Populus euphratica naturally had no problems with the first two tests.
There were more than 20 applicants, and soon, the invigilator made an assessment. The result was unsurprising—whether in the written test, practical operation, or interview, Albus was the undisputed top candidate.
After passing the assessment, the job fair no longer concerned him. Led by a school teacher, Albus arrived at the staff dormitory.
Looking at his first home in this world, Albus finally heaved a sigh of relief.
"Your class won't start until tomorrow, so take a rest here today," the teacher said kindly.
Albus nodded and watched as the teacher pulled a booklet from his pocket. "By the way, this is for you. It's the school's basic code of conduct. You should familiarize yourself with it first."
Albus had no objections. "Okay."
After handing over the booklet, the teacher left.
The room wasn't large, but compared to the student dormitories in his previous life, it could already be considered luxurious.
A bedroom, a living room, a kitchen, and a bathroom—though compact, it was more than enough for one person.
Albus felt a bit emotional. Compared to this, what kind of doghouse had he lived in during college?
He briefly familiarized himself with the room's layout, then went to the kitchen to boil some water. While waiting, he released Will Young from the Master Ball.
He gently patted its head. Though he knew it couldn't understand him, Albus still asked, "Are you hungry? Want something to eat?"
Will Young tilted its head.
The dead fish had already been thrown into the trash, and now, Albus only had a few berries left. After thinking it over, he decided to feed all the berries to Will Young.
After seeing that Will Young could eat on its own, he finally picked up the booklet and began reading.
In this world, children who reached the age of ten were eligible to receive their first Pokémon from the local Pokémon doctor.
The Pokémon League provided three starter Pokémon to the local doctor for selection.
However, not everyone had this privilege.
Wealthy families didn't need to rely on the League since they could provide their younger generations with Pokémon rarer than the standard starters.
Except for the League's direct descendants, most children who received Pokémon from the doctor came from wealthy families without financial concerns—similar to Ash and others in the anime.
As for civilians and those below them, they didn't receive the same benefits. Perhaps the League feared they wouldn't be able to afford the responsibility?
But that didn't mean ordinary people couldn't become trainers. The League didn't distribute starter Pokémon to them, but they could find other ways to obtain their first Pokémon.
Although the reality was harsh, it didn't stop people from loving Pokémon and aspiring to be trainers.
Before setting out on their journey, children aged seven to ten underwent a three-year school education. They learned basic Pokémon knowledge, trainer essentials, and general subjects.
After three years, those who wished to become trainers could graduate and begin their journey.
For those uninterested in training or traveling, they could choose to attend higher schools to study physics, mathematics, languages, and other subjects.
Orange Hua Pokémon Junior School was one such institution.
After skimming through the booklet, Albus had a general understanding of how things worked in this world.
Meanwhile, in the teaching building's office…
Principal Tongshan sat behind his desk, reviewing the applicants' test papers. Out of more than 20 applicants, only Albus had achieved a perfect score.
He nodded in satisfaction. At that moment, a teacher responsible for new recruit registrations entered and handed over a form.
Principal Tongshan glanced at it and was surprised. "He's only ten years old?"
Since Albus had previously claimed to be twelve, the school was unaware of his real age. Now, seeing his actual information, Principal Tongshan was a little taken aback.
The teacher hesitated. "Principal, is his age inappropriate?"
Recalling Albus' performance, Principal Tongshan said, "That child is more intelligent than some adults."
Some children who had experienced hardships grew up early, becoming highly sensitive to the world around them.
Let alone a child who had lived in seclusion with his parents in the Amazon Forest and had never interacted with human society.
Perhaps he claimed to be twelve out of fear that his real age would disqualify him from employment?
Thinking it over, this reasoning seemed plausible.
At that moment, Principal Tongshan was curious about what Albus' reclusive scholar parents had taught him in those years of isolation.
He sighed, deciding not to probe further. "Forget it. Let's observe his teaching ability first. If there are no issues, he stays. You can proceed with your work."
The teacher acknowledged the decision and left the office.
Albus had no idea what had transpired.
That evening, a friendly teacher invited him to dinner.
Albus glanced at the sleeping Will Young, thought for a moment, and decided not to disturb it.
"Does the school cafeteria provide food for teachers' Pokémon?" Albus asked.
"Yes, but only basic meals to keep them fed," the male teacher replied.
He followed Albus' gaze to Will Young, looking surprised. "I've never seen this Pokémon before. Are you its trainer?"
Albus quickly fabricated an answer. "It comes from the Galar region. My parents left it to me."
The male teacher had heard about Albus' situation. He looked about seventeen or eighteen years old, and realizing he had brought up something painful, he apologized awkwardly. "I'm sorry."
Albus, unfazed, replied with a straight face, "I understand. The dead can't come back."
The male teacher clapped him on the shoulder enthusiastically. "That's the spirit! As long as you can move forward. Come on, I'll take you to dinner! By the way, my name is Nishida Tsuyoshi. You can call me Flintoff Gang!"
Albus smirked. "Nice to meet you, Flintoff Gang."
This guy reminded him of a goofy university roommate—cheerful and outgoing. In just one meal, Albus learned about many of the school's teachers through his chatter.
Before the dinner could turn into a full-fledged welcome party, Albus quickly left the cafeteria with a packed meal for Will Young.
By the time he returned to his dormitory, night had already fallen.
With a "click," the bright incandescent lights illuminated the room.
However, the spot where Will Young had been sleeping was empty.
Albus' heart skipped a beat, but he soon recalled how Will Young had gone out to catch fish in the forest that morning.
He exhaled in relief but remained slightly uneasy.
What if Will Young had been attacked outside?
He wasn't worried about Will Young itself but rather its potential opponents—and himself.
If Will Young retaliated and hurt an innocent human or damaged something valuable, Albus doubted he could afford the consequences.
Fortunately, Will Young didn't make him worry for long.
Soon, it flew in from the night, holding a fish in its mouth, and landed on the desk.
Seeing this, Albus finally relaxed.
He placed the packed food on the table, opened the container, and pushed it toward Will Young. "Eat!"
Will Young tilted its head, spat out the still-flopping fish, and nudged it toward Albus with its beak.
"You want to feed me?" Albus chuckled.
Will Young's expression remained blank, offering no answer.
Under the warm glow of the light, Albus suddenly felt moved.
He recalled what Goldfinger had once said about Will Young: You are its favorite trainer, and it loves you more than itself.
Even though it couldn't understand human language, it hadn't forgotten to care for its trainer.