Strongest Lottery System in Pokémon World

Chapter 5: Oak's Research Lab

The Next Day,

Pallet Town,

When Marcel arrived at Professor Oak's research lab, he spotted a girl with a shoulder bag walking away with a Bulbasaur by her side.

"Professor Oak!" Marcel called out as he stepped inside.

"Ah, Marcel!" Professor Oak greeted him warmly.

Marcel had attended the Pokémon summer camp Professor Oak once organized, leaving a strong impression with his intelligence, diligence, and curiosity. When Marcel expressed his desire to start a journey as a new trainer, Professor Oak had readily agreed.

"You're here for your starter Pokémon, right?" Professor Oak said, but there was a hint of hesitation in his tone.

Marcel frowned slightly. "Is something wrong?"

Seeing Professor Oak's uncertain expression, Marcel couldn't help but recall the original storyline where Ash Ketchum arrived late, only to find all the Pokémon gone, leaving him with Pikachu. A sense of foreboding crept in.

Could it be that his arrival coincide with the start of the story?

"Well… there's a bit of an issue," Professor Oak admitted with a sigh. "Due to an unusually high number of new trainers this year, I ran out of starter Pokémon earlier than expected. And to make matters worse, the Pokémon transmission device is malfunctioning. The Pokémon I was expecting to receive this morning haven't arrived yet."

Marcel was speechless. Of all the times for something like this to happen…

"All the starters are gone?" Marcel asked, his tone resigned. "It's fine, I have a Bulbasaur already."

Professor Oak quickly shook his head. "No, no, that's not what I meant! I still have two Pokémon here, but they're… a bit difficult to handle. If you're willing, you can choose one of them as your partner."

With that, Professor Oak placed two Poké Balls on the table in front of Marcel.

"Of course," Professor Oak continued, "if you'd rather wait, I can arrange for a starter to be sent to you once the transmission device is fixed."

Marcel's curiosity piqued. "What are these two Pokémon?"

He had a hunch one of them was Ash's Pikachu—the one that could go toe-to-toe with Legendaries but sometimes lost to basic opponents. But what about the other?

"Let's find out," Professor Oak said as he released the Pokémon.

With a flash of light, two Pokémon appeared—one yellow, one brown.

The yellow one was, as expected, Pikachu, who stood glaring with its cheeks sparking faintly, clearly displeased. The brown one was a cute Eevee with long ears, fluffy fur, and big, expressive eyes.

"Pikachu and Eevee?" Marcel asked, raising an eyebrow.

[Pikachu: Mouse Pokémon. Lightning Type.]

[When it is angered, it immediately discharges the energy stored in the pouches in its cheeks.]

[Eevee: Evolution Pokémon. Normal Type.]

[Its ability to evolve into many forms allows it to adapt smoothly and perfectly to any environment.]

"Correct," Professor Oak confirmed. "This Pikachu has a serious dislike for humans and shocks anyone who gets too close. As for this Eevee…"

"It seems fine to me," Marcel said, glancing at the Eevee, which was busy grooming its fur, looking completely unbothered.

Curious, Marcel crouched down and reached out to pet it.

Eevee immediately dodged, giving him an annoyed side-eye before resuming its grooming.

"As you can see," Professor Oak said with a wry smile, "Pikachu hates humans, and Eevee is extremely self-centered. Neither is ideal for a novice trainer."

Marcel stood up, brushing off the rejection. "It's fine. I'm not planning to wait around for the transmission device to get fixed."

He eyed the haughty Eevee and then had an idea. From his backpack, he pulled out a variety of ingredients and began preparing food based on the breeding knowledge he had learned.

"Marcel, what are you doing?" Professor Oak asked, watching in confusion as Marcel chopped and mixed ingredients with practiced precision.

"Winning this Eevee over," Marcel replied without looking up.

Within minutes, a plate of freshly prepared Pokémon food was ready. He placed it in front of Eevee, stepping back slightly to give it space.

"Vee…?"

Eevee sniffed the air, its nose twitching with curiosity. Hunger sparked in its eyes, but it glanced warily at Marcel.

"It's okay, Eevee," Professor Oak said gently, acting as a mediator. "Go ahead and try it."

Encouraged by Professor Oak's words, Eevee hesitated for a moment before taking a cautious bite.

And then it couldn't stop.

The carefully prepared meal disappeared in record time, leaving Eevee licking its lips in satisfaction. The once-aloof Pokémon sauntered over to Marcel and sat down firmly by his side, looking up at him expectantly.

"Well, looks like I've made a friend," Marcel said, smiling as he patted Eevee's head.

Professor Oak was astonished. "Incredible! Marcel, you've got a real knack for this. It's not easy to win over such a picky Pokémon."

"Winning a Pokémon's stomach is the first step to winning its heart," Marcel said with a grin.

Satisfied, Professor Oak handed Marcel Eevee's Poké Ball and the Pokédex. "Then I'll leave Eevee in your care. I trust you'll take good care of it."

"Don't worry, Professor. I will."

---

Just as Marcel was about to leave, the sound of hurried footsteps and a loud voice echoed through the lab.

"Sorry, Professor Oak! I overslept, but I'm here for my Pokémon!"

Marcel turned to see a boy in pajamas—Ash Ketchum—burst into the room, panting heavily.

Spotting the lone yellow Pokémon on the table, Ash's face lit up with excitement. "That's mine, right?"

Before Professor Oak could stop him, Ash grabbed the Pikachu.

"Pika…CHU!"

The Pikachu let out a massive surge of electricity, engulfing the entire lab in sparks and smoke.