After saying goodbye to the director and the island’s residents, Jasper boarded the ship bound for Vermilion City in Kanto.
He was about to leave the small island where he had lived for twelve years and say farewell to this peaceful life, and for a moment, he could not help feeling emotional.
Standing on the ship, he gazed toward Ponkan Island, the place where he had lived for twelve full years.
When he thought about the new challenges he was about to face, waves of excitement also rose in his heart.
He had made countless preparations for this day, and today, he had finally stepped onto the journey toward his dream.
He wore a dark brown high-collared short-sleeved shirt, with a pair of black trousers on his lower body.
There was a pocket on each side, and a gray Silph-made expandable pouch was tied around his waist.
His black hair was cut short to his ears, and a sharp light flickered in his black pupils.
This was Jasper, who had just set out on his journey.
On the cruise ship heading to Kanto, because it was not convenient to train the Crystal Onix on board, Jasper used this time to carefully make a future training plan for it.
At the same time, he held a book on basic Pokémon food and read it with great interest.
He had gone through a lot of trouble to buy this book, and it recorded the food preparation methods for many Pokémon in the Kanto region.
Just like that, after spending two days on the ship, he finally arrived in Kanto.
The ship docked at a port in Vermilion City.
Vermilion City.
As an important port city in the Kanto region, its economy was extremely developed.
As Jasper walked along the road, everything around him gave off an air of prosperity.
It was completely different from Ponkan Island, where he had lived.
The streets were filled with stalls and shops selling all kinds of Pokémon-related goods, leaving Jasper, who had never left Ponkan Island before, somewhat dazzled.
Soon, Jasper arrived at the Pokémon Center located in the city center.
This center covered a very large area, and its red-and-white Western-style architecture made it especially eye-catching.
After all that in reality, Pokémon Centers were not just places for healing Pokémon and providing lodging for Trainers.
Perhaps the League’s original intention had been only that, but as more and more Trainers gathered in these places, Trainers from all over began choosing to exchange supplies and information here so that they could become stronger.
Over time, this gradually evolved into a custom.
Later, after the League noticed the enormous business opportunities contained within this system, everything became increasingly formal, comprehensive, and systematic under a series of management measures.
Not only were there shops specially aimed at Trainers’ needs, but there were also functions such as communication, Pokémon exchange, and mission postings.
Among them, the mission posting function in particular gave countless civilian Trainers another source of income.
They could accept various missions to obtain the resources needed to raise their Pokémon.
For the vast number of civilian Trainers, this was definitely good news.
If possible, after Jasper gained a certain level of strength, he would also choose to come here and accept some missions.
On one hand, he could earn extra income.
On the other hand, he could greatly temper himself, because the best training always came from actual combat.
After arranging lodging with Nurse Joy at the Pokémon Center, Jasper planned to rest there for the night, then take a car directly to Pewter City the next day.
Sitting in the car, he looked at the scenery outside the window.
Flocks of Pidgey flew across the sky.
Rattata on the road heard the roar of the car and hurriedly burrowed into the grass on both sides of the road.
On the trees, Caterpie were nibbling on leaves one after another, waiting for the day they would break free from their cocoons and become butterflies.
Jasper’s mood could not help becoming cheerful.
Perhaps this was the charm of the Pokémon world.
Pewter City was a gray city.
It had originally been born after abundant underground mineral resources were discovered in the area.
Along the roads, people could be seen everywhere setting up stalls to sell all kinds of ores, and there was barely a tree in sight.
At the entrance of Pewter Gym, Jasper learned through the information he had gathered along the way that Brock, the previous Pewter Gym Trainer, had already left on a journey a week ago.
He was most likely following Ash to search for his own dream.
The current Gym Leader was the former old Gym Leader, Flint.
He was also Brock’s father, and he was a powerful Trainer.
Jasper walked into Pewter Gym.
It was pitch-black inside.
“Is anyone here?”
“Are you a challenger?”
A deep, powerful voice rang out.
Then all the lights in the Gym came on.
Jasper saw Flint, with his spiky hair, sitting in meditation on a huge rock.
He wore a simple training outfit, and his body was sturdy and muscular.
His facial features were sharp and defined, with thick brows, small eyes, and dark skin.
His entire being was like a solid, unyielding boulder, bringing Jasper waves of pressure.
He was Flint, the old Gym Leader of Pewter Gym, a powerful Trainer.
He was a man who had once abandoned his wife and children in pursuit of strength and dreams, and after returning to Pewter Gym, the pressure he gave off seemed even greater.
Seeing how young Jasper looked, old Gym Leader Flint said calmly, “Young man, are you here to challenge the Gym?”
“No. I didn’t come for a Badge.”
“I came to become your disciple.”
“I heard that Pewter Gym is the strongest Rock-type Gym in Kanto, and my starter Pokémon is a special Onix. I promised it that I would make it the strongest, so please accept me as your disciple, Gym Leader. I’m begging you!” Jasper said sincerely.
Then he bowed deeply to show his resolve.