The Pokémon Research Academy was one of the largest academies in the Kanto region.
In terms of sheer size alone, it was two to three times larger than Professor Oak’s research laboratory.
It had complete facilities, top-tier teaching staff, and places like the western river specifically designed for fishing Water-type Pokémon.
Every day, a large number of students came here to fish.
However, not everyone possessed talent as absurd as Ash’s near-unmatched affinity with Pokémon.
For most students, catching a Pokémon here usually resulted in only one or two successful captures per month.
Aaron was putting in serious effort to catch a Water-type Pokémon.
With Lorelei’s help, he secured the best fishing spot and the finest fishing gear.
After all, he only had one Ninetales right now, and it was easily countered.
A Water-type partner would greatly offset this weakness.
But to others watching, the scene looked rather strange.
The combination was unusual: a beautiful mature woman, a young boy, and a talking Meowth—three “people” fishing together.
Especially Meowth.
No matter how you looked at it, it stood out in a very strange way.
Even Lorelei herself found it odd.
“You’re using Meowth as bait because it’s a cat and good at catching fish?” she asked.
“Don’t forget, Water-types like Magikarp and Goldeen are actually afraid of Meowth.”
“No, you’re overthinking it,” Aaron said casually.
“It’s just that this Meowth is starting to see itself as more and more human.
It’s even developing thoughts about becoming a Pokémon Trainer.”
“A Pokémon becoming a Trainer?” Lorelei looked at Meowth in surprise.
She was beginning to understand why Aaron called it a ‘special existence.’
“That’s right, meow!” Meowth said proudly.
“Why can only humans be Trainers?
Meowth can do it too!”
“And you just let it be?” Lorelei asked.
“Even if I don’t, there’s nothing I can do,” Aaron replied.
“If it misbehaves, I’ll have Ninetales freeze it for a few days and nights.
But right now, it’s still considered obedient enough.
Strictly speaking, it’s only half a Pokémon and half a human.
Rather than calling it my Pokémon, it’s more like my employee.”
“Exactly, meow!” Meowth said excitedly.
You give me gold coins, and Meowth will work for you.
I won’t lie or run away!”
“Not run away?
If you do run, you’ll end up sleeping on park benches and eating leftover cold food.
You think you can just walk out whenever you want?” Aaron said dismissively.
In truth, he had no intention of letting Meowth go to waste.
He planned to train it specifically in Pokémon language translation and mechanical skills.
As for other life skills, he intended to basically raise it into someone helpless—so that leaving him would mean risking starvation.
“Of course Meowth can leave anytime!” Meowth said arrogantly.
“I just feel sorry for you, so I’m staying.”
But internally it thought: If I leave this guy, I’ll be eating leftovers?
No way.
I need to stay here long enough to get enough benefits so I can live well after I leave!
“Alright, you two stop bickering,” Lorelei said with a smile.
“If you keep going, you’re going to scare all the Pokémon away.”
“Still, Lorelei, is it really possible to fish up strong Water-type Pokémon here?” Aaron asked.
“Of course.
In fact, there are quite a few rare Pokémon here,” Lorelei replied.
“My grandmother told me there are even a few Shiny Pokémon here.
If you’re lucky, catching one would be quite valuable.”
“Catch one and sell it, then use the money to buy a better Pokémon egg, right?” Aaron joked.
“Shiny Pokémon?
What’s that, meow?” Meowth asked curiously.
“Shiny Pokémon are just color variants,” Aaron explained.
“Their only difference from normal Pokémon is their color.
They aren’t even as different as regional forms like Alolan Pokémon.
People just make a big deal out of them.”
He shook his head.
In his past understanding, there were always people who treated Shiny Pokémon like something extremely powerful.
Some even believed they had boosted stats or special genetic mutations.
Shiny Pokémon were basically a collector’s novelty in games—something to satisfy rarity and bragging rights.
In the real world, they were just differently colored Pokémon.
There was no hidden power boost.
For example, Ash’s Noctowl was a Shiny Pokémon, and people even thought its brown coloration was the “normal” one.
But aside from being slightly smarter, there was nothing special about it—and intelligence wasn’t even necessarily tied to being Shiny, since many Pokémon were intelligent anyway.
Meowth itself was already an anomaly.
If anything, Ash’s Swellow from Hoenn was far more impressive in battle performance.
So when Aaron thought of Shiny Pokémon, his first instinct was: sell it.
That part, at least, matched the games—many collectors didn’t care about strength at all.
They only cared about rarity.
And since Shiny Pokémon appeared roughly one in ten thousand, they were extremely valuable to such collectors.
There had even been cases where a Shiny Pokémon was exchanged for a pseudo-legendary Larvitar.
Of course, such collectors were rare.
Those able to trade pseudo-legendaries were usually high-status individuals—often League nobles or similar figures.
“Lots of gold coins?” Meowth’s eyes lit up instantly.
It stared intensely at the river, full of anticipation.
Aaron glanced at it sideways.
Shiny Pokémon aren’t that easy to catch.
But what he didn’t realize was that his words had not only stimulated Meowth—but also someone not far away.
“You heard that?”
“Of course!
Shiny Pokémon!”
“Let’s do it.
Even if we turn this place upside down, we’re finding a Shiny Pokémon today!”
Jessie and James exchanged determined looks.
At this point, both of them were completely broke.
Jessie had always been poor, and James, ever since running away from home, had been living day to day without stability.
As for James’s family… it was ridiculously wealthy.
So wealthy that they had estates not just in Kanto and Johto, but even in Sinnoh.
The kind of family where capturing James would trigger hundreds of fighter jets.
Perhaps that was the only explanation: the life of the rich was simply incomprehensible to ordinary people.