Chapter 11: Bai Feng's Starter Pokémon
This was Bai Feng's first time visiting Captain Sanders's Research Institute. As soon as he arrived at the entrance, he saw Mogu muttering to himself. Mogu was holding something in his hand and pacing back and forth by the door, looking very troubled.
"Mr. Mogu!" Bai Feng called out to him.
Mogu suddenly looked up and saw Bai Feng standing not far away, carrying a basket. He said in surprise, "Bai Feng, what brings you here? It's been a long time! How have you been?"
"It has been a long time. I brought the children to the West District to play today, and I also wanted to come and see you." Bai Feng quickly walked up to Mogu and said, "These are Berries I grew, specially brought for you to taste. Oh, is Captain Sanders in?"
"Thank you." Mogu glanced at the basket in Bai Feng's hand, then said with a troubled expression, "Sanders is here... but right now he..."
Seeing Mogu hesitate, Bai Feng asked doubtfully, "Did something happen? Do you need my help?"
So Mogu explained, "You don't need to help, but here's what happened..."
It turned out that Captain Sanders had a daughter who was about the same age as Bai Feng. Today was her tenth birthday and the day she was about to set off on her journey. However, the Starter Pokémon Captain Sanders had chosen for her had a problem.
That Pokémon was cute, gentle, and very rare. It seemed perfect in every way, except it couldn't use any Moves.
Captain Sanders's daughter had received that Pokémon several days ago. At first, they got along very well. Captain Sanders's daughter actively took the Pokémon for special Training every day, and the Pokémon was also very cooperative.
However, after a few days, the little girl noticed something was wrong. No matter how hard she tried to teach it, the Pokémon just couldn't use a single Move.
The little girl's passionate heart was instantly extinguished. Her Starter Pokémon was actually Defective! So she started throwing tantrums at Captain Sanders and also had conflicts with her Starter Pokémon.
At first, there were only minor verbal spats between the little girl and the Starter Pokémon, but as the departure date drew closer, their conflicts began to escalate.
Finally, today, their conflict completely erupted.
The little girl demanded that her father replace her Starter Pokémon with a different one, while that Pokémon refused to listen to any of the little girl's commands anymore.
Captain Sanders naturally didn't want to casually replace his daughter's Starter Pokémon, as it would be bad for both his daughter and the Pokémon. So he refused his daughter.
To find out why that Pokémon couldn't use Moves, Captain Sanders specifically took it to the Pokémon Center and asked Nurse Joy for help with the examination. However, the result was that the Pokémon had a Congenital Defect.
Logically, a Pokémon chosen as a Starter Pokémon for a new Trainer shouldn't have any problems. But this Pokémon's Defect was special; it wasn't a physical development Defect, but a problem with its Energy Circuit.
The Energy Circuit is the most important and complex part of a Pokémon's Body. Once it has a problem, it's not easy to fix, and Nurse Joy was also helpless about it.
This kind of problem can only be detected by a professional Pokémon Doctor. Most members at the Breeding Base that raise Starter Pokémon are Breeders, so they naturally couldn't discover it.
This problem was difficult to solve, so when Captain Sanders returned Home, he wasn't sure how to explain it to his daughter, let alone how to communicate with that Pokémon.
Giving up on a Pokémon would definitely be cruel to it, especially since it was just a Cub. But he also didn't want his daughter to face setbacks right when she started her journey as a Trainer.
Captain Sanders didn't know how to communicate with that Pokémon, but his daughter was young and acted without many reservations. She directly announced to the Pokémon that she would be getting a different Starter Pokémon.
Not only did she say it, but she also did it. By the Time Captain Sanders found out, it was already too late.
Captain Sanders's daughter had previously asked her friend to catch a Pokémon for her in the wild, and that Pokémon happened to be delivered today.
Although this new Pokémon wasn't as rare as the original one, it could use various Moves smoothly and seemed to have excellent Talent. Captain Sanders's daughter was very satisfied with it and took it straight Home.
But her actions angered her original Pokémon. That Pokémon gave the little girl a good beating, then left Home in anger.
Captain Sanders was currently frantically searching everywhere outside for that Pokémon.
As the two were talking, they saw Captain Sanders returning from outside with hurried steps. Mogu quickly went up to him and asked, "Did you find it?"
"Sigh~" Captain Sanders shook his head gently, then let out a deep sigh.
At this moment, Bai Feng stepped forward and asked, "Captain Sanders, would you like me to help you look?"
"Bai Feng, you know about it too?" Sanders was a little surprised to see Bai Feng. "But it's alright, I'll just keep looking slowly myself. You rarely come here, you must have something to do, right? Go ahead and take care of your business."
That Pokémon had been gone for quite some Time now, and he had no idea where it had run off to. Sanders naturally didn't want to trouble others for help.
'I should go to the Pokémon Center and post a Find Oshawott Task,' Captain Sanders thought to himself. Otherwise, it would be too difficult for him to find Oshawott on his own; Couriway Town is so big.
Every Family has its own troubles! Seeing Captain Sanders's tired appearance, Bai Feng felt a little emotional. After handing the basket in his hand to Captain Sanders, he said goodbye and left.
After leaving the Research Institute, Bai Feng happily took the children out to play everywhere.
They first went to the Ocean Museum, where they saw many Water-type Pokémon. Besides the common Binacle, Skrelp, and Clawitzer from the Kalos Region, there were also many rare species introduced from other regions, such as the cute and fight-loving Piplup, the glowing and dancing Luvdisc, the swimming expert Buizel, and so on.
These Pokémon also performed shows, always making the guests burst into laughter. At these times, guests would feed them Pokemon Food specifically purchased at the Ocean Museum.
These Pokémon were all trained beforehand. They wouldn't eat Food from outside. Who knows if the takeout Food is safe or if eating it would give them diarrhea?
It was the children's first time here, and they were all extremely excited, exploring almost the entire Ocean Museum.
Next, they went to see the currently popular Children's Movie. It was a film about the friendship between humans and Pokémon, and it was very touching. Several children cried their eyes out in the Cinema.
Only the well-behaved Little Limo didn't understand anything and slept soundly nestled in Bai Feng's arms. After leaving the Cinema, she became full of Energy again, looking here and there, her eyes darting around, almost too busy to keep up.
For lunch, Bai Feng found a Restaurant that wasn't very expensive but was quite famous in Couriway Town and treated everyone to a good meal.
In Little You's words, "This is the best meal I've ever eaten!" Anyway, as long as he was happy, everything would become the best.
After lunch, Bai Feng and the others went to the largest and most famous Amusement Park in Couriway Town. It was very popular with children and could be said to be one of the liveliest places in Couriway Town.
There was an endless variety of entertainment activities inside, and the children were simply dazzled. Unfortunately, their Time was limited, so they could only choose some of the more famous attractions to play.
There were some activities that Rimo couldn't participate in. At these times, Nanako always wanted to stay behind to take care of Rimo, but Bai Feng took on this Task himself.
Compared to the other children who were more eager to play, he wasn't that interested in the Amusement Park. Playing was fine, but not playing wasn't a big deal either.
Rimo was usually taken care of by Nanako most of the Time. Now that they were finally out playing, Bai Feng hoped Nanako could have fun and enjoy herself to the fullest.
Every Time Rimo saw her older brothers and sisters shouting excitedly while playing, she would follow along below, giggling non-stop. She was even happier than if she were playing herself. Sometimes she would wave her arms and legs around, and Bai Feng almost couldn't hold her.
Whenever Bai Feng couldn't play with the children, he would instruct Bai Ye to pay extra attention to them to ensure their safety.
After leaving the Amusement Park, Bai Feng and the others saw that it was getting late, so they planned to go Home. Unexpectedly, they ran into Miss Jun Sha on the way to the Station.
Miss Jun Sha wasn't alone outside; she was accompanied by several police officers. Each of them was escorting one or two criminals, and it looked like they were heading back to the Police Station.
Seeing that Miss Jun Sha was busy, Bai Feng hadn't intended to disturb her. Unexpectedly, the sharp-eyed Miss Jun Sha spotted him in the crowd at a glance.
Miss Jun Sha handed the criminal in her hand to her subordinate, had the subordinate escort him into the police car, and then walked towards Bai Feng herself.
"Bai Feng, what are you doing here? Do you have business in this area?"
Bai Feng pointed to the children beside him and said, "I brought them here to play."
Miss Jun Sha suddenly understood and praised Bai Feng with a smile, "You're becoming more and more like a big brother now." She felt very pleased about this.
Bai Feng told Miss Jun Sha that he had gone to the Police Station to look for her and that he could now earn Money by growing Berries. Miss Jun Sha expressed her gratitude for Bai Feng's Gift and wished Bai Feng's Berry Business prosperity.
After that, they said goodbye to each other.
Before parting, Miss Jun Sha told Bai Feng that a Smuggling Gang had recently arrived in Couriway Town. Its members were all vicious criminals. Although their Boss and most members had been arrested and brought to justice today, a few had unexpectedly escaped. Therefore, she advised Bai Feng to be careful when going out recently and never approach strangers casually.
After returning Home, the children were still excited and talked endlessly to Director Meili and Fuyu about their day's activities. Little You, who loved to be mischievous, was especially funny. His words were jumbled, but they made Director Meili laugh heartily.
Today's outing became one of the most unforgettable memories in the children's lives.
Early the next morning, Bai Feng and Bai Ye picked a basket of Berries and planned to go to Grandpa Fu's Place. He had finished reading the books he borrowed from Grandpa Fu previously, so this Time he would return them and borrow two more that he hadn't read yet.
The mother and son walked leisurely along the road. Suddenly, a truck sped past them, and the strong Wind it kicked up almost knocked them onto the Ground.
At the same Time, something fell off the truck with a "clang". Bai Feng looked closely and saw an Oshawott lying crookedly in a Cage, clearly having taken a hard fall.
Oshawott? Isn't that a Pokémon unique to the Alola Region? Why is there one here?
At this moment, Bai Feng suddenly remembered the Smuggling Gang Miss Jun Sha had mentioned. Could the people in the truck just now be the ones who escaped?
Bai Feng opened the Cage and gently lifted Oshawott out. However, Oshawott suddenly woke up at that moment. As soon as it opened its eyes, it gave Bai Feng a Hard Slap.
"Slap!"
Bai Feng's head was knocked sideways by the slap. Not only were Bai Feng and Bai Ye stunned, but Oshawott itself was also stunned.
Who is this kid? It clearly remembered being captured by several Burly Men.
The next second, Oshawott cautiously darted out of Bai Feng's arms and ran for its life with all its might. But it was a water creature after all, with fins and a tail but no legs, so it ran very slowly.
As soon as Bai Ye extended a Hand, Oshawott was controlled by Psychic Power and flew back.
"Ooh ooh ooh~~~"
Oshawott struggled non-stop, its Body almost twisted into a pretzel. But with its meager strength, how could it possibly break free from Bai Ye's Psychic Power!
Bai Feng endured his slightly sore cheek from Oshawott's slap and quickly comforted it:
"Oshawott, don't be agitated. We're not Villains. You just fell off a truck and we happened to find you."
"Gardevoir~" Exactly, exactly.
Bai Ye quickly echoed: Don't be ungrateful! Look how you hit my precious! It hurts my heart, I've never hit it that hard myself.
Only then did Oshawott stop struggling, but its gaze towards Bai Feng and Bai Ye still held distrust.
"Kid, that Oshawott is mine, give it back to me!"
At this moment, a loud shout came. Oshawott shivered all over upon hearing the voice.
Bai Feng looked back and saw a bearded man in Construction Clothes glaring at him fiercely.
Not only did Bai Feng not listen to the man, but he also hugged the trembling Oshawott tightly and calmly questioned the other party:
"You say it's yours and it's yours? Do you have proof? I can say it's mine too! Why don't you call out to it and see if it responds!"
Oshawott buried its head in Bai Feng's arms. Hearing these words, it quietly looked up at him, and a miraculous sense of calm settled in its Heart.
This person really doesn't seem like a Villain.
The man was enraged by Bai Feng's words: "Brat, you won't take a hint, huh? Today I'll show you who you shouldn't mess with!" Saying this, he took out a Poké Ball, and immediately a Conkeldurr appeared beside him.
"Conkeldurr, give that brat a good beating."
"Roar!"
Conkeldurr roared, raised the Concrete Pillar in its Hand, and strode towards Bai Feng.
At this moment, Bai Ye flashed and appeared in front of Conkeldurr. The moment Conkeldurr smashed the Concrete Pillar down, Bai Ye erected a Colorful Barrier, blocking its attack.
This was Skill Reflect Barrier, which Bai Ye had learned recently.
Among the Moves Bai Ye knew before, except for Healing Wave, the others were all attack Moves. So, over the past year, Bai Feng specifically had it learn two more defensive Moves: Light Screen and Reflect, which are used to defend against special attacks and physical attacks, respectively.
The Tutorial Videos for these two Moves were found by Bai Feng in Grandpa Fu's library.
As a Psychic-type Pokémon, it wasn't difficult for Bai Ye to learn these two same-type Moves. It just required continuous practice to master them.
Because it had to endure being surrounded by over a dozen Big Birds every day, after a year, it would be difficult for Bai Ye *not* to become proficient.
Bai Feng planned to have Bai Ye learn the evasion divine Move, Teleport, next.
Attack, healing, and defense Moves were now all complete, so naturally, they also needed an escape Move.
Seeing Bai Ye, the man's face showed greed: "I didn't expect to encounter a Gardevoir! Today is truly lucky! Conkeldurr, catch that Gardevoir too."
However, as soon as he finished speaking, Gardevoir's entire Body suddenly erupted with dazzling rings of light. The opposing Conkeldurr was sent flying backward after letting out a miserable cry.
Fairy-type's Dazzling Gleam is super effective against Fighting-type's Conkeldurr. Furthermore, Conkeldurr itself wasn't too strong, so after Bai Ye's single strike, it tilted its head and immediately lost its ability to battle.
One-hit knockout!
The man didn't even react. He just stared blankly at Gardevoir with his mouth wide open. By the Time he came back to his senses, Bai Ye had already captured him using Psychic Power.
After some interrogation, Bai Feng quickly figured out the man's identity. He was indeed a member of that Smuggling Gang, and now he was the only one left in the gang.
This person looked fierce and malicious, but was actually a Coward. Bai Feng just scared him a couple of Times, and he spilled everything.
Originally, when they escaped from the police, there weren't just one of them, but three. Since their Boss had been caught, they discussed disbanding.
Unfortunately, Money moves people's hearts.
One of these three people was in charge of the Smuggling Group's Finance, which was the man Bai Ye had captured. The Money earned by the Smuggling Group would usually be deposited with him first and then distributed among them after the Business was finished.
However, this Time, before they could even divide the Money, the police came knocking.
Now that the Boss was caught and the Money was in his Hands, this man had a wicked thought. He thought: If the other two died, wouldn't all this Money belong to him alone?
With the Boss gone, he didn't know if the Business could continue in the future. There was a high possibility he would be unemployed, so he had to seize this Opportunity to make a fortune.
So, in order to keep all the Money for himself, he used Poison to kill his other two Partners.
Bai Feng encountered the man here because he was in a hurry to take the Money and leave Couriway Town. However, the man never expected that his momentary greed would lead him to fall into the Hands of a kid.
As for Oshawott, they had found it while they were on the run earlier.
This was a rare Pokémon after all, and selling it could fetch a good amount of Money. Since they encountered it, there was no reason to miss the Opportunity.
Hearing the man say that Oshawott was found, Bai Feng suddenly thought of the Starter Pokémon that had gone missing from Captain Sanders's Home. According to Mogu, it seemed to be an Oshawott as well.
He quickly used his Golden Finger to check Oshawott's Situation. It really was a Pokémon with a Defective Energy Circuit. More than half of its Energy Circuit was blocked, no wonder it couldn't use Moves.
The principle behind a Pokémon being able to use Moves is the Resonance between the Origin Energy in its Energy Circuit and the Type Energy from the outside world. Different forms of Resonance create different Moves.
Currently, most of Oshawott's Energy Circuit inside its Body is blocked. Naturally, it cannot store Origin Energy, and therefore, it is even less able to achieve Resonance with the Type Energy from the outside world.
In fact, most Pokémon's Energy Circuits are not completely unobstructed; blockages do occur. However, the blocked parts are usually minor branches and don't affect the operation of the Energy Circuit.
Oshawott's Situation is different. Too many parts of its Energy Circuit are blocked, completely hindering its function.
For example, if we cut off some branches of a Tree, it can still survive. Even if the entire crown of some Trees is cut off, as long as the roots are still there, it can sprout again.
But if you cut it off directly from the roots, then it will just die.
Although this analogy isn't perfect, that's the general idea.
Bai Feng could actually solve Oshawott's problem. His Golden Finger originally had the effect of clearing Pokémon's Energy Circuits. He would also usually help Bai Ye clear the blocked parts in its Energy Circuit.
But its blockage was too severe and couldn't be cleared in just a day or two. It would require a lot of Time to process slowly.
While Bai Feng was using his Golden Finger to examine Oshawott's Body, it felt warm all over, and an indescribable feeling of exhilaration burst forth from inside its Body.
This was a feeling Oshawott had never experienced before.
When Bai Feng removed his Hand from Oshawott, the warm feeling immediately disappeared, and a sense of loss and regret arose from the bottom of Oshawott's Heart.
Now that he had figured out the identities of the man and Oshawott, Bai Feng directly called Miss Jun Sha and Captain Sanders.
Miss Jun Sha arrived on a motorcycle, moving very quickly. After seeing the man who had fainted on the side, she said, "He is indeed one of the three who escaped. Thanks to you this Time!"
Bai Feng waved his Hand and said, "It's nothing, fighting crime is everyone's responsibility!"
"Fighting crime is everyone's responsibility..." Miss Jun Sha repeated after him, feeling that what Bai Feng said made a lot of sense. She praised Bai Feng, "Well said, you have awareness. However, there will still be Rewards. This person is a Wanted Criminal, and the police have a Bounty on him. I will help you apply for it when I get back."
"There's a bonus too?" Bai Feng was surprised, not expecting such a pleasant surprise.
"Of course. By the way, did you subdue this person by yourself?" Miss Jun Sha glanced at the Conkeldurr lying nearby, then looked at Bai Ye and said, "It seems you have a great Talent for being a Trainer! It hasn't been that long since we last met, but Bai Ye feels much stronger."
Bai Feng waved his Hand humbly and said, "No, no, it's not that I'm amazing, it's Bai Ye itself that's amazing. It trains very hard every day."
Miss Jun Sha nodded and didn't say anything more. Instead, she looked at Oshawott in Bai Feng's arms and said, "How are you going to handle this Oshawott? Would you like me to help you take it to Mr. Sanders's Research Institute?"
Bai Feng replied, "I've already contacted Captain Sanders. He should be here soon."
"I see. Then I'll leave Oshawott with you. I'll take this guy back to the Police Station first." Miss Jun Sha pointed to the man on the Ground and said.
After Miss Jun Sha left, Bai Feng and Bai Ye returned Home, planning to go to Grandpa Fu's Place in the afternoon, because he had arranged to meet Captain Sanders at Bluebird Orphanage.
Not long after the mother and son arrived Home, Captain Sanders drove over. After confirming that Oshawott was indeed the one that had gone missing from his Home, he solemnly expressed his gratitude to Bai Feng.
However, when he reached out to hug Oshawott, it dodged away and absolutely refused to go back with him.
At this moment, Bai Feng suddenly spoke up and asked, "Captain Sanders, after you take Oshawott back, how do you plan to settle it?"
Oshawott also looked at Sanders with a scrutinizing expression: 'Yeah, how are you going to arrange me? I don't want that awful daughter of yours!'
Hearing Bai Feng's words, Sanders paused. He actually didn't know how to settle Oshawott either.
His daughter was unwilling to accept Oshawott. He didn't mind raising it himself, but judging by Oshawott's reaction, it probably wouldn't accept him, especially since he wasn't a Trainer.
As for entrusting it to someone else to raise, Oshawott couldn't learn Moves. Which Trainer would be willing to take it?
What a headache!
Seeing Captain Sanders's troubled expression, Bai Feng suggested, "How about you let me have it? I'm willing to pay for it."
This Opportunity couldn't be missed. Oshawott was a very rare Pokémon. If he missed this Opportunity, it would probably be difficult for a child from an Orphanage like him to encounter one again.
Even if he became successful in the future and had the ability to get an Oshawott, when would that be? Three years? Five years? Or ten years?
Too long!
Moreover, with Oshawott, wouldn't he not have to worry about watering his Fruit Trees in the future? If he gets the chance to teach Oshawott Rain Dance later, it would be perfect!
As for its Body Defect, that was no problem at all!
Hearing Bai Feng's words, Captain Sanders looked up in surprise: "Didn't you hear Mogu talk about this child's problem? It can't learn Moves!"
Upon hearing this, Oshawott's previously furious demeanor immediately became dejected. If it weren't for this Defect, when it ran away from Home, it wouldn't have just given that brat a beating; it would have definitely beaten that Mean Dog too!
Seeing this, Bai Feng stroked its head, then said to Captain Sanders, "I know that, but I don't mind."
"But..." Sanders hesitated, "You say you don't mind now, but what if you change your mind in the future? What will happen to this child?"
Bai Feng shook his head and assured him, "I won't. Please rest assured."
Seeing Bai Feng's sincere tone, Captain Sanders felt that this was indeed a very good solution, so he agreed.
Bai Feng currently only had sixty thousand in his Hands, which wasn't enough to buy an Oshawott. So he thought about discussing with Captain Sanders whether the remaining Money could be paid later.
However, Captain Sanders waved his Hand and said, "You don't need to give me Money. I already feel very sorry for this child. If you give me Money now, it will make me feel like I'm too greedy."
Hearing this, Oshawott immediately wore an expression that seemed to say, 'At least you have some conscience.'
Looking at Oshawott like this, Bai Feng thought doubtfully to himself: Didn't Mogu say Oshawott's personality was very gentle? Why does it seem like something else entirely to me...? (Oshawott: I've suffered such a great Grievance, shouldn't my personality change drastically?)
Since Captain Sanders was unwilling to accept Money, Bai Feng didn't pretend to be rich. He didn't have much Money to begin with, let alone being in the Early Stage of Business!
After deciding Oshawott's Destination, Captain Sanders drove away from Bluebird Orphanage alone.
"Oshawott, from now on we are Family. Please give me lots of Guidance." Bai Feng extended his right Hand towards Oshawott.
Oshawott looked at Bai Feng with a hint of hesitation in its eyes. With its previous experiences, it didn't know if Bai Feng could be relied upon.
Seeing Oshawott's conflicted expression, Bai Feng continued, "If you're worried that I'll give up on you because of your physical Defect, you're overthinking it. Because I have a way to help you fix this Defect."
Hearing this, Oshawott's eyes lit up.
"Ooh?" Really?
"Gardevoir~ Gardevoir~ Voir~ Gardevoir~" Of course it's true! My precious is so amazing, your little problem is nothing!
Before Bai Feng could speak, Bai Ye interjected. In its Heart, its precious son was omnipotent.
Oshawott was still very simple-minded. After hearing Bai Ye's assurance, it no longer had any doubts and excitedly placed its fin on Bai Feng's Hand.
"Ooh~" Please give me lots of Guidance!
From then on, Bai Feng had his first Pokémon.
Since he had already decided to go to Grandpa Fu's Place in the afternoon, Bai Feng didn't go out again after Captain Sanders left. Instead, he performed the first clearing of Oshawott's Energy Circuit.
He placed his Hand on Oshawott's Belly, controlling the Golden Finger Energy to slowly penetrate into Oshawott's Energy Circuit, intending to destroy the Impurities blocking the Energy Circuit little by little.
Oshawott's Energy Circuit starts from its throat and ends at its tail. Because the blockage was too severe, the Energy inside couldn't form a cycle, and the Origin Energy would be bounced back to the starting point every Time it flowed halfway.
Because of this, Oshawott's Energy Circuit couldn't absorb Energy from the outside world on its own, thus increasing its accumulation of Origin Energy.
What Bai Feng had to do was use his Golden Finger Energy to activate the limited Origin Energy within Oshawott's Body, allowing it to break apart the Impurities, and then use the Golden Finger Energy to dissolve the Impurities.
Oshawott's Energy Circuit structure was much simpler than Bai Ye's, so the difficulty of the operation wasn't actually high. The only thing needed was patience.
As Bai Feng slowly cleared Oshawott's Energy Circuit, Oshawott felt a tingling sensation all over its Body, as if an Electric Current was crackling throughout it. While it felt a bit strange, it also found it very stimulating.
Time flew by, and an Hour passed. Bai Feng felt it was enough, so he withdrew his Golden Finger Energy and then asked Oshawott:
"Oshawott, how do you feel?"
"Ooh~ Ooh~"
Oshawott happily clapped its Hands, completely believing Bai Feng's assurance that he could fix its Defect.
(End of this chapter)