[System Sync Complete.]
[Starter Package Granted.]
[Starter Pokémon Egg: Shiny Charmander]
[Poké Ball: 1 Unit Dispensed]
As the messages blinked in front of him, James stared in disbelief. A glowing light descended gently onto the floor of his bedroom—no, his prison. The polished wooden floor was marred by his tears.
But now, something different sat before him.
A Pokémon Egg.
Black and silver with swirling orange veins of flame patterns running through its shell. Warm. Alive. A second chance.
"A Charmander egg… a shiny one," James whispered, crouching before it. "Is this really mine?"
[Yes. This Pokémon is bound to your soul through the Justice System. Your first partner.]
He picked up the egg gently as the Poké Ball floated beside it. James grabbed it, heart pounding. There was no hesitation. No second thoughts.
He was ready to leave this life behind.
Two Days Later…
The jungle behind the estate was dense and wild. James had never been allowed near it growing up, told stories of wild Pokémon and dangerous terrain.
But now? It was his freedom.
Branches scraped his coat, and vines tangled around his boots, but James didn't complain. He had made it. He had survived.
Every day since he ran, James had lived off of fruits he found hanging from trees or bushes, scraping them open with rocks and eating around the seeds. He didn't mind the bitter taste—his hunger didn't care.
But he wasn't alone.
The Charmander had hatched the morning after his escape, golden flames flickering at the tip of its tail, yellowish silver scales glowing in the moonlight. James had cried—not from fear, but for the first time in his life, from joy.
He fed the baby Pokémon a mash made from berries. He crushed them with a flat rock and laid them out on large leaves. The Charmander happily nibbled at his makeshift meal.
"Guess those annoying tutors were good for something after all," James chuckled softly, brushing a leaf clean with practiced care. "They shoved enough wilderness knowledge into my head to help us survive."
Charmander chirped happily in response.
James smiled, brushing back a strand of long periwinkle hair tied neatly in a low ponytail. His blue coat, reminiscent of some old show his tutors made him watch for 'discipline training,' was tattered at the ends. But he still wore it proudly.
They were near the edge of the jungle now. Through the trees, he spotted chimney smoke.
"A village..." he murmured with hope. "We're almost there, little guy."
But before he could take another step—
Rustle!
A blur of brown dashed past him—a wild Eevee, panting and frightened.
Behind it, crashing through the bushes, came two men in black uniforms, red R symbols proudly displayed on their chests. They carried capture nets and smirks full of greed.
"Don't let it escape!"
"That Eevee's worth a fortune!"
James froze.
His heart raced. His body wanted to turn and run. He knew who they were—Team Rocket. Dangerous criminals. The kind of people he was once fated to join.
He clenched his fists.
'Run? Hide? What can I even do…?' he thought, fear squeezing at his throat.
Then… he remembered the System.
You will become the symbol of justice.
James looked down at the baby Charmander now clinging to his leg, its eyes wide and nervous. He gently lifted it and whispered, "It's okay… I'll protect you."
He tapped the Poké Ball and returned Charmander in a flash of red light.
"I'm not that weak, crying kid anymore," James muttered as he stepped behind a tree, steadying his breath.
The Eevee ran past him—frantic, desperate.
And then—
"NOW!" James shouted, leaping out from behind the tree and thrusting his hand forward.
"FIRE AURA… PLEASE WORK! LET ME SAVE SOMEONE!"
[Emotional Trigger Detected.]
[Activating Aura…]
An orange glow erupted from within him, coating his body in radiant, living fire. His green eyes blazed with life as the aura surged outward in a pulse of heat.
The grunts froze.
"What the—!?"
FWOOSH!
A wave of flames burst from James' palm, blasting through the air. The energy was raw, untamed, but it struck true—hitting both grunts square in the chest and hurling them backward into the trees.
THUD!
They hit the bark hard and crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Smoke rose from their uniforms.
Silence.
James stood there, panting, aura flickering around his body like a storm barely held back.
"I… I actually did it…" he whispered.
But the strength faded as quickly as it came.
His knees wobbled. His vision blurred. Hunger and exhaustion slammed into him like a wave.
Too much… all at once…
He collapsed backward—
—but landed not on the ground, but against soft fur.
The Eevee had caught him.
It whined softly, nudging at his face.
James tried to speak… but darkness clouded his mind.
In the distance, he heard sirens.
Wooooop Wooooop!
Then—one final message.
[Fire Aura unlocked: Beginner Level.]
[Justice begins with one flame.]
And with that, James lost consciousness, a faint smile still on his face.