Chapter 5: The One-Ball Superman

At midday, during the school break in Vermilion City, Xia You and Koharu sat at a table in a seaside cold drink shop, accompanied by their two Pokémon. In front of them sat "Super Sundaes," each with a distinct flavor and color.

As the shop’s signature treat, the Super Sundae was not only delicious but also intensely cold. One bite, and before the flavor could even settle on the taste buds, a chill rushed straight to the back of the head.

Despite rubbing her forehead from the brain freeze, Koharu couldn't help but praise, "No matter how many times I have it, the taste of the Super Sundae is always so memorable!"

Xia You had already eaten lunch at the laboratory. While wandering the city during his leisure time, he happened to pass by the school during the lunch break and bumped into Koharu, inviting her to take a brief rest. After two days of interaction, the two had become quite familiar, and sitting together felt natural and comfortable. Especially after Xia You shared some interesting anecdotes from his travels, the distance between them had narrowed significantly.

After a few bites, Koharu asked, "What are your plans for the future?"

"Plans..." Xia You stretched and looked out the window. "Although I've become a Special Research Investigator, Professor Sakuragi hasn't given me any specific tasks. Aside from collecting the three starter Pokémon, I want to challenge the Gyms first and earn badges to prepare for the future Indigo League challenge."

"Challenge the Gyms?" Koharu, not very familiar with Pokémon battles, asked, "Are you going to challenge the Vermilion Gym?"

"No," Xia You shook his head. "Lieutenant Surge, the Gym Leader of Vermilion, is an Electric-type expert. Although Electric isn't super effective against Grass, I’d rather head to Cerulean City and Pewter City first to challenge those gyms. But before that, I need to catch one more Pokémon."

Koharu looked puzzled. "Why go so far away first?"

"It’s like clearing stages in a game," Xia You laughed. "The process of challenging them should naturally go from easy to difficult. Clearing them one by one like that is what makes it fun."

On the street, students in uniforms passed by from time to time. Just then, a boy of similar age to Koharu with slightly tanned skin noticed her through the open window and curiously approached.

"Koharu, who is this?" He looked back and forth between Koharu and Xia You, seemingly trying to deduce something.

"Goh? What are you doing here?" After glancing at Xia You, Koharu didn't overthink it and introduced them. "This is Xia You, a Special Research Investigator at my father's lab. Xia You, this is Goh, my classmate."

*So this is the 'One-Ball Master' Goh?*

Xia You examined him closely; he looked exactly as he did in the anime.

"I'm Xia You, nice to meet you." Despite his poor impression of Goh from the show, he politely extended his right hand.

"Hi, I'm Goh." Noticing Xia You's handsome appearance, Goh shook his hand somewhat reluctantly. As he pulled his arm back, he suddenly noticed the Ralts nearby. "Wow, what kind of Pokémon is that!?"

"This is my Ralts, a Psychic and Fairy-type Pokémon. However, she’s quite introverted and a female, so she doesn't really like strangers. You'd better keep your distance."

Goh, however, didn't seem to hear him. He watched the gentle-looking Ralts, becoming more captivated the longer he looked. "She's so cute! I have to catch a Ralts of my own someday!"

Hearing this, a thought struck Xia You. "Goh, what is your dream?"

Though he didn't understand why Xia You suddenly asked about dreams, Goh replied honestly, "My dream? Obviously, it's to collect every Pokémon in the world, including Mew!"

*As expected!*

Xia You sighed inwardly and asked, "But if that's the case, as the number of Pokémon increases, won't you lack the energy and time to raise them? Won't you end up neglecting the Pokémon you've already caught?"

"That..." Goh hesitated, seemingly having never considered this. After a moment, he shrugged dismissively. "It doesn't matter. My goal is total collection; as for the rest, I'll worry about it later."

"We really are quite different then," Xia You smiled noncommittally. "My dream, besides becoming a Champion, is to travel freely with my Pokémon, walk to every corner of the world, and enjoy the unique scenery. That’s why I believe there’s no need for a high number of Pokémon—I only need to catch the ones I truly love."

Hearing this, Koharu stared blankly at her sundae. *Traveling with Pokémon?* It was something she had never imagined before, but the dream sounded quite wonderful.

***

Leaving Vermilion City, Xia You followed the road heading north. Beside him, Ralts and Bulbasaur walked along, one on each side. He had chosen not to keep them in their Poké Balls, inspired by Ash; traveling on foot with Pokémon not only trained their abilities but also strengthened their bond, and with them by his side, the journey wouldn't feel lonely.

Between Vermilion City and Cerulean City lay the largest and most prosperous metropolis in the Kanto region—Saffron City. Saffron City was filled with skyscrapers and was famous even in other regions. It was home to two Gyms: Sabrina's Saffron Gym and the Fighting Dojo led by Koichi. Knowing his current strength wasn't enough to challenge them yet, Xia You didn't venture into the city, choosing to bypass it and head straight for Cerulean.

The journey was quiet. While passing through a plain, a fox-like Pokémon caught his eye. It had mostly brown fur, a fluffy, bushy tail, thin legs, brown eyes, a small black nose, and long, rabbit-like ears, making it look incredibly adorable.

*A wild Eevee!*

Pokédex: "Beep. Eevee, the Evolution Pokémon, Normal-type. It possesses the potential to evolve into many different forms!"

Since he had encountered one, he couldn't let it slip away!

"Bulbasaur, it's up to you!"

At Xia You's command, Bulbasaur let out a cry, moved its four legs, and ran toward the Eevee. "Bulba! Bulba!"

Seeing Bulbasaur, Eevee didn't choose to run. Instead, it let out an excited cry and charged forward first!

"Oh? Interesting," Xia You laughed. "Fearless, proactive, and so excited that its tail is standing up—it seems you have quite a fiery personality!"