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According to the information Liu Bin gathered from upperclassmen at Bay City No. 8 High School, once you enter the Pokémon Department, about 80 to 90 percent of the training expenses are usually covered by the family, with only 10 to 20 percent being earned by the students themselves.
As long as you become a trainer after joining the Pokémon Department, regardless of the strength of your Pokémon, there are plenty of ways to make money.
But how much one can earn really depends on their own abilities. Most people opt to participate in various competitive battles, which are the most accessible and simplest route, though they place the highest emphasis on strength.
Aside from that, there are also part-time jobs like being a Douyin content creator, a Bilibili uploader, live streaming, or even working at the local police station or construction sites. The pay varies.
Kyron figured he'd have to find a way to make money this summer too. Otherwise, all the financial pressure would fall on his parents. And Steel-type and Rock-type Pokémon are notoriously expensive to raise.
"Ding!"
His phone buzzed. When he checked, he saw a message from Liu Bin on Penguin (a messaging app).
Liu Bin: "Kyron bro, let's go get BBQ tonight—my treat 😄."
…
Rong City's Shangcang Food Street is one of the most famous places in the city, well known for being the most crowded, most aromatic, and most lively.
The food street is about 5 kilometers away from the Taiyu neighborhood. It didn't take long to get there by bus.
By the time Kyron got off the bus, the sun had nearly dipped below the horizon. The sky was bathed in sunset hues, and the scorching heat of the day was finally fading.
Time: 6:15 PM
From the bus stop, Kyron could already see the bustling food street ahead. Many stalls had already opened.
People were starting to gather, and the aroma of street food filled the air.
The BBQ spot was in the second half of the food street, not in the central hub. According to Liu Bin, the closer to the center, the higher the rent and the smaller the space.
So they picked a location in the latter half, where the space was larger—enough to accommodate over twenty tables.
"Try it! Try it! Authentic spicy chicken skewers—guaranteed to be the real deal!"
"Boss, one mango pomelo sago, please!"
"Electric Pup, stop running all over the place!"
"I heard there's a really good stinky tofu stall up ahead!"
The colorful lights and the countless snack stands made the entire street burst with life. The stream of people and Pokémon added to the festive chaos—this was the spirit of street food.
Kyron stopped outside a bubble tea shop with a logo based on an Ice Vulpix. He glanced at the golden Maneki Meow-Meow (a Pokémon version of a lucky cat) on the counter.
The smiling server asked, "Hi! What would you like to drink?"
Kyron: "Two signature milk teas—one with pearls, one with coconut jelly."
Five minutes later, he arrived at the destination. A neon sign hung above the store that read: Liu's BBQ Shop.
Liu Bin was already waiting at the door. When he saw Kyron, he mock-scolded him with a grin: "Do you know how long I've been waiting? Half an hour!"
Kyron handed him the pearl milk tea. "Here—your favorite Ice Fox Milk Tea."
Liu Bin took it happily. "Yo, not bad!"
"Come on, my mom saved us the best table. Let's go in."
By now, the first floor of the BBQ place was almost full—only one table was empty. The rest of the customers had already started eating.
The restaurant had two floors. The second floor was also nearly full. Liu Bin led Kyron to a corner seat upstairs. It was cooler there with a nice breeze.
Soon after they sat down, a slightly plump woman about 162 cm tall, with a kind smile and a slightly worn-out look, came over. It was Liu Bin's mother.
Her forehead was beaded with sweat from all the work.
Liu's Mom: "Kyron, you're here! Eat as much as you like, don't be shy."
Kyron: "Thank you, Auntie."
Liu Bin: "Mom, I already told you what we wanted earlier."
Liu's Mom: "Your dad's already grilling. It'll be out soon. I'll go back to work now—don't let me interrupt you two."
Aside from Liu Bin's parents, the shop had two other workers and two Pokémon helping out.
Kyron: "So why'd you drag me out tonight and treat me to BBQ? Feeling rich all of a sudden?"
Liu Bin (grinning): "Nothing much—just wanted someone to chat with."
"Oh, right! Kyron bro—my starter Pokémon just hatched!" He looked visibly proud.
Kyron: "Oh? What is it?"
Liu Bin handed him his phone. "It's a Shinx!"
Kyron looked. Sure enough, the photo showed a Shinx—blue in the front, black in the back, star patterns on its ears and tail, like a little cat.
Kyron (shocked): "Shinx evolves into Luxray! Its base stats go over 500. That's a two-star quality Pokémon from birth!"
"Your family bought you a two-star?!"
Liu Bin: "I was shocked too! When I found out, I was over the moon."
"My dad said they didn't want me to fall behind from the start. All their hard work is for me. So they bit the bullet and spent 150,000 to buy the Shinx egg. Heh." Liu Bin couldn't hide his grin.
Kyron (internally): What the heck?! Weren't we all supposed to start out as broke newbies? You secretly pay-to-win?!
Just then, Liu Bin's mom brought over a giant tray of skewers.
After a few bites, Kyron said, "This is amazing. For real—only your family's BBQ is this good. Nowhere else compares."
Liu Bin: "Of course! That's why our place has lasted over ten years."
"Oh yeah—what about your starter? Didn't you say your dad had one ready for you?"
Kyron calmly took out his phone: "Right here. Just hatched today, same as yours."
Liu Bin took it and stared.
Liu Bin (shocked): "It's… an Aron?! An Aron!!"
Kyron: "Relax. What's the big deal?"
He then explained where he got it.
Liu Bin's expression turned complicated. Suddenly, the BBQ didn't taste so good.
It was like discovering your friend—who used to be just as unlucky—is actually a legendary lucky draw winner.
Liu Bin: "Your luck is insane! You basically got a two-star Aron for free. That's like saving over 100k!"
"I should've let you treat us! Turns out I'm the real clown here…"
After calming down, Liu Bin said, "One more thing—when my parents bought the Shinx, they got a free first-gen Pokédex."
"I've been using my sister's old one. Now that I have a new one, the old one's just sitting around."
"Wanna buy it off me? I'll give you a good deal."
Kyron (excited): "Of course! How much?"
Liu Bin: "The official store sells them for 6,999 yuan now."
"But mine's second-hand, used for years, so how about 2,000?"
Kyron: "Too much! With all our years of friendship, and you're still trying to rip me off?"
"On secondhand apps, these go for 1,500 tops. I'll give you 1,400."
Liu Bin: "Damn, you really know how to haggle! Mine isn't like those junk listings. Mine's in perfect condition—it looks brand new!"
Kyron: "You've got a new one anyway. Sell me the old one cheap!"
They bickered for several more minutes until Liu Bin finally gave up: "Fine, fine—1,400 it is. I'll take the loss this time."
Kyron: "There we go! Let's eat."
Liu Bin chomped down on a skewer, venting his frustration.
…
After finishing dinner, it was past 9 PM. Liu Bin stayed to help out at the BBQ shop.
Kyron took the bus home alone.
On the bus, he took out the red, boxy device from his satchel. It looked like a handheld game console—with a screen on top and four buttons below. This was the legendary first-generation Pokédex, released in Huaguo in the year 2001 of the New Alliance Calendar.
Its functions were very similar to the ones in the old games and anime: point the camera at a Pokémon, and its data would appear.
However, the first-gen version only had data on domestic Pokémon and only came in Chinese. The database was incomplete.
When it launched, it sold for 30,000 yuan each. Ridiculously expensive. Only the wealthy could afford it—and it still sold out instantly.
Later, when production caught up and new versions were released, the price finally came down.
Kyron had considered buying one secondhand but decided it wasn't worth the price. He hadn't expected to get one today—and at an acceptable price too.
He knew Liu Bin wasn't trying to profit—just making a show of it.
"Huh?"
He suddenly felt heat in his chest. When he looked down and patted it, his mind was abruptly pulled into a void. A massive multicolored orb floated in that space.
Gray energy swirled around it. Then, from within the orb, a rainbow light flowed through his body and into the Pokédex.
The black screen flickered—then turned on by itself. A picture of Charmander with detailed stats appeared.
Then it switched to Bulbasaur.
Then to Pikachu.
Then more and more Pokémon, faster and faster, like a slideshow speeding out of control. His eyes could barely keep up.
Kyron's heart pounded—he knew something extraordinary was happening.
He sat in the last row of the bus. No one around noticed.
After five minutes, the screen went dark again—like it had shut down.
Then, a sudden burst of strange energy shot out of the Pokédex and surged into his brain with a thunderous impact.
It felt like a sledgehammer smashed into his skull.
The pain was so intense he almost passed out. His vision darkened—his mind went blank.
He didn't even have time to scream. He just gripped his seat tightly.
In his mind, memories of Pokémon flooded in: games, anime, movies, comics, all the Pokémon knowledge he'd ever encountered poured in like a flood.
He didn't know how long it lasted, but eventually, the pain faded.
He opened his eyes. The driver, the other passengers, the announcements on the speakers… it all felt so distant.
He sat in silence for thirty seconds before finally snapping back to reality.
"That felt like a damn dream…"
He checked his phone. Only 15 minutes had passed.
He couldn't tell what had changed in his body—but something definitely had. He'd figure it out at home.
When the bus arrived, he stumbled off.
He walked for a while, taking deep breaths. He felt a little better.
As he reached the gates of his neighborhood, he saw an old man in his sixties wearing a brown tracksuit walking a Growlithe.
Kyron: "Evening walk, Grandpa Lin?"