Luis had been living in the new orphanage for several weeks now, long enough for the strangeness of his first days to fade into something warm and familiar. At first he had been cautious—he always was in new places—but little by little he began to realize how much he liked it here.

The food was good. The beds were warm. The building felt safe in a way that made his shoulders relax without him noticing. And there was entertainment—real entertainment, not just a dusty bookshelf or an old TV with broken buttons. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

During their free time, the older children were allowed to watch shows, play ball in the garden, or borrow board games from the common room.

The biggest surprise came the day Luis saw Alex carrying in a stack of playing cards, including several Yu-Gi-Oh! starter decks.

For a moment Luis thought he was imagining things. But no—Alex had simply smiled, set everything on the table, and told the children they could use them as long as they took good care of the cards.

The place didn't feel like an orphanage at all. It felt like more like a expensive hotel. A hotel where people actually cared about the guests. Luis noticed it most in how the staff treated the children—not with forced kindness, but with patience.

Luis and his younger sister both felt it.

They started to have a genuinely positive opinion of Alex and Maria—something Luis would never have expected to happen so soon or ever. And although he didn't say it aloud, he found himself hoping that this place could really be their home for a long time.

For the first time in years, that hope didn't feel dangerous to him

Something special happened today. He, his sister, and four other children were taken to Alex's villa.

Camila, Aurora, Maverick, and Douglas.

Luis wasn't surprised to see those four there. Over the past few weeks, he had spent enough time with them to notice something… different. He couldn't quite put it into words, but they all had something the other children didn't. A certain presence.

Maverick, in particular.

Luis had talked to him the most and had quickly become friends with him after realizing how similar they were. Not in everything—but in the way they thought, the way they watched people before speaking.

The villa itself was overwhelming.

It was far bigger than anything Luis had ever seen up close. Clean, quiet, and filled with things that didn't feel fragile or worn out. Everything looked… expensive.

They were led into a large room where Alex and a few Pokemon were waiting.

Luis immediately felt the atmosphere shift. This wasn't casual anymore.

Alex stepped forward and, without much buildup, handed Luis and his sister two small cards.

"They're yours," he said simply.

Luis looked down. The "cards" looked more like official ID documents (two Genius Rule certificates), each one containing detailed personal information. Even at a glance, he could tell they were important.

Before Luis could even ask, Alex spoke with a faint smile, "These weren't cheap, and they were very difficult to obtain—especially for only two four-rank Psychics. You'd better not lose them."

Luis froze for a moment.

He slowly looked up at Alex, a bit stunned. 'How…?'

Getting something like this shouldn't be fast. It shouldn't be easy. And yet, Alex had done it as if it were nothing.

For the first time, Luis truly understood something he had only vaguely felt before.

Alex wasn't just kind and rich but he also was powerful and far more influential than Luis had ever imagined.

Luis had always suspected that Alex was powerful. But now, holding the small card in his hands, that vague feeling turned into something much clearer—and much heavier.

It was good to have someone like that on his side. Someone who could open doors that should have remained closed. Someone who could change lives so easily. But Luis wasn't naïve.

Nothing like this came for free.

His fingers tightened slightly around the certificate as a quiet thought surfaced in his mind. 'What's the price?'

He remembered the agreement. Ten years.

At the time, it hadn't felt real. Just words. A distant promise tied to a future he couldn't even imagine yet.

But now… Now it felt different. Real and Heavy.

For a brief moment, doubt crept in. 'Did I make a mistake… agreeing to this?'

Luis lowered his gaze, his expression tightening slightly. He didn't regret it—not yet. The safety, the opportunities, the future he and his sister now had… none of that could be denied.

But dealing with someone like Alex meant something else. It meant he stepping into a world where power had weight. Where every favor had a cost.

Luis slowly exhaled. Then, after a moment, his grip loosened again. 'No…' If there was a price, then he would pay it.

Because whatever waited for him in the future… it had to be better than what he had left behind. And if it wasn't—Then he would become strong enough to make sure it was.

Luis noticed as Alex placed more than ten Poké Balls neatly on the table. In front of each one lay a small piece of paper, listing basic information about the Pokémon inside.

A quiet tension filled the room.

Alex smiled and glanced at the six children. "Trainers… today, you take your first steps. And because of our agreement, I'll make sure you don't start from the bottom."

He gestured toward the Poké Balls. "Each of these Pokémon is a Born-A-Rank Pokémon, below level fifteen, and from parents with Born-S-Rank potential. In fact, each one is more expensive than a normal S-Rank Pokémon."

Luis felt his heartbeat quicken.

He didn't know that part of what Alex said wasn't entirely true ("from parents with Born-S-Rank potential")—but that the reality was, in some ways, even more valuable then the true.

Each of these Pokémon is a Born Deep Silver Pokémon, and therefore comparable to or better than all Born-A-Rank Pokémon from parents with Born-S-Rank potential in terms of potential.

Luis looked surprised when he heard this. It was common knowledge that Born-A-Rank Pokémon from parents with Born-S-Rank potential often reached S-Rank themselves much faster, making them far more valuable than ordinary Born-A-Rank Pokémon.

His eyes immediately locked onto the twelve Poké Balls. There was no way to hide the greed in his gaze.

Alex then said with a smile, "Each of you can choose one Poké Ball and take that Pokémon as your starter. Consider it a gift. The ones who scored highest on the test get to choose first."

Then his eyes shifted slightly. "Luis. Lena. You two had the same score. Choose two Pokémon together."

Luis didn't hesitate. He stepped forward immediately, only briefly glancing at his sister before focusing entirely on the table.

One by one, he read the names.

Seedot.

Lotad.

Taillow.

Magikarp.

Aron.

Machop.

Electrike.

Feebas.

Baltoy.

Heracross.

Snorunt.

Snorunt.

*******

Hey, I just wanted to quickly let you know that I've started a new story and won't be uploading any new chapters for exactly one week. (After 7 days, things will resume as usual.)

The new story is titled *Lord of Fiction*, and I hope you'll give it a try. I'll be posting 3 big chapters over the course of this week.

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If you want to see the next chapters (30+ chapters) earlier or just want to support me

https://www.--/alex02373