions, and if he had crossed over a bit earlier, he would have been quite confident about getting into the Pokémon academy.

But, alas, his crossover point was after the college entrance exam. Otherwise, he could have pulled off a classic story of a loser turning his life around and getting into a Pokémon academy!

"Dad, there are many ways to gain knowledge about Pokémon breeding; it doesn't have to be through school. As long as I can earn some money, I'll be able to get whatever I want later."

"Just don't worry about it, I already have a plan!" 

Ryoma set aside his feelings of frustration and began explaining patiently to his father.

The content of the Pokémon academy exam was mostly basic knowledge about Pokémon. He felt confident that he could pass it through self-study, so he wouldn't be foolish enough to attend a repeat class!

With that time, he figured he could earn some money to support his Pokémon instead!

...

Early the next morning,

after the incessant nagging of Ryoma's dad and Ryoma's mother, Ryoma boarded the bus heading to Aloha City.

"Alright, don't rush. When we get to Aloha City, I'll take you to the most famous Snack Street. The skewers there are a must-try!" While sitting on the bus, Ryoma held his shaking Poké Ball and smiled.

Upon hearing Ryoma, Sandshrew quieted down; that little food lover was probably already salivating inside!

After more than two hours of travel, the bus finally slowed down as it entered Aloha City. Ryoma chose to get off at the University District stop.

Although this area was called the University District, it also housed many technical schools. Ryoma had attended high school here, so he was very familiar with the area.

Once they arrived, Ryoma did not immediately release Sandshrew. Instead, he headed to the nearby Trainer Association to register.

In the city, if a Pokémon does not have the appropriate permit, it cannot be released at will. Pokémon are only allowed to be released in specific locations, and this requires registration at the Trainer Association.

Under the new structure of the Pokémon Alliance, the Trainer Association, Pokémon Hunter Guild, and Pokémon Center formed the main power structures.

The Trainer Association is responsible for managing all Trainers and the Pokémon they capture.

The Pokémon Hunter Guild handles city security, explores the Secret Realm, and deals with wild Pokémon.

The Pokémon Center is responsible for healing Pokémon. If humans want medical treatment, they still need to go to normal hospitals.

However, as Pokémon continue to integrate into people's lives, many certified Pokémon have begun working in hospitals. After all, Pokémon with healing abilities can treat many ailments that normal medicine cannot cure.

For example, some surface injuries can be instantly healed if a Pokémon releases a Heal Pulse.

Of course, for fractures that require surgery, a doctor still needs to perform the operation. However, with a Pokémon assisting, these surgeries become much easier and the healing efficiency greatly improves.

At the Trainer Association, after completing a health examination and test, Sandshrew—being a type allowed to roam the city—quickly finished the registration process. As long as he showed the permit issued by the Alliance, Sandshrew could move freely in designated areas.

However, Pokémon were still not allowed to be released in public areas.

After obtaining the permit, Ryoma, with the excited Sandshrew bouncing in its Poké Ball, headed toward the Snack Street.

"Are Pokémon not allowed in these snack shops?"

Walking through the snack street, Ryoma frowned at the signs indicating that Pokémon were not permitted inside.

"Hmm?"

"Pokémon allowed inside?"

Suddenly, Ryoma's eyes lit up as he spotted a huge banner outside a snack shop and quickly rushed over.

What he had arrived at was a food plaza, where he could see Trainers happily dining with their Pokémon.

"Sir, if you want to release your Pokémon to dine with you, please come over for registration."

A staff member noticed Ryoma approaching with a Poké Ball, and his eyes brightened as he warmly welcomed him.

After all, the appetite of Pokémon is much larger than that of humans, making them the most welcomed guests at any establishment!

If a Trainer brought along large eaters like Snorlax or Feraligatr, they would certainly make a fortune!

Ryoma followed the staff member to the registration area, handed over Sandshrew's permit to the staff, and then released Sandshrew.

"Sir, you and your Sandshrew are all set for registration. Enjoy your meal!" the staff member said respectfully.

Ryoma thanked him and led his eyes sparkling Sandshrew toward the ordering area.

Planning to reward Sandshrew for its efforts over the past few days, Ryoma allowed Sandshrew to eat freely. By the end of the meal, he had spent nearly a thousand yen, causing him to clutch his wallet in pain.

He had only brought ten thousand yen with him, and to spend one-tenth of it on a single meal was quite a shock.

Indeed, raising a Pokémon is not a cheap endeavor.

However, seeing Sandshrew's satisfied expression quickly relieved his worries; money cannot just be saved; it has to be earned through hard work.

After recalling Sandshrew into its Poké Ball, Ryoma began to wander around Aloha City, hoping to find a reliable job.

But as night fell, he didn't find anything suitable and could only look for a place to spend the night.

To save money, he didn't look for a hotel but headed toward the internet café he remembered.

At the internet café, all it took was twenty yen for a night, making it the best overnight place for someone like him who was short on cash—whether to play or to sleep.

However, when he arrived at the familiar Starry Sky Internet Café, he was stunned to find that the name had changed to Starry Sky Pokémon Club. The shop windows were covered with various pictures of Pokémon battles, standing out vibrantly.