Chapter 7- Data Eye
From what Liam Chen had gathered from older students who'd gone through the program at Rowens City High School, once you entered the Trainer track, a good 80–90% of the expenses for raising your Pokémon came straight from your family's pocket. Only a small fraction maybe 10–20% would be money you earned yourself.
The logic was simple: once you officially became a Trainer, no matter how strong or weak your Pokémon were, there were always plenty of ways to earn money.
But how much you could earn all depended on your own skills. Most people chose to enter various Pokémon battle tournaments they had almost no entry barriers and were the easiest way to make money, but also the most demanding on actual strength.
Besides that, there were other options: becoming a content creator on PokéStream or TubeUp, live streaming, working at the police station, construction sites… plenty of part-time jobs, just with varying pay.
Jason figured he'd have to find some way to make money this summer; otherwise the financial pressure would all land on his parents. Steel-type and Rock-type Pokémon were notorious money pits when it came to feeding and care.
Ding!
His phone buzzed. He unlocked it to see a message from Leonard Wu pop up on Pokechat.
Leonard Wu: "Frey bro, come out for barbecue tonight, my treat 😄."
---
Rovens City's Shangcang Food Street was famous across the whole city. People summed it up in three words: the most stalls, the best smells, and the livelest atmosphere.
The street was about five kilometers from the Taiyu Residential District, a short bus ride away.
By the time Jason stepped off the bus, the sun had nearly dipped below the horizon, the sky awash with evening glow, and the day's scorching heat finally starting to fade.
Time: 6:15 PM
From the bus stop, he could already see the start of Food Street. Many stalls were setting up, and the aroma of fried snacks and grilled meat drifted through the air.
Leonard's barbecue stall was in the second half of the street not in the priciest central section. As he'd explained, the rent in the middle was sky-high, and space was cramped. The back section offered more room enough for twenty tables at once.
"Try some authentic bowl chicken skewers!"
"One mango sago, please!"
"Electrike, stop running around!"
"I heard the stinky tofu stall up ahead is amazing!"
Colorful lights mixed with mouthwatering smells, the chatter of crowds, and the cries of Pokémon. The whole street felt alive, steeped in the warm glow of street-food culture.
---
Jason paused by a milk tea shop whose logo featured an Alolan Vulpix. On the counter sat a golden Lucky Meowth statue.
The cashier smiled. "Hi there, what would you like?"
"Two signature milk teas one with pearls, one with coconut jelly," Jason replied.
Five minutes later, he arrived at Liu's Barbecue, neon sign blazing overhead.
Leonard was waiting outside, half-pouting, half-grinning. "Do you know how long I've been waiting? Half an hour!"
Jason handed him the pearl milk tea. "Here your favorite Icy Fox milk tea."
Leonard's mood instantly lifted. "Hey, not bad. Let's go Mom saved us a prime spot."
---
The first floor was nearly full. Only one table sat empty, the rest packed with customers already tucking in. The shop had two floors; the second was nearly full too. Leonard led Jason to a breezy corner spot upstairs.
A plump, kind-faced middle-aged woman with a warm smile approached, wiping sweat from her brow. She was Leonard's mom.
"Jason's here! Eat more tonight, don't be polite," she said.
"Thanks, Auntie," Jason smiled.
"We already told you what we want," Leonard added.
"Your dad's already grilling. It'll be ready soon I'll let you boys talk," she said, hurrying off.
In addition to Leonard's parents, two other staff and two Pokémon were helping out.
---
Jason raised an eyebrow. "So? What's the occasion? Inviting me for barbecue that's a bit fancy."
Leonard sipped his milk tea. "No reason just wanted to hang out. Oh, and… my starter Pokémon hatched." He smirked.
Jason leaned forward. "Oh? What is it?"
Leonard pulled up his phone, swiping to a photo. "A Shinx!"
Jason took the phone. In the picture, the little blue-and-black feline Pokémon gazed at the camera, star-shaped markings bright on its ears and tail.
"Shinx's final evolution is Luxray base stat total over 500. And it's a two-star potential Shinx? Your parents bought you that?" Jason asked, surprised.
Leonard grinned. "Yeah, I was shocked too. Dad said they didn't want me to start behind, so they saved up and dropped 150,000 on the egg. Worth it."
Jason thought bitterly, Weren't we supposed to start with the same 'commoner route'? Since when did you go pay-to-win?
Just then, Leonard's mom brought a large plate of skewers, and they dug in.
---
After a few bites, Jason said, "These are great. Nobody does barbecue like your family."
Leonard beamed. "We've been here over ten years of course it's good. So, what about your starter? Didn't your dad get you one?"
Jason calmly took out his phone and showed him a picture. "Here. Just hatched today."
Leonard squinted. "An Aron… wait, an Aron?! Are you kidding me?"
Jason shrugged and explained the story of how the egg had been found.
Leonard's face twisted. So we're both supposed to be unlucky, and suddenly you turn out to be the chosen one?
"You're telling me you picked up a two-star Aron egg off the street? That's like finding 100,000 credits in a gutter. Why isn't my luck like this?" he groaned.
---
Leonard recovered and added, "By the way when my parents bought the Shinx egg, the seller threw in a first-gen Pokédex. I've been using my sister's old one, so now I've got a spare. Want it? I can give you a good price."
Jason's eyes lit up. "Of course! How much?"
Leonard thought a moment. "Brand new from the official store is 6,999. This one's a few years old I'll let it go for 2,000."
Jason snorted. "Too much. Second-hand ones go for 1,500 on SnailFish. I'll give you 1,400."
They haggled for a while before Leonard finally relented. "Fine, 1,400. You're killing me here. Let's eat."
---
After the meal, around nine o'clock, Leonard stayed to help at the shop, while Jason took the bus home.
On the bus, he pulled the red, clamshell-style first-gen Pokédex from his bag. Released in 2001 by the New League, it was nearly identical to the ones from the games and anime point it at a Pokémon, and it displayed detailed info.
Back when it first launched, it had sold for ¥30,000 per unit and sold out instantly. Only the rich could get one. Prices fell later, but Jason had never been able to justify buying one… until now.
---
Suddenly, his chest grew warm. He looked down, patted his shirt and his vision blurred. It was as if something yanked his consciousness into a gray void where a massive, multicolored orb floated, surrounded by swirling mist.
A rainbow stream of light flowed from the orb into the Pokédex. Its screen flickered to life and began flashing through Pokémon images Charmander, Bulbasaur, Pikachu… then faster and faster until they were a blur.
Five minutes later, the screen went black. Then a shockwave of strange energy shot into Jason's mind like a hammer blow. Agonizing pain tore through him and along with it, a flood of memories and knowledge about every Pokémon from games, anime, movies, and even obscure manga poured into his head.
When the pain faded, Jason sat frozen for half a minute before muttering, "That was… insane."
He glanced at his phone only fifteen minutes had passed. Whatever had happened, he'd have to figure it out at home.
---
As he stepped off the bus and walked toward his neighborhood, the night air cleared his head. Near the gate, an old man in a brown jacket, walking an Arcanine, smiled.
"Evening, Grandpa Lin. Back from your walk?" Jason called.