Chapter 8: Unexpected Joy

Huo La's eyes landed on the Bulbasaur before him, and the more he stared, the hotter his heart grew.

The little creature sported a bright green seed on its head, a round body wrapped in light‑green skin, and was curiously sizing him up with shiny black eyes, occasionally flicking its short Vine Whip to gently tap his pant leg, looking especially lively.

And on the system panel before him, all the information of the Bulbasaur had already been displayed clearly.

Pokemon: Bulbasaur

Gender: Female

Level: Lv10

Su Xing: B

Status: Healthy

Nature: Diligent

Type: Grass/Poison

Ability: Chlorophyll (Pokemon with this ability have their Speed doubled in strong sunlight).

Height: 0.7 m

Weight: 6.9 kg

Carried Item: None

Moves: Tackle (31% proficiency), Cry (55% proficiency), Vine Whip (21% proficiency), Poison Powder (4% proficiency)

Improvement Count: 1 (???)

"Chlorophyll! It's a hidden ability!" Huo La suppressed his excitement, his fingertips lightly brushed the seed atop Bulbasaur's head; this ability means that as long as the weather is intensely sunny, Bulbasaur's Speed can be directly doubled!

It should be noted that ordinary Bulbasaur's usual ability is "Overgrow", which boosts the power of Grass‑type moves when HP is low; the hidden ability "Chlorophyll" is extremely rare, especially for Grass‑type Pokemon, and a speed double perfectly compensates for the speed disadvantage Grass‑types have against Fire‑type and Flying‑type foes—truly a god‑level ability that comes like a lifeline.

"This time I've really hit the jackpot," Huo La couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

With the Chlorophyll ability, the training direction for Bulbasaur becomes instantly clear; later, just pair it with a Sun Stone or a Sunny Day Team strategy, and its battlefield mobility will increase dramatically. Moreover, with the "Improvement Count: 1" opportunity, a Su Xing B can eventually break through to an A rank, providing solid Gym-level Combat Power foundation.

After calming down for a moment, Huo La finally glanced sideways at the Pokemon before Red and Xiao Mao.

Charmander is circling around Red's feet, its tail flame burning especially bright; Squirtle is curled at Xiao Mao's foot, occasionally poking its head out to blow a water bubble.

On the system panel, the information of the two Pokemon also briefly appeared.

Charmander: Lv10, Su Xing B, Nature Impulsive, Ability "Blaze", moves proficiency balanced, Improvement Count 1.

Squirtle: Lv10, Su Xing B, Nature Calm, Ability "Torrent", defensive moves proficiency higher, Improvement Count 1.

"The Pokemon the League provides really aren't bad," Huo La nodded lightly.

Although Charmander and Squirtle both have ordinary abilities, all three starter Pokemon are uniformly Su Xing B, and with one improvement, they far exceed the average level of ordinary wild Pokemon; it shows the League has indeed put effort into starter cultivation, not neglecting novice Trainers.

He suddenly remembered something.

Since the League can consistently breed Pokemon with Su Xing B, they must have a mature appraisal method and breeding technique in hand. If there's a chance later, perhaps I could find a way to obtain those materials from the League, and combine them with the breeding experience stored in my past‑life memories; maybe that could spark a brand‑new training approach, letting my future partner's growth speed reach another level.

"Bulbasaur, please take good care of me from now on," Huo La crouched down, smiling at the little creature.

Bulbasaur seemed to understand, gently hooking its Vine Whip around his finger; the seed atop its head wavered slightly, emitting a soft "Seed~" sound, and its glossy black eyes were full of affection.

Professor Oak, watching this scene, smiled contentedly: "Looks like you get along well. Huo La, Bulbasaur's nature is Diligent; as long as you raise it well, when it evolves into Ivysaur it will definitely be a reliable combat force."

Huo La nodded, already having mapped out the subsequent training plan in his mind.

First start with basic Vine Whip control, combine with precise Poison Powder placement; once proficient, then focus on the Chlorophyll ability, simulating sunny conditions to train Speed and move transitions.

With the system panel monitoring progress, and this Bulbasaur that already carries a hidden ability, his journey's starting point can be far smoother than he had expected.

"It seems that reliable teammate Xiao Gang can't be left for Zhi Ye," Huo La mourned for Zhi Ye for two seconds in his heart, then made this decision.

Seeing that the three of them got along perfectly with the new partner, Professor Oak withdrew his smile, his expression gradually becoming solemn, cleared his throat and said: "What I'm about to tell you next is the most basic yet most important thing for novice Trainers; you must listen carefully."

Huo La immediately perked up his ears; even though he had learned this knowledge at the Basic Academy, he knew Professor Oak's explanation would inevitably contain details more suited to real combat; Red even pulled out a small notebook and a pen from his bag, ready to record at any moment; even Xiao Mao, who usually loves to show off, put away his playful thoughts, crossed his arms, and listened earnestly.

Professor Oak first covered the basic points of Pokemon breeding: how to match food according to Type (for example, Grass‑type Pokemon need to supplement with water‑rich berries; Fire‑type should avoid staying in damp environments); daily tips for checking Pokemon condition (observe whether antennae are flexible, whether scales shine).

He then emphasized precautions for wild adventures—do not attack wild Pokemon recklessly; when passing through forests be wary of Bug‑type Pokemon surprise attacks; near water bodies watch out for hidden Water‑type wild Pokemon.

After finishing, Professor Oak turned around, took three trays from the cabinet behind him, each tray holding an orange‑red Pokemon Pokédex and five Red‑White Pokeballs: "These are your Pokeballs and Pokédexes, take them."

The three of them received the trays in turn; Huo La's fingertip touched the Pokédex's cool shell, gently pressed the side button— the screen lit up instantly, displaying 'Initial activation in progress'.

"The Pokédex I gave you is the basic version," Professor Oak explained, "The Pokemon World's big data is constantly updating—new discovered variants, unrecorded move combinations, etc. Whenever you pass by any regional Pokemon Center, you can connect to the League Network for an upgrade; after upgrading you can view more comprehensive information, even analyze opponent Pokemon weaknesses."

Xiao Mao fiddled with the Pokeball in his hand and couldn't help asking, "Grandpa, why only five Pokeballs? I thought we could get more."

"That's the League's rule," Professor Oak answered patiently, "Any Trainer may carry at most six Pokemon during daily travel. If you capture more than six, the excess Pokeballs will automatically be sent via the League's World Network to the storage locker you have bound at a Pokemon Center. Later, if you want to swap carried Pokemon, just go to the transfer machine at a Pokemon Center, upload or download Pokeballs—very convenient."

He paused, his gaze deliberately shifting to Red and Huo La: "Especially you two, Red and Huo La, besides the starter Pokemon you received today, you already have your own partners, which already occupies one carry slot; you must pay extra attention to the carry limit."

"By the way, one more thing," Professor Oak seemed to recall suddenly, adding, "Your TrainerID will be entered into the League system by the end of today; once recorded, you'll officially become a Registered Trainer. When you later take part in Gym Challenges or Regional Tournaments, you'll need to show your ID. Huo La, your mother mentioned to me before that when you get your ID, contact her, and don't forget."

"Got it, Doctor!" Huo La quickly nodded.