Bab 2: Youngster Program (2/3)

[Words: 1673]

Izan had to admit that the league didn't half-ass anything they involved themselves in. Just the admissions center was an enormously wide building with a spotless visage.

Of course, he had already been there before to take the practical exam, but his gawking was warranted with how clean and massive it was.

A pristine steel skeleton combined with perfectly polished windows and a splatter of ingenious but small design choices made it stand out as a masterpiece of architecture.

He really should stop gaping at a building. It was just a building, after all.

Though he supposed it did fit in nicely with the tall buildings of Vermillion City.

Yet he couldn't help but grimace as he thought about the city itself. It was the home of various ACE trainers, experienced sailor trainers, and even a gym leader in the major eight.

So it was a bit vexing to Izan how he still got robbed in a city this protected. Team Rocket should've steered clear of the city by a mile, and yet they practically killed him in broad daylight.

It left a bad taste in his mouth and formed a pit in his stomach when he thought about it.

But worrying about that was for later.

He didn't even have a license yet.

And unlike when he first came in weeks earlier, there wasn't a line that went on for hours. The league season had already begun a few days prior so most trainers were already traveling.

For him though, there was no point in rushing. One of the stipulations that came with being an F-Class trainer meant that he wasn't allowed to register for the gym challenge.

That was reserved for D-Class trainers only.

And to get there, the first step was to get a Pokemon.

Shaking his head, he walked into the building, pointedly ignoring the looks he got for standing at the door for so long.

He reached the glass counter and waited patiently for the receptionist to notice him. She took a moment while focused on her computer, but she eventually noticed him.

"Welcome to the Pokemon League Admissions Center, how can I assist you?" She said with a smile. A practiced line for sure.

"Yeah, I'm here to get my trainer license. I was accepted into the Youngster Program."

Her nose wrinkled briefly before her smile came back strained, "Ah, of course. Do you have the acceptance letter by any chance?"

"I've got the email on my Pokegear. I didn't know I had to print it out." Izan pulled out his Pokegear, ignoring her odd looks.

It was the equivalent of a flip phone in the Pokemon world. Rotom phones existed but they were way too expensive.

Even then, the Pokegear was much more advanced than a simple flip phone. The entire thing could be configured with voice recognition as a plus. Internet, Map, Clock and calendar, radio, and various other things.

All things considered, it was pretty useful despite being seen as a phone used by broke or old-fashioned people.

She glanced at it for a second too long, most likely expecting him to have a better phone, "That works perfectly fine, don't worry. I just need the QR Code on the bottom of it to confirm a few details."

Taking out a scanner from under the desk she faced it at the Pokegear's screen before a dinging sound was heard.

Nodding to herself, she took a few minutes to type a few things on the computer. Most likely inputting his information alongside whatever else the process was.

"And done. Please take this to that room over there." She handed him a ticket and pointed to a door on the opposite side of the room.

He flashed her a smile before leaving, "Got it, thanks."

There weren't many people at all in that section of the building he noticed now that he looked around.

Sort of odd, but it made sense he supposed. There wasn't much to do in league buildings besides register for things.

Shrugging it off, he walked into the room and was greeted by an odd room.

Above him was what looked like a stretched flat screen. Below that was a mechanism that was supposed to be where his ticket went. On the right was a weird glowing device with a blue panel attached to the wall. And finally a tray table with a hole above it.

He was startled out of his stupor when a man's voice boomed from an intercom. His accent was odd, a mix of different cultures Izan knew of.

"Sorry for startlin' ya, little man. Got yer ticket?" Quietly, Izan placed the ticket into the middle machine. Without delay, the ticket disappeared into the vacuum.

The man took a moment before continuing, "Place yer thumb on the device to yer right for me."

As soon as he finished his words, Izan walked to the right and placed his thumb on the odd-looking scanner. Almost immediately, the device lit up with a cool blue.

"[Name: Izan Ritcher] [Birthplace: Vermillion City] [Age: 14] [Trainer Class: F+]" The mechanical voice intoned from a speaker next to the device.

"Yer fourteen? Ya don't look it. Ain't gonna get fair less ya put more meat on them bones. Hmm… Ah, ya paid for the F plus start. Not a big fan of Rattata, eh?"

Unlike regular Youngsters who simply got a Rattata as their starter Pokemon, Izan paid a little extra during the registration fee to get a chance for a better starter.

With the amount he paid, he was guaranteed to get a choice between three different Pokemon that only evolve once.

He could've paid more for a choice of starters that evolve twice, but it wouldn't be worth it. That version, F++, would've cost him an arm and a leg with his limited budget.

In any case, the choices would be inferior to official D-Class trainers since their starters were usually way stronger on average.

Where an F++ would get things like Pidgey, Zubat, or Oddish, D-Class would get starters such as Machop, Gastly, and Abra.

The gap in quality Pokemon meant he didn't care to stress over it.

Unused to the employees of the league speaking casually, Izan froze at the question, but he easily bounced back and shrugged it off.

"Nah, that ain't it. Rattata isn't that bad, to be honest. It's just that everyone and their mother has one if they're a Youngster. It'd be an uphill battle for fighting regular trainers with experience; Gym Leaders would slaughter me with ease." He answered.

"True. Though most F-Class trainers don't think that far ahead. Yer one of them all brain and no brawn ones, ain't ya?" The man quipped.

Izan rolled his eyes, "I'm not one to toot my own horn, but I ain't most F-Class trainers. And fuck off man, I just have a high metabolism."

The man snorted, "I'll believe it when I see it. Back to business though. Check the screen up top for yer starter choices oh great F plus."

Izan sobered as he watched the screen split into three different sections. A silhouette of various Pokemon appeared on each panel before sifting through hundreds of random species.

Eventually, the images settled onto three different types of Pokemon. A pangolin-looking creature with yellow keratin scales, a feminine white and red goldfish, and… a ball.

[Sandshrew, the Mouse Pokemon] - [Details: N/A]

[Goldeen, the Goldfish Pokemon] - [Details: N/A]

[Voltorb, the Ball Pokemon] - [Details: N/A]

"Huh. Did not expect those Pokemon," Izan muttered under his breath as he considered his choice.

Somehow hearing him, the man replied. "Unlucky, isn't it? Most expect to get a fire, grass, and water choice. But most of ye never remember there're other type trios."

Izan hummed as he intently looked at the three Pokemon.

Viability alone, Voltorb was the obvious choice. It was one of the fastest Pokemon alive when evolved and trained to perfection. Plus the electric typing meant that it only had one weakness. Alongside the fact that it got [Sonic Boom], a very powerful attack when fighting weaker Pokemon, only made it seem better.

But this was real life, not a game. Izan grimaced as he thought about how dangerous a Voltorb in real life would be, especially since it was his first Pokemon.

Their temperament was notoriously bad, and they tended to explode when annoyed. A bad choice for a starter Pokemon, no matter how much potential it had.

Goldeen's only saving grace was its hidden ability, [Lightning Rod]. Izan didn't know how abilities worked in real life, but if Goldeen did have it, it would be able to tank electric attacks with ease.

Sadly, he didn't know if Goldeen could even battle on land. Most of his battles wouldn't be anywhere near water, and he wasn't sure if aquatic Pokemon floated or just flopped on the ground.

With his only frame of reference being the useless Magikarp from before, the odds weren't looking too good.

Finally, there was Sandshrew. They were a species known for their mild temperament and reasonable nature even in the wild. In terms of a starter Pokemon, it was the best choice for a new trainer.

Sandslash's stats left much to be desired, however. If the games had any semblance of truth to them, they were frail to special attacks and their speed was fairly mediocre.

Without enough information, it was a very hard choice to make.

"Pokedollar for your thoughts?" The man boomed, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"I…" Izan began, before stopping himself. "Hey, do you think I can get some actual details on these guys?"

There was a momentary pause alongside some clicking on a computer before the man responded.

"All three? They haven't been evaluated from what aye can see, so ye'd have to do the assessment battle yer self. That'd be 100 Pokedollars each, though. Ye sure?"

Izan grimaced at the thought of spending money, but took a deep breath to steel his resolve, "…Yeah, I'm sure."