Chapter Three: The Training Center

“Son, have you really made up your mind? Are you sure you want Ralts? Once we submit the online application, it’ll be difficult to change it, you know.”

This conversation took place during dinner the next evening.

After hearing Tang Yi’s decision, which he had pondered for several days, his mother seemed deeply concerned.

Although Tang’s parents had never raised a spirit maiden themselves, in this world, even an eighty-year-old grandfather could say a thing or two about them.

His father, too, hesitated. “Ralts is a Psychic and Fairy type. Moves of both types are hard to learn, and raising her will probably be quite a challenge.”

Tang Yi was momentarily taken aback.

Learning new moves, of course, couldn’t be done by simply clicking a button—this wasn’t a game. The spirit maidens couldn’t instantly acquire skills just by leveling up.

To master new techniques, a trainer had to teach these girls through various methods.

If a spirit maiden’s innate stats determined her upper limits, then the trainer’s skill defined her lower bounds. Otherwise, even a pseudo-legendary spirit maiden could lose to others if poorly raised.

“Don’t worry, I’ll give it my all,” Tang Yi said, his resolve unwavering as he earnestly dispelled his parents’ concerns.

Gardevoir, the final evolution of Ralts, had once been one of his favorite spirits.

Especially in a world where these beings were humanoid—just thinking about it filled Tang Yi with excitement.

He had spent the last couple of days mapping out several plans, wavering between them, but suddenly it all became clear. Since he had the rare chance to come to a world like this, shouldn’t he follow his heart and choose his favorite spirit as his first partner?

That was the truest form of love for spirits.

Afterward, his father helped him submit the adoption application for Ralts online.

According to the rules, families wishing to apply needed to notify the local breeding institution three days in advance.

The institution worked efficiently, and Tang Yi, who was keeping a close eye on the process, saw the application approved by the next morning. Within three days, staff from the institution would visit their home for verification.

The home visit was a crucial step. Tang’s parents even took the day off to wait at home and warmly received the staff.

In this world, adopting a spirit maiden was a lifelong commitment, so strict vetting was not only necessary but a responsibility to those spirit girls.

The home inspection was thorough.

They assessed whether the family atmosphere was harmonious, checked for any violent or abnormal tendencies in the potential trainer, and ensured that the spirit maiden would have a comfortable environment.

Though the Tang family led a modest life, their home was loving and warm. Their three-bedroom apartment, though a bit old, had a clean, tidy storage room that could be set aside for the spirit maiden’s future living quarters.

As for Tang Yi himself, his honest demeanor was written all over his face during the entire interview.

With a child so straightforward and sincere, what trouble could he possibly cause?

When the staff member left, she gave them a glowing review: “I believe your spirit maiden will have a very happy life in your home.”

The approval process went off without a hitch, and at last, it was time to adopt.

The Tang family chose a sunny weekend to visit the city’s breeding center—a government-designated place for the legal adoption and sale of spirit maidens.

It was a magnificent six-story building, and even on the outside, there was a line. Weekends were busy, filled not only with first-time adopting families like Tang Yi’s but also plenty of visitors.

After registering and verifying their online appointment at the entrance, a staff member in uniform warmly guided the Tang family straight to the fourth floor.

The entire fourth floor was an incubation chamber, with rows upon rows of eggs of various sizes kept in specialized incubators.

Tang Yi had crammed a lot of basic knowledge online in recent days: spirit maidens were oviparous, and typically two of them would lay an egg through a special process.

Understanding it was one thing, but the idea of maiden-like spirits hatching from these eggs left Tang Lin with a somewhat peculiar expression.

“Your family’s quite lucky—there’s a large stock of Ralts eggs in our city, with plenty of varieties,” the guide said with a bright, professional smile as she led them along.

Tang Yi blinked. “A large stock? Does that mean Ralts eggs aren’t in high demand?”

The girl’s smile faltered for a moment.

His mother scolded him, “Mind your manners, child!”

His father quickly changed the subject, “Could you tell us about the available types?”

The guide recovered her professional demeanor. “Ralts’ overall strength before evolving into Gardevoir is quite limited, and learning Psychic and Fairy moves takes a lot of time and effort. So you might want to consider an egg with inherited moves.”

She led them to a corner and pointed to an egg in front of them. “For example, this egg with the inherited move ‘Shadow Sneak’ is our best-seller. It lets Ralts learn a decent attack move early on.”

So this world had inherited moves as well.

Tang Yi asked curiously, “How do you tell if an egg carries inherited moves?”

The girl, thinking he was wary of being scammed, patiently explained, “You can tell by the pattern on the egg, so don’t worry. Our breeding center is government-certified—we’d never deceive customers about this.”

This egg’s pattern was a deep purple, quite distinct from the rest.

His father was tempted. “How much for an egg with Shadow Sneak?”

“It’s very affordable—only 550,000. We’re running a promotion these days, so with a five percent discount, it’s just 520,000.” She spoke lightly, but the figure left the whole family stunned.

Tang Yi sighed inwardly. In a government-designated monopoly, how could prices possibly be cheap?

“How much for an egg without any inherited moves?” Tang Yi asked directly.

“Only 80,000. With the discount, it’s 76,000. But do think it over—Ralts is quite weak at first…”

“No need to consider. We’ll take the most basic egg,” Tang Yi said firmly.

He knew their situation. At most, they could scrape together about 100,000 for a spirit maiden’s egg. The sky-high price of 550,000 was out of the question, unless they sold the house.

Though he dreamed of becoming a trainer, he would never force his parents to sell their home for it. That would simply be unfilial.

Besides, Tang Yi was confident that his training could more than make up for the lack of inherited moves.

He had that much faith in himself.

With Tang Yi’s determination, the deal was sealed.

The guide, a bit disappointed at losing out on a big commission, nevertheless handled all the paperwork, certificates, and follow-up instructions with professionalism.

Once everything was in order, Tang Yi declined the delivery service and, with the greatest care, carried Ralts’ egg home in his own arms, his heart brimming with joy.

The egg, nearly the size of two footballs, was warm to the touch, and Tang Yi could even feel a rhythmic vibration from within.

Ralts, too, must be eager to come into this world.