Chapter 133: The Football and Basketball Department

Yohei... Hanamichi... The red hair of Dr. Sakuragi and his daughter...

Am felt that he might have discovered something "again"!

"Brother Renji, why are you here again... Spare me, please. I got scolded by Hanamichi for days just because I helped you pass something last time!"

The student addressed as "Yohei" by Renji shrugged and said. The three students beside him also wore expressions that clearly said, "Don't cause any more trouble."

Am stared at the four of them. Yohei had decent features and a naturally approachable demeanor, but the other three were the exact opposite: a chubby boy with glasses trying to look fierce, a blonde with a pompadour, and someone who looked unusually old—was that a slicked-back hairstyle? Am couldn't help but feel that these three were rather clumsily "acting" like delinquents.

"Hey, kid, what are you looking at? I'm warning you, stop pestering Boss Hanamichi!" The chubby boy, seeing Am staring, was the first to provoke him.

"Your Boss Hanamichi... is his surname Sakuragi?" Am wanted to confirm.

To his surprise, the group was taken aback. The three looked at each other before replying, "Uh, I guess so? *Ahem*, what's it to you?"

Am: ...

It was understandable, given that people in this world rarely addressed others by their surnames unless they were figures like Professor Oak or Professor Sakuragi.

"Sakuragi?" Yohei glanced at Renji’s attire—he was still wearing his lab coat—and seemed to realize something.

Am finally understood. They likely had no idea who Renji was before this, only that he was "some relative" of Hanamichi. Since Hanamichi had no desire to associate with the man, his friends didn't care to learn his identity either.

Regardless, Yohei offered a final reminder: "Don't count on me for anything today either. Hanamichi didn't skip school; he's training with the Poke-Basket team."

"I see. Thanks for the heads-up!" Renji thanked him.

"Poke-Basket..." Am muttered to himself.

He immediately recalled what kind of sport it was: Pokémon Basketball!

Pokémon Basketball was the most popular sporting event in this world. In this world, "sporting events" referred to those in which humans participated; if only Pokémon were involved, they were called Pokémon competitions. Poke-Basket was undoubtedly the most popular of the former.

The playing field was a flat surface roughly the size of a soccer pitch, surrounded by a sloped, ring-shaped area that grew steeper toward the edge, resembling a giant, oval-rimmed bowl. Am wasn't sure exactly how big a soccer field was, but it looked similar enough.

During a match, five human players from each side competed in the "inner field" in a 5-vs-5 contest under "Poke-Basket rules." To Am, it seemed like a mix of soccer and basketball; both hands and feet could be used, though he hadn't paid much attention to the specific rules. In the "outer field"—the sloped area—ten Pokémon from each team engaged in a 10-vs-10 battle!

The ball used was specially crafted; it was durable, hovered slightly, and had a "resists force" property—the more power exerted upon it, the more the impact was dampened. While greater strength was still advantageous, it prevented the game from becoming a pure test of raw power.

Between the inner and outer fields, there was a special barrier. When a ball was passed from the outer field to the inner field, its momentum was significantly reduced—this was to ensure human players wouldn't be easily injured by high-speed passes from Pokémon, and to prevent Pokémon from directly shattering the inner-field target.

Scoring depended on the "Target." There weren't traditional goals or hoops; instead, a special "Rotom Target" flew randomly within a certain height range above the field. When the target was in the inner field, the Pokémon would pass the ball back to the humans, granting them possession. If the humans managed to get the ball into the Rotom Target, their team scored! Conversely, when the target was in the outer field, the human players had to fight for possession to pass the ball back out.

Because the rules balanced the spectacle of human competition with Pokémon battles, it was the most popular sport in the world, leaving volleyball and baseball in the dust. It was said that, in terms of income, being a Poke-Basket player was the most lucrative side-career for a Trainer.

Upon hearing that Hanamichi was at the Poke-Basket club, Renji initially apologized and suggested Am go on his own—he could easily catch a taxi from there.

"No, I'll go with you. You have quite a lot of stuff," Am said considerately. Beyond his natural kindness, he was also curious to see what Poke-Basket looked like.

Renji couldn't refuse, so he thanked Am repeatedly, and the two walked into the campus together.

As for why the school didn't stop outsiders from entering? Renji had registered at the gate and called the principal—a visit from the Sakuragi Institute to scout for talent was something the principal welcomed with open arms!

They asked for directions along the way and eventually reached the Poke-Basket facility. On the way, Am had discreetly asked about "Hanamichi." Since it sounded like Dr. Sakuragi's private business, he didn't want to be too blunt. If Renji didn't want to talk, he wouldn't press—Am wasn't that much of a gossip. After all, it was normal for people to keep quiet about things like illegitimate children!

Seeing Am’s face light up with an expression that suggested he was thinking of something scandalous, Renji decided to clear things up to avoid further misunderstanding.

Hanamichi was, strictly speaking, Dr. Sakuragi’s nephew. However, Hanamichi’s father had left home years ago to elope with his mother. Later, Hanamichi’s mother passed away early, and his father died of an illness when Hanamichi was in middle school. Dr. Sakuragi had only recently come to Vermilion City to open his lab and, by coincidence, met Hanamichi, only then learning that his brother had passed away.

Upon finding out his nephew was living off insurance money and league subsidies, the doctor wanted to provide financial support. However, while Hanamichi understood that his parents' deaths had nothing to do with the Sakuragi family, he harbored a deep grudge and refused to see the doctor. Dr. Sakuragi had tried to approach him personally, but Hanamichi reacted with such hostility that the doctor chose to send Renji instead, hoping to avoid a scene at school.

"Hmm? Who are you two?"

As they reached the entrance of the Poke-Basket facility, a girl wearing a t-shirt and a backward baseball cap blocked their path, looking at them with suspicion.