Pokemon Scientist

Inside, Drasna gazed at the small baby and felt her heart melting. Without waiting for her grandmother's permission, she lifted the baby closer, planting a soft kiss on Allen's forehead.

It had been years since she'd considered having a child of her own, but the responsibilities of being an Elite Four member had left little room for such thoughts. Even with Haaland's support, there was little room for anything else.

This was also why she seldom visited home. The questions were always the same.

"Where is our great-great-grandson or granddaughter?"

Every time she came back, they would ask, and every time, she'd find a way to dodge the topic. 

It's like when she first graduated from school—'When will you get a job?' Then, once she had a job—'When will you get married?' After marriage—'When will you have children?' It's a never-ending cycle.

But now, with baby Allen in her arms, she thought maybe—just maybe—they'd let her off the hook for a while. Unfortunately, she was wrong.

Grandma Dracelia's voice cut through the air as she fixed her stern gaze on Drasna. "Don't think that just because Allen is here, you can avoid having your own children," she declared.

"How old are you now? When are you going to start a family? If you wait too long, you'll be raising children in your fifties! If you can't take care of your own child, let us handle it! You don't need to worry about anything!"

Drasna's heart sank. Her smile tightened, a reflexive gesture as she searched for a reply, but before she could find the words, Haaland, who had been watching her with a sympathetic smile, cleared his throat.

"Ah, Grandma, it seems Grandpa needs help feeding Tytalis and Onvern. I'll go assist him for a moment," he said, making his hasty escape from the scolding.

Dracelia wanted to continue scolding, but seeing her granddaughter's sad expression, she softened and switched gears. "How long can you stay this time? Will you be able to attend the summer festival next week?"

Relieved by the change in topic, Drasna sighed softly and smiled, grateful for the shift. "Don't worry, Grandma. We'll be here for at least a month. I've already taken time off, so yes, I'll definitely be at the summer festival."

Grandma Dracelia's face brightened at the news. "That's wonderful! It's been ages since the whole family was together for the festival." She paused, her excitement building. "And don't you want to see Cynthia and little Allen's Choosing Ceremony?"

Drasna blinked, surprised by the mention of the ceremony. "The Choosing Ceremony? I thought that was already done?"

"It was supposed to be for Cynthia," Grandma Dracelia explained, "but Carolina decided to hold it off and do it together with Allen next week."

Drasna's eyes widened. "Oh, that's going to be such a special day! I can't believe they're combining the ceremonies. A double celebration!"

Grandma Dracelia nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! Think of all the family and friends who'll be there. Everyone's been waiting for this."

A warm smile spread across Drasna's face as she thought of the celebration to come. But then, her curiosity returned, and she asked again, "But Grandma, you still haven't answered my question earlier. Will this little Allen be my little brother in the future?"

At that, Grandma Dracelia's enthusiasm faltered, and she shook her head. "We can't adopt him, at least not for now."

Drasna was taken aback. "Why not?"

"First, it's uncle, okay?" Dracelia emphasized. "If Allen was adopted, that would make him your uncle—U-N-C-L-E. Not a brother. Do you understand?"

Drasna was taken aback at first, then slowly understood. Still, she couldn't help but feel amused by it. She chuckled, not taking it too seriously. Thinking about it, wouldn't it be funny if baby Allen ended up being his own uncle one day?

"Second, look at this," Dracelia said as she handed over what was behind the compartment, especially the letter.

"The letter clearly states his full name, which means he has family out there," She explained, her expression serious. "His family is likely dealing with a complicated situation, and that could make things even more difficult down the line." She then handed Drasna the Pokéball and continued.

"Carolina has already begun tracing the 'Buffet' family mentioned in the letter and guess what?" She paused before revealing, "Out of all the nine regions, including Paldea, which just joined the Pokémon Association... there's no record of that surname. Not a single trace. Zero."

Drasna furrowed her brow. "There's absolutely no record?" she asked, snatching the birth certificate and other documents. She glanced up at Grandma Dracelia, her voice tinged with doubt. "Are you sure all of this is legitimate?" Then, she picked up the cracked Pokéball, carefully inspecting it.

Grandma Dracelia sighed heavily, her expression somber. "Absolutely. That's the mystery. We've searched everywhere for any trace of the Buffet family. Even Carolina reached out to her contacts in other regions, but nothing has come up. It's baffling, especially considering how authentic the documentation looks."

Drasna crossed her arms, deep in thought. "It's so strange." After a pause, she asked, "Grandma, do you know what Pokémon is inside?"

Her mind raced with possibilities. "Maybe if we know the Pokémon, we can narrow the search down to one region, and check everyone with the surname 'Buffet,' especially in rural areas that haven't been fully censused yet."

Grandma Dracelia decisively shook her head. "I'd rather not bring it up, not in Celestic Town."

Seeing her grandmother so adamantly refuse, Drasna understood the reason.

Just as trainers choose their Pokémon, Pokémon also choose their trainers, forming a bond built on mutual trust and acceptance. When a Pokémon is inside a Pokéball, it can immediately recognize the person holding it upon contact.

The Pokémon won't break free right away, as the Pokéball provides a barrier that keeps it safe. However, if released, there's a greater chance it could become hostile or even rampage, particularly if the person in front of it isn't its trainer.

Studies have shown that every individual possesses a unique aura, which generates energy that triggers the release of oxytocin, a hormone produced by the hypothalamus. This hormone fosters trust and attachment.

The release of oxytocin strengthens interpersonal bonds and creates a sense of security, allowing for a deeper, more empathetic connection that transcends verbal communication. This is what makes interactions between humans and Pokémon feel more natural and intuitive.

The Pokéball helps Pokémon analyze the unique aura of the person holding it, based on their physiological and emotional states.

This allows the Pokémon to interpret the aura of the individual touching the Pokéball, serving as a defensive mechanism, especially when held by the wrong person.

This is why Dracelia would rather not take the risk—not in Celestic Town, where such a disturbance could ruin the tranquility and peace, all for a personal matter.

Although the concept of aura has faded into legend over generations, some individuals have managed to fully awaken their own aura.

These individuals gain the remarkable ability to communicate with Pokémon, understand their thoughts, read their minds, and even heal them with a simple touch. Some even develop extraordinary abilities like telekinesis.

"How could a child have problems like this?" Drasna wondered aloud.

A child with no family record, a mysterious surname, and a Pokéball whose contents still remained a question.

If it's just a normal Pokémon, then everything is alright, but if it's a regional starter, then they might get into trouble. As for a pseudo-legendary Pokémon, Drasna never even considered that possibility.

Whether it's pseudo-legendary Pokémon or regional starters, these Pokémon cannot be caught through normal means.

The path to obtaining a Pokémon is straightforward: either capturing them in the wild, purchasing them from Pokémon breeding farms, or receiving a recommendation and picking them up from a Pokémon Lab.

For regional starters, trainers need a recommendation and will receive the Pokémon through a Pokémon Lab, usually managed by a Pokémon Professor.

For pseudo-legendary Pokémon, trainers must pay, obtain permission, and catch the Pokémon themselves. This makes capturing pseudo-legendary Pokémon far more hectic and uncertain.

Not due to permission or anything like that, but catching the Pokémon yourself means you need to start your journey and venture into their lairs personally.

Most of them live in hard-to-reach areas, such as underwater depths, steep cliffs, dense forests, or even volcanic regions. Even after you succeed, you must gain approval directly from these Pokémon, particularly from the parents or elders in the group.

It is tough, expensive, and very difficult.

Because of this, most trainers prefer to choose Pokémon from Pokémon breeding farms. These facilities offer a wide variety of options and often provide higher-quality baby Pokémon due to their selective breeding processes.

Selective breeding refers to human-influenced or artificial breeding to maximize certain traits, such as abilities, egg moves, or other traits and characteristics.

Of course, everything depends on the money. Selectively breeding elite-level Pokémon usually results in offspring that start at a higher skill level. These Pokémon are stronger and faster, though not to an extreme degree.

Most pseudo-legendary Pokémon are referred to as such because they often produce offspring in smaller quantities, but their quality is generally more consistent and of higher caliber than that of other Pokémon. This is also why they are preserved and protected.

What makes them especially valuable is that they don't require much human intervention in terms of breeding or care.

They thrive with minimal influence from humans, relying on their natural instincts and abilities to reproduce. This makes them both more enigmatic and highly regarded, as they represent a balance between strength, rarity, and independence.

They are different from domesticated Pokémon like Eevee, Jenny's Growlithe, or starter Pokémon, which are often bred in pairs, with multiple breeding pairs.

These Pokémon have lived alongside humans for generations, which is why they understand that by working together with humans, their offspring will be well cared for and trained, ensuring a better quality of life than they would have in the wild.

"I know, dear, but we can't jump to conclusions," Grandma Dracelia replied, shaking her head. "It's a complicated situation. We need to be careful with how we handle this. But for now, let's stop talking about it. It looks like our little hero is already awake."