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When he turned his head, it was a boy the same age as Satoshi, with spiky red hair, one hand in his hair, posing narcissistically as he fiddled with his hair, looking rather smug. Looking at the boy's appearance, even without Satoshi's memories, he could tell who it was.
"You must be disappointed, I'm not late, Gary!"
This smug brat was none other than Satoshi's childhood friend, Gary. His full name was Gary Oak, and he was also Professor Oak's grandson. He was a character created based on Shigeru Miyamoto, a close friend of Satoshi Tajiri, the father of Pokémon. Later, Shigeru Miyamoto also became the founder of another Nintendo game that swept the world, Mario. One was the father of Mario, the other the father of Pokémon. Perhaps it was a case of birds of a feather flocking together, talented people becoming friends.
And in this world, Gary was a child born with various halos of superiority, so he developed a proud and arrogant personality from a young age. He was Satoshi's early rival. His personality gradually changed later, becoming more mature and calm. Although the two constantly bickered, they also forged a deep bond. Gary, who, like Satoshi, dreamed of becoming the strongest trainer, later chose the same path as Professor Oak.
Combining the memories of both, Satoshi knew that although the two had constantly bickered since childhood, and Gary would often take any opportunity to mock him, after gaining memories from his previous life, he understood that although they were rivals, they were also lifelong best friends. In any world, it was the same. The one who mocks you the most isn't necessarily the one least close to you. Those who are always by your side might grow old and distant, never interacting again. And Gary was clearly the former.
"Hmph!!" Gary was still young, after all, and not as venomous as he would become as a trainer in the anime. Before, whenever he mocked Satoshi, Satoshi would always get furious, and seeing Satoshi angry would make him happy. Because Satoshi was easily provoked, always greatly angered by Gary. But this time, seeing Satoshi's lack of strong reaction, left Gary with a belly full of insults that he didn't know how to unleash. He could only tsundere-ly turn his head away.
Satoshi paid him no mind. Gary was just sharp-tongued; he was undeniably a good person. Besides, he wasn't about to get angry over a child now.
Soon, the children participating in the summer camp arrived one after another. Some came accompanied by family members, but they only dropped the children off. This summer camp was entirely managed by Professor Oak, and parents would not accompany them. It must be said that parents in this world were truly broad-minded.
There were 30 children participating in this summer camp, which was not a small number, essentially a kindergarten class. "Professor, the number of people is fine. We can set off!" A staff member called out names one by one, then reminded Professor Oak.
"Good! Then let's set off! Everyone, follow one another. Next, we're heading to Route 1. There are many jungles there, so everyone must stick close to the team and not wander off!" Route 1 was near Pallet Town. Although it had many jungles, most contained harmless, small Pokémon, which was why Professor Oak dared to bring children there.
"Yes!!" All the children responded in unison. It must be said that the parents in this world were very broad-minded, but in fact, it was mainly because the children in this world were indeed more sensible. After all, it was a world where many 10-year-olds traveled alone.
After receiving the response, Professor Oak began leading the children out of town, with many staff members following. The lab was not far from the town's outskirts, about a 10-minute walk. They arrived outside the town.
"Wow!!!" Looking at the vast jungle, the children were already filled with curiosity and exclaimed in surprise.
Flutter, flutter, flutter!!!
Perhaps because of the children's voices, some bird-like creatures suddenly flew by from the nearby woods, once again eliciting excited cries from the children. "It's Pokémon!!"
Watching the children all staring at Pidgey, Professor Oak also explained seriously. After all, the main purpose of this summer camp was outdoor practical lectures. "Everyone, that's Pidgey, a small Flying-type Pokémon."
"Pidgey is a gentle-natured Pokémon. Even if startled, it won't necessarily counterattack; instead, it will create a sandstorm to escape. But because it has the ability to fly, it's a top choice for new trainers to capture Pokémon!" As Professor Oak lectured, the children listened with great interest.
"Pidgey generally lives in dense jungles. There's also another Flying-type Pokémon that lives in the jungle, Spearow." "They have quite hot tempers and are very territorial, so they often fight with Pidgey. Once startled, they will attack in groups. Sometimes they hide in the woods and are easily mistaken for Pidgey and provoked, so you need to be especially careful when entering the woods."
"Yes!!" Hearing Professor Oak's explanation, the children all quickly took notes.
"Alright, let's continue!" After explaining the two common Flying types, Professor Oak signaled to continue. The children followed Professor Oak and the staff's steps, continuing deeper into Route 1, preparing to head to the camping spot. In reality, this was similar to a kindergarten or elementary school field trip, except that along the way, they would encounter many Pokémon.
Professor Oak led everyone, showing them common Pokémon like Rattata, Oddish, Caterpie, and Weedle, identifying and explaining each one. While listening to Professor Oak's explanations, they arrived at a clearing in the jungle near a river, their destination being the campsite upstream of the river.
"Everyone, let's rest here for a bit!" Arriving at the clearing, Professor Oak spoke to the children. "Yes!!" Although children's energy is boundless, they had walked quite a distance. For these children, they probably hadn't walked such a long distance on their own before. And it was summer, everyone was already drenched in sweat, disregarding their image as they sat on the grass to rest.