Pokemon: Scientist From One Piece

"Grumble..."

Hirito's stomach protested again.

"Fruit really isn't filling enough," he muttered, rubbing his belly before glancing down at Umbreon. "There's an old saying in my world—'Food is the first necessity of the people.' Let's fill our stomachs first and then think about the future."

"Umbre~"

Umbreon nodded in agreement.

Even though the pain of being abandoned by its trainer still lingered, the short time it had spent with Hirito had already shown that this human was different. He held no malice, no prejudice—just curiosity and confidence.

That was enough reason for Umbreon to follow him.

As Hirito and Umbreon walked away, a shadowy figure emerged from a nearby alleyway.

Dressed in a black cloak reminiscent of a gambler's outfit, the man wore a round hat that concealed much of his face. His sharp eyes, however, gleamed with disbelief.

"A Dark-type... and that kid talking about reversing evolution... Is he joking?"

Under normal circumstances, he would have dismissed it as the chuuni nonsense of a child.

But after observing Hirito for a short while, he noticed something odd—despite looking like a ten-year-old, the boy carried himself with a maturity far beyond his years.

There was a powerful confidence in his gaze, one that made the man hesitate.

"Could he... actually do it?"

The man, Giovanni, remained silent for a long time.

Normally, he would have at least sent one of his subordinates to keep an eye on the boy. But right now, he had bigger concerns.

Recently, Giovanni had been searching for his missing son.

Having found no leads in Kanto, he had come to Johto. He hadn't even mobilized Team Rocket for this search—no one in his organization knew he had a child.

Because children... were weaknesses.

As the leader of Team Rocket, Giovanni had countless enemies. If his foes learned that he had a son, there was no telling what they might do.

That was why he had kept it a secret.

And yet, even with all these precautions, his child had still disappeared.

"Just who took him!?"

Giovanni clenched his teeth and turned away, disappearing into the darkness.

For now, the strange boy was none of his concern.

"Big sister, the food at the Pokémon Center is free, right?"

Hirito tilted his head slightly, widening his eyes in an innocent, almost adorable manner as he looked at Nurse Joy.

Throughout his short journey, he had gathered a lot of information, and what he learned was quite intriguing:

This was Cianwood City, located in the Johto Region.

The timeline of this Pokémon world was vastly different from the anime and games he knew.

The current Kanto Champion was Agatha, the Ghost-type specialist, rather than Lance. This meant the story was set years before Ash's journey.

Professor Oak had not yet invented the Pokédex, meaning public knowledge about Pokémon types—especially Dark-types—was limited.

Pokémon transfer machines and healing devices were not yet developed.

But there was one familiar thing—just like in the anime, Pokémon Centers provided free medical treatment, food, and lodging.

"Yes, little brother," Nurse Joy responded with a warm smile.

Hirito felt a moment of pure joy.

Ah, so this is what Momonosuke must have felt like in One Piece…

Wait, why am I thinking about that bastard?

Before he could enjoy his victory, Nurse Joy continued:

"But please show me your Trainer ID."

"...Huh?"

Trainer ID?

Oh, right! That was a thing in the games. It had a Trainer's name, ID number, and Gym Badges—but it was mostly just decoration in the games, so he never paid much attention to it.

Seeing his hesitation, Nurse Joy's smile faltered slightly.

"Little one… you're not a registered Trainer with the League?" she asked. "If that's the case, you'll have to pay. The cost for accommodation and food is 1000 Poké Dollars per day."

Hirito instinctively reached for his pocket.

It was empty.

He was broke.

I should probably leave before this gets embarrassing…

Just as he was about to turn around, Nurse Joy spoke again.

"...I'll cover your meal this time."

Hirito blinked. "Eh?"

Nurse Joy smiled gently. "I can afford a little kindness."

30 Minutes Later – Pokémon Center Cafeteria

The sight of Hirito devouring food like a starving ghost left many Trainers speechless.

Even Umbreon, who was quietly eating its Pokémon food, felt secondhand embarrassment.

"Is it good?"

Nurse Joy approached him with a soft smile, her Chansey standing beside her.

Hirito swallowed a mouthful of curry rice and gave her a thumbs-up. "Thank you, Sister Saori! I'll definitely repay you in the future!"

Through their conversation, he learned that "Joy" was a surname, and that each Nurse Joy had their own given name. This particular one was Joy Saori.

She also provided crucial information about how this real-world Pokémon League functioned.

Only League-Registered Trainers could enjoy free Pokémon Center services.

These Trainers had to pay an annual tax from birth.

Upon turning 10 years old, they were granted a Pokémon by the League.

This service lasted until they turned 20—essentially covering their "minor" years.

Oh, that makes sense…

If Pokémon Centers really allowed Trainers to live for free forever, then why would people even work?

It also explained why, in the Pokémon games, there were NPCs labeled "Office Worker" or "Businessman".

But wait…

A new question popped into Hirito's mind.

"Where did Aunt Delia—Ash's mother—get her money from?"

In the anime, Ash's mom didn't seem to have a job.

And yet, she raised Ash alone, paid his annual taxes, and still managed to live comfortably in Pallet Town.

Curious, Hirito turned to Nurse Joy and asked, "Sister Saori, how much is the annual tax for a League-Registered Trainer?"

After hearing the amount, Hirito's mind went blank.

Just where did Aunt Delia get all that money!?

His first thought was Professor Oak's 'sponsorship', but the moment he considered it further, he shook his head.

Nope. Can't go down that road. If I think about this too much, my entire story is gonna get deleted.

Nurse Joy suddenly looked at him with a mix of concern and curiosity.

"...Hirito, are you an orphan?"

Hirito: ???

Hey, hey, hey, why are you cursing me?!

End of Chapter

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