Chapter One: A Pokémon World Unlike Any Other

[A simple meal that can fill your stomach when eaten.]

Staring at the line of text before him, Zhao Fang finally confirmed that this thing was not a figment of his imagination. Although he couldn't touch the words, and they wouldn't dissolve in water, they undeniably appeared before his eyes.

"Well, if transmigration is possible, seeing strange notes isn't such a big deal," Zhao Fang sighed, then brought the plate of egg fried rice to the table.

Yet, as he thought about his current situation, Zhao Fang's feelings became somewhat complicated.

A week ago, Zhao Fang was still a homebody lying in bed, idly licking his Pokémon game cartridge to see if it tasted bitter. The next day, he found himself lying on a patch of grass. At first, he thought it was some kind of prank show, but then a Raticate dashed past him.

It was because of this that Zhao Fang realized he had somehow crossed over into the world of Pokémon.

"Pokémon, huh..." Zhao Fang's expression was complicated. He could consider himself a veteran player—from the earliest Red and Yellow versions to Sword and Shield, he had played them all. Although Game Freak's standards seemed to decline over time, Zhao Fang still held high hopes for the yet-to-be-released Diamond and Pearl remakes.

Unfortunately, he transmigrated before he could see them.

But after arriving in this world, he discovered that reality was not as wonderful as he had imagined. Not everyone could become a Pokémon Trainer. The starter Pokémon provided to players in the games were, in reality, rare creatures that required considerable strength and wealth to obtain. Ordinary people who aspired to be trainers could only purchase inexpensive Pokémon, like Raticate or Caterpie.

In this world, Zhao Fang was just an ordinary child living in an average family. Though they weren't wealthy, his father—who was fond of saying, "Science is amazing!"—had still managed to prepare a starter Pokémon for him.

A Magikarp.

Zhao Fang strongly suspected his father had gotten the Magikarp from Mr. Norman, especially since he’d just heard Mr. Norman mention that recently a large number of Magikarp had appeared in the waters near Littleroot Town, and that he had returned from Petalburg City to handle the situation.

Yes, after transmigrating, Zhao Fang found himself living as an ordinary boy in Littleroot Town, Hoenn region, in the third generation. In the future, he’d probably become the kind of NPC who pops up with a, "Fisherman challenges you to a battle!"

"Zhao Fang, now that you have your starter Pokémon, have you thought about attending Trainer School in the future?" At the dinner table, Zhao Fang's mother, a gentle and graceful woman, was smiling warmly at him.

"No, they have too little to teach me." Zhao Fang shook his head. In reality, Trainer Schools were divided into private institutions and League Academies. Private schools only taught basic type advantages and such. Zhao Fang had attended once but lost interest as soon as the teacher enthusiastically explained how Ice types counter Dragons.

League Academies offered much more, but their fees were exorbitant—out of reach for families without significant means.

[According to the latest Kanto League report, an important member of Team Rocket was arrested today. The person who assisted Officer Jenny in the capture is known as the prodigy trainer Red. The Kanto League has…] As the voice from the television came through, Zhao Fang's chopsticks slipped to the floor without his realizing.

"Huh? Red?" Zhao Fang felt as if he'd just witnessed a Machamp using Psychic right in front of him.

"Zhao Fang!" His mother was upset. She couldn't recall ever teaching her son to be so rude at the dinner table.

"Sorry, sorry, Mom, I was just… envious!" Zhao Fang waved his hands apologetically, though words could barely describe his state of mind.

Originally, Zhao Fang thought the world he’d come to was just an ordinary Pokémon world. He was content to wait for May and the others to begin their journey and expose the schemes of Team Magma and Team Aqua. Zhao Fang himself would be a laid-back, NPC-like trainer, helping the protagonists' Pokémon to grow.

Of course, that assumed that the concept of gaining experience in battles existed in this world. But from what Zhao Fang had gathered, it seemed there was no such thing as experience points here. Otherwise, he could have just spent a year battling wild Pokémon around Littleroot and emerged at max level.

He had never expected to hear the name Red on TV.

Red—supposedly the prototype for Ash, the ultimate new protagonist. But unlike Ash, who dreamed of being a Pokémon Master, Red single-handedly brought down Team Rocket. His rival, Blue, was also terrifyingly strong. If characters like Red, who should only exist in the Special manga and the games, were appearing in this world, then...

"Dad, do you know the name of Mr. Norman’s son?" Zhao Fang suddenly felt there was something very wrong with the world he’d crossed into, and urgently questioned his father.

"Science is amazing… Huh? Mr. Norman's son? You don't know? Of course, it's Brendan! Let me tell you, Brendan is a great kid..." Watching his father’s mouth move on and on, Zhao Fang’s feelings grew ever more tangled.

Just as Zhao Fang suspected, this world seemed more aligned with the game’s setting. But now that Red existed, did Ash, the boy with a Pikachu and dreams of being a Pokémon Master, exist as well?

"Mom, Dad, I want to go on a journey!" Zhao Fang clenched his fists. If the world followed game logic, then some disasters wouldn't be as easily resolved as in the anime. They couldn't always rely on the protagonists, could they?

Some game catastrophes were swiftly handled by players, but in reality, how many people were affected? Besides, since he’d come to this world, wouldn’t it be a waste to live as a nobody?

"Great! Actually, even if you hadn’t said so, your dad and I were already planning to let you travel for a while," his father said, beaming. He took a backpack from the cabinet behind him and handed it to Zhao Fang.

"Good luck, son! That way, your dad and I can enjoy some time—no, what I meant is, make sure to wear comfortable shoes!" His mother was as gentle as ever, but Zhao Fang couldn’t help feeling exasperated. His doting mother was truly something else...

He took a deep breath, slung the backpack over his shoulders, and thought that, with a hat, he might even look a bit like Red.

"Take good care of me, Magikarp," Zhao Fang said with a smile, picking up his Poké Ball.

[An exceptionally gifted Magikarp. It does not wish to live an ordinary life.]

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