Chapter 814: Searching for Pokémon
"Wow, so cute!"
Before Zou Zhuo could even react, Lin Xue had already shouted out loud.
It wasn't just Zou Zhuo; the other players gathered around the supply station had also received their starter Pokémon.
Aside from the Charmander with its tail constantly ablaze, there were also light-blue Squirtles and Bulbasaurs carrying green onion-like plants on their backs. The display of these Pokémon was shared among everyone nearby—Zou Zhuo could see the Pokémon of all those close to him, though those farther away were out of sight.
For a moment, almost every player around had a Pokémon in hand, making the scene lively and bustling.
The Charmander hopped and ran around beside Zou Zhuo, looking utterly harmless.
"It's so adorable!" Lin Xue said, looking at the Squirtle she had summoned, unable to resist the urge to crouch down and pat its head.
Unfortunately, she couldn't actually touch it, even though it looked as real as could be.
Zou Zhuo tried interacting with the supply station again, but this time he couldn't obtain any items. Clearly, each supply station only produced items after a certain cooldown period—no infinite farming.
"By the way, I also got an egg. How do you hatch this thing?" Lin Xue asked, a bit puzzled.
Zou Zhuo was dumbfounded: "An egg? What egg?"
Lin Xue extended her right hand and swiped in front of her, bringing up a special item menu. This menu displayed all the items the player owned, appearing as a circular list around the player, visible to others as well.
She selected an egg from the list and showed it to Zou Zhuo. The egg floated quietly in the air, unlike the egg that had hatched into her starter Pokémon—it wasn't shaking, clearly requiring a long incubation period.
"Dammit! Why don't I have one? You lucky bastard!" Zou Zhuo protested strongly. Wasn't everyone supposed to get the same newbie rewards? Why did Lin Xue get an extra egg? How was that fair?
Lin Xue was surprised: "Huh? You don't have one? I thought everyone would get 50 Poké Balls and this thing..."
Zou Zhuo's mouth twitched slightly: "Fifty... fifty Poké Balls?! Why do I only have 20? Well, excuse me!"
Lin Xue quickly said, "Oh, it seems the quantities are random. You must have plenty of other items, right? I only have a few Incense—just three."
Zou Zhuo: "I... have just one..."
The atmosphere grew awkward. Lin Xue could feel the hostile stares from all the players around them, as if a pale-faced European had infiltrated the African continent...
"Ahem, let me ask Jarvis what to do with this egg." Lin Xue quickly changed the subject. "Hmm, just put it in an incubator, and it'll hatch on its own after a while. Okay, done."
Zou Zhuo felt utterly helpless: "The ugly face of a lucky European!"
"Hey, how about a battle? My Squirtle looks really strong!" Lin Xue said eagerly.
Zou Zhuo shook his head vigorously: "Battle my ass! We need to hurry up and catch new Pokémon! I'm still thinking about my Red Dragon baby!"
"Oh, right, I need to find my Pixel Bird baby too! Well... farewell!" Lin Xue ran off with her Squirtle.
Zou Zhuo: "..."
After receiving their starter items and Pokémon, the players at the supply station dispersed, heading to various nearby locations marked on the map to find new supply stations or search for rare Pokémon.
Zou Zhuo checked the map. Nearby, many green grass icons were rustling, indicating that wild Pokémon might appear in those areas.
From the map, it was clear that the spawn points were carefully designed—mainly in open spaces, parks, and along roadsides, with no Pokémon appearing on main roads. Additionally, based on a player's level, each had a special detection range; the higher the level, the larger the range.
If a Pokémon appeared within the detection range, even if obscured by something, it would show a glowing outline for the player to find and catch. There was no need to get too close—getting too close might scare the Pokémon away. As long as the player was within a certain range, they could throw a Poké Ball.
"It feels like looking for a needle in a haystack..." Zou Zhuo muttered as he walked, glancing around like he was on a jungle expedition.
Although there were many "Pokémon World" players in the capital, once they spread out, they weren't so dense. Moreover, when a Pokémon appeared, the system would determine who the first discoverer was based on factors like distance, behavior, and line of sight, preventing multiple players from fighting over the same Pokémon.
"Hmm? There's one here! Judging by the outline... a snake?"
A Pokémon outline appeared within Zou Zhuo's detection range, hiding in a flower bed by the roadside.
Zou Zhuo moved a bit closer and finally saw the Pokémon's true form.
It was a Black King Snake, likely a species from the world of Azeroth. Although its appearance wasn't particularly noteworthy—looking quite ordinary—Zou Zhuo still wanted to try catching it, since it was the first wild Pokémon he'd encountered that he could capture.
"So, I just throw a Poké Ball at it, right?" Zou Zhuo pulled up his item list, and a red-and-white Poké Ball materialized in front of him.
He tried making a "throwing forward" gesture with his right hand. The Poké Ball arced through the air, then landed beside the Black King Snake—he missed.
The Black King Snake was startled but only shifted a little to the side before relaxing its guard again.
"Looks like it tracks hand movements. I need to aim better."
This time, Zou Zhuo was more careful. He made a throwing motion aimed directly at the Black King Snake ahead.
The Poké Ball hit the snake's head squarely. A flash of light passed, and the opened Poké Ball sucked the Black King Snake inside.
"Got it!"
Just as Zou Zhuo was about to boast about his throwing skills, he saw the Poké Ball on the ground shake a few times before suddenly popping open again. The Black King Snake slithered out, hissing at Zou Zhuo, then lunged straight at him!
"What the hell!" Zou Zhuo was startled and instinctively stepped back.
In the MR display, the scene had a strong visual impact, and the suddenness of it all caught him off guard.
But just then, the Charmander leaped forward, blocking Zou Zhuo, and drove the Black King Snake back.
"Roar!!" The Charmander, its tail blazing with fire, stood in front of Zou Zhuo and roared at the Black King Snake, looking surprisingly reliable.
Recommended reading: Urban Godly Doctor, New Book by Senior Shi